Thursday, June 26, 2014

Having Fun in the Sun

Photo Credit
It’s getting warmer! And I am so excited to spend more time outside in the sun! It seems like every summer, the first day I spend out in the sun, I get completely fried! However, this year, my roommate did it first, which means I've thought about it and will [try] not to over-do it. J So while my roommate is slathering on the aloe vera, I am thinking about buying a tube of sunscreen. 

That said, it’s time to get out and play in the sun with your kids! Being outdoors has so many benefits for everybody in the family! Children are naturally drawn to active play outdoors: it allows them to explore their environment, develop muscle strength and coordination, and gain self-confidence. Playing actively outdoors also increases flexibility, fine and gross motor skills and is related to the development of a wide variety of physical skills, including those involved in sports. (Information Credit)

Play is just as important for adults! Play brings joy… and it’s vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships. Even better, playing with kids helps us experience the magic of play through their perspective. (And who couldn't use a little more magic in their life?!) (Information Credit)

To help protect yourself and your kids from the sun’s damaging rays while playing outside, follow these sun safety tips:
  •  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 better.
  •  Wear a hat or cap with a brim that faces forward to shield the face.
  •  Limit your sun exposure between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, when UV rays are strongest.
  •  Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection (look for child-sized sunglasses with UV protection for your child).
  •  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 as a reason to stay in the sun longer.

Photo Credit

How to Pick Sunscreen
  • Use a sunscreen that says “broad-spectrum” on the label - that means it will screen out both UVB and UVA rays.
  • Use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. The higher the SPF, the more UVB protection the sunscreen has.
  • Look for the new UVA “star” rating system on the label.
    • One star is low UVA protection.
    • Two stars is medium protection.
    • Three stars is high protection.
    • Four stars is the highest UVA protection available in an over-the-counter sunscreen product.
  • For sensitive areas of the body, such as the nose, cheeks, tops of the ears, and the shoulders, choose a sunscreen or sunblock with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. While these products usually stay visible on the skin even after you rub them in, some now come in fun colors that kids enjoy.

 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 with your child’s doctor.

How to Apply Sunscreen
  • Use enough sunscreen to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet, and hands and even the backs of the knees. Rub it in well.
  • Put sunscreen on 30 minutes before going outdoors. It needs time to absorb into the skin.
  • Use sunscreen any time you or your child might sunburn. Remember that you can get sunburned even on cloudy days.
  • Also, UV rays can bounce back from water, sand, snow, and concrete so make sure you’re protected.
  • Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. Sunscreen wears off after swimming, sweating, or just from soaking into the skin. (Information Credit)


Put on your sunscreen and get out and play!


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Where Do I Even Start? The Pregnancy To-Do List


You just recently found out you are pregnant and your emotions are running all over the place! You may be feeling excitement and happiness that you are going to have a baby or your mind may be racing with fear from the question of where do I even start with everything there is to do? For me I felt like I had to make so many life decisions in one day.  The questions that ran through my mind are what doctor should I see? When do I need to see a doctor? How much does it cost to have a baby? Are we even ready financially to have a baby? Is it a boy or a girl? How many diapers are we going to need? The list of questions going through my mind went on and on.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Packing Peanut Pool and Other Fine Motor Activities

Looking for simple and entertaining options for kids this summer? Want activities to assist in the development of fine motor skills? Here are a few ideas for you!


Swimming In Packing Peanuts




Want a drier option for your swimming pool? Fill a plastic toddler swimming pool with biodegradable packing peanuts (found at Walmart, Target or online). Prices vary by amount and size of the package. These are non toxic, not a choking hazard and not staticy (making clean up much easier!) They look like white cheese puffs so don't be too surprised when your child puts them in their mouth expecting something tasty. Place beach toys or kitchen utensils in the pool as well. Feel free to hid items in the pool as well. Watch your child pick up peanuts with large spoons or shovels. Feel free to join in the fun (we have!!) you won't regret the giggles created from a foam peanut fight! This will help in their fine motor development and sensory awareness. 


