Parents often wonder if there is anything they can do to help their children prepare for school, and the most important thing is to make sure they get a good tertiary school education, and of course a higher degree in the university of their choice in the future.

Be A Bookworm

Parents who are heavily involved in their children’s education will understand the importance of reading. They will read to their children even when they are at a very young age, and they will make sure that their children can read on the right grade level throughout their educational process. Therefore, the reading foundation that these parents are developing will assist the children in their future educational endears as well as their life goals.

Parental involvement with their children’s education is of paramount importance, and teaching children to read books and write stories or draw pictures is just one form of education media which parents can embark upon.

Watch More Videos

Watching children educational video is also another good form of learning. They can learn new things from there and parents should sit with the children and watch with them because they can guide or teach them along the way. These children will be better adjusted to school which can lead to more education. In addition, parents are sending a message to their children that education is important.

Do note that watching television programmes or playing computer games is not the same as watching educational videos. So, if you are thinking of leaving your child in front of the TV set and let the TV does it’s magic, you can really forget about it. Also, leaving your children alone with the TV set, even though they are watching educational videos, the result will never be the same as when you are sitting with them and guiding them along too.

Play More Toys

Yes, you heard me right. Contrary to any old folks’ tale, playing with toys is not a waste of time to children but is another form of education. Parents however are to note what kind of toys the children are playing and the extend of time spent playing them. For example, puzzles have an immense amount of educational value. They come in the form of peg puzzles, jigsaw puzzles and mind puzzles. These type of puzzles encourages problem-solving skills, matching colors and shapes, and help develop motor skill. When buying a puzzle for your child, consider their age and interest. For instance, peg puzzles work best for toddlers.

Another type of educational toy is board games. Board games help building social skills, encourage problem-solving, improve the child’s patience and encourage creative thinking. They are also a great social stimulator for children.

Toys are an essential part of childrens’ education and their educational value can be considered to be on par with those of books and educational videos.

Give Them All-Rounded Education

Children love to explore, discover, observe and learn. Providing them with the right kind of educational tools will not only keep them entertained, but will also enhance their mental abilities and also their learning abilities.

We wish you and your children a pleasant learning experience.

And now, Puku has joined ShopBug.com and will be another part of our family, offering quality and yet very much affordable products to our customers.

At ShopBug.com, we carry a very wide range of Puku-branded products, ranging from bathing accessories to clothing and gifts and even mothercare products. You can see the whole list of our Puku family products by clicking here.

We are very proud and excited to have Puku joining us as our newest family member.

As a token of our appreciation to our new family member and also our rewards for our loyal customers, we are offering a 10% discount for all Puku products for all our customers, Singapore and international.

We know you will be as excited as we are and we hope you’ll seize this 10% discount offer before it’s ended.

See our video introduction below or click here.

Sounds like a no-brainer. Everybody knows how to feed a baby, hey, we have been feeding babies for a few thousand years, long before there are books, long before there is Internet, long before anybody knows how to speak. So, what’s this fuss about?

It’s true that feeding babies takes nothing more than parental instinct, it’s also true that we don’t need books and/or Internet to know how to feed babies, but it’s even more true when we tell you we have lots of customers asking us, “what to take note when feeding my baby …”.

So, this topic don’t really seem like a no-brainer but more of a concern to everybody. Why not discuss it with us here? Let’s help to grow the list more to give a hand to those new parents or parents-to-be:-

