A lot of us moms always wonder if we spend enough bonding time with our little ones. The truth is, there is not enough time in a day to spend time with our little ones. If you are feeling this way here are some things you can do to make more bonding time
Read books - Reading books is a great way to have quiet one on one bonding time with your child. Make it fun, make funny voices for each character. The best way to do this is to do it at bedtime, lay in the bed with your child and read.
Play time - Goofing around and playing with the kids is a good stress relief. Roll around on the floor with them, build forts, get mega blocks and build castles for magical princesses. Play dress up, play tea party, play barbies, play house. There are so many things you can do when it comes to play time all you have to do is think like a child.
Snuggle time - Having snuggle time after a long day of playing and fun is a good way to wind down. Snuggle time falls under a lot of categories on this list, reading a book and snuggling at bedtime, watching a movie and snuggling before bedtime etc.
Movie time - Watching a movie with your little one is a good way to spend quiet quality time together. Make some popcorn, juice or milk, little ones love movie time.
Go for a walk - Going for a walk is always fun, especially if it's going to the store for some occasional junk food! On the way to the store with your child ask them what they would like to get, chips, candy, gum, juice etc. On the way back ask them if they are happy, tell them you love them etc.
Play in the snow! - Alright moms we all knew how much fun it was when we were small to play in the snow, get yourself a snow suit this winter and join your babies in the snow. They will absolutely love it! Grab some spray bottles and food coloring from your local grocery store and make some colored water, let your little ones spray away at the snow. Be sure to join in on the fun with them, just because you're mom does not mean you can't jump in and have fun with them.
Hot chocolate - After having fun in the snow come inside get into some dry clothes, put a blanket in the dryer for 5 minutes. Sit your little ones on the couch start a DVD and make some hot chocolate, put some marshmallows in a bowl so that your little ones can put them into their cup by themselves. Grab the blanket out of the dryer and everybody cover up with your hot chocolate and enjoy the movie.
Crafts - Kids love crafts! Coloring, cutting, painting, gluing, glittering etc. They love it all, a great thing about crafts is that you can do them anytime. A lot of moms don't like to do crafts due to the mess and expense, the truth is that your local dollar store has everything you need. Who cares about the mess?! Doing crafts is not just creating things, is creating memories for your little ones! Be sure to take lots of pictures. Crafts are also good for making gifts for other people for any occasion.
Go to the park - Kids love parks, there are a lot of things to do at the park, you can push them on the swings, catch them on the slide, run around with them. When going out to the park it's a good idea to have a picnic, pack up a blanket and a basket of food, when the kids are done playing you could have snacks and drinks.
Go swimming - Swimming is a good exercise especially for kids, most kids love being in water. Swimming is a good family bonding sport. Your local pool/recreation center is a great place to go, they have pool toys etc. Local pools are also great for swimming in the winter time, they provide showers, locker rooms, you can bring along a hair dryer and dry your little ones hair before leaving to ensure they do not catch a cold.
Go skating - It's great for little ones to learn how to skate when they are young, it's good exercise and fun for the whole family. Make it a weekend thing, or a reward for good behavior.
Out for dinner - Going out to dinner for two is a good way to have a nice chat with your child. If you have more than 1 child you can bring them all to dinner or you can schedule a day for each child.
For older children - For older and more mature children you can get into TV shows with them. There are multiple TV shows on every night. Get some snacks ready with some drinks, maybe some homemade pizza.
No matter what a child will always know mom loves him/her.
Your little ones face is red, she/he is straining and grunting, then they start to scream and cry in pain. Yes your little one is constipated. There are many reasons a child can get constipated such as, not enough fiber in their diet, too much dairy in their diet, if they are too busy playing sometimes they just hold it until it "goes away". It's very hard to see a child uncomfortable and in pain, luckily there are ways to avoid it and make it better. Here are some tips
Add more fiber - Adding fiber to your childs diet is a good start on avoiding and soothing constipation. Some great high fibrous foods are raspberries, apricots, pears, strawberries, apples, beans, bread, bran cereal, broccoli, oatmeal, dried fruits such as figs and prunes, peas, potatoes with skin and many many more foods are great for adding fiber to your little ones diet. Fiber helps regulate bowel movements.
Add more water - Drinking a lot of water during the day and avoiding dehydration is a good way to avoid constipation or soothe it.
Warm bath - If your child is severely constipated to the point that they are walking funny and scared to poop, try a warm bath, make it a little warmer than usual but not too warm. The warm water relaxes your childs abdominal muscles and intestines, getting things moving along very quickly. Let them sit and play if they can as long as they wish. Usually it takes between 5-20 minutes to work, this method works best when your child is scared to push the poop out because of the pain, the warm water relaxes the muscles in your little ones tummy, pretty much making it hard to stop the poop from coming out.
Apple juice, prune juice - Giving your child fruit juices can get things moving along, do not give them too much as this will cause diarrhea.
Too much milk - When some kids drink too much milk they tend to get constipated. Try rotating the drinks, give milk for breakfast, juice for lunch, water for snacks, milk for supper and milk for bedtime snacks. Always offer water and juice for when your little ones are thirsty.
Tummy massage - Giving your baby a tummy massage can help relax muscles and loosen things up.
If all else fails talk to your Doctor about it, he/she may be able to prescribe a suppository to help move things along. Be careful with the suppositories and be sure to try everything listed above before you ask about them. If you use them too much your little one will become dependent on them.
