Fianal Toddler Tip

Here is its folks. March has come in like a lamb and gone out like a lamb. And I have faithfully brought you a new toddler tip of the day. But now it's time to search your own Google web site and ask your mommy friends for those great tips. Or me, I've always got a few more tips up my sleeve!
So here is my favorite recipe for make your own play dough. I'm going to wait just a bit to use it with Gianna, because she still eats everything!
But when you see a kid "playing' with play dough remember all the things they are learning:
Building up hand muscles for writing
Increasing hand strength for fine motor tasks like tying shoes and buttoning.
Being creative and expressing themselves
Getting to work out all that tension. And let's face it- toddlers have a lot!


Play Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• food coloring

Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time.
I also like to add vanilla or cinnamon or maybe almond flavoring to add to the sensory experience as well.

The High Chair

Today's tip comes from Mindy.
She says that she uses her high chair to hold her son for biomaintenance. What is that?
You know- where you have to keep up with nails, toe nails ,and everything for a human.
She pops him in the high chair and trims his nails.
I'm thinking about using it for hair cutting too.
I already use it as a great place to put Baby G in when she colors or does crafts for the grandparents.

So let your high chair be your new BFF!

Computer 101

Toddlers LOVE buttons. They love flashing lights and they LOVE whatever you are working with.
But for them they don't see it as work- it's all PLAY!
Dad flips with the remote- a cool toy to touch.
Mom talks to friends with her cell- A chance to be like mom and chat.
Working on the computer- FUN FUN FUN

So let them play with you. Teaching how to use the computer is a great skill. It's another chance to practice using soft hands. If you just can't stand your toddler playing with your stuff- Try it. Look at it as a chance to learn. Everybody has to learn how to be nice to other people's things and treat them with respect. Now those are pretty big orders for a toddler, but it has to start somewhere and it has to start sometime. What better place to learn than with you and what better time than now!?!?!?!
(Cool Bonus parent points if you know where the quote is from!)

So open up a word doc. Show a picture slide show of them selves as a baby and teach them how to "touch soft." It's OK to give a few chances and then put the "toy" up.
All they want to do is walk like you, talk like you, and be JUST LIKE YOU!

Hands Down

This tip I have learned by personal experience. When I taught 3-5 year olds we always liked to do crafts/ gifts for parents and such for holidays. They love it. I love looking at Baby G's hand and amazing how much it has already grown. Give a gift of a hand print to Grandparents too. They love them!
We have a paint your own pottery place in town and last year I put Gianna's hand print on everything. I do have to come up with new ideas, but hand prints are always a hit.
Some things to keep in mind:
If you have a wiggly toddler- strap them in the high chair first.
Have EVERYTHING ready before you begin. Extra paper, paint brush, LOTS of baby wipes with in hands reach, an apron for you, and a cover up on the clothes for the toddler.
Go fast.
Do one hand at a time. Paint it. Put it down. Move the paper. Clean hand . Repeat.
Expect to get dirty. Expect your toddler to get dirty.
When putting the hand down. Hold it firmly, and I usually put a finger in her hand to hold so I can place the heal down first and then move my fingers up as I put her fingers down.
It's OK to go back and touch up if a finger did not imprint all the way. (Use your own I won't tell!)
As much a possible try to kept the other hand out of the way. Give them something else to hold onto with the free hand.
Use these tips and you will have treasured artwork for years to come!

Toddler Tip

We only have a few days left in March. So our toddler tips will soon be drawing to an end. Only 5 left. I know you are all giddy with excitement.
So here is today's tip:
Subscribe to a magazine. Not Glamour or Cosmo. One of those parenting magazines.
They have lots of good ideas. Amazing ideas. And ideas that are fun.
I keep getting offers for free one issue, or less than a dollar an issue. I decided to use my fun money for a subscription and I really enjoy it. I got Parenting as a gift and I am now getting Parents combines with another subscription. My sis-on-law gave me Family Fun for Christmas. I enjoy them all.
I know that some are on a tight budget. And I am too. That's why I love subscriptions as a gift. I also trade with my friend around the corner. We get 2 or 3 or 4 subscriptions for the price of one. And we recycle the mag when we are done. I also have gone to the library and checked our magazines there, but my personal favorite is going on weekend afternoon to get some coffee at B&N to read some while John takes Gianna to the kid section.
So if you don't know of anyone who is going to give you a toddler tip of the day for the month of April you might want to go get a magazine!

