Sassy Silly Ways to Have Fun: Touch—Part Two!

Last week we focused more on the younger babies and soft tender touches between parents and newborns. This week we’ll focus more on the 6 month and up crew—with some activities that can be expanded to toddlers, too!

Sassy Silly Ways to Have Fun: Touch—Part One!

Touch is simply the most wonderful part of bonding we’re blessed to enjoy with our children. In fact, I’m at a loss for the perfect words to stress just how important for both mom, dad and baby the sensation of touch is in fostering security & developing attachment with baby is. Perhaps the word is love? Yep—that’s it. We show our love to babies through touch, and they show it right back to us the same way.

Through touch, babies also become more aware of their surroundings. They were in a warm and cozy tummy with fluid surrounding them for an entire pregnancy. Then they pop out into a room with bright lights and a bunch of doctors and nurses with masks on their faces. Give them a hug and cuddle with them after an experience like that!

Sassy Silly Ways to Have Fun: Hearing—Part Two!

Earlier this week we talked about why engaging in hearing silly activities is a good thing for baby. We went over some ways babies automatically engage in fun with mom while still in the womb such as the heart beat and digestive system sounds.

Sassy Silly Ways to Have Fun: Hearing—Part One!

Hear me now! Do I have your attention? Playing with a new baby is super duper important, and although you’re certainly not going to get into a full-on conversation about the latest Hollywood gossip, communication is a fundamental part of bonding.

Sassy Silly Ways to Have Fun: Vision—Part Two!

Earlier this week, we gave you some cute ideas how to be sassy and silly with baby vision and now we’re really ready to jiggle it out. Whoops! I slipped! This One Sassy Doctor gave away the number one silliest way to have fun with baby vision!

Sassy Silly Ways to Have Fun: Vision—Part One!

We’ve written about baby vision on previous One Sassy Doctor posts. Initially, a newborn can see only about 8 to 12 inches from his face and tries to focus when close up to something fun, like mommy’s face. Initially, babies are not able to focus on objects that are far away, so if you’re waving a red flag across the bedroom as you do a silly dance, don’t be offended if only your partner is laughing at you. One note: young babies do respond to bright light and actually prefer (as noted by eye opening) lower light. Babies love faces, bright colors and high-contrast patterns with movement. So, how can we have some Sassy silly vision fun?

Sassy Silly Ways to Have Fun: Taste & Smell!

Ahhhh, the smell of a new baby. Close your eyes (or just sniff if your baby is in front of you!) and enjoy that amazing, yummy, delicious smell. When your children are a little older, don’t be surprised if they spontaneously tell you that they love the way you smell! Sometimes, the root of baby & toddler special objects has its root in mommy’s smell. Without even knowing it, we’re drawn to our children and they are drawn to us in many ways through smell.

A Sassy Silly New Year!

Welcome to the newest year of your baby or toddler’s life! Oooooh, I’m soooo super excited for this special sassy month dedicated to two sassy-rific words: silly & development.

What’s better than being silly with baby? Being silly and having fun with our babies & toddlers is a fabulous way to promote development and bond with baby. Letting loose gives mom & dad a little taste of what it’s like to be a baby or toddler again. In the everyday stressors of life, we often lose the laughing & creativity that silly play has to offer. One Sassy Doctor’s prescription for “bringing silly back” is here!

What Do You Do When Your Toddlers Are Hitting Each Other?

As a mom of two sets of twins, a question posed to One Sassy Doctor about twin-twin toddlers hitting each other was familiar!

Hitting is normal amongst twins and non-twin siblings. Although it is distressing to see one child hit—and another child be hit—it is an expected part of development that becomes more salient when both of the kids are your own! You’re looking at one child thinking, “My baby is getting hit!” and another child thinking “My baby is hitting another child!” Where do you begin?

A One Sassy Doctor Original Holiday Poem

One Sassy Doctor has written a poem for you all to enjoy. Yes, I can’t sing, but I write a mean poem.

It’s holiday time, and the snow is a falling,
And the kids and the kids and the kids are a–calling;

Baby woke early, toddler jumps on the bed;
What hurts more—your back or your head?

Sippy cups dry, diapers soaked wet,
But it’s holiday time! So don’t even try and fret!

Smiles and laughter and presents and food—
Mom’s supposed to be smiling and in a great mood!

But that’s not always easy with all there’s to do,
And when you can’t tell if that brown stain is chocolate or poo!

Should I Allow a 14-Month-Old to Nurse Several Times a Night?

