As I mentioned in the previous posts, the layette is separated into several categories. These are clothing, nursery (including the furniture), bedding, bath time, travelling with baby, and feeding baby. Today I am going to talk about feeding baby and in part five I will wrap up with bedding and travelling with baby. Part 6 will be the complete list but since we aren’t there yet, let’s look at feeding baby.

The Feeding Baby Layette:

• High Chair: I mentioned this first simply because I am going to tell you not to buy it, at least not yet. Baby does not need a high chair until he or she is old enough to be sitting up and eating in it. Before that time, there is no reason to purchase it since it will be one more thing in the way and something that you can save for. Don’t worry about a high chair until after your baby is about 6 months or older.
• Feeding Pillow: If you are breastfeeding, you will want to have a nursing pillow. I didn’t for my first and decided to buy one for my second. It was great! The pillow tucked up around me and I didn’t have to worry about it slipping all the time. Baby nestled right up to me on top of it and breastfeeding (at least positioning) was much easier.
• Breast Pump:Another item you only need if you are breastfeeding your baby. This is important if you want to be able to go out for longer than an hour without your baby or if you will be returning back to work. Remember that just because you are going to work does not mean that you can’t breastfeed, it just takes a little perseverance to do so.
• Nursing Bras: Have at least 2 nursing bras. These will make breastfeeding much easier and having 2 or 3 will keep your bras nice and clean.
• Disposable Breast Pads: Whether you plan on breastfeeding or not, you will want to have some breast pads to keep your bra and clothes dry.
• 6-8 4oz Bottles: You don’t need to have 8 ounce bottles until your baby is much older. Trust me 4 oz will fill her up when she is an infant and she will actually only consume between 2 to 3 oz during each feeding when she is a newborn. You can purchase larger bottles when baby gets older. Make sure you find bottles with good quality nipples.
• Bottle and Nipple Brush: If you use bottles, then you will need a bottle brush. These are fairly cheap and you can buy several so you can transfer the old one out if it gets too dirty or run down.
• 3-4 Baby Bibs: I would recommend getting a few baby bibs right from the start since some babies do spit up after nursing. My youngest burped up some whenever he ate so we had closer to a dozen bibs ready at one time. If you do use a bid during feeding, make sure it comes off before you place baby down to sleep or play.

And that is the feeding layette.

Sirena Van Schaik

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As I mentioned in post one and two, a layette is usually broken into several areas. These are clothing, nursery (including the furniture), bedding, bath time, travelling with baby, and feeding baby. I have already talked about clothing and nursery so let’s look at bath time.

The Bath time Layette:

• Plastic Infant Tub: This is a debatable necessity. Some people do not feel the need for an infant tub and prefer to give their baby a bath in either the kitchen sink or in the bathtub with only an inch or two of water in the bottom. It is perfectly fine if you do not have an infant tub and it is fine if you do. I had one for both of my kids because I felt comfortable sitting on the floor and bathing baby in the tub. It kept the baby down low, to avoid any tumbles off a high space, such as the change table, and it was a space I was comfortable with.
• Body Wash: You don’t need a lot of fancy bath washes and bubble baths for a new baby. All you need is a body and hair wash that is designed for baby. Don’t feel the need to purchase ones with lavender and a host of other natural additives since the best thing for baby’s skin is simply being clean without buildups found in some oily body washes. Find one that includes the hair as well so you can give baby a quick hair wash when he or she needs it.
• 12 Wash Cloths: An Item that you don’t really need to purchase if you already have face cloths for yourself but I would recommend them since they are smaller and usually fairly soft against baby’s skin. You only need one hand to rinse and wring them out so you will have the security of having your other hand on your baby.
• 2 Towels: Another item that you don’t need but more than likely, you will have a few laying around since they are often hot items for baby shower gifts. They come in very handy since you will have a little hood on the top of the towel for baby’s head.
• Skin Lotion: When baby comes out of the bath, it is best to rub his or her skin down with a nice infant skin lotion. My preferred lotion of choice is Aveeno but you can find many on the market.
• Baby Toiletry Set: These sets can be found everywhere and it is filled with the basic grooming necessities; hair brush, nail clippers, and a gum brush for brushing the excess milk off the gums. Don’t use any toothpaste when you do this since it isn’t best for baby.

