While some babies enjoy taking baths, others are apprehensive or even afraid. Both of our kids were afraid of the tub, but have come to enjoy bath time and even get excited at the prospect of taking a bath. (We’re enjoying it while it lasts, knowing that eventually they will probably turn around and start hating baths again soon enough.) Here’s what we do to make bath time more fun for our babies.

Play Music – Fun, upbeat music sets the mood for fun. Try a bath related CD or any other cheery music to help kids get ready for a good time.

Blow bubbles -  For babies of all ages, seeing bubbles is a joy. Blow bubbles, being careful not to get them in baby’s face, and watch baby laugh and smile. Caution: the popped bubbles can make bathroom floors slippery – be careful and make sure to dry the floor or put down a rug.

Make a bath time book – While you are bathing baby, have someone take pictures of the process, such as putting him or her in the tub, face and hair washing, and drying off. Have the photos printed and write a story to go along with them, then put it all together and read the book with your baby during the week to prepare for bath time.

Give baby age-appropriate toys – For young babies, a wash cloth or a rattle can be enough to stimulate his or her senses and entertain him. For older babies, try a set of stacking cups or bowls, or utensils such as a whisk, wooden spoon, and colander to play with in the water.

Make sure you’re comfortable, too. Consider washing your baby in the kitchen sink – not only will it save your back, but baby might be more comfortable in a smaller space. Place a towel on the bottom to prevent slippage. Some parents opt to bathe their babies while holding them in the tub; if you choose this route, be sure to practice safety measures and have someone nearby to safely hand you the baby and help when needed. Bath time need not be boring; try these tricks to make taking a bath more fun for baby – and you.

Ask me to recite just about any Dr. Seuss book (or Fancy Nancy, or Eric Carle) and I’ll probably be able to do it from memory. Do you want to know the lyrics to a Veggie Tales song? How about the Imagination Movers? It’s all stored in my head, and I don’t think it’s ever going to get purged.

Once my kids find something they like, whether it’s a certain book, song or movie, they never seem to grow tired of it. I know this is fairly common among babies and children, and I also know that it helps the kids learn. I get it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I’ve been reading the same Diego book every night for the past couple of weeks. The suspense as to whether Diego will indeed save the baby sea turtles has long since been lost on me, but every time we read it my kids sit in hushed anticipation to find out what happens next. I’ve also had They Might Be Giants: 123 in my car’s CD player for a straight week now, and any time I change it I get a stern tongue-lashing from my kids in the back seat who want their music back.

I keep reading Diego and keep listening to They Might Be Giants in the car because I know that the kids love them. I also know that it won’t be long before they get passionate about a different book or CD, and although we’ll undoubtedly read the book over and over and listen to the CD over and over, it will also pass someday soon.

Besides, every so often I do manage to talk them into trying something different and they actually take to it. They were initially iffy about the Olivia books but now they love them, and I saw some scowls when I first slipped a swing CD into the stereo at home but now they dance like crazy when I turn the music on while I cook.

Repetition is a necessary evil, I’m afraid, but it could be a lot worse. At least my kids pick music I enjoy and books that are clever. I don’t know what I would do if their music of choice was something horrible and I was stuck in the car along with two kids who like singing along with vigor.

We parents often marvel at how much personality our babies have, and that such small people can have such strong opinions on various matters.

Music is a divisive issue in my house. I love music and so does my toddler son, and our daycare baby.

I’m psyched about Daycare Baby’s musical taste. Daycare Baby is either being very polite or has strikingly similar musical taste to me. She likes the all the indie rock, punk, and electronic music that I do. Anything with beats and bass is good for Daycare Baby. We were dancing to the Ramones, Radiohead and Jay-Z, a bit of Bhangra then a little progressive house this morning.  I don’t think she’s being polite, as we all know when babies don’t just have opinions, they have opinions and we know exactly when something is not to her liking!

My toddler has much different taste which has no overlap with ours. He thinks that we have no taste and would much rather listen to Hannah Montana, the Barney theme tune, Nellie the Elephant, and kid’s music in general. He loves to sing songs, and make up his own words to them (Baa baa black frog, Have you any socks?) but dislikes anything aimed at the over 12s.

So what do we listen to?

I found a great radio station that caters to all of us. Wonderground Radio, from Minnesota Public Radio, is a digital radio station that streams for free over the internet. Wonderground plays modern, upbeat music mixed up with children’s songs. It’s commercial free and we all love it.

Children’s radio stations tend to drive adults up the wall after a while, but this station has enough adult music and enough children’s tunes to keep my little raver baby and classically inclined toddler happy.

What is your baby’s favorite style of music? What do you listen to in your house?

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, and for many people, this means traveling long distances to be with family and/or friends. It is possible to travel with children and to still remain sane enough to participate in holiday festivities; it just requires a little more effort.

