Healthy Children Resources

Came across this web site the other day thanks to a Tweet and thought I would share. It is pretty comprehensive and easy to search.

Meal Planning

One of the hardest things for me about being a working mom is making dinner. I have found that our biggest dinner time successes with our toddler are when we all sit down together: He eats more, experiments more, and we all have a great time.
I also think this is an important part of family life and want to maintain sit-down, no TV, family dinners as often as we can and for as many years as we can.

It is challenging because getting home from work and cooking a meal we can all enjoy before bed time is tough. This is also the time when I want to spend some time with my toddler. I have found planning the week's menu ahead helps a lot and I find Sundays are a good day to do this, but you need to pick a day before grocery day.


I also find that engaging my toddler in making supper with me helps me spend time with him and get supper ready. But it all depends on the recipe how well this works out!
Here are some helpful links I found:

Epicurious - When you pick a recipe you can automatically create a shopping list.

Today's Parent Menu Planner

Here's a free menu planning system Busy Meals (this web site is strange - I can't figure out why it is free or if there is an ulterior motive, but in the meantime the system looks decent.)

Here's a pay per use meal planner that looks great but costs a lot of $$ Menu in a Box

Family Fun at The Rooms for January 30th

Sunday, January 30, 2 – 4 pm
The Art of Camouflage and Collage

Be inspired by Barb Hunt’s Toll. Learn how to turn textiles into artwork and collage fabulous fabrics by cutting, pasting and constructing artful creations.

Play Again Film Screening

The Newfoundland & Labrador Environment Network is having a screening of the film: Play Again - here's the details from the web site:


What are the consequences of a childhood removed from nature? One generation from now most people in the U.S. will have spent more time in the virtual world than in nature. New media technologies have improved our lives in countless ways; information now appears with a click, overseas friends are part of our daily lives, and even grandma loves Wii. But what are we missing when we are behind screens? And how will this impact our children, our society, and eventually, our planet?
Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Educators (NLEE), in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network, and the Suncor Energy Fluvarium will be holding a FREE Connections Event to screen “Play Again” to the public.

Date: Thursday, February 3rd
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Suncor Energy Fluvarium, St. John’s.

Parents, teachers, youth, educators, community members – all are welcome to attend! There will be networking after the film; coffee, tea and snacks will be provided.

To learn more about this film, please watch the below trailers or visit: http://www.playagainfilm.com/

Toddler-friendly Sushi!

We don't take our toddler out to eat much and when we do it is usually somewhere "family-friendly" AKA fast-food. So far he won't eat fries or burgers which I don't really mind.  It is unfortunate that family-friendly often means unhealthy. Anyway, our reluctance to dine out with our child has been due to several considerations:

• will they have something he will eat?
• will the order take so long that all of his patience for sitting is exhausted before the food even arrives?
• will we actually enjoy this ourselves or will it be more stressful than fun?

Usually the answer is no to these questions so we stay home and cook or do take-out. However, if you follow me on Twitter you will have seen a recent Tweet about taking our toddler for sushi. We decided to take a chance on going to Sun Sushi for dinner with a back-up plan of switching the entire order to take-out if our child showed signs of losing it before the food came. We had a couple of things on our side: our child was hungry, making it more likely he would try new food; we arrived at 5:00 pm so the restaurant wasn't crowded; and, our waitress was AWESOME! Oh... and we had an iPhone loaded with toddler apps (Peter Rabbit being a top pick.)

We sat our child in a high chair and ordered quickly and the food and drinks came in no time. (Tip - they don't have milk, strangely, but they do have apple juice). The food came so fast I wasn't sure if they were trying to help us out or get us out before our toddler put the place up.  But either way it worked best for all of us. Our child tried the miso soup, avocado rolls and sweet potato tempura. He loved the toddler-sized bowls and plates that are standard at Sun Sushi and enjoyed using the deep soup spoon all by himself.

We and all the other customers were able to enjoy a nice meal and our toddler tried some new food and had a new and stimulating experience. I can't wait to try again. Maybe next time we'll do Indian!

