Baby monitors come in three main types: audio, video, and wifi-based monitors. Audio monitors capture your baby’s sounds during sleep, providing a budget-friendly option for monitoring naps or brief absences. Video monitors offer a visual overview of your baby’s sleep, featuring special functions like zoom, tilt, and night vision.

WiFi-based monitors connect to your network, allowing remote monitoring via your smartphone to provide reassurance when away from home. While high-tech options are available, many standard monitors on the market offer the peace of mind you seek without unnecessary complexity. Choose based on your budget, desired features, and lifestyle.

Baby monitor safety is paramount for ensuring your little one’s well-being. A top safety concern is the danger baby monitor cords can pose. To minimize risks, place monitors with cords at least three feet away from your baby’s sleeping space, avoiding placement inside cribs or on crib edges. Experts also recommend against breathing monitors that supposedly help prevent SIDS, as there’s no evidence to prove that they work in this way and they just increase parent’s anxiety.

But perhaps the most important safety tip is that while monitors offer convenience, they should never replace direct supervision. Regularly check on your baby, especially during illness, as monitors may not detect subtle changes like fevers. Stay attentive to your baby’s movements and sounds in person as well as via a monitor.

For optimal baby monitor setup, purchase and install it before your baby arrives. Since homes differ, this minimizes frequency interference risks. If using a video monitor, follow the provided instructions for wall mounting. Choose a suitable location, ensuring safety with cord placement. Additionally, avoid excess background noise interference from fans or air conditioners.

The duration of baby monitor use is a personal choice. Most parents use it during the initial months and for naps. Some continue into the toddler years, especially during the climbing-out-of-bed stage. However, some parents skip baby monitors entirely, opting for alternatives like room-sharing. As long as you can hear your baby, a monitor isn’t strictly necessary, emphasizing the variety of approaches in parenting.

Many people have experienced being attracted to a friend’s new partner. It can be unsettling, especially when it involves a close friend who is clearly happy in their relationship. However, this phenomenon has a scientific explanation known as mimetic desire. René Girard, a French philosopher and literary theorist, coined the term based on his own experiences. This concept revolves around the idea of desiring what others desire.

Mimetic desire can lead to perpetual rivalry and conflict with friends because it causes you to both admire them and hate them because you want what they have. According to Girard, this rivalry intensifies when someone becomes a perceived adversary and you start trying to compete with your friend over the same thing, which in this case is their partner.

Famous examples of mimetic desire can be found in art and culture. Eric Clapton’s song “Layla” gave a glimpse into his obsession with his best friend George Harrison’s wife, Pattie Boyd, who eventually left George for Eric. This real-life scenario exemplifies how mimetic desire can become a reality. In popular media, mimetic desire has been portrayed in TV shows like HBO’s The White Lotus, where characters grapple with jealousy and desire for what their friends have.

Despite the potential pitfalls, mimetic desire serves as an essential social tool. Psychologists suggest that it’s rooted in the need for social belonging and identity-building. People are naturally drawn to what others want, and it can be challenging to resist. Clinical psychologist Barbara Burt explains that mimetic desire is a part of biology, shaping a sense of belonging.

Recognizing mimetic desire can empower individuals to manage their emotions and impulses effectively. It’s a reminder that feelings of attraction toward a friend’s partner are not indicative of moral shortcomings but rather a testament to social nature. Over time, these feelings often go away, allowing friendships to thrive without unnecessary complications. Psychologist Nicole Monteiro reassures that feeling attracted to a friend’s partner is common and typically fades over time.

People who’ve experienced attraction towards a friend’s partner should know that it’s a normal aspect of human psychology. It’s essential not to act on such feelings to maintain healthy relationships. Understanding this phenomenon can help them navigate their emotions and maintain harmony with their friends and loved ones.

Mimetic desire simply shows that humans are inherently influenced by the desires and preferences of those around them and shouldn’t be a cause for alarm or potential rivalry and conflict within social circles.