Still Here But Pre-Occupied

I have been preoccupied. But I am still here. With a son graduating from medical school, four grandsons to visit and be visited by, and making and implementing relocation plans, I have not been able to give much thought to my writing duties. But, I will be back on track with the weekly blog soon.

My son is graduating from medical school in May. Supporting him, as he gets closer to graduation, requires more travel than I had anticipated. The good news is he is our last child in school of any kind.

I have also been preoccupied with relocating. My wife and I are moving into a new phase in life. She is retiring from the education profession. We have decided to move closer to our grandsons and spend more time with them and we found there is lots of things to give attention to once you decide to move.

The time I spent with my grandsons served to remind me of how quickly our babies grow into school age children. Parent, grandparent, guardians, godparent and other who are concerned with their children’s mental and social development must constantly study their children and stay aware of each child’s level of development and modify the child’s environment to keep them challenged and interested in properly developing in the way that is right for him/her. This may include changing the toys they play with, the book you read to them, the room decoration, television shows, the recreational activities and other things that influence their thinking. My observation is that this is most important in the child’s early years.

The relocation will not have any impact on our online business, BabyStoreGiftShop.Com, a pre-selected inventory of quality baby gift for all occasions in a baby’s life. The only change will be the address and the improvements we will be making to better serve our customers.

How to select quality Baby Furniture

Setting up a nursery for their baby is a top priority for new parent. Sometimes it is done months before the new baby arrives and often it is done within the first few weeks following the birth of their new baby. Wanting to do what is best for their little bundle of joy, the though of buying baby furniture brings with it a number of question the new parent must answer. A major question has to do with quality. Often better quality means more money, but not always.

What is Quality Baby Furniture?

Quality baby furniture is furniture made to meet and exceed all safety standards. It will take any treatment your baby is expected to inflict on it. It is built to last. Quality baby furniture can be expected to survive being used by several babies over the years.

Why would you want quality baby furniture?

Every parent is concerned about his or her baby’s safety. Quality baby furniture is made to provide the maximum safety for your baby. It is constructed to be strong and durable. The greater the quality the longer the baby furniture will last and therefore it provides a greater long-term value for your money.

The baby furniture placed in a baby's room should help babies with their mental growth. The functions of the baby furniture should have visual effects, just like a toy does. Your baby furniture should combines colorful toy imagery with functional, safe and sturdy furniture to assist parents in creating a mentally stimulating environment of their new baby’s room.

How to know quality baby furniture?

Some shoppers go for the furniture in a certain price range or with a certain label as a way of choosing quality. But it is not the price or the label that make baby furniture a quality item. However, some manufacturers are more consistent in providing quality than others and the extra effort they put into making the furniture may cost you a little more. It is how well the furniture will meet your need and how long it will meet your need that will make it a quality item. It will often be constructed of choice hardwoods and/or metals. The surface will have a smooth, durable and toxic free finish.

You should know the safety standards for the item and determine that they were all met. You should test the furniture to form an opinion of its durability. Shake it. Push it. See how the joints were constructed. The best furniture will have joints that will stay fixed for as long as you will need the furniture. We have written several articles to provide tips on how to choose particular items of baby furniture. Click here to see more tips on selecting quality baby furniture.

Tips on Jogging stroller Selection

With spring time approaching we will see more and more jogging strollers in use. I wrote a blog on October 3, 2006, Something To Know Before Selecting Your Baby Stroller that addressed the jogging stroller along with other types of strollers. This blog provides more detail on this stroller also call a baby jogger.

With these three or four-wheeled strollers that have heavy-duty suspensions and large, air-filled tires, you can push your child while you run or jog. The air-filled tires provide a smoother ride for your baby than the solid tires and the large wheels makes it much easier for the runner to push. The long and high handlebar allows the runner more feet and leg space and is therefore safer for the runner and baby being able to avoid bumping the frame. It is important that the runner wear a wrist strap attached to the stroller to prevent the stroller from getting away from him/her should he/she falls or trip.

There is some disagreement on the appropriate minimum age for children to ride in a jogging stroller. ComsumerReport.Org says “For most jogging strollers, manufacturers typically suggest a child should be 8 weeks or older, but our medical consultants say a baby should be at least 6 months, able to sit up, and have some head support to withstand the potentially jarring ride.”