Foam Blocks

Foam blocks allow children to build or put pieces together. Due to their softness they pose no danger of injury if they are (inevitably) thrown or if they fall on your child. These can be purchased in a number of different places such as Walmart or Target. Price usually ranges between $20-$40 depending on how many come in the pack. Show your child how to use the blocks in the following ways: carrying, sorting by shapes and colors, stacking, knocking down and cleaning up. This play will assist in problem solving, fine motor development and identifying shapes and colors. 



Homemade Cardboard Blocks

You can buy cardboard blocks which tend to be larger (great for building larger forts). Expect them to be flat and need folding and assembling. OR you could save all those CapriSun boxes over the weeks, tape them shut, color or cover them with construction paper and go to town! With these blocks you can do many of the same activities as the foam blocks. These will also help with spacial awareness and cause and effect as you build and knock them down.





Tuesday, June 17, 2014

This One's for the Dads

Let’s be honest, when we talk about childcare we often address mothers and casually glance over fathers.  Well not today.  Dads, today I have some tips for you!

Here are 10 things you can do to ensure that you are involved in your children’s lives no matter what age they are.


1.    Respect your children’s mother. We had to throw in mothers somehow! When children see their parents respecting each other, they are more likely to feel that they are also accepted and respected.

2.    Spend time with your children. If you always seem too busy for your children, they will feel neglected no matter what you say.  Set aside some much needed father -son/daughter time.

3.    Earn the right to be heard. I know, I know you already had to do this with your wife! Begin talking with your kids when they are very young, and talk to them about all kinds of things. Listen to their ideas and problems no matter how silly they may seem.

4.    Discipline with love. All children need guidance and discipline, not as punishment, but to set reasonable limits and help children learn from natural or logical consequences. Discipline in a calm, fair, and nonviolent manner.  Your child may be mad at first, but eventually they will understand that you only do it because you love them.

5.    Be a role model. Dad’s, you are a role model whether you realize it or not! A girl with a loving father grows up knowing that she deserves to be treated with respect. Fathers also teach sons what is important in life by demonstrating honestly, humility and responsibility.

6.    Be a teacher.  A father who teaches his children about right and wrong and encourages them to do their best will see his children make good choices. Be involved and use everyday examples to teach the basic lessons of life.

7.    Eat together as a family. Sharing a meal together is an important part of a healthy family life. It gives children the chance to talk about what they are doing, and it is a good time for fathers to listen and give advice.

8.    Read to your children. Begin reading to your children when they are very young. Instilling a love for reading is one of the best ways to ensure they will have a lifetime of personal and career growth. In this area, fathers have more influence than mothers! Yes it’s true!

9.    Show affection. Children need the security that comes from knowing they are wanted, accepted, and loved by their family. Showing affection every day is the best way to let your children know that you love them. No one can give a hug like dad can!

10.  Realize that a father’s job is never done. Even after children are grown and leave the home, they will still look to you, their father, for wisdom and advice. Fatherhood lasts a lifetime.



Dad, you rock!

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Sibling Rivalry

Photo Credit
The birth of a new baby is a joyous occasion. However, it may not seem so joyous for the new big brother or sister. Before the new baby, they had mom and dad's attention all to themselves. Now the attention is divided. Often the older sibling develops feelings of jealousy as they feel displaced by the new baby. If mom and dad are aware though, they can help the older child transition into their new role as a sibling. Here are some helpful tips to prevent fiasco's such as the one pictured above.

