Only my first child ate baby food of any kind. My second child got only breast milk for the first 6 months, then he got some real food from the time he was 6 months old. He started with bread cubes and unsweetened cereals like cheerios. Later, foods that we were eating, he ate - potatoes and carrots are easy to mash with a fork, meats were just cut very small or shredded (these he didn't get until he was quite a bit older, though). He also really enjoyed frozen peas - they were great when he was teething. But still, for the first year it was mostly breast milk. By the time he was 1, he was capable of handling more foods. We never pureed a thing for either of our two youngest children. The youngest had texture issues and wouldn't touch the pureed stuff.
Ripe bananas, avocados, and peaches need only be cut into small pieces. Any veggie can be cooked and cut into tiny pieces. Keep in mind that for the first year, their calories should be coming from breast milk or formula. Solids are just for practice. By the time they should begin to get calories from solids, their bodies are able to handle more foods. Purees really aren't necessary at all for most babies. ... View related article.
I wonder if thumbsucking really does cause dental problems. I sucked my thumb until I was 9 (awful, I know!), and my teeth are so straight I frequently get comments about them, and I've never had braces.
For advice, though, I can only offer the things my parents tried. Keep in mind, I'm 35 - some of these things might get you arrested today! My parents painted my thumbs with the nasty tasting nail polish - I sucked my thumbs anyway. They dipped my thumbs in tabasco sauce - I sucked my thumbs (now I love spicy foods!). They took Pringles cans, cut the bottoms off and somehow attached them to my arms so I couldn't bend my elbows. This is my personal favorite. Obviously, though, this one isn't really viable since the cans can't be kept on 24/7. In the end, I made the decision that I wanted to quit, so I quit.
My daughter took a pacifier. I hated the thing, but there were extenuating circumstances that caused her to get one in the first place. She was addicted to it, so we took her off it in steps. At first, she was allowed to have it only at bedtime. A couple of months before her 6th birthday, we began telling her that when she turned 6, she would no longer get her "paci." We mentioned it every night , and occasionally we spent several minutes talking about it. Her birthday came and the paci went into the trash. She asked for it the first night or two, but by the time a week had passed it was as though she had never taken one. Obviously, you can't throw the child's thumbs away, but perhaps setting a goal date for quitting and talking frequently about it might help. ... View related article.
Most kids (many adults, too) do not take the initiative to do things that need to be done. Few children even think about what needs to be done, unless it needs to be done for them! They just aren't experienced enough to do much thinking ahead. So go ahead and leave a list. As long as he accomplishes those tasks, I'd say you're doing well.
As for the disrespect and back talk, well, my opinion is that those transgressions are unacceptable and should be met with immediate, severe and consistent consequences. What those consequences are is your decision, but consistency is key. If you have been consistent and the behavior still occurs, then the consequences are not severe enough. What does he like most? iPod? Computer? Cell phone? Take it away. What does he hate most? Cleaning? Yard work? Writing? Make him do it. ... View related article.
Olive or coconut oil is what I would use. Those are what I use for my own skin. Lotions have chemicals, even those lotions meant for babies. If it contains chemicals, it has the potential to harm Baby, and certainly to make the problem worse. ... View related article.
If this is a new problem, perhaps your son is bored. If he has already learned the material, then time spent reviewing would undoubtedly bore him. Public schools have to cater to the majority, and the majority are average students. Those students who are exceptionally quick to learn and those who have more difficulty grasping concepts are often not given what they need in the public school setting. This is not the teacher's fault, of course. Teachers do what they can in the situations they face. But often what they can do is not enough for those non-average students.
If your son has already learned the material, he will be uninterested in studying it. If he hasn't grasped a previous concept, the new material won't make sense to him. Either way, it usually leads to problems - lack of interest in studies, behavior problems, etc. Perhaps this is your son's issue. If so, you would need to find out whether he is bored or confused. If he is confused, a tutor could help. If he is bored, well, I don't know what to tell you unless his is a progressive school which will allow him to move at his own pace. Perhaps providing him with more challenging work as an incentive for doing what is assigned would help. ... View related article.
