Once you’ve decided on sending your child to preschool, you have to figure out your priorities and research your options when it’s time to find a good preschool for your toddler. The following list will help guide you through the process and make choosing a quality preschool that much easier.

Prioritize

Make a list of everything you’re looking for in a preschool, no matter how trivial it may seem. For example, how close do you want the preschool to be to your home and/or work? Are you looking for a specific type of educational program? What activities would you like your child to participate in?

Research

Once you’ve determined what you want in a preschool, you need to research available options to see what suits your needs. Ask family and friends who’ve sent their children to preschool which schools they recommend (and which ones to avoid!)

If you find an accredited preschool, while this doesn’t necessarily guarantee it will suit your needs, you can generally count on the quality of the school if it has been accredited.

Once you’ve chosen a few schools to check out, visit the schools and talk with the director and various staff members to get a feel for what the school is like. Trust your instincts! If you don’t like an answer to a particular question you asked, or you get a bad feeling about the school in general, pass over it.

Finding a good preschool for your toddler is ultimately your decision, and no one can really help make it for you. However, there are some general tips to help you make the best decision you can for your child. If you feel good about leaving your toddler at preschool, that’s a surefire sign you’ve made the right decision!

Bumbo has recently announced a recall of approximately 1 million baby chairs that, when placed on a table or other elevated surface, can easily cause a child to fall out of the chair, causing severe injury.

There have been several reports of injury thus far, three of which were skull fractures from a young child falling out of the chair and hitting the floor.

The seats that are under recall are called the Bumbo “Baby Sitter” and include the patent number PCT:ZA/1999/00030.

If you are concerned about the safety of your child’s baby chair, please visit the company website for more information and a contact number.

It’s undoubtedly frightening to think about purchasing items for your baby that might not be necessarily safe, but by reading warning labels and never leaving your child unattended you can prevent serious injury from occurring.

How many parents have often wished for a baby of one gender but ended up getting the opposite? This article details all sorts of folklore about choosing your baby’s sex.

For example, did you know that eating chocolate was once said to guarantee a girl? Alternatively, if you consume a lot of salty snacks you were said to be guaranteed a boy.

While this article is really strictly for fun, if you’re serious about choosing your baby’s sex you should read the accompanying article about what scientists say when it comes to choosing whether you’ll have a bouncing baby boy or girl!

Customers who own a Britax car seat that carry the model numbers under recall should NOT use the product. All consumers who purchased a Britax car seat will receive a replacement top tether hook, whereby the seat can then be used safely for children up to 65 pounds.

If your child weighs less than 50 pounds the car seats are still safe for use and do not need to be fixed.

If you are concerned about the quality of your car seat, please visit Britax’s recall page and follow the instructions listed there.

Before beginning any exercise regimen it’s important to speak with your doctor. To avoid injury, forego free weights (which you can lose your grip on) and instead focus on using resistance machines.

Focus on repetitions while weight training - not weight. You don’t want to overdo it while you are pregnant! Once you hit your second and third trimester, sit down while weight training. Standing up can increase the blood flow to your legs and feet (because of your higher blood volume brought on by pregnancy), causing you to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

There are some great exercises you can do at home while you are pregnant. Women’s Health Care Topics has several great weight training exercises you can try if you are serious about exercising during pregnancy.

While there are a number of exercises you can do while pregnant, weight training has been shown to be very effective at increasing stamina and muscle tone - all very important when it’s time to deliver the baby!

Whatever exercise program you choose, please talk to your doctor before beginning or changing any exercise routine.

Unfortunately, there’s no surefire answer. Some women can conceive very easily, while other women have a difficult time trying to get pregnant. There’s no set amount of time it takes to conceive. There are also several things that can affect your ability to get pregnant, such as your age and general health.

Women who are in their late 30’s or 40’s oftentimes have a difficult time conceiving because of the dramatic loss of eggs as a woman ages. Additionally, miscarriage rates tend to be higher for women in their 40’s than younger women trying to conceive.