When I became a parent, I quickly gave up driving through the night. Before kids, I could leave at midnight and drive through the night to avoid the traffic. After a few hours of sleep, I could expect to function reasonably well enough to participate in the festivities. After kids, I discovered that driving through the night just didn’t work for me anymore. When I was ready to go to bed in the morning after driving all night, the kids were ready to get up! Not only that, but a few hours of sleep didn’t give me the energy or the attitude I needed to run after lively children.

Now, if we need to make a long trip, we drive during the day and we allow plenty of time to get to the destination. I usually add 2-3 hours onto our driving time estimation. This allows us time for rest stops, eating, and bathroom breaks.

I’ve found that it’s helpful to view the drive as part of the adventure, not just something to get through. Towards that goal, we try to stop at several roadside attractions along the way just to do something different. The children really look forward to these stops! When I was nursing my son, it also allowed me time to feed him in the car while everyone was out.

It’s also helpful to pack fun activities for the children to do during the car ride. If your children are older, you might consider buying some small trinkets at the Dollar Store to reward them after so many miles (or hours) of good behavior. There are travel games that you can buy at the store too which can help. If your budget won’t allow that expenditure, you can play license plate bingo or “I Spy” during the journey for free!

Another good idea is to stop by the local library and check out the great selection of music and books on tape for children. My children love to listen to stories when we drive and it helps to keep them amused!

Remember-and remind yourself of this during the journey-getting there IS half the fun!

I try to limit the amount of television my kids watch, although they do indeed watch some almost every day. In a perfect world we wouldn’t watch any television, but since my world is far from perfect there are times when the kids win in their quest to get the TV turned on.

Although my kids get to watch some commercial-free TV at home, I draw the line at getting a TV screen installed into the car. I see far too many families driving around our city with the kids glued to the TV that’s going on in the back of the minivan. The parent who is driving isn’t engaging the kids in talking, the kids aren’t glancing outside of the car or looking through books, and all in all I’m sure it’s a quiet ride…but a potentially mind-numbing one.

My kids were allowed to watch TV in the car for one trip, and that was an eight hour drive. They didn’t watch the TV for the entire time and I was actually pretty happy on the return trip when the portable DVD player stopped working and we were all forced to talk about the things we saw outside. I have nothing against watching movies on long rides, but really…do we need to turn the TV on for the ride home from the grocery store? How are parents finding out about their kids’ days if they flip on the TV the second they pick them up from school or daycare?

Don’t families talk in the car anymore?

I try to take advantage of somewhat long drives by playing different types of music and having the kids compare them. Even when my kids were very young babies I tried to talk to them about the things that were out the car window and enjoy music while in the car. I don’t want my kids plugged in all the time. I want them to be able to enjoy their surroundings and use their imaginations.

Recently I was at the library with my older children and noticed that they were offering an infant story time program. The infant program was geared, according to the flyer, for infants up to 18 months of age.

I have to admit that I never took my older children to a story time program until they were about three years of age, but my son is such a social child and loves activity! I decided to try it.

Today, he went to his very first story time session. For most of the half hour session, he sat on my lap and truly wasn’t very interested in the story other than for a few seconds. What did interest him was all the other children! He spent a lot of time just watching them. During the music time, he shook his rattle and screamed with delight. He put the paper bear cutouts in his mouth instead of putting them on the paper during the craft time, but I expected as much.

He played in the toy area alongside of a few of the children who attended the story time session and smiled at some of the parents. He chewed on some of the books which seemed to make him very happy.

After story time, we rode the elevator a few times as he loves elevators and pressing buttons. He cried when it was time to go home which surprised me.

I have to admit, I had my doubts about taking a child so young to an organized activity at the library. After seeing how much he really enjoyed the whole experience, I believe that we’ll be attending every week so he can socialize with his peers. Well, socialize as much as a child of his age is able to socialize anyway. I also got to meet and mingle with some of the parents who attended with their children. That’s definitely an added bonus.

Of course, one of the best parts about the story time program? It’s free.

If you are looking for educational outing opportunities for your child, I’d encourage you to check out your local library to see if they offer such programs. I am glad that I did!

When I signed up to review So Smart! Classical Music Cartime, for babies 0-36 mos. I was expecting baby lullabies such as Hush a Bye Baby, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and the like. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the CD was a selection of classical music. What more, the tracks are played by live classical orchestras.

I popped the CD in for a listen, and it took me back to my pregnancy days, when I’d listen to solely classical music and shunned pop stations. I am one of the moms who believes that classical music happen to encourage focus on children, and when is a better time to start than in the womb? And now we’re back full circle, as I played the CD with my 8 mo. old daughter in her car seat. She is a music lover anyway, but I know she’s picky. When she’s sleepy and the music is just right, she’s off to dreamland in no time. When it’s not, she wails even louder. The selections in the CD seem to be just right, as she listened without fuss and eventually nodded off while listening to Track #3 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

I have nothing but praise for this CD. The clarity is wonderful, the selection varied, from the fast tempo to the slower Waltz of the Flowers. For parents who wish for better listening selections for their little ones that pop-music, you can’t go wrong with Mozart, Tchaikovsky or Pachelbel.

