Babies

Sunny Guo (mom of one) will be holding infant swim classes at Splash Recreation Club at the Sino-Swiss Hotel this Sunday. A yummy barbecue banquet will be served after the class. If you love this lesson, then sign up for one of Sunny's regular swim classes held at pools around town. Thanks to Liora Pearlman (super mom) for sending beijingkids this info.

Details below (keep scrolling for all the dates, times, locations and Sunny's contact details):

AGES
DOLPHIN: newborn to 2 years old
SHARK: 2 to 5 years old

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Few busy travelers go more than a few days without problems interrupting their itinerary, including harrowing flight delays, upset stomachs, long lines and language barriers. Avoid adding temper tantrums and safety worries to this list by checking out BabyGro’s new items for little ones. From booster seats to blackout blinds, to ride-friendly luggage, BabyGro has the resources on-the-go parents need in familiar, trusted brand names, including Fisher Price. This month, BabyGro has newly stocked baby toys from US brand Sassy and Belgium company Motta.

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New research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that women who choose home births might put their babies at a higher mortality risk. The study compared women from the US and Europe who had planned home births to those who had planned hospital births and found that twice the amount of babies died in the four weeks after home delivery. They found triple the mortality rate for babies born at home when “they removed those with congenital defects from the calculation,” according to The Guardian. Many of these babies died from a lack of oxygen during or after labor.

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I recently received an email from Oakwood Apartments and to be honest, at first I wasn't sure whether to believe it.

According to Oakwood: On June 12th, Assistant Front Office Manager, Tracy Cui, received a phone call from a rather distressed resident. It seemed his wife was going into labor, "right now!" In true superhero style, she was quick to respond, rushing up to the couple's apartment to help in any way she could. Ms. Cui then proceeded to assist the father deliver a healthy 3.85kg baby boy named Luca.

Ms. Cui, when not fielding calls at the front desk of Oakwood, must be a miracle worker because the delivery lasted a mere 10 minutes.

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A few months back I wrote a post about how our family was dealing with the ambiguous nationality status of our daughter, whose father is American and mother is Chinese.

ChengduLiving has also posted a similar article about one particular American father's dilemma over how to deal with the nationality of his child, born under similar circumstances.

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Summer is here and we all have our hot weather gear on to prove it. The temperature is rising, the kids are out of school and it's time to pack your holiday itinerary with oodles of fun.

Our huge double summer feature has come to the rescue of families still searching for ways to fill their hot and sticky days. We've got a list of 20 any day activities to satisfy restless little ones. Want to get out and about? Nine Beijing day trips, excursions and fun spots will keep you occupied. Need a beach-side break? Kara Chin has found China's best sandy locales, including Sanya and nearby Crab Island. If traveling across the Middle Kingdom, our China excursions will have you prepped and ready to go with all the best tips from people who've done it before. Heading overseas? Get inspired with four great family holidays from around the world.  

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Beijing has great educational resources for babies, but the Shanghaiist recently posted an unexpected find: a wall poster that aims to teach babies ages 0-3-years-old about luxury automobiles.

We recommend you check out the post if you want your kids to know the difference between a Porsche and Mercedes Benz. No? Then at least take a look for a laugh or two. 

Beijing residents should think twice before purchasing a tricycle for their kids for Children’s Day. The Global Times reported that tests in Guangdong Province have shown that only 40 percent of the baby tricycles examined met all of the safety requirements. 

In Shanghai, 30 percent of the tricycles tested were not safe for toddlers due to poor handlebar design and faulty positioning of the pedals and handbrakes. 

Safety concerns with the Guandong tricycles included “excessive amounts of removable substances that toddlers can peel off and swallow, such as paint, which may cause chronic poisoning in young children.” 

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Babies can tell the difference between good and bad before they can muster “mama,” according to a new study performed by Yale psychology professor, Paul Bloom. His findings indicate that young ones might have a wired sense of morality as early as six months after they’re born.

Researchers presented children between the ages of 6-and 10-months with a puppet show that displayed a struggling puppet being helped and then hindered. After the performance, babies could pick between the “nice” and the “mean” puppet, and an overwhelming amount picked the nice one.

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We love this event and think you will, too. Join the craze that has taken over NYC and now Beijing. Organized by Matt Elmes, Baby Loves Disco offers great music and dancing for kids, a kiddie cocktail bar, a goodie bag, and an art corner with Karen from Beijing Color Studio. Cocktails for adults will also be available.

When: Sun, April 18th
Time: 2-5pm
Where: Club Le ZaZou, Sanlitun Village
Cost: RMB 50, Free for babies and toddlers
Tickets: They're selling out quick. Pick some up at BabyGro, Shop 105, Tower 9, Central Park, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6597 0717).
Info: www.babylovesdisco.com.