ConsumerReports.Org also provides the following Pros and Cons regarding the jogging stroller:

Pros: Jogging strollers can also be used for off-road walks (though the fixed front wheel can make them difficult to steer in non-running situations). Many jogging strollers have a longer useful life than plain strollers, often being able to accommodate children of higher weights. Several companies offer double- or even triple-strollers with total weight limits of 100 or 150 pounds, respectively.

Cons: The fixed (non-swiveling) front wheel is good for running, but can make maneuvering difficult in other situations. Some three-wheel designs may be unstable when the rear wheels are lifted over a curb. Our medical consultants advise not having your child ride while you're running until he or she is at least 6 months old, able to sit up, and have some head support to withstand the potentially jarring ride. Jogging strollers are often large and some are heavy; you may need to remove the wheel(s) to fit it into your car trunk. Bicycle-type air filled tires can go flat and require reinflating with a bicycle pump or a gas-station hose.

Other articles to help you with your baby shopping are on the Article Page at http://www.babystoregiftshop.com/ .

What To Do About Consumer Reports’ Car Infant Seat Report

If you are a new parent, an infant car seat should be high on your list of things to buy. If you already have your baby’s car seat, you are concern that it is completely safe for your baby. You will have to have one to bring your baby home from the hospital. Normally hospitals and birthing centers won't let you leave by car with your new baby unless have one. You will need one for every car trip with your baby thereafter. All states require kids up to 4 years of age ride in a car seat; some require booster seats for older children. Therefore, any report on car seat safety will attract your attention.

I want to discuss the recent baby car seat report by Consumer Reports. If you are at all sensitive to child safety and you have not been visiting outer space recently, you’ve heard of this recent car seat study performed by Consumer Reports. Listening to the news and reading the newspapers, it appeared no car seat was safe for your baby at the tested speeds. It left many wondering if there are any safe car seats out there and how to travel safely with your baby? Do you know what to think or do about a safe care seat for your baby? I hope this article will help.

The Consumer Reports study was aimed at discovering how infant seats performed in tests at speeds that match those used in the government’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). This program tests most new vehicles in crashes at speeds of 35 mph for frontal impact and 38 mph for side impact.

Consumer Reports withdrew the report upon discovering a substantive issue that may have affected the original test results. The issue came to light based on new information they received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning the speed at which our side-impact tests were conducted. A new report will be published with any necessary revisions as soon as possible after the new tests are complete.

It is obvious that the study did not make car seats any less safe than they were prior to the study. So, I suggest you continue doing what you were doing before. When new standards are available you will want to them applied to your baby car seat. Until then, follow the advice of Consumer Reports, “… we urge you to remember that use of any child seat is safer than no child seat, but to suspend judgment on the merits of individual products until the new testing has been completed and the report re-published.”

We at BabyStoreGiftShop.Com will continue to provide you information that “ Make shopping for babies simple.” For information on other baby gear such as carriers, high chairs, strollers, joggers, and bike trailers, visit http://www.babystoregiftshop.com/ .

12 Baby Gift Basket Tips To Make Your Gifts Special

We all want our gifts to be remembered as special. A baby gift basket is one of the best gifts to accomplish this and at the same time express your love and friendship to a new mommy and her new baby. It contains items that are of immediate value to the recipient. And it can be customized to your own specifications. The task becomes easy and simple when you begin with a purchased baby gift basket and personalize it by adding items until your basket make your desired statement.

A baby gift basket may contain items such as:

1. Rattles, pacifiers, teething rings, feeding bottles, infant cups, bibs and spoons.
2. Baby bath products: baby shampoo, baby powder, baby towels, wipes, bubble bath, brush set and tub toys. The toy items should suit the baby's.
3. Baby clothing is considered one of the best baby gift basket items to give. It is good to give clothing that the baby will grow into.
4. When the baby gift basket is given as a baby shower gift, it is appropriate to include baby cookies, baby cakes, jellybeans and other baby foods.
5. Small picture frames and albums will also add more fun to your baby gift basket.
6. Handmade items add a personal touch to your basket. They could be in the form of sculpture, small painting, woven or knitted items, etc.
7. It the baby gift basket is for a christening or baptism celebration, a small bible, silver cups or other symbolic item that adheres to the theme may also be placed in the basket.
8. Gift certificates are always great additions when you don’t have the time to shop or are not sure what to get.

A deluxe baby gift basket may contain nursery room items such as:

1. A colorful mobiles to keep the baby busy, with lullaby music to soothe the infant,
2. Nursery rhymes CD's,
3. Bigger items like:
   a. Changing mats for tables and cribs,
   b. Furniture
4. Educational toys are good for stimulating the baby's mental development.