Why Follow?

Just a quick note on why I am always trying to encourage you to sign up and "Follow" this blog: the more Followers I have the easier it is for me to encourage businesses to offer prizes for me to give away to you guys. I can illustrate to them that I have lots of readers and lots of people who will see information about their products and services.

And I am still trying to figure all this blog stuff out myself and didn't realize that if you Follow Anonymously I can't see you in my Followers list. So if you are Following Anonymously and want to enter the contest, let me know that. I don't want anyone to be more public on the internet than they want to be.

Thanks again for reading and keep the comments, ideas, and tips coming.

Prizes from Sharkey's!

Sharkey's Cuts for Kids has generously donated a gift basket for me to give away as a prize.  It includes a free haircut certificate, a plush Sharkey, a toy and a Children's Conditioner (over a $60 value).

To enter, Sign Up to be a St. John's Toddler Follower (see the right hand column) and send me an email message with the words: "My kid needs a haircut" in the subject line (this is so I can be sure to have contact info to reach you if you win).

If you are already signed up as a Follower, just send me an email with the same words: "My kid needs a haircut" in the subject line.   I will draw for the prize on Valentine's Day.

Cupcakes, Spaceships, and Laser Beams

These DIY cupcake wrappers for Valentines are very cute! They come from the Space Ships and Laser Beams Etsy Shop.  Space Ships and Laser Beams create "Stylish DIY Printable Party Supplies Just for Boys" and they have a great web site too with birthday party inspiration. Beautiful pictures and very clever ideas. They are also a Canadian company.

And as I said before, Etsy is a dangerous place... you can lose a lot of time (and money) there. Enter at your peril.

Phil and Ted's Escape

We bought a Phil and Ted's Escape from Coo Chi Coo as soon as our child was old enough to sit in one.
This weekend it proved its worth once again. I don't know about your children, but our toddler HATES the wind. I think it scares him when it steals his breath. A Saturday walk at the park turned suddenly very windy and very cold. We were able to unpack the wind shield / hood from inside the Escape pack and install it in under a minute and keep our toddler snug as a bug while we hoofed it back to the car against the bitter wind. That shield saved the day! Our toddler is on the verge of being to big for the carrier (I think it tops out at 30-35 lbs. But I am going to squeeze every last day out of it this year. )

Highly recommend.

One Caveat:
We have always loved the Escape and felt it was a worthwhile purchase except for one small design flaw: the chest strap broke the first time we used it. The same thing happened with the replacement one too. Michelle at Coo Chi Coo was very helpful, but we have been using it anyway and haven't pursued a fix or refund from Phil and Ted's mostly because we have been too busy and have been able to use it anyway. It is my understanding that the design has since changed, so hopefully they addressed that one problem.

Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids

I recieved a note from the owner of Sharkey's Cuts for Kids and thought I would pass on the info:

Where Haircuts are cool and fun rules!

Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids is excited to be open in St. John’s at 140 Stavanger Drive. The children’s salon, designed for kids of all ages, is more than just a haircut….it’s an experience.

Children 7 and under can enjoy getting their haircut in our specialty haircutting chairs. They can “race” the road in a Red Nascar, or go “off road” in a Barbie Jeep or Yellow Hummer. Kid’s television and a wide selection of movies are available for watching during the child’s haircut. What better way to entertain a reluctant or apprehensive child!

When children are older, they’ll still enjoy having their haircut at Sharkey’s. With salon style chairs facing PlayStation 3, X-Box 360 or Nintendo Wii…..kids of all ages can sit back and enjoy a good game during their haircut!

At Sharkey’s we also offer birthday parties in our special Glamour Girl dressing room…where the birthday girl and her guests will be treated like stars. Each party guest is pampered with party-hair, make-up application and mini-cure. When they are ready, guests can select from our array of dress-up clothes and put on a fashion show OR they can karaoke on stage!

