Parenting

How to Help Your Pet Adjust to Your Newborn

March 26, 2019

With the recent passing of my Mellow, I’ve been thinking a lot about how pets enrich our lives and become members of our families. There are so many benefits for children to grow up with pets, but some people worry that pets will hurt children because of old wives tales. Others find caring for pets and children together too stressful and then the pet ends up at the shelter. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of people surrendering their pets because there is a baby on the way. The good news is that you don’t have to give up your pet. Here are some ways to help your pets and newborn happily coexist.

Prepare Baby’s Room

While you are preparing for your new baby, so are your pets. In fact, they might even know you’re pregnant before you do. I’m pretty sure Diamond and Mellow knew as they became quite clingy and protective around that time. It’s best to prepare your babies room a couple months prior to your baby coming home if possible. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do this since I was house hunting during my pregnancy, but luckily, I found a place in time. Rosebud was due in December, so I had all the furniture in her room by October. This was so that Diamond and Mellow could get used to the furniture. They could put their scent on it. Cats like to rub on things to mark it as their own and the furniture in Rosebud’s room was no exception. They could learn what was off limits. They could sit in her chair, but the crib was a no-no. Mellow found her chair right away and decided it was his. As a side note, you can leave out bottles of powder, baby wash etc so that your pet gets used to those smells as well.

Pretend You Have the Baby

Before your baby is born, pretend you already have the baby. At different times, put on sounds of a baby crying. Put a baby doll in the crib, carry it around etc. this may sound silly and I’ll admit, I didn’t do this. Of course you can’t always predict how your pets will react, but I knew Diamond and Mellow were pretty low key. I never worried about agression or any extreme stress reactions. If you have an extremely sensetive pet or if you have any concerns that your pet will react negatively, I would recommend doing this just to gage your pet’s reaction if nothing else. Several years ago, I listened to The Pet Show with Warren Eckstein and he always recommended this method for both dogs and cats.

Share Responsibilities

If you are the mother to be and you are the primary care taker for your pet, have someone else step in if possible. This way your pet will get used to a new routine and will not feel so lost when the baby comes. Maybe your partner can feed the cat and change the litter box. Maybe another family member could take the dog for a walk or play a game of frisbee. Although no other family members lived with me, they gave the cats more attention when they did visit because they knew the cats might feel jealous of the baby. Slip in a few extra treats or a special toy. Anything that makes your pet feel loved.

The Baby’s Scent

After the baby is born, have your partner or other family member bring home something with the baby’s scent on it. It could be anything. A blanket, a towel or even a piece of clothing. Put it near a place where your pet likes to hang out. It could be near your pet’s bed or favorite scratching post. I had every intention of doing this, but my hospital stay was so stressful that it had slipped my mind. I wasn’t that worried about my cats with Rosebud, but if your pet is really sensetive, I’d highly recommend it. If your pets have already smelled your baby’s scent, they will feel more comfortable once your baby arrives home. When I first set Rosebud’s car seat down, diamond and Mellow quickly came to investigate. They sniffed, rubbed against the car seat and got back to napping.

Separate Spaces

Now that your baby is home, you need some separate spaces. Make some baby free and pet free zones. I’d recommend investing in a couple of good quality gates. In my house, the crib was the pet free zone and at first, my bed became a pet free zone as well. I was worried that Diamond would get too close to Rosebud while she was sleeping. She loves to snuggle at night. The room with the litter box was a baby free zone. I had gates set up so the cats could get through, but not Rosebud. I also have one high cat tree so the cats can survey all the action from above when they want to get away. For a dog, the separate space might be a crate or a gated room. This is common sense, but never leave pets and babies unsupervised.

This cat tree is similar to an older one I had. This is perfect for a multi cat household. I have had other cat trees as well. Scroll down to the end of the post if you are interested in other models.