Travel

We're back!
Today's toddler tip is pack some new toys for the trip. I dug out some toys from the back of the toy box and got a few new toys from the dollar section at Target. And we had a lot of "new" toys for Gianna to play with.
I also brought a few favorites so we were covered on all bases.

Travel Tip

We are leaving for a trip today. Now, John and I love to travel, but we have not done as much as we would have liked with a baby. I have some friends that can tell you all the ins and outs of toddler travel. Some suggest getting bulkheads, some getting on the plane at the last minute, and some are handing out ear plugs to your fellow travelers with a smile and a candy bar.
Some of the ladies in my play group have even rented baby gear in the place they are traveling.
My tip is this: If you can travel light- DO IT! We are going to visit friends who also have a baby. They already have a high chair so we don't need to bring our travel one. Nice- one less big bulky plastic thing to have to pack up. Now don't get me wrong. I would gladly pack the entire contents of my house if it meant and easier time with my toddler. But less plastic is always good!
Baby G also has a Lovey, that she well.. loves on when she sleeps. This is her comfort no matter where we are. So that's another thing we can borrow their- a pack 'n play.
So travel my dear friends, and travel light!

Tip of the Day

Today's tip is for the brave of heart.
Finger painting with pudding. That's right. Toddlers LOVE to put things in their mouth. So give them something safe to paint with. I actually did this once for my teacher evaluation. It went GREAT! The kids loved it, and it was funny to discover that yes, you can eat this paint.
Why is it for the brave of heart? Have you seen a toddler eat? And you would knowingly give them something that they will probably smear everywhere? Try vanilla instead of chocolate. Try during the summer- right before you let them cool off (wash off) in the pool! Try it in the bathtub to contain the mess. But try it- it's fun- I promise!

He is Risen...

He is Risen indeed!

I'm enjoying the quiet of our house after the bustle of friends over for Easter Brunch. We had a wonderful time eating, sharing family traditions, and of course an Easter Egg Hunt. We had an adult hunt too! I think the adults had more fun than the kids did.
Today's hint is simple- plan activities around your toddlers nap schedule. Try not to schedule things in the middle of nap time, but before or after. They will be happier and so will you!


More fun photos of our day in Our Photo Albums link.

Making an Impact

I'm going to wait one more year for these cookies, but wanted to share with you an idea that I got from Jenny P last year:

To be made the evening before Easter

You need:
1 cup whole pecans 1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg white pinch salt
1 cup sugar zipper baggie
wooden spoon tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important-don't wait until you're half done with the recipe!)
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross. He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.
So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1 cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door
and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66.
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9

Jenny C shared with me that she is making croissants with a marshmallow. It disappears when you make it and you can talk about Jesus' empty tomb.

Remember make it fun, make it hands on, and make it significant! And that will help our little ones to make it real for themselves.

Worth a Thousand Words

I had to go to Brenham yesterday to teach my class. It's a distance ed class with 1/3 of my class in Brenham and the Rest in Bryan. I saw so many wonderful flowers, and I couldn't wait to take the "Bluebonnet Shot" with Gianna this year.
This was our "bluebonnet" shot last year. Easter was in April, so it was also what we did on Good Friday one year ago. For those of you in Texas, you know it's a tradition to scour the back country roads looking for that perfect bluebonnet shot. Here are some tips to help it go great.

