Do Yourself a Favor

Whenever you find yourself overly stressed, think about giving yourself a gift - time just for you. If you’re a single parent, you can trade babysitting with another parent or trade a service, such as cooking a meal in return for a few hours to yourself.

Here are some ideas for investing in you:

• Take a long bubble bath, a walk, a swim, or a catnap. Watch a movie or read a book.
• Plan your future. Investigate classes you might take or jobs you might apply for, or plan other activities you would enjoy.
• Spend time with a friend.
• Talk to someone about the stress you feel and what you might do to reduce it.

Taking time for yourself will help you feel refreshed and ready to get back to parenting. There’s an added bonus for your baby. You will be better at solving problems and finding different ways to get things done. When you take care of yourself, you are helping everyone in your family.

Safety First for Your Busy Explorer

About 80 percent of accidental poisonings that involve children occur when they are between 10 and 30 months of age. The poisons swallowed are usually household items such as detergents, cosmetics, and vitamin pills. Check your house again to be sure it’s safe.

• Check cupboards and drawers that your baby can now reach. Take out all sharp objects, breakables, household products that might poison your baby, plastic bags, and nuts, popcorn, and other foods that might cause choking.

• Set the hot water temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Keep coffee, hot foods, and hot pots and pans out of reach.

• Don't use a dangling tablecloth that can be pulled onto the floor.

• Keep household products and medicines that might poison your baby in a locked cabinet.

• Be especially careful when guests stay overnight or when someone in your family is sick. Medicines are likely to be out of their usual safe place. Your baby may want to do what he sees someone else doing and eat or drink the medicine.

• Keep medicines away from household products and household products away from food. This way your baby will not make a mistake of taking a medicine thinking that it is food.

• Tie a knot in plastic bags. Throw plastic wrappings away before your baby can get to them. A child can smother or suffocate in just one minute inside an airtight plastic wrapping.

Thinking about Another Baby?

As your baby moves toward being a toddler, you may be thinking about having another baby. Here are some things to consider:

When a child is less than 2 years older than the new baby, she often feels jealous. Who could blame her? When a new baby arrives, suddenly your older child may get a lot less attention than she once did.

If you wait until your toddler is 2 to 3 years old before having your next baby, she will be more independent. She will handle the arrival of a new baby better, which will make it easier for you.

There are many safe ways to prevent pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or clinic staff and your spiritual adviser before deciding which to use. If you don’t know where to get advice, look in the back of the telephone book under Family Planning. Planning your family and spacing your children takes effort on your part. But, it can help you be a better parent and a happier family member.