One point that I would like to make is about bath rings. Many parents purchase these and I did for my first before I realized the hazards. Bath rings are for children that can sit on their own in a tub. It suctions to the tub and baby slides his legs under it. It keeps him sitting up without slipping but there has been a high number of injuries (and worse) related to the use of bath rings. You don’t need bath rings and if baby is fine laying in the tub, just let him do so. Don’t purchase a bath ring, even if you see it on another list for baby layettes.

Next time, I will cover feeding but until then, happy shopping.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Today it was official, we took down the pool so it has to be the last day of summer. Okay, maybe the last day of summer is officially on September 21st and the last day of summer vacation isn’t until Monday but you can definitely feel the days winding down into a new schedule.

Already my local paper is announcing skill clinics for hockey season, the kids have most of their school items ready and hanging in their closets (see Back to School: Pinching those Pennies) and I am feeling a bit lost in the end of season confusion.

It seems to have been a common thread between many parents and this topic was actually discussed only a few days ago on a writing group that I am apart of; the Writing Mothers. When the question was first asked, how are you feeling about the end of summer, I was pretty positive about it. “Oh summer’s over, no problem, I prefer fall anyways.”

Today, though; as the pool drained out (we have one of those temporary blow-up ones), I was suddenly hit by the thought, “Summer is over. Not only that but my kids are going to school in a few days. Both of them!”

I know many parents are celebrating the coming school year, I know I was looking forward to it a little bit since both of my kids have spent the last 3 weeks driving each other crazy. (I’m not exactly sure why one will want alone time while still being in the center of traffic, I swear it is only so he can scream, “Leave me alone. I want to spend time by myself!” Huh? In a crowded room?) Anyway, getting a little off topic but the main feeling was that in a few days, they won’t be driving each other crazy.

Then I realized that, wait a minute, I’ll be minus two children at home and suddenly I was left wondering if I would be okay by myself all day. I won’t have to say 20 million times a day, “Stop bothering your brother, can’t you see he wants to be alone. Stop teasing your brother, he can’t do as much as you can since he’s only 3.” And on, and on and on.

Suddenly, I am not going to be the main caregiver for both of my kids. They will shuffle off to school and I will count the minutes down until they come home; trying with all my might to get some work done. Then they will shuffle into the house and answer my question on what they did at school with a “nothing” (or as my 7 year old will say “played, learned, came home.”)

Now I am wondering where the summer went and wishing that I had spent a few more minutes with both of the kids. It wasn’t that we didn’t do a lot or spend a lot of time with each other but I know that with the summer over, the fall schedule will begin and we’ll be rushing again for school, hockey practice, karate lessons and all the other commitments that we have. To say that I am feeling a little melancholy about the end of summer is an accurate statement but hopefully, once we are back to our school year schedule, I’ll find many things to enjoy as a family.

What about you? How are you feeling about the last days of summer?

Sirena Van Schaik

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Okay, Okay, I’m not really that over extended in my ego and I will be the first to admit that I don’t know everything and no one person should be a complete and total resource for parenting.  Every parent, every family and every child is different and although I have the training to deal with some of the topics of parenting and Early Childhood Education, I am not going to be able to cover them all.

For this reason, I am constantly on the lookout for new resources.  I’m sure you have seen them now and then when I discuss a subject and I send you over to a website or a blog where I have found wonderful information.  I really think that my worth as both a writer of parenting articles and as a parent myself is to continue to grow and to learn about the tools that are available for myself and my readers.

The world of children is always growing, always developing and much like my 2 year old niece stripping off her poopy diaper at my wedding and running up to guests with it, surprises occur that I’m just not capable of handling.  And for this reason, I am always on the lookout for other experts and parents who can share advice and resources.

