Parenting Tips to Prevent Sibling Rivalry

 

 

 

Sibling Rivalries develop when parents do not give equal importance to their children; they may unconsciously create competition and comparison between their own children that may, later on, result in major differences amongst them. It is the duty of the parents to teach their kids how to respectfully handle interpersonal relationship amongst siblings. 

Just like every problem has a solution so the sibling relation can also be enhanced through communication along with various ways being used by parents:

1. Parents themselves should stop making comparisons between their children. They have to highlight the strengths of each child and accept their weaknesses without any criticism. They should not play the card of favouritism or take sides.
2. Parents should spend individual attention to each child, by spending one to one time with each child and ask them about their personal likes and dislikes to make a special bond with the child. They can further guide them to describe the positive qualities of their siblings during a few of the interactions.
3. Whenever possible, let them settle their own differences and if required the parents should sit and resolve the differences between the siblings, especially in a contest of inequality in terms of strengths and eloquence.
4. Parents should never dismiss or suppress your children’s resentment or angry feelings. They should acknowledge and let the child guide how to ventilate that energy constructively.
5. Make the older sibling feel important, and especially teach them the concept of sharing.
6. Parents, first themselves need to express self-control and then help the child learn the same. Parents should focus more on the positive qualities of the child and appreciate for the same.
7. Parents should boost the self-esteem of their child, avoid the use of sarcasm and demotivation by all means. Parents should not label one child as intelligent and other as dull, one as slow/stupid and the other as street smart.

 

1. Parents should work as a team, and not as an individual. Parents should teach each kid to be responsible for their conduct and actions, and privileges come along with responsibilities.
2. Parents should introduce the concept of empathy to their kids, in order to make them aware of the impacts of their own behaviours towards others.
3. Parents should also teach their kids to be gender sensitive, and give respect to each other beyond that.
4. Parents should teach their kids to set their limits; they are additionally required to teach their children to respect each other irrespective of the age, avoidance of physical as well as verbal abuse.
5. When sibling rivalry becomes excessive in the form of physical or verbal violence parents should take the stand against the bully and if required take the help of a professional family counsellor.

Last but not the least, we all should work together in changing the perception of the society, believing in an equivalent treatment to both the kids, additionally, providing them with a fair share with their rights and make sure that they understand that in spite of differences between the siblings, this relationship is forever.

Problems Parents Face During Adolescence child.

 

The value of relationship between parents and children are priceless. The parents love for their child is high during childhood days; gradually behaviour changes during adolescence phase and get its rational state during mid- adulthood and vice versa. The love for each other lasts forever but the way they express and behave during the course of life time make things unimaginable.

Perspective of children of today's generation

These generations’ children see relationship as momentary and temporary. They call themselves as a different species of mankind only. They give high priority to gadgets, accessories and materialistic things. They breathe on virtual and imaginary world. For them relationship is all about being with their girl friends or boy friends only. Neither they have emotions and feelings for self and parents. The biggest challenge today’s parents and children are facing is the relationship issues especially during adolescences.

Adolescence is the new phase of child's life

“Adolescence is a new birth, for the higher and more completely human traits are now born – G.Stanley Hall”. This is the beautiful period in life. Every child would experience different feelings and thoughts. They seek for their presence of self and identity. It’s time for nurturing their thoughts through proper channelization and filtration process. The great leaders and achievers have started sowing their thought seeds during this phase, weeded out unwanted activities and processed their action plans towards attainment of their goals.

Unfortunately, children today are deeply engrossed in their lives with so called 'relationships'. Relationship is the most beautiful and precious things that happens to everyone in life. How we see and handle them makes much difference in our life and people around us. These days’ children are emotionally connected with virtual love. For them texting and telling them 'I Love You' makes the best in life. The focus is on girl friends and boy friends only. Love for self and parents doesn’t exist in their world only.

Virtual Love

In the absence of virtual love, they feel devastated and lost in life. They behave so weird that they loose control on self, unable to process their thoughts, manage emotions, does harm to self and finally sees them no where. They see everything as an illusion and couldn’t get out of it. That’s the time they get in touch with their inner self and need physical presence of a person to handle and mange their emotions. They think of their parents then.

