Ridiculous Crib Mobiles

Like many expectant mothers, I have been creating a baby registry for the things that I think will be useful for when my daughter arrives, including crib mobiles. Since this is my first child, I started with no baby items and have been gradually accumulating some stuff and adding other…

Books for Babies (0–6 months)

Even though your baby will not understand the words you speak to them for some time, it’s important to read to him or her. Being exposed to language, speech patterns, and the visual stimuli of books helps them learn. It’s also a great chance for you to bond with your little…

Cosmetics: Recognizing the Danger and Reducing the Risks

Cosmetics Can Be Dangerous

As soon as I started trying to conceive, one of the first things I considered when evaluating risks and benefits was cosmetics. They can seem so benign because…

Kindness

More than intelligence, I want my daughter to be kind. I want her to have the capacity for empathy and understanding so that she is not a cruel child or adult, though I know girls in particular often go through a “cruel” phase. I certainly did, and I’m glad that phase passed. Adults can help children avoid or…

What I Eat, She Eats (and Likes)

During pregnancy, I’ve tried to eat a variety of foods, not just for the nutritional value but so that my baby would be exposed to a variety of flavors. There is solid scientific evidence that what a mother eats influences her baby’s preferences later. The sources cited…