Well, this long opening brings me to the actual subject at hand.  This week, I came across an excellent resource for Dad’s, although it is not specifically geared towards men alone and does cover some topics that mom has questions about.  It is a Q and A style blog where Dads (and Moms) can ask questions and have it answered by Armin Brott, who is according to his site “…a nationally recognized parenting expert.”  He has several books published and they address an often overlooked topic; questions that dads have about parenting.

So if you are a dad (or even a mom) that enjoys my blog and would like a few more topics that are geared more towards the fathering aspect of parenting, or would like a few good books to read, I would recommend this site, http://www.mrdad.com.  His Q and A blog at Ask Mr. Dad, or you can listen to his Positive Parenting Radio pod casts at http://www.mrdad.com/radio/.

I know I have read quite a few of the blog posts and find them very informative.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Today, I’m going to talk about the nursery and all the wonderful items that you need in a nursery.  If you remember, layettes are usually split up into the following categories: clothing, nursery (including the furniture), bedding, bath time, travelling with baby, and feeding baby.  I have already written about clothing and diapering, so let’s move onto the second item in our list; the nursery.

The Nursery Layette:

• Crib:  Obviously you need a crib and most people know this without being told.  It is important to remember that your crib should meet all safety regulations.  The crib bars should never be wider than 6 cm apart and the corner posts should never be more than 3mm high.   When it comes to age, any crib made before 1986 should be avoided since it does not meet current standards.  Other cribs to avoid are ones with suspended mattresses held on by an S hook.
• Crib Mattress: The mattress should never be farther than 3 cm from the side of the crib and it should be firm. You can purchase foam or spring cribs and the only thing that you need to focus on is the size of the mattress and the firmness.  Also, check to make sure the crib mattress doesn’t have any little holes or tears.
• Dresser:  There really is no way around this item since you need a place to put all those wonderful clothes that I mentioned in the clothing layette.
• Change Table:  When I purchased mine, my mother looked at me and said, “why do you need that?  You’ll never use it.”  I almost didn’t get a change table but decided to anyways, turned out to be a life saver and I used it about 90% of the time.  After the baby had outgrown it, I converted it into a toy shelf.  One way to save money is to purchase a dresser/change table.  Once baby outgrows it, you slide off the changing mat and you have a nice dresser.
• Rocking Chair:  I know it might seem cliche but having a chair to rock in is another life saver.  If you can avoid purchasing one, do so.  My rocking chair was this ugly brown fabric hand me down that was the perfect height and width for rocking and breastfeeding.  It cost me nothing and although it was an eyesore, it did the trick.  For my second, I purchased a glider with a nice foot rest and found it so uncomfortable, I would often take the baby to the old eyesore that had been converted into a story time chair in my oldest’s room.
• Shelves:  Have a few shelves near the diaper area where you can store the diapers within easy reach.  I found that having the wipes up and out of the way, along with the creams made diaper changes go much faster and easier.
• Baby Monitor:  Another must have, make sure you buy one that has a good range on it.  I swear by the Angel Monitor with the pad under the mattress, the only drawback is the middle of the night alarms when baby has rolled off the pad.
• Mobile: Having a mobile is great for many reasons but I would suggest one that can be remotely turned on to avoid having to sneak in to wind it just as baby falls asleep.

There are always a few items that you can add but these are the basics of a nursery.  I also recommend purchasing a bassinet but everyone has different views on that.  I found it very comforting and much easier to handle those middle of the night feedings when baby was right beside me in the bassinet. At least for the first 3 months before he was too big for it.

Sirena Van Schaik

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This is actually the first year for me where I have, not one, but two children in school. Sure, the youngest won’t need the books and pencils, or any of the other stuff that the higher grades needs but he will need new clothes and two pairs of running shoes (like my other son, he likes to grow end of summer, just in time for September and new shoes times two).

With just the cost of clothes, I am going to be out many pretty pennies and as hard as I pinch them, they never seem to stay in hand.

There is a relief to back to school expenses and although you won’t spend less, you will actually spend it over a period of time, which gives you a chance to spend less and also a chance to feel like you are spending much less than the year before.

