Yoga Moves for Babies

Yoga moves (asanas) for babies are performed in partnership with an adult, usually the mother. A "Mommy and Me" Yoga class is a wonderful way for a baby and his or her mother to get to know each other, strengthen their bond, and participate in a gentle Yoga class that is beneficial for both of them. A close bond between mother and child has been well documented to help a new baby feel loved, safe, and nourished. Ultimately, a strong mother and child bond will help the newborn to thrive with deep feelings of love and security. A practice of Yoga asanas for mother and baby will nourish them both.

Yoga asanas, for babies, are designed to support the growth and healthy development of the newborn, as well as enrich the continuous bonding process between a mother and child. Yoga postures will support the baby's social, cognitive, and physical development. One of the main benefits of practicing Yoga asanas, with your baby, is that the experience of a concentrated amount of gentle touch from you, during the Yoga class, will help your baby to feel safe, secure, and deeply nourished. Baby Yoga movements are often supplemented with naps and infant massage. Both asanas and infant massages will help to develop a baby's social skills, somatic awareness, and sensory perception.

Babies can be lead and supported in doing basic Yoga asanas, such as Child's Pose and Dead Bug Pose. Instructions on how to do these poses can be found in the DVD section of your favorite store or online. Another great Yoga asana to do with your baby is to gently bring your baby's knees into his or her chest two or three times. This will help to relieve any gas and support your baby's healthy digestive process. Another very simple Yoga asana is to help your baby stretch out along the Yoga mat while applying very gentle massage movements along the spine. This Yoga pose will increase your baby's circulation, enhance immunity, and relieve any muscular tension.

After a relaxing and nourishing Baby Yoga class, both you and your baby will be more deeply attached and relaxed. Even simple Yoga posturing techniques will help your baby to sleep better, alleviate any gastrointestinal distress, and will also help to lower his or her feelings of anxiety.

A feeling of being loved and safe will, in turn, boost your baby's immunity level. As the bond between mother and child strengthens, your baby will also feel more peaceful and secure in this brand new world. Baby Yoga asanas are best learned, initially, from a professional Yoga instructor, to make sure that the appropriate safety guidelines are being properly followed.

Although we have covered the mutual benefits of Yoga for a mother and child, it should be noted that fathers, who become involved, will also notice the benefits of deep bonding. In fact, fathers who take the time to bond with their children, at an early age, will solidify their relationships throughout the test of time.

Baby Diaper Cake: Useful And Helpful For A First Time Mom

A baby diaper cake is a useful and helpful gift or present for a first time mom. Why is that so? Is it because she can eat the cake? This cake is not the typical cake you see on various events or celebrations like birthdays. It looks like real cake but it can't actually be eaten by you or even your guests during the baby shower. It is a cake made of baby diapers and other important ingredients needed by a mom to ensure that her baby is well taken cared of.

If you can't think of the nicest baby shower gift then plan for a baby diaper cake. But, before you do that, gather first the needed pieces of diapers whether disposable or cloth. Roll and pack them together to look like a real cake. You can add baby toys, pacifiers, ribbons, socks, etc. You are free to add decorations to perfect the diaper cake but make sure that you are following a cake pattern so you'll never go wrong.

For a first time mom, it would be a big challenge to face her new life with her child. She might have doubts in mind whether she can do it or not. Aside from practicing the right way of breastfeeding or changing the diaper, she also needs to learn what clothes are necessary for a baby. She needs to look for the right feeding bottles, pacifiers and toys. If you have included these things in the diaper cake then you are helping the mother to lessen her worries. You are helping her to face her motherhood. Don't you know that every little thing in the cake can be really important? Think about the rolled diapers and the toys attached. All of those can be used by the child. For a mom, she won't be spending too much from buying baby diapers since she still has available stocks.

If your main purpose in giving the baby diaper cake is to help the mom gather the entire baby's needs, include only useful ingredients or items. Style the diaper cake using your own creativity. Allow suggestions from friends around and be sure that the cake is properly layered and arranged. Bring it to the day of the baby shower. If you want to use that cake to fill in the centerpiece table then it would be possible. With such present, you don't only offer a first time mom the kind of centerpiece that she'll love but you are helping her out by providing everything for the child.

Confessions of a Baby Boomer

Okay, already! I confess it. I'm a baby boomer. You know. We are the generation that changed everything. We brought you the 1960's and 70's with all the social change that came about. We revolutionized forever attitudes about money, family relationships, society, religion, and the government. We lived through the civil rights struggles that brought about radical and permanent social change in America and elsewhere. We fought the war in Viet Nam. Many of us were at Woodstock and experimented openly for the first time with sex, drugs and marijuana. We were the last generation to be drafted into the US military. We believed that our parents' generation could not be trusted. One of our favorite sayings was, "Never trust anyone over 30 years old." We became fiercely individualistic and demanded the rights to privacy to keep out the snooping eyes of those in authority.

Economically, from our earliest days in childhood, we felt entitled to a good life and a good living. Why not? For many of us our parents were living the American dream. You know what that was - own your own home, have a good job with a steady income. Father goes to work every day and mother stays at home to take care of the kids and keep the wheels from coming off the family. We were idealistic. We believed in a world of optimism and hope. I have heard a sociologist say that we were the first generation to truly believe that our lives would be better than that of our parents.

