And this love of books isn’t reserved to my bookshelves alone.  My kids enjoy my infatuation with books and have several bookshelves in their rooms.  Despite having all these books, there is one set that I really feel is a must for any toddler to preschoolers shelf and I wanted to mention it here.  This is rare for me because even though there are brands and products that I love, I try not to push any one product.

As I mentioned in the Cheat Sheet:Volcanoes, I have a illustrated dictionary for my kids.  This is one of our favorite books and I have used it so much that I have actually had to repair the binding.  Still, that is not the book that I feel is a must have and it is actually a series of books that I am referring to.

These are the My First Steps to Reading by Jane Belk Moncure and illustrated by Colin King.  This is a set of 25 books with a parenting guide on helping your child to read and also a package of flashcards that correspond to the books.

They are very colorful and the storyline, although simple, is one that holds a child’s attention.  What makes these books so great is that each letter of the alphabet, except x,y,z, each have their own books.  All of them follow the same plot where a character, who is called by the letter he or she represents, such as “Little A”, is trying to fill a box with things that begin with his or her sound.  So the story reads, “Little A had a box,” with pictures near the word to represent “Little A,” “the box” and other things that are in the story.

Children can follow along in the story and eventually begin to memorize the repetition.  Since they are following the words, they begin to remember what words look like (especially with the flash cards) and eventually they begin telling you the story.

This is a great set for building those pre-reading skills and one that I would strongly recommend.  When i purchased them for my first child, he was identifying words in the book by 18 months of age and was reading along with me by the time he was 2 and a half.

So there is my first little plug to an actual product but trust me, you will be very happy that you have these books on your child’s bookshelf.

Sirena Van Schaik

*Photo Note:  Yes, that is an interactive R2-D2, a great toy that I think I play with more than my son does.*

I would give you start to finish photographs but when I made my volcano I didn’t think to do that, since it was a few years ago but I will sign off with a few pictures of the volcano erupting.

What you need:

• a box lid or box cut in half. (this is for your base)
• Large piece of card stock or thin cardboard
• scissors
• paper mache paste (see Paper Mache Paste Recipe)
• strips of newspaper
• small plastic container (a margarine container works)
• paint
• masking tape

Directions:

1. Cut out a circle from the card stock and slice one side of it to the middle.
2. Make a cone from the card stock. Tape it to represent the height of the volcano that you want.
3. Cut off the tip of the cone so the margarine container can fit in it loosely (don’t go too snug or else the container won’t fit after you do the paper mache. I like to use a margarine container since you don’t have to use as much vinegar and baking soda for the eruption and you can just lift the container out to empty it.)
4. mount the cone to the base with tape.
5. Crumple up newspaper and tape it to the cone to create cliffs and ridges on the volcano.
6. Mix up the paper mache.
7. Cut or rip 1 inch strips from the newspaper and cover the volcano, make sure you leave the opening at the top.
8. Allow to dry completely once the entire volcano is covered. (This can take a few days depending on how wet the volcano was. Make sure to check the inside too)
9. Repeat paper mache and allow to dry completely each time. (You may have to do this 2 or 3 times)
10. When it is dry, paint it to look like a volcano. You can add some scenery, such as Pompeii like we did, although the paper buildings disintegrated after the 20th or so eruptions.
11. Erupt the volcano once the paint is dry.

To erupt the volcano, go to the post on Fun with Science: Baking Soda and Vinegar.

And now for the eruptions (in these pictures the “lava” is white but usually I color it with food coloring).

Sirena Van Schaik

I know that for years, I was often confused by the best sunscreen and when I finally realized what I needed, I was often laughed at by a few family friends. (I want to add that on those occasions, my kids and I were the only ones without a blistering sunburn.)

When it comes to sunburns, babies are more likely to experience the effects of the sun since they have sensitive skin that does not have a natural protection built up. It is important to keep children under the age of one out of the sun for long periods of time. Keep them in shade, have them wear light clothing that covers, and use umbrellas to keep the glare of the sun off of them.

For other children there are a few tips for sunscreen that will keep them healthy and happy throughout the season.