1. Are you breastfeeding your toddle?
   • If you choose to breastfeed, which we encourage, there’s a possibility that some may have problem producing enough milk for their baby. These may be due to work-related stress, or health-related problems, but as mentioned, it is possible for it to happen. We definitely do not encourage underfeeding your baby in this instance.
   • Do note that this don’t happen always and only to a minority of women. Lots of mothers are not able to breastfeed usually because of the fact that they are stressing themselves too much worrying that they don’t produce sufficient breast milk, and the vicious cycle just keeps going.
2. Are you formula-feeding your toddler?
   • make sure you do not always change the brand or type of formula milk as there is usually a need for progressive changes for your toddler and you cannot switch formula milk instantly for your infant or else they may suffer upset stomach.
3. Do you intend to feed-on-demand or stick to feeding schedule?
   • actually, there is not much difference for this, really. There are some parents who believe in feeding just sufficiently, as and when needed, and there are those that just stick to the time, no matter whether the baby is somewhat full or maybe even sleeping. To them, when it’s time to eat, it’s time to eat.
   • However, no matter which group of parents you belong to, you’ll find that eventually your baby will always go hungry at around a pre-determined time! So, feeding-on-demand or sticking to schedule doesn’t really make any difference, they’ll always be about the same!
4. Before feeding, remember to warm your refrigerated breast milk by letting it sit at room temperature or by immersing the bottle in a pan of warm water or even using a bottle warmer. Do not microwave the bottle as this may create “hot spots” that may burn your baby’s mouth–even if you shake the bottle after microwaving, it still isn’t the safest method. Feeding a baby lukewarm or even slightly cool formula or breast milk is far preferable to letting him drink anything that is too hot.
5. As your baby reaches about six years of age, you can start to introduce solid food. Although people used to try introducing solids earlier, research now shows that infants’ gag may be too strong to allow them to swallow non-liquids safely.
6. Place your child in a sturdy high chair with a safety belt and a tray, and then place a few small toys on the tray to amuse her while you prepare her food. Use small plastic bowls and plastic spoons for feeding. You may buy special plastic infant feeding speeding spoons if you like, or you can use small disposable plastic spoons or even the tiny “taster” spoons that many ice cream stores keep on hand to allow you to sample different flavors.
7. Start off with an iron-fortified rice cereal. This type of food is one readily accepted and easily digested by most babies. To help ease the transition away from formula or breast milk (although you will be needed to continue with these until your baby is around 12 months old), you can mix a little of this into the cereal to reconstitute it instead of using water. This also provides a little added nutritional boost.
8. Introduce new food one at a time, at intervals of about three days. This allows you to see is any one particular food causes your baby to develop an allergic reaction. Many parents, after achieving success with cereal, will mix in a little pureed fruit. You may continue to do so (one fruit at a time) for a few weeks, then switch over to pureed vegetables.
9. Add yogurt and cottage cheese when baby is around eight to 10 months old. Table foods like pasta, small pieces of banana, cooked carrot pieces and other appropriate foods can be introduced when baby is at least seven months old and can handle them without gagging.
10. Give your baby juice mixed with water in a training cup after she is used to eating fruit. She will probably not want to take her formula or breast milk from a Sippy cup, but small amounts of diluted juice will allow her to drink from a cup without providing too much sugar. If you are really concerned about feeding juice, you can give her water in her training cup; this will help keep him hydrated and prevent constipation.

These mums-to-be who are having back pain usually have the following symptoms:-

• the pain is chronic
• happens on their lower back
• their tummies are usually pretty large

The very first advise we often give is always for them to approach their obstetricians in order to investigate for any other reason for the pain. Normally, the reply is just a matter-of-factly that their baby is a very healthy one and the mum will need to exercise a little bit more just so that they can be stronger for the extra weight.

P…l..e..a..s..e….. how to exercise when you are in pain, especially back pain when your limbs will be affected and lots of discomfort are felt throughout your whole body!

Now, any woman who has experienced pregnancy will agree (with both hands up high) that it is a very tough job to carry a baby within your body 24/7, especially when the baby grows, you’ll lose control of your bladder, varicose veins will appear, and worst, the chronic back pain which we are talking about here.

It’s therefore very common to see pregnant women walking with their hands holding their stomach, or some with one hand holding their back and another hand on any wall or support they can find. Lots of them just wish they can bring along a wheelbarrow with them so that they can rest their tummy on it

Actually you don’t have to.

There’s maternity belt that’s made just for this purpose: to support your stomach so that it’ll reduce the strain on your back.

The basic maternity belt is usually made of elastic material and is adjustable for different tummy sizes, however, some may need to be bought in terms of dress sizes or weight/height sizes. This basic belts are worn around the back and below the tummy. These support will help to increase the blood flow to the pelvis and reduce the pressure on the bladder, allowing more control over it. Lower back pain is also alleviated as the pressure seizes.