Contact
Jennifer MacDonald, Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids

709-722-CUTS(2887)
stjohns@sharkeyscutsforkids.com
http://www.sharkeyscutsforkids.com/

Childcare advice, tips and referrals please

I received an email from some parents who are finding it challenging to find care for their 10 month old.  I offered to post their ad here in the hopes someone might have a suggestion or a lead for them. They have looked at Kijjiji and checked with the Family Resource Centre.

Hi, we're looking for a mature, responsible daycare provider for our 10 month old son starting in February. Ideally he will be with other children his age or older. You would have him from Tuesday to Friday in your smoke free, happy home. Please send along an email with your rates and location if you have room for a happy little boy!
Email updaisy@live.ca 

Family Fun at the Rooms Today

Winter Woolies
Bonnie Johnstone will be here to show you how wonderfully warm wool starts with a sheep and gets turned into a sweater - you can card and spin and even knit a bit.
2 – 4 pm

Family Fun days are back

Check out the Rooms web site for information on upcoming Family Fun Days... I'll post reminders as well.

DIY Bird Feeder

I got an email this week from Reader Lisa who suggested a great Winter DIY project.
I found this great homemade bird feeder that is a toddler friendly activity to do inside on a winter's day. We have these small birds that are always perching on our patio so my daughter and I made these heart shaped bird feeders to hang from the patio. Hopefully they will encourage more bird visitors! I thought it was a fantastic idea, and fairly easy. Just wanted to pass it along. Here's the website that I got the idea from.

Free Range Food

Interested in free range food?

Belbins Grocery now stocks some free range meat products and I saw an ad in Scope for local free range Brown Eggs:
Ellie's Chicken Coop sells eggs every second Sunday at the old Dominion Parking lot on Torbay Road.
Next dates are Jan30 and Feb 13, 2011 Email: Mad648@hotmail.com for info.

Know a good source for organic or fee range food or want to share a recipe? Send an email or leave a comment.

Preschool Autism Playgroup

PLAY PALS- Preschool Autism Playgroup
Specially designed playgroup for children 3-5 years old with Autism, Aspergers, PDD or any social communication issues.

Did you know that learning to play in a group could be the key to your child’s social success?

How does this 10 week inclusive facilitated playgroup work?

• designed to be play based, parent-friendly and fun

• each child brings a play pal (a sibling or friend) to playgroup

• space for 8 children and 8 play pals

• Free play and structured play activities designed to meet the needs of children on the Autism Spectrum.

• Parent handouts and guest speakers to highlight community support and relevant topics such as - nutrition, food sensitivity issues, sensory processing, child development, speech language therapy and more.

• Gluten Free, Casein Free snacks provided
Where: The Children’s Centre (in St. Mary’s Church, Craigmiller Ave)

When: February 13th – April 17th (10 weeks)

Time: Sundays at 10:00 – 12:00

Cost: $100.00

Contact: playpalsnl@gmail.com for registration information

This peer learning play group is facilitated by Lisa Pinhorn. Lisa has a degree in Early Childhood Education specializing in preschool children with special needs and a Masters in Education.

Sugar Rush Cakes

(Apologies for the typo in the headline folks - it is Sugar Rush)
After putting the call out for Cake Baker information I recieved an email from Lisa about her custom cakes. You can visit her Facebook page for information. If you are not on Facebook here are some sample pictures and her contact info: 726-2612 or e-mail lmbowen74@hotmail.com

What to ask your childcare provider

Thanks to a tip from a friend I have a great resource to share for anyone looking for childcare. babycenter.com has printable interview sheets to help guide you through important questions you need to ask potential childcare providers. You can find them here along with a list of pros and cons for each type and some other good information. If you have stories or ideas toshare about your childcare experiences send them in or leave a comment.

Hot tip: Library program registration is open!

Hot tip from Reader Michelle:
Registration is underway for the library programs (which are awesome, by the way, and free) and as of late last week, there were still spaces. Here's the link.

Reminder" Insects at the Geocentre

Just a reminder that the Insectarium display has started at the Geocentre.