A little thought put in to creating your baby gift baskets will go a long ways and create memories for both baby and mommy that will last a lifetime.

Why a Baby Crib Is a Great Choice For a Baby Bed
I am only an experienced father and grandfather. But, I think I am safe in saying if you don’t choose a place for your baby to sleep other than in your arms or your bed, you will soon regret your decision. I have seen babies allowed to sleep in their own bed from birth, grow up and have no problem transitioning to a twin or full size bed at two or three years old. I have also seen baby allowed to sleep with their parent refusing to sleep anywhere else at the age of two or three. In my opinion, two or three years are a long time to have a third person in your bed or to be concerned about rolling over on your baby. However, if you choose to have your baby sleep with you in their own bed, you should speak with your baby’s pediatrician about your baby’s safety and health concerns, including the best way to hold the child. For most of you, very early in your baby’s life, if not before your baby is born, you will probably begin considering a baby bed.

When people speak or baby beds, they usually mean infant beds. An infant, a child over one year of age, would be better prepared to stay in a bed than a younger child, however, he or she is not yet be ready for an adult bed or even a typical child’s bed. For the child under one year old, a bed is simply not a safe place for your baby to be left alone. A number of bad things can happen to a baby in a bed that’s too big. He/she could roll over and fall out of bed, or get caught in the space between the mattress and the bed frame.

The best baby bed, for a baby under one year of age, is a baby crib. Cribs have extremely tall sides. One side of the baby crib drops down so that a parent can gently place the infant into the bed while sleeping. Then the side is easily raised back up. Cribs offer two height settings for mattresses. The higher setting is for infants, and then the lower setting is for babies who are able to stand with assistance. This keeps a baby from being able to fall over the edge of the crib rail. Cradle, bassinet, or other baby furniture that would provide enough restraint to keep your baby from hurting him or herself may also be used.

Once a baby grows up to be an infant, parents might start thinking about getting an infant bed. However, until the child is around two years of age, a crib is most likely still the best option. Anyone who is considering an infant bed for a child this age should make sure it is made for children that age. Read the labels and documentation provided or if necessary contact the manufacturer.

Many parents will still choose to keep their two-year-old in cribs rather than buying infant beds. The child is still comfortable in his or her baby crib, and buying a bed would only cost more money, especially when a new bed will have to be bought in a couple of years when the child outgrows the infant bed. An alternative to buying a new bed every few years is a bed that converts to larger sizes. There are even cribs that will convert to an infant bed, than a children’s bed, and then finally a fully sized single bed.

Go to http://www.babystoregiftshop.com/ to see a pre-select inventory of quality cribs.

Tips On Better Baby Strollers Safety

I am back. Holiday and business activities got in the way and I found it difficult to stay on schedule with my writing activities.

Because babies are so delicate and susceptible to injuries you must think “safety” constantly until our babies are able to think “safety” for himself/herself. Many babies will be taking their first ride in their new baby strollers on Christmas and during the days immediately following. Unfortunately, given the right situation most baby product can be unsafe, and baby strollers are no exception. The purpose of this article is to remind you of a few ideas that can help you keep your babies safer while enjoying their stroller.

The following ten tips were collected to help you and your baby get more enjoyment from your baby stroller:

1. Choose a baby stroller that has a wide base to make it more difficult to tip over.
2. Making baby strollers safe for your baby’s hand. Babies will put their hand on anything in reach.
3. Using a pillow, quilt, or blanket as a stroller mattress could cause the baby to suffocate.
4. Always keep the safety belt or harness on your child while they are in the stroller. This will restrain children and prevent them from tipping.
5. Toddlers may stand in the stroller and fall or very young babies may slip into the open leg space in a stroller. Therefore, it is never advisable to leave your baby in a stroller unattended.
6. Always observe the manufacturer’s weight limit as well as the number of children it was designed to carry.
7. Don’t let anyone play with your child’s stroller, especially while the child is in it.
8. Carry bags and other items using the storage basket and never hang them in the stroller handles. This could prevent tipping over.
9. Make sure the frame locking mechanism is engaged properly to prevent the stroller from collapsing and always use the parking brake when stopped.
10. Keep the child away from the stroller while you are folding and unfolding it to avoid catching their fingers.

Hopefully these tips will make your experience with your baby stroller more enjoyable. For a pre-selected inventory of quality baby strollers go to http://www.babystoregiftshop.com/