New Calendars Highlight Babies' First Years

Date:  March 25, 1997
Editor: D'Lyn Ford  (505) 646-6528, dlford@nmsu.edu

LAS CRUCES -- Calendars made especially for the first year of a baby's life provide an easy way for parents to keep track of the first words and other milestones.

The Baby's First Wish Calendar features developmental highlights, snack and game suggestions, and spaces to record the important firsts in a new baby's first year, said Diana DelCampo, child development and family life specialist with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service.

"It's kind of like a baby book, particularly for second and third babies because, as we all know, most times they don't get a baby book like the first child does," she said. "The colorful stickers of a baby smiling, crawling and other achievements are easy to use."

The calendar is available from NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service for $3. Proceeds help fund the Baby's First Wish Newsletter, which was developed four years ago to help provide new parents with information and ideas, DelCampo said. The free newsletter is mailed to the parents of children up to 3 years old, or anyone interested, DelCampo said. Each newsletter corresponds with the child's birthday, so that families receive relevant information about development, stress reduction and nutrition each month.

"Parents get a lot of blame, but they don't get a lot of support," DelCampo said.

Today, more than 6,900 families receive the monthly newsletter, which is available in Spanish as well as English, she said. About 25 percent of the subscribers are mothers under 18 years old, and 35 percent of readers are on public assistance. In many households, up to three people other than the mother read the publication. DelCampo estimates that 20,000 people actually read and learn from the newsletters.

"In many homes, this is the only piece of child development literature people receive. There is no other program in the state that gets into the home every month to reach so many people," DelCampo said. "The more information and knowledge a parent has, the less likely they are to abuse their child."

For more information about Baby's First Wish calendars or newsletter, contact your county Extension office.