If you are intent on getting pregnant, it’s important to find out when you are ovulating. Having intercourse during ovulation increases the likelihood you’ll get pregnant.

While some women take longer than others to conceive, if you are really worried about it you should speak to your doctor. She will be able to determine whether there are any fertility problems that could be preventing you from conceiving.

Thankfully, there are ways to cope with morning sickness and make the symptoms more manageable.

First and foremost, try to avoid food that looks unappetizing or makes you feel nauseated. It’s also recommended that you eat food that’s cold or room temperature because these types of foods tend to give off less nauseating odors than hot food.

Keeping crackers around can also help quell nausea, as well as other simple snacks like that. Additionally, eat small meals throughout the day rather than three large meals to avoid overeating or overwhelming your stomach. Bland foods are best if you are suffering from severe morning sickness (which, despite it’s name, can occur at anytime throughout the day.)
Fatty and fried foods are also things to stay away from.

If nothing seems to work and you still suffer from nausea throughout the day, you may want to speak with your physician about anti-nausea medications that are safe for you to take during pregnancy.

Otherwise, try these methods to cope with morning sickness and take heart that there ARE ways to manage the symptoms.

Whether you’re taking the little ones out trick or treating or attending a Halloween get together, finding the perfect costume for your baby is a must! Here are some great ideas to help get you started:

Dress up your baby for a “devilish” good time with this oh-so-adorable Devil Bunting Costume! Available in infant size only. This cute costume has red tux-like bunting, devil horns and a hood. Will fit babies 0-6 months.

Check out the Petite Panda costume for infants and toddlers which is sure to get comments wherever you take your child for Halloween this year. This adorable plush costume will captivate and delight - and your child will look cute and be cozy in this adorable costume. This costume will fit children 12-18 months old.

Your baby will probably think you were crazy when he grows up and sees the photograph of him dressed up as a Lobster for Halloween - but who cares! This unique costume is too fun to pass up. While it looks complicated, putting the costume on and taking it off is a snap. Will fit infants from 12-18 months.

And for the fairy tale princess in your family, this adorable infant/toddler Snow White costume will look simply divine during the holiday. This costume will fit most children aged 12-18 months and comes complete with a yellow tutu, blue stretch leotard and a white neck collar. Add a pair of white socks and shoes and a red hair bow and your little girl is transformed into a beautiful Princess!

Wherever you take the little ones this Halloween, dress them up in style. Browse through this brief selection of adorable Halloween baby costumes or find your own to make this Halloween a year to remember.

Happy Shopping!

To avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, it’s important to spend time talking with other parents who know what you’re dealing with! Online parenting communities are a popular avenue for parents to swap stories, give advice and relax together in a supportive environment.

The following communities are the most comprehensive out there and are definitely worth a look.

The message boards over at the parenting section of iVillage offer a wide range of topics covering everything from pregnancy to raising a teenager. Get the advice and support you need from the friendly parents at iVillage.

CafeMom offers a plethora of support groups and parenting advice communities to help even the most stressed out mother (or father!) cope with the daily task of raising a child. Choose from a selection of groups ranging from Work at Home Mom’s to Raising Girls. You’re sure to find what you’re looking for!

The forums at JustMommies offer a very comprehensive discussion board for parents-to-be, pregnancy advice, childbirth basics, choosing baby names and a lot more. The topics they cover are vast and you’ll learn more about child bearing and other parenting topics than you ever thought you could.

If you are looking for advice, answers or simply a place to chat with other parents, these online parenting communities are the cream of the crop! Bookmark these websites - they are worth a look!

In recent news, California has banned baby toys and other products that appear to contain more than a trace amount of a chemical called phthalate, used to soften plastics. This chemical, according to scientists, has been known to cause a variety of health problems.

The chemical is used to make a variety of baby products, including soft cover baby books, plastic bottles, plastic bath toys and other things.

To read the full story about this hazardous chemical, click here.