TOY BOX CLEAN UP (tips from father)

In these tough economic times there is nothing better than helping others. My wife and I recently walked into our sons play room and thought a Toys R Us had exploded in there. We had to take action.

We knew that our son would never miss half of the stuff as he had moved on to a few select toys of choice. We wanted to make it fun for him so we took all of his toys and dumped them in the middle of the room. I know what your thinking, why make a mess worse, well sometimes to truly clean house you have to start from the ground floor.

We had just recently purchased toy bins to organize the room so we were in good shape there. We got ours at IKEA, if you guys are looking for a cheap place to get some good looking stuff for your childs play room that is a great place. So we decided to keep only what would comfortably fit in his toy bins.

Once you get your room sorted we took the toys we knew he could part with and packed them all up and took them down to the good will with our son. We wanted him to be involved the in the whole process. We made sure he was putting the toys in the give away bags and made sure he was there and helped us give them to the nice people at the good will.

A few things we did to make this whole process more fun and go much smoother were:

• We video taped the whole thing so when our son is a little older he can see how big of a helper he was.
• Once we were done gathering everything to take to the good will we made a tall of about how much we thought it was all worth.
• After we dropped it off we made sure to get a recipt for tax reasons.
• And while this may be a backwards thing to do, once we were done we took him and got him ONE toy, very cheap but we wanted him to feel good about helping others.

This tip, like all the others we have given is extremely simple and straight forward. That’s how we do it. Don’t get to complicated, things are easy if you just put a little effort into it.

from:
http://fathershood.com

Home Sweet Home...

Busy Kids

Baby Massage

Massaging your baby enhances the emotional bond with your child and can calm him down, improve sleep patterns and help digestion. It's also a wonderful way for dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents and other caregivers to share special time with the new addition to the family.

Additionally, research has shown that gently massaging premature babies actually helps improve their growth and development. According to one study, preemies who were massaged three times daily for ten days gained almost 50 percent more weight, were more active and alert and were able to leave the hospital six days earlier than other premature infants.

Preparation Tips

* Timing: Choose a point when you're relaxed and unhurried and won't be interrupted. Don't plan to massage your baby when he has a full stomach or is hungry.
* Position/Setting: Make sure you're comfortable. Sit on the floor or on the bed, or put your baby on your lap. Lay your baby on his back on a terry towel since first you'll massage the front of your baby, then the back. The room should be warm (75 degrees if possible). Talk to or sing to your baby. You both might also enjoy some soothing music in the background.
* Massage Oils: Natural oils are the best-almond oil or a fresh bottle of vegetable oil scented with a drop of fragrance, such as lemon, vanilla or lavender. Warm a few drops in your hands. Don't use oil on the head or face. (Cornstarch is useful for a quick, few-minutes massage.)
* Your Baby's Comfort: It's important to respect your baby's space and integrity. Ask permission, even if your baby can't give verbal consent yet. Stop if you sense overstimulation. A newborn may enjoy only two to five minutes of massage, while a child over two months of age might love a more elaborate one.



Rubbing Your Baby the Right Way
1. Begin by making tiny circles on your baby's head. Then smooth your baby's forehead-with both hands at the center, gently press outward as if stroking the pages of a book. Make small circles around your baby's jaw. Massaging around your baby's mouth may comfort him during teething.

2. Warming the oil in your hands, stroke your baby's chest (like an open book again).

3. Roll each arm between your hands; open and massage each finger of each hand.

4. Massage the tummy, one hand following the other, from your baby's right side to the left.

5. Roll each leg between your two hands; massage each foot.

6. Stroke your baby's back -- first back and forth across, then in long, sweeping lines from shoulders to feet. Always keep one hand on your baby. End with a kiss to grow on.



Soothing Stomach Distress

* Very gently stroke your baby's tummy from top to bottom using the outer edges of first one hand, then the other, in a motion like a waterwheel.
* Push his knees onto his tummy, and hold for a count of ten.
* Massage the tummy with one hand following the other in clockwise circles. Picture in your mind-and tell your baby-that a gas bubble is leaving his body.
* Walk your fingers across your baby's tummy from the right to the left side, then down toward your baby's left hip (to move gas toward the rectum). Repeat sequence as needed.

PARENTING TIPS

one of tips to make a happy family

Look who’s listening to you!

