Playful Parenting: An exciting new approach to raising children
I have heard of the practice of playful parenting in my circles, and had a marginal idea of what that meant. I recently grabbed this book, Playful Parenting, at a local Goodwill. Now, I am only about 25 pages in so I haven’t really gotten to the meat and potatoes of it but the gist looks to me like instead of yellin’ and screamin’ to get your way (remind you of anyone? LOL), turn it into something fun, positive and memorable. I hope to one day finish the darn book and write a little review for y’all here In the meantime, I wanted to share my revelatory ’playful parent’ experience from my dinner table last night…
My 2 1/2 year old was what everyone called a great eater. She would eat lots of food, with a great variety and sophisticated palate. Now- not so much. When she is hungry she asked for a few staples:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Yogurt
Quesadilla
Smoothie
Snack (crackers, cheese and the like)
I could go into further infuriating details about her food aversions, but that’s a whole other post!
Last night I made her a plate with a main dish, applesauce and lima beans. We argued back and forth about the plate of food. Eventually Gigi offered some ketchup dip and Marlowe obliged by eating the main dish. Now, on to the lima beans. These lima beans were pretty darn good, too! I used a bit of EVOO, coarse salt and our family’s secret ingredient ( Montreal Steak Seasoning). But, there was no convincing her. Not 5 bites, not one bite; no planes or trains; no bribery of bath or TV; NOTHING. We were full blown tug-of-war at this point. I was fuming, she was crying.
While this IS NOT my daughter Marlowe, this is the very reaction to lima beans she had- NO!
Then, it hit me. Suddenly I thought like a playful parent! Here’s how it unfolded…
I asked Marlowe if she wanted to see Mommy catch the lima bean in her mouth. So I threw one in the air (like popcorn) and caught it in my mouth. We cheered and clapped. She laughed and asked for more (BTW- since she had been crying and upset she actually signed for more. That’s how she still uses her Baby Signs ) Back to the topic at hand. So I did a few more and then asked if I could throw one at her to see if she could catch it. She wasn’t so sure. I mean, they were STILL lima beans. So the first one took some verbal prying to get her mouth open wide enough to actually warrant a throw. But soon she caught on and I made the first one. She thought it was hilarious! I then took my turn before trying with her again. It was working!! She was eating the loathsome lima beans I made sure to miss a few, also (on purpose, of course LOL) which she also thought was fun. But, in the end she ate the 5 friggin lima beans. Success. With play.
Have you been a playful parent lately? Please share with us!
Since I let y’all in on my Staples deal yesterday, I remembered that I had wanted to also share my first ever Vistaprint haul. I had been putting off buying professionally printed materials for some time. Some monetary restrictions, but also I prefer to get the instant gratification of buying in-person or printing at home. So, the day finally came when I decided to bite… Vistaprint had some deals I just couldn’t refuse.
I don't even remember how much all this shoula cost!!
Inventory:
1 T- Shirt to wear when I ‘Doula’ -It says “RELAX… I’m a Doula”
100 Double Sided Postcards (basically my business card, only bigger )
20 Calendar magnets with my business card image at the top
1 Stamp
11 click pens with my business card image
1 sticky notepad
2 Large Car Magnets with my business card image
4 Small Car Magnets (2 each for Baby Signs® Program and Hypnobabies® Childbirth Hypnosis)
1 Large window decal with my business card image
That’s a lotta stuff! 141 items, to be exact. Grand total delivered to my door? $39.01 And the best part is, I chose slooooow shipping (21 days, I think) and the goodies arrived within 10 days! Great job, Vistaprint
How do you manage to save money while running a small business?
Anyone have tips on how to successfully brush your toddlers teeth? My son
absolutely refuses to open his mouth and would rather do it himself. Mostly he
just sucks the toothpaste off and swallows it. I really don’t want to make this
a painful experience, so I thought I’d ask if anyone has had success and could
share their ideas.
Here are some of the great tips other local Athens families shared-
We have started using a timer with a bell at our house… two minutes until
they’re done. Ours is a penguin timer, so it’s cute and appeals to them.
Perhaps you could compromise and say that you get to do it for 20 seconds (as
slow of a 20 seconds as you see fit) and they get to do it the rest until the
bell goes off. Also, singing or laughing or acting silly is usually a good
distraction.
He doesn’t really like Daddy to help brush his teeth, but he doesn’t mind when
I do it. Perhaps Daddy could help?
We also tell him he can brush his own teeth, only after mom or dad have
brushed them first. Also he loves for me to floss his teeth, so I tell him his
teeth have to be really clean first
We let him brush his own teeth while I am brushing mine (no toothpaste). Then,
it’s my turn to brush his teeth. As a ‘treat’ he gets a Flintstone – type
Vitamin. We do this every morning and night together and he really appreciates
the ritual (altough the Vitamin is only for morning time). Often, he won’t want
to brush his teeth, but he does want a Vitamin. So, it’s a good motivator.
This was something that we struggled with and the solution was embarrassingly
simple. We counted to 20 (it was a slow 20 and if he started to fight, we would
start counting in a really silly voice or singing, sometimes saying the wrong
numbers so he would correct us and we could add precious seconds of brushing
that way.