Parents - Child Bonding

Parents and child need to develop greater bonding and understanding during adolescence period only. Children tend to seek for their personal identity, process of exploring and discussing new things that they hear, see and feel. It’s the most productive phase in one’s life. Parents play a major role in guiding a child. Listening and spending quality time with their children is paramount. They set guidelines for their children and teach the values of life and relationship.

Living a Life with Purpose

Children should understand that living a life with a purpose is essential then being carried away in the virtual world. They have been treated differently by their parents and society. Nothing much special about them. Need to realize technology can’t replace human values in life. Ultimately, we all wanted to be appreciated, cared, loved and supported by real people not by machines. Always reality is away from idealism.

It is important for parents to show love, respect, care, affection and gentleness by all means to their children. Children must reciprocate to this by taking accountability and responsibility for their actions. There are no perfect parents and children. But there are plenty of perfect moments along the way. Similarly no relationship is perfect, accepting each other with their own limitations makes the relationship perfect.

Strong Parent-Child Relationship! - How to Build

 

The most important kind of relationship is what a parent shares with the child – the better the relationship, the better the rearing can be. A parent-child relationship is one that caters to the physical, emotional, and social development of the child. It’s a unique bond that every child and parent experience, enjoy and nurture.

1. Understand your responsibilities as a parent 

Parents must prepare their child to become an independent, fully functioning adult by being a guide, mentor and a friend. The parent has to understand the child’s need and act according to it and not force upon their choices and needs onto them.

2. Respect each other’s boundaries

It is important for parents to allow their child to have increasingly more privacy and autonomy. Allow the child to explore around and guide wherever needed and encourage them to learn from their experiences. Restricting them from exploring might affect their confidence level and the child might become dependent on parent to face new situations.

3. Listen carefully 

All human beings wants to be listened to and heard, and children are no exception. Some issues might seem like a small issue to adults, may be a big deal to kids. The parents should learn listening skills that will help them to understand the emotions their child may be trying to convey in conversations. 

4. Spend time together and Laugh 

Sharing some good time with your kids creates the feeling of togetherness and can make them feel happy and makes you feel less stressed.

5. Express the feelings to each other 

Everyone has need for appreciation and affection. Make an effort to point out the good qualities of the child and make them feel good about it.

6. Remain calm at the time of stress

 Nothing gets resolved at the time of stress rather one might express negative feelings onto the wrong target. One should try to relax and take some time off before interacting with loved ones.

Ways to Promote Physical Activity of Your Child.

 

Physical Activity For Kids

The key to good health is good food, good mood (mental stability), and a lot of exercises or physical work. When it comes to children, the mood is generally not an issue, thankfully they being innocent enough to ignore the world. Parents can take care of the good food as well, might be tricky as well, but it is manageable. But to get them into doing physical work is a real task for parents these days.

One of the top reasons is it being the digital era when children have so much content in the digital space to kill their time with. But that raises a serious threat to their health. It is important to get your children to move from in front of the TV/Mobile/Laptop screens and get them moving.

Dr Neha Bansal, a child specialist recommends some ways to get your child into doing physical work:

Reward System

If you are sure that your child acts too problematic without mobile phones, stipulate a mobile using the time for them. The trick is to keep it as a reward for physical work. If they go for a half an hour walk/exercise, they get to use the phone for 15 mins and so on. This is a clever way to get your child into doing some exercise.

Get their peers

It is really difficult to get children to do something on their own or alone. A trip to the park with his/her parents isn’t as much interesting to them as going with fellow children. So, plan with fellow parents or get your child into an aerobics or dance group where he/she is motivated and have company.

Everyday routine

Set up a routine, walk your child to the bus stand or school (if it’s near). Walk them to the market along with you for everyday chores. Let them help in the household. Make little things count.

Physical activity is as important as food. Encourage your child to stay active & fit!

If your child is obese or have other problems and suffering from his/her health, you should take them to a specialist rather than trying home methods. Physical Activity For Kids

The key to good health is good food, good mood (mental stability), and a lot of exercises or physical work. When it comes to children, the mood is generally not an issue, thankfully they being innocent enough to ignore the world. Parents can take care of the good food as well, might be tricky as well, but it is manageable. But to get them into doing physical work is a real task for parents these days.

One of the top reasons is it being the digital era when children have so much content in the digital space to kill their time with. But that raises a serious threat to their health. It is important to get your children to move from in front of the TV/Mobile/Laptop screens and get them moving.

