Toddler Tantrums

We're just beginning to see changes in our nearly 15 month old as he becomes more determined to try things for himself.  He can often squeal or cry out of sheer frustration.

Here's an example ... Jozef now holds his own spoon at meal times.  He gets busy tapping the spoon into his bowl, and licking whatever manages to stick.  Mummy holds another spoon so she can feed him and then everyone is happy.  With just ONE spoon the concept of "sharing" or of "Mummy helping" is too much to handle (pardon the pun) and not understood at this age!

• Schedule LESS!

Frustration, crying and meltdowns can appear when little ones are over- tired, over-stimulated or their energy levels are low and they are hungry.

Check to ensure that you are not over-scheduling.

A limit of only 2 - 3 outings each week works well for Jozef and I.  This could mean going for a 1 - 2 hour walk, going to church, seeing the Doctor, doing the grocery shopping, visiting the acquarium, a museum or library, going to a playgroup with other children, visiting a friend for a playdate or inviting friends over.

I would be the one having the meltdown if we were out every day (although it is good to step outside for half an hour to get some fresh air, even at -10 degrees celsius and below!).

• Ignore the meltdown - walk away if you have to

Try not giving the behaviour an audience - simply walk away if you have to, if you are not able to ignore, then ...

• Distract them

Take them to another play area in the house, put on some music, sit somewhere quiet and read a book, perhaps even ask to park your grocery trolley - leave the store and come back when things are settled down, find a quiet place to sit and observe what is happening around you (try and avoid being caught up in the moment).

I'd love to hear what works FOR YOU, when dealing with those toddler tantrums and mini meltdowns.

Beating those winter blues

To help beat those winter blues 

(especially when the skies are cloudy and grey)

remember to eat well, sleep well, get some exercise and take Vitamin D 

(for both you and your baby)!

Vitamin-D (the sunshine vitamin)

Check with your Doctor for the recommended dose

Winters can be long, and I am always so pleased when we reach the shortest day and evenings start to get a little brighter and the sun sets a little later than 4.30pm in the afternoon.

To keep your spirit's up during those bleak winter weeks try to get outdoors as often as you can, especially with a little one in tow.

Here are some great activities for you and your TOT in winter ...

• Joey's favourite activity is a sled ride round down the street when it is snowing
• Visit your local library (remember to take off your layers, as they are toasty warm places) and bring home a book and dvd
• Sing and dance together ...  Click to order mainly music favourites for children
• Take a trip to your local acquarium and discover the underwater world
• Phone a friend for a play-date
• Join a daycare (garderie) for half a day per month
• Find a playgroup/community activity for you and your child (at least twice per month)

the view from our home office in winter

Toys Babies and Toddlers will LOVE

Are you having difficulty deciding what good toys to buy for your baby or toddler?

Before our son was born I was invited to the home of a friends' daughter to help clear out her garage packed with toys.  Her children were no longer toddlers and hubby was wanting the garage space.

I chose some wonderful toys that have blessed my son with many hours of happy playing.

Below are some great ideas for toys that my son has grown to love ... still available today NEW at Walmart or Toys R Us and online at Amazon.com

Here are a selection of toys suitable for 6 to 12 months.

 Our son has two toys that are similar to this one combination (a toy he can ride and one he can walk behind).

Here's another model where they learn to stand from a sitting position.

Blocks and puzzle shapes are a MUST HAVE.

LAMAZE toys are bright and fun (they keep little ones entertained using touch and feel, and sounds) ... great for the stroller or  riding in the car.


I know of Mums who swear by Sophie as a teether.  

Our son has a much older version of this model toy where they push or turn buttons to see the pals POP UP!  The model we have is also numbered with each colour.

If you are living in Quebec-city then Reno-Jouets is a great place to shop for toys too.  It is a second-hand toy store located in a warehouse not so far from Costco on Avenue Watt, in the St Foy region.

http://www.reno-jouets.ca

Board Books Babies will LOVE ...

My son LOVES books!

I started reading to him from around 4 weeks of age, and now each morning we sit down and read at least FIVE lovely stories from his book bag (books for older children), and then I leave him to read his very own board books throughout the day.

Here are some wonderful board books that Master J has grown to love:

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear (Slide and Find), by Eric Carle
• Giraffes Can't Dance, by Giles Andreae, Guy Parker-Rees
• Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack, by Lynley Dodd
• I am a Train (Scholastic)
• Spot at the Fair, by Eric Hill
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Child car-seat Safety ... keep them REAR FACING for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!

During the Christmas and New Year period I was reminded of the importance of travelling safely with young children in the car.  Many of us travel long distances in rough wintery conditions in North America.

My husband and I researched models of car seats for our young son as he had began to outgrow his infant baby carrier car-seat.  By the time he had reached the age of 7 months (he was in the 85 percentile range for both height and weight) and we needed to upgrade his car-seat. 