Reader submitted: Great books

Michelle sent me this note earlier this week:

I wanted to share a few things for the blog. The first is an amazing book I discovered in the new art corner at The Rooms this weekend. It's called Beautiful Oops. Here's a Youtube link that shows someone flipping through it: and here's a link on Amazon to buy it. It's awesome!

The second book is one of the favourites in my house and I get all warm and fuzzy when my kids choose it at storytime! It's called 19 Girls And Me and here's the Amazon link. In a house full of boys where I often single-handedly fight the "girls can do anything boys can do" battle, it's a very nice lesson for them to learn.

Thanks, Michelle! I ordered both!

Hey Birthday Cake Bakers!

By far the most frequently searched and read pages of this blog are the birthday pages. So, if you make cakes to order and you want to let people know about it, send me your information and a picture or two of your greatest creations.

Similarly, if you've got a great services, product or idea for birthday parties for kids five and under send the details along.

Doctor's Advice: Saturday Night Fever

It`s Fever Time – How high is Too High?

Fall and winter bring the inevitable fevers and the volume of calls to my office goes way up. Questions about how high is too high come fast and furious, along with people wondering how to best take a temperature in our little ones and the best way to bring the fever down. Remember that fever is a symptom of an underlying illness, most often viral, and most resolve within a few days. Fever really is the body's mobilization of its own natural defenses and the height of the fever does not generally correlate with the degree of sickness.

We all use the palm-to-forehead technique, which is a good start, but learning to use a thermometer is key. Here are rules of thumb:
Less than 3months use a rectal thermometer
3mo- 3-4 years rectal thermometer or axillary(arm pit),or ear
4 years old and up use an oral digital thermometer (mouth)
( rectal thermometers are truly the best early on even though they scare some people- lubricate it with a little Vaseline, and insert it ~1/2inch , and leave in for a minute while holding the legs in the air.)

Fever to a physician means
Rectal >100.4(38 C)
Oral > 99.5 (37.5)
Axillary > 99 (37.2)

When to call the doctor
- younger than 3 months old with a fever, is an automatic trip to the doctor as this age group can be considered as “ new born”
- kids with a temp over 102.2(39C) ,particularly if associated with any of the following

• Rash
• Inability to drink/ keep fluids down
• Signs of dehydration – decreased peeing/wetting diapers, less tears or dry mouth.
• Persistent diarrhea or vomiting
• Localized complaint like an ear or throat
• Inconsolable

Having said all the above: when in doubt call!

Hope this helps!

Dr Peter Seviour

New York Times Motherlode

This is a parenting blog from the New York Times with some interesting and diverse articles I thought I would share.

Send your favourite blogs and websites along or post in the comments section any you'd like to share.

TED - Ideas Worth Sharing

If you haven't seen this web site it is worth the trip and the time. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, but it's scope is much broader. The web site is a compilation of presentations by some of the most interesting people on the planet on some of the most diverse and interesting topics.

I have a link to some of the talks on child-related subjects, but when you visit this site you can get lost in the number of powerful and insightful talks available. Watch out, it is addictive!

Here is presentation on Parenting Taboos from the Babble founders...

Everyday you write the book...

LOVE this and can't wait to try it! It could be addictive.
If you have hundreds of digital photos of your sweetie pie on your computer where no one can see them then you need to look at this web site. Photo Book Canada can help you turn your pictures into a gorgeous keep sake book. Do one annually to make a collection of family year books, create theme books like weddings, pregnancies, birthdays and seasons. Give them as personalized and heirloom gifts. There is no limit other than you imagination of what you can do with these DIY books. You can include your children's drawing too!

Bumble Beats Classes start Jan 15

There are still a few space left in the Winter Bumble Beats music classes. We are signed up for the 18-36 mos class.
Check them out here.

Finally! Toddler -friendly Internet!

Check out this cool site for toddlers called Knee Bouncers. Developed by parents, it includes educational games, fun and activities to stimulate your baby, toddler or pre-school child. Have a look and see what you think!