Sometimes as parents we wonder if our children ever listen to us. How much can a baby really hear and understand? How can a toddler be listening when she is so engrossed in play? Does a preschooler listen even if he talks a mile a minute? Rest assured your child, no matter what her age, is listening intently to what you say and to what is going on around her. Furthermore, listening is a first step on the path to learning to read.

Babies listen from birth
Hearing develops in pregnancy about the fifth month. After birth, the brain is able to perceive and process all the sounds of speech, even those not contained in the child’s native language. The brain begins to map the sounds of speech as the baby hears adults talking to him. These are the sounds that the child will need to know in order to learn to read.

Parents help their baby listen when they speak in parentese, using a voice that is higher in pitch, slower and more drawn out, and has greater contrasts in inflection. This way of speaking presents speech sounds in exactly the way babies need to be able to listen and process them. It’s not baby talk. Your baby shows she is listening to you by turning to the sound of your voice, smiling and laughing, and moving her arms and legs in excitement.

Toddlers listen on the go
By the end of the first year of life, babies have had lots of experience hearing sounds in their daily lives, and they are beginning to understand that certain sounds represent particular things. This is receptive language. The fact that toddlers are curious and into everything exposes them to many different words and sounds. Toddlers listen, they just do it standing up! As they grow closer to speaking words themselves, they seek lots of language stimulation. Your little one may be glued to your side, as he wants to look in your face, watch your mouth, and hear your words. Listening is very important to language and literacy development in the toddler years, even though it occurs on the move.

Preschoolers are all ears
Most preschoolers are in love with talking. Children this age listen more for meaning and less for the sounds of speech. If your child doesn’t say some sounds clearly, repeat the word using the correct pronunciation rather than pointing out the mistake. Also, help your child learn to slow down and listen by getting her attention and giving her yours when she is trying to tell you something.

Preschoolers are learning to listen to a story and to retell a story or answer questions about it, important skills that prepare the child for learning to read in the next few years. Helping your child to pay attention to key parts of a story can enhance listening skills. You might provide a clue before reading, such as “Let’s see what the boy will buy at the store.” Another strategy is to ask your child to make a prediction, such as “Who do you think Baby Bear will find in his bed?’

Listen up! Here are some things you can do to help your child listen:

* Be sure you have your child’s attention.
* Make eye-contact down on her level.
* Look out for ear infections and treat them promptly.
* Pronounce words the way adults do so your child will know what is correct.
* Speak a little slower.
* Use funny voices when reading a story to interest your child.
* Ask your child to make a prediction about a story.
* Be a good listener to model for your child.

from www.parentsasteachers.org

cerita anak

Tujuh Burung Gagak

Brothers Grimm

Dahulu, ada seorang laki-laki yang memiliki tujuh orang anak laki-laki, dan laki-laki tersebut belum memiliki anak perempuan yang lama diidam-idamkannya. Seriiring dengan berjalannya waktu, istrinya akhirnya melahirkan seorang anak perempuan. Laki-laki tersebut sangat gembira, tetapi anak perempuan yang baru lahir itu sangat kecil dan sering sakit-sakitan. Seorang tabib memberitahu laki-laki tersebut agar mengambil air yang ada pada suatu sumur dan memandikan anak perempuannya yang sakit-sakitan dengan air dari sumur itu agar anak tersebut memperoleh berkah dan kesehatan yang baik. Sang ayah lalu menyuruh salah seorang anak laki-lakinya untuk mengambil air dari sumur tersebut. Enam orang anak laki-laki lainnya ingin ikut untuk mengambil air dan masing-masing anak laki-laki itu sangat ingin untuk mendapatkan air tersebut terlebih dahulu karena rasa sayangnya terhadap adik perempuan satu-satunya. Ketika mereka tiba di sumur dan semua berusaha untuk mengisi kendi yang diberikan kepada mereka, kendi tersebut jatuh ke dalam sumur. Ketujuh anak laki-laki tersebut hanya terdiam dan tidak tahu harus melakukan apa untuk mengambil kendi yang jatuh, dan tak satupun dari mereka berani untuk pulang kerumahnya.

Ayahnya yang menunggu di rumah akhirnya hilang kesabarannya dan berkata, "Mereka pasti lupa karena bermain-main, anak nakal!" Karena takut anak perempuannya bertambah sakit, dia lalu berteriak marah, "Saya berharap anak laki-lakiku semua berubah menjadi burung gagak." Saat kata itu keluar dari mulutnya, dia mendengar kepakan sayap yang terbang di udara, sang Ayah lalu keluar dan melihat tujuh ekor burung gagak hitam terbang menjauh. Sang Ayah menjadi sangat menyesal karena mengeluarkan kata-kata kutukan dan tidak tahu bagaimana membatalkan kutukan itu. Tetapi walaupun kehilangan tujuh orang anak laki-lakinya, sang Ayah dan Ibu masih mendapatkan penghiburan karena kesehatan anak perempuannya berangsur-angsur membaik dan akhirnya anak perempuan tersebut tumbuh menjadi gadis yang cantik.

