Dealing with toddler tantrums
Our resident baby expert, Jenni Johnson, gets to grips with what is a challenge to every parent : tantrums!
It’s important to distinguish between ‘I want my own way’ tantrums (which are best ignored) and more general meltdowns where everything spirals out of control. With a meltdown like this there is usually an underlying problem like hunger, thirst, tiredness, boredom or anxiety. Stop whatever you are doing, scoop your child up and find a quiet place. The trick is to address the problem without rewarding the behaviour. Download a routine on discipline and stimulation for the 15mth-2yr old on jennisays.com
If you are exclusively breastfeeding there is no need to give your baby water to drink as your breast milk provides adequate hydration. Breastfed babies that are gaining weight correctly do not need to pass a daily stool and 10 days could go by without one. Bottle fed babies must pass a stool daily. Newborn babies need to sleep between each feed time but they don’t just eat and sleep there is some awake time too. Need newborn help go to jennisays.com
Research has shown that the following unrelated bits of development prompts language in babies: feeding correctly, rolling, an upright posture, breathing rhythmically, relaxed calf muscles, the separation of the thumb from the other 4 fingers and hearing language all prompt speech. All of these will happen naturally but if your baby isn’t feeding properly, rolling or sitting at the correct developmental age then ask your Dr or clinic sister or phone my clinic and I’ll help you. I’ll put the phone no on jennisays.com.
Grandparents - some more ideas of things to do with your grandchildren. Stare at clouds. Make up stories about what you see. Borrow mysteries from the library, and take turns reading chapters out loud. Take a walk around your neighbourhood, pick up interesting stones and leaves as you go. Then make an art piece together when you get home .
Not every cold needs to be taken to the doctor and a common cold will pass within a week or so. Medication relieves symptoms like a runny nose or a cough or a sore ear. Because it’s a virus it is not treated with an anti-biotic. If your child suddenly gets high temperatures or the cough worsens or the mucous changes to green then you should see a doctor. Not sure whether you need a doctor? Go to jennisays.com for advice.
Going into labour happens in 2 ways. It either starts with contractions or your membranes rupture (which means your) waters break. Not all contractions mean you are in labour. True contractions may be irregular at first but do become regular. Contractions become stronger over time. Walking makes them stronger. Lying down does not make them go away. Contractions generally start in the back and radiate to the front. When contractions are lasting a minute and coming 5 minutes apart it is time to go to hospital or to call your midwife. Go to jennisays.com for ante-natal dates.
Mirror games help baby develop self- awareness. At 2.5months put a mirror against the wall on your changing table and when you change babies nappy put him onto his tummy and encourage him to look into the mirror. At 4 months stand in front of one with your baby in your arms, put your hand on the mirror then put babys had onto it. Make faces at the mirror and say ‘see the happy face, see the smiley face, see the sad face’. Dance with baby in front of a wall mirror. I teach stimulation tips when baby is 3 months old.
Don’t make a fuss of bad manners but reward the good. Good manners to teach to children are – saying please and thank you, saying hello and goodbye (shy children shouldn’t be forced to converse) being kind and courteous to people and animals, not teasing, teaching good sporting behaviour like being a good loser, no screaming in public places, not interrupting you whilst you’re talking and table manners which would include taking their plate through to the sink.
If you need to wean baby from breast to bottle I advise you to do it slowly so you won’t need to take ‘drying up’ tablets which can cause a lot of discomfort. Rather introduce a bottle every few days and express to relieve engorgement only. It will take about 2 weeks to wean completely. Milk may remain in your breasts for quite a while once you’ve weaned but will slowly disappear. If you have any baby questions please email me on jennisays.com
A baby likes to put on between 700g – 960g in the first month of birth. When your baby reaches 2 weeks he/she suddenly realizes that it must eat an awful lot to reach that goal, and this is when a growth spurt happens. Baby will become more wakeful, will seem hungry all the time, sometimes feeding hourly…..yes hourly! Baby becomes more windy – the composition of your milk changes and baby has to digest it, this causes lots of very loud grunting. If you are struggling with a very hungry baby or need any help at all download any age appropriate advice from jennisays.com.
* Catch Jenni on-air every day just after 10am with her tip of the day.
Jenni Johnson, our resident ‘Baby Whisperer’, has been a practicing child-care practitioner for 15 years, and owns a busy ante and post natal clinic in Durban.
At Jenni’s ante and post natal clinic in Durban, parents are taught a system that gives them structure and routine to the baby and childhood years. Jenni has a nursing background. She’s a registered nurse, midwife, psychiatric nurse and a practicing child-care practitioner for the past 15 years. Jenni’s online clinic, can be accessed online via www.jennisays.com. For appointments, e-mail [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter via @JenniSays or on Facebook by 'liking' The Berea Baby Clinic.