All-By-Myself Buns

This is one of those great two-for-the-price-of-one deals: a super fun activity to engage your little one, and a yummy, nutritious snack idea all rolled into one. I love this activity/recipe because it requires almost no prep work, makes very little mess, and is actually very healthy. My daughter LOVES making her own goodie-stuffed buns, and gobbles them up when they are finished baking (and my munchkin is generally more of a picker than a gobbler!). She’s taken to calling them “All-By-Myself-Buns”, a name that has stuck around our house. Hope you and your munchkins enjoy the idea too!

You will need…

Bun dough - any of the following will work...

• Pillsbury-type refrigerated bun or biscuit dough
• Store-bought freezer bun dough (preferably whole wheat), defrosted
• Homemade whole wheat bun dough (actually very quick and easy if you use a breadmaker)

Filling – use the following ideas or make up your own..

·     Peanut or almond butter and jam

·    Cream cheese with mashed bananas or berries (have your child help you mash the fruit and combine with the cream cheese)

·    Cheddar or mozzarella (cut into small cubes)

·    Other filling of your choice

Enjoying a cream cheese and blueberry bun

Give your child a ball of dough and show them how to pat it out into a flat pancake shape on a greased pan. Next, show them how to arrange or spread your chosen topping in the centre of the dough. Then step in to help, folding the corners of the dough into the centre, pinching shut, and placing pinched side down on the baking sheet. Bake according to directions for the dough you are using, allow to cool, and enjoy!

Adventures in Grocery Shopping - Part 2

Today was grocery shopping day, and I am pleased to report that for the first time in a long while, my secretly-observe-other-mommies-grocery-shopping experiment (to read more click here) revealed something truly wonderful. A mom with three little ones was circuiting the store in the opposite direction that I was, so I had the privilege of passing her in almost every aisle. And I say privilege because it truly was. Her cart was overflowing with groceries that almost obscured a smiling little boy, roughly two or three years of age, inside of the cart. A baby about twelve months old sat buckled into the seat. And a little girl of about four or five walked beside the buggy. This mom had her hands full, no doubt about it. And watching her shop was a thing of beauty.

Each time I passed her in an aisle, she was happily chatting with her three children. Asking them questions. Listening to their answers. She was so animated in her conversation with them that it was no wonder her little ones were captivated – even the passersby were. At one point I watched her acting unabashedly silly, her three little ones giggling away as she all the while continued to fill her cart. It was clear that she was in the midst of a monumental juggling act, yet she was the picture of grace under pressure. Her interaction with her cart full of kiddies was so lovely to watch that I meant to say something to her about it (recognition for a job well done is something moms don’t get nearly as often as they should), but she eluded me in the checkout aisle.

I was so happy to observe lovely, engaging shopping mom today. Because as I’ve conducted this little experiment on my own over the past few months, I’ve observed other approaches far more often, as I’m guessing you may have too. A sprinkling of nagging. A smattering of scolding. A whole lot of rushing and hurrying. And many well-intentioned, busy moms, trying their best to get their shopping done, paying more attention to the items on their list than to the munchkins in their carts. Until, of course, those munchkins start wailing, or running away, or toppling a tidy display (things that bored munchkins do very, very well). And then a return to the nagging and the scolding.

Now don’t get me wrong, I totally get it. On days when I am tired or rushed or otherwise not at my best, the last place I want to be is at the grocery store. And it can be tempting to just rush on through, eyes on the checkout aisle. But one thing is true without fail – When I am not at my best, grocery shopping doesn’t go as smoothly.

Our little ones look to US for cues about how to act and how to feel about the situations they encounter. They bring their own unique style and approach to it all (more on that next time), but we are the ones who set the tone. Every aspect of parenting is a dance between a big parent and a tiny little dance partner (or a whole cart-full of dance partners, for those who are so blessed). Grocery shopping is no different. My daughter brings her feisty little personality, her stage of development (totally and wholeheartedly TWO), her little body bursting with energy, her mood of the day, and many more things to the dance. So if I am to lead well, I had better be prepared, and suit up in my very best dancing shoes (even on days when I’d rather be in fuzzy slippers). When I go into any interaction – grocery shopping included – at my best, I provide her with the best opportunity to do her best. And isn’t that what joyful mommyhood is all about?

So here’s your next challenge: The next time you head out the door to go grocery shopping, try a quick little mommy-check. Take a few deep breaths. Relax. Determine that you will have FUN with your child while shopping. And determine that you will devote more attention (negative attention such as nagging and scolding does not count) to the munchkin in your cart than to the items on your list. I try to think of grocery shopping as a fun morning out with my little one, putting myself in the same mindset as I would when attending playgroup or a fun parent and tot activity. As with almost anything in mommyhood, attitude makes a HUGE difference, and sometimes all it takes is a little reminder to get back on the right track.

Of course, attitude is only the beginning, so hang in there for more in this little series. Still to come:

1)  Your Unique Munchkin - What your child brings to the equation, and how to adapt according to your child’s unique style.

