The design of your home has an amazing affect on health and well being of your baby. If it is in harmony with nature, it will have a positive influence on young children. If not, problems will become apparent in subtle and ways.

According to science of Vastu Shastra, all five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) have an impact on your baby’s room. Vastu Shastra is an ancient architectural science that balances five elements within one’s environment and supports growth of strong, happy babies. Due to their size and developing immune system, infants are far more susceptible to consequences of poor air quality and indoor pollutants than adults.

Over years, I have seen how flooring, decorating materials, mattresses, toys, molds, toxic gases, pesticides and electronic equipment can all degrade air an infant breathes, even if you, as an adult are not affected.

Epidemiological studies suggest a link between pollutants and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In 1966, a New Zealand chemist, T.J. Sprott, began a study of over 100,000 babies. None of children were exposed to toxic off-gasing from mattresses. None of babies died of SIDS. In 1988 a British chemist, Barry Richardson, performed a study on mattresses of children who died of SIDS. Of 200 mattresses tested, he found all emitted chemical nerve gas agents such as phosphine, arsine or stibine when brought to blood body temperature.

This is a shocking example of what dangers can be lurking in your home, unbeknownst to you. In this situation, what you can’t see can harm you and your baby. Knowledge is power. Becoming aware of what you can do to protect your children is best preventative measure. I can’t emphasize enough importance of reading all labels carefully to determine safety of any materials that you use around your baby.

Take out some paints, some paper and help your child discover colors. Mix colors as you name them. Paint shapes, paint animals with shapes.

Take your child to park. Talk about what you see. Show them boats in bay or on river, lake or creek. Go feed ducks.

Go visit a farm and introduce your child to cows, pigs, horses,kitties...whatever. Buy some farm produce and go home and make a salad or cook some veggies.

Bake with your child. Talk about measurement… 1 cup of this or that, ½ cup of that… 1 tbsp. of brown sugar, 1 tsp. of vanilla. Make something with cloth. Measure it first…perhaps a little pocket purse or pouch. Talk about which is heavier…a pencil or a toothpick, which is more…a drop of water or a cup of water.

Take them to zoo and come home and make a book of all animals you saw together. Find pics of them on net and print to place in his/her book. http://www.cpinternet.com/~sarah/rdr012.html

Make letter cards…practice them with your child. Practice sounds as well as names of letters. Make number cards and do same.