Try to take your pictures in the late afternoon. The sun is in a good spot and it has a natural softness to it. Thank you Sandy S.
Bring a blanket! Wiggly toddlers don't want to sit in the grass. Give them one less thing to squirm about.
Check for ants!
Watch where you step. Remember Bluebonnets are a wildflower and if they do not get to reseed then they will not come back next year.
It is not a crime to pick a bluebonnet. Just remember the tip above and pick sparingly.
If you park along the road, be extremely careful in putting in and taking out your toddler from the car.
If you have a self timer and everyone is in the shot. Throw something in the general area of the camera so the toddler will look that way.
Finally (another tip from Angela), if an adult is in the picture with the toddler- it's their job to LOOK at the person taking the picture. The camera peson will get the toddler to look at them.
Have fun and enjoy the weather!

Tent

Today's tip comes from good friend Angela who actually tried this with her son.
Get a card table or any table actually and cover it with a sheet. Let your toddler crawl in and out. Get under there too! Try a flashlight for added fun!
Kids love it when things are actually their size.
Tent it up!

Tip of the day

This video is for the Grandparents, but all are welcome to enjoy!
So today's tip is a fun craft. Take a coffee filter and color it with markers- the more color the better. Then take an eye dropper or an old medicine dropper that's been cleaned and drop water onto the filter. Watch what happens- It is REALLY cool! Talk about color mixing and color changing. Set aside to Let dry and hang up on a window.

Let 'em Play

Today's tip is Let them Play.
We are in a culture that values kids. But we value them achieving- learning and getting to the "next step" (whatever that is!). We tend to have schedules and outlines for what our children need to be doing. Now, I'm not immune to this. Baby G is still not walking on her own and I'm considering a personal trainer ;)
I think the idea behind this is good. As parents we want our children to be exposed to the same things we were, or the things we never got to do. And for sure we don't want to do "something wrong."
But read this article on PLAY and see that we need to let kids explore and discover on their own.
I'm OK with that. I take my magazine or book outside with me a Baby G and let her explore away while I learn more toddler tips!

Do You Feel Lucky?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all you Patrick's and Irish and non-Irish people.
I like St. Patrick's Day. No, not because of the green beer, but because it's another day to celebrate. We love to celebrate! And that's today's tip.
Tip #17:
Celebrate!!!!!! Kids love to celebrate and have fun. So do it along with them. Chinese New year- Break out the chop sticks and teach them about God's love for all people. Presidents Day- Teach them to pray for our leaders. July 4th- Teach them that God gave us a country that's it's OK to pray to God in public. Read them the story of Daniel and the lions den (Daniel 6). Earth Day- Read the creation story and teach them about how God gave us the whole earth to take care of.
You get the idea.
Today we are having Pesto Pasta-It's green and we are talking about how God gave us colors to enjoy.

Still made it

So, I almost didn't get to post today, but I made it.
Here's my tip today- Start good habits early, now when they still enjoy helping and when everything is new, and if that's they way you always do then that's they way they know.

I've been practicing with Gianna. Things like saying "Thank You" and "Please." I just want these things to be a part of her life. Now her helping with dishes.... that's next!

More Easter Egg Hunt

Tip of the Day

Today's tip is more like a tribute to my husband the techie in our family.
So.....
Have your camera charged! Especially in this day and age of digital cameras you need to have it charged up and ready to go at a moments notice. We also have a back up battery so one is always charged and one is in use. Way to go John for getting us the back up battery!
So why did we need it today?

Check our our pictures link for more great shots of Gianna's first Easter Egg Hunt!

Psych 101

Today's tip brings us back to Psychology 101. Do you remember it from college? Piaget, a leading psychologist in children, brought us some great theories that we still use today. The first one is his Sensorimotor stage. This stage says: Toddlers will put everything in their mouths. And they they exist outside of you and you will come back even if they can't see you.
This is why "no" is so hard and concrete things are so important to her. (And extremely difficult!!!)

