For starters, you are going to want to make it a ritual each night to attend to your baby’s gums. Dampen a washcloth and, very gently, massage those gums. This will keep them clean and destroy the build-up of bacteria when the teeth finally do break through. If your child already has a tooth then, again, very gently take a toothbrush that has been dampened and brush that tooth. Don’t use toothpaste since the temptation to swallow could be too great.

And if your child is older and has their baby teeth, you are still going to want to make sure you take care of those. A lot of parents like to neglect these since the child will lose them anyway but premature loss of teeth is the quickest way to creating crooked teeth. Aside from some gentle brushing, one of the best ways to take care of those baby teeth is to avoid giving your baby the bottle in the crib. Liquids tend to pool in the mouth creating bacteria.

If you follow these simple steps, you will make a big difference in your baby’s life.

Also, by this time a toddler is learning how to make their wants, needs and yes, opinions too, known more clearly and this has opened up a whole new world for them. Since they are learning to communicate in a broader range, frustration also mounts more frequently when they cannot make themselves understood just as they want, leading to more frequent tantrums and crying.

But the terrible twos can also be a great time for sharing with your child and this stage isn’t always as bad as it has been made out to be. With your toddler’s growing awareness comes the opportunity to show them and teach them new things about their world; having them begin to choose a favorite food at the supermarket, learning more complex games, beginning to look at picture books and watching educational programs on TV all come into play during this trying, exciting new stage.

Nature has made breast milk the perfect food for a new baby. A mother’s milk has the perfect balance of nutrients as well as properties that enhance a baby’s immune system . Breast milk is available at any time and it is free! Breastfeeding is also an excellent way for a mother to bond with her baby. A downside to breastfeeding is the fact that only the mother can feed the baby, but a breast pump can be purchased and the milk can be expressed into a bottle. Breastfeeding can also be uncomfortable for the first few weeks. Formula provides a baby with the nutrition that it needs but it can be hard to digest. Formula is also expensive- it can cost between $60 to $200 per month depending on the brand.