• Use a cream sunscreen that has a minimum SPF of 15, although I would recommend SPF 45. SPF is a measure of how long you can stay in the sun before skin damage (a burn) occurs. For SPF 15, the amount of time would be 150 minutes before reapplying, although that is just an estimate and depends on what you are doing.
• Purchase sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection. Check those labels because some sunscreens do not offer full spectrum protection.
• Check best before dates and never use the sunscreen after the date since it could loose some or all of its effectiveness.
• Purchase waterproof sunscreen even if you don’t plan on going swimming. This will help with the loss of sunscreen from sweating.
• Apply sunscreen about 20 to 30 minutes before going outside or in the pool. Reapply every hour or so or immediately after swimming or if your child is sweating.
• Don’t forget to apply to the nose, ears, and back of the neck.

A few more UV Protection Tips:

• Have your child wear sunglasses that offer full spectrum protection.
• Wear hats when you are outside.
• The hours between 11am to 4pm is when the sun is at it’s strongest. Avoid going outside in the peak hours or use sunscreen for sure during those times.
• Wear clothing that covers most of the skin.
• Keep an eye on the daily UV ratings to know which days pose more of a threat for burning.

And the biggest tip that I will give is:

Have Fun!

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit

He looked at her, thought about it and then said, “Played in flour.”

She looked at me confused and then continued to question him.  Where did you play with flour? at school?   Nope, at home.  Oh, were you helping mommy bake?

When I said, no, I just put flour play out for him for something to do, she went silent, looked at me like I had sprouted an extra set of eyes and changed the subject.  I was a little surprised by the response and it made me think about some rainy day activities that would be great to post here.

Sometimes, like today obviously, they won’t seem too imaginative but as I realized this week, sometimes you never think of doing things because it just isn’t the normal thing to do.  Flour play seems like an activity that you would do at school, not at home and it seems peculiar to do it.

If you do flour play, you should think about the mess.  Flour play is messy and I mean, messy.  There is flour on seats, on tables, on clothes that the kids manage to smear on every couch and bed on the way to the bathroom.  I often find that the clean up lasts a good half hour to an hour but the smile on my son’s face when he is done is worth the effort.

Now that I have given you ample warning; all you will need for flour play is a cookie sheet or other large container where the flour can lay flat and the flour.  Make it more interesting by placing animals, cars, soldiers or kitchen utensils in it.

The flour offers an interesting texture that is cool and soft.  It can be flattened so it is smooth, built up to provide snow drifts for soldiers to hide behind and it can also be drawn in.  There is a lot that you can do with flour play and I have seen kids sit for a good hour playing with flour and adults even longer when they play beside them.

So my first Rainy Day Activity is all about flour and I hope you have fun playing in it.

Sirena Van Schaik

For this reason, probably not the only reason, I am a firm believer that reading should be part of the daily routine, not only for the child but for parents as well. Studies have shown that children who see both of their parents reading, are more likely to read themselves. So the whole idea of children learn through example is evident when it comes to reading.

What many people don’t know, is that a love of reading is not something that you pick up when you are old enough to read. It actually starts in the early years and it can be fostered in children as young as a few days old. Sure you won’t see the effects of this reading until they are much older but you will know that the groundwork will be in place.

Many children learn to read around age 6 when it becomes a necessity in school. This can start sooner and I know that my son’s Kindergarten class brought books home on a weekly basis to begin reading. I was actually blown away by how well my son picked up reading and experienced a confusing mesh of disappointment and pride when he asked me if he could read not only his own bedtime story but his brother’s bedtime book as well when he was 6.

Reading is such an important skill for everyone to learn and starting off right can encourage not only the skill but a life long enjoyment of reading and learning.

So how does this apply to infants?

Although an infant is not going to understand exactly what you are doing, it will set a routine that will become as cherished as bath time. It will also encourage later skills and will help build attention spans. People were always amazed when my active toddler(s) would sit for a half hour just to listen to three or four picture books and I remember the only way I could get through long car drives was by reciting by memory Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd and many other favorites that I had read hundreds of times (so many times that they are forever burned on my memory)

The reason for this love of story was started when my kids were only 3 days old and we began reading together and this is something that I recommend to all parents.

