Is Music Beneficial to my Child?

Music for children is a crucial part of their development. Even a very young child appreciates the sounds and rhythm music brings. Singing and dancing simply makes you feel good and improves your mood. The same areas of a child’s brain that create language are stimulated when they are listening to music. Therefore, a connection between learning and music appears to surface. The advertisers have known this for years, as we all hum along to their catchy tunes.

Music is also exercise, both for the brain and the body. For kids of all ages, music helps test their coordination and balance. It also burns calories and is a resourceful way for a family to exercise together. Singing improves auditory awareness and the rhythm of language. Playing instruments encourages fine motor skills and develops the sequence of patterns.

Incorporate music into all aspects of your child’s life. Sing to them instead of talking. Dance to music while you do chores. Make up songs together. Have a family jamboree with any type of instrument you can create. Music can liven up a stressful situation or help an active child relax. Music is a great method for learning and bonding with your children.

What is Cradle Cap and How do you Treat it?

Cradle cap is a common condition affecting young children, particularly infants. It is a form of inflammatory skin disease that usually occurs on the scalp, but is also found around the eyes, nose and groin area. Most common in the first year of life, cradle cap can easily be identified by the appearance of thick yellow, greasy scales on the skin.

While the lesions appear unsightly, the condition is rarely troublesome for your baby and simple to treat. Start by scrubbing the area at each bath being sure to give the skin a good strong massage to help flake the dead skin off. After the bath, dry the area vigorously with a rough towel. If the condition is particularly persistent, apply pure vitamin E oil into the area and let sit 15 minutes before the bathing process. After shampooing, comb the scales off gently. While cleaning thoroughly is important, try not to irritate the skin as the surface may become infected.

If you notice the area becoming unusually red or warm, or producing a discharge, it is time for your pediatrician to be notified. If the case is particularly severe or lasts longer than a couple of months, contact your doctor for recommendations on specific medical shampoos or creams that might be necessary.

How do you prepare homemade baby food?

Homemade baby food is a simple art with the added benefit of saving money. Along with completely ensuring those healthy foods enter your baby’s system. Through my research I identified my desire to feed my babies wholesome organic baby food. The prices of the small jars of branded natural baby foods scared me off… so I started the adventure toward making my own.

First I bought some fancy equipment like a small baby food chopper and bags for straining; but quickly discovered this was all completely unnecessary. All one needs to make homemade baby food are three key things… a pot, a blender and ice cube trays. When your baby is young and eating only simple individual foods begin by cooking in batches. Use peas as an example. Boil them in the smallest amount of water possible, ensuring that the water used intermingles into the food preserving any vitamins lost during the cooking process. Once cooked to the softest consistency, deposit the peas and water directly into the blender. Make a large batch to save you time down the road. Whirl the blender until the peas turn to complete mush. Then pour the mixture directly into an empty ice cube tray and place into the freezer. This will provide you with individual servings to remove and reheat later. Once the pea cubes are frozen solid, disconnect from the tray and place the individual frozen blocks into a zip lock bag. Mark on the outside of the bag what veggies are inside and the date you cooked them. Once you get going… you will find out quick it can be hard to decipher between peas, broccoli or any other green thing you might create. Frozen food should be consumed between 3-6 months after prepared, so the date will keep you on target.

As your baby diet becomes more adventuresome, simply set aside a portion of the dinners you normally prepare and create the same procedure. Blending and freezing, thus furnishing you options for lunches and dinners a different day. Through this method I created a complete baby food meal in a cube, including meat, rice and veggie mixed together. Simply remove the ingredients before adding the spices and seasonings the rest of the family requires. Therefore exposing a baby to foods the family currently enjoys and saving money in the process.

Homemade baby foods create the satisfaction of understanding the nutrition that your baby consumes, along with the money savings built-in.

Family Budget and Money Management

The day that we become parents the whole issue of money management took on a new focus. Not only were we responsible for ourselves, we now had a child to take care of. This sense of responsibility changed not only how we felt about our family budget situation, but also how we discussed it as a couple. Whether both parents’ work or one stays home, children cost the family money. Usually it is money that was used for other things. How can families adjust to this new situation?

The most important piece in being a financially successful family is not actually how much income you have. It is the choices you make with your money and how you work together to make those choices. Finding a home finance system is crucial in this process. It must also be a system that works for each member of the family to be successful. Budgeting and managing your money is a very personal endeavor. While there are many resources to discover, each family must first analyze their individual situation. Learning from others is one step and fitting those solutions into your family’s lifestyle is the second.

Start by conducting a family budget meeting. Depending on your situation, this could be as simple as a quiet time to sit down as a couple or a large gathering of the whole household. The important thing is to be sure everyone is centered on finding a financial plan that will work for the family unit. Make sure to list out short and long-term goals. Try to be supportive of each family members' ideas and listen intensely to each other. Once the big picture is laid out, it will be easier to seek out advice from others to lay out a specific financial plan to meet your goals.

This is just the introduction to the commitment to finding success with money and finance as a family. Take this beginning to lead your family on to search out other information and resources to take it to the next step.