Christian-Parent.com

by Rachel Paxton

So your baby was exposed to chicken pox? Unfortunately all you can do is wait it out and see what happens. Children get vaccinated for the chicken pox when they are 12 months old, so babies 12 months and under are very vulnerable to getting the chicken pox.

You may or may not know that shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. If you come into contact with an adult who has shingles, your baby is at risk for getting chicken pox.

To be exposed to chicken pox, your baby had to have come into contact with an actual sore or lesion of someone who has the chicken pox or shingles. This may be hard to determine, but it is passed by physical contact.

If you think your baby has been exposed to the chicken pox or shingles, call your pediatrician’s office and see what they recommend. I was told that it takes 14-21 days for the virus to show symptoms, so that is how long you have to wait to see if your baby has the chicken pox. After that time if your baby gets a fever and small red bumps, then he or she probably has the chicken pox. The nurse told me that the fever comes first, and then the bumps. Your child is contagious as soon as he or she contracts a fever. This is when they should not be exposed to other children until the virus runs its course.

Just because your baby has been exposed does not mean he or she will get the virus. Just keep a close eye on your baby for the next couple of weeks. Make sure your baby gets the chicken pox immunization when he or she is 12 months old. If you have nursed your baby, your baby is less likely to contract chicken pox because when you nurse your baby, he or she receives your immunities (if you have already had the chicken pox). If your baby does get the chicken pox, don’t fret. Hopefully it will be a light case and pass quickly!

by Denise M Sanger

Getting toddlers to play outside is important to encourage physical fitness and help develop new skills. Plus staying active will help your toddler to burn off excess energy, stay in shape and sleep better at night. When it comes to age appropriate outside activities for toddlers some of the best games to play are the classic childhood games, these games don’t require much equipment and can be updated easily to meet the needs of your kids.

Hide-and-go-seek is one of the most well known children’s games and is played all around the world. In a game of tag, one player is “it” and the other players must hide. At the start of the game the player who is “it” must count, before finding the other players. This allows parents to assist a child with learning how to count, the child could also be told to recite the alphabet before finding the other players.

The game can be made more fun for children by using balls, or playing under different rules. For example, toddlers will get a kick out of playing a game of freeze tag. In freeze tag, once a player is touched by “it” they become frozen and most remain in place until unfrozen by another player. Toddlers will benefit from the social aspect of the game, using teamwork and there creativity in order to untag frozen teammates and avoid getting frozen themselves.

Classic children’s games such as hopscotch are great ways of teaching a toddler to follow directions. In a game of hopscotch, toddlers can jump though numbered squares using there feet. Hopscotch is also a great way of developing gross motor skills, those related to the large muscle groups in the body and will also help a toddler develop there balance and coordination. Parents can draw out eight or more squares and number them in order, also helping there children to learn how to count while they play.

During the summer months, some of the most popular outside games for toddlers are water activities. Inflatable swimming pools are great for families with limited space or just prefer the convenience of having a smaller pool that toddlers are less likely to get injured in. Simple toys can be added into the pool to get hours of structured play and help a toddler develop there imagination, and ability to pretend.

A water slide is great fun for children and a water bouncer is a great toy for playing games of catch in the pool. Diving rings can be used for playing ring toss games or help a child develop there strength and confidence in the water while teaching swimming. Pool dive toys that look like dolphins, sharks, fish and other water creatures mimic real creatures and are fun to watch while teaching children about how these creatures look and move in the water.

There is no limit in the type of outdoor activities available for young children to play. Sandboxes allow children to learn to build and create. Popular sports such as basketball and baseball help children to challenge themselves and learn new skills.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

Denise Sanger is the owner of NewCoolToysOnline.com which features a great selection of ride-on toys and outdoor toys for kids of all ages. The company may be reached at 877/950-7665.