THE INSIDERS’ GUIDE FOR MODERN PARENTS
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issue no. 69
01.14.09
5 TIPS TO KEEP BABY SAFE
HELP US BUILD OUR COMMUNITY
For more information or to sign up for CitiScoop go to: www.citibabes.com
BY BABY BODYGUARDS 1: Remove all tablecloths from your tables. I love the look of an elegantly set table but I also know that toddlers love to pull tablecloths, causing dishes, glass, and hot food and beverages to come tumbling down on them. Instead, use a table runner and some matching place mats. 2: Remove heavy books or items placed high in a bookcase. Make sure that the heaviest items on the shelves are on the bottom of the bookcase. In addition, bookcases should be anchored to a wall, so that if your child tries to climb it, it won’t fall down. 3: Remove the baby monitor from your crib or crib’s edge. In the same way that you would never put an electrical cord or string into the crib for a child to play with, don’t give them access to this cord just because it goes to the baby monitor. Almost all of them work well from the other side of the room. I don’t advocate putting them that far away but certainly on a table near the crib where the cord is out of baby’s reach. 4: Cover the corners of your coffee table. It’s not the prettiest look, but getting some corner bumpers to put on your table is the way to go. 5: Stop assuming family, friends and babysitters know where you live. Most parents have a list somewhere visible with all of their pertinent info; however, often missing from this list is the address of the actual home itself and its cross streets. For more tips and information about child safety visit Babybodyguards.com.
THE BENEFITS OF SIGN LANGUAGE
BY LORA HELLER, FOUNDER, BABY FINGERS The first three years are the most critical years for a child’s language development. Sign language is a great tool to use to encourage communication among children of varying ages, abilities and interests. Signing not only offers a method of communication to nonverbal children, but it also facilitates the onset and development of spoken language for pre-linguistic children. As children naturally gesture in self- expression, there is a growing consensus that a sign language such as American Sign Language (ASL) should be presented as the first language in infancy and childhood. In a Baby Fingers class, sign language is coupled with music, a natural language enhancer, and the benefits of both skyrocket! What can families do at home to reinforce language development? Talk and sing to your baby as you are out taking a walk or inside making dinner. Carry your baby in the front carrier or sling so you can sing and dance together heart to heart--literally. Quietly listen to and feel each other’s breathing and heartbeats, two of the most significant aspects of both life and music. Respond to your baby’s cooing and babbling, reinforcing the first stages of language. Make eye contact. Listen to music together. Make Sesame Street a family event; count and sing along. Dance together; demonstrate and watch how our body rhythms can change along with musical changes. Sing out loud. Sign language can also assist in reading skill development. Baby Fingers board books are now available in the boutique at Citibabes. Baby Fingers sign and song classes begin January 27th & 28th. Contact Citibabes for schedule and registration.
477 broadway, 3rd fl
ny, ny 10013
t: 212.334.5440
f: 212.334.5441
www.citibabes.com