The Clothes:

Yes, the clothes, how I hate those clothes. It’s not that I don’t enjoy shopping for clothes but the cost can be heart wrenching. The kids need the latest in style and nothing in their closet fits right anymore (even if they happen to have a ton of outfits that still fit and look great.) The first thing you need to do is cut the fat when it comes to clothes. Look at what they really need and get rid of the rest.

Once you have a list of what they need, mark it with a level of importance. Anything that isn’t a “stat” item, can be shelved until the previous month or the next pay check. This means, you won’t have a heart attack when you step up to the cashier.

The “stat” items can still cost a fair amount so start breaking out those flyer’s. Find out what’s on sale, when and where and then sit back and wait. Don’t settle for the most expensive item, no matter how much your child whines, since all the items will go on sale before you know it.

If it is possible, purchase one or two items for the first couple days of school and then hold off on buying the rest of the clothes until the back to school sales start. These are the real sales when retailers are trying to unload their large amount of back to school items that they purchased.

This same policy applies to the actual school supplies.

The Supplies

As I just mentioned, one way to save is to work on the “stat” items. Figure out what you need right away and then hold off buying everything else until they are on sale.

If you are lucky, your school will be like my son’s where they give the list after school starts. Another trick that they utilize is to have a list sent out over the course of the school year. This reporting term, we are studying about (blank) and your child will need etc., etc., etc. This cuts up the cost of school supplies throughout the year.

When in doubt, check with the teacher. If she (or he) can give you an idea of what is imperative, then you can plan to save.

The School Itself

I have come to the realization that school is not free. Sure, they spout public education as free education but anyone who has to buy the hot lunches, the milk, school pictures, school fund raisers and all the other reasons why you need to send a check into the school, know the fact; sending your kids to school isn’t cheap.

A great way to offset the costs of all the beginning of the year expenses is to discuss with your child what they want. If they don’t drink the milk at noon, then don’t waste the money. Same goes for hot lunches. if they are for all the extras, and you can afford it, by all means do so but save yourself from a big payment by stretching it over the school year. Many schools will send new order forms home after each reporting period. Even still, those checks can be pretty big so brace yourself.

if you have any money saving tips for back to school, please feel free to post here or email me at sirena_vanschaik@yahoo.ca.

Sirena Van Schaik

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I am a firm believer that rain boots is a necessary staple of not only childhood but also of life.  There are very few times when I tell my kids not to jump into a puddle that they have been gazing at with longing, to laugh and enjoy the silliness of being covered in mud.  Many times I am in there with my kids, jumping around, seeing just how high I can make those splashes and I feel that many of life lessons can be found in splashing around in a puddle.

And even if I don’t find a single lesson, I still come in out of the rain (yes it’s usually raining when we go puddle ducking) and feel like I have accomplished something very important that day.  For a few minutes, I wasn’t the mom telling the kids to clean their room, pick up toys or do their homework, for a few minutes, I was simply a mom that wasn’t worried about tomorrow or the state of the house but I was worried simply of having fun with my kids.  Of course, our adventures through mud usually ends with me doing housework (mopping) and laundry but it is worth every muddy footprint across my kitchen floor.

Okay, i seemed to have rambled a bit there so without further meanderings of thought, here is the story I wanted to share with you.

Rainboots Welcome by Sirena Van Schaik

The puddle stretched across the field forming a large cloud-filled pond. The cold depths indeterminable from where I stood on the walkway but the grass that usually graced the field was completely covered by the dark gray water.

The red and gray wagon thumped behind me. The small boy, my youngest son, sat in the wagon staring at the wet field with interested blue eyes. My oldest son, his small warm hand resting in my own as he walked beside me, completed our group of three bundled travelers on our way to drop him off at school.

It wasn’t the puddle that made me pause or the small sideways shuffle that my son took in the puddle’s direction; it was the group of children gathering on its shores. A smile played at my lips as I watched a boy roll up his tan khakis until they were bunched around his thighs, black rubber boots gleaming in the dim light just below the boy’s pants. With one hand holding them up and the other hand balanced out to the side, the boy looked back at the other children; laughter on his face and mischief in his eyes.