There are other maternity belts that provide more support and cover more areas of the lower back, and of course, their price is higher. Some others have a strap that goes under the tummy and another strap that fits above it. You may have even seen those that fits like camisoles over the whole body, and even with straps that go over the shoulders for greater support. Well, normally, if you are not carrying triplets or more, or that your baby is not of gigantic size, these maternity belts might not be that useful to you then.

Maternity belts can be worn like bras in the sense that you can wear it the whole day if necessary, or only wear it when you know that you need to stand or walk for a longer period of time. If you exercise, maternity belt will be useful also as it’ll support you better and allows you to enjoy the exercise more.

Maternity belts are usually conveniently not proposed by obstetricians because they may feel not necessary for you, but if you are carrying multiple babies or that you are experiencing chronic back pains, they’ll duly recommend you to purchase one for your support.

It is definitely not an necessity, but if you experience chronic lower back pain during your pregnancy, maternity belt is definitely a lifesaver. Look for those that are comfortable for you, able to absorb perspiration and comes with good ventilation.

Recommended Products

• Farlin BF-601 Maternity Belt

If this is your worry, no problem, we can help.

Angelina Jolie Breastfeeding

The most effective way to increase milk supply is by nursing your baby frequently and without restrictions. If you are wondering how to increase breast milk supply or you are concerned that you are not producing enough – it’s important to just breastfeed more often! Babies should be put to the breast as soon as possible after birth and frequently thereafter, to optimize breastfeeding potential, estimated to be about every 2 hours.

The baby’s sucking causes your body to release special hormones that tell your brain to make the exact type and amount of nutrients that your individual baby needs. Avoid substances that may cause lowered milk supply such as smoking, caffeine, birth control pills, decongestants and antihistamines and also those severe weight loss diets.

Most newborns want to breastfeed eight to 15 times a day after the first three to four days of life, which will probably have settled down to six to eight times a day by the end of the first week. Feed your baby as often as he needs it. Routines have no place in your day while you’re breastfeeding. And that includes Angelina too

During the first couple of weeks, you may wonder if your baby is getting enough milk, especially if he wants to feed all the time or is unsettled after feeds. Once the first sleepy day or two have passed, your baby should be hungry more often. And he probably is, since breast milk is digested within a couple of hours of consumption.

Unfortunately, weighing the baby in the first few days will probably not reassure you, since newborns normally lose five to 10 per cent of their birth weight in the first three days. However after three or so days, your baby should start to gain weight again and if he is weighed again at five to seven days, you should be able to see that he is starting to grow.

There are instances where the baby is not getting sufficient nutrient or feeds during their breastfeeding. So, what are the warning signs that your baby isn’t getting enough to eat? The following may give you a good gauge:-

• If your baby does not begin to regain his birth weight and put on weight after the first few days.
• Your breasts don’t feel softer after feeds.
• Your baby is unsettled or lethargic most of the time.
• Your baby has dimples in his cheeks or makes clicking noises while breastfeeding.
• Your baby is wetting fewer than six to eight nappies in a 24-hour period after the five days following birth.
• Your baby doesn’t have a bowel movement at least once a day or is having small, dark stools five days or more after birth.
• He becomes more yellow, instead of less, after the first week.
• He does not develop a rounded face by about three weeks.
• Your baby’s skin remains wrinkled after the first week.

Man Breastfeeding

If you do have this signs and are concerned about them, you should be, please consult your pediatrician.

If you nor your baby have these symptoms, then you don’t have to worry about underfeeding your baby then. Nature has it’s way of doing things and you are naturally born to be able to feed your child, so no worries about it. In fact, even men can breastfeed their baby, so why not you?

Rests assure you will be giving your baby enough milk if your baby is latched on well at the breast and feeds on demand. Feeding should be comfortable and painless. Your baby changes rhythm whilst sucking and pauses during feeds, starts feeding again without prompting, and comes off the breast spontaneously when he’s finished. If your baby is showing these signs, then it is very unlikely that you are underfeeding him.