A fun electric toothbrush works wonders!
In our house we sing songs and sign along with our Baby Signs! Kids love to sing and dance, so this works for all different types of chores. Keep the tunes simple (like Row, Row, Row Your Boat)… in the Sign, Say & Play series one of the signs is ‘toothbrush’ and the verse is:
Make the sign for toothbrush by sliding your pointed index finger (like a toothbrush) back and forth in front of your lips
A fellow Baby Signs Instructor shared her helpful Facebook business ‘page’ tip, and I wondered if it might help you, as well…
I learnt a hard, and disappointing, lesson today and I wanted to make sure that
it doesn’t happen to any of you. I set up a facebook page quite some time ago
(and I always worked hard at it!), I was using it very actively and really
engaging quite well with my followers. I used to get lots of feedback and I
always felt like I got several responses to my posts.
I took a 2 month break this summer to visit my family in England and did not
actively use facebook during that time. Once I got back, and was ready to start
promoting my classes, I realized that I was not getting much interaction on what
used to be an active facebook page.
I contacted Wildfire Interactive, Inc and asked them what was happening
(although I feared I knew the answer) – this is what they said:
<The Facebook algorithm largely puts weight on “popularity” of your page…if
you haven’t been there at all to spur engagement from your users, and activity
has been stagnant, the algorithm will determine that the page is not popular,
and won’t show your feed items to as many people as it used to when it WAS
popular. You will need to work on getting those engagement numbers higher”>
Please – don’t abandon your page! This means your page won’t show up on your
fans’ feeds!
Got it? Now, would you be so kind as to ‘like’ this feed? Thanks!
The sign for ‘Thank You’ is made by placing your fingertips to your chin and pulling them away from your face
Do you work from home? I work from home and outside of the home (classes and births). I REALLY need to get it together so that I feel more productive- OK, not just ‘feel’ but actually BE more productive LOL. I came across this list from another Baby Signs Instructor, like myself. Hope it helps (me AND you!)…
Tips for working at home:
1. Set regular hours and stick to a schedule
2. Don’t stay in PJ’s all day… shower and makeup on first thing in morning.
3. Dedicate a work space for yourself, preferably a separate room.
4. Close the door and turn off the ‘house phone, house emails.’
5. Keep your desk and work area tidy.
6. Don’t stop working even if it’s HARD. Do some work at least.
7. Keep three lists of three… 1st – what you have to do today, 2nd – things you’d like to get done, 3rd – things need to get done eventually
8. Start well – eat, water, pray, meditate, yoga… whatever it takes
9. Get a good chair
10. Keep a pencil, notepad, for blogging or jotting down ideas… an idea board or vision board is a great idea as well.
11. Allow breaks in your day – schedule them
12. Schedule around the kind of person you are… morning person, night person, whatever works for your life.
13. Water – drink it.
14. Be careful what music you listen to while you work, it can influence your mood.
15. no quick email checking… time waster… schedule this and STICK to it!
16. know when to STOP… don’t work late into the night… keep a log of what you got done that day to feel satisfied.
17. Don’t work an 8 hour day… you can work 5 hours in 4 blocks, with a 20 min break between each. This is efficient working.
18. Designate certain days for certain work… booking day, class day, finding material day, organization day etc… and STICK TO IT!
19. Set boundaries – tell others when you are available and when you are NOT
20. Sound canceling headphone – if you have a two year old and another in the house to help with him or her.
21. pay attention and crunch numbers regularly with your accounts… save money later with accountant.
22. Have healthy snacks available for easy eating… have a ‘chopping’ day for vegetables.
23. Track your time… enter what you have done, you’ll feel better about your accomplishments.
24. Set online times, show yourself as busy if you are seen online and don’t answer chats… time wasters unless its your break.
25. Make time for people… answer emails, it doesn’t matter how long it takes you, just make sure you do.
26. Say thank you a lot… you have helped you? Thank them… in your blog, online, your website, let others know you appreciate them.
27. Be grateful you have the ability to work from home and not in some cubicle with some loser breathing down your neck.
Whatcha think? Got anything to add? I’d love to hear if these tips help you BE more productive!
So many Mamas to multiples swear by signing, and now that you can take Baby Signs® Program classes in Metro Atlanta, Gwinnett County or Greater Athens, Georgia you can really take advantage of the many resources. Here’s a look at some babies doin’ their thing!