The next stage is Preoperational: (begins about the time the child starts to talk to about age 7) More on this stage later!!!!!

The one I want to focus on today is his Concrete operations stage.

Here is how I use this idea in my world. Tip #14:
Basically if Gianna wants something in each hand and you only want to give her one. Break it in half and now she has two, and is happy. It's not that she is greedy or is hungry. It's just that she needs to have something in each hand.

Wasn't that a fun trip back to college? And they said that psychology was just a blow off class!

Bag it up

The toddler tip today comes from Jenny C. She gives her daughter a bag of cheerios to hold and eat from. Sure there are fancy snack traps out there, but what happens when you leave it at Grandma's or it's dirty? You don't have one. So grab a bag and fill it, but just be OK if they spill it. Start off with just a little bit inside and add more if they run out.
This also plays in to the toddlers love of holding and storing things. They get to hold a bag and get to be in control of how fast and how much food they eat!

Color Fantastic

#12
This is more of a mom's hands on project to be enjoyed by your toddler later.
Those new Crayola crayons are cool for toddlers. They are big and exactly the right shape for little toddler hands. But a cool way you can make something at home that fits hands just as well is by making your own crayons!
Step 1- Crush crayons. These can be brand new or the ones you find rolling on the floor of the minivan. Make sure you remove all traces of paper.
Step 2- place parchment paper into muffin tins like little cupcake wrappers.
Step 3- Put crayons in each well if the muffin tin. And place in the oven at low heat watching until all crayons melt.
Step 4- Let cool and peal back paper. Now you have a little disk crayon.
Step 5- Give to toddler to enjoy!

You can mix colors or keep the same ones in each well. It's a good way to give new life to those broken crayons.

Tip #11

Don't give your toddler beans two meals in a row.


It's not pretty.



Then don't stick your hand in a diaper to see if it's wet. It might be more than wet.



I'm just saying.

Tip # 10

Today's tip is a classic but a goodie. Tear some paper.
Sound simple and fun- because it is!!!! Toddlers can't quite get the dexterity they need for scissors for a few years, but the next best think to to tear. Tearing builds up muscles in the hand and is rewarding visually, auditorially, and kinesthetically. Go ahead- get some paper and give it a rip!

OK to Change Your Mind.

Tip #9 It's OK to change your mind in the middle

John and I were blessed to have Aunt Lori come for the day while we took the day off and spent it in a day long date. We started off at Barnes and Nobel and then on to the mall for some shopping! We then had lunch looked around some neighborhoods, and then back home to have a nap! It was wonderful.
While at B&N I was reading an article that I thought would be great for a tip of the day. So a couple of days ago I wrote about adjusting your daily schedule in small increments so you would be ready when the time change happened. That my blog friends was an ideal- a pipe dream- a wishful thought. Because what happened was- Gianna refused to have her schedule messed with. I tried to wait to feed her a snack and meals every day, but she has this problem when she is hungry- she cries- a lot!
So we ended up not being able to do it gradually. We put her to bed at old time Saturday night and she woke up at new time Sunday morning and we began our schedule as if the time change never happened. She is a little fussy today, but I am too- I miss that hour of sleep :)
So here is the tip: It's OK to change your mind about some aspect of parenting. We have so many choices today as parents and they can all seem good. It's OK to try something for a while and then find out that it doesn't work for you. Long term damage will not be done. Should you Ferber, Baby wise or Attachment parent? Should you do cloth or disposable? What about front or back sleeping? We can be caught up in fear that we HAVE to do it the right way.
We all have different personalities and there is a reason that God designed us that way. What works for me may not ALWAYS work, and it's OK to try something else and see if that fits our lives, and my child better.
Let go of the guilt and know that each day, "You do the best you can with the best you got."

Gianna WALKS!!!

by John
Today as she turns 14 months Gianna took her first steps. We were so excited. The lure we chose: Cake. You can catch any girl, I think, with cake.

