Sun Protection for Children Using sunscreen and sunglasses for sun protection is particularly important for children. In fact, studies show that excessive exposure to the sun during childhood increases the risk of skin cancer in adulthood. A young child’s eyes are also susceptible to irritation from the sun’s harsh glare. To guard against problems now […]
Classic Warts and Molluscan Skin Warts What causes warts? Warts are caused by a virus that invades the skin cells and causes the skin cells to grow abnormally. Classic Warts These are usually quite obvious. They occur mostly on the hands and feet. They appear as raised, skin-colored bumps with a rough surface, and if […]
Tips On Winterizing Your Child’s Skin Dry air and sensitive skin is a recipe for a rashy winter. Once you turn the heat on, expect skin irritations to go up. Here’s what happens: the low humidity of central heating dries the skin, dry skin gets flaky and itches and the child scratches the itchy skin, […]
1. It wasn’t our fault. Hayden fussed because of her temperament, not because of our parenting abilities. 2. Hayden’s persistent personality forced us to keep working at a parenting style until we found what worked. 3. When in doubt, listen and respond to her cries. She is trying to tell us something. 4. Our job […]
THE CHANGING PERSONALITY PROFILE OF THE HIGH NEED CHILD The words you use to describe your high-need child will change over the years, as the traits that so exhausted you during infancy are channeled into qualities that will make your child an interesting, dynamic adult. Try to think of your child’s personality in a positive […]
Being Stretched Thin Can be a GOOD Thing During the early years of living with our high need child, I must have heard Martha use the term “stretched thin” a hundred times. Stretching is exactly what high need children do to — and for — their parents. Yet, this powerful word has helpful and harmful […]
Why is baby not sleeping? “Why do high need children need more of everything but sleep?” a tired mother once asked me. Until we had a high need infant, I would have guessed that these babies would be worn out by the end of the day and would actually need more sleep; certainly their parents […]
It’s 6:00 p.m. and the wailing begins. You’re holding your two-week-old baby – the model of a thriving infant, apparently without a care in the world. Suddenly and unexpectedly he stiffens his limbs, arches his back, clenches his fists, draws up his flailing limbs against a bloated, tense abdomen, and lets out ear-piercing shrieks. If […]
STEP 1: KEEP A COLIC DIARY A diary is helpful for two reasons: You may uncover clues that help your baby’s doctor diagnose a hidden medical cause of colic, and you may be surprised by the correlations you find. As one mother noticed, “On days that I wear my baby in a sling most of […]
In general, a medical cause is likely if the so-called colic isn’t getting better by four months and your intuition tells you that your baby is in pain. Suspect a medical cause for colic if baby is: Getting worse or not gradually getting better Awakening frequently with painful cries Unable to be consoled Not thriving: […]
Besides comforting your baby, it’s important to comfort yourself. Here are some time-tested ways of surviving and thriving with your colicky baby: 1. Realize it’s not your fault. Oftentimes the cause of your baby’s cries cannot be found. You need not feel that it’s your fault if your baby cries a lot, nor is it […]
The point at which a fussy baby (one who cries a lot) or a “high-need baby” (one who fusses unless he’s held a lot) becomes a colicky baby (one who hurts a lot) is often a matter of interpretation. What you call your baby’s behavior isn’t as important as what you do about it. In […]
