Your baby’s first three years is a period of amazing brain growth. It’s in this once-in-a-lifetime event that millions of brain cells will be created.

However, research has proven that our intellectual skills not only rely on brain cells, but ultimately depend on the existence of connections between these cells. The more connections created in early development – the more power the brain will have to process information and effectively solve problems in the future.

Developmental studies indicate that Sensory-stimulation is an effective exercise for increasing the number of brain cell connections infants and toddlers. Sensory stimulation refers to the impact the environment has on our minds and bodies as we receive information through our sensory organs.

These sensory activities can be delivered through soothing activities that involve touch, sound, sight, vestibular activity and smell (aroma-therapy). Some of the most popular exercises include the following:

Touch: Let your child experience the touch of various cloth textures while you massage him/her after a bath.

Sound: Sound is a powerful channel. Many parents report that exposing their babies to smooth music during the early years has helped in their intellectual development. The “Mozart effect” has proved those children with exposure to classical music attain a higher IQ than those who lack this stimulation. Try playing a classical music stimulation CD and watch your child react!

Sight: Vision in babies is limited and is the last sense to fully develop. As a result, they tend to prefer high contrast colors, particularly red and black. To best stimulate your child’s vision, create flashcards by drawing and coloring various sharp pattern pictures (geometric forms). Introduce these cards during play-time and watch how your child responds to this visual stimulation.

Vestibular Activity: Rock your baby while listening to his/her lullaby. You may also want to try simple hand-eye coordination games and other activities that require motor skills (fine and gross).

Smell: Smell is one of the most powerful senses. Learn to stimulate this sense by using various aromatherapy candles. Each child has a unique sensory-profile, so learn to experiment with smell until you find the right scent.

Remember that sensory stimulation is about exposing your child to DIFFERENT stimuli. Therefore, don’t feel afraid to vary and experiments with activities.

View a demo of our Sensory Stimulation Kit

If you want to learn more about sensory stimulation and view our sensory stimulation kit, please visit our site at

http://www.brightdv.com/intelligence.php
Article Source

Angelcare provides a wide range of monitors which ensure that you are never too far away from your baby. Indeed, for ensuring your baby’s safety an Angelcare product can be the best solution.

The reason behind this is that Angelcare provides a wide range of monitoring devices, which provide you almost the same insight into your baby’s well being as you would get by being beside her.

Here are some of the features that make Angelcare the best in baby monitor range, in terms of movement and sound detection.

1. Movement monitoring: all Angelcare products use a sensor-pad that picks up the slightest movements, such as breathing when inserted under the baby’s mattress. It is a so thin that the baby cannot even sense its presence. If there is no movement detected for a period of 20 seconds, an alarm goes off, warning you of a potential problem. This is really important for avoiding accidents such as suffocation and cot-death.

2. Hearing: you can also pick up all sounds coming from the nursery, by placing a sound transmitting device there. There is also a built in soothing night-light, which allows you to check on your baby at night without switching on the main lights and disrupting her sleep.

Almost each model of Angelcare monitors comes with movement and hearing functions and thus they are probably the best monitor you can lay your hands on. Separate movement and sound monitoring devices, which can be made to work in tandem, are also available.

An Angelcare Baby Monitor has been proven to be a very popular and useful item for attentive parents. Find the best Angelcare baby monitor online by starting your search at http://Best-Baby-Monitors.com.
.
Article Source

kids bedroom art.

Let’s see what boys bedroom ideas exist

Boys of different age groups have different tastes and likings and mixing up will see you end up throwing your efforts down the drain. Also, keep in mind that boys bedroom ideas are patently different from that of girls’.

For infants, it’s actually only your ideas that stick on and the best thing to begin with is having the room theme painted. It’s kind of designing a nursery with lots of Teddy or Pooh bears, Noah’s Ark and the like. A visit to a paint and toy shop will give loads of latest ideas. But if it’s a toddler, you have a task on hand but look at his, most boys love cars, so let your creative juices flow a bit in this direction. It can be car posters, Disney’s car movies, Mater, Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson and the group and on and on…

Girls bedroom ideas

Girls are gifted to love several things at a time but the trouble is their ideas change constantly. So you have a ton of girls bedroom ideas. There is no little girl who hasn’t dreamt of living the life of a princess. Imagine what Disney’s princess posters, Barbie dolls, themed bed, doormats, wall-hangs and draping mosquito curtains do for them.

The best finishing touch top give it is paint the room in matching colors. Teenage girls like their favorite celebrities’ posters although this keeps changing occasionally. What you can do is have borders painted around the posters or decals which give a kind of stability to the overall decor.