Before the baby comes:

  • Explain to your child, on their level, all the changes that will come with the new baby. Be realistic. Let them know that the baby will take a lot of mommy's time and mommy will be tired. 
  • Look at pictures and watch videos of them as a baby. Tell them about their own birth and what they were like as a baby. Tell them about the excitement surrounding their own birth and that everyone was excited to meet and hold them. 
  • Have your child practice holding a doll, teaching them how to touch and hold the baby gently. 
  • If you are planning to move the older sibling into a new room or a new bed, do so months in advance. This will keep the two events separate and will help keep the child from feeling displaced by the new baby. 
  • Read books about their new role as an older sibling. Some examples include "I'm a Big Sister" and "I'm a Big Brother" by Joanna Cole. 
  • Involve your child in the process. Let them come to your doctor's appointment with you and hear the heartbeat. 
Photo Credit
After the baby comes: 
  • Arrange to have your child come as soon as possible after delivery to see their new sibling. 
  • Have a gift especially for them from the new baby. 
  • Establish routines again, as soon as possible. 
  • Explain some of the things babies can't do that make it great to be older. For example: babies can't run. The more they understand about baby, the less jealous they will be. 
  • When you come home from the hospital have dad bring the baby into the house. This will keep mom available to hug and hold the older child when first coming home. 
  • Give the older sibling special jobs. Let them be involved in taking care of baby. 
  • Have one-on-one time with you and your older child, everyday. It doesn't need to be long. But this time will help him feel special and loved
For even more helpful tips you can go online to The Baby Center. How have you handled the transition in your own family? Comment below! We love hearing life experiences and tips from our readers! 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Play Time: What's the Big Deal?


Sure play time is fun, but did you know there is more to play time than just keeping your kids busy? “What do you mean?” “It’s not just something fun to do?!” Well of course it is, but it is also a very important tool in the development of your little troublemaker.

 


Play is the way babies find out about themselves and the world around them.

When babies play they use all five senses to learn about the new things around them, especially in the first year! Your baby is always asking questions about the world like, “What does this feel like when I touch it?” “What does this sound like when I squeeze it?” “What will happen if I push this or pull that?” etc.

Though you don’t actually hear the questions, as parents you do see the results; toys flying here, food spilling there! 





Saying that play time helps development is great, but you want to know how?  Well, I’ll tell you!

Play promotes sociomoral growth as children:

·         Practice social roles.
·         Learn to take perspective of others.
·         Participate in turn taking, cooperation, and sharing.
·         Develop empathy and deal with issues of fairness and rule making/following.
·         Work through conflict with increasing flexibility.
·         Experience sheer fun – the positive aspect of fun is that it is essential to growth and a strong motivation for every kind of learning.

Play promotes cognitive development as children:

·         Change oneself into some object, person, or situation.
·         Combine and practice concepts they have already assimilated.
·         Use and rehearse new skills by putting together thinking skills in new ways to fit the play situation.
·         Learn new ideas from peers.
·         Share and communicated thoughts through roles they assume.
·         Increase problem solving ability (Sylva, Bruner, Genova, 1976).

Play promotes literacy and language development as children:

·         Use communicative (access rituals, topic development and maintenance, turn-taking, negotiation, etc.) skills.
·         Reconstruct events and sequences in events/stories thus leading to increased story comprehension (Pellegrini and Galdi, 1982).
·         Rely on language to organize and structure their play.
·         Practice new vocabulary by connecting words and images with a context.

Play promotes physical development as children:

·         Coordinate their actions with the actions of objects and other people.
·         Engage in activities that develop stamina, flexibility, strength, coordination, and fitness.
·         Practice gross and fine motor skills.

Yes, play is good for your children but don’t forget that play is for parents too.  That’s right, play is for you! Play is a time to enjoy with your baby and get to know them as they get to know you.

Play is important but don’t forget that it is also very fun and can be very easy to do! Here are five simple activities to help you get started:

Play peek-a-boo: little kids love this game and it is so easy to do!

Read a book: Let your child explore the book

Spend time face to face with baby: Imitate baby’s faces and sounds and let them imitate back

Build a fort: This one is great for older children, and all you need is what you can find around the house!

Pots and pans: This lets your baby explore sound!

What fun things do you do to play with your child?

This information came from handouts from Help Me Grow. Call us if you would like to know more!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Life hacks for Water Safety

Its summmaaaa time!!! We wanted to give you a few tips on how to safely manage water time with your kids. Here is a great tip from SAFE KIDS in a post provided by them. SAFE KIDS has tons of GREAT safety resources you should check out. Enjoy!

