Newborns: topics to cover

A friend of mine sent me an email with "a few" ideas. Check out her list! She's amazing! I think this class will take more than 3 hours, what about you? Thank you Michelle for all the wonderful ideas! And for fleshing them out so beautifully! At first I thought that coming up with enough topics to discuss to fill a few hours would be the challenge, but now I'm realizing that narrowing the topics down is where the true challenge lies.

Here are just a few topics I thought of: 

- diapers - cloth vs. disposable, 101 basics, different cloth brands (which one is right for my child/), how to use cloth diapers, how many do you need, how do you wash them (kushi's liners that you can flush are helpful), traveling and out of the house (do you use cloth diapers? what do you do with them etc?)

- sleep - how much sleep should your child be getting, how many naps, how long, sleep cycles, sleep routines, good sleep habits, scheduling your child so they sleep better etc. When do they sleep through the night? sleep training, self soothing (or pacifier or thumb etc).

- breast feeding - 101 basics, what happens when it's not working?, different holds, latching, pumping (why? how? when?), how do you store the milk?, how long can you store the milk, what should they be drinking (how many oz etc), diseases (thrush, mastitis, etc), diet as a nursing mom.

- solid foods - transitioning from the bottle, when to stop breastfeeding, how to introduce foods, allergies, which foods to avoid the 1st year, good snack foods, making your own baby food. 

- products - high chair, cups, plates, bottles, snack containers, diaper bags, toys, bouncers, baby carrier, pacifiers, white noise maker, strollers, car seats, and other great products you can't live without. 

- baby blues - depression, anxiety, stress, difficult days, where to find help, building a support network, what signs to look for, etc., when do you get time for yourself?, exercises. 

- crying - what to do when your infant/baby cries, recognizing if they are too tired or hungry or need to be changed, gas relief (burping, gripe water etc), rocking, swinging, soothing with a pacifier or thumb etc. 

- pediatrician - milestone appointments, when to call the doctor, when to be worried (temperature of X), medications for problems such as reflux, shots/vaccinations, growth charts (what are they all about)

- routines - bedtime, nap time, leaving the house, meals, nursing/feeding/bottles, daily routines

- baby sign language - when to start, what signs to use, basic signs, why do signs etc. 

- activity - what should my baby be doing when?, rolling, crawling, stimulation, walking, etc. engaging & teaching them

- baby proofing - when should I start, what can my child get into, what items are the most dangerous etc. 

- traveling - what to bring in the car, what to pack for a flight, what to keep with you as you travel around town etc. Go to travel items

- strollers - which one is right for you, how do you know which one, best stroller for specific uses (traveling, running, normal every day use) etc.

- life change - what having a kid does to you (mentally & physically), what it does to your spouse, what it does to your marriage, what it does to your spiritual walk, what it does to your social group/life, what it does to your other kids, what it does to your interactions with your extended family (dealing and interacting with in laws etc). 

Toddler Questions/Topics

- discipline & power struggle - tentra tantrums, when to fight battles, what to do when they scream no, your attitude, what do you do in public? private? etc. 

- eating - switching from a high chair to a booster seat, table manners, staying at the table, diet, what they should be eating, etc. 

- sleeping - moving from a crib to a big bed and the freedom that comes with it (staying in bed, set bed times etc).

- potty training - when to start, how to start, what to do, cloth pull-ups, motivation - food, underwear, etc, staying positive, what to do when it's not working.