Infant Child Care

Here are a few things to look for when considering what your infant needs from his caregiver:

Licensing

Most states have a licensing process for in-home caregivers; a daycare center absolutely must be licensed to operate their business. Specific state websites are available that will outline the requirements for licensing; some states even offer referrals to quality care. No matter which kind of care you choose - make sure that your provider has some early-childhood education and even some certifications. Everyone who cares for your infant should have basic first aid and CPR certification.

Provider/Child Ratio

An infant needs and deserves lots of love and attention throughout the day. The ratio of providers to infants should never be higher than 1:4. If you are able to afford one-on-one care for your baby, she will no doubt benefit in many ways, but even if your childcare center has a higher ratio, a properly trained, loving caregiver can still provide great care to your infant.

Television

There can simply not be enough said about the effects of television on small babies and toddlers. 

Numerous studies show that even children's programming is inappropriate for this age-range. Babies need to be exploring their world, and interacting with caregivers. Make sure that your daycare center, home daycare or nanny doesn't keep the television blaring in the background all day. Your child will have plenty of time to develop a love for sitcoms and Sesame Street!

Safety

Child care centers, and in-home daycare centers should all be thoroughly baby-proofed. Vigilance to safety can be the difference between life and death (or serious injury) to your child. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, and get down on hands and knees to check out that outlets have been covered, cords are tucked away, and there are no buckets of water sitting around for little ones to take a dive into. Check out the childrens safety network for more info on baby-proofing and accident prevention. 

Child care providers should also have smoke detectors installed, and have a working fire extinguisher at the ready, in addition to having basic first-aid and CPR training.

Cleanliness

You want your baby to be as healthy as possible, and cleanliness is one of the best ways to keep her germ-free and happy. Make sure that her caregivers are washing their hands frequently, and keeping the child care areas clean and free of debris. If your baby is being cared for by an in-home provider, make sure that any pets in the home have been properly vaccinated and are never allowed near the baby while unattended.

Lots of love and affection

The most important thing to remember when choosing infant care is that your baby needs constant love and affection. Find a caregiver that is committed to spending quality time with your child, and is willing to assist her development every day. Baby should bond with her caregiver, Lucky baby - she has one more adult in her life that loves and cherishes her!

Author,

Andrea Beilinson

Your Little Gourmet: Baby's Fifth Month Guide

Baby smiled her real smiles at you and you were so charmed,
you decided nothing could be better. But baby has more in
store for you in her fifth month. Endless entertainment
coupled with increasing interest in her surroundings makes
your five month-old baby an ideal playmate.

Squeals and smiles

You will be amazed by the repertoire of sounds your baby can
produce now. She is always eager to communicate with you
with her smiles, and squeals of delight. Laugh and your baby
laughs with you. Baby babble is almost at its peak now.

In baby's fifth month, she can sit with support and haul
herself up a little bit when she is laid on her tummy. She
can pay attention to tiny objects, but it is wise to keep
such objects well out of your curious baby's reach.

More sleep, yet less rest for you

Your five month-old baby sleeps for longer stretches at
night, which means your under-eye circles might soon go
away. But when he is awake, he loves your company and wants
all your attention. His daytime naps continue and give you a
few short breaks to get that pile of laundry done.

Are you ready for real food?

Probably. Once your baby's tongue thrust reflex has
disappeared and she seems interested in what you are eating,
you might want to premiere with solids. Start feeding baby
when he neither has a full tummy nor a ravenous appetite.
The trick is to know when to begin, and more important when
to stop. When she looks disinterested and turns her head
away, it is time to abandon project cereal until the next
meal.

In baby's fifth month, she will be open to the idea of
trying out a cup. Pour a few drops into her mouth. Most of
it will probably be spilt, but the earlier you start a cup,
the fewer the spills later in childhood. A sippy cup has its
own advantages, but it might be tough to wean an older child
from a sippy.

Unfortunately, along with your dimples and your lovely
golden hair, your baby also inherits some of your food
allergies. Wheat, cow's milk, soy, peanuts and fish are
common culprits.

Feeding your five month-old baby is one of the messiest
tasks you will ever perform. The baby-on-your-lap method is
by far the most logistically tricky. An infant seat can
double as a feeding chair. Make sure you strap baby in and
never leave baby unsupervised in an infant seat even for a
moment.

Get some exercise

Most mobile walkers and jumpers are unsafe and some have
even been banned. A safer option would be an exersaucer or a
stationary walker. A baby swing can work miracles as it
calms your baby while you are occupied. But too much use of
the baby swing can impair his practice of motor functions
such as walking, crawling and cruising.

Health is wealth

In baby's fifth month, a medical examination is generally
not scheduled unless you have specific health concerns or
questions. Read all about environmental hazards that can
affect your baby both at home and outdoors. Try to minimize
your baby's exposure to environmental hazards by adequately
childproofing your home, monitoring baby all the time and
following safety measures.

Parenting is a demanding job and there are no job
regulations or specifications. Keep yourself informed so
that you know what is best for your baby.

* About the author *

This article has been provided by ParentingSurvivalGuide.com [http://www.ParentingSurvivalGuide.com].

Please visit our web site at [http://www.ParentingSurvivalGuide.com] to discover more articles.
Copyright 2005 ParentingSurvivalGuide.com, all rights reserved.

This article may be freely republished for noncommercial use as long as the article, including the author information and this reprint policy statement, is republished in its entirety, unedited, and with all links working.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/67190

How to Find the Right Baby Care Nursery

Babies are the most precious gift of God; hence they are extremely cared and loved my every parent. However baby care is something that requires a lot of time as well as efficiency. Mostly working parents face a lot of problems when it comes to taking care of their baby and managing work at the same time. This is the reason that many parents opt for nurseries or day care centers. But the question here is, are all nurseries for the babies good? Do they take proper care of your loved ones? Well, yes there are majority of nurseries that are very good and know exactly how to take good care of your baby, but you have to research a little before you finally decide on the baby care nursery you choose for your little one.

Well if you are a working couple and are finding solutions on how to find the right nursery for your baby. I think your reading the right article to find out, by just keeping these few points in mind you can ensure that you baby is in the right hands.

Important aspects to keep in mind while selecting a nursery for your baby

• Firstly, you need to find out if the nursery that you have chosen is government recognized or not. This is really important, as there are many people who come up with nurseries, but are not recognized by the government. The only reason behind this is that government recognized nurseries are reliable, efficient and appoint highly professional people to take care of your baby the right way.

•  Secondly, it is always better to find out about the baby care nursery you choose before in hand. Now, this can be done either by asking parents who have already sent their babies there or by parents who are taking yet taking their services.

• Thirdly, after you have decided for a particular baby care nursery, you should pay frequent surprise visit to the nursery every now and then for at least the first 3 months. This will ensure that your baby is in the right hands and will also keep the nursery staff alert, as a result extra care will be taken for your baby. However after 3 months you could reduce the number of visits you make to the baby care nursery.

• Fourthly, you must make it a point to ask a few questions daily while picking you baby up from the nursery. Questions like, what did the baby eat? For how long did the baby sleep? Was the baby happy or cranky throughout the day? And things like that. This will always help you, as the nursery staff will always keep a record to get back to you with answers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4376819