Have some Fun while you Change that Bum!

30 Nov

“Yippeee! It’s time to change your bum again!” Not something we usually exclaim the 6-12 times a day our babies on average need to be changed. However diaper changes can be an excellent time to interact and play with your baby. Close proximity gives you the opportunity to nurture your baby’s visual development. Changing diapers means removing layers of clothing, so it is another optimal time to engage in skin to skin contact to foster emotional bonding.

Face to Face

When changing your baby on his back you are closely interacting face to face. Whether raised on change table or laying on the ground with you sitting beside him,  close proximity allows your baby to observe his most favorite plaything, You!

Babies learn social cues by watching your facial expressions. While singing and playing with baby use exaggerated smiles, looks of surprise, and silly faces. Your baby will study these expressions and try to mirror them. Try sticking out your tongue. You’ll notice even a baby as young as 1-2 months old will start to copy this movement.  Your baby loves to play this game of follow the leader!

Your baby’s early language development also starts by closely observing your face. Watching the movement patterns of your tongue, mirroring the shapes your mouth makes.  Exaggerated toning and tongue motions on sounds like “la” and clicks and clacks provide great entertainment for your baby, while learning some of the basic foundations of spoken language. Poems, songs, conversations with your baby all continue to foster and support his language development.

Skin to Skin

Soft as a baby’s bottom.  You have probably caressed and stroked your baby’s skin, enjoying the sweet softness. Your baby also benefits greatly from your touch. When your baby is born skin-to-skin contact helps her regulate her body temperature, heart rate, and breathing. Skin to skin contact also increases levels of Oxytocin in both you and your baby, a feel good hormone that is directly responsible for milk flow during breast feeding.

When your baby is distressed your familiar touch comforts and soothes your baby, reducing stress levels. Even as your baby grows older and more independent, daily skin-to-skin contact continues to nurture emotional bonding, reduces anxiety, increase self-esteem and your baby’s confidence in exploring her world.

Diaper Change Games

All about the face:

Eyes, nose, cheeky, cheeky, chin

(Touch each body part as you sing)

Eyes, Nose, Cheeky, Cheeky, Chin

Eyes, Nose, Cheeky, Cheeky, Chin

Eyes, Nose, Cheeky, Cheeky, Chin

Cheeky, Cheeky, Chin, Nose, Eyes!

The Moon is Round

The moon is round as round can be (gently circle baby’s face with fingers)

Two eyes, one nose, one mouth (gently touch each body part)

Like me! (point to yourself)

  • Bring your face close to your baby’s and gently touch each body part as you sing the rhyme.
  • Repeat rhyme a few times, your baby loves the sound of your voice, your touch, and learning from repetition.
  • Sing the rhyme with actions once before changing your baby’s diaper. While changing her diaper continue to sing the song without actions. Once the diaper has been changed sing the song again with actions.
  • When your baby is between 4-5 months and has mastered grasping objects, offer him your finger and sing the rhyme while gently guiding your baby’s hand to the body parts on your face. This reinforces to your baby that you have the same body parts.

Upper and lower

Pat-a-Cake

Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, Baker’s Man! (clap baby’s hands together)

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

Roll it! (roll baby’s arms)

Stretch it! (stretch baby’s arms)

Mark it with a B (draw a B on baby’s belly)

And put it in the oven for Baby and Me (point to baby and to yourself)

  • This poem brings your baby’s attention to her upper body.  At around 3 months of age your baby will begin to voluntarily reach towards and grasp objects and develop the hand eye coordination to bring hands together.
  • At around 6 months your baby will have developed the fine motor skills to begin to uncurl her hands and voluntarily release as well as grasp objects. This allows her more freedom in exploring her fine motor skills and she may slap her hands together.
  • At around 8 months you baby will have the ability to control the amount of pressure she claps her hands with to she her pleasure for a situation. If this is a game she enjoys she may continue to show her desire to play by clapping after you have finished the game.

