v4 issue 28: Problem Solvers

From bathing supplies to nose bleeds, this issue is packed with tips and tricks for problem solving with your child.


Cover by Kelly Smith









1 The Puj tub can be used in any standard sized sink. Use it in the bathroom, the kitchen, at Grandma's, or on vacation! This soft tub dries quickly and conforms to baby for ultimate cradling during a tubby.
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2 By putting a zipper on the back of sleepwear, Mookimoo solved a common problem. Now, kiddos who love to take off their sleepwear just don't know what to do. However, they are safe and warm!
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3 When swaddling babies, arms and kicking legs can be a problem. The solution? The Miracle Blanket. Extra pockets for wrapping arms and legs keep even the squirmiest of Houdinis comforted and content.

4 Crying eyes need not fear rinsing. The Lil Rinser scoops up over the forehead and diverts soapy water from entering eyes. Happy children...clean hair.

5 Soothing sounds to relax the senses. Prenatal Peace & Calming is an audio CD for stress reduction and deep respite. Created by Jill Woodnick with proceeds supporting EarthBirth-a project to make childbirth peace & secure in war torn regions. Click here to listen to a sample.
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6 Stroller Suspenders are a unique solution to keeping baby's blanket on the stroller and off the ground. The baby safe clips are attached to pretty prints and won't tear blankets!

7 If losing pacifiers and pacifier clips is your problem, a Bink Tee just might do the trick. Lift up the designer patch to expose two velcro fasteners, then fasten your ribbon pacifier holder and you're all done. Simple.

8 Messy eater? No problem. Oopsy Daisy makes a fabulous rinse-free shampoo. It's all natural "high chair hair care". Just lather it up and towel dry for an instant clean.

9 NoseBudd is a fantastic invention to stop nose bleeds. Keeps the cold right where you need it, so capillaries shrink and bleeding stops.
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This weeks Mom tip:
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Attachment and Academic Achievement
The lead article in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics caught my attention. The article reported a study (Keller 2008) in which the investigators looked at the sleep behavior of 166 third graders as this related to the quality of their attachment to parents and their math achievement. They found that children who were insecurely attached to parents had significantly lower quantity and less efficient sleep patterns than did children who were securely attached. The insecurely attached children also had significantly lower math scores than did the securely attached. To the investigators, these findings suggested that poor attachment affected math achievement indirectly through its impact upon children’s sleep patterns.

I found these results particularly interesting given the current onslaught of programs to teach infants everything from math to computers. What bothers me most about these programs is its effect upon the attachment to parents. In all of these programs there are right and wrong answers. Parents reward, or withhold rewards, depending upon the infant’s response. Infants have little understanding of right and wrong. What they do understand is that parental love is conditional on doing something or other. Yet to be securely attached infants need unconditional love and attention. In their desire to give their infants an intellectual head start these “early advantage” parents may in fact be doing just the opposite. What the study suggests is that secure attachment is probably more beneficial to academic achievement than is attempting to teach infants and young children tool skills.

This study underscores the point that we are trying to make with Just Ask Baby. Our emphasis is on providing infants and young children with the kind of parenting that ensures secure attachment and a sense of trust that the world is a safe and welcoming place. In the long run, that appears to be the best way to prepare infants and children for later academic achievement.
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Written By David Elkind Ph.D., Chief Scientific Advisor-justaskbaby.com

References: Keller, P. S. El. Sheikh., Mona; Buckhalt, Joseph A. (2008). "Children's Attachment to Parents and Their Academic Functioning: Sleep Patterns as Moderators of Effects." Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 29(6): 441-449.

Disclaimer - The content in our articles are submitted by various authors, worldwide and are provided for informational purposes only. Tot Trends Weekly does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy and is not responsible for the content of the article.