Maybe it isn't so hard to understand how disillusioned and cynical we became when you consider that all the blind optimism and idealism that we grew up with was shattered by the events of our youth - the deaths of JFK, his brother RFK, the whole civil rights movement and the death of Dr. King. On top of all of these were the national crises of confidence surrounding the war in Viet Nam and Watergate.

We grew up to become the leaders of the nation's economy. Just by our very numbers we have influenced marketing and the development of consumer goods from the time we were babies and the advent of Pampers. Another boomer has said, "We do not influence the American economy. We ARE the American economy." Boomers have been called "the pig in the python." You can see how our generation has moved along by noticing trends in advertising. We have always been a target. Boomers are the largest age group in the USA. One American in four is a boomer. We hold a majority of all the jobs in America and control over 50% of all consumer spending. Now that we are getting older, have you noticed how many ads you see for retirement related services or products? There is an increased number of ads for Medicare supplements, retirement communities, stair lifts, electric scooters, and the like.

Get the picture. Starting in January, 2011, and for the next 20 years, 10,000 Americans will turn 65 years old EVERY SINGLE DAY. America is turning "gray." The sad part is that most boomers have not adequately prepared for retirement. Their natural, lifelong optimism and idealism has taught them that somehow, things will work out all right, and they ignored what was coming. On the other hand, their natural skepticism makes them wary of "get rich quick" schemes and scams, but at the same time some also are looking for a genuine way to make life better for themselves and their families. The good news is there are some real opportunities out there if they are sought after diligently enough.

So, what is the future of America going to be like? I don't know. I have no crystal ball. However, as long as there are boomers in this world, you may be sure they will help to shape it.

Baby Boomers Taking On The Role of Grandparents

Baby Boomers wear many hats as they fulfill the many roles of life throughout their boomer years. Many are near that age of having the choice of being able to retire from jobs that they may have had for many years. They are now in a position to start enjoying some of the things in life that they have not had the time or money for in the past.

One of the greatest events that many boomers will now be able to partake in is the role of grandparents. Most often when the grandchildren first come along many of the boomers are still living a hectic lifestyle. In fact many of them are extra busy at getting things in order so they will be well set for their senior years as retirees. They may not get all the time they would like to have to spend with the grandkids.

The Baby boomer grandparents era really is a unique time of life that should be used to its greatest advantage by the grandparents and grandchildren. At this stage of being a grandparent this generation are usually still in good health and have the resources to be able to do things with the grandchildren such as those activities that demand more energy or some traveling. As the boomers age and become senior grandparents then often restrictions of what they can participate in with the grandkids becomes an issue.

It is important that the baby boomers learn to take full advantage of this stage of their life. It means learning how to make adjustments from the busy lifestyles they are used to and start filling their role as grandparents in a way that will have the most value now. At the same time, the boomers don't want to be leaving one set of life's responsibilities and taking on the role of another such as totally devoting their life to their grandkids the same way they had to as parents.

This is the time where the grandparents can participate in some school trips, take the kids to their sporting events occasionally and perhaps a few extended trips like a weeks vacation. These types of events can all be scheduled into the boomers lifestyle.

As the years progress for the baby boomers and they take on the title more readily as seniors they will look back on these years and be content that they were able to enjoy this level of involvement with their grandchildren. They will now be ready to make the transition into the senior grandparent role where they may be a little more limited in activity but time to enjoy the quieter moments is on the horizon.

Choosing A Theme For Your Baby Shower

People who are organizing their first baby shower may feel at a loss over exactly how to get started. With so many different considerations to make in the course of party planning, an ideal shower may feel like an unattainable goal for some timid first-timers. If you are a party organizer having trouble coming up with ideas, then maybe you should consider using baby shower themes.

Themed showers are becoming a trend among pregnant women today. They are fun and memorable ways to celebrate the arrival of a new baby boy or girl. Creative hosts can come up with their own shower themes. You can even get your own ideas for themes by taking a page from the expectant mother's own hobbies or interests. Some party suppliers may also offer prepackaged themes that are easy to set up if you prefer those.

With today's large variety of baby shower themes to choose from, you may have trouble settling on just one. Whatever theme you eventually decide upon, you must resist the temptation to bite off more than you can chew. An overly ambitious or elaborate theme can be laborious or time-consuming to set up, especially if specific supplies or props are required. When planning a party, you must always allow some 'wriggle' room in the event that things do not go according to plan. If you can, choose a theme that you can easily carry out in broad strokes. A classic theme with wide appeal can work best for your purposes.

One of the easiest and most affordable themes you can go for are color-based motifs. A shower bedecked in a basic, timeless color can add a touch of both unity and elegance to the proceedings. With the right choice of streamers, balloons, and other colored decorations, you can easily establish a lively party ambiance. You can choose between a classic pink or blue motif if you know the gender of the child. You can also use classic white, the expectant mother's favorite color, or even two to three combinations of different colors.

You can also get theme ideas from the guest of honor herself. One must never forget that the baby shower is intended to put the mother and her child at the center of attention. Since it is her time to shine, it is vital for you to choose a theme that would appeal to her sensibilities. If the baby shower is going to be patterned after a theme close to her heart, then it is even better.

Some of the most imaginative ideas for baby shower themes don't just influence how the decorations will be done. They can also dictate the choice of games, gifts and food choices at the party. If the mother-to-be is an animal lover, for example, hosts can opt for a jungle-themed baby shower full of animal-centric games. If she is a voracious reader, guests can give children-oriented books as gifts. Other whimsical ideas for baby showers can include costume contests, disco-themed dance-offs and geeky movie marathons.