Quality Time

As stressful as new motherhood can be, try to take a few minutes each day to spend quality time with your pets to remind them that they are a member of your family. They haven’t been replaced by the baby. I definitely couldn’t spend as much time playing with and pampering the cats, but I took time every day to pat them. They’d usually come over and lay next to us if Rosebud played on the floor. After a while, they started sleeping next to us at night. I’d get my cat snuggles at three AM after a nursing session. I was so peaceful being up in the early hours of the morning, just listening to the quiet and snuggling with Diamond. Mellow was more demanding and was more in my face during the day. He’d come lay in the middle of Rosebud’s toys and become involved in her play as she got older. Sometimes you have to take your pets lead, spend the time when you can and eventually your baby will become interested in your pet as well.

Now Rosebud helps me feed Diamond. She tries to play with her using the cat toys and she has learned to be gentle with her.

Diamond has always been protective of Rosebud since she was born, but Rosebud developed a bond with both cats. It’s been amazing to watch. With the benefits to Rosebud, the preparation was worth it. Both for the cats and for her. How are your pets with your baby? What have you done to help them adjust? Tell me in the comments.

4 Comments

Gift Giving, Infants, Parenting, Shopping

Baby’s 1st Easter Basket

March 22, 2019

As I’ve been working on filling Rosebud’s Easter basket for this year, I’ve been remembering her baskets from previous years. She was only a few months old for her first Easter and I had no idea what to put in her basket, so I ended up filling it with mostly practical things. That worked great for me because she wasn’t old enough to open her own gifts, she didn’t realize what she would’ve been missing and I was able to use these items for the rest of the year. If you’re like me and have no idea what to put in your baby’s first Easter basket, this post is for you.

Something Practical

Rosebud was around four months old on her first Easter and I knew that she’d soon be starting solid foods. I found this great set of bowls. They come in a pack of three. They are different sizes and come with lids. They also stick to the table so that your baby can’t pick them up. I still use these bowls to this day when I want to serve Rosebud a small snack or to store her food in the fridge. She can now unstick them from the table, but thankfully she is past the stage of throwing her food on the floor.

When I bought these, I only bought the bowls, so I’ve never tried the spoons from this company.

I got this set of spoons to go with the bowls. I chose these because they were soft silicone and had good reviews. They have a long handle which sometimes works great and other times it doesn’t depending on where you and your baby are sitting, but overall, I’d recommend these spoons. There are no sharp edges or anything for babies to hurt themselves on. These spoons hold the right amount of food for babies who are just starting out.

To round out meal time, I got a cup. I’d recommend either the Nuk trainer cup or the Munchkin 360. The Nuk is small and Rosebud had an easier time holding it because of the handles. She loved this cup. It was relatively easy to clean and the water didn’t spill everywhere even though it has a nipple. The Munchkin 360 is more like a regular cup. There are little holes on the side and the baby tips it up and drinks as if they are using a regular cup. This cup also does not spill and it comes in different sizes. Many of the toddlers I’ve worked with have these cups.

Bibs

To continue with the meal time theme, why not get a bib? It will help with all that messy baby food.
This bib would be nice for Easter.
 
These bibs are functional, wash well and Rosebud didn’t get irritated by them.

Books

You can’t go wrong with books and there are so many Easter books out there. It’s never too early to start reading to your baby.

Teethers

You can’t go wrong with a teether. Your baby will definitely need something to help soothe them while they are teething.

An Easter Outfit

I love dressing up Rosebud up in cute outfits. She had some beautiful dresses for special occasions when she was a baby. Even though we don’t go to church or do anything remotely religious, Easter was no exception. It’s just a tradition I suppose. There are so many cute clothes for Easter. You don’t have to get a fancy dress. There are plenty of cute outfits with bunnies or spring prints many of which a baby could wear any time.

Stuffed Animal

For Rosebud’s first Easter, I got her a plush rabbit holding a carrot. There are so many options and you can find a Easter plushy almost anywhere.

Toys

Since babies can’t have candy, I wanted to find other fillers that Rosebud could use as she got a little older. I did not put all of these things in her basket as I kept it small and simple, but these are all things I got her in that first year.

