It’s never too Early to Say No to a Baby. Stop bad behavior before it becomes a habit.

One of the toughest things to stop is biting.Ever since your kid was an infant, she’s probably enjoyed putting anything she could
get her hands on in her mouth. This is one of the ways babies learn about their
environment, and it doesn’t suddenly change once she has her first birthday.
“Whether it’s munching on a friend’s arm or biting while breastfeeding, 1-year-olds
lead with their mouth,” says Erin Floyd, Ph.D., a clinical child psychologist in
Atlanta.

WHAT TO DO If your child bites you when she’s nursing, take her off the breast
immediately. Look at her and in a firm, gentle voice say, “No.” Let her latch on
again, but if she continues to bite, repeat this process only once or twice before
ending the feeding. It won’t take long for her to realize that biting interrupts her
mealtime.

Your toddler takes her cues from you when it comes to interacting, so be a good role
model. Avoid play biting, such as nibbling on her fingers or lightly chomping down
on her arm. This sends a mixed message, and she may mimic these actions with other
kids.
No Hitting”
Few things can make you second-guess your skills as a parent more than seeing your
toddler whack another kid at a playdate or feeling him sink his teeth into your arm
in a crowded checkout line. But as mortifying as these bad behaviors are, they
aren’t your fault, and they don’t mean your child will grow up to be a bully.
“Biting and hitting aren’t uncommon at this developmental stage,” says Miriam
Schechter, M.D., a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, in the
Bronx, New York.
“One-year-olds want to express their needs and feelings, but they don’t always know
how to do that without resorting to hitting and biting.”

The way you react to your child’s lashing out is the key to nipping it in the bud.
Get down on his level, look him in the eye, and say in a calm, stern voice, “No
hitting. Hitting hurts.” If he does it again, remove him from the situation and put
him in a one-minute time-out, suggests Dr. Schechter. “When you discipline your kid
every time he hits, he’ll learn that there’s no excuse for violence,” she says.

But don’t wait until the problem intensifies to the point of a physical outburst
before stepping in. Pretty much every toddler on the planet bites and hits for the
same reasons, and once you know what to look for, you can steer your child away from
aggressive behavior and help him share his feelings in more positive, peaceful ways.
Check out four common triggers.
Nothng reinforces bad behavior more than giving it attention.  So how do you give
good behavior attention .

How? Try to “catch” children being good. It’s as simple as thanking your son for
picking the toy trucks off the floor (never mind that he’s the reason they’re there
in the first place) or for sharing his toys with his sister. It’s important to be
specific when offering praise. Phrases like “good boy” don’t encourage a
behavior–they’ll make your child think that he (and not his action) is either good
or bad, rather than teaching him that sharing, for example, is the practice that
makes you proud.

Crying is the way newborns communicate. Your new baby cries to let you know she needs or wants something.

The first thing to try when she cries is to feed her. By noticing when she wants to be fed and when she doesn’t, you will learn which cries mean that she is hungry, uncomfortable or wants attention. Sometimes she will want to be held. Sometimes she wants a dry diaper. Sometimes she is tired or bored.

As you and your baby get to know each other, you will sometimes be able to tell the difference between each kind of crying. You can then try to give her what she needs.

Taking care of your baby when she cries will not spoil her. It will help your baby feel loved and secure.

Smile, touch and talk to your baby as often as possible. Do this when you feed her, change her diaper or give her a bath. Your baby will learn that she can rely on you to take care of her.

Ways to Soothe Your Baby

Sometimes babies cry even when they have been fed, have clean diapers and are healthy. If your baby is crying because she needs comfort, there are many things you can do. Every baby is different.

Here are things you can try to find out what calms your baby down.

- Rock your baby in your arms or while sitting in a rocking chair.

- Stroke your baby’s head very gently, or lightly pat her back or chest.

- Make soft noises to let your baby know you are there and you care.

- Talk to your baby.

- Softly sing to your baby or play soft music.

- Wrap her up in a baby blanket (but not too tightly).

If your baby keeps crying after you have tried everything, stay calm. Babies know when you are upset. No matter how stressed you are, never shake your baby. Shaking your baby can cause blindness, brain damage or even death.

If you need a break, call a relative, neighbor or friend to help. All babies cry. You will not be able to comfort your baby every time. That does not mean you are a bad parent. Do the best you can to soothe and comfort your baby.

Here’s a simple tip to help your baby cry less-carry her. Research shows that babies who are carried more often don’t cry as much as other babies.

What is Baby Layette?

One of the many puzzles a new mother must solve is what clothes does a newborn baby really need. A layette is the most commonly used name in the U.S. to describe the essential collection of clothes that a newborn baby requires for the first six months of his life. Traditionally family and friends would hand sew the baby’s layette, but modern moms now have to rely mostly on carefully chosen store-bought gifts. Embroidering baby’s name , initial, or birth date on the item is a great way to personalize your store-bought items and turn them into heirlooms. Try finding handcrafted baby quilts or blankets to make your baby’s layette something really special.

Before Selecting Layette, Do Your Homework

You have to be knowledgeable about what you need and what fabrics are best for a newborn baby. 100% cotton is usually the favorite choice for the newborn.  You will want the purest and softest fabric next to baby’s tender skin.  Many articles of clothing and blankets are now available in organic cotton or eco-friendly soy with natural dyes.  A new Mother definitely wants easy care washable clothing that will stand up to repeated washings and still look fresh and colorful.

Building Baby’s Layette

Building a layette is like packing for a long trip. You don’t want too many items that the baby will never wear.  On the other hand, you don’t want to spend every free minute in the laundry room hoping your baby will sleep until the clean onesies are dry.  Try to build baby’s wardrobe around a basic color scheme so that you can mix and match. You don’t want to search for the matching lavender pants to your favorite lavender top with a squirming baby on the dressing table. Everything you pull quickly from your drawer should match everything else in the drawer. Add lots of white and you can never go wrong in dressing baby in style.

We are happy to report that “preppy is back in style” and the most popular color scheme for baby girl is once again pink and green with pink and brown in second place. For baby boy the favorite color is still blue. Blue and green is in second place with brown and blue a close third. Our favorite layette are manufactured by trusted companies like 3 Marthas, Margery Ellen and Light of Mine Design.

Baby Layette Checklist

7 footies or sleepers

4 onesies

2 gowns

4 receiving blankets

3 hooded towels

coming home outfit

2 crib or stroller blankets

4 bibs

4 burp pads

2 security blankets (one is always in the washer)

1 comfy cozy

1 stuffed toy

Good luck on your journey to acquire the perfect baby layette!