Buckle my Shoe

One, two,  (gently bicycle baby’s legs)

buckle my shoe. (tap baby’s feet together)

Three, four, (gently bicycle baby’s legs)

shut the door. (open and close baby’s legs)

Five, six, (gently bicycle baby’s legs)

pick up sticks.(lift baby’s legs up)

Seven, eight, (gently bicycle baby’s legs)

lay them straight. (stretch baby’s legs out)

Nine, ten, (gently bicycle baby’s legs)

a big fat hen! (tickle baby)

  • This poem brings your baby’s attention to his lower body.  As early as two months your baby will begin to explore flexion and extension by kicking and cycling his legs. By 3 months he can bring his feet together flexing his knees into a frog leg position.
  • By 5 months your baby will be able to bring his feet to his mouth or his hands to his feet, crossing the midline for the body while remaining in a supine position. This cross lateral movement will continued to be explored over the next few months as your baby prepares for creeping and crawling..
  • At 6 months your baby will discover how to move his upper and lower body in unison, by exploring with baby pushups! Isn’t he strong!

From head to toes:

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Knees and Toes

Knees and Toes

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Eyes, Ears, Mouth and Nose!

  • These rhymes increases your baby’s spatial awareness and body awareness by directing his attention from his head to toes. Between 4-5 months your baby may bring his hands to his knees or feet in response the stimulation you provide after this game.  Don’t be surprised if he puts his feet in his mouth for further tactile exploration.

Written by Jessica Baudin-Griffin B. Ed. , owner and artistic director of J’Adore Dance. As a developmental dance educator she believes anyone and everyone can dance! Jessica’s blog ( www.intellidance.ca ) was voted second place in Alberta’s Top 10 Mama Bloggers – Page 18 in our Fall issue!

Photo courtesy of Blackbird Photography

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8 Easy Steps To Almost Automatic Dinners

25 Nov

I LOVE my dishwasher. No, I don’t mean like. I loooooove my dishwasher!

 
When my husband and I were first married we lived in a one bedroom apartment overlooking the back wall of a car dealership. Noisy, boring view, a sauna in the summer and NO DISHWASHER! (Yes, I married him for love, not money!) When we purchased our first home three years later you’d better believe it had a dishwasher! Even though it was old, noisy and baked on anything sticky, it was a step up from hand-washing!!

 
A few years ago when my old dishwasher broke down I was delighted to find a Maytag washer with an Auto Clean feature. It senses how dirty the dishes are and adjusts the cycle length and setting accordingly. Quiet, water and energy-saving and a stress-buster to boot!

 
Do You Need An “Auto – sensor cycle” for Meal Planning? Don’t you wish you could load your dishwasher with the ingredients and have a meal come out at the end of the cycle that suits you and your family perfectly? What if you could do it in 8 easy steps? Interested??? 8 steps To “Almost” Automatic Meal Planning

 
First… the meal plan
1. Set your timer for 30 minutes so you know when this task starts AND ends.

 
2. Pick 5 of your favorite dinner recipes. If you can, get input from your family so there’s a least one favorite meal for each person during the week. (They’ll be more likely to help out if they like what they’ll be eating!)

 
3. Check your cupboards, fridge and freezer for what you already have on hand.

 
4. Write a grocery list based on your favorite grocery store lay-out. List the meat, dairy and frozen foods last on your list so they stay cold. Ding goes the timer! First cycle done!

 
Next…. to the grocery store
5. FOLLOW YOUR LIST WHEN IN THE STORE! Don’t impulse-buy unless it’s for something you would normally buy that’s on sale and you can use up before the best-before date.

 
6. When you get home, put the perishable items in the fridge and freezer right away. Brown ground meat while you’re putting away the rest of the groceries. Slice, portion, bag and label meat for your recipes for the week. Refrigerate enough for three days; freeze the remainder.

 
7. Set out your first dinner recipe on the counter. Put out the non-perishable items (ie: spices, soup tins, pasta) and equipment you need. Ding! Second cycle done!

 

 
Finally … when you get home from work
8. Don’t change out of your work clothes! Slip on an apron, put on the timer and get dinner started! Tell your family NOT to interrupt you until the timer goes off. (They’ll live without you for 20 minutes. Really truly, they will! Or pop in a DVD to occupy them.) You’ll be amazed at how automatic this becomes. AND how delicious! All done! Dinner’s ready!

