Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Baby Books’

Reading is one joy that parents can share with their child even from the first day home from the hospital. Newborns and older children alike love hearing their parents and grandparents read to them. Newborns may not be able to see the pictures clearly until their eyesight focuses more as the first few weeks of life unfold and they won’t understand the story, but they love to hear the sounds of the words. In time, they will come to associate books with pleasant time with mom and dad. Start young with baby's first library so you can create a life-long love of reading in your child.

Here are some ways to start Baby’s First Library:

• Pick an area of the house where you can set up a simple space for reading. All you really need is a comfy chair, good lighting, and a book. But you can make the space as elaborate as you like. Bring in an upholstered rocking chair or an oversized chair and a half so you can both squeeze in.
• Dedicate an area for books that will be just for your child. It can be as simple as a crate with books in it or a floor to ceiling book case with labeled shelves. Even a book basket works! The setting doesn’t matter as much as the together time you and your child will spend reading.
• Choose books for your library that are age-appropriate. You can start out with any books for the very newborn. Newborns can see black white and red most easily in their early days. So books designed for newborns often feature those colors. But you can simply choose a fairytale book or any story that has a nice flow of words. It's baby's love of your voice combined with the holding of a book that will make the time memorable even for the very tiniest of children.
• Include books you loved as a child. If you had a favorite, chances are you can still find copies of it on Ebay or at used book stores. Grab bunches of older books from tag sales where they’re likely to be a quarter to not much more than a dollar.
• Babies won’t really get into the stories of books until they are older, but even the youngest will engage with the pictures. Visit a book store and pick out books that are chunky board books with thick, stiff pages. They are designed to withstand drool and rough handling. And the stories are short enough to hold baby’s limited attention.
• Check out the Newbury and Caldecott award winners online or get the year’s new winners at your local book store. The Newbury Award is given for the best illustration in a children’s book. The Caldecott Medal is for the best children’s story. Each year several books win in each category. It’s a good place to start it if you’re not sure which titles are good. The award winners have everything a good book should—lively pictures and a fun story.
• Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family to help stock your child’s library for birthdays and holidays. You might even keep a list of books you’d especially like to include.
• Ask teacher friends or the children’s librarian what children of your child’s age are reading these days. Keep adding one or two books at used book sales or in bargain bins at the book store.
• Read, read, read! Even if you feel like you’re only jabbering on to an infant, she is getting a lot from the experience of cuddling with you. She is also learning how books feel and look and how to hold a book. She will slowly learn that print is the written part and goes from left to right. She will learn to understand the story from the expressions in the pictures. These are all skills she will need once she enters Kindergarten. You’re giving your child a head start by showing her books are important to you from the very beginning. Don’t be surprised if you have an early reader on your hands who devours every book she can get her hands on!

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Tips For Reading Books To Your Baby

You’ll no doubt have read up on your pregnancy and what to expect during those nine months. Now you’re probably starting to wonder what you should read to ensure you know how to care for a newborn baby. First of all, relax. You are perfectly capable and each baby has a way of teaching their mother how to care for them. Second, pick just a few baby books and don’t overwhelm yourself with the mass of information out there on baby care. Have a glass of milk and sit down for a good read. And take everything you read with a grain of salt.

Here are some of the best baby care books available today.

• Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care

There’s a reason this book is in its 8^th edition. Moms to be have turned to Dr. Spock for years. His advice is sound and he doesn’t throw you into panic mode. In fact, his first line is, “Trust yourself.” With a start like that, the rest of the book will surely be great as well.

• Dr. Mom: A Guide to Baby and Child Care

This book was written by Dr. Neifert who is not only a mom of five children, but also a pediatrician. It’s written with kindness and caring and a genuine love for children. You’ll be reassured by this book.

• Organic Baby

This book helps you make choices that lead to more natural products next to your baby’s skin. You’ll find ways to create a safe and non-toxic surrounding in your home for your new baby. Cute ideas that you can really use.

• Baby Bargains

This skinny book is worth its weight in gold. It gives you the real story on where to find the best bargains when shopping for baby. Do you really need a silver baby cup? No, you need to find a bargain double stroller because you just found out you’re expecting twins. This book will help you find the items you really need at really great prices.

• How Men Have Babies

Alan Thicke, yes, the dad on the old TV show Growing Pains, wrote this book. It’s very funny and will have your husband laughing, too. It’s an expectant father’s guide that you’ll actually catch him reading. Because Thicke shares his personal stories, the book is a real book that pregnant dads can relate to.

• Happy Birth Day

This book is a must have if you have another child in the house already. It’s a sweet book for children that explains that there’s a baby coming. It’s in kid language and there’s nothing gory or overly revealing. It’s just a nice book to give a soon to be older sibling.

• Having Twins or More

This book is now a classic because it gives real world advice to moms of multiples. You’ll get the scoop on what’s normal and what may be a complication. You’ll also find it’s reassuring and not designed to scare you.

With so many great baby books to choose from, you’ll run out of time before you run out of options. Be sure to choose only the books that are most helpful to you and don’t pressure yourself to read everything there is out there. Next, you can start building your little one’s children’s book library.