Encouraging Reading in your Infant:

• Start when they are young: Start reading to your child when they are only a few days old. The luxury of this is that you get to have some quiet time, read a nice story and spend those moments snuggling with your baby. This builds trust and a parent child bond, which have nothing to do with reading, exactly, but help your child’s development across the board.
• Start with the classics: When you are reading with your child, start with the old classics. Childhood favorites that you loved. There is no need to stick with picture books since your child isn’t really looking at the pictures but is instead looking at you and listening to your voice. I started with E.B. White’s The Trumpeter Swan and moved on to his other books Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little but you can start with any children’s treasure.
• Move up to fun books: Just as simple as that, as your child becomes more aware of the world around her, start looking at picture books and pops up. My kid’s favorite was a Clifford book with a big Clifford head coming out the front of a dog shaped book.
• Be silly: At this stage, when your child is sitting up, books do not have to be serious. Sit on the floor in front of your child, read the book, make silly faces and play with the book. One of our favorite pastimes was to sit with my kids in the recliner, me on my knees in front of them, holding up a pop up book or the Clifford book. At the end of the story, Clifford, or in the case of one pop up, a big Moose, would lick their noses. They would squeal in delight and want me to read the book again in hopes of experiencing the squeal inducing ending again.

I know that it may not seem like much but there is a lot going on behind the scenes at this age. Over the next few weeks, I will look at ways parents can encourage reading for all the age groups.

Until then, pick up a good novel. I know I will.

Sirena Van Schaik

I love, I mean LOVE, Paper Mache but unfortunately, my kids do not feel the same. For some reason, they act like paper mache paste is an acid that once it gets on their skin it will begin to burn. I’m not sure why this is but the same kids that hate the feeling of paper mache will stick glue on their hands and pretend to peel it off like skin (okay, I admit to teaching them that one). These are the same kids that will also happily play in mud, sand, and clay (which by the way, coats the hands). It is strange to say the least but it basically means that I when it comes to making paper mache crafts, the kids will help me with everything except putting the paste wet papers onto the frame.

Still, I will whip out the paper mache every once in a while to get my hands dirty and with the hopes of enticing my kids to do so as well.

When it comes to paper mache, there are many different recipes out there but my favorite is the straight flour and water. I know there are some that call for glue but if I’m going to use glue, why not just use all of it. The flour, in my mind at least, is what makes the paper mache harden to the proper consistency so I will share the recipe that I use.

What you need:

• 1and 1/2 cups of flour
• 3 cups of water
• Newspaper

Basically, the recipe is a 1 to 2 parts and it really is a no fuss recipe, which I prefer.

Directions:

1. Combine the water and flour.
2. Mix with a whisk until most (if not all) of the lumps are removed.
3. Tear or cut the newspaper into 1″ strips.
4. Dip the paper into the paper mache.
5. Wipe off the excess paper mache into the bowl before attaching the strip to whatever you are working on.
6. Repeat

And that is about it. For some great ideas on how to use paper mache, I suggest going to this site or to stick around on That Parent Place for future projects.

Sirena Van Schaik

If you want to review the first part of these posts, please click here but to give you a recap, Freud is the father of psychoanalysis and he believed that the human personality was made up of three parts: The Id, the Superego and the Ego. Each one works to temper the other and the ego works the hardest to fulfill the needs of the Id.

Freud also went on to explain the stages of development which included Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital stages. Each one occurs at a specific age of development and if you are interested in learning more, please read Theorists of Child Development Part One.

So why the little recap on Freud, the main reason is that Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was a psychoanalyst that not only studied Freud’s theories but expanded them. He felt that our development was affected by the social and cultural influences that are around us. He also believed that even a child who suffered during some of the developmental stages has the ability to overcome the obstacles and deficits from the earlier stages.

Erik Erikson felt that each stage in development was faced with a crisis and that successfully overcoming the crisis would help build the skills necessary to good mental health. He also believed that each resolution was a combination of both positive and negative experiences and the key was to find a balance between the two.

Many of the theories of child development are the result of Erik Erikson’s work and for the purpose of this post, I will look at the developmental stages that Erik Erikson identified and a short little explanation of each one.