I like it because the games are SIMPLE! So they are not frustrating for little fingers that can't operate a mouse as easily as a bigger kid.

The Hurried Child - CBC Ideas

I heard this documentary driving home the other day and thought I would share:

THE HURRIED CHILD
Buying achievement. Rigid regimens. As a society, we are keeping children busy with the business of childhood. Tutoring and computer centers for children are a booming business, and have become America's top franchise of the decade. A new age of anxiety has invaded childhood. IDEAS producer Mary O'Connell examines the costs and consequences of the hurried child.
Listen to The Hurried Child by going here and scrolling to Jan 3rd, 2010.

Love it : Fabric Fried Egg

My son got this in his stocking this year. Now all he needs is a frying pan! (Find it at Ape2Zebra.ca)

That hurts Mommy's ears

Our toddler is demanding these days and asserting himself more strongly than ever before. He screams 'no!' when he doesn't want to do something and shouts demands at us when he does. We are trying to teach him that screaming at us isn't appropriate, but it is a challenge.

In considering how to help him through this phase I realized that we were doing two things that were exacerbating the situation. Both involving listening skills:

The first was that he often started out asking us questions in a quiet voice, but if we were talking to each other or distracted we were not always hearing him or we were hearing him, but not responding quickly enough for his toddler-level of patience. So then he would resort to shouting at us in desperation. We are now trying to be more aware of this so we don't let him get to that level of frustration, while also trying to teach him that we can't always respond instantly to his requests.

The other thing was that we were asking him questions when we should have been making statements. For example: we would ask him if he would like to have a bath and he would respond 'no' and then we would ignore the answer he gave us and say "well, it is bath time" and proceed to put him in the bath. No wonder he was ticked off! If we weren't going to take his answer seriously why did we even ask? So we are trying hard to make sure that when we ask a question we are prepared to respect his response, otherwise we don't frame it as a question.

That isn't to say he doesn't get to make some decisions about his life, we will ask questions where his answers can be respected, such as what toy would you like to play with? Would you rather a banana or cheese for your snack? Do you want to wear this blue shirt or the red one?

Sometimes these things work and sometimes he still gets mad and yells. But we are working through it.

Here are some tips I found that seem pretty sensible.

Toddler Discipline

8 Tools (Dr. Sears)

And of course there are dozens of books on the subject.

If you have ideas about toddler discipline you'd like to share leave a comment or email me.

REMINDER - Active Start Program

NL Sports Center, in partnership with Sport NL and Rugby NL is offering the Active Start Program for children up to 6 years of age at their facility at 100 Crosbie Road. The program will run every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on a “drop in” basis and is completely FREE!

Anna Templeton Centre Classes (Winter 2011)

REMINDER REPOST: Young Artist Classes Winter 2011

Preschool Art Discovery (3-5 years)
Preschoolers will make important discoveries as they explore art and craft activities. Participants will experiment with a variety of mark-making techniques using a variety of different drawing materials and paints. Instruction will also include a basic introduction to color mixing, stitchery, clay, and collage.
10 Saturdays, 10-11am, January 22-March 26, 2011
$80 includes HST and materials
Instructor: Laura Buchholz

See entire list of classes for children here and register online here

Discovery Toys

I received an email from Maria Callahan about Discovery Toys and thought I'd share with you. Maria is a local Educational Consultant for the company and says she is passionate about toys that inspire children's imaginations. There are toys for infants and for children from 2-8 years old.

Fireworks rescheduled for tonight

I think 'technical difficulties' is an inadequate explantion for all the people who made the effort to get to Quidi Vidi Lake on a cold winter's night with their kids. How disappointing!

However the rescheduling of the fireworks for tonight at 7:00PM is much more convenient for families with young children so we'll take advantage of it.

2011 Resolutions

Mine are as follows:

• Spend more time outdoors with my son, no matter the weather
• Plan meals better so we can sit down as a family more often
• Get out with my girlfriends more regularly
• Find some more babysitters so I can have more 'date nights' with my husband

Got any resolutions for this year? Share them in the comments section.