Thursday, March 28, 2013

Time to Go, Go, Go: Activity Ideas Brought to You by the Aspire Parent Group


There’s something about spring that just make us Help Me Grow (HMG) folks antsy. The sun’s out, the weather’s nice, and it’s time to go, go, go. Lucky for us, the Aspire Parent Group met a week ago and had some great ideas that will help us take advantage of the good weather.
Photo from the first Aspire Parent Group Meeting last August, courtesy of Deborah Wiess.

One way that HMG supports families is by facilitating the Aspire Parent Group. This parent-led group meets on the third Wednesday of every month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in Orem, UT, and the meetings are part play date/part information session. The group is run by Help Me Grow Parent Champion Janae Moss, who creates an open environment for sharing thoughts and ideas about children and development. Click here for more information.


Last week, the group had a discussion about fun things to do with kids in the Provo/Orem area. Here are a few ideas they came up with:

1.      Check BYU events.
The calendar on the BYU website has information on events all over the area. They have a great overview of what's going on in the community.

 2.  Enjoy the BYU's Museum of Art.
      The Museum of Art (MOA) has tons of free fun for kids. More specifically, get a look at the MOA’s Van Gogh to Play Dough class for two to four- year-olds or the family film series they host on the 1st Saturday of the month.

3.      Look into the Museum of Peoples and Cultures
The Museum of Peoples and Cultures provides tours for all kinds of groups. Visit the front desk for an activity pack to take on your self-guided tour (free!), or schedule a session with one of their tour guides. A group of 1-12 people are only $5.

4.      Visit your local library.
The Orem Library and Provo Library always have different activities going on.

5.      Give Lowes kids activities a try.
Once a month, Lowes hosts a free craft or activity for kids. They fill up fast, so search for a Lowes near you and register!

6.      Get your home improvement on with a trip to Home Depot.
Home Depot offers free do-it-yourself (DIY) classes and workshops on a weekly basis, and they have workshops designed just for kids every month!

7.      Go to your local pet store.
Your kids will enjoy the free time with animals, just don’t walk away with a new pet every time.

8.      Check out Cabela’s.
Besides the fact that Cabela's is great fun for parents, kids will love the aquarium and animals.

9.      Visit the Riverwoods.
With everything from premier shopping to fantastic entertainment, the Riverwoods has loads to offer the whole family.

10.  Take a trip to the Bean Museum. (Coming soon!)
The Bean Museum has been closed for construction, but it’s set to reopen during the fall of 2013. The museum boasts over two million specimens from around the world. Be sure to request a free live animal show!

Those are just a few of the ideas courtesy of the Aspire Parent Group. What are your favorite things to do with kids in the spring and summertime? 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Easter is Coming!

Here's a highlight of a few fun finger crafts you can do with your little ones to promote their creativity skills and fine motor development!


After decorating hard boiled eggs, do you wonder what you are going to do with the colorful shells?
Here's a solution:  Smash 'em and turn 'em into art!!

Photo Credit

All you need:
colored smashed egg shells
pencil
glue
heavy card-stock paper
a tray to catch the extra pieces

Draw fun Easter designs with your kids, then follow your designs with glue, and sprinkle the smashed egg shells along the glue. Shake off the extra shells onto the tray, and use for another drawing!

Here's the link: Easter Egg Shell Art

Help your kids us their imaginations and turn those tiny hands into Bunny Rabbits! Great decoration for your fridge!

Photo Credit

All you need:
Paint
Paint Brush
Colored paper
Markers
And Tiny Hands to decorate!!


Check out this link for some other Easy Easter Handprint Crafts 





Here's a great way to reuse those mini plastic eggs:
Make some music!  Here is the link for how-to: Plastic Eggs Sound Shakers

egg sound shaker easter activity for kids
Photo Credit

 Check out Pinterest for more ideas!

 Tell us what Easter activities your kids enjoy...

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Hip Healthy Swaddling : Developmental Dysplasia of they Hip


Swaddling as we learned from our last blog post can help an infant find comfort and sleep well.

Properly swaddling your infant is important due to research that suggests, that improperly swaddling you baby may lead to developmental dysplasia of they hip.

What is developmental dysplasia of the hip?


Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip or DDH is the preferred term for babies and infants with hip dysplasia (since the condition can develop after birth.) DDH is a medical term for instability or looseness of the hip joint. 

Photo Credit 



Are you swaddling your baby properly? 