From the So Smart! Series; a Parenting Magazine Award Winner and winner of 25 National Awards.

The most astounding things about motherhood (well, one of the most astounding things) is this.

My singing voice is like one of the hysterically bad contestants who audition for American Idol only to be utterly humiliated by the judges. And still my son likes me singing. He dances to my singing. And he falls asleep to my singing. It’s a sweet feeling!

If you don’t think your voice is any good, then sing anyway. You’ll be surprised how much your baby likes it!

Sing traditional lullabies, songs you make up, or Christina Aguilera songs, whatever you like. If you enjoy singing your baby will like it. Or make up new words to traditional lullabies. The melody of Rock a Bye Baby is lovely but the words are kinda gruesome, don’t you think? So we sing this version,

Rock a bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And Mommy will catch you, cradle and all.

Here’s another reason to consider the words. Don’t sing Hush Little Baby, Don’t Say a word, Momma’s Gonna Buy You a Mocking Bird to a toddler who will take it literally, or the following will occur next time you go shopping together.

Me: What would you like to buy?
Toddler: Mottin Bird.
Me: Would you like some bananas?
Toddler: Mottin Bird.
Me: Blueberries?
Toddler: Mottin. Bird.
Me: Mac & Cheese?
Toddler: MOTTIN BIRD!

Sigh.

What is your favorite song to sing to your baby? What kind of music does your baby like best?

Does your baby like to listen to music in the car or seem to sleep better when the television is on? Most babies sleep better in environments with noise stimulation because it simulates the environment they experienced in the womb. If you are like me and listen to music constantly, don’t be surprised if your little one has a hard time going to sleep without a personalized play list. Because of the fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb, most babies are partial to music that has a baseline and a heavy drum beat or have a constant underlying chorus or melody.

There are advantages and disadvantages to having a noise loving baby. Babies that sleep with light music or a constant pulsating noise such as a fan or a humidifier sleep deeper and longer than babies that sleep in very quiet rooms. They more easily sleep into the restorative R.E.M sleep and wake up more rested and less fussy and intermittently needy. Music can be a very powerful tool in calming an upset baby and is a great aid for car rides and long outings. My husband has a portable MP3 player that he slips inside the cell phone pocket of our baby sling that makes a great on the go player for our little music lover, though if you use this in public expect to receive some confused and irritated stares.

It has been proven in a number of studies that babies that are exposed to classical music have consistently higher IQs and do better in math and language later on in life. Since music is a aural expression of mathematics, vibrations, tones and equations, it is essential to your babies development and promotes faster learning and lesson recognition. Taking your baby to the movies during the early months is a great way to stimulate and entertain them while at the same time helping them to recognize language variances such as accents and voice pitches that are much different than your own. Learning to sleep with noise is also helpful as they are not bothered by their surroundings and you may find that they will peacefully sleep through the grocery store or loud family Christmas party.

The downside to this practice is that babies may become fussy or irritable if they are in a very quiet place for too long without their usual tunes. This can be frustrating for both baby and parent when the climate does not allow for much disturbance, the baby has a hard time understanding the importance of ‘quiet time’ and may become confused or angry in these situations. Also some babies are very sensitive to electro-magnetic fields and can become irritable if exposed to too much electronic stimulation put out by such household items as computers, microwaves, radios or televisions. You may find that your power bill spikes way up as well with the all-night tunes, which for a family on a budget needs to be considered.

The best thing to do is to strike a balance that works for you. If your child sleeps better with a radio or television on, then leave it on in moderation. Try to expose your child to different sleeping environments around the house to aid in flexibility, moving their bassinet from one room to another or letting the child sleep in the bed next to you for those quick afternoon naps. If your child falls asleep in the car it is sometimes a better option to bring the entire car seat inside and let your infant sleep in it undisturbed for a time before moving them to their usual resting spot. Babies prefer to sleep in darker environments as it reminds them of their time in the womb, so darker curtains in their nursery or a cover for your bassinet is a great option for those long afternoon cat naps.

Remember that your child is unique and it will take anywhere from 8 weeks to 6 months for your child to settle into a constant sleeping routine. Try to be patient despite your exhaustion, and when you can, share the feeding and changing responsibilities with your mate, friends or family and make sure you are getting enough rest. Also remember not to take a babies’ cry personally, tests show that a child that has it’s needs consistently met for the first six months are better behaved and are more secure, independent and have higher self-esteem. Just as it is important for you to rest, remember that your baby is growing all the time and she will need lots of sleep to help her develop correctly. Try to leave the baby undisturbed if possible if she falls asleep, as moving her may awaken her or interrupt this healing process.

When possible take your infant to bed with you or place her in a sleeper either on top of the bed or besides you. This is especially important in the first few months as you develop and strengthen your bond with your child, there is nothing quite as satisfying as sharing a sweet dream and comforting embrace with your new miracle. Whether you play music, television, sing to her, rock her, talk to her or any variety of soothing calming activities, remember to fill it with love, tenderness, and soft tones and you will both sleep better in the end.