(Lets face it kids are full of honesty, they say it as they see it. This is a new column written from the ‘HONEST’ observations from our children. It touches on all aspects of the process of growing up and how we as parents can improve ourselves from a child’s point of view).
HEY I HAD THE REMOTE!!!!
So I’ve moved into some new digs..or well as Mummy calls it, The Playpen. Fancy name for a cage me thinks, but my prison cell is not too bad. They might try and incarcerate my body, but my mind will always roam free as a bird. Anyways as I was saying, despite the obvious lock up Mummy dearest has placed my play pen right in front of the T.V. Goodies, now can watch endless rounds of Baby T.V.
WHAT!!! hopes shattered, in walks Big Sister and changes the channel to Barbie’s on ice..HEEYYY I was just in the middle of watching that repetitive sequence on the pscycadelic bouncing bear. What kind of milk are the creators of that show drinking?. Anyways have to watch a tortuous session on stick thin people on ice laughing and being so perfect..yuk. There comes just Dad, he’ll change it back, nope fat chance another hour of some UFC cage fighting…what torture does a baby have to go through.
Mum dearest swoons in for a diaper check, gives my bottom a sniff…’Ohho, time for a change’ she sing songs. Hey not my fault, you’re the one who feeds me that fibrous red rice marlaky, I get gas with that stuff you know, I get scared with the noises I make. We come back all clean and freshly smelling of new diaper, right back in my cell, Mum change it back to baby T.V pleeeaasse. No chance, Mum’s watching Nigella cooking up a storm.
Hey how come I don’t get food like that, luscious chocolate tarts, scrumptious looking roasts. Instead, I get mush everything, mush rice, mush apple…mush mush mush. I might have to gather the other babes and go on a crawling rally. Hey I’m passionate about my food, dammit!.
Okay so Mum leaves to probably make me some mush, yuk, on the bright side get the T.V all to myself though. Shoot, spoke to soon here come Achacha. ‘Hello little one kuchi kuchi koo, how are you today?...she spends another good fifteen minutes making more noises, Hey Achacha I do speak English, but those noises are adorable, okay I have to laugh!!!. Midway through the kuchi kuchi koos, she changes the channel to some Tele Drama…woah where did she learn those tactics, distract and deflect..I was in the middle of a giggle, didn’t even have time to take a breath before I knew it I was watching ‘Sepalika’, she must have some SAS training.
Woah these Sinhala teledrama are so slow..but strangely addictive, the actors are moving so slow and the music preemptive every scene.TA NA DAAAA…hmmm extremely mesmerizing…half an hour gone, hundreds of commercial breaks and the actors have only spoken two words so far..I can’t take it anymore, I’m asleep, snoring like a baby.
Expert Advice – T.V for babies
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The effect of television on children, especially on babies, is an intensely controversial subject. A study in 2003 found that children 6 months to 6 years old spend an average of two hours a day dealing with "screen media" like televisions, computers and video games. The study also revealed a correlation between time spent watching television and difficulty reading. Many parents say that they use these videos like babysitters, turning on a "Baby Einstein" DVD for their children so that mom and dad can clean up the house, prepare dinner or take care of other chores.
But the problem, researchers say, is that these videos don't provide the benefits they claim, and they may even do harm. The problem lies not only in the videos' content -- little dialogue or interactivity and rapidly changing images -- but also with how babies' brains develop. A child's brain is very sensitive before age 2. It's still developing neural connections and growing in size. Because of this sensitivity, it's important for babies to have a lot of interactive stimulation to learn and develop. The researchers contend that the videos don't provide this stimulation.
Expert Advice – How often do I change a diaper?
Babies urinate approximately 20 times a day for the first several months of their lives. It would get incredibly expensive and exhausting if you tried to change your baby’s diaper every time. You do want to change him/her every 2 to 3 hours, but it is not necessary to wake a baby to change a wet diaper. However, the acid content of a bowel movement may irritate your child’s skin and should be changed as soon as possible once your baby is awake.
Expert Advice – Introducing solids
You can introduce solids any time between 4 and 6 months if your baby is ready. Until then, breast milk or formula provides all the calories and nourishment your baby needs and can handle.
Some forbidden foods are as follows:
Honey for example, could cause prompt infant botulism due to the immaturity of a baby's intestinal tract.
Whole milk should not be introduced as a replacement for breast milk or formula until after 12 months. This recommendation is due to the fact that whole cow milk cannot properly sustain a growing infant..
Citrus is very acidic and many infants under the age of 12 months old suffer rashes and tummy upsets due to the acidity.
Shell Fish and Peanuts, can prompt severe, life threatening allergic reactions.
You may not want to offer a 6 month old baby foods that can later cause gas, this can result in painful tummy aches.
By Mayuri Jayasinghe
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