Child care near me for infants: Best Infant Daycare & Child Care Near Me

According to the national vaccination calendar, the first vaccinations are done in the maternity hospital. On the first day of life – from hepatitis B, on the full second day – from tuberculosis. If parents do not want to be vaccinated, they must inform the doctor in advance and write a refusal to vaccinate.

As you can see, the baby in the maternity hospital will not be left without attention: next to him will be doctors, nurses, and a loving mother. If something is not clear to the mother, she can always turn to any specialist of the maternity hospital.

A woman has the right to refuse any manipulation performed on her child: tests, vaccinations, etc. But a mother must understand why and for what she does it, it’s not worth just refusing research

REMINDER

in the maternity hospital:

1. Spend as much time as possible with your baby, try to establish a joint daily routine.
2. Ask the Nurse to show you how to care for your baby (wash, change, change). Try to do it yourself.
3. Ask your midwife in the postnatal ward to show you how to properly latch on to your baby.
4. Ask your neonatologist what tests your child needs and what tests have already been done.
5. Be proactive – ask the doctor any questions about your child

Cat and child | Hills

How will your cat react to the arrival of a new tenant in the house, and what can you do to make your child and your cat get along? Veterinarian and behaviorist Francesca Riccomini offers some tips to help prepare your pet for the birth of a child.

For many owners, their cats are just as much a member of the family as everyone else, and as such they have the same rights to all the resources in the house. In the understanding of a cat, these resources also include human attention, which is required quite often, regardless of whether there is someone in the house. So can your cat and your child get along?

In the spotlight

It is not uncommon for a pet to be brought up and even pampered like one’s own child. Everything is fine if it suits the temperament of the cat and the whole family agrees with the state of affairs. But when a real child appears in the house, problems can arise.

The situation becomes more complicated if the cat is already an adult and has little or only negative experience with infants and small children, especially if it took place during such an important period of life for the cat as socialization (from 2 to 7 weeks of life). Many of us take a cat into the house after this period has successfully ended, or simply do not have the opportunity to introduce the kitten to small children in time. Although there is a chance to make up for this lack of communication in later life, it is best to think through and prepare everything before the birth of a child.

Different cats react differently

How your cat reacts to the arrival of a new family member is determined by heredity (breed, pedigree), individual character traits and communication experience. Sometimes – and this should be borne in mind – these factors do not contribute to the joint peaceful existence of a cat and small children. Some owners, after carefully considering all aspects of the problem, decide that they can no longer be responsible for this particular animal, and find a good home for him, more suitable for his needs.

Cat aggression towards children or urinating in the wrong places (due to the stress of having a baby in the house) can make the owner abandon the pet. Such a situation cannot always be foreseen, but you can try to prevent it by thinking everything over in advance.

Life in harmony

In order for your large family to live happily, you need to take into account the characteristics of the animal itself and the environment. Your pet needs to have its own bed, food and water bowls, toys, litter box, etc. All this should be located in the house so as not to disturb people, but also convenient for the animal itself. The tray should be in a secluded area away from bowls and “high traffic” areas such as the kitchen and hallway; it is better to place a scratching post near the front door or a place that your pet has already looked after as a “victim” for its claws. If possible, it is better to choose high-lying places or an area for feeding and rest that can be isolated from the rest of the house with the help of an arena. This way your cat will have a chance to hide from the onset of children. If the current location of your pet’s bed, litter box, and other items becomes impractical or uncomfortable when the baby enters the home, it’s best to make changes ahead of time. This is especially important for older cats, for whom all lifestyle changes should be made gradually.

Where to hide

Remember that cats’ preferred response to any alarming situation or potential threat is to hide – preferably in a high above ground, dark, secluded corner that offers a good view and can safely observe and assess the situation. Such a shelter for your pet can easily be made from cardboard boxes, laying them on their side, or build a dome for his bed and place it on top of cabinets or a sturdy shelf. Organize several of these retreats in different parts of the house, especially where you will spend time with your child, and try to train your cat to use them by putting her favorite blanket or treat inside.