To aid your lactation, you can use the safe and natural Breast Care Gel from Pigeon for massaging your breasts, which have the added effect of keeping your nipples supple. Pigeon 16601 Breast Care Gel helps to protect and prevent your nipples from becoming dry and tender, and it contains specially formulated natural plant oils which help to protect and nourish even the most sensitive of skins. After your breastfeeding session, apply the Pigeon 16601 Breast Care Gel to restore the natural elasticity and skin tone of your breasts. It is also suitable for use on arms, legs and body.

One of the hardest things about beginning a breastfeeding relationship is not feeling confident that you are giving your baby enough milk. No doubt you are, but you shouldn’t hesitate, in the early days of breastfeeding, to get reassurance and help from your pediatrician or lactation consultant.

We wish you and your baby many joyful and fun breastfeeding sessions.

Recommended Products:

• Pigeon 16601 Breast Care Gel

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The Significance Of Breast Milk To The Baby includes:-

• it is the easiest and the healthiest way to feed a newborn, as the milk is rich in nutrients.
• Breastfeeding reduces the chances of infection and increases the immunity of the baby
• Breast milk contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes, which aid the baby’s digestion.
• Amino acids – the building blocks of proteins – present in breast milk are well balanced for the baby. These proteins aid the proper functioning of the baby’s intestinal tract. It’s suggested also that the amino acid present in breast milk helps the baby to acquire sound sleep during the night time.
• Breast milk is rich in lymphocytes and macrophages, which protect the newborn against intestinal inflammation.
• Breast milk is a rich source of iron, which can be easily absorbed by the infant better than any other source of the mineral.
• Breast milk promotes the overall health of the baby
• Since mother’s milk is available at the optimum temperature that is most suitable for the infant, it is free from all possible sources of contamination.
• The immunoglobulins (antibodies) present in the breast milk protect the baby from upper respiratory infections and gastro intestinal infections. This is the reason why breast fed babies stay healthier than their formula fed counterparts.
• The hormone prolactin, responsible for the production of breast milk, functions as a natural tranquilizer for the mother and baby alike.
• Formula-fed children are likely to become obese, when they reach the stage of adolescence. On the other hand, those fed with breast milk are less likely to be obese at their teenage.
• Breast feeding plays a pivotal role in preventing various kinds of digestive diseases in the infant, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Childhood cancers such as leukemia are also prevented by breast feeding.
• Breast milk lowered the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), increased intelligence, decreased likelihood of contracting middle ear infections, cold, and flu bugs, lower risk of childhood onset diabetes, decreased risk of asthma and eczema, decreased dental problems, and decreased risk of obesity later in life, decreased risk of developing psychological disorders.

The Significance Of Breast Milk To The Mother includes:-

• Breast feeding helps to assists the uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and reduces post-partum bleeding as well as assisting the mother to return to her pre-pregnancy weight.
• Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer later in life.
• Breastfeeding saves times and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula, and there are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night.
• Breastfeeding also helps a mother bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted.

The importance of breast milk and breast feeding can just go on and on, however, there are real incidence of mothers passing germs and bacterias to their baby during their breastfeeding session and turn out making matters worst for both mother and baby.

Although breastmilk is free of contamination and disease, the breasts of the mother are not. Proper care of the breasts are very important and nipples are to be cleaned before and after each feed. Germs and bacterias do grow very quickly in milk residue and will cause risk of breast infection. The nipples are best to be cleaned with Sterilized Nipple Wipes from Nuk, which is made of 100% cotton with no chemical and preservatives and contains only purified water. They are individually sealed air-tight and very convenient to carry, so no matter you are at home, in office, even on an airplane, you can be assured that you are feeding the best to your baby and nothing else. For maximum comfort, you may even warm or cool Nuk Nipple Wipes by putting the unopened sachet into warm water or refrigerator.

For whatever it’s worth, breastfeeding is a special and rewarding time that is shared between you and your baby and should never be traded with anything else.

It is therefore no surprise that many parents wonder whether their child would also be more comfortable if given a baby pillow.