Dr Neha Bansal, a child specialist recommends some ways to get your child into doing physical work:

Reward System

If you are sure that your child acts too problematic without mobile phones, stipulate a mobile using the time for them. The trick is to keep it as a reward for physical work. If they go for a half an hour walk/exercise, they get to use the phone for 15 mins and so on. This is a clever way to get your child into doing some exercise.

Get their peers

It is really difficult to get children to do something on their own or alone. A trip to the park with his/her parents isn’t as much interesting to them as going with fellow children. So, plan with fellow parents or get your child into an aerobics or dance group where he/she is motivated and have company.

Everyday routine

Set up a routine, walk your child to the bus stand or school (if it’s near). Walk them to the market along with you for everyday chores. Let them help in the household. Make little things count.

Physical activity is as important as food. Encourage your child to stay active & fit!

If your child is obese or have other problems and suffering from his/her health, you should take them to a specialist rather than trying home methods. 

Temper Tantrum-Toddler

 

How to Teach Kids to Be Smart About Strangers?

One of the biggest fears amongst Indian parents is child abduction,but that is not the thing happening, there are lots of other things like sexual harassment,harming the child etc.

"Don't talk to strangers" has been the rule for many parents for generations. But sometimes it's a good idea for kids to talk to strangers. Who else will they turn to if they're lost and need help?

So, instead of making a rule, it's better to teach kids when it's appropriate to talk to strangers and when it is not. When your kids are out with you, it's fine to let them say hello and talk to new people. You are watching the situation and will protect them.

But if your child is alone and approached by a stranger, that's a different story. Tell your kids that if a stranger ever approaches and offers a ride or treats (like candy or toys) or asks for help with a task (like helping find a lost dog), they should step away, yell "No!" and leave the area immediately. Your child should tell you or another trusted adult (like a teacher or childcare worker) what happened. The same goes if anyone — whether a stranger, family member, or friend — asks your child to keep a secret, tries to touch your child's private area, or asks your child to touch theirs.

Most kids are likely to be wary of strangers who are mean-looking or appear scary in some way. But most child molesters and abductors are regular-looking people, and many go out of their way to look friendly, safe, and appealing to children. So, instead of judging a person by appearance, teach kids to judge people by their actions.

It's also important to encourage kids to trust their own instincts. Teach them that if someone makes them feel uncomfortable or if they feel like something's just not right — even if they can't explain why — they need to walk away immediately.

So, what happens if your kids are alone and need to approach a stranger for help? First, they should try to find a person in uniform, like a police officer, security guard, or store employee. If there are no uniformed people, look for grandparents, women, and people with children who may be able to help. And again, remind them about instincts: If they don't have a good feeling about a certain person, they should approach someone else.

Some of the words used by the strangers to kidnap them         The “kidnappers” used phrases that are very popular and should’ve alerted anyone that heard them: 

•   “Let me buy you some candy?” 
•   “Let’s go feed the pigeons?”
•   “There are squirrels running around. Let’s go see?”
•   “Your father asked me to bring you to him. 
•   Let’s go!”Some of the most effective methods are requests to help some small kittens or puppies. 
•  Some criminals often pretend to be policemen, doctors, or firefighters.

It's not possible to protect kids from strangers at all times. But it is possible to teach them about appropriate behaviors and what to do if somebody crosses the line. Keeping these tips in mind can help your kids stay safe while they're out and about. 

Here are some things we can do to help our kids be safe:

For a child age 1 and up

• Teach them their name and their parents’ name(s)
• Under three years old, I don’t talk about “tricky people” or “bad people.” But, if I am in a situation where I feel uncomfortable, I show it with my body language, and I tell my child “I don’t like being here… I don’t feel safe right now. We’re going to leave.” Even at this age, I want to start teaching them to trust their instincts.
• Tell them they need to stay near you when you’re out in public, set boundaries – tell them where it’s OK to go and what’s not OK. If they step outside those limits, or refuse to hold your hand in a parking lot, or whatever guidelines you have set, then there should be consequences (e.g. you need to leave the park, or you need to carry them in the parking lot.)
• When going anyplace where you might become separated, put your contact info somewhere on them (e.g. on a card in their pocket, on a bracelet, etc.). Also, take a picture of them that day with your phone so if you become separated you have a photo of what they look like and they are wearing.
• Teach healthy touch: high fives and fist bumps, patting on the back, brief hugs, etc. Don’t force your child to give a hug to someone if they are not comfortable.
• Teach them names for their body parts, including private parts. It is best to use commonly used terms (e.g. penis or vagina), not family euphemisms. Feeling comfortable with these words makes it possible for a child to explain if something inappropriate happens. (Learn more.)
• You should always know the basic description of your child at all ages, so if they are missing, you can tell searchers: how tall they are, how much they weigh, piercings, tattoos, birthmarks. Take good head and shoulder pictures at least every 6 months (every 3 months for young children.       

