as the storm begins. Don't wait until the storm is fully underway to find your dog. Call your dog to your side as soon as you hear thunder. Your dog can sense anxiety. If you are upset, your dog will know, and this will only make matters worse. During a storm, give your dog no indications that something is wrong. Follow the same routine you would any other night. Smile and speak in a calm, reassuring tone. Even reassuring the dog can convince it that something is wrong. Help your dog by being calm and happy, not by overloading it with sympathy. Soft singing can help calm some dogs. Find a small "safe spot" for the dog to hide. Ideally, this spot will block light and noise, while allowing the dog to be near its owner. Here are a few options: Under a table or bed In a dog crate, with a blanket draped over it In a closet or windowless bathroom Try wrapping a garment around your dog or let the dog huddle under your arm on the sofa. Your dog may feel reassured by the added pressure, much like a baby feels safe when swaddled. If this seems to help, consider buying a special anti-anxiety garment, such as the Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap. The garment should be snug around the dog's chest, but make sure you get one in the correct size for the best result, to ensure the acupressure points throughout the body are being targeted, and to avoid injuring your dog. Some of these garments (Anxiety Wrap) press against acupressure points associated with stress relief. If you're in hot weather conditions and are concerned about your dog overheating, some garments (Anxiety Wrap) can be moistened with water. The air flowing through the moistened fabric will act as a cooling agent. Always supervise your dog if you're concerned about health/safety. Some of these garments are also appropriate to put on your dog and help him/her stay calm if you need to leave the house. Consult the product directions for safety information. A loud television, music, or other source of noise (washing machine) can help drown out the thunder. Choose a sound your dog finds familiar and comforting. Covering the dog's ears can also help. If possible, keep your dog away from windows, or put up heavy curtains. Seeing the flash of lightning can be an additional source of anxiety. Block the dog's access to exits, since some scared dogs may try to run away or harm visitors. . Encourage your dog to participate in indoor activities. You could play fetch or put on music and dance together. Try to find an activity that will turn your dog's attention away from the storm. These include herbal and homeopathic remedies to treat anxiety. Always use remedies specifically intended for dogs. Some essential oils that work for humans may cause discomfort or injury in animals. Less concentrated doses are usually required as well. Be sure to consult your veterinarian before using, the oils are very concentrated and can be harmful to your skin as well as your dog's. They can also damage furniture. Lavender is one popular option that seems to help dogs, when used in the correct dose. Another option is petting your dog with a dryer sheet- it reduces static. If these methods are ineffective, ask your vet about anti-anxiety medications. Your dog can take some medications such as amitriptyline for the duration of the storm season. There are also quick-acting medications such as acepromazine ("Ace") or diazepam that can be taken for individual storms. To be effective, quick-acting medications must be administered before your dog exhibits any behavioral changes. Never give a dog medication without consulting a veterinarian first.

Summary: Call your dog Remain calm. Find a safe place. Swaddle your dog. Block the noise. Avoid windows and the outdoors. Play games Consider home remedies. Talk to your vet about medication.

Camera. Standard definition, you can pick up good second hand DV camcorders. Good value HD cameras are DSLRs such as the 550d but beware you cannot film handheld. 2nd camera. This is very useful as it means that you can be very efficient with your time as you can capture twice as much footage. So in the long run it will help you keep to schedule and stay calm. If size and weight is an issue you can get excellent small HD cameras such as the Nikon v1, but with less manual features. Tripod. Do you need one which is light weight or has a fluid head for smooth pans and tilts. 4 spare batteries. Hahnel makes good batteries which are cheaper than the originals. Tapes. Bring a lot more than you will need bring a dozen. Lens cloths. Microfiber cloths are good. External microphone. Getting good sound is crucial and this is best achieved with an external microphone. An excellent affordable recorder is the zoom h1. Headphones. These are also important to getting good sound. These should be over the ear so they can reduce background noise. Polarizing filter. Helps protect lens and reduce reflections. TV cable. So you can log your footage on a bigger screen. Laptop. (Expensive insurance). Consider whether you need a powerful computer which you can edit on such as the Macbook Pro or just a cheap laptop to transfer files. Voltage stabilizer. This is needed in India. External hard drive to back footage onto. Consider a lacie rugged. Recently the Solid state drive, a very stable and fast storage system has come onto the market but it is still very expensive. Memory cards. Bring at least 4 16GB cards. Work out what are your priority shots and draw up a schedule for each shooting day. Consider using a second camera when filming as this means you can film twice as much. Keep a diary. This way you can write how you felt about the shoot, what mistakes you made and what you will do differently next time.

Summary: Equipment below. If you are filming tape-less add these to your equipment list: Use your time efficiently.

Ask for details about the party, and make sure the event will be baby-friendly. Make a decision about attending the party based on this information. Some things to consider: Will the party be inside or outside? If outside, what will the weather be like? You may decide that your baby is not yet ready to handle an outdoor party in extreme temperatures or very windy weather. How many people will be there? If the party will be very noisy and crowded, you may want to skip the event. Babies tend to get distressed in large crowds. Will there be a lot of smoke? If many of the guests will be smoking, you should either skip the party or find a babysitter. You don't want to expose your infant to smoke. Will other babies or children be present? You may not feel comfortable being the only person at the party with a child in tow. More experienced parents may be able to give you some advice about bringing your baby along to a party. If these people will be at the same event, that's even better!
Summary: Inquire about the party. Talk to other parents.