They say sky is the limit but when it is kids bedroom art, only your imagination is the limit.

Designer Mum offers a range of kids bedroom and bathroom accessories and designs. Visit DesignerMum.com.au for boys bedroom decorating ideas and
kids bean bags.
Article Source

From electronic games to educational and interactive plush toys, if you want something it’s bound to be made somewhere.  But you want to avoid every parent’s dread – the “toy safety recall”.  And with more and more baby toys flooding online baby shop shelves, you have to be careful when choosing a baby toy for your kiddo.

Research shows that babies’ brains develop exponentially in the 2 and 5 year old range.  The toys these babies play with can have a lasting impact on their social development and curiosity with the world around them.

3 Things You MUST Consider Before Buying Baby or Toddler Toys:

Educational Value. Since babies and toddler brains are constantly absorbing information at a massive rate, it is important to engage these youngsters and challenge their growing minds.  Some parents fear they will confuse their baby or toddler if they provide too much challenge.  This is not true – the more challenging, the better.  Of course you don’t want to frustrate your child, but well introduced educational toys can spur a lifetime of learning and well-adjusted behavior.  The harder you make their little brains work now, the more brain connections will form.  These connections can directly influence optimum brain capacity for the rest of the child’s life.  Of course, remember to choose age-appropriate toys.  A toy meant for a 6 year old is certainly not going to be much fun or benefit the development of a 2 year old.  And the most important thing is to make sure your child ENJOYS his or her toy, rather than getting frustrated and losing interest from the beginning.

Safety Concerns. Babies and toddlers explore their world in so many ways.  One minute they are crying and unhappy, the next moment they are giggling and putting everything in their mouth.  Toddlers and babies love exploring their world with all their senses, and taste is certainly one of their favorite means of exploration.  Because of this, you should pay careful attention to the size of the toys you buy and the materials made from it.  Lead used to be used in almost all toys and due to health concerns, is now banned.  If you have old toys passed down to you, you can buy a lead testing kit online to see if it is a hazard.  But with new toys, we go back to the common-sense practice: Check the age level appropriate for a toy.  Small parts on toys are extremely dangerous and present a choking danger for babies and toddlers.  Fortunately, all major toy manufactures state very clearly which age groups toys are intended for.  They also tell consumers if there are any parts on the toy that could become choking hazards to young children.  Also, WebMD suggests parents not purchase electronic toys for children under 8.  That popular baby electronic device?  Probably not such a good idea.  Electricity and babies aren’t a safe mix at all.

Baby personality development. The old method of “boys play with GI Joes and girls play with dolls” is as ancient as the people still spewing out this nonsense.  To ensure that your child develops a well-rounded, well-adjusted personality, encourage him or her to play with a wide variety of toys.  If it makes your baby happy, there is no sense in applying stringent gender roles which will only hamper your baby’s personality development.  If you only buy toy guns for your boy and dress-up kits for your girl, they will quickly learn that this is what is expected of them and cause some strange conflicts later in life.  Problems with social skills, self-esteem, and self-identity are known issues stemming from parent’s over zealousness to adjust their child to what they think their child should be. Keep and open mind and just remember, you can learn a lot about what makes a baby happy because the only thing they do more than cry is giggle and smile.

In conclusion, just be sure to provide toys for two year olds that will challenge their brain, are safe, and will help develop healthy and positive personalities.

Find a huge selection of mom reviewed baby- and toddler-friendly toys at http://www.mybabiesdreams.com!  With everything from Baby Einstein educational baby toys to nursery décor and baby safety gear, http://www.mybabiesdreams.com can save you time and money when shopping for a little one.  Hundreds of popular baby safe toys with reliable shopping and great prices.  Visit http://www.mybabiesdreams.com today!
Article Source

It is the child’s window to his mind. That’s because the optic nerve, which enters the back of the eye, is an extension of the brain. What he sees travels along this pathway to the part of the brain responsible for vision.

It is there he organizes, interprets and makes sense of his world. Just think about how much you learn by looking and observing…Okay, so sometimes we’re so busy looking that we don’t really see. That’s a different problem.

Your son’s brand new world becomes brand new to you, too, because you see it with fresh eyes. You also become more aware of sights, sounds, touches, and that new baby powder smell.

She sleeps more than she’s awake. But when she’s awake, give her a sensory-rich environment that appeals to sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.

Sight, sound, and touch become his primary teachers in unlocking the mysteries of his new world.

Speaking of sight, just what does she see?