 For a child age 3 and up:

• Everything listed above, plus:
• Be sure they know their address, parent’s names, and parent’s phone numbers.Help them know what adults you trust. Tell them: “if you ever feel scared or need help, then ____ and _____ are adults you can talk to.
• ”Talk to them about how to find a trustworthy stranger if they somehow become separated from you and need help. You could teach to look for a police officer, but they’re rarely around. So, I also tell my children to look for a person who is working there – I help them identify workers – they’re standing behind the check-out counter, or they’re wearing a uniform. I also tell them they could go to another parent – someone who has a child with them. From time to time, we practice this – I ask my child to look around and identify two people who they could ask for help if needed. Also, point out “safe spots” – the places they are most likely to find helpful people.
• Talk to them about “tricky people” and what behaviors are red flags. Don’t try to cover it all in one big “talk” – it should be an on-going dialogue.
• If your child is uncomfortable around someone and wants to avoid that person, don’t dismiss this. Respect your child’s instincts.
• If you go somewhere you might get separated (the zoo, an amusement park, a large event), talk to them on the way there about the importance of staying close to you the whole time. Tell them that if they look around and can’t find you, they should stop where they are and you will find them.
• By the time they are three, teach them that the parts of their body that are covered by a swimsuit are private. They should be kept covered around other people, and other people should not touch them there, except for parents or caregivers who are briefly helping to clean them, or a doctor, when the parents are in the room.
• Don’t label your child’s clothes or backpacks with their name in big, visible letters. “Tricky” adults often use a child’s name to convince the child they are safe.

As your child gets older, and more independent:

• Everything listed above, plus 
• They should know contact info for multiple trusted adults, and have a plan for how they could contact them. (For a younger child who doesn’t have a cell phone, they should know how to seek adult help. For older kids with phones, they need plans for what to do if their phone battery dies.)
• If going someplace  you may get separated, have a plan in advance for where you would meet up again. Make sure they can describe it to you, and from time to time, ask them “do you remember where our meet-up place is? Can you point to where it is?”
• A responsible adult should always know where they are. Set boundaries on where they can go, ask that they check in with you from time to time, and require that they check in if their plans change.
• In the places they frequent, they should be able to list “safe spots” where they could go for help if they were feeling worried – for example, if someone at the park was making them uncomfortable, they could go into the nearby convenience store. They should also know to avoid unsafe spots – isolated areas with no one around.
• They should know how and in what circumstances to call emergency number.
• They should know never to answer the door when they are home alone.
• They should know never to approach a stranger’s car. If someone calls them over to a car, they should not go.
• When out and about, they should use the buddy system, not go places alone.
• If someone offers them money, or an easy job, they should be wary.
• Consider a family password so that if you ever could need to send an unexpected adult to pick them up in case of emergency, your child could ask that adult for the password to be sure it’s really someone you sent. You could also use that code word or another one for your child to communicate to you “I’m feeling unsafe and I need your help.
• ”Tell them to trust their instincts. If they’re worried about something, they should talk to you or another trusted adult who can help them problem-solve. If they’re very frightened, they should call emergency number or shout for help. Tell them it is better to seek help and find out that everything is actually OK than it is to not seek help when things really are bad.
• Give kids examples of “tricky behavior”; have them describe how they would respond.
• Don’t talk about “bad touch” because sometimes sexual touch can feel good or can “tickle.” Instead, talk about “secret touch” that the other person wants you to hide from people, or touch that makes them feel wrong after it happened. Let children know that if anyone ever touches them in an inappropriate way (or makes the child touch them), that it’s not the child’s fault and they will not be in trouble with you. Perpetrators may first involve children by showing them pornography – let your child know that if someone shows them pornography, they should let you know.
• Explain that you’re teaching safety rules because they are more mature and ready to be responsible. You want to give them more freedom, but you also need to be reassured that they know how to stay safe.