 
While your dishwasher is humming along taking care of the dishes, you can plan, shop, prepare and store the food you need for a week’s worth of meals! If you follow the 8 easy steps to almost automatic meal planning starting THIS WEEK, you will have a clearer focus at work, cut down on frantic runs to the grocery store and eliminate phone calls to numbers with 7’s and 3’s in them. PLUS, you’ll make healthier choices for yourself and your family. I can just feel your stress plummeting. How easy was that?

 


About the author: Work-life balance expert, Lynn Fraser of families are worth it!, coaches you to streamline the small stuff and pare down your life, so you can be doing what you REALLY want to do(from yoga to yachting) with the people you LOVE to be with.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Meal Planning

It’s Toy Shopping Season!

23 Nov

As we approach the Christmas season, it can be overwhelming to choose just the right gifts for our loved ones (especially when it comes to toys for the kids). There is so much to choose from and with all the sales and deals out there, it’s even more enticing to buy just about every toy out there!

 

Here are a few points to keep you on track when shopping for toys this holiday season:

Make a wish-list
Narrow down the toy options to makes it easier to focus. There are a lot of toys out there, and kids ask for everything. Your child has likely already made it known what’s on their wish-list this year and you may have scoped out suitable options yourself throughout the year.

Set a budget and stick to it
It is so easy to get carried away and spend too much. If you can stick to your budget, it will ease the stress of overspending, minimize post-purchase regrets and you’ll enter the new year without a ton of debt. But be realistic when setting your budget. It should be based on what you can afford – not what you WANT to spend.

Plan ahead
Many of us are “last-minute” shoppers, but many stores offer amazing deals and discounts in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Take advantage of the discounts to help save money but keep to the plan. Just because we saved some money doesn’t mean that we should go on a shopping spree! Making your purchases in advance allows you to get your wanted items before they are out of stock and then you are not scrambling for last-minute ideas.

Be practical
We all endeavour to make each Christmas as memorable and fun for our kids as much as we can. But be realistic in your choice of toy. Think about the age-appropriateness of the toy and how practical that toy may be in your child’s life. You may want to choose a toy option that will hold your child’s attention for a long time; one that has multiple uses and can be used at different stages in your child’s development. Remember: quality over quantity!

Have fun
Don’t forget that the holidays are about creating special memories with your loved ones. Christmas shopping can be stress-free and a fun experience too. Just keep in mind the points above and think of the excitement your choices will bring to your little ones.

Written by Narissa Singh, owner of Play & Learn Toys ( www.playandlearntoys.ca ). A family operated, online specialty toy store based in Sherwood Park, Alberta, the go-to source for unique toys that inspire learning and creativity. From our family to yours, we wish you all best for a safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Baby, Edmonton, Holiday Season, Toddler

Baby Spinal Development

17 Nov

“Stand up straight!” We have all heard this at some point in our lives. And while the intention of encouraging proper spinal alignment is good, our spines are actually not straight, nor should they ever be to properly balance us through day-to-day activity and to support our muscles and organs. A properly developed spine is actually shaped like an elongated S. The first year of life and the movement experiences you provide your baby are key to the proper spinal development.

 

The Primary Curve: C shape

When your baby is first born, his spine will have a convex curve in the shape of the letter C. This spinal alignment is called the primary curve and develops in utero.  Your newborn does not yet have the muscle strength to hold up his head and needs to be carried carefully with his head and neck fully supported.

You will also notice your newborn will tuck her legs into a frog leg position, thighs pulling up toward the chest, while laying on her belly or when you pick her up. This fetal tuck allows your baby to maintain her primary curve alignment, reducing the pressure on the spine and hips (Kirkilionis, 2002). The fetal tuck is also the most calming position for your baby, as she will use less oxygen and conserve her energy, and she’ll waste fewer calories and digest her food better. It is also the best position for regulating body temperature. (Montagu, 1986)

The Secondary Curve: Cervical

Over the first few months after birth your baby will begin to interact with the world around him. He will lift his head to look around, engage with you, or turn to the direction of noise or light that catches his attention. As your baby moves through these experiences, he is developing the muscles in his neck and developing the secondary curve of his upper spine, the cervical curve.