We agreed to keep our young son rear-facing for as long as possible, and purchased a Britax Boulevard.  We are very happy with the side impact protection feature.  It is a sturdy child safety seat and can be used both rear-facing, and front-facing (up to 60lbs).  The seat does take up a lot of space (we have a 1800cc Toyota Corolla 4 door sedan), but we believe it is worth it.

Check out this video clip ... Child car seat safety - The Importance of a Rear-facing Child car seat

And a true story of a crash with a child front facing ... Joel at 18 months of age and just after the crash

We also invested in a Baby Bjorn travel crib that doubles as a play pen, at home, when needed.  We have taken the travel crib on several short holidays (as it packs down the size of a small weekend suitcase), and to friends' homes when we are invited for meals.  J happily goes down for a nap or to sleep in the evenings.

Children's Birthday Party ... how to keep it stress free!

Here are several of my handy hints to help keep your child’s birthday party stress free:

•  Invite your guests at least two weeks ahead of time (one week at the very latest – with a phone call, followed by an email).
•  Buy your child’s gift at least one month ahead of time (it is very stressful to be rushing around shops at the last minute).  NB: Don’t forget to buy or make a card too!
• Wrap your child’s gift at least 2 days before the event.  Younger children love tearing the paper off a big boxed gift (don’t fuss too much – just wrap some nice paper around the middle of a huge box, stick a big bow on the top and they will be delighted … my one year old son was happily helped into the box to play with his friend.
• Keep the food simple … birthday cake, fresh fruit, light snacks - something sweet, something savoury, plus a nice big plate of homemade egg sandwiches.  Cheese-on-wholewheat toast and home made cereal cookies (for enfants and toddlers) keeps them happy.
• Make the cake one week ahead of time and freeze (Pound Cake is great!).
• Sandwiches can be made right after dinner the night before the event, and kept in the refrigerator overnight – ensure you lay a damp paper towel on top of the sandwiches and cover completely with cling wrap to keep them airtight (Tip: boil the eggs while making dinner and let them cool).
• Hang the balloons and decorations the night before, when the house is quiet and everyone is asleep.
• 3.00pm is a great start time for an afternoon tea party (ensure your little one has an early afternoon nap around 12.30pm).
• 2 hours is sufficient time for a party (guests and children will be winding down around 5.00pm).
• Be prepared that your guests will arrive up to 30 minutes late!
• Cook the hot food ahead of time (pastries, savouries no more than half an hour before the party start time and keep them warm in a warmer drawer).  If you cook them when guests arrive it can be a big distraction, as you will find yourself running in and out of the kitchen.
• Be relaxed – have hubby or a friend handy with the camera (as you will be tied up making hot drinks, comforting your little one or helping them play with their friends, all while playing hostess to everyone).
• Remember to take a photo of your beloved with your child! (Don’t leave them holding the camera all night, and be disappointed there is no photograph of them!)
• On his 1^st Birthday my son gobbled down one piece of birthday cake, one cereal cookie, one piece of cheese on toast and one Cadbury Chocolate Finger plus a bottle of milk before happily going to bed by 5.30pm!

Enjoy!

Songs to sing and sign with your baby

Babies love the sound of your voice, lots of eye contact and follow carefully any gestures you make.

Here are a few fun songs to sing and baby sign to your little one. These songs are sung to some very familiar sounding old tunes ...

(to the tune of She'll be coming round the mountain)

Oh it's time to change your nappy, 'cause it's wet, cause it's wet
Oh it's time to change your nappy, 'cause it's wet, 'cause it's wet
Oh it's time to change your nappy, it's time to change your nappy,
Oh it's time to change nappy, cause it's wet.

(to the tune of Row, Row your Boat)

Wash, wash, wash your face.
Wash your little face.
Pour the water on your face.
And Wash your little face.

This is also a great way to learn new words.

Have a go yourself. Perhaps even make up some words to the sound of your favourite tunes.

Enjoy!

Saline solution for babies and toddlers

From the age of 3 months, I cleared my son's nose with a home-made saline solution, not more than once a week.

He remained free from coughs, colds and a runny nose until he was around 18 months of age.

The saline solution helped to loosen any build up in the nostrils.  Do not overuse.

I made a fresh batch of saline solution each time.

Saline solution for the nose:
Add 2.5ml (1/2 level teaspoon) of salt, never more, to 250 ml (8oz) of cooled boiled water.  Boil the water for at least a minute before cooling.  Use a good quality sea salt. Measure quantities accurately.

Cleaning your Infant's nose:

• Lay baby on their back.
• Place a full dropper (1ml) of salt water (saline solution) in each nostril.
• Clean inside very gently with a cotton swab (Q-tip) to catch any build up.  Use a new Q-tip for each nostril.

If there is any sign of a cold or congestion, apply another full (1ml) dropper of the saline solution in each nostril. Clean your dropper between applications, to avoid contamination.

When my baby was around 9 months of age I began showing them how to gently blow air through his nostrils. Blowing bubbles in the bath (face under the water), and blowing a cotton ball across the table, pushing air through your nostrils, is a great way for little ones to watch and learn!