©Dr.SHEBIN C E

For Consultation :- https://www.practo.com/kanyakumari/doctor/dr-shebin-c-e-paediatrics

Are You Finding Difficulty in Feeding Your Little One-Try This (Diet for 1-3 Years Child)

 

     When comes to food for our little ones we are more cautious on feeding them,we have lots of questions in mind like What food to be given?what time to be given? Did i can give this food? Is this food is allergy to my food? Is junks food good for her?  “I wish my baby could put on a little more weight by now”  Now you will get answers to all question  read the full article.

We often forget that toddlers do not have that much of consciousness to think “healthy” and all that they need is variety. Give your toddler variety in terms of colors, shape, size, and taste and he/ she will make mealtimes enjoyable for both you and him/her.

Importance of Number of Meals :

            When your child turns 1, you can give him anything except spicy, salty, and deep-fried foods. And secondly, you need to remember that your toddler needs little amounts of a variety of “interesting” foods to be given to him at various times of the day. So it is not a good idea to stuff him/her with food as a one-time option. When it comes to Kids, you should not follow the 3 meal patterns like us adults.

He/she is most likely to reject this option and stay hungry. A toddler has very little stomach capacity and he/ she cannot take 3 big meals a day. He/ she will typically need 6 small meals a day to fulfill his/ her body’s energy requirements. The best part about feeding your kid frequently is that you don’t need to worry much about his quantity of intake. Even if the kid eats 3-4  biscuits, he will be good for the next 1-2 hours… A little effort from your side will help him/her stay satiated and disturb you less during meal times.

Menu planning for Diet of Indian Toddlers :

 

In the above-given chart, the outer 6 boxes represent the different food groups.  This chart will help you in planning your own menu based on your convenience and timing for your baby. follow the following tips for planning a healthy menu for your toddler.

• Add 1 item from each food group:

        The trick is to simply add at least 1 item from each group throughout the day. Of course, you can use a particular group more than 2 times too. However, in order to maintain variety in terms of taste and nutrition, its important to plan from each group.  Ex – you can plan for rice in the afternoon and oats in the evening menu. both the items belong to the cereal group and are equally healthy.

• Variety in terms of taste:

        Make your choices of food from the given food group more interesting for the kid. Ex  – instead of feeding your baby with rice and milk every day, introduce variety. Plan for rice and curd, or lightly lemon flavored rice, mix rice with mung dal from pulses group to add protein and variety to your kid’s menu.

• Mixing of 2 Food groups:

        After your kid turns 15 – 16 months old, you can mix up 2  or more food groups together. Ex – Oats porridge with apple. Here Oats cover the cereal group, Milk will cover up for protein and apple will cover the fruits group.  some kids with good digestibility can tolerate the mixed groups’ concept right from 12 months onwards.

• Cereal Group:

        This group includes cereals like Rawa (semolina), Ragi, Rice, Oats, wheat and its products like brown bread, wheat-based biscuits. These cereals are easy to digest. Initially, its best to grind the food product, or mash it well to avoid choking. some kids take time to learn to chew.

• Milk and Milk Products Group:

        As the name suggests this group includes all varieties with milk. Cows milk has the best digestibility. Hence it is preferable to give you kids cow’s milk.  You can later introduce him with milk products like cheese, curd,  buttermilk, and paneer.  Cheese on brown bread is a good snacking option for your 2+ years old toddler. They relish it.

• Non – Vegetarian Protein Group:

            This group includes chicken, eggs, and fish. I would really recommend you to start your kid a little late with fish. Maybe after he is 2 +. This will ensure his digestion capacity. It is not that kids do not eat fish before this age. There are individual differences and food preferences. All you need to do is ensure your kids’ digestion capacity and allergic reactions to these foods.

