Homemade Silly Puddy

Silly Puddy is a great way to help toddlers explore something new!  This is also a wonderful way to let them expand their imagination!  Here is a fun, easy recipe for homemade Silly Puddy.  Thanks to The Idea Room Blog for this great idea!

Homemade Silly Puddy!
1. Take a small mixing bowl and add 2 Tablespoons of Warm Water. Then add 2 Tablespoons of White Elmer's School Glue (other glues might not work as well) and a drop or two of food coloring. Mix together thoroughly.

2. Sprinkle in 1 and 3/4 to 2 Tablespoons of Borax into your glue mixture while stirring constantly. Your mixture will thicken up quickly. When the borax is all added, gather the mixture into a ball and knead together for a few minutes till firm. 

Now, go have some fun!

CAR SEAT SAFETY

Car crashes are the leading cause of death among children ages 14 and under. Children need to be properly restrained in car seats or booster seats. In Utah County, 88% of car seats are installed incorrectly.

Top 10 Car Seat Tips

1. Car seat should not move more than 1 inch side to side or toward the front of the car. 
2. No more than 1 finger width should fit between the child's harness and their collarbone.
3. Infant seats should recline to a 45-degree angle. A rolled up towel in the crack of the vehicle seat will help with proper recline.
4. Position harness retainer clip at armpit level of the child.
5. Remove all items not purchased as part of the car seat (i.e. bulky coats, head positioners).
6. Secure car seat in locked mode- see vehicle owners manual. 
7. Secure seat belt in locked mode- see vehicle owners manual.
8. Harness straps on the car seat should be positioned at or below child's shoulders when rear facing and at or above child's shoulders when forward facing.
9. Keep your child rear facing until 1 year AND 20 pounds in an infant seat OR 30 pounds in a convertible.
10. Children between 40-80 pounds and under 4'9'' should remain in a booster seat.

For more information see http://www.utahcountyonline.org/Dept/HealthWIC2/site/infants/safety/carseat.html

For information about free car seat classes and car seat checks in Utah County see http://www.utahcountyonline.org/Dept2/Health/Health%20Promotion/Injury/carseat.html

Tummy Time Activities

Babies need tummy time because they are spending more and more time on their backs. In the early 90s, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Back to Sleep program successfully decreased the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the United States by 40 percent by encouraging parents to place their babies on their backs to sleep. Around the same time, a number of infant carriers that doubled as car seats and carriers became widely used. This combination of back sleeping at night and daytime pressure on the infant’s head can create a flattening of the skull.

Increasing the amount of time your baby lies on his or her tummy:
• Promotes muscle development in the neck and shoulders
• Helps prevent tight neck muscles and the development of flat areas on the back of the baby’s head
• Helps build the muscles your baby needs to roll, sit and crawl

Activities that provide tummy time for your children:
1- Sit your baby on your lap, facing you. Provide support as needed, and encourage the baby to hold his head up and centered. Turn his head equally to both sides. It's a good position for feeding.
2- Lie on the floor with your baby, face-to-face. Help your baby push up on his elbows to lift his head to look at you.
3- Provide support under the chest to make lifting the head in the middle easier.
4- Place toys in front of your baby while he is lying on his belly to encourage reaching and playing with both hands. Your baby may begin propping up on both arms and moving around the floor on his belly. Your baby may also begin to crawl from this position.
5- While watching TV or visiting with friends, place your baby on his tummy over your lap. Change the baby’s position to encourage looking to both sides.

It is important to remember that these activities can be changed to meet your baby’s needs, and some babies will progress to skills sooner or later than others. Not all babies have tightness in their necks, and many have very well-shaped heads. The activities in this program can promote normal development for all babies. The time you spend on these activities will bring you and your baby closer together.

For more information see http://www.orthomerica.com/pdf/tummytimetools.pdf

SWIMMING SAFETY TIPS

Drowning is the second most common cause of death from injuries among kids under
the age of 14. Drowning can happen so fast-- sometimes in less than 2 minutes after a
person’s head goes under the water. That leaves very little time for someone to help.
Many drowning and near drowning accidents occur when a child falls into a swimming
pool. But accidents can happen anywhere-- at someone’s home or even at your own
house, and that’s why you need to know how to be safe around water.

 Advice to Remember:

• Always have an adult watch you when you are in the pool, even in your own backyard. Never go in the pool if there is no adult around.
• Gates are around pools for a reason-to keep kids away from the water when there isn’t a lifeguard or adult around to watch them. NEVER go through any pool gates when they are closed. Stay safe and stay out!
• Always obey pool rules.
• Swim with a buddy.
• If you’re learning to swim, ask your mom or dad to make sure your flotation devices are Coast Guard approved.
• Walk slowly in the pool area. Don’t run.
• Swim at a depth that is safe for you. If you’re just learning to swim, stay in the shallow end.
• Don’t jump on others or push others into the water. You could accidentally hurt someone or yourself. 
• Toys to help you float come in many shapes and sizes. Although they are fun and can help you while you learn to swim, what they can’t do is save a life. They’re toys that can lose air or float away.
• Don’t chew gum or eat while you swim- you could choke.