2)  Grocery Shopping Tool Kit - Tried and tested tips for making every grocery trip better!

3)  HELP!!! – How to change patterns that aren’t working.

4)  Smiles in Every Aisle – Grocery store games and activities.

Perfect Puffy Paint

My daughter and I used this super fun, sparkly puff paint to decorate our Valentine’s cards this year. And while I intended to post this recipe before Valentine’s day, alas it did not happen. But this craft activity need not be Valentine-specific, and can be enjoyed any time of the year. Like all craft recipes that I love, this puffy paint is easy to make and entirely safe and edible (they’ll taste it once but never again) for little ones.

Puffy Salt Paint

¾ cup salt

½ cup white flour

½ cup water

Food colouring

Combine salt, flour and water in a mixing bowl, adding food colouring until paint reaches your desired colour. Spoon paint into a clean plastic squeeze bottle, then show your little artist how to squeeze puff paint onto paper to create a puffy masterpiece. The salt makes the puff paint look sparkly when it dries.

Helpful Hints:

·        Empty ketchup and mustard bottles work well for this project, and leftover paint can be stored in the fridge for future projects. Just be sure to label the bottles with a felt marker (lesson learned the hard way!).

·        This paint is quite thick, and works particularly well on sturdier paper such as cardstock or cardboard. Try raiding your recycling bin and cutting up old cereal or cracker boxes for use as inexpensive art supplies.

·       Allow paint to dry overnight. Happy puff painting!

Adventures in Grocery Shopping - Part 1

Ah, grocery shopping. The mere thought strikes fear and dread in the hearts of parents everywhere. Working with hundreds of families over the years, it was a topic I was asked about again and again. It wasn’t exactly my area of expertise. But helping parents cope with challenges, and helping them discover ways of enriching daily routines to promote their child’s development was. So I spent a surprising amount of time throughout the course of my career discussing, problem solving, and strategizing with parents around the “issue” of grocery shopping with kids. And over time, with the help of parents and their feedback, I developed a little “grocery shopping bag of tricks”.

Now the mommy of a two year old, I’ve been pleased to discover for myself (sigh of relief) that those tricks really do work. And while grocery shopping isn’t the easiest part of my week, it is often one of the most fun parts, for both my daughter and myself (honestly – I’m not kidding!). And while we’re having fun in the grocery store, my daughter is having one of the richest learning experiences I could hope for her to have.

Now by this point, many of you are (justifiably) rolling your eyes. Grocery shopping with little ones is TOUGH. I totally get it. And I agree. BUT – and here’s the important point – it can always get better. Of the many families I worked with on this issue over the years, there wasn’t one I can recall who was not able to make some improvement to this necessary family routine. It may never end up being the best part of your week. But it doesn’t have to be the worst.

So because this is a big topic, I plan to chat about it in several parts – kind of a continuing series on the joys and pitfalls awaiting you up and down the aisles. But as I leave you waiting in breathless anticipation, a little homework assignment for you…

The next time you go grocery shopping, pay attention to the parents you see shopping with their little ones. Watch (but subtly – the last thing a harried parent needs is a gawking stranger on top of everything else!) to see how they are engaging and interacting with their child. Listen (subtly!) to their conversations. Observe their body language. If you were a little person strapped against your will into their cold metal cart, would you be captivated by the experience they were sharing with you? Enchanted by the sound of their voice? Fascinated by the rich and colourful world they were helping you to explore? Hmmmm….

Pomegranates!!!

Like any mommy of a somewhat picky, tends-to-eat-like-a-little-bird toddler, I am always looking for new, healthy snack ideas. And this particular super food has become such a smash hit in our household that I simply had to share the “idea” with you…

I share this only because unlike other fruits and veggies, the lovely pomegranate does not seem to be a fruit that most mommies (including myself, for a while) consider trying with little ones (I mentioned the idea at playgroup the other day and the other moms looked at me like I was cuckoo!). I’ve happily discovered, though, that it about as close to the perfect snack food a mommy could hope to find. SUPER healthy, delicious, fun, and convenient. My daughter loves the brightly coloured, bite-sized little seeds, and gobbles them up as though they were candy.

If you don’t eat pomegranates regularly, getting at those shiny little gems inside can be a bit of a challenge. So here are a few tricks to try…

·         As with any fruit, be sure to wash the outer peel before cutting into it with a knife. I just use a little baking soda (a totally safe, natural cleanser) and scrub with a brush under warm water.

·        To avoid wasting seeds, don’t cut right into the pomegranate. Rather, use a sharp knife to divide the pomegranate in quarters, cutting just through the peel but not into the centre of the fruit. Then simply break the pomegranate into pieces along the cut lines.

·        To get at all those yummy little seeds, submerge the pomegranate in a bowl of cold water. The water will prevent pomegranate juice from spraying all over your walls (those tiny little seeds are juicy and can really make a mess!). As an added plus, the white pith will separate from the seeds and float to the top of the water.