Cleaning a Toddler's nose
Beyond the age of 12 months my son became too fussy to have his nose cleaned while laying on his back.  So, I began using Hydrasense when I noticed congestion (which rarely occurred).  Now 4 years old he uses a tissue when he needs one, and continues to remain free from any serious coughs and colds.

If you are using any type of nostril aspiration/suction system, then you will need to reassure your infant before and during the process. I was only able to use a nasal aspirator once with my son.  The sound of the mucus being sucked out of his nose gave him a fright.

Hydrasense is a saline mist that is great for adults and children with sinus, colds and nasal congestion.  There is a very gentle mist for children.  Use cautiously on children under 18 months of age.  Check with your pharmacist first.  Hydrasense is available in Canada and major pharmacies, and at well.ca (online, with free delivery).

I have used the Hydrasense spray mist, with my son, once or twice when there has been signs of nasal congestion, between the age of 18 months and 2 years.  I believe, if there are no major health issues, then the less intervention, the better.  

Hydrasense helps sore throats, colds and sinus problems, especially during North American winters when homes have much lower humidity because of our winter heating.

eat, play, sleep

Eat, play, sleep ... that is all your little one and YOU need do for at least the first 6 weeks!

When they are very young eat, play, sleep happens often. Sleeping takes up most of the time, next to eating and play is only for very short periods during the day.

As babies get older, anytime from 6 weeks on (or in my son's case at 3 and a half months of age) babies can and do stretch out their feeds during the night and sleep up to 6 hours quite easily.

Remember an older waking baby may not always be hungry (he may need a little soother, stroking for reassurance). Try and not pick them up or talk to them when they have woken during the night as this will send them a confusing message. They may think they are getting up to eat and play again. A hungry baby will not take a soother for too long before he is crying again.

eat
Milk feeds can be every 2 to 3 hours and last up to 40 minutes. As your newborns gets older you may notice they feed more quickly. By 6 weeks of age my son was done with one side of the breast in 10 minutes, sometimes less.

play
To encourage a burp, gently stroke the back of your baby, in an upwards motion on the left side. Ensure you are stroking their back well above the kidney area. Chat or sing to your little one. My son enjoyed being held with his arms up and over the top of my shoulder (while waiting for him to burp).

This is all part of play.

Sing a song, say a nursery rhyme or read a book. It is never to early to start reading to your child.

sleep
Then get ready to change their diaper (make it a short time of play), sing a little more, give them a cuddle and talk about getting ready to go to sleep.

At 8.5 months of age I still sing this little song to my son (while signing to him) to the tune of 'Frére Jacques' after changing his diaper ready for bed...

"Are you sleepy? Are you sleepy?
Baby mine, Baby mine,
Now it's time for bed, Now it's time for bed,
Time to sleep, Time to sleep

Try putting your baby down to sleep within 20 to 30 minutes of a feed. Watch for the signs that your little one is ready to sleep. Are they rubbing their eyes, pulling their ears, or giving a small yawn. The sooner you can put them to bed after catching that first sign of sleepiness the easier it will be for you, and baby will go off to sleep well.

Awake time = 1 to 1.5 hours (up to 3 to 4 months of age)
Sleep time = 2 to 3 hours (up to 3 to 4 months of age)

For extra help and ideas go to http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz for articles on baby sleep.

Hope for the future

'Hope' and 'change' seem to be the latest buzzwords. Many people pin their hopes and dreams on other people, and are often left disappointed and let down. The harsh reality is that not one of us is perfect.

Where is there hope for the future? Who can we put our trust in today?

As a new mum, I find myself 'hoping and praying' that my baby will settle quickly. There are just so many things to catch up on during a one and a half hour nap time... washing, cooking, cleaning, answering messages, making appointments and so on - not to mention getting a little rest too!

When we are out and about my young son is often complemented on being happy and calm. He seems to be able to take most things in his stride, and with a cry lets me know when he is not right. Is he hungry? Does he need to sleep or a nappy change? Has a toy escaped his reach, or, would he simply like a cuddle? I can hear my baby now as he wakes from his morning nap, babbling away to himself. At eight months, he is experiencing change everyday. This week he is now able to hold and feed himself from a bottle (which gives me confidence that he could be weaned at any time). He has eaten home made chicken liver puree (for the very first time), as babies around 9 months need a good source of iron rich foods. And he has learned to make the consonant 'ba ba ba ba.' His future is going to be filled with many new experiences!

Babies need to know there is security around them, and there is a sense of rhythm in their life. Too many changes, too quickly and they easily become unsettled.

Are you struggling with how much your life has changed since your newborn arrived? Have you lost hope that you'll be able to do the things that you loved doing before this little bundle came along?

Stay focussed on the task at hand for now and allow yourself to catch a glimpse of the future when you can.

Life is different now and the rewards are immeasurable. As parents we have the priveleged task of teaching our children to become kind, compassionate, well educated neighbours and friends.