Erik Erikson had 8 stages of development, but he did not focus on child development only. These stages span the entire life of a person from infancy until old age and ultimately death. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to stick to the stages of development which affect children from infancy until 18 years of age.

Erikson’s Stages of Development:

• Trust vs Mistrust: Since Erik Erikson looked at the outcome at the end of a stage, his stages are labelled differently than other theorists. He believed that the ego would suffer or benefit from each stage and gave the desired outcome to the stage. For Trust vs Mistrust, it is fairly obvious that the positive outcome would be trust while the negative outcome would be mistrust. This stage occurs between the ages of birth to 18 months and is the stage when a child learns that his needs will be met. The bonding that goes on between parent (or primary caregiver) and child is important to fostering the trust necessary to build on greater self esteem and self worth later in the child’s development. If needs are not met or the child is not held, comforted or cared for properly, mistrust begins to form and can lead to even more detrimental feelings as the child grows.
• Autonomy vs Shame: This stage occurs between the ages of 18 months and 3 years of age and as you may have guessed, this is the toddler stage where children will begin the process of autonomy. Toilet training occurs during this stage, along with many exciting and frustrating aspects of development such as dressing and feeding one self. If there is a balance of positive experiences, a child will come through this stage with not only autonomy but a strong feeling of self esteem. If the experiences are negative, such as parents becoming frustrated and angry at potty accidents during toilet training, feelings of shame will be evident.
• Initiative vs Guilt: Spanning the ages of 3 to 5, this stage is when children begin to take the initiative in activities. This may be small things or they may be large but the key is that children are taking the lead and parents are allowing them to do so (as long as everyone is safe). If initiative is not allowed or encouraged feelings of guilt may occur, and as with all the other stages, may lead to feelings of worthlessness.
• Industry vs Inferiority: Occurring between the ages of 6 and 12, children are beginning to branch out and interact with peers and at school. There are moments of industry where the child is learning and creating and there are moments when children may feel a little inferior to the other people around them. A balance between both builds on feelings of competency.
• Identity vs Role Confusion: The teen years are always confusing no matter how well the other stages of development went. During the ages of 12 and 18, children are in a limbo of sorts where they are expected to act more grown up, actually feel the need to do so, but are still limited in what they can do since they are not grown up. It is a stage where limits are tested, more than others, self identity as both an individual and a peer takes place and morality is developed on a more personal level. It is no longer a simple matter of “Because my parents said it was wrong.” Again, self esteem, self worth, independence and many other traits can be harmed if there are too many negative experiences.

Erik Erikson went on to explore stages after these but they deal with adult development and not child development. It is interesting to note that for all of these stages, Erik Erikson identified key relationships that are important in the development of the child. From infancy to the age of 6, the important relationships are with parents and family. After 6 there is a shift in relationships from family to school to peers, and although family is still important it is not the key relationship.

So that is it for Erik Erikson, in a few weeks, I will look at Jean Piaget and go over his theories. After that, I will touch on a few other theorists, although not in the length that I have done with Erikson and Freud.

Sirena Van Schaik

It isn’t a big thing and with a little lotion, poison ivy can be fixed up. Of course, no one wants to see their children suffer through poison ivy and there are ways to avoid having to deal with an outbreak of poison ivy over the summer.

The most important key to avoiding poison ivy is to know what it looks like. Many people don’t know and I have to check my first aid book every year to refresh my memory. I remember years ago, my mother-in-law had gone out in the late fall to pick some late blooming wildflowers for her table. She searched everywhere and found this very pretty plant with beautiful white berries. After picking it, piling it into her arms and bringing it home to arrange in her center piece, her husband looked at it and exclaimed, “You picked poison ivy!” Needless to say, the next few days were filled with a lot of itching.

Poison Ivy has a saying that goes along with it “Leaves of three let it be, berries white, take flight.” Now the leaves of three can be confusing since some people conjure up images of a leaf with three points but in reality it means three separate leaves on one stalk. The leaves have a distinct arrangement in the fact that one faces left, another right and the third straight out from the stem. The leaves have a point with a rounded bottom and have a slight tooth-like edge around it. Generally the leaves are a deep green but they do turn scarlet red in the fall. In spring, poison ivy has green and yellow flowers and by late summer and fall the flowers have given way to green and then white berries. All of the plant is poisonous and there is no safe part to touch.