The small group of children squealed in delight, a cry filling the air as they called to him, “Don’t do it, you’re going to get wet.”

The boy smiled at the challenge and took a tentative step into the rain-made pond. Water sloshed over his black rubber boots, the edge of the pond too shallow for the water to reach the tops. Triumph flashed across his face as another step proved the water shallow still. More children ran to the water’s edge, more of them hiking up their pants to follow their adventurous comrade into the stormy depths.

I chuckled as I watched, my own son gravitating towards the crowds of laughing adventurers. I found myself judging the cold water, trying to predict how far I could get before the water rushed into my winter boots. I tried to predict how far I could pull the wagon before it got bogged down, leaving me to rescue a wet and laughing toddler from the lake. I took a step towards the puddle, my son in step beside me but the distant clang of a school bell reminded me that we needed to get to school.

The school beckoned and with it responsibility and motherhood and with a sigh I answered the call. Lifting up the handle of the wagon, I called to my oldest that it was time to go. The puddle stood silent and empty behind us while groups of laughing children made a dash towards the distant school. As they ran many of the children cast longing-filled glances at the puddle, probably assuring it of their return after school that afternoon.

I walked hand in hand with my son, pulling the wagon behind me, glancing at the turned faces of my sons and their own expressions as they said their own farewells to the untried puddle made my heart dance with laughter.

After dropping my son off, I wandered home. My steps were light; a wistful smile spread across my lips as I thought of that cold puddle. I found myself wanting to turn around and try my luck at making it across, but instead I continued on.

As I walked I thought about my youth and the carefree way I would splash through puddles. I thought of the delight I took in feeling mud and water flow into my boots and soak into my socks. At that instant a plaque came into mind that I knew I would have to make and hang beside my door. A plaque to remind me to take delight in the simplest of things, like small feet splashing through puddles and the laughter that comes with it; a plaque that would simply read, “Rainboots Welcome”.

Sirena Van Schaik

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But I digress and this is about that cute little bundle of joy that will soon be joining your family. That new baby will need a layette and it is important to realize that you don’t need as much as you think or will eventually have.  I know my layette for both of my kids was enough to clothe about 10 babies but most of the items were gifts or hand-me downs.  If you are purchasing a layette for yourself you can keep it things to a minimum and still survive without having to do laundry every hour of every day (don’t get me wrong though, the amount of laundry that you have to do will increase).

Generally, a layette for baby consists of several areas, not just the clothing, and these are broken into categories like clothing, nursery (including the furniture), bedding, bath time, travelling with baby, and feeding baby.  For the sake of nerves, I’m going to break the layette up into a few posts with a full checklist at the end.  This should help in keeping you from panicking and thinking, I have so much to get and so little time.  I know I suffered from this several times when I was pregnant with both of my boys.

So today, let’s look at clothing and since we are looking fabrics, I am going to mention diapers for those of you who are planning on using cloth.

The Clothing Layette:

