Q. I am at home alone with my 6 month son every single day with no family or friends in the local area (I live in another country). I want to get my house organized and cleaned (it is a MASSIVE mess!) but have no way of keeping tabs on my son and cleaning at the same time. He is very active in the daytime and does not like being left alone what-so-ever. He is quite heavy so carrying him around is also not practical. We are not wealthy enough for a housekeeper. Do you have any suggestions?
A. Put him in a playpen
Lay a blanket on the ground in the room where you're working and give him toys
Play music & sing while you work, looking at him
Give him socks/towels when you are fodling clothes so he can "help"
Take breaks every half hour or so to roll on the floor with him, tickle him, or just do raspberries on his belly!
My daughter hated being alone as an infant and cried when I'd leave the room. After a while, I'd just put her in a stroller (large one) and roll her around from room to room with me.
Lay a blanket on the ground in the room where you're working and give him toys
Play music & sing while you work, looking at him
Give him socks/towels when you are fodling clothes so he can "help"
Take breaks every half hour or so to roll on the floor with him, tickle him, or just do raspberries on his belly!
My daughter hated being alone as an infant and cried when I'd leave the room. After a while, I'd just put her in a stroller (large one) and roll her around from room to room with me.
How to safely clean plastic and electric children's toys?
Q. I have some old, gently used toys that I used to play with from my attic. I want to use them with the kids I will be working with in First Steps, but I would like to clean them first to get the dust and germs off. What is a safe way to clean them? I will be working with infants and toddlers, so I don't want anything that may harm them. What products should I use to make these items safe and clean? Some are electronic (battery-operated, make noises, etc.) and others are plastic.
A. For plastic toys I tend to use clorox wipes. If you think that is to strong you can always then wipe them down with a damp cloth or toweling. You'll want to keep liquid away from any speaker if the toy has one. You either clean carefully around it or disassemble the toy (if possible) and clean the outer shell.
How can I go green with raising my infant?
Q. How can I go green with raising my infant?
Glass bottles instead of plastic,
organic and petro free baby lotion, soap, etc
organic clothing and bedding,
wood floors in nursery,
cloth diapers.......WHAT ELSE? Thank you for your ideas!
Glass bottles instead of plastic,
organic and petro free baby lotion, soap, etc
organic clothing and bedding,
wood floors in nursery,
cloth diapers.......WHAT ELSE? Thank you for your ideas!
A. Making your own baby food is a good one. That way your baby gets all the nutrition you get in mashed form. I use a KidCo food mill. You put the food in, crank the handle and baby eats what you eat for meals. It was a $13 investment that saved tons in baby food and you get to know exactly what baby gets.
Also instead of cloth diapers you could look into g-diapers. They have a website and are also sold at places like Whole Foods. They are a cross between a cloth and a disposable however instead of throwing away the diaper you flush a biodegradable insert down the toilet and wash out the outer shell. They have no pins and use velcro on the back so baby can't take off his or her own diaper.
And instead of wipes you could buy a box-o-rags that you re-use by cleaning with bleach or a natural cleaning agent (Shaklee makes a great one). You cut them into smaller pieces and dampen them when you have poopy diapers. They are usually recycled from old t-shirts so they aren't a rough fabric and very cost effective.
Getting fabrics that are made of soy, bamboo, or other natural replenishing fibers are not only safer but usually softer and last longer.
If you don't already have wood floors in your nursery, look for a demolition in your area of maybe a school, church or the like and ask about getting your wood from them. School gyms and churches usually have old wood floors full of charm and character and most often this stuff goes to the dump.
Buying wood toys (such as Melissa and Doug items) ensures your baby has child-safe yet fun, educational toys that aren't full of plastic and batteries.
One last thing I can think of. When storing baby food or breastmilk, buy cases of Mason jars. This eliminates the use of plastic ice cube trays (for freezing food), tupperware, and Saran wrap. The jars come in all sorts of sizes and are less expensive that Glad-ware in the long run.
Also instead of cloth diapers you could look into g-diapers. They have a website and are also sold at places like Whole Foods. They are a cross between a cloth and a disposable however instead of throwing away the diaper you flush a biodegradable insert down the toilet and wash out the outer shell. They have no pins and use velcro on the back so baby can't take off his or her own diaper.
And instead of wipes you could buy a box-o-rags that you re-use by cleaning with bleach or a natural cleaning agent (Shaklee makes a great one). You cut them into smaller pieces and dampen them when you have poopy diapers. They are usually recycled from old t-shirts so they aren't a rough fabric and very cost effective.
Getting fabrics that are made of soy, bamboo, or other natural replenishing fibers are not only safer but usually softer and last longer.
If you don't already have wood floors in your nursery, look for a demolition in your area of maybe a school, church or the like and ask about getting your wood from them. School gyms and churches usually have old wood floors full of charm and character and most often this stuff goes to the dump.
Buying wood toys (such as Melissa and Doug items) ensures your baby has child-safe yet fun, educational toys that aren't full of plastic and batteries.
One last thing I can think of. When storing baby food or breastmilk, buy cases of Mason jars. This eliminates the use of plastic ice cube trays (for freezing food), tupperware, and Saran wrap. The jars come in all sorts of sizes and are less expensive that Glad-ware in the long run.
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