What funny, funky things would you like to see included in a baby book?

Question

I'm researching writing a book on baby's first year. I'd like to include sections not necessarily found in standard guides. What subjects do you think should be included that will be helpful, fun, funny, modern, funky etc?

Answer 1

sever off his big toe thats pretty funky! stick it in with pva glue good luck xx

Answer 2

This has been done to death. I work in a Library and there are rows upon rows of books advising you on babies. The thing is the babies haven't read these books so don't know the ground rules!

The Yummy Mummy Survival Guide gives most of the modern advice, ie - big handbag rather than a baby change bag etc. The Baby Whisperer gives the best advice on listening and getting to know your child.

Don't mean to rain on your parade but there are so many out there is would be very tough to write on different from the rest. Have you been to your local bookshop or library to have a look?

And the only people that buy these types of books are nuerotic middle aged professionals that are under the impression you can research a baby and all will be fine.

Answer 3

Please check your hair and back in a mirror before leaving the house, for baby puke!!

You don't necessarily need the suitcase or giant baby bag you insist on taking out with your entire baby stuff collection, just incase.

Watch your baby for hiding dirty bibs and clothes as you may find them several days later growing new life form(mould).

Mashed banana is a great weening food but stains like mad.

Never let anyone give your child kiwi fruit without telling you as you may do an early morning nappy change half asleep convinced your baby is pooing ants!

Once your child is crawling/walking you will never beable to wee go to the toilet without them needing to accompany you.

Never get someone like your parents to have your baby overnight to go out and get steaming drunk, as the hangovers are twice as bad and it wil take you days too recover, and your babywill punish you by cryin extremly loud the next day and being excessivley clingy!!

Good luck with the book
Oh and beware of sneezes from baby when feeding!!

Answer 4

Nicola L has a really good list and I do think that almost everything she listed is hard to find in a book the only places you really find info on the topics is from mothers who have done it already. I have started looking for reads on traveling and find minimal, baby wearing - none, etc.

Good luck and I would like to know the title when you get done so I can look at it.

Answer 5

hello I'm problem lady.no problem i cant solve.

well for a new book although you want it to be funny and funky and new parents wont buy a baby book if the stuff they want to record isn't there you no what i mean?. i think that you should look through another baby book write down the subjects e.g first words and then jazz it up yourself n make it funny n funky.then add in your own funky questions.you should also make it bright funny and colourful!! n have funny pictures!!
for example first real fight n have 2 baby's fighting each other but funny like stealing the other ones bottle.you know what I'm saying?

Answer 6

i think if u showed some reseach results from day care vs. parents care would be intresting. i did this at A level for psychology and found it very intresting. plus it'd help parents decide better whats best 4 their kids. also...did u kno men can breastfeed!!!!??? yup. apparently they have the gland to produce milk too, just they dnt hav the hormone 2 produce it. if u let the baby play with its mouth round his bare nipple it can actually start lacktating. whether its any good is a different kettle of fish all together.
oh and baby jealously! my sister in law has a 10 month old baby who gets insanely jealous when she holds another baby! of touches my bump when mines kicking! he screams the house down!

Answer 7

a few ideas:

kinds of stores/business/restaurants that are baby-friendly and what ones usually aren't

what color different foods turn their "poo" (that can be scary!)

a section on baby gas and what to do about it

a section about supplementing with formula when breastfeeding but needing more (hard to find info on that -- seems to be either/or in the books)

what kinds of activities are fun to do with babies outside the house and where to find them

I've heard about exercising with the baby but don't know much about it -- maybe pictures and descriptions

hope that helps....

Answer 8

One of my favorite things about watching babies is the way they react to different sounds and touches.My daughter loves the feel of silk and anything soft.My nice on the other hand likes things that are bumpy and different textured.I guess it all depends on the baby.

Answer 9

Um Sock puppets

Answer 10

In my baby's book I crossed out the section entitled 'first finger foods' and subsituted 'first alcohol' telling her about her Grandma dipping her dummy in champagne on her first Christmas Day and making her eyes bulge out of her head! (I think it was more to do with the bubbles than anything else!) Plus you know when they're about fourteen they'll use that fact back at you when trying to wangle a glass of wine with dinner!

That's only if you mean a fill-in guide though, I'm not sure from yur question exactly what information you want.

If it's an instructional guide, a good section will be transport. Including how best to get about on trains buses etc, and exactly how and where you're best to take strollers/slings/car seats etc. I mean most books will tell you you'll need a car seat and maybe a bit on how to fit it, but probably won't tell you that you can't (for example) take your baby out in the sling and then get a lift home.... (no car seat!!!)

A section on Grandparents would be good. The grandparents of today are usually nearly as funky as the parents, they're not usually retired or knitting just yet. A section on how to cope with their ideas on babycare as opposed to yours would be good, how to avoid contentious issues with the newly hip older generation. (Who understand email but think you'll starve your baby if you breastfeed past a couple of weeks!)

How to get your child online - a guide to baby websites, photo sites and blog spaces would be good! How to announce your new arrival online.

Babywearing is becomign increasingly popular, I'd love to see a mainstream baby book include it as an option, it's great for Mum and baby!

How to introduce your baby to your pets, and how to have fun with them together!

I'd love to see a baby book with homebirth as an accepted and viable birth option. I got a baby book given for my daughter who was born at home, and it included sections such as 'Your first night' then 'Your first night at home' 'Coming home....what I wore, who drove etc etc....' 'Your first visitors' 'Your first visitors....at home' 'Your hospital tag here' So as you can imagine, there's a lot of pictures stuck over those sections as I'd nothing to write there! Plus everytime I opened a standard babycare book in the first few days, every second line said 'you'll have been shown....in the hospital...you'll have been given.... in the hospital.....' etc etc. In fact I found it infuriating at the time, being in MORE need of information, not less!!

When to stop using colourful language in front of your baby.....

Great outings with your young one.......

Information on Baby Led Weaning (google it!)

Information on alternatives to christenings, welcome parties naming days etc etc, how to organise them, and which venues are good for each, and accomodating to babies.

A section on introducing a new baby into a step family.

New names for step-grandmothers, half-uncles etc etc, new names for members of modern extended families.

Baby e-bay guide to buying and selling used baby items.

Reusable nappies, the green option, now subsidised by many city councils here in the UK.

The MMR debate, the facts.

Information on the new baby curriculum for nurseries.

Just a few ideas for you there, it's the best I can do so far. I hope it helps you, good luck with your book!

Answer 11

I think it would be good to have something about reacting to strangers and their out of this world comments that they share. I mean it seems as if when you have children is just really gives a liscense of some sort to strangers to say the craziest things to you!