• 6-8 onesies:  these little undershirts are a must and are great for an extra level of warmth for baby or in the hotter months as an outfit to keep cool in.
• 3-8 sleepers: I personally couldn’t have enough sleepers for my second.  He had a problem where he would push too hard to make a bowel movement and would spit up several times a day.  This ran into a lot of sleepers used during the day and night, as well as clothes for me, and I kept him in clean sleepers most of the time when we were at home to preserve his outfits from becoming stained.  You can make due with 3 but it depends on both you and your baby.
• 4-6 outfits:  You will probably have more outfits than your baby can wear so don’t fret if friends and family bump you over in the outfit quantity.  Just enjoy everything you can put him or her in.
• 4-6 pairs of socks:  Not much to explain here but try to have a few extra pairs since washing machines are notorious for devouring baby socks.
• 1-2 sweaters:  Something to put on baby when you are going out to keep him snug as a bug.
• 1 snowsuit:  If you live in colder climates, like I do, and your baby will be born in the winter or fall, you will want to purchase one of the infant snowsuits to keep her warm.  If she is born spring or summer, wait until the following fall to purchase a snowsuit so you are sure of the size.
• 1-2 scratch mitts:  I had two pairs myself, both gifts, with little rattles in them but scratch mitts are completely optional.  I kept nails trimmed and rarely had to put anything on my kids hands.  When I did, I just used a pair of infant socks (my kids hated the feel of the rattle).  This eliminates one thing from your shopping list.
• 1-2 pairs of booties:  Another optional item since babies should not wear shoes before a year of age.  I know there is a big draw for Robeez but they are not necessary and if you are interested in saving the money, don’t feel pressured to produce a pair of soft shoes for baby, socks work just fine and more often than not, your baby is going to pull off those booties anyways.
• 4-6 receiving blankets:  Like the sleepers, I couldn’t have enough of these with my second, in fact I think I had about 12 to 15, double what is recommended but again most of them were gifts.
• 1-2 blankets:  These aren’t the crib blankets but are blankets that you can use for swaddling.  This is another favorite gift purchase so before you buy any blankets look at how many you get for gifts.  I didn’t purchase a single blanket and between my first and second babies, I ended up with close to a dozen blankets, many of them going to goodwill so I would have enough space in my linen closet.

The Diapering Layette

• 24-48 cloth diapers:  This may seem like a lot but if you only buy 8 cloth diapers, you will need to launder them once or twice a day.  Have more than enough and you won’t have to worry about running out.  You will also only need to do laundry every 3 days.
• 2-4 safety pins:  This depends on the type of diapers you get.  There are some cloth diapers with snaps or Velcro and they are already pre-shaped and ready to use.
• 1 box of liners:  You can purchase disposable liners to make cleaning much easier.
• 4-8 waterproof diaper covers:  To keep the diapers from leaking, you will need these waterproof covers.
• 12-24 washcloths:  For keeping baby clean, you can use disposable wipes but if you are trying to be eco-friendly by using cloth diapers, it is better (and more cost effective) to use washcloths.

And there are the clothing and diapers.  I will have the other categories soon so please check back over the coming weeks.

Sirena Van Schaik

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So starting us off with a very interesting post is Tanja Cilia. You can read her wonderful bio here. Thank you Tanja for joining us today.

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“Are we very nearly almost there yet?” is the question that emanates from the back-seat of a car the minute we set off on a journey with the kids.

Tweaked somewhat, it becomes a mother’s plaintive cry about whether the long summer holidays are anywhere near over yet.

It is a moot point whether or not she asks this because she knows she’s going to miss the kids – or because she wants them out of her hair.

There is a poem called The Lesson, by Roger McGough, in which a teacher murders his pupils in order to “teach them a lesson” about behaviour and obedience. This poem is supposed to be funny – and contains such stanzas as;

Then sword in hand he hacked his way
between the chattering rows
“First come, first severed” he declared
“fingers, feet or toes”

and

He threw the sword at a latecomer
it struck with deadly aim
then pulling out a shotgun
he continued with his game…

To a child who has never been to a school, this prospect is not the stuff of nightmares.
He is in awe that that dreary, depressing, desolate place his older friends disappear into when the holidays are over.

And now it’s his turn. And the Fear of the Unknown raises its ugly head.

He does not know what to expect -although he may have heard his siblings grumble about their inordinate amounts of homework, followed by the fateful words “I hate school!”

Moreover, he may have heard you heave a sigh of relief the minute the school doors closed upon his sibling(s) and anyone else on your school run – so to him, this translates into the sentiment that “School is a juvenile prison where kids are kept while adults have peace and quiet, watch television or perhaps go shopping, and meet friends for coffee…”

There are, however, some things that may be done in order to counteract this outlook – beginning from the Boy Scout Movement’s “Be Prepared”. This includes, but is not limited to, role-play, where the child acts the teacher, and you are the pupil.