The best way to encourage your baby’s cervical curve is to give her plenty of tummy time.  Arching her neck against the pull of gravity will strengthen her neck muscles.  But don’t forget your baby is a social creature who does not enjoy being without you for a long period of time. While a toy, mirror, or other object may provide a few minutes of entertainment in tummy time, after a while your baby will grow tired of being without you and likely show her dissatisfaction by fussing and crying.  To create a tummy time environment your baby will enjoy:

  • Begin tummy time after your baby has just napped and/or eaten. A well-rested, well-fed baby will be less fussy.
  • Strip him down to a onesie or diaper with his arms, hands, and feet bare to provide grip without the chance of slipping.
  • Place her on a smooth surface like a hardwood floor or kitchen floor, this also will allow her to ground her body and allows for the opportunity to move if pushing backwards or belly creeping.
  • Turn up the heat by a few degrees, a few minutes prior to tummy time so baby will be warm and comfortable on the ground.
  • Get down on the floor on your tummy facing him or lay on your side beside him, so he knows you are close by and ready to engage him.
  • Sing, talk, play peek-a-boo, read her a story, practice eye tracking, etc. Providing interaction will create a positive association with tummy time and increase her independence in this position. Tummy Time= Play Time!
  • Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of tummy time daily. This can happen in 5-10 minute intervals throughout the day.

The Final Curve: Lumbar

The final spinal curve develops in the lower back and is called the Lumbar Curve. The lumbar curve starts to develop when your baby begins to creep and crawl.  In order for the lumbar curve and the surrounding muscles to develop properly, give your baby as much opportunity as possible to creep, crawl, and play on his tummy.  The lumbar curve provides for proper postural alignment. Your baby will complete his spinal development between 12-18 months, once he has mastered walking upright.

Slow and steady…

Avoid the urge to rush your baby through any stage of her spinal development. Placing her in containers or toys that impede her movement, or placing her in a position she cannot support on her own can delay your baby’s development or create long term spinal issues.

Spending too much time in a container on or his back can cause issues with your baby’s spinal development. Swings, bouncy seats, and even strollers keep baby in the C curve position, so the cervical and lumbar spine do not have the opportunity to develop. Without tummy time, he cannot exercise his muscles to provide him with the strength he needs to move through important milestones, such as rolling, sitting and crawling.  While these containers can provide your baby with a safe place to lay while you tend to other day-to-day tasks, avoid overusing them and try to balance this time spent in them with the same amount of tummy time.

When your baby is placed in a sitting position before she is ready, this puts the entire weight of her head on her spine. When the spine and surrounding muscles have not developed the strength to properly support this weight, it can lead to the risk of spinal degeneration or issues with the surrounding organs. Toys such as exersaucers, jumpers, or baby seats should not be used until your baby can sit on her own.  Even once your baby is able to self-support a seated position, these toys should be used in moderation, as she does not have the freedom to move. Your baby still has many other muscles and movements she needs to develop on her tummy to help promote crawling and eventually walking.

Written by Jessica Baudin-Griffin B. Ed. , owner and artistic director of J’Adore Dance. As a developmental dance educator she believes anyone and everyone can dance! Jessica’s blog ( www.intellidance.ca ) was voted second place in Alberta’s Top 10 Mama Bloggers – Page 18 in our Fall issue!

***Giveaway*** From J’Adore Dance & UI! Comment on this blog (your email address does not show publicly) and you will be entered to win a set of six Intellidance Shakers!! The draw will be done November 25th!

6 Comments · Filed Under: Baby, Development, Edmonton

Baby-Led Weaning: A Hands-On Approach to Introducing Solids

15 Nov

As a first time parent, I am always thrilled every time my son achieves a milestone.  I love it all:  the very first moments of curiosity, the tentative first attempts, and the smile that beams with pride when he overcomes the challenge.  I strive to let him go at his own pace, encouraging him without pushing him; helping him grow into his own ways and personality.

This is why I was so drawn to the concept behind baby-led weaning, an increasingly popular approach to baby-feeding. Pioneered by Gill Rapley, baby-led weaning is described as “a way of introducing solid foods that allows babies to feed themselves”. The premise is simple: babies who are biologically ready for solids will show both the interest and the ability to feed themselves foods that are appropriate for their development.