The answer to the question though, is dependent on the age of your child, and also where they are sleeping…….

If your child is younger than two years old, a pillow is definitely not recommended. A child under this age will normally not need a support for his or her head and more importantly there is always some risk of them suffocating on the pillow. Also, if your child is still of this young age but has started climbing, crawling or walking then the pillow could be used as an aid to climbing out of their crib.

Therefore, most research suggests that normally a pillow should not be considered until the baby is at least two years old and is also no longer sleeping in a crib but has progressed to a toddler bed.

Even when your child is slightly older though, it is not always necessary for them to use a pillow. If they are sleeping well without a pillow then there is probably no need to introduce one.

If and when you do decide to give your child a pillow, make sure it is an actual ‘baby sleep pillow’ rather than just one you already have in your house. The pillow should be relatively firm so that the child cannot sink into it whilst sleeping and be smothered or suffocated. It should also be smaller than a regular adult pillow, possibly around the size of a travel pillow and be easily washable for when your child has those little accidents. If your child suffers from any allergies you will also be able to buy a baby pillow that is non-allergenic

If you are still uncertain as to whether the time is right to introduce a baby pillow to your child’s bed you may wish to consider speaking to your doctor to get his or her input or just waiting until your child actually asks for a pillow or shows some signs of struggling to sleep on a flat bed.

Recommended Product:

• Farlin BF-570 Animal Design Pillow
• Farlin BF-573 Non-Smother Pillow

About the Author:

Chris Towland is the author of The Baby Sleep Solution. The 35 minute audio program that gives the simple techniques that will ensure your baby sleeps through the night, every night.

See more information at: http://www (dot) babysleepsolution (dot) com

If you were to ask me which is the best moment when I’m with him, I would say it is during his bath time. I’ve bathed for Dylan when he was just a newborn, and I’m still bathing for him now, when he is already 3 years old. Of course at the age of 3 years old, somebody still needs to bath for him, however, the difference now is that last time I used to bath for him, now, I bath with him. And that’s another adventure that I would certainly recommend to anybody. More on that during my next article.

We’ve seen and heard from lots of new parents having trouble with the new family member, and I would like to take this opportunity to share my experiences. This article will be useful for those of you who are having newborn or babies below 6 months of age.

First thing first; How often should you bath your baby?

There are many schools of thought on this issue. Some might say that the environment is fill with dust and germs and therefore it is better to bath the baby daily, some even more than twice per day. For others, they feel that a baby’s skin is too delicate and therefore frequent bathing with soap and water will dry the skin of the baby and causing them to have skin irritation. So, really, it depends on your climate, weather, environment and probably, yourselves.

For us, I feel that as long as the baby does not crawl around nor getting messed up with food, there’s no necessity to bath him everyday. When Dylan was an infant of 3 months and below, his skin was pretty dry and therefore we decided that bathing him too often will be a big NO NO. We do apply lotion after his bath to keep him moist. Thankfully, his skin condition is a lot better now.

The most important thing is that you MUST clean your baby’s diaper area with wet wipes after each bowel movement, and make sure you wash and dry the area thoroughly with a clean dry cloth. I always powder his diaper area to keep them dry and cooling for him. Take this moment to check the baby’s face, neck and skin creases and just wipe them with a damp clean cloth will do.

Once you do that, there’s no need to bath him everyday.