Gadis itu tidak pernah mengetahui bahwa dia mempunyai tujuh orang kakak laki-laki karena orangtuanya tidak pernah memberitahu dia, sampai suatu hari secara tidak sengaja gadis tersebut mendengar percakapan beberapa orang, "Gadis tersebut memang sangat cantik, tetapi gadis tersebut harus disalahkan karena mengakibatkan nasib buruk pada ketujuh saudaranya." Gadis tersebut menjadi sangat sedih dan bertanya kepada orangtuanya tentang ketujuh saudaranya. Akhirnya orangtuanya menceritakan semua kejadian yang menimpa ketujuh saudara gadis itu. Sang Gadis menjadi sangat sedih dan bertekad untuk mencari ketujuh saudaranya secara diam-diam. Dia tidak membawa apapun kecuali sebuah cincin kecil milik orangtuanya, sebuah roti untuk menahan lapar dan sedikit air untuk menahan haus.

Gadis tersebut berjalan terus, terus sampai ke ujung dunia. Dia menemui matahari, tetapi matahari terlalu panas, lalu dia kemudian menemui bulan, tetapi bulan terlalu dingin, lalu dia menemui bintang-bintang yang ramah kepadanya. Saat bintang fajar muncul, bintang tersebut memberikan dia sebuah tulang ayam dan berkata, "Kamu harus menggunakan tulang ini sebagai kunci untuk membuka gunung yang terbuat dari gelas, disana kamu akan dapat menemukan saudara-saudaramu.

Gadis tersebut kemudian mengambil tulang tersebut, menyimpannya dengan hati-hati di pakaiannya dan pergi ke arah gunung yang di tunjuk oleh bintang fajar. Ketika dia telah tiba di gunung tersebut, dia baru sadar bahwa tulang untuk membuka kunci gerbang gunung telah hilang. Karena dia berharap untuk menolong ketujuh saudaranya, maka sang Gadis lalu mengambil sebilah pisau, memotong jari kelinkingnya dan meletakkannya di depan pintu gerbang. Pintu tersebut kemudian terbuka dan sang Gadis dapat masuk kedalam, dimana seorang kerdil menemuinya dan bertanya kepadanya, "Anakku, apa yang kamu cari?" "Saya mencari tujuh saudaraku, tujuh burung gagak," balas sang Gadis. Orang kerdil tersebut lalu berkata, "Tuanku belum pulang ke rumah, jika kamu ingin menemuinya, silahkan masuk dan kamu boleh menunggunya di sini." Lalu orang kerdil tersebut menyiapkan makan siang pada tujuh piring kecil untuk ketujuh saudara laki-laki sang Gadis yang telah menjadi burung gagak. Karena lapar, sang Gadis mengambil dan memakan sedikit makanan yang ada pada tiap-tiap piring dan minum sedikit dari tiap-tiap gelas kecil yang ada. Tetapi pada gelas yang terakhir, dia menjatuhkan cincin milik orangtuanya yang dibawa bersamanya.

Tiba-tiba dia mendengar kepakan sayap burung di udara, dan saat itu orang kerdil itu berkata, "Sekarang tuanku sudah datang." Saat ketujuh burung gagak akan mulai makan, mereka menyadari bahwa seseorang telah memakan sedikit makanan dari piring mereka. "Siapa yang telah memakan makananku, dan meminum minumanku?" kata salah satunya. Saat burung gagak yang terakhir minum dari gelasnya, sebuah cincin masuk ke mulutnya dan ketika burung tersebut memperhatikan cincin tersebut, burung gagak tersebut berkata, "Diberkatilah kita, saudara perempuan kita yang tersayang mungkin ada disini, inilah saatnya kita bisa terbebas dari kutukan." Sang Gadis yang berdiri di belakang pintu mendengar perkataan mereka, akhirnya maju kedepan dan saat itu pula, ketujuh burung gagak berubah kembali menjadi manusia. Mereka akhirnya berpelukan dan pulang bersama ke rumah mereka dengan bahagia.