Squeeze and Stack Blocks

This is a great starter set of blocks. There are only eight, but they are good for babies to squeeze and stack. Each block has a little picture and number and they are textured.

Rattle

Any rattle is a great filler for an Easter basket. Rosebud loved any of the Oball rattles. This one was her favorite.

Baby’s Easter Play Set

I didn’t buy the Easter version of this because I didn’t know about it until later, but I bought the first birthday play set. Rosebud loved this with all the different textures and little soft objects. It’s a neat toy and makes a nice keepsake to save.

Sensory Bottle

If your baby is old enough, you can make this Easter Egg sensory bottle for their basket. It’s a form of sensory play without all that mess. Plus if everything is trapped in a bottle, there won’t be any choking hazards.

Is there anything else you’d add to the list? What are you putting in your baby’s Easter basket? Let me know in the comments.

8 Comments

Awareness, Parenting, Self acceptance,

The Same, But Different

March 12, 2019

There are a lot of misconceptions out there and sometimes I get questions about how I do things as a visually impaired parent. I don’t think my life is out of the ordinary, but sometimes I might have to take an extra step or think outside the box to get things done. When the idea to do this post popped into my head, I thought of a couple things immediately, but for others, I really had to think about. Here are five things I do differently as a visually impaired mom.

Reading

This is a big one because it not only involves reading stories to Rosebud, but I have to find alternative ways to read just about everything. Luckily, there have been so many amazing advances in technology since I was a kid and it has opened up the world to me, but generally, I just can’t pick up something and read it. There are several ways I read books to Rosebud. I have the regular books with Braille labels on them. The great thing about these books is that I can read them, but so can anyone else. They have the print as well as the pictures. I’ve found that this is the best way for me to read to her. That being said, the selection of books is somewhat limited and can get expensive. A great selection can be found here at BRL.

I find a lot of great books being read aloud on Youtube. I know it’s not the same as having the paper book, but it’s another way Rosebud can have access to books. There are a few books that we have the print copies of that she can follow along with them being read aloud. Here are a few of her favorites.

If You Give a Mouse a Brownie

The Very Busy Spider

Sneezy the Snowman

Big Pumpkin

Recently, I was told of a program in my area called Books on Wheels. Volunteers from the local library have started bringing children’s books to me twice per month. Although I can’t read these books to Rosebud, we can look at them and other family members can read them to her. I don’t want her to get bored with the books we have and this is another great way for her to get access to a huge variety of books. As she gets older, I plan on introducing her to audio books as well. She loves books and I want her to keep enjoying books throughout her life.

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

Safety Rules

Since I can’t always see exactly what Rosebud is doing, I take safety very seriously. This is especially the case if we are in public, outside in a play area or walking down the street. If we are walking down the street or walking through a public place, she has to hold my hand with very few exceptions. As she gets older, I’ll give her a little more space, but for now, she has to hold my hand. That way I always know where she is. Sometimes she fights me on this, but it’s for her safety and my peace of mind. If we are out at the playground, she cannot run out of the play space. If she does, I give her one warning and if she doesn’t listen, we immediately go back home. I’ve had to do this a couple of times. It may sound mean, but I don’t want to have to chase her down in places I’m unfamiliar with and what if something happened before I got to her? I’d rather be safe than sorry. As she gets older, she will understand why I have that rule in place, but for now, she probably just thinks I’m a mean mom for five minutes. As she understands more and is able to explain where she wants to go, I’ll probably relax somewhat, but I think I’ll always worry a little extra.

Nursing

You’re probably wondering, what’s so different about that? Well, nothing really. I’ve heard a lot of people say that breast-feeding is such a visual thing and it probably is, but it didn’t work that way for me. Some of the hospital staff were concerned about my ability to breast-feed and at first, I had trouble getting her to latch. Partly because we were both new at it and because I was convinced that it was a visual thing so I wouldn’t be able to do it by feel. Of course, the visual aspect wasn’t working for me, so naturally I had to feel to help her latch. When I let go of the idea that I was doing it wrong, it worked much better. We found a way to make it work for us. As I thought about it more, I wondered how do moms get babies latched by sight in the middle of the night anyway? Do they turn a light on? I doubted it. Who wants to do that when you can role over and get back to sleep.

