Parenting 101: 8 March

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. This week she talks about nannies and falling pregnant, among other things.

* For party fare for one-year-olds, set up an eye-level table with dry cereal like Oatees or coco pops, some tiny sandwiches, squares of cheese, tiny sausages plus a bowl of fruit with watermelon pieces, strawberry, mango and small bunches of grapes that will be squished and squashed and eaten with relish.

* Whether a lovely nanny, au pair or grandparents look after your child whilst you work, this is the caregiver tip for the month: Reward your nanny financially as well as emotionally. A content nanny means happy well-cared for children.

* You may find that when you take your child away from something he’s absorbed in, he resists. This is normal and is what children up to the age of 3 or so do! So if at the dinner time your 15 month old is busy fitting blocks together, carry him to the table still holding his blocks, and take them away when the spoon’s in his hand.

* If you’re struggling to fall pregnant, sex and sunshine is a good start! Fertility expert Zita West recommends sex three times a week during fertile periods and 20 minutes of sun a day without sunscreen protection.

* Babies are born with naturally low levels of vitamin K and are given an injection once born. This is to prevent haemorrhage in the newborn. As one of your birth wishes, consider asking your gynae to clamp the cord once it stops pulsating as you are then ensuring that platelets and other clotting factors are transferred to your baby.

* The best way to get children to do what you want is to spend time with them before discipline-type problems occur; have fun together and enjoy mutual laughter. Children are often not as tempted to challenge and test limits if you’ve built a friendship with them.

* Catch Jenni on-air every day just after 10am with her tip of the day.

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 private nurse practitioner.

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.