Taken from http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/water.html

Parenting and Children's Temperament

Parenting doesn't happen in a vacuum; parenting is an interactive situation. Children also have styles, or temperaments, which mesh with their parents' style, each affecting the other. Children are born with a tendency toward reacting to people and events in specific ways. This preferred way of responding is called temperament. Children in the same family often have different temperaments, and parents who have several children are likely to recognize the differences and to react differently to each child. For example, a parent would probably respond quite differently to an overly active, impulsive child than to a shy, timid child. She probably would discourage impulsive behavior in the overly active child but encourage assertive behavior in the shy child.

Differences in children's temperament can be seen even in infancy. Researchers have delineated three broad styles of temperament, as follows:

• Easy children are calm, happy, adaptable, regular in sleeping and eating habits, positive in mood and interested in new experiences.

• Difficult children are often fussy, irregular in feeding and sleeping habits, low in adaptability, fearful of new people and situations, easily upset, high strung, and intense in their reactions.

• Slow to warm up children are relatively inactive, reflective, tend to withdraw or to react negatively to novelty, but their reactions gradually become more positive with experience.

 It's the mix or the "goodness of fit" between parent and child that matters most. The match or mismatch between a child and parent determines the harmony between them. Temperament, however, is not set in stone. Although temperament has been shown to be consistent over time, family environment and life experiences can make a difference. Parents who are sensitive to their child's temperamental style and can recognize the child's unique strengths, will make family life smoother. For example, when faced with a new situation, a parent of a slow to warm up child may need to be patient and allow him more time to assess a situation. A difficult child may need advance rehearsal of the expected behavior to help her deal with the new situation.

Obviously, parents and children are individuals and not easily categorized. Most will show characteristics of several styles, but over time, one style generally prevails.

What parents should keep in mind

• Think about how your own temperament style meshes with your child's temperamental style.

• Be attuned to your child's temperament and encourage her to accomplish tasks at her own pace.

• Make your expectations clear. Setting limits will help your child develop self control.
• Encourage children to work with you on generating solutions to problems.
• Make communication a priority. Be open to discussion; take time to explain your decisions and motives and listen to your children's point of view.
• Make them aware that their opinions are respected, but remain firm in your decisions.
• Respect each child's individual strengths and don't compare children.

For more information aboutAnita Gurian's article entitled "Parenting Styles/Children's Temperaments: The Match" visit  http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/parenting_styleschildren039s_temperaments_match

Sun Safety Tips

We hope you are all enjoying your summer! Here are some helpful tips to stay safe in the sun. 

 SUN SAFETY TIPS
Taken from http://www.healthychildren.org and the Summer Activity Guide
Follow these simple rules to protect your family from sunburns now and from skin
cancer later in life.
-Keep babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. Find
shade under a tree, umbrella, or the stroller canopy.
-When possible, dress yourself and your kids in cool, comfortable
clothing that covers the body, like lightweight cotton pants,
long sleeved shirts, and hats.
-Select clothes made with a tight weave-they protect better than
clothes with a looser weave. If you’re not sure how tight a
fabric’s weave is, hold it up to see how much light shines
through. The less light, the tighter.
-Wear a hat or cap with a brim that faces forward to shield the
face.
-Limit your sun exposure between 10am and 4pm, when UV rays
are strongest.
-Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection
-Use sunscreen
-Set a good example. You can be the best teacher by practicing
sun protection yourself. Teach all members of your family how
to protect their skin and eyes.
-Sunscreen can help protect the skin from sunburn and some skin
cancers, but only if used correctly. Keep in mind that sunscreen
should be used for sun protection, not a reason to stay in the sun
longer.

Sunscreen for Babies:
-For babies younger than 6 months: Use sunscreen on small areas of the body,
such as the face and the backs of the hands, if protective clothing and shade are
not available.
-For babies older than 6 months: Apply to all areas of the body, but be careful
around the eyes. If your baby rubs sunscreen into her eyes, wipe the eyes and
hands clean with a damp cloth. If the sunscreen irritates her skin, try a
different brand or try a sunscreen stick or sunscreen or sunblock with titanium
dioxide or zinc oxide. If a rash develops talk to your doctor.

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Freedom Festival 2010

Now there is a new way to contact Help Me Grow with your questions: Online Chat! Go to our website and check it out!

Help Me Grow

During the "Freedom Festival Baby Contest", we hosted the Activity room for the families to hang out in while they waited for the announcements of the winners. We had so much fun playing with all of these darling kids! 

What better place to see cute kids than a baby contest, and with kids "LAY"in around like this, when knew it would be stiff competition!

These cuties won some prizes from our fishing pond!

These blocks are actually shoe boxes, cereal boxes, and other boxes covered with contact paper. No need to buy expensive blocks! Kids enjoy the most simple things already around the house.  Ask any mom, if it comes down to a fancy plastic toy and a cardboard box

the BOX wins EVERY time!

Who doesn't love puppets?  

They are fun and easy to make while sparking the imagination!  You can be anybody you want to be when you make the puppet!

To find more pictures from this event, add us as a friend on Facebook!

We just love to teach kids how to play, maybe it's because here at help me grow believe that it is important to always keep the kid in us!  There is nothing that a child wants more, than to just  be with you.  It doesn't matter if it's with a box, paper dolls, or hitting a balloon back and forth.  

So get out there and spend time with your kids!

Nothing will make you happier than slowing down for a minute and smelling the roses like they do!

"We don't stop playing because we grow old;

 we grow old because we stop playing." 

George Bernard Shaw