No entry

Often the room that becomes the nursery has always been accessible to your cat. It is recommended to restrict access to this room to your pet in advance before the appearance of the child in the house. To reduce the negative reaction to changes in the environment and prevent the formation of “frustration of non-achievement”, spray the closed door and its jamb with Feliway spray. Keep in mind that indoor cats are more sensitive to any changes in their environment, territory restrictions or lifestyle changes than their counterparts with free access to the street.

Changes in the environment

Cats’ sense of smell is very sensitive, and smells are an important means of communication for pets. Thus, any change in the composition of odors in the territory where the cat lives can seriously affect it and cause it real stress. This fact is often overlooked, but this may explain why the cat marks things in the house intended for the child and appearing before his arrival – she tries to establish her position in the house by marking these items with her scent. Children’s things (pram, crib, high chair) can be treated with preparations containing pheromones. It would be a good idea to collect baby care items from family and friends so that your cat can become familiar with the range of often quite pungent odors she will have to deal with later.

For us, this situation is not a problem, because our sense of smell is too poorly developed, but for a cat this is a real intrusion into her life. Bringing new things into the house gradually will not only help prevent your cat from developing aversion to them and accustoming her to having them in the house, but it will also give your cat an opportunity to form positive associations with them, such as with a treat or favorite game as a reward when the next new thing appears in the house.

Praise, games, food

It is important to remember that in no case should you cultivate a feeling of anxiety or fear in an animal – this will only aggravate the problem. Through praise, petting, play and treats, you can train your cat to feel comfortable and confident in the face of any challenge. Hearing in cats, as well as the sense of smell, is much better developed than ours. Therefore, it makes sense to play (quietly at first) recordings of sounds made by the baby – crying, hooting, screeching, etc. If your cat behaves the way you would like, reward her and gradually increase the volume of the sound as your pet gets used to it.

First experience of communication

Of course, it would be good for your pet if there were small children in your house, but their communication with the animal must be controlled. Such communication can be frightening for a cat, especially if children begin to compete for the right to play with her. Always supervise your pet’s interactions with other people and ensure that it is handled gently and gently. Children should never be allowed to pick up a cat that they will not be able to hold firmly. They need to be taught how to hold the animal correctly, distributing the entire body weight on their hands and supporting with one hand from below, so that the animal does not hang on its front legs. Also keep in mind that some conscientious children, when instructed not to drop the kitten, inadvertently squeeze the animal too tightly, so that they harm the animal no less than rude and inattentive children. It is best to maintain distance communication by using toys such as fishing rods, balls or sunbeams, pointing them at the wall; while it is better to sit quietly next to the cat and gently pat or scratch it, if this does not seem too annoying to your pet. Again, positive social experiences reinforced with praise or treats help form positive associations with the presence of small children in the home. Never allow anyone, including children, to encourage your pet to play with fingers, toes, or other body parts. Subsequently, this can lead to injury, albeit unintentional, and sometimes to the formation of aggressive behavior in the animal.

Gradual change

If you and your pet were previously very close, it may be harder to find the time to give your pet the same attention when you have a baby. Therefore, it would be more humane to reduce the emotional saturation of your relationship a little in advance. Consider a new daily routine and set aside time for communication with your pet, which you are guaranteed to be able to devote to him in the future. Any changes should occur gradually so that their negative impact on the animal is minimal. If your cat is used to having unlimited attention from you at any time, start taking breaks in communication, at first short ones, well in advance of the baby’s arrival in the house. You can gradually increase the duration of the periods for which communication is stopped, at a pace that your pet can accept. Set aside time for play or grooming that suits your new daily routine and your cat’s needs, but if she looks agitated or stressed, don’t try to compensate with extra attention – this will only make her more upset, she may even lash out at you.

Behavioral Problems

If your cat has behavioral issues that you were previously blind to, now is the time to address them, as they are likely to be exacerbated by the upheaval that will occur when you enter the house small child. When the baby arrives, try to set aside time for your cat that you can spend exclusively with her, and follow her usual daily routine. Predictability is very important when dealing with cats. If you’re just too busy to make enough time for both your baby and your cat at the same time, invite friends or family members that your pet knows and ask them to play with your pet or do some grooming. If your pet tries to hide from your baby, never stop him. The desire to escape is a natural reaction of a cat to any phenomenon unfamiliar to her. If you try to hold it, it will only cause stress and fear, which can later develop into aggression if the animal feels that it is trapped and has lost control of the situation.