Measuring

One question I’ve heard before and even wondered myself before I became a parent was, how would I give my child medicine? I have different techniques for measuring medicine. Whether it is for a syringe or cup, I have either the pharmacist or someone else mark the dosage with a black line. I have to keep an eye on this as the line fades after several washings. One way I’ve found that keeps the mark there is to put clear tape over the black line. The little medicine cups work the same way. For those who can’t see at all, they use a tactile marker. I’ve heard of people using puff paints or making an indentation with a knife. Also, here is the thermometer I use.

Since Rosebud was having such trouble with getting enough milk before leaving the hospital, I had to start supplementing with formula. This was not a road I wanted to go down because I did not want to have to worry about measuring the exact amounts of liquid and powder. I didn’t want to be downstairs in the middle of the night making bottles, but for the first couple months of Rosebud’s life, that’s where I was. When I left the hospital, they sent me home with the pre-made 2oz containers of ready made formula. Those were expensive to buy so I bought a larger container of the powder. I’d measure out the water using a 2oz container and then add the scoops of powder. I was lucky I didn’t have to stick with measuring out formula, but I had figured it out and it was definitely an option when I needed it.

Identifying Colors

I have difficulty seeing color so sometimes I use an app called Seeing AI to identify colors. I use it a lot when I’m trying to match Rosebud’s socks. I try to get socks that are all white or that have distinctive patterns that I can easily match. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way so the color identifier comes to my rescue. For the rest of her clothes, I usually memorize or can see the colors, but occasionally if it’s a new outfit, I’ll use the app to tell me the colors. I worried about how I would teach her colors, but she already knows most of them. I’d point out colors of the items I knew, some of the tv shows she watches teach colors and other people would point out colors as well, so I really didn’t need to worry.

I also use apps on my phone to identify items. This was especially helpful with reading baby food jars since the labels are relatively small. I wished I would’ve had these apps when working in the infant room. I’ve also tried to use the app when reading books to Rosebud, but it’s too hard to try to read and repeat anything other than simple board books. Anyway, the app also comes in handy for reading mail, the directions on food packaging and for reading the error notices on my tv or computer screen.

As a parent with a visual impairment, I do the same parenting tasks that other parents do, but sometimes I have to do them in a different way. I think that some people equate doing something differently with inability, but that’s not the case. If we all did everything the same, no one would ever come up with anything new and then how boring would the world be? Where would our world be without any outside the box thinking? Maybe my parenting journey looks a little different than yours, but my end goal is the same. We all want to raise healthy, happy well adjusted children.

2 Comments

Activities, Education, Parenting, Preschool, Sensory Play, Toddlers

Candy Shop

March 9, 2019

This was a left over activity from Valentine’s Day. We used the candy boxes with the chocolate play-dough to make some pretend treats. Here are some of the things we made and the skills we are working on using play-dough.

What’s on the tray:

Chocolate play-dough,

Candy boxes,

Measuring cup and spoons,

Rolling pin,

Play-dough tools

Cookie cutters.

Fine Motor Skills

There is a lot of talk these days about children not getting enough practice developing their fine motor skills. For those who don’t know, fine motor skills is the early childhood education jargon for saying the things you do with your hands. Basically the smaller muscle groups. These are the skills children need for writing, cutting with scissors, tying shoes etc. Gross motor skills use the larger muscles for running, climbing etc. There are many ways for children to practice these skills like stringing beads, using stickers, popping bubblewrap or scooping water or sand. Play-dough is great though because you can role it out, squeeze it, mold it, use tools to cut it and so on. All of those actions strengthen the hands and fingers. Rosebud rolled out circles, hid beads in the play-dough to find and cut it into pieces using the play-dough cutter.