And the best news about the juicy, delicious pomegranate? Mommies can dive into their little ones’ snack food and gobble it up by the handful without even the tiniest bit of guilt. Enjoy!

Wrapping Tube Racers

Ok, so Christmas is well past, and if you are a very organized mommy, all of your empty wrapping paper tubes may have already found their way into the recycle bin. But if you are like me – mostly organized, most of the time – you may still have a few kicking around.  Tubes or no tubes, your kids will LOVE this activity, so keep it in mind for the future…

Working for a decade in the field of early intervention, the single best toy I ever discovered was a clear plastic tube with a set of balls inside of it. Those ball tubes were like gold in my office – consultants and therapists stealthily hid them under desks and guarded them with their lives – and for good reason. Kids LOVED them, and they could be used to promote almost any learning goal we were trying to help the family attain. When the ball tubes stopped being made, my colleagues scoured ebay and second hand stores to find just one more treasured tube. And yet, the professionally agreed upon single-best-toy-ever-made is only as far as your next empty tube of gift wrap!

To recreate this fantastic toy at home, collect several small balls (ping pong balls, golf balls, and small bouncy balls all work well - just be sure to supervise babies and toddlers), and spend time with your child putting balls into the wrapping paper tube and watching them roll out of the other end. Sounds simple. But the learning benefits of this activity are literally endless. Here are just a few ideas to get you started…

Babies and Toddlers…

·    Use a shorter tube (i.e. paper towel or toilet paper roll) and show your baby how the ball goes in one side and rolls out the other. Promotes learning in the areas of cause and effect and object permanence (the understanding that the ball still exists even when your child can no longer see it).

·    Encourage your child to practice dropping the ball into the tube. Promotes fine motor development, purposeful release of objects, relational play (learning to use objects together in different ways, such as putting one object inside of another) and shape matching (matching a round ball to a round hole).

·    Sit on either end of the tube and take turns rolling the ball back and forth. Teaches turn taking and cooperative play.

·    Use simple, repetitive language to describe your play. For example, say “ready, set, GO!” each time you release the ball, then pause and wait for your child to say “go” – a great activity to promote language and communication skills.

Older Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Big Kids…

·    Swap the balls for small toy cars and use two tubes rather than one to have “races” with your child.  A fabulously fun activity that promotes togetherness. Great for promoting cooperative play (playing together rather than alongside) with friends or siblings.

·    Introduce concepts such as fast and slow, forward and backwards, stop and go. Not only is this great for language learning, but your child will challenge their gross motor and fine motor skills trying to control the speed and direction of the car inside of the tube.

Helpful Hint:

We have a long piece of plastic tubing (left over from the construction of our house) that we now use as a permanent “ball tube” in the basement. It never gets crushed like a paper tube eventually will, and it is my daughter’s absolute favourite toy!

The Joy of Less

I love rotating my daughter’s toys, and find it a wonderful way to make the most of the toys we have while at the same time minimizing toy chaos in our home. But last month, rather than rotating, I chose to just simplify. Christmas was coming. And a big birthday party the week before Christmas. So I knew that an abundance of new toys were likely to find their way into our toy box. Intending to just create some space in anticipation, I put away at least half of the toys I had out for my daughter to play with. Standing back to survey my work, I began to have second thoughts. I am a firm believer that less can be more when it comes to toys. I rotate toys frequently, but at any given time only a small percentage of the toys we actually own are out in the toy box. So following my pre-Christmas toy purge, the toy box looked pretty empty. Slightly worried, I told my husband that I’d bring some toys back up from the basement in the morning.

Well, morning arrived. And my little princess took one look at her only-half-full-toy-box…and literally jumped for joy. Suddenly able to SEE every toy in the box, she happily sorted through and thoughtfully chose her toys. For days afterwards, she played more contentedly than I think I’ve ever seen her play.

Now Christmas has passed and the toy box is overflowing once again. And while my munchkin is delighted with all of her new toys (as am I – I am such a toy fanatic), we are bordering on sensory overload once again. So today is toy sorting day, and most of the toys will be put away, to be brought back into the rotation in weeks to come.

Did you know…

·   Too many toys can be distracting for young children, taking away from their ability to focus on an activity. Fewer toys and a less cluttered environment allow kids the opportunity to really attend to and concentrate on a task, while at the same time encouraging more creativity with and in depth exploration of the toys available to them.

·   The less a toy does (i.e. the less flashing lights, music, etc.) the more your child is required to do, generally speaking making SIMPLE TOYS more beneficial for learning than fancy “bells and whistles” toys.

·    Creating a good storage system makes toy rotation much easier. Many stores put storage bins on sale in January, so now is a great time to revamp your toy storage system!

·   Thinning out your toy supply can be a great lesson in sharing. Have your child choose a few toys to pass along to a friend, or to donate to a program that helps kids in need.