We would love for you to stop by our booth and say hello! Enter to win a pair of FREE tickets today- Here’s how:
1) ‘Like‘ Adventures In Childbirth on Facebook
2) ‘Like‘ Bottles to Britches on Facebook
3) Join our mailing list
4) Comment here that you have entered to win
Winners for 2 pair of tickets will be drawn at random after the close of the contest at 11:59 pm tonight (Wed. 5/10/11)
I knew that I was going to use signing with our baby long before she arrived. I wanted every opportunity to have a more peaceful and relaxed environment for me and our baby so we could really enjoy each other. Along the way I found Baby Signs, The Happiest Baby on the Block, and The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. Not to mention articles and resources for breastfeeding, babywearing and co-sleeping. We have really enjoyed utilizing the 5 S’s that Dr. Harvey Karp suggest to soothe an infant, and also the E.A.S.Y. and S.L.O.W. methods laid out by Tracy Hogg and they helped tremendously in the beginning when we were struggling with nursing issues and through their resolutions. La Leche League of Central Gwinnett was integral in getting us back on track and Marlowe now is a healthy nurser even if I fear she is close to self-weaning. I have loved being able to be close to her while still having freedom to move and function while she was in her sling, able to see the world and rest her head on my shoulder if she felt like it, or even nurse or nap while I was on the move. It was around 3 months or so that we started signing with Marlowe in our home. At 3 months, Marlowe was really just holding up her head and able to follow our hands with her eyes. At this point, I figured it was more about US getting the practice in than her actually learning the signs.
I chose the Baby Signs Program because I liked that it was well known, and had tons of research and data to go along ( including books Baby Signs, Baby Minds and Baby Hearts). Also, I thought that the materials were very baby friendly and not intimidating for me as a new parent to learn something new while still trying to learn how to take care of this little human. Baby Signs gestures are all based on ASL (American Sign Language) but some signs have been modified to be easier for small hands to manage. Since this is a program for hearing babies to jumpstart communication it is very flexible in that you can utilize, or modify any gesture to work for your family. Of course if you are planning to teach sign language as a second or third language you would want to make sure to use a more rigid program. Do remember thought that just like any other language there are different dialects found in different areas of the country and the same is true for ASL.
I think we started with the sign for milk since I figured that nursing 1000 times a day would be ample opportunity for learning. Of course over the next couple of months we incorporated other signs into our vocabulary, mostly animals and such. Really whatever was on her toys that we could talk to her about. We have 2 dogs in our home and so that was a big focus for our animal signs too since she would see then every day numerous times.
At about 5 and a half months old Marlowe began eating her little bowls of cereal and we started with our mealtime signs. It wasn’t long before she was squealing between each bite ’cause we couldn’t shovel it in fast enough! We couldn’t wait for her to pick up this very easy, and relaxed way to ask for more or to tell us she was ready to eat. Now, one of the [minor] drawbacks to starting signing so early is that you are likely to have to wait quite a while to see your baby make the sign back to you. That was definitley the case with us. Marlowe showed us her first sign at right about 8 months. And MORE replaced that demanding squeal between bites of food. Now, mind you it was not the perfectly drawn fingers gently tapping each others tips together, but defintely a sign that resembled what we had been showing her all this time! Oh and it was soooo darling. She would take her little hands and clasp one over the other and kind of roll them together in fronmt of her chest. I felt like Frankenstein, running through the kitchen exclaiming “It’s working! It’s working!”
Our next great moment was after she had learned a few more signs and her favorite at the time was ‘fish’. We were in her room after bath getting ready for bed and she was playing with some toys. We have one of those little tunnels that’s a 3 way activity thing with an ocean theme. There is a little beach ball type thing hanging down, a mirror and a fish. She totally looked at the fish, pointed and smacked her lips together ( the Baby Signs gesture for fish) all without being prompted. It brought tears to my eyes and she still does to this day with how brilliant her little mind is.
I was inspired to write this because I was once again brought to misty eyed state this evening when we were playing with a puzzle and the pieces were all animals one of which was a hippo. Now we had shown her hippo numerous times and made a noise to go along (the Baby Signs sign is to open your mouth very wide, and we added an ‘aaaaaagh’ type sound) which she found to be hilarious. It had been a little while since I had played this puzzle with her but when she picked up the hippo piece and examined it, I said “that’s a hippo” and she looked up at me opened her mouth soooo wide and then smiled and giggled. Oh man! You can’t tell me that’s not a good time.
Marlowe is going to be a year old next week and knows about 30+ signs. Now, don’t get me wrong, she still cries and it isn’t always a walk in the park, but signing really has been at the very least fun for us as her parents and for her as well. We have since about 9 months old been potty training using the Potty Training Made Easy with Baby Signs Program. She is for sure still in diapers, but she does ‘go’ on the potty most of the time when we put her on there, and she loves the songs, books and of course the whistle we blow when she’s all done. We all find it to be very fun and a great way to get to know each other. She defintely has favorite books that she prefers to read and favorite songs, too. Her most favorite is The Itsy Bitsy Spider and she does a great job ‘singing’ along with her hands.
This program may not be for everyone, but it has been a wonderful addition to our family and I am so proud to be able to bring it to yours, if you’d like. Find out more at a Baby Signs Party or Demonstration, or join me for a Parent Workshop. I also offer Sign, Say & Play classes that are really fun playgroups for the babies to interact with each other and learn new signs each week.
Please comment about your own signing experiences, whether with me and/or Baby Signs or any other signing program.
Playful Parenting: An exciting new approach to raising children
In the meantime, I wanted to share my revelatory ’playful parent’ experience from my dinner table last night…
