Reddit reviews Little Blue Truck

Products:

• A baby monitor. Doesn't have to be a fancy device with an AESA radar, full-spectrum IRST, and a high fidelity data link transmitting the information back to the command post. A [simple audio-only set] (http://www.amazon.in/Motorola-MBP10S-Digital-Audio-Monitor/dp/B002KV14VG/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1464371126&sr=1-1&keywords=monitor) can be had on the cheap on Amazon, and is immensely useful.
  
  
• Quality diapers and wipes. I cannot stress this enough. a little extra cash spent on good diapers is going to make everyone's life happier.
  
  
• A sealed garbage bin to dispose of dirty diapers. Do not throw them in your regular kachra, or they'll stink up the house double quick. You ideally need something like the Diaper Genie.
  
  
• A good quality baby harness. It needs to support the baby around the buttocks, and not on the crotch. I won't comment on the long-term health benefits, but it's discernibly more comfortable for the kid. BAsically something like the Ergobaby 360. It's twice as expensive as a conventional harness, but I'm sure you could find a cheaper alternative if you do your research.
  
  
• Some good books. Little Blue Truck is one of my favourites! When they're young enough, though, you can read them practically anything. They just need to hear your voice as often as they can. I read mine a history of the Battle of Britain :-/
  
  
• A Kindle. Mothers get bored while breastfeeding for the first few months. They can get some good reading done in that time.
  
  
• If you're in the US, get a maid to clean your place every couple of weeks. Believe me, it will take a huge load off your back.
  
  General Tips:
  
  
• I cannot stress this enough, but talk and sing to the baby as much as you can. Do not just play music on your phone or tablet ... the child needs to be exposed to real human voices in order to learn how to speak early and effectively.
  
  
• Avoid speaking in low voices or muting your TV when the baby sleeps. It needs to get used to sleeping through everyday noises.
  
  
• This is a personal opinion, but do not go overboard in keeping your baby "safe" and "protected". Let it explore the world. Let it fall, let it hurt itself (within reason, of course), let it take ill, allow it to fail at tasks, etc. etc. Babies are hardy as hell; they recover from these things quickly, become tougher, and learn a few important lessons along the way. I even stopped using hand sanitiser before handling my kid after she turned six months old. Washing your hands frequently with soap and water is good enough.
  
  Hope this helps for now. Will keep adding to this list if I think of anything else.

Reading to the baby helps promote:

• bonding time
  
• vocabulary
  
• understanding rhythm and rhyme
  
• an understanding that reading and books are a fun hobby
  
• the ability to sit and listen
  
  I have an 11-month-old. Before he was born I went to a class at my library called Every Child Ready to Read. It sounds like one of those "your baby can read" type things, but it wasn't - it was just about how introducing books, words and a habit of reading from an early age helps so much.
  
  At first when my son was a small lump, it felt silly to read to him, but it does give you something to say (an interesting variety of words is important for babies to hear) and for the baby to look at. Now at 11 months, he understands what to do with books - he picks them up, brings them to me, flips the pages. He doesn't sit and listen to an entire book yet, since he's more interested in the mechanic of flipping pages, but the important part is that we're spending time together, and he's hearing words he might not hear as part of our regular conversation.
  
  His favorite books are the ones that have touch and feel parts, and also Little Blue Truck because it's so much fun to make the different sounds.
  
  Oh, and visiting a storytime/babytime, if your library has them, can help too. Seeing how the librarians read from a book and make the story fun and engaging can give you ideas for home. :)

Over in the Meadow

Little Blue Truck

One Duck Stuck

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?

Sheep in a Jeep

Jamberry

The Napping House

Hand Hand Fingers Thumb

Bubble Gum Bubble Gum

This brought back great memories. Also, type any title into youtube to listen to a reading so you know if you like the book before buying. As for category, "animal noises" or "onomatopoeia" are good search terms.