Unfocused eyes, struggling to work together, try to make sense of this confusing new world. Sometimes they won’t work together so they cross. This is natural in these early months.

Eyes peering out of a wobbly head dimly see his mother’s face because his acuity has not developed. It probably won’t be in the normal range until he’s about six months old. He can see her facial features, but not clearly.
Bold colors and contrasting ones like black and white hold her attention for a bit. Add blinking lights and you have a combination sure to captivate her attention, if only briefly.

He might see a moving object passing slowly in his line of vision. Make it a bold color, give it a light or a sound, and it will be easier to catch his eye.

So are there things you can do or provide that will stimulate her visual development? Sure.

A lot of them at this stage will be practical ones…like a burp cloth.

Three-ply diapers…those with a padded middle section make the best. Jazz them up with colorful ribbons, appliques, hems…even her name. You can buy them, but they are so inexpensive and EASY to make, that’s what I’d recommend. I made some for my granddaughter and mailed them to her. A few days later my son asked me where I’d gotten them. When I told him that I’d made them, he said that his wife had looked everywhere for some like them but couldn’t find any. She’d like them better than the ones she’d gotten at her showers.

Another practical gift…also simple, inexpensive, and easy to make…that enriches visual development is a colorful quilt.

Babies aren’t placed on their tummys any more for sleeping. In order to develop their muscles for head lifting and back and shoulder strengthening, needed for crawling, they need “tummy time.”

You can provide a pleasurable “tummy time” by giving her a visually applealing quilt that captures her attention.

Don’t forget books…yes, even for a newborn…cloth, board, textured…they don’t even need words.

You can provide a sensory-rich environment that will enrich your child’s visual development.

Beth is a retired teacher of the visually impaired, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has created a web site http://www.child-enriching-gifts.com drawing on her experiences as a teacher and a grandmother.
Article Source

One of the biggest challenges a set of new parents faces is choosing a name for their new baby. This seems like an easy task and may be low on the list of priorities, when faced with the daunting world of parenthood. Even so, choosing baby names can be very frustrating and even a source of consternation for new parents.There are so many things to consider when selecting the perfect name for your child. Quite a few of parents don’t have a clue about where to begin and may feel completely overwhelmed. The best place to start is with a list.Try writing out the names and make sure to say them out loud, to to hear how they roll off the tongue. Check for any similarities to negative words or phrases that may be formed by certain name combinations.

Both parents could take a few minutes and jot down the first ten baby names that come to mind that they would consider suitable for the new baby. It’s not as hard as it sounds – it’s actually surprising, how many unique and quality names will come to mind. Make sure that you list names for both boys and girls, unless you already know the sex of your baby.The next step, after this first pass at the name choosing session, you should define some agreed upon parameters for your baby names. Think about and discuss your preferences for cultural backgrounds, family names and number of syllables. You could limit it to include only names starting with specific letters. Be sure that you keep plenty of paper handy–this could take awhile. Listen for potential names when you are in the grocery store, listening to the radio and reading the paper. You’ll be surprised at how tuned in you become.
Once the lists are complete, both parents should sit down and eliminate any names that either parent objects to. Even if there is only a couple of names remaining between the two lists, this is a good start.

Make sure to use the Internet when hunting for baby names. So much of the work is already done for you. Using any search engine, type in the phrase ‘baby names’ and a huge amount of websites will appear, giving you all kinds of baby name information. You can refine your search any way you wish. Forums are a good place to browse other people’s name ideas and post your own to get feedback as you work through your choices.As you make your way through your lists, pay special attention to the potential for teasing. Think of any negative words that may rhyme with or sound like the names you are considering. Consider letter combinations formed by the initials of any baby names on your list.

It will certainly be a welcomed idea, to ask friends and family for their thoughts and ideas. But beware! Your parents are from another generation and they may have their own ideaswhen it comes to good baby name choices. Siblings can be very original with their ideas. Just remember, that getting opinions on your baby names can be helpful, but at the end of the day, what you name your baby is up to you. This is your legacy here. If certain people have a different opinion about a name that is high on your list, you are the one who has the final say. Once people get to know your baby and form an affectionate bond, you will find that they quickly forget any negative connotation they may have had with the name, and come to love the baby, name and all!!

StorkandVeil.com has been a long time source for gifts for babies and continues to help parents and families of new babies celebrate the arrival of a new family member. For more on the gifts and accessories available, visit http://www.StorkandVeil.com.
Article Source

There is a wide range of toys that are made from silver. This can be something that is both functional as well as practical.

