Every expecting mother is overjoyed at the prospect of welcoming their child into this world. Every expecting mother is also overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. How will I handle labor? How will I manage with less sleep? What if I haven’t done enough to prepare? Your mind is on overload playing out every possible scenario, and if you’re a disabled mom, all of those emotions can be magnified as you figure out how you’ll take care of your new bundle of joy and continue to take care of your own needs.
 
Stop for a moment, breathe and remember these are all normal feelings and the best thing you can do now is to focus on getting yourself and your home ready for this special gift.
 
Preparing your home
 
One of the most positive ways you can spend time as you’re waiting for your baby is by getting your home ready. Here are some important things to consider.

1. Is my home safe? Once your infant begins to crawl, your home can be a minefield of potential risks. Large bookcases, television stands, and other tippy furniture will need to be secured to the wall. Kitchen cabinets will need locking systems to keep your child away from chemicals or sharp objects. Sharp corners will need covered. Use a thorough checklist and get started with making the necessary modifications.
2. Is my home clean? Your home is chock-full of germy areas and now is a good time to get them cleaned up. Give the obvious doorknobs and light switches a good wipe down. But remember germs can hide in lots of unsuspecting places too, like stove knobs, sponges, and kitchen sinks. Once you’re tackled the germs, work on the clutter. Look for things on surfaces that can be stored away. Even the most organized spaces can become quickly cluttered once baby arrives, so take time now to minimize.
3. Are you ready for guests? Once your baby arrives, chances are you’ll also have some visiting family, so prep the guest room now.

 
Importance of self-care
 
Stress is a normal part of pregnancy, but if your tension outweighs the joy that comes with expecting a new baby, it’s time to focus on some quality self-care. According to Susan Andrews, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist and author of the book Stress Solutions for Pregnant Moms: How Breaking Free From Stress Can Boost Your Baby’s Potential, constant stress that doesn’t let up can be very damaging, as it creates an inflammatory response that leads to poor pregnancy health and complications. If you’re feeling too much stress start with one of the following:

1. Yoga or meditation: Both are scientifically proven to boost your mood.
2. Talk to a counselor or friend: Sometimes a good chat can do wonders for improving your outlook on things.
3. Eat healthy: Certain foods can reduce stress by lowering the levels of hormones that trigger it.
4. Exercise: When your body releases endorphins from exercise you’ll be dealing with your stress better.

 
Helpful resources
 
Products Designed for Disabled Parents - Depending on your specific disability you may find great help with some amazing products available to assist. For example, if you’re in a wheelchair, you can purchase a side-opening crib that will make it easier to access your infant. Or if you have limited motor skills in your hands, you can find items including a velcro baby bib to avoid the difficult snap.
 
Online Support from Other Disabled Parents - There will be times both in the planning stages and after you’ve brought your baby home that you’ll face a challenge  you’re not sure how to manage. The Disabled Parenting Project provides a great online resource where you can research ideas and products as well as reach out to other parents with similar disabilities to share solutions and advice.
 
Bringing home your baby will be the most joyous day of your life. Take time now to prepare so you can enjoy every single moment of it. The days ahead will be filled with happiness as you delightfully document every small milestone. They’ll also be filled with exhaustion as you fall into bed at night from a full day’s care. Embrace it all. 

Thank you for guest post contributed by Ashley Taylor from DisabledParents.org.

I know, I know. Phones and tablets are great tool to keep your kids away from bothering you. 

But we follow the 'No Screens Under 2' Rule from  American Academy Of Pediatrics (AAP), we do not recommend parents to give their phones and tablets to kids and allow the kids to enjoy the small screens. So now AAP makes some updates on the 'No Screens Under 2' Rule. The new guidelines, especially for children aged 0 to 5, shift the focus from WHAT is on the screen to WHO else is in the room. 
Live video chat with grandparents or families can be an exception.  If parents are watching alongside with kids and repeat what the video says can help learning new words, but interaction with people is still important for language skills. If you want to learn more, please visit: American Academy Of Pediatrics Lifts 'No Screens Under 2' Rule, NPR.​

​So what are you going to do to keep your little ones busy, for this fall?

• A nature walk to San Francisco Botanical Garden: open and free on Thanksgiving Day
• indoor crafts for kids: Favorite Fall Crafts For Kids
• Light up Market Street! on November 20, 2017 (Tuesday) 6:30 pm at Market and Powell, San Francisco
• Union Square Christmas Tree on November 24 (Friday) at 6:40pm in Union Square
• Free Day at Walt Disney Family Museum on December 5 (Monday) at 104 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94129
• Pull out a simpler puzzle for your tots and preschoolers
• Make a collage using fun photos stored in your phone
• Grow crystal geodes with sea salt, borax and kosher salt
• Bake sugar cookies
• Publish a family newsletter to mail to friend and families
• Make and play your own board game

Thanks for ideas from Children's Council of San Francisco 5 Ways to Keep Your SF Kid Busy During the Holidays and Red Tricycle ​Indoor Activities That’ll Keep Them Entertained for More Than an Hour.

Just be creative and stay away from the screens.

Reading to child is important and fun for parents to do
Children are born with the ability to understand language and it is called receptive language. When parents and siblings talk around the newborn, he tries to distinguish the words and sound in order to understand. Even before they can speak they will build a strong vocabulary.
This is the reason that parents are often guided to read to their kids even when they are unable to understand you. Reading to children is not only fun but there are also many amazing benefits for the parents and children.

Reading to infants (0m to 18m)
The common mistake that many of the parents make these days is that they refrain from reading in front of their infants. They think that the right time of reading aloud would be when their kid will be able to understand the words.
They do not understand that it is important for the development of the brain cells to grow stronger. As well as it helps in the development of the brain. Studies have shown that those kids whose parents read aloud to them as infants know more words when they are 2 years old.

Reading to toddlers (19m to 36m)
It is the best experience for the parents when their children ask them to share a book. It helps parents to spend some bonding time with the children that will make their love grow stronger. It will also help the kids to learn vocabulary and make improve their literary skills.
When reading to a toddler you have to make sure that his interest is developed in the book with each page. Look for interesting images and even sounds that will make you kid have some fun. It will be the beginning of education for your children.

Benefits
Some of the amazing benefits that kids will have from reading aloud are:

• It will improve the memory skills, listen and language  awareness in the kids
• In a fun way, you can introduce several concepts like pictures, stories, letters and shapes
• As the babies are calmed by sounds and the rhythms that are present in the voice of their parents it promotes closeness and bonding
• It will allow you to information your children about the world that is surrounding them
• It will instill the love for education and books in your children

Tips
Some of the tips that will help parents to start reading are:

• You can plan several reading activities your toddler and babies
• Let them know what the picture and when an animal come you can make them learn how it sounds
• Use the sound books that comes with special sounds as it will improve your kids learning skills
• Do not forget to read a story to your baby every night

The most important thing that you can do is planning the reading activities with your children. In case that you get confused, we are here with the child care program to help you on every stage.

Read Aloud is running a National Read Aloud 15 Minutes Campaign. Modern Education Family Childcare supports parents, families, and community Read Aloud.
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More resource:
https://allaboutyoungchildren.org/english/birth-to-8-months/#lang-dev-lit
http://www.first5california.com/learning-center.aspx?id=11&sub=45
​http://www.tandembayarea.org/resources/for-parents-families/
http://readaloud.org/

Buy some great books in our collection for different ages of children: http://astore.amazon.com/modernchildcare-20