The Ten-Point Plan starts here:

1. Be Prepared. Before you utter one word against a teacher, a teaching method, a school, a textbook, or thea homework, of an older child, twist your head around as far as it will go, in both directions. Look under the beds and inside the cupboards. If there are no children in the room, give vent. If there is a toddler within earshot, hold your horses. But be lavish with praise about anything that is school-related.
2. Read with the child. It does not matter what you read – the name of a vehicle; the label on a bottle of water; the motto on a t-shirt; the street signs or posters for a play or a film; the headlines of a newspaper. The child will associate the squiggly signs with sounds, and may even begin to recognise some of them, especially if they “belong” to his name. For more information on reading, please read our Encouraging Reading series
3. Sing. Even if you cannot carry a tune in a bucket, you have you sing. This encourages the child to do likewise – and consequently builds her vocabulary and auditory capabilities.
4. Talk. Even when you can’t stand the combined chatter of a radio, a television set or two, and the dog’s irrational yelping, you have to talk to the child, and give him the confidence to reply. Do not accept monosyllabic answers.
5. Make it clear to the child that he lives within a community; this prepares him to share things with his peers, and also teaches him that the world does not revolve around him. Make sure he knows how to sit at one place for a period of time, since structured learning requires this.
6. Go for walks in your immediate neighbourhood, and ask him to lead you back home. Show him the homes of friends, and talk about them (nicely!) This, too, builds language and inter-personal skills.
7. Count. Apples in the crate, people in a queue, eggs in the basket, colours in the box, fingers and toes, ants on the garden wall – this is a fun introduction to numeracy.
8. Be messy. Playing with water, sand, or paints teaches dexterity and eye-to-hand co-ordination. It also gives a rudimentary sense of volume, length, and area.
9. Be creative. Talk about other uses for ordinary things (you can make a necklace out of pasta or cereal hoops), and encourage the child to use his imagination to create projects with as little help from you as possible. If a child knows how to use a paint brush, it will help him use a pencil and a fork better, later.
10. Make sure the child knows how to interact with peers as well as with the adults he’s so far used to, in his immediate circle. Being sociable is very different from being cheeky. A shy child may be teased or shunned in class, reinforcing the feeling that school is an unpleasant, lonely place to be.

Then, once the toddler is safely ensconced in class, you may guilelessly, gleefully and guiltlessly…watch television, go shopping, or stop by at your friend’s for coffee… or simply relish your new-found peace and quiet…. unless you have a baby in the house!

by Tanja Cilia

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If you can’t tell, I’m not a big fan of cell phones.  I’m not overly thrilled about walking through a grocery store and overhearing a sensitive conversation that a person is having.  I, kid you not, have heard some pretty obscene and scandalous conversations that made me turn out of aisles just so I didn’t have to overhear them.  (Can anyone say…don’t shout if you are talking on a cell phone.)  I have also been cut off by happy talkers in their cars and I have been interrupted by texts and people needing to check to see if that call was worth answering.

But that isn’t the big reason why I dislike cell phones.  The big reason is that I don’t want to be tracked down.  Sure cell phones come in handy and if there is an emergency they are a life saver but if I’m not at home, just leave a message.  I don’t need to have a conversation while I drive or as I’m pulling toilet paper off the store shelf.  I’m fine with being by myself and not having to answer questions while I’m out.  I’m perfectly happy with not being accessible 24/7.

So now that you are getting some idea just how peculiar I am, I should probably get down to the reason for my little ramble (or was that rant) about cell phones.

Just last week, the Toronto Public Health Advisory recommended that children under the age of 8 should not use cell phones, unless in cases of emergency.  They also went on to saying that teens should also limit their cell phone use to 10 minutes at a time.  – cbc news, July 12, 2008

This isn’t to say that cell phones are bad for them but since there is little known about the effects of long term cell phone use, teens and children should take extra precautions when using them.

So, I thought I would mention it on That Parent Place and open it up for discussion.  What do you think about cell phones?  Do you think children should have them, even as young as 8 or do you think they should be much older?

I see the benefit of security and knowing where your kids are with a cell phone but there are as many pro’s as there are con’s when it comes to children and cell phones.  And more importantly, do you feel cell phones will have long term health effects on our children.

Please let me know what you think.

Sirena Van Schaik

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