The arrival of a child in the home

The moment you bring your child into the home is especially important. If you’ve taken all the steps discussed above, hopefully your cat won’t mind the new housemate. However, installing Feliway sprayers in different parts of the house, especially those where a child often visits, will be useful in such a situation. You can also help your pet by offering a delicious treat that you wouldn’t normally give. Some cats are more concerned not with babies, but with those that have grown a little and become extremely mobile. A child moving around the house may suddenly collide with a cat, and his squealing or screaming may frighten her. During such a period, it is especially important that the cat has several places where she can hide and recuperate. Finally, children should never, even unintentionally, be brought into the house to play with your pet. From the very beginning, they must learn to respect the cat, handle it carefully and gently, because it is such a happiness to grow up with an obedient pet.

Fear, love deprivation and withdrawal as forms of violence: how they affect children

Ekaterina Ushakhina

Isolation, scary stories, ban on sweets, emotional avoidance, control – many parents do not find these “modern” parenting methods problematic. Compared to physical punishments and shouting, they seem almost mild. But, using them, we are still in the red zone of measures that are not useful for the development of children for various reasons.

The author of the book “Free and Beloved”, psychologist, teacher and mother of three children Suzanne Mirau shows why fear should not be used as an educational tool.

Free and loved

Fear as an educational tool

Many of us must have said at some time: “If you don’t go hand in hand with me, you will be run over by a car” or “If you misbehave, Santa Claus will leave you without gifts!” It is on younger children that many parents influence with the help of fear: they intimidate them in order to achieve the desired behavior.

At first glance, this method seems reasonable and practical, because it deals with real dangers like a hot stove or traffic. But let’s take a closer look at the implications. The appeal to fear works on babies, because in the attachment system, children cannot do without protection and care.

However, by making them afraid, we are signaling to them that we will not or cannot protect them.

Retrieved from

I don’t want to brush my teeth!

It is young children who often have trouble brushing their teeth. The child closes his mouth, shakes his head – demonstrates that he “just” does not want to. Many parents act in such a situation against the will of the child, using physical violence. Sometimes even dentists insist on this. Those who do not want to act by force resort to fear: “If you don’t brush your teeth, you will have caries, and it hurts. The doctor will have to give you an injection and drill in your mouth with a drill.”

Many babies are not affected by such stories: they are too abstract for them. But the child may be afraid. And then you can’t force him to go to the doctor.

Many parents think that stories like this demonstrate “cause and effect.” In fact, this is a game of fear in which adults move away from their direct parental responsibilities.

Of course, it is difficult to do something if the child resists. But we, as parents, are responsible for finding a non-violent way to do this, protecting children and meeting their needs. That is what parenthood is, and everything else is coercion.

So we have to be creative and think: maybe we picked the wrong time? Perhaps the child is tired? What if a song, a video, a glove puppet, a game, or a tablet to indicate plaque come in handy?

Our Responsibility

We must not relieve ourselves of authority and responsibility. We cannot rely on fear and hope that it will do our work for us. The child will meet us sincerely and with soul, if the basic conditions correspond to the child’s thinking and his own capabilities. And in the typical “scary place” in the middle of the street, we can also find arguments based on security and affection.

For example: “If you take my hand, I can watch the road even more carefully and protect you from danger.”

The wording “if you don’t behave well, then…” by itself is not very clear to kids. Instead, we can name values ​​that are important right now: “When you bite a brother, it hurts him. We in our family do not hurt each other. If you’re angry, you can do this or that – that’s okay.”

Source

By shifting the function of punishment to some frightening fictitious person, we, as individuals with our values, disappear behind the method. The same thing happens with scary tales and stories. “A black man will come and take you away if you don’t obey” or “The devils will drag you away!” – we threaten and at the same time, perhaps, to some extent unconsciously broadcast racist thoughts to children.

Distance

Fear-based parenting has a strong effect on young children, resulting in increased anxiety and problems later in life.

Parents also refuse to perform protective functions in those cases when, positioning themselves as some kind of authority, they say about themselves in the third person: “And now you have to go with mommy!” or “Dad doesn’t want you to pull his hair!” By doing this, we seem to abstract ourselves from ourselves as a person and confront the child with the “mother” or “father” instance.