Baby Rattles

Baby rattles are a great gift idea to buy for an infant. You can choose to buy one for any special occasion or you can decide to buy one just because you see one and know that your little one would have lots of fun playing with it.

These toys can be a great investment if you decide to buy from one of the well known stores that supply quality products. You could even make this toy into a wonderful heirloom for the future. This could be presented at the baby’s christening and then kept as a super keepsake. In the future when your little one grows up, you can then present it to their own newborn baby. This could be the start of a beautiful tradition that could be shared from generation to generation.

A Silver Baby Ring

If you prefer the look and style of a baby ring, you will find that they can come in a range of sizes. The best thing to do is to look at the styles that are on offer so that you can pick the best one. You will want to find one that is big enough so that your baby can hold it in their little fingers without any difficult. These rings can be a mixture of a baby teether as well as a toy rattle.

The first place that you should start looking is on the internet. Compare all the different offers that are available and you are sure to find the perfect silver baby toy.
There are some great choices of baby rattles available today. Find out more about buying silver baby rattles online today.

Linda Bennett has varied interests including reading, singing and amateur dramatics.
Article Source

Silver Baby Rattles

There are a lot of different types of baby rattles that you can now get which are produced from silver. If you really want to push the boat out, you could possibly order a rattle from one of the well know department stores like Tiffany’s or Harrods. There you will get something that is manufactured from solid silver and it’s going to surely last forever. This could become a beautiful memento that you’ll be happy to give to your kid while they are a baby and then again once they turn into a grownup. Contemplate establishing a family tradition and this can be something which could be handed from generation to generation.

These rattles are still playthings and should definitely still be used as such. If you don’t have that much money to shell out, you’ll will be happy to know that you can still discover fantastic choices of toys made in silver that will not be too expensive.

A Silver Baby Ring

There are lots of silver baby rings that you could also choose to invest in. They can be toys that are big enough for your baby to grip firmly in their hands or you can find something that will slip easily over their wrist. If you want something that is multi functional then you can buy a baby ring that also works as a toy rattle.

Whatever your final decision is, you will be happy with the wide range of silver toys that are on offer. Any one of these would make a great gift idea. Take a look on the web to find out more about prices and availability.

There are some great choices of baby rattles available today. Find out more about buying silver baby rattles online today.

Linda Bennett has varied interests including reading, singing and amateur dramatics.
Article Source

A baby rattle is the perfect toy for any child for several reasons. It is fun to play with. It can be colourful. It can be educational and it can help to improve several of a child’s senses. Here is just one example of the sort of baby rattle that you can find to buy which will surely keep a baby entertained for hours on end.

Reasons To Buy A Baby Wrist Rattle

There are lots of rattles that can be attached to your child’s wrist safely. They are usually made from soft woollen fabrics, similar to the fabrics used to make socks. Some of these toys have little toy animals attached with a rattle inside them. A child can learn very quickly that if they move their wrists, they will be able to hear a sound.

A good example of this sort of rattle is called the Lamaze garden wrist rattle. These are very popular with parents because they are fun for babies to play with and they are very easy to look after. If you are looking for a great gift idea for your child or for a friend’s child, then buying a baby wrist rattle could be the solution. Compare and contrast what is on offer on the internet and you may be lucky enough to find a great bargain.

All you need to do is to evaluate the different prices and you are sure to find the right rattle for your baby and within your budget.

There are some great choices of baby wrist rattles available today. Find out more about buying the best baby rattles online today.

Linda Bennett has varied interests including reading, singing and amateur dramatics.
Article Source

A rattle is a great toy for any baby or toddler because it is not only fun and colourful. It can also be very educational. Every parent wants to ensure that their child is learning new things all the time so this toy will help to incorporate playtime as well and increasing their educational development.

Once you start looking at the different baby rattles that are available, you may be surprised to find that these toys come in all shapes and sizes. A good way to narrow down your choice is to think about buying a product made from a natural fibre like wood.

Reasons To Buy A Wooden Baby Rattle

You could opt for a toy that is made out of an all natural source like wood. These can come in a range of colours and shades, so you could find something that looks completely homemade and organic. Products that have been made from wood tend to be less toxic that other materials. This is because there tends to be less chemicals involved in the process of creating toys with this raw material.

You can find a wide range of rattles that use wood as the main component of the toy. They can be purchased in their natural hue or you can find great gift ideas painted in brightly coloured shades.

Start doing a search online to find the best wooden baby rattles and you are sure to find some great options that are available to you.

There are some great choices of wooden baby rattles available today. Find out more about buying baby rattles to online today.

Linda Bennett has varied interests including reading, singing and amateur dramatics.
Article Source