A mom wrote to One Sassy Doctor asking if she should stop allowing her 14-month-old to nurse several times a night. One Sassy Doctor jumped right on that one! Nursing your 14-month-old at night? Well, may not be the best thing for you and your baby. Here’s why!

Ho Ho Ho! Think Safety In Your Ho Ho House During the Ho Ho Holidays!

This is not going to be a relaxing blog post. Sorry, One Sassy Doctor fans, we’re popping balloons and pouring egg nog in the toilet for this blog post!

You’re enjoying egg nog: Think: Toddler spills egg nog, so toddler gets burned. Toddler drinks (alcohol-laden) egg nog, so toddler drinks alcohol (not a good thing).

Can Babies Sleep in Baby Swings?

Many people ask about the safety of babies sleeping in baby swings. Safety wise, the best place for a baby to sleep is flat on the back on a surface that is firm & designed for sleep (like a crib), free of any soft bedding or toys. When a baby falls asleep in a swing, they are in an upright position or even slumped over a bit. If you notice that your baby has fallen asleep in a swing, gently transition your baby to a safer sleep space.

Talking To Family & Sitters About Play Safety - Holiday Toy Safety Post #2

You may have a grandma or child care provider around the house when the floodgates of new toys arrive around holiday time. One Sassy Doctor has outlined some basic toy and play safety topics for discussion with anyone caring for your child related to play safety:

When Your Baby Becomes A Vampire! What To Do About Teething Nursing Babies

Well, mom, you’ve just touched upon one of the ouchiest parts of nursing! Some babies begin to bite the breast during nursing when teething. This can be extraordinarily uncomfortable for mom and potentially dissuade mom from continuing to nurse. Babies engage in this biting behavior because the pressure of biting (on a teething ring, on a finger, or—unfortunately—on a nipple!) reduces the inflammatory pain associated with tooth eruption. It’s a tricky situation—you want baby to nurse as usual, but the biting just doesn’t fly!

One Sassy Grandma – Holiday Toy Safety Post #1

Choosing safe toys for your baby or toddler isn’t just about product labels and age recommendations. We need to understand each child’s developmental level, the play environment and how these factors play into toy selection—a child with developmental challenges, for example, may require toys with capability features specific to their needs.

One super important element to toy safety is the “grandmother effect.” This is as looming as a fork in a light socket (well, kind of a dramatic analogy, but you get the drift). Parents must be super vigilant hawks when it comes to presents received by others.

Breastfeeding & Teething

A reader asked Dr. Jen about how to handle breast biting during teething. We thought we’d share the answer Dr. Jen gave on her website!

Well, mom, you’ve just touched upon one of the ouchiest parts of nursing!

Some babies begin to bite the breast during nursing when teething. This can be extraordinarily uncomfortable for mom, and potentially dissuade mom from continuing to nurse. Babies engage in this biting behavior because the pressure of biting (on a teething ring, on a finger, or—unfortunately—on a nipple!) reduces the inflammatory pain associated with tooth eruption. It’s a tricky situation—you want baby to nurse as usual—but the biting just doesn’t fly!

I would suggest taking the following steps:

Moms & Dads Need a Break: Safe Ways to Take a Moment for Yourself

One Sassy Doctor’s four children know that mommy says pretty much the same thing every day after work: “I can’t wait to hear about your day and snuggle and have fun. But Mommy needs a minute to change my clothes, and stare at the wall. I’ll be down in 10 minutes and I’m all yours!”.

Yes, I lie on my bed for at the end of the work day, sans TV/music/books, and simply stare into space. My kids are welcome to come snuggle during this hiatus from real life—but it’s quiet time. It’s my little way of taking a break. I was very fortunate to have help at home with both sets of my twins, and was able to take a break when I needed to. Not everyone can do that—and that’s why I decided to write this posting. It’s OK to put your baby down (or your toddler, or your teenager!) and take a safe moment for yourself. As parents, we often feel guilty that we feel like we need a moment to ourselves. Wash that guilt right out of your hair, here, today, ok?

Gassy Babies & Tummy Time

A reader asked Dr. Jen about using gripe water for help with gassiness. We thought we’d share the answer Dr. Jen gave on her website!

What does the word “gripe” mean, anyway? I looked it up! Gripe means to complain about something. Well, if I was a baby with gas with a teeny tiny tummy just learning to work right, I’d certainly complain!

Tummy Time (Part 3): Who’s the Boss?

Did your mommy make you eat your brussel sprouts? What do brussel sprouts and tummy time have to do with each other?