Every parent wants their child to love reading. One way to instill a love of reading into your child is to start reading to her when she is very young. Newborns (and even babies before birth) can recognize the sound of their parents’ voices and distinguish them from all others, so it’s never too early to start reading to your baby. Start early and read often.

It really doesn’t matter what you read. A baby will not be able to tell the difference between Little Red Riding Hood and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. As a result, it’s a good idea to pick a children’s book that you loved as a child or just one that looks fun to you. If you're stumped, here is a list of the best 100 childrens books from 1999. It may be old, but they were (and still are) great books for kids.

Newborns cannot see well at first and slowly will start to recognize red, white and black. That’s why most baby books feature large shapes in those colors, but your baby will love anything you read to her. It’s more about spending time with her than about the story at this point.

There are many places to find great books that your baby will love well past their infant years. I've noticed that books that feature a song throughout the book become baby favorites. Some examples of these include The Wheels on The Bus, I'll Love You Forever, Baby Beluga, and more. You can always purchase baby book gift baskets for your baby or for a friend that are sure to make for good reading. They make great gifts and the books will always get used for years to come.

Create a cozy reading area that has a comfy chair, good lighting and an undisturbed atmosphere. If older children are running through the house with their friends, select a spot off in a corner and out of the rush of things. This is your time with baby. Choose a time to read when you are both happy and relaxed. If you are stressed out, reading to baby will help calm you down. Start by cuddling baby up in your lap. Make sure she’s had her diaper changed and is well-fed. That will make her more attentive, and then more likely to fall into happy sleep afterwards. Cuddle baby under a soft blanket and rest her head in the crook of your arm or on a pillow.

Once you are both comfortable, start reading. Baby will recognize your voice and listen to you attentively, often making adorable faces as she tries to decipher just what you are saying. She’ll coo and make noises to tell you in her own way that she likes this time with you. It’s some of the most precious time you will ever have with your baby.

As baby gets a little older, she will want to chew on anything that she can get her hands on. So, offer her sturdy board books that are designed to withstand that kind of abuse. Let her play with the book. You’re instilling a love of holding books and telling her that reading is a pleasurable activity. So, even if she pulls the book out of your hand or flips pages while you’re mid-sentence, just let her. She’s exploring her world. Choose books that are short and simple enough that you won’t mind rereading them. When she gets slightly older, she’ll want to hear the same story over and over again. There’s something comforting to small children about hearing familiar words and looking at familiar pictures.

Start a library full of kids books for your child as early as you can. Showing your child that books have an important place in your house will help make her a life-long reader. Baby Einstein books are also great for developing babies. Take short trips to the local library or bookstore and read to her there. She’ll start associating reading with happy times with mom or dad. It’s never too early and never too late to start reading to your child. And if you know a child who is short on books, donating your gently loved books is a good way to help another child fall in love with reading.

Benefits of Reading to Your Baby

Over the course of our lifetime, we accumulate "stuff" that represents our history, experiences and the good and the bad events that have occurred during our journey through life.

I suppose I am overly sentimental and obsessed with ensuring my own children have keepsakes from their babyhood and beyond. Perhaps it is because I do not have mementos from my babyhood and toddler years that I place a huge importance on ensuring that my children do have treasures that they can appreciate as the years pass by. Call me a pack rat for my kids!

Photographs

Photos are a fabulous means of recording the life of a child.

For each photograph I take of my children, a copy is put into a special box for each of my child. The date and place is recorded on the back of the photograph in addition to additional names of others that may be in the photo. When my children turn 18, I will pass these photographs to my children for their own keeping.

Videos

A wonderful, realistic means of recording actions, words and developments of babies, toddlers and up.

The camcorder is an absolutely fantastic electronic device that I have become close friends with since my first baby. Not only do I take videos, but I also utilize video editing software to record music and sounds to the video clips to make it all the more personalized and interesting to others and my children. A copy of all videos is also put into safe keeping for each of my children.

Clothing and Toys

One cannot keep every single piece of clothing or toy, however, I have kept a piece of clothing and a toy from their newborn stage that has been given by a special person in their life such as grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles, mommy and daddy and other special family members or friends. As the years go on, I am sure the collection will grow with favorite toys that they have cherished through their childhood or other "stuff" that will bring back fond memories.

Baby / Toddler Record Keeping Books

Recording the particulars of baby’s birth, date of their first steps, the first word spoken, a clipping of hair from their first haircut or all the "firsts" will be a wonderful keepsake for children when they are older. Every person is curious to know what they were like as a baby, what their favorite color or song was, etc. Remember, even parents forget such things and record keeping books are a great method of looking back and remembering your children.

Yes, I am probably Clean Sweep’s biggest nightmare but it is so important to me that I give my children a part of their history and I believe that they will be grateful when they are older and obtain these special treasures.

Personalized baby gifts and gift baskets are among our most popular gift items for newborn babies. Security blankets, baby blankets, plush toys and more embroidered with baby’s first name and birth dates are an excellent baby gift idea. Not only are they enchanting but are a fabulous keepsake gift that will last a lifetime.

Start your little blessing with a gift that will represent their babyhood and start in the journey of life.

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