Drowning Prevention Strategy
Many parents, friends, and family face the situation of “Who is watching the kids in the pool?” Unfortunately, this confusion leads to many drowning situations in both indoor and outdoor water areas, such as pools, lake, rivers, etc. In fact, drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children between 1 and 4 years old. And it’s the third leading cause of death among children (Safe Kids Worldwide, 2014).

In order to prevent and reduce injury from drowning, Safe Kids Worldwide has created a Water Watcher card (pictured below). This card states:
“While wearing this tag, I agree to supervise the children in the open water or pool, keeping them in sight at all times. I will not leave the water area without finding an adult to replace me.”
FRONT:                                                              BACK:
  
















In order to make your own Water Watcher card, follow this link to print your own. 

Safe Kids Worldwide has divided water it into three categories: water in the home, swimming safety and boating safety.  They offer tips on those areas.
Link to Safe Kids Worldwide home water safety tips: http://www.safekids.org/watersafety
Link to Safe Kids Worldwide swimming safety tips:
Link to Safe Kids World Wide boating safety tips:

Come learn more about water safety at the Utah Lake Festival-
It’s time for the 10th annual Utah Lake Festival! The festival will be held on Saturday, June 7, at Utah Lake State Park from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The address for the park is 4400 West Center Street Provo, Utah, 84601.
The Utah Lake Festival is free to the public, and will offer a variety of activities for everyone. Some of these include a boat show featuring some fun and unique boats, a sail boat regatta, games and activities for kids, boat making demonstrations, and boat tours.
Link about the Utah Lake Festival:



And here is one additional "life hack" for you to try at the beach. Enjoy your summer!



Thursday, June 5, 2014

Playgroup Fun Anywhere!

Welcome Baby provides the community an opportunity for parents and their children to have fun interacting at Playgroup with activities and more! We would love to have you, and invite your friends! If you have questions, feel free to contact us.

We currently have 1 playgroup held at the South Franklin Community Center 
Where: 770 South 700 West, Provo, UT 84601
When: Every Friday, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm







Children are able to develop in many ways as they play. Bruce Duncan Perry, M.D., Ph.D. explains, "The child's cognitive capacity is enhanced in games by trial and error, problem solving, and practice discriminating between relevant and irrelevant information. Play requires the child to make choices and direct activities and often involves strategy, or planning, to reach a goal."

Children need to be children, so let them play and explore new things with you! Playgroups can be benificial in many ways, one of which is that children are able to stregthen their social skills. Parents can share experiences and gain support. In the past few playgroups, we've had a great turn out. Provo has a lot of diversity and we were able to see that a couple of weeks ago when we had five different languages at playgroup. Come join the fun and build relationships while gaining ideas for great activities!

If you can't come to Playgroup, try some of these ideas at home.
Here are a few!


Butterfly Paint Fun:
  • Cut out a butterfly shape as big as you wish.
  • Fold the butterfly in half vertically.
  • Have washable paint ready for children to pour onto the paper (different colors make for great designs)
  • Once the paint is on half of the butterfly, fold it and press down on the paper so the paint gets on both sides.
  • Open the paper up and let dry.
  • Staple pipe cleaners on for the antennas and enjoy your creation

Butterfly Peanut Butter Snack:
  • Cut a piece of bread horizontally after peanut butter has been spread over it.
  • Turn the 2 pieces facing out.
  • Put a carrot in the middle (For the butterfly's body)
  • Sprinkle raisins (or anything you would like on it) on the bread for fun.
Here are some other simple butterfly snack ideas!


Bird Feeder:
  •  Take out a few slices of any type of bread.
  • Make a little hole towards the top of the slice.
  • Sting yarn through the whole and tie a knot (so you can hang it up).
  • Spread peanut butter on one side.
  • Sprinkle birdseed over the peanut butter.
  • Hang up your bird feeder on a tree branch.

Check out some other shapes!


Please let us know how you liked these activities. If you have some activities that have worked for you, we want to hear about them!