Green Treehouse

Have you ever wondered what you should teach your baby before she jets off to kindergarten? Or ever wondered if you’re teaching her enough? At the end of the day, it’s sometimes difficult to see all that you have taught your child, especially if you can’t recall specific “teaching” moments. But believe it or not, your baby is learning more than you realize.

Teach Baby With These Five Green Treehouse Picks

To enrich your child’s education, here are five must-have books to add to your bookshelf:

1. Gund’s Touch and Feel Rattle Book. This is the perfect first book for baby.

2. Sassy Baby’s Loved Ones. The perfect photo book for introducing your new baby to special faces, like grandma’s face.

3. Baby Enstein. Whether you introduce your baby to Baby Einstein’s Chunky Board Book or to Baby Einstein’s Master Pieces Book that features classical artists, you’ll realize that teaching is a breeze–and so much fun. Baby will love reading these books over and over again.

4. What Your Preschooler Needs to Know, edited by E.D. Hirsch. Hands down a fabulous book for teaching your preschooler, with short and easy lessons ranging from environmental lessons to sing-a-long songs.

5. Healthy Child Healthy World. This book may be intended for mom and dad to help them create an environmentally sound and healthy home, but little ones will certainly learn a thing or two through observation and conversation.

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I happened to find myself “window shopping” in a super pricey, albeit totally chic, brick and mortar baby store the other day.  I discovered two things (although the first I already knew, but reminders are ALWAYS useful):  (1) you generally get so much MORE bang for the buck when you shop online, and (2) there are some uber cool play baby photo albums (a.k.a. developmental photo toys) on the market.

Wondering why you’d ever give your baby a chewable photo album toy?  Well, for development purposes for starters.  Baby friendly photo albums or toys help baby develop familiarity with the displayed faces.  Baby and Mom (Dad, Grandma or the sitter) will find endless joy in playing “who’s that?” or peek-a-boo–and of course, in watching baby give ”kisses” to her favorite photos.  Photo albums or toys also encourage baby talk and giggles.  Colors, designs, and textures also captivate baby’s interest.

BabyEarth.com has a fabulous selection of baby photo albums, toys and cubes.   

Like this one, the Hello Baby Photo Cube by Sassy ($11.49), which introduces baby to fun noises when photos are pressed.  

And this one, the Whoozit Photo Album by Manhattan Toy ($15.95), which holds 5 4×6 images and has special flaps for peek-a-boo fun.

Peas?  No.  Green beans? No way.  Broccoli?  Definitely not.  Spinach?  You must be kidding!

Does this sound like a familiar theme in your household?  Some experts (including mom experts!) claim that it’s not unusual for young kids to refuse vegetables from time to time (or even for lengthy stages) during early childhood. 

I’m now experiencing veggie refusal with my toddler–who once seemed to love everything from asparagus to zucchini.  A friend recently reported that her six year old ”one day” miraculously emerged from a lengthy stage of picky eating– ”deciding” to eat veggies after years of veggie battles.

One way to help solve picky eating or to stem bouts of veggie refusal is to expose your child to a variety of vegetables (and foods generally, including fruit) early on.  Some parents find a teething feeder is a helpful way to introduce vegetables to young children, especially since they reduce choking risks.

Don’t despair if your child doesn’t take to eating veggies right away.  It may take 10-15 times of exposure before your child comes to like–or even try–what you put before her!