Once you know how it looks and show it to your children, they should be able to avoid it, although sometimes accidents do happen and you will have to take measures to care for it.

If you or your child touch poison ivy it is very important to do the following.

1. Wash the area immediately with soap and water.
2. Clean the area off with rubbing alcohol. Make sure to cover the complete surface since the oil from the plant can rub off from one part of the skin to the next.
3. Care for the rash and itching with either an colloidal oatmeal bath (carefully since the bathtub will become very slick from the oatmeal), calamine lotion, baking soda paste or a topical corticosteroid that your doctor may prescribe. If the rash is severe, it is important to contact your physician and he may prescribe an oral corticosteroid.

It isn’t the end of the world if you or your child gets poison ivy but from what I have heard, it certainly feels like it.

Still, I hope that you, and your family will have a fun, safe and poison ivy free summer. For more information on Poison Ivy and for pictures to identify it, please visit this site.

All the best,

Sirena Van Schaik

Since everyone loves bubbles, why not have a recipe ready to create gallons upon gallons of bubbles for hours of fun.

What you need:

• 10 cups of Water
• 1 cup of Liquid Dish soap (Any type will work but many bubble solution makers swear by Joy or Dawn.)
• 1/4 or .25 cups of glycerin

Directions:

1. In a large container with a lid, pour in the water.
2. Stir in the cup of liquid dish soap
3. Stir in the 1/4 cup of glycerin. Stir until it is well blended.
4. Use with any type of bubble blower. For best results, let the bubble solution stand overnight.

After that, all you will need to do is make more whenever your child either uses it up or if they are anything like mine, spill it.

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit

You shouldn’t be worried too much.  This is a fairly common stage in development for young toddlers.  The world is ripe for exploration and it can be pretty frustrating for any young child to be taken from a fun activity for a diaper change.  Suddenly, she can’t go where she wants or play with what she wants.

Add to that frustration any diaper rashes and you can have a lot of problems when it comes to diapering but there are ways to get over these diapering problems.

The Frustrating Diaper Change:

• Capture attentions:  Since diaper changing can be frustrating for a child on the go, it is a good suggestion to have a mobile hanging above the diaper area just out of reach of grasping hands.  The child will be busy looking at the wonderful decorations swirling around his head that he won’t have time to struggle during the diaper change.  I have found that blank cd’s hanging from fishing line are a huge hit since they cast rainbows and glitter in the light.
• Sing a song:  Sing a few songs while you are changing diapers.  Before you and your child know it the song will be over and so will the diaper change.
• Have a few toys:  Toys are great ways to capture attention.  Even having a few washable books available will also alleviate some of the frustration your child may feel with being taken from an activity.
• Play a game:  Playing a game will also help make diapering enjoyable and provide a great opportunity for some bonding.  “This little piggy,” or other games are great or you can play a tactile game by tickling toes or elbows with a cloth or a wipe.

The Sore Diapering:

If there are troubles involving diaper rashes there are a few things that you can do to alleviate the problem.

• Use cloth wipes:  Some children are sensitive to wipes and using wet clothes for diapering routines can help alleviate some diaper rashes.
• Change the brand:  When my oldest was a year, I switched from a tried and true diaper brand to a no name brand. A friend’s sister worked for the brand company and told me that they were both made by the same company so there was very little difference between the two.  I quickly noticed the difference when my son broke out into angry welts across his diaper area.  I switched back to my first brand, applied a lot of zincofax and after a few days, his skin went back to normal.  So the long story is, if you are dealing with reoccurring diaper rashes, it may be the brand of diapers, wet wipes or diaper cream.
• Let the skin air out:  Allow your child some diaper free time.  This is a bit nerve wracking since an accident can happen at any time but it will help the skin get some much needed air.

Another method that may help alleviate diapering troubles is to change the location of diapering.  Some children do not like being up high on a change table, even if they had no problem with it earlier.  Moving to a bed or even the floor can help with diapering problems and should be much easier on your back when your child gets heavier.

All the best and hopefully your diapering troubles will be over soon.

Sirena Van Schaik