According to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, play is considered a basic right for every child. Studies show that children who are exposed to outdoor play have enhanced motor skills, coordination and capacity to focus. It has been scientifically proven that early physical or sensory experiences are vital for proper brain development. By…

By now your baby has adapted to the outside world, and has started exploring with his eyes. There are a number of changes you will note in him. Here are some of them: Reflexes You will realise he looks at everything with curiosity. If a mirror is propped before him, he will not make out…

AFTER giving birth to your baby boy, one of the earliest and important decisions you will have to make regarding your baby boy is whether he should be circumcised or not. Circumcision involves the surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis. For some parents, circumcision is a religious ritual, for others…

Do’s and don’ts  Physician and philosopher Hippocrates of Cos said teething infants, especially the first tooth, experience symptoms like fever, diarrhoea and itching of gums. All the way through the end of the 19th Century, teething was considered the number one cause of death of infants. This was treated through leeches, mercury-based powders and pricking of the gum. Apparently, the deaths…

I had just answered my son, Derrick, that the reason we have two taps in the kitchen and in the wash room was that one was for cold water and the other one for hot. Now breastfeeding his younger brother, he asks, ‘Mum is one for cold milk and the other for hot?’ Terry my…

As busy as life has become, children have not been left behind in the rat race. Nowadays, it is no secret to find children awake as early as 4 a.m, to begin their day that usually ends around 6 p.m due to traffic jams. One wonders where this generation is heading to if children will not be left to just…

You are probably wondering where the time went. It seems just like yesterday when you brought your baby back from hospital. Baby slept, fed and slept again, depending on you 100 per cent. A year down the road and baby is a human being, certainly not independent, but can do quite a few things or…

The disease is named for the characteristic sound of a whoop produced when affected individuals attempt to inhale; the whoop originates from the inflammation and swelling of the airways. Once the airways swell up, they become narrower than usual. As a result, the breathing becomes difficult, which causes the ‘whoop’ sound as you gasp for-breath after…

One great way to enrich a cake is to add over-ripe bananas to it. It adds zest to your cake, not to mention nutrients for the kids. Bananas are a good source of potassium, fibre and help maintain sugar levels in the body. A banana cake makes a good accompaniment for breakfast or afternoon snack. One can also use ripe bananas to bake a…