Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Tips On Bringing Up Children

By Joyce M. Stuart

New born babies need only mother's milk for the first six months of their lives. Mother's milk has all the ingredients needed for the baby to grow up well and healthy. It is when the first tooth erupts or when the baby is six months old that mothers begin wondering when to start them on solid food, how much to give and what to give.

Every new mother is quite worried as to when she should start her baby on solid food. Till the age of about six months, mother's milk is the best for babies. But after that, the question of when to introduce solids in her baby's diet becomes a big source of anxiety and worry. What if she can't digest the new food? What if she falls ill? Suppose her stomach gets upset and she has diarrhea? These and many other questions run through her mind once the baby is about six months old.

One has to introduce new foods one at a time and watch for reactions. The baby should not be allergic, nor should they have any other reaction to a new food. Only then can the mother proceed with more of it and then introduce a new type.

By the time a baby reaches the age of eight months she should have accepted a variety of flavors and food which is generally eaten by her parents. She can have mashed fruits or well cooked vegetables, suck on a piece of chicken or meat and take yoghurt and cheese once in a while.

There are many charts which tell a new mother how much food her child should take. But every child is different and some may need more and some less. The mother should watch the child and see the reaction to the food. If the child likes a certain food, more of it can be given.

There are many baby charts which give mothers a fairly good idea of what to give, when to give and how much to give the baby. But every baby is different. Some may want a certain type of food only while others may want to experiment and like new tastes. Some may want to eat more while others may be content with more milk and less of solids. It all depends. A mother is the best judge of how much to give and when, even though the charts can be guiding lines.

Another favorite topic is chocolates. All chocolates are not bad. There are good chocolates and current research says that black chocolate is good for the heart. It is the type of chocolate and its contents that make the difference. One cannot make a sweeping statement that chocolates are bad for health. They have to be studied and their contents found out before one makes a decision.

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