Category Archives: Parenting

Dish Towels, memories, Christmas, kids craft, homemade, gift, holidays, present, toddler, http://www.adaptivemom.com, hands, feet, moose, Rudolph, angel, Christmas tree, penguin, Santa hat, Santa Clause, Mistletoe, mistletoes

Homemade Christmas Memories

 

Dish Towels, memories, Christmas, kids craft, homemade, gift, holidays, present, toddler, http://www.adaptivemom.com, hands, feet, moose, Rudolph, angel, Christmas tree, penguin, Santa hat, Santa Clause, Mistletoe, mistletoes

Last year, I decided to do a “Pintrest Christmas”. My son was still very small and napping a lot so it was a great way to spend some quality time with my daughter. We made enough of these dish towels (ok, so technically they’re linen napkins because I couldn’t find towels, but you get the point) to give 2 or 3 to every family member. It was NOT a task completed in one day or even one week. We just tried to utilize every free moment we had and lil Imp didn’t seem to mind all the child labor…as long as she got to squish her fingers and toes in messy paint after she finished “working”!

Of course, these designs can be used on any medium…use your imagination…plates, canvas, holiday cards, etc…this is just what we chose to use because they were small and easily stored for next year.

Supplies

  • Linen or cheese cloth dish towels (we found ours in 2 packs at Old Time Pottery far $2.50/ pack). White may work better, but red and green seemed more festive….and by all means buy EXTRAS for oopsies!
  • Nontoxic fabric paint
  • Sponge paint brushes
  • At least one set of adorably cute and small hands and feet

That’s it!

Dish Towels, memories, Christmas, kids craft, homemade, gift, holidays, present, toddler, http://www.adaptivemom.com, hands, feet, moose, Rudolph, angel, Christmas tree, penguin, Santa hat, Santa Clause, Mistletoe, mistletoes

Homemade Christmas Memories: Hands and Feet

We used only one body part and one color per session. Lil Imp had just turned 3 and her attention span was a bit limited. This technique required a bit more planning and organization on my part, but the last thing I wanted was an impatient toddler with painted feet stomping off in a tantrum!

Dish Towels, memories, Christmas, kids craft, homemade, gift, holidays, present, toddler, http://www.adaptivemom.com, hands, feet, moose, Rudolph, angel, Christmas tree, penguin, Santa hat, Santa Clause, Mistletoe, mistletoes

Homemade Christmas Memories: Feet

This craft is perfect for a parent and/or child with limited mobility. There is no cutting or building and the painting requires very passive movement.

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Homemade Christmas Memories: Hands

 I squirted paint on a paper plate, painted her hand or foot with fresh paint for each print, guided her for placement, then repeated. The planning and organization really came into play when we created the designs that required both hands, both feet, and/or all of the above. When all was printed and dry, I added the small details, names, and dates.

After each session was complete, we used the excess paint to “decorate” the paper plate. When the last towel was finished, I let her create her own “freestyle” prints on all of our “oopsies” towels.

*Remember: Don’t forget to label and date every design! If you ever repeat this craft with another, or even the same child, you’ll want to be able to tell them apart.

What are your favorite holiday crafts to make with your kids?

Babies and Language

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A dear friend of mine is from Ukraine and she and her husband primarily speak Russian in their home. Since her children are close in age to my own (and we enjoy the same vintage of red wine), we have frequent play dates. As a nerdy Speech-Language Pathologist mama, I can’t even begin to tell you how cool it has been to watch my daughter and her son play as they were both learning to communicate. My daughter spoke English and he a mixture of tones and sounds with some words tossed in here and there. As a mom I had no idea what they were “talking” about, but they never seemed to miss a beat in their communication.

As I began to research for this post, I realized how truly remarkable their early communication really was.

An article on LiveScience.com entitled How Bilingual Babies Keep Languages Separate, reported that “bilingual tots use qualities like pitch and duration of sounds to keep two languages separate”.

Studies show that infants and toddlers who grow up in bilingual homes often mix the two languages they hear in their home. Even babbling babies have been noted to babble differently according to the language of their communication partner (Johnstone, 2004). This is called code-switching.

Check out this amazing video of a baby using German with Papa until the moment he sees his Mama and switches to Japanese.

Ganishi (1975) found that 4 to 6-year old children consistently applied the situational rule that they speak the language their listener knew best. Other studies have noted this code-switching as early as 3 years old!

A helpful article in understanding bilingual babies was in The New York Times entitled Hearing Bilingual: How Babies Sort out Language by Perri Klass, M.D.