Now, how to actually bathe your baby then? Follow these steps will do:-

1. Assemble all necessary bathing accessories.
   • bathtub
   • washcloth
   • mild soap
   • baby shampoo
   • cotton balls
   • hooded towel
   • rubbing alcohol
   • cotton swabs
   • diaper
   • clean clothes
2. Make sure the room is warm and the bath water is comfortably warm but not hot; A simple way to test is put your hand into the water and it should feel around the same temperature as you are. You shouldn’t feel cold or hot with your hand inside. (note that your hand must be washed cleaned also)
3. For newborns and babies up to six months old, fill the bath with about five inches of water, or enough to allow your baby to settle in the water with his shoulders well covered. Never fill the bath more than waist-high (in sitting position) for older children.
4. Undress your baby and bring him to the bath area
5. Wet your palm and tap it against his/her body, then gradually rub up to his/her chest to let him/her know that you are going to wet him/her
6. Gradually slip your baby into the bath, using one hand to support his neck and head. This is the time when every baby will behave differently:-
   • If your baby starts to scream and shout and cry violently, it may be that they have a previous unhappy experience with bathing and therefore rejecting it, or it may be just that the baby don’t like to get wet. Whatever it is, talk to your baby and assure him that it is ok to bath and you may want to let him get his feet wet only and let it kick the water for fun, and slowly assuring him further before placing him into the tub. Throw in some squeeze toys to play with him will be the best. Squeeze them occasionally to attract his attention and let him forget about the water.
   • if your baby giggles and smile and kick their legs with anticipation, congratulation, enjoy the moment with him then.
7. Use soap sparingly as you wash him with your hand or a cotton cloth or sponge from top to bottom, front to back. Wash his scalp with a wet, soapy cloth. Use moistened cotton wool to clean his eyes and face. As for your baby’s genitals, a routine wash is all that is needed. If dried mucus has collected in the corner of your baby’s nostrils or eyes, dab it several times with a small section of a moistened cotton wool to soften it before you wipe it out.
8. Dry your baby thoroughly with a clean cotton cloth.
9. Wrap your baby in a towel and pat him dry. If his skin is dry, or if he has a bit of diaper rash, you may want to apply a mild moisturizing lotion after his bath.

Most new parents have trouble bathing their infants, but honestly, who don’t. Putting maternity or paternity instinct aside, bathing for your infants requires only ONE thing; Experience.

The more you do it, the better you are, and the more enjoyable the whole session will be. So, after reading this article, please stop researching for others and just do it. You can read a thousand articles but none will be able to fully describe the experience you’ll get once you do it yourselves. Trust me. Just remember one thing, if a clumsy person like me can do it, I’m sure you can do it better

Recommended Products:

• Baby Powder
• Bathing Accessories
• Wet Wipes
• Squeeze Toys

When babies begin to get new teeth, the process caused great discomfort to the babies themselves. They will experience pain, itching and/or throbbing. During this time, the baby will intend to bite on anything they managed to grap, including their fingers, the parent’s finger, and even the mummy’s nipple!

At this time, a teether will provide the baby something to gnaw or rub against his gums to help relieve the unpleasant sensations. It also provides the entertainment needed by the baby to have something to hold in their hands and put in their mouths. Teether usually comes in many different shapes and sizes, and for most of them, they are usually brightly coloured in order to motivate the infant to try and grab it.

During the different stages of growth for the baby, they will go through a number of teethers based on their needs.

For the first stage, they require water-filled teether for their tender little gums. These teethers are filled with distilled water and can be chilled in the fridge to help cool and soothe the baby’s gum even before the teeth starts to break out and appear.

When the baby’s front tooth start to show, you can get those teether that are filled with pure ice gel. These teethers, also called Second stage teether, when chilled in the fridge, allows the teether to stay cooler for longer time than the first-stage water-filled teether.

For the third stage teethers, they have soft textured surfaces to stimulate and massage the gums around new teeth. The flat shape allows the baby to clamp down hard. These teethers are suitable for all forms of sterilization, dishwasher safe and usually is bumpy on one side and rigid on the other.

No matter which stage your baby is using their teether for, it is sometimes very difficult to know which is the correct one to buy for them. It is not uncommon for parents to buy different brand and different types of teether for their infant and let them choose their preferred ones. When comes to teether, babies are very choosy, and in the end of the day, their choice is the more important one.

For safety measures, please abide the following:-

• inspect the teether for breaks and stress before and after use
• throw away when worn, damagd or punctured
• rinse teether with warm water after use
• dry with clean cloth
• store in cool dry place when not in use
• cool teether only in domestic refridgerator
• NEVER place teether in freezer compartment!!

At shopbug, we have a wide selection of teether, please feel free to take a look.

Related Products:

• Our Wide Range of Teether