Most babies do love being swaddled. The reason it is important to leave room for the hips and legs to kick is because too tight swaddling can cause developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) a serious condition in which the ball of the hip becomes dislocated from the socket.  Recent studies show that the popularity of swaddling is associated with a rise in DDH.  

There are safe ways to swaddle:  


Watch this video to learn hip-healthy methods to swaddle your baby





Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Infant ReAction! and Swaddling Techniques

Why is it that sometimes infants are startled by loud noises, and start screaming, while other times they don’t react more than a slight movement of their feet or head?  Imagine if you as an adult could not ignore all the noises and stimuli around you, you would never be able to get anything done! And if babies cannot shut out their surroundings, they never will be able to find peace and quiet!  


Dr. Brazelton, an expert on child development, has developed a Neonatal Behavioral Assessment that is often used right after birth to test infant reaction and habituation abilities. From birth, most infants have an ability to regulate their internal nervous system to find balance even when the outside environment is overly active for an infant.  Listen to Dr. Brazleton demonstrate some of the things he does to test an infant’s ability to habituate, using a light, a rattle and a bell. 



So what can we do as parents to help our infants find comfort in their environment? 

One great way is to wrap your baby in a swaddle.

When babies are born, they are not used to having so much space around them. Often they feel uncomfortable and are unable to calm themselves. One way to help them find comfort and sleep well is by wrapping them up in a blanket so as to imitate the environment in their mother's womb. The following video clip shows two different ways to swaddle your child. 
Remember, ALWAYS lay your newborn on her back to sleep!
Photo Credit
What techniques do you use to comfort your infant?

Sources:  Brazelton, T. B. Touchpoints: The Essential Reference (1992)


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Tips for Stress-Free Family Dinners

We've never done a dinner blog post before, but we think guest post has some good tips! Enjoy!


When you have kids, simple things like getting dinner on the table can seem downright impossible. Luckily, there are steps you can take to make dinnertime a little less stressful. The following tips can help you feel confident about mealtime so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family:

·         Meal plan each week
Spend some time on Saturday or Sunday coming up with dinner ideas for the week. Knowing what you’re going to make ahead of time will save you lots of stress during the week.

·         Take pantry inventories
Regularly check your pantry to be aware of what you have and what you need. Knowing what you have on hand can help prevent last minute scrambling or grocery runs.

·         Cook more than you need
Cooking in large batches means you’ll have lots of leftovers, which are great to save for nights when you need an easy dinner to reheat.

·         Use precut frozen foods for shortcuts
Having precut fruits and veggies in your freezer can save you a lot of time making dinner. Instead of having to chop, slice and dice, you can simply toss in whatever frozen produce you need.

·         Clean as you go
Instead of saving dishes for later, clean your pots and pans as you cook. This way, you won’t have to spend as much time scrubbing dishes at the sink after dinner.

This Asian Chicken Noodle Bowl is one of those easy chicken recipes that’s perfect for a busy weeknight; it can be on the table in 25 minutes, so you can prepare dinner stress-free.


Quick Weeknight Recipe: Asian Chicken Noodle Bowl
Total Time: 25 min
Serves: 7
·         1 9 oz pkg refrigerated linguine, uncooked
·         PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
·         1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
·         2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion strips
·         2 cups frozen sugar snap peas
·         3/4 cup water
·         1/2 cup Peter Pan® Creamy Peanut Butter
·         1/2 cup La Choy® Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce-Marinade
·         2 tablespoons lime juice
Cook linguine according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain and return to pan.
Meanwhile, spray a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables and cook for 4-6 minutes or until crisp tender. Move to side of skillet.
Add remaining ingredients to skillet and stir to blend. Move chicken and vegetables into sauce and stir until coated. Pour chicken over linguine and toss to coat.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of ReadySetEat®. For easy recipes for dinner and other cooking tips, visit www.readyseteat.com

Friday, March 1, 2013

Happy Three Years to Help Me Grow Utah!

Today is Help Me Grow Utah's third birthday! It amazes me how much has happened over the last three years. We're so grateful for the amazing support we've received from so many and excited to see what the next year holds.

A snapshot of what we've done over these three years:

  • 1,303 families served (1,946 children)
  • 1,534 developmental screenings
  • 2,500+ referrals made to community resources. 
Pretty amazing. We feel so lucky to have helped so many and look forward to doing more!


(sorry if people don't like the instagram filter...follow us! @helpmegrowutah)