We would not communicate with any other person in this way. On a very narrow road, we will never say to someone, “Could you move a little away from the woman? There is too little room for her!” – or at the checkout in a supermarket: “Sorry, but you climbed in front of a man without a queue!”

Source

When referring to a child, we use this wording only to justify our position of power and make it clear that he should follow his mother or father. But children don’t automatically follow anyone, simply on the basis that this someone is authoritative, from our adult point of view.

They follow some wish, some instruction, they are guided by an attitude. This relationship arises between parents and a child on the basis of trust, and not because we assert our power over him.

Deprivation of love

We resort to fear in education also in the case when we deliberately turn away from the child and threaten with deprivation of love: “Leave me alone!”, “I also don’t want to play with a child who beats others!” .

For children, deprivation of love is a terrible, painful experience. They conclude that they are loved only if they exhibit certain behaviors.

This affects self-esteem, and later on how they will build relationships. In addition, at the same time, they unlearn to really perceive and understand themselves and their needs. The problem is familiar to many adults who are not aware of their needs and often cannot understand in time that their personal boundaries have been violated.

Source

Moreover, the deprivation of love leads to a deterioration in psychological health: the risk of depression increases. Children who have been brought up with no love also suffer from moral development, because the most important thing for them is strict adherence to the learned rules.

Educator Alfie Cohn concludes: “If we have set ourselves the important goal of helping our children grow up to be empathetic and mentally healthy people, then we must realize how difficult it is to do this, relying on … deprivation of love.”

Time-out

Willfully ignoring and withholding love are forms of covert violence. Deprivation of love is expressed not only in a conscious refusal to communicate with the child, but also in such a widespread method as “time out”.

The “time-out” method appeals to the formation of conditioned reflexes: in case of undesirable behavior, the child is punished with isolation in a separate room. For the first time, this practice was introduced into the American educational program Triple P and then spread. With unwanted behavior, children are alienated, weaned from empathy, security and connections, their freedom is stolen from them, and often they are also threatened: “Just try to get out – and then …”.

Here various aspects of punishment and violence come together, which tell the child that he must obey and is not worthy of love.

There is an alternative to deprivation of love: first, you should analyze the situation in which the child is. Do we have realistic ideas about children’s behavior? What other options does the child currently have? What is the basis of his actions? How can I act without violating boundaries?

It will be good if we explain that we need a short pause in order to calm down. It’s also good to identify your own feelings: “That hurt me a lot!”

In this situation, as in many others, it is about our goal setting. Are we saying something offensive or are we moving away from the child in order to offend him and thus educate him? Or because we really need a moment of peace? Or do we communicate our feelings to describe the situation?

Withdrawal from communication

There is also such a form of deprivation of love as withdrawal from communication — not intentional punishment, but as an unconscious reaction, which is often associated with our negative childhood experience. We subconsciously avoid the child and his needs. It’s a burden for us to play with a child, and we make excuses with various household chores: “I can’t play with you now, I still have laundry”, “It’s really not right now, I definitely need more …”, “Listen, do better than – either by himself in his room.

Of course, we, as parents, should not constantly entertain children with games, leaf through books with them, watch children’s programs and gamble in computer games on smartphones.

But it is definitely necessary to pay attention to children: then they feel that they are noticed and appreciated, and we get to know them better. If in our childhood we realized that no one delved into our affairs, if we could not enter into a sincere, respectful dialogue and played little with our parents, it is often difficult for us to do otherwise. It is difficult for us to agree to a joint game with a child in which he decides everything on an equal footing, it is difficult to open up to his fantasies and generally endure such a situation.

Source

Sometimes we deliberately look for other things to do, just to get out of this situation. It is in everyday life, which does not involve our active communication with peers, that we are often tempted to get rid of children – for example, we stumble into a smartphone. And the child feels that he is rejected, that his attempts at social interaction go unanswered – while the parents are physically there, they are emotionally involved in something else.

This is painful and unfavorable for the development of self-esteem. If we notice that we avoid close communication with the child again and again and look for an excuse to avoid interaction with him, it is worth addressing this problem.

It’s not your fault that you feel this way. But you can’t carry this load any further. It will be more interesting and pleasant for us and children to communicate with each other if we act consciously. We can play games that everyone likes or do household chores together.