• Dals And Pulses Group:

        Start with easily digestible dals like mung dal. once they are tolerated well by the kid, you can then move forward to slowly introduce her with all the other varieties of dals, and pulses.  make sure the first time you try any new pulse, it should be diluted enough. If your baby has any sign of intolerance towards these foods, like change in color of stool, hard stool or  watery stool or gases or stomach ache after the intake, reintroduce the food after a week in a diluted form

•  Fruits and vegetables:

        The fruits and vegetables that are mentioned under the groups in the above infographic diagram, can be used in any form. you can mash the fruits, make juice out of it, pressure cook the fruit for 1 whistle and then mash it (apple). or you can hand over them as slices to your kids. So they also learn to eat on their own. you can use vegetables in soup forms or cooked vegetable form, just the way you consume it at home. make sure you add little or no spices to the preparation. You can introduce the spices and masala for the baby after she is 2.5 + years of age.

• Fats and Sugars:

        This group is placed in the center on purpose. although you need to use a very little amount of fats and sugar for your toddler, please do not ignore this group. Your baby really needs good fats for better digestion. don’t forget that these little ones also require tasty foods just like us. you can add sugar or jaggery to their food preparations.

• Milk Intake :

        Give your toddler the regular milk when he wakes up in the morning. Give him 100 to 200 ml of milk in the morning and in case he/she is allergic to milk and milk products, you can replace milk with whole fruit, almond milk, or soya milk. If your child has crossed 2 years of age, you may consider adding health drinks such as Pediasure to his milk. Make sure to give your toddler full cream milk and he/ she requires milk energy to support his body’s functions and to grow into a powerful adult with time. In the evening, give your toddler 100-50 ml of milk depending on his preference. Yes, do value his preference as many toddlers simply hate the taste of milk. You can’t help as I’m sure many of you also hated milk in your childhood. Use your imaginations, make them tasty smoothies or milkshakes

• Water Intake:

        A toddler’s daily water intake may typically consist of at least 5 glasses of water. This includes the juices, milk, and other fluids that your toddler consumes throughout the day.

• Bread:

        Make sure you give your toddler wholewheat or brown bread or bread that is fortified with vitamins and minerals.

• Fruits  And Vegetables:

        You may opt for cooked or pureed food. Cooked or pureed vegetables with bland flavors are the best options for toddlers. These may include vegetables such as pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, squash, carrots, and butternut. Try with mashed food items. It’s better to feed your toddler steamed vegetables and pulses

 

• Homemade Food:

        Today’s nuclear family setups coupled with an increase in the opportunities for women employment, the time has become a scarce resource for today’s families. It is always better to avoid tinned and packaged foods as they contain preservatives that may be detrimental to your child’s health. Make sure you invest some time to secure your child’s health and prepare meals at home. We are sure that love will help you find that time!

 

• Oatmeal Cereals:

        It is a good idea to help your child build healthy eating habits at a very young age. You may introduce oatmeal cereals at a very early stage as they are healthy breakfast options and your child is most likely to develop an acceptance for oatmeal cereals as well as other complex carbohydrates.

 

• Portion Intake:

        1 tablespoon of each food: The Rule of Thumb. At one time, a one-year-old child should be fed 1 tbsp of cooked cereal, pureed fruit, pureed cereal, cooked meat, cooked vegetable, one egg, and a ½ cup of milk and dairy products. On a similar line, a 2-year old child should be given 2 tablespoons of different foods at a time. And as you can already guess, 3 tablespoons of different foods at a time constitute the perfect dietary portions for a 3-year old child.

 

• Nutritious Snacks:

            Your kid will eat when he/she is hungry and will stop when he/ she feels full. Sometimes, you may consider providing nutritious snacks to your kid. This does not mean that you have to put a lot of extra effort into preparing healthy snacks as a lot of healthy yet no-hassle snacks are available in the market. Prepare some finger-friendly, bite-size foods and your toddler will take the responsibility of feeding himself/ herself:
• Thinly-sliced fresh fruit
• Low-sugar breakfast cereals
• Mini muffins with whole-grain crackers
• Shredded cheese
• 2-4 ounces of pure fruit juice, with one part juice being mixed with two parts of water.
• Tart with pureed or strained vegetables such as green beans, squash, or carrots.

In a Nutshell:-

• Kids who are fed at small intervals are not only healthy but are also less irritable and less cranky in comparison to the kids who are fed with more time gaps.
• You need to feed your growing toddler every 2- 3 hrs, don’t wait for them to signal for hunger. Kids get really cranky and irritated if they go without food for long.  To become a smart mom, you need to set your timetable accordingly. Keep your busiest hours for their milk feeds. But do not overdo Milk. Excess milk feeds and no solid will make her/him hate food.