Amazing how after this event Gianna had no idea what a day this was. She did not grasp the milestone or the implications of her first steps. I am finding out more and more of what it is to be a parent. Neither her understanding, her enjoyment, nor her involvement matters in how her mother and I celebrate our baby every single day. This must be a deeper level of love I am experiencing: That her identity of who she is, is all I need.

Leave a Map

Today's Toddler tip of the day comes from Lisa. When she has babysitter from out of town (Nice relatives who give parents a break) she leaves maps of important things around town.
I did this today as I drew a map to both hospitals and the park. The park map is bigger :)
If you are going to be out of town for longer periods of time, you might also want to include maps of fun places to see and do.

SNOW!!!!

Today's toddler tip came because we woke up this morning to SNOW! Now that may not be amazing to some (Grandparents who live in Alaska), but for us- we were excited. None of it stuck, but it was fun to watch it fall for that brief hour. And after that hour the clouds parted and it looked like a warm sunny Spring day.
So what's the tip? Toddlers like schedules and predictability. When the weather didn't cooperate with us to go on our normal daily walk we had to have a back up plan.

#7 Have a back up plan.

Whether it's saving a stash of new crayons for a rainy day, or getting out toys that had been put away for a while. Have something waiting in the wings is sure to help out when things don't always go according to plans. Talk to your toddler about it and let them know what's happening. It gives them words, a plan, and some understanding that the predictability is going to be different today. So that one day when you say, "I'm sorry we can't... because...." they don't have a total meltdown (just a small controlled one!!!! :) And it lets them know you are disappointed too- not just withholding the fun, but more importantly it gives them a concrete answer in our abstract world. So make your back up plan fun, and enjoy the "change."
Because in the words of Cousin Julie, "When your one- Everything is an adventure."

The times they are a changing

# 6
Today's Toddler tip of the day is:
Time change is Sunday. If you are on a schedule, i.e. up at 7 nap at 9 snack at 10:30 etc... Then start to move your times forward by 10-15 minutes per day. So 7 am wake up now becomes 7:10 and adjust through out the day. Do this until the new time becomes the "old time." Remember we are Springing forward.
I did it in the fall and it seemed to work well. I started just a few days before the time change and kept going a few days after until it worked. I haven't tried this for Spring forward because last year we weren't on a predictable schedule yet. Any other tips for the time change? Any one else think that we should pick a time and stick with it?

Toddler Tip #5

Here it is the # 5 Toddler tip of the day:

Give them cotton balls in a bowl and a spoon to stir- Just like mom.

This one I got from my Friend Sara M. She just ran a half marathon. How cool is that? Keep those ideas flowing. Leave a comment and idea for Toddler FUN!

Hats Off!!!!

Dr. Seuss' Birthday was March 2. And to celebrate a bit late, but still celebrating is our toddler tip of the day.

Read the Cat in the Hat and try on some hats. Toddlers love it! Let them put on your hat and
you try on theirs. They will laugh when they see their hat on you!

New Layout and Such

Well, I had some time this weekend. And I decided to play around with blogger. Who knew there were all these cool layouts? Probably all you tech savvy people. I'm not tech savvy- I'm just married to one. So he gave the blog to me about a year ago and it's taken me this long to figure stuff out. Oh well, at least I know how to upload pictures!!!!
After talking to some girls in my Bible study I've decided to post a Toddler tip of the day for all of March. So if you read this blog and you know someone who could use a tip or has a tip to share- share this blog with them!
So I know it's March 3 so I have some catching up to do!
#1

It's Easter time. Give that toddler some empty plastic eggs.

#2 Take those same eggs and fill them with different things that make noise. Try to guess what's inside with the baby. Like this sounds like a block. It's heavy. What's inside?

#3 What to do on a rainy day? Pick a cabinet and clean it out. Have baby help. Give them safe- real toys to play with that let them "help" Mom.

Tune in every day this month for a tip, and feel free to leave a tip of your own!