Here are a few key points from this article:

  • Researchers found that at 6 months, infants who were raised in a single language home could tell the difference between spoken sounds, whether they were spoken in the language the infants were used to hearing or in another language not spoken in their homes. By 10 to 12 months, however, the babies from single language homes were no longer detecting sounds in the second language, only in the language they usually heard.
  • The bilingual infants developed differently. At 6 to 9 months, they did not recognize the differences in spoken sounds in either language, but at 10 to 12 months — they were able to tell the difference between sounds in both languages.
  • “…babies born to bilingual mothers not only prefer both of those languages over others — but are also able to register that the two languages are different.”
  • “bilingual children develop crucial skills in addition to their double vocabularies, learning different ways to solve logic problems or to handle multitasking, skills that are often considered part of the brain’s so-called executive function [i.e. planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, etc].”
  • bilingual babies are “more cognitively flexible”

So what about kids from homes where only one language is spoken?

How can we help our kids stay “cognitively flexible” like the babies from bilingual homes?

Jeanette Vos Ed.D. wrote an excellent, well researched article in Earlychildhood News entitled Can Preschool Children Be Taught a Second Language?

Here are some of the key concepts and quotes from that article:

  • “During the first six months of life, babies babble using 70 sounds that make up all the languages in the world.”
  • “…during the first few years of life, children form their main learning pathways in the brain.”
  • The ideal time to learn a 2nd language is the between ages of 3 and 4
  • Learning a language is natural for children through play and exploration
  • “Children growing up in a well-rounded environment learn to speak at least 2,000 basic words by the time they are four years old.”
  • “…learning a second language [in the preschool years] is as easy as learning the first.”
  • A child’s brain is a “super-sponge” up to the age of 12

The other day I noticed some unfamiliar sounds coming from my daughter’s iPad. When I asked her what she was watching, she replied, “The Little Mermaid”. Baffled, I took a look for myself. Sure enough, she was watching The Little Mermaid…in Russian!

There are tons of resources to expose children to other languages. There are bilingual children’s books, videos, play dates with bilingual families, and even some preschools incorporate an introduction to a second language in their curriculum.

In our home, we practice counting in other languages while friends and family expose my children to other languages and cultures. My mother-in-law is from Vietnam and happily teaches the kids important words and phrases in Vietnamese when she visits. My dad picked up a few words and phrases in German and French while traveling for work and incorporates them into playtime. It’s just that simple.

Learning another language doesn’t need to be a structured daily exercise. When kids are young, their brains are like little sponges. Take advantage of every opportunity provide them a well-rounded environment for learning. Perhaps you may even learn a second language yourself alongside your child! They may not become fluent in a second language by the age of 3, but you will be helping them maintain their “cognitive flexibility” and laying a solid groundwork for them to learn another language when they are ready.

Do you speak more than one language in your home? If not, are you teaching your kids a second language?

References:

Genishi, C. S., (1976). Rules for Code-Switching in Young Spanish-English Speakers: An Exploratory Study of Language Socialization. Dissertation.

 

Ruckabye Baby

Happy Independence Day!

Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. ~Louis D. Brandeis

As we celebrate this Independence Day, I’d like to honor the men and women who have fought for and continue to defend and protect our freedoms. This week’s post is dedicated to an organization that serves our wounded warriors.

Ruckabye Baby – Helping wounded warriors carry on

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Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. ~Moshe Dayan

Ruckabye Baby is a donation-based, 100% volunteer organization devoted to providing wounded warriors with baby carriers to enable them to safely and comfortably hold their children after sustaining debilitating injuries.

As the granddaughter of a General and a mom who is dependent upon babywearing myself, I was inspired by their story…

“Our project began when a dear friend, a Staff Sergeant in the US Army, was severely wounded in an IED explosion. As he slowly learned to function with the loss of both arms and both legs, he realized that the devastating effects of his injuries were farther reaching than the immediate physical concerns; the accident had cost him the ability to hold his 9 month old baby. Our founder responded by buying him a baby carrier, which provided him with a safe and comfortable way to hold and bond with his daughter. In addition, it enabled his wife to carry their daughter while still being able to tend to her husband’s increased needs. After helping him, we realized that he couldn’t be the only soldier with this need and Ruckabye Baby was born.”

Ruckabye Baby’s mission is to provide families of wounded warriors with safe carriers to help the soldier to create a lasting bond between themselves and their babies, as well as to alleviate some of the hardship on the spouse by giving them a hands-free way to care for their baby while assisting their soldier in day-to-day activities that have become their new “normal.” The soldiers and their families are given a carrier and taught how to use that carrier either by a certified member of this project or by an affiliated organization for babywearing to ensure that the baby and the person wearing the baby are safe, comfortable, and happy about their babywearing experience.