Some Common Mistakes that You Should Avoid:

• Making your child drink more than 16-24 ounces of milk per day.

• Forcing them to eat when they are not hungry.

• Allowing your child to eat sugary snacks

©Dr.SHEBIN C E & Payal Banka (Dietician)

Diaper Rash-Things to be noted

What Is Diaper Rash?

      Diaper rash is a common condition that can make a baby's skin sore, red, scaly, and tender. Most cases will clear up with simple changes in diapering.

What Causes Diaper Rash?

Usually, diaper rash is the result of an irritation, infection, or allergy.

Irritation. A baby's skin can get irritated when a diaper is left on for too long and poop (or the diaper itself) rubs against the skin repeatedly.

Infection. Urine (pee) changes the skin's pH levels, and that lets bacteria and fungi grow more easily. The substances that stop diapers from leaking also prevent air circulation, creating a warm, moist environment where bacteria and fungi can thrive, causing a rash.

Allergies.:- Babies with sensitive skin also can develop rashes. Some types of detergent, soaps, diapers (or dyes from diapers), or baby wipes can affect sensitive skin, causing a rash.

Also, starting new foods can change the content and frequency of a baby's poop, which can sometimes lead to a diaper rash. And diarrhea can make an existing case of diaper rash worse.

Diaper rash that lasts for more than a few days, even with changes to the diapering routine, might be caused by a yeast called Candida albicans. This rash is usually red, slightly raised, and has small red dots spreading beyond the main part of the rash. It often starts in the deep creases of skin and can spread to skin on the front and back of the baby. Antibiotics given to a baby or a breastfeeding mom can cause this, as they kill off the "good" bacteria that keep Candida from growing.

How Is Diaper Rash Treated?

To help clear up diaper rash, check your baby's diaper often and change it as soon as it's wet or soiled. Gently clean the diaper area with soap and water and pat dry. Creams and ointments containing zinc oxide or petroleum help to soothe skin and protect it from moisture. They should be smeared on thickly (like cake icing) at each diaper change.

Some experts suggest letting your baby go without diapers for several hours each day to give irritated skin a chance to dry and "breathe." This is easiest if you place your baby in a crib with waterproof sheets or on a large towel on the floor.

Diaper rash usually goes away within 2 to 3 days with home care, although it can last longer.

How Can I Prevent Diaper Rash?

To prevent diaper rash, keep your baby's skin as dry and clean as possible and change diapers often so that poop and pee don't irritate the skin.

Try these tips:

-> Change your baby's soiled or wet diapers as soon as possible and clean the area well.

->Occasionally soak your baby's bottom between diaper changes with warm water. You can gently scoop the water over your baby's bottom with your hand or squeeze it from a plastic bottle.

->Let your baby's skin dry completely before you put on another diaper.

-> Pat the skin gently with a soft cloth when drying it — rubbing can irritate skin.

-> Put the diaper on loosely to prevent chafing.

-> Change diapers often — ideally every 2 hours or so — and after every poop.

-> Applying diaper cream or ointment with each diaper change can help some babies with sensitive skin, but not all babies need this.

If you use cloth diapers, check the manufacturer's directions on how to best clean them. Only use detergents in the amount recommended, and run an extra rinse cycle after washing to remove traces of soap or detergent that can irritate your baby's skin. Avoid using fabric softeners and dryer sheets — even these can irritate skin.

Some babies get a rash after switching to a new type of diaper. While experts don't recommend any particular brand, if your child is sensitive, look for diapers free of dyes or fragrances. Some babies are sensitive to baby wipes — water and a washcloth work just as well and may be a gentler option.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

If the rash doesn't go away, gets worse, or if sores appear on your baby's skin, talk to your doctor. Also get medical care if your baby has a fever, pus is draining from the rash, or if your child is fussier than usual.

Depending on what type of rash your baby has, the doctor may choose to use an antifungal cream or an antibiotic cream, or may recommend other changes to your diapering routine. Sometimes, if those changes don't help a rash caused by an allergic reaction, the doctor may prescribe a mild steroid cream for a few days until the rash goes away.