Today's Tip - Pay attention to the volume of your voice when you're holding your baby

If you carry your baby upright on your shoulder, you've got to worry about more than supporting his neck. Chances are, your mouth is right by his ear, so essentially everything you say is

right in his ear. So if you yell at the dog, the other kids, your spouse (not recommended) you could do some serious damage to his tender eardrums. Not to mention you might scare the crap out of him.

Even talking in a raised voice or a normal voice could be harmful depending on how you hold him or how loud your voice is. I try to turn as far away from his head as possible when I'm speaking, and if I need to yell at the dog, I switch positions first. The dog loves it because she gets away with murder.

See all the first time parenting tips