They can start as young as six months old; with small, easy to chew finger foods such as pieces of avocado or cooked sweet potato. Eventually, they graduate to using cutlery to eat more complex, prepared foods. Through it all, they are encouraged to exercise choice in what foods and quantities they will eat.

It’s all about hands-on learning; purees and spoon-feeding are discouraged. A child is presented with an assortment of bite-sized options and encouraged to eat as much (or as little) as they want. Rather than leading the feeding process, parents act more as guides, setting the stage by providing various healthy food options, and allowing nature to take its course. Of course, you’ll also want to make sure that you’re equipped with an excellent oversized bib and cleaning supplies, since baby-led weaning can get awfully messy! But- really- a little spaghetti-hair never hurt anyone!

Aside from building up their taste buds, self-feeding allows babies to practice several other invaluable skills. The act of picking up small finger foods encourages fine motor skill development, and eating with spoon helps increase hand-eye coordination. Moreover, self-feeding also encourages children to be independent and to exercise judgement in deciding which foods they prefer and how much they would like to eat.

As with everything, it is important to practice proper safety procedures when encouraging self-feeding.  Most children are ready to begin solids at around six months old, but many will not show interest in self-feeding until several months later.  Children should be able to sit upright on their own and have outgrown their “tongue thrust” reflex, which pushes food out of their mouths. Always check with your paediatrician prior to introducing solids in any form.

While we’ve used purees in our household, we’ve also worked hard to create an environment where our son can explore food on his own terms. From his first taste of avocado a year ago, to the Indian food buffet last week, we’ve been surprised and amazed at how his food preferences have developed over time. Now, at 17 months, he enjoys a wide variety of foods and is excited to be learning how to use his own “big boy” cutlery.

Through it all, we’ve made a ton of messy memories, have shared laughter and have loved having our son actively participate in our family meals. We’ve also learned that he hates spinach and watermelon…but that’s another story altogether.

For more information on baby led weaning including recipes and age-based guidelines, we recommend “Baby Led Weaning” by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett (www.baby-led.com).

Zita Dube-Lockhart has worked in early childhood development for over 5 years. She is now a business consultant with Ignite Strategic Solutions, and greatly enjoys working with many of Edmonton’s child-focused businesses and products.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Baby, Edmonton, nutrition, Solids, Weaning

Get the Right Nutrients for a Healthy Pregnancy

11 Nov

Congratulations! Over the next nine months your body will undergo dramatic changes as your baby grows. And at no other time in your life is good nutrition so important. Eating a well-balanced diet, high in nutrients, is one of the most important things you can do to ensure the future health of both you and your baby. You probably are already getting advice on what you should and shouldn’t eat!

 

  • Eat 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetable each day – Eat lots of fruits and vegetables  and remember if you drink juice, make sure it is 100% pure fruit juice. Choose colourful vegetables and fruits whenever you can. These are a great source of folate, vitamins and fibre.
  • Eat 6-7 servings of Grain Products each day – Choose whole grain breads, cereals, crackers, pasta and rice. Grain products are a great source of carbohydrate (energy), iron and fibre.
  • Eat 3 servings of milk and alternatives each day – Milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, cheese and foods made with milk are all great sources of calcium and protein. If you can’t drink milk, fortified soy milk is a healthy alternative. Non-dairy foods also contain calcium, such as canned salmon with the bones, broccoli, and almonds.
  • Eat 2 servings of meats and alternatives each day – For a great source of iron and protein choose leaner meat, fish and poultry or meat alternatives such as eggs, lentils, beans, tofu and peanut butter. Eat regular meals. Remember that if you don’t eat, neither does your baby.
  • Eat breakfast every day. Breakfast is an important meal to start off the day and if you skip breakfast you will probably not be able to make up those nutrients lost. Take a prenatal vitamin every day – Remember a prenatal vitamin does not reduce or replace healthy eating. It will help you get the extra vitamins and minerals you need while you are pregnant.

Excerpt from Building Blocks to a Healthy Baby – Fall 2010, written by Orysha Maximchuk, a Registered Dietitian with Wholesum Nutrition Consulting Inc. Talk to a Registered Dietitian if you have any other nutrition concerns or questions!

1 Comment · Filed Under: Baby, nutrition, Pregnancy