Parenting 101: 7 September 2012

Jenni Johnson, our resident ‘Baby Whisperer’, has been a practicing child-care practitioner for 15 years, and owns a busy ante and post natal clinic in Durban. This week she talks about newborn babies and developing habits, among other things. 

* I thought I’d start at the very beginning – with a newborn baby!  As your child is born he or she can already see you. And because babies prefer curved lines to straight ones - your face is the perfect shape. You'll need to get up close though!  
 
* Many babies are ready for solids before six-months of age. If your baby is suddenly waking more at night, not lasting from feed time to feed time, takes a dip in weight or stares at you longingly when you’re eating and is four-months or older - it may be time to consider solid food.

* A two-year-old and a 16-year-old have a lot in common. They have attitude, like to push boundaries – are prone to temper tantrums and they both need firm limits.

* From the day parenting begins – it never ends. Positive or negative, your children will learn by your example all their lives. If you shout and scream in the traffic, for example, they'll probably do the same one day.

* It's the D-word today: Discipline: For children under one - three words: Remove, divert, and distract! For those close to two - Divert, distract, warn and do 1 ½ mins time-out in a corner. You may have to take your child back to the time-out place many times before they understand.
 

* Catch Jenni on-air every day just after 10am with her tip of the day.

At Jenni’s ante and post natal clinic in Durban, parents are taught a system that gives them structure and routine to the baby and childhood years. Jenni has a nursing background. She’s a registered nurse, midwife, psychiatric nurse and private nurse practitioner.

Jenni’s online clinic, can be accessed online via www.jennisays.com. For appointments, e-mail [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter via @JenniSays or on Facebook by 'liking' The Berea Baby Clinic.