Baby Pick: First 5 California

http://www.ccfc.ca.gov

I signed up for First 5 California a couple of months ago.  I signed up by calling their listed telephone number and requesting a kit by mail. In this free kit, there is a book for new parents. There is a refrigerator flyer for poison control. A go to book on what to do if your child gets sick. An interactive touch and feel baby book, along with an educational DVD. 

I learned a lot from the books and the DVD. What has shocked me in my learning of how important the first year of a child's life is. How many life skills are beginning to develop and how the child will cope in life. I agree with breast feeding your baby for a great healthy start. Teaching the baby from an early age and making learning fun. Teaching the child safety and being aware of what they are doing. There are also great tips on finding a quality child care facility.

What I didn't agree with, was their advice on immunizations. I have been exposed to the medical field and have been vaccinated as an adult. I felt horrible as a result to being vaccinated along with having reactions to it.  Now there are so many vaccinations that are given appose to how many that were given thirty years ago. There are many stories about vaccinations that have caused harm to children and adverse effects. 

I also didn't agree with the advice on fluoride for oral health. The evidence is out there of the effects of fluoride leading to the increased health problems. Fluoride is related to arthritis, birth effects, cancer, thyroid dysfunction and decreased IQ. There are holistic dentist that do not use fluoride and consider it a toxic poison along with not using mercury for fillings.      

I didn't agree with the advice on discipline. There are different ways to discipline your child. Every child is different. The video was against spanking and I was spanked as a child.  I remember pushing the limits with my mom and I understood what I did and why I got a spanking. I feel for those who had parents that took their bad days out on them. We suppose to learn from what we been through and overcome it. We don't suppose to keep our issues and put them on our child. The child is their own person, they are not your own little me. You are there to teach them and guide them. Teaching them to be responsible for their actions; simple cause and effect. A child shouldn't feel like they are getting away with anything. In life they will always be accountable for their actions to God. 

Baby Pick: Baby Bargains Book

https://windsorpeak.com/babybargains

The Baby Bargain book has a lot of useful money saving information for babies. The book has reviews on baby furniture, equipment and much more. There are photos of the products and are graded with a letter grade. There is also great information on how long to use an item and a lot of safety tips. Below I have listed some money saving notes that I found in this book.   

A great find for cheap baby furniture is Ikea. (It might not last though more than two kids)

For diapers you can go to Costco. (Box of 216 for about $31.00).

Instead of paying a lot for baby intercoms you can find phones with a room monitoring options.

You can find great deals and sometimes free baby items on Craigslist and don't forget the newspaper too.

When shopping for resale baby equipment, keep up to date on recalls.

Bargain shop at thrift stores and consignments.

With resale clothes, watch out for loose buttons that could be a chocking hazard or strings that cut off circulation. 

If your going the yard sale route, bring batteries to make sure the items work. 

Check with your health insurance to see if they will pay for a breast pump.

Check to see if your health insurance, auto insurance or employer will pay for a car seat with a completion of a parenting class.  

Happy Searching!