Safe Alternatives for Baby and Child

Ever since my daughter started eating solids, I wondered if a supplement was necessary. If so, what do I look for? Can they really boost her immune system and keep her healthy? Are they overkill and a waste of money if she is eating healthy foods?

All of these questions and so many different products to choose from. There is an overwhelming selection of vitamins, minerals, and immune boosting support supplements on the market. So, I decided to ask my pediatrician for her recommendation. She suggested Childlife® Essentials Vitamins and also added that it was one of the best supplement companies on the market.

Then we read the survey done by the FDA that found elevated levels of lead in many supplements available for children, and we really wanted to dig deeper. Read the rest of this entry »

I remember how much I enjoyed the outdoors as a child. I climbed trees to pick apples and cherries, tried to catch butterflies, collected different shaped leaves and loved getting dirty in the mud.

My dad and I used to go near the forest, just before dawn, to see the deers come out to feed on grass. We would just sit there quietly and wait. I remember how much I loved those quiet moments observing the animals. It’s something I enjoyed doing with my dad, this was our special time together. Now, it is a fond memory that I cherish for life.

Today, TV, video games and internet seem to be more entertaining and exciting for kids than outdoor play. A lot of kids today suffer from “nature-deficit disorder”. Since kids do what we do, we need to get off the couch and get them excited about the wonders of nature. Read the rest of this entry »

It has been such a pleasure having a small garden, to share with my little girl, the gifts of LIFE. She loves picking her own strawberries and delights in all the colors of each flower.

We use organic potting soil, and also purchased organic veggie starts and herbs. I was surprised at how rewarding it can be to have your own, little organic garden .

When planting sunflowers with her daddy she giggled about the worm in the dirt. Each day we go out and say, “hello sunflower,” and “good morning flowers,” to her new planted friend. Read the rest of this entry »

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Have you ever shifted your baby or toddler’s mood simply by getting them outside? Have you ever had a yearning yourself to go for a hike, or to go to the beach?

Of course! We all have, and that is because “there is a universal feeling we get when we put ourselves outside, and into the elements. We feel more open and connected to our world, and our babies feel the same way,” says Kimberley Clayton Blaine, MA, MFT, a Child Development expert, and founder of The-Go-To-Mom.TV, an internet parenting show.

I have personally experienced this change of attitude in myself and in my baby girl, just to get out of the apartment and into the outdoors makes us both happier, more cheerful. The gifts of being in nature: breathing in fresh air and experiencing the vast array of unlimited possibilities that stretch from the grass on the earth, to the expansive vault of the sky.

And if that feeling alone isn’t a big enough incentive to seek the stimulating pleasures of the great outdoors, Kimberley Blaine mentioned some extraordinary benefits of outdoor play during our interview together, and some pretty creative ways of exploring the outdoors for baby too! Read the rest of this entry »

Sandra and I both have 2 completely different stories when it comes to our personal experiences with our babies and their separation anxiety from mommy.

So, when Kimberley Clayton Blaine, the TheGoToMom.TV, and Child Development expert spoke with SafBaby on this subject, it was interesting to see exactly how right-on her advice was in comparing our different situations.

Kimberley Blaine suggests getting your baby into a child care situation either before 13 months, Read the rest of this entry »