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Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Here’s how you can help…

I’d like to challenge everyone who is moved by this cause to donate in celebration of Independence Day.

Are you willing to sacrifice a few fireworks, a steak, or a bottle of wine to donate to such a worthy cause?

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In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

No Fuss, No Muss Homemade Baby Food

With our 1st child I spent hours in the kitchen each week preparing, cooking, and pureeing baby food, then freezing it in ice cube trays or small plastic containers. It was exhausting, messy, and required a lot of cleanup.

On occasion, we splurged and purchased baby food pouches. These things were a godsend! No jars or bowls to scrape or wash. Just squeeze straight into the spoon…or baby. No fuss, no muss, but at $1.50 a pop they were a luxury.

By the time baby #2 was ready to try solids, the pouch craze had peaked and was becoming more accessible. I decided to try the Infantino Squeeze Station. This system enables me to make my own baby food and stuff it into pouches myself. Very little muss, but still a bit of fuss.

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A few months ago I started researching juicing…for myself. We ended up purchasing a Nutri Bullet as a starter juicer and it just so happens that it is also a great tool for making baby food!

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The Nutri Bullet allows me to feed my baby whole raw fruits and veggies…peel and all. If the recipe gets too thin, I just mix in a little steamed rice, quinoa, or organic rice cereal. It’s also great for pureeing steamed or cooked foods.

Teaming the Nutri Bullet with Infantino Squeeze Station makes baby food prep, storage and feeding NO muss, NO fuss! And, if you’re brave, you can even let baby feed himself from the pouch.

Of course, some foods don’t require any special preparation at all and can be served straight from your plate. Once baby can tolerate a bit of texture, rice, quinoa, banana, avocado, potato, and applesauce are great on-the-fly foods for when you’ve not had time to plan ahead. No fuss, but maybe a little muss.

I also use a few strategies from the book Baby-Led Weaning by Tracey Murkett. A cleaned carrot and frozen peas can offer an entire mealtime of enjoyment for a teething baby. Following this method can also be no fuss, mo muss. Baby eats what you eat.

Now for the adaptive part…

The Infantino Squeeze Station is a great piece of adaptive equipment. The entire system is usable for those with limited mobility. However, the plunger makes a very tight seal when pressing the puree into the pouch and is hence a bit difficult to remove one handed. I have a Swedish Cutting Board with a gripping vise that I use to adapt tasks such as this. Cleaning is a bit tedious because there are 6 pieces, but all are dishwasher safe.

The Nutri Bullet is another effort saver. This is one of those rare times when healthier is easier. Most veggies just need to be washed, cut, and tossed in. Fruits may require pitting and peeling, but some can be left intact. If you’re new to whole raw diets, be sure to do your research before diving in. Cleaning is also simple, just 3 pieces to rinse and put in the dishwasher.

Here’s the bottom line…

The Infantino Squeeze Station and Nutri Bullet  will cost you a one time total investment of $143

Empty single use pouches are $17 for 50 pouches (reusable pouches are also a great option, but not compatible with the Squeeze Station) vs. about $75 for 50 commercial baby food pouches.

Knowing everything that goes into your baby for a control freak like me…PRICELESS!

What’s your favorite way to feed your baby solids?

Essante organics sanitizer

Chemicals vs. Baby Poop

This whole “going organic” process has made me painfully aware of how strongly chemicals smell. Products that I’ve used to clean for years and that never bothered me, now make my nose and throat burn…baby poop ain’t got nothing on chemical stench!

I’ve also become more concerned about washing off the chemicals that I touch, than I am about washing up after changing a poopie diaper. That may sound gross to you, but watch 10 Americans or The Toxic Truth and you might understand.

So here’s how I’m adapting

I refilled my Swiffer Wet Jet bottle with a water, vinegar, and organic essential oils  (for a better smell and to condition my wood floors) solution. I also refilled my Scrubbing Bubbles automatic shower sprayer with a water and vinegar solution. I am replacing all of our sanitizers with an organic sanitizer, because bacteria & fungi find it almost impossible to survive in 100% stabilized oxygen, the primary active ingredient in Essante Organics Sanitizer. This stuff is safe enough to spray on my baby, yet powerful enough to sanitize our toilets!

You don’t necessarily have to give up your conveniences to live chemical free. Just find ways to adapt the products you love.

Sanitizer