Pretend Play

Another wonderful thing about play-dough is you can turn it into whatever you want it to be. Since we had the candy boxes, we decided to make pretend candy. Some of our candies were circles and squares. We also made cakes and decorated them with the beads. As with other pretend play, it helps expand a child’s imagination and allows them to try out different roles. Pretend play can also help children work out issues they may be having difficulty with. It also helps enhance social skills. We pretended to make cups of hot chocolate. Rosebud grabbed out of my hand, so we worked on sharing and asking for turns. We worked as a team to decorate the cakes.

Math

I asked Rosebud which shape I should make and she suggested I make squares. I’ve used play-dough often to help her with shape recognition. She’s gotten really good at identifying most shapes. Sorting, classifying and identifying shapes are all necessary pre-math skills.

Literacy

On the literacy side, I made some letters and asked if she knew what they were. She has become interested in letters, but cannot name them yet. she has started asking me what they are and what they are for. If we are playing with letters, I’ll point out the letter, tell her its name and a word that it starts with. In this case, I first made her initials and then did a simple abc. This is a fun way to practice some of the pre-reading skills.

The best part is the kids are simply having fun without worrying about what they are learning or haven’t learned yet. What are some of your go to activities with play-dough? Tell me in the comments.

4 Comments

Memories, Parenting

What Valentine’s Day is Really About

February 14, 2019

This morning, I made a video with Rosebud and shared it with friends. It was basically a video message from her telling everyone, happy Valentine’s day while playing with her build a bouquet play set.
 
During the video, I mentioned something about how on Valentine’s Day, you give cards and gifts to people you love. I told Rosebud that I gave her the flower set because I love her. I didn’t go into too much detail other than that, but after I posted the video, I felt guilty. I wondered if people would be judging me because I told her That Valentine’s Day was for giving cards and gifts. Would people think I’m materialistic? Yes, I’m an over thinker.

Then I thought that the more abstract ideas about Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be something that a three-year-old would understand anyway. For her, Valentine’s Day may be about gifts and cards because they are tangible, but as she gets older, I want her to understand that Valentine’s Day is about more than that. You might get cards and gifts for people you love, but the more important part is spending time with them. It’s about having fun, laughing, making memories together and showing them you care. I want her to know that you don’t need a commercialized day to do those things. They should be done every day.

I spent the majority of my day at work, but Rosebud spent it with family playing with her gifts, eating candy and having fun. When I was finally done with work, Little Guy and his mom came over to spend time with Rosebud and I. He had a Valentine for her. There was a goody bag with a crayon heart, a couple heart shaped lights and a flower. They were making quite a light show. His mom joked that it looked like a rave party. I ordered pizza and his mom brought a bottle of wine. Little Guy was too excited to settle down to eat, but he and Rosebud played. They laughed, chased each other around and argued over toys as only toddlers and preschoolers do, but in the end, they enjoy each other’s company. His mom and I talked, had a few laughs and enjoyed our pizza and wine.

Isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is about? Spending time with people you care about. It may be a day for couples, but if you are not in a relationship, you have to find a way to make it fun and that’s what I did. It’s too easy to get caught up in all that commercialization. I also think that when you have kids, holidays take on a whole new meaning. I am grateful that I spent the best parts of today with Rosebud and my new friends. Thank you for making today fun and memorable and for the reminder of what Valentine’s Day is really about.

5 Comments

Memories, Parenting, Preschool, Toddlers, Winter

Are Our Children Missing Something?

February 8, 2019

It has been a long winter and these past couple of days have been especially horrible at work. One bright spot has been the weather. It’s finally warmed up a bit and not feeling so much like the arctic. Normally, the last thing I want to do when I get home is to go outside and freeze. I get my fill of that in the mornings as my classes almost always go outside no matter how cold it is. All I want to do is sit in my favorite chair and zone out, but I don’t do that. Most days, I play with Rosebud as soon as I get home. She waits for me all day and she usually gets things set up so that we can play as soon as we walk through the door. Some days, she’ll have a picnic set up or she’ll create a pretend bakery.

Now that the sun is out later and we had a taste of spring, she asked to go play in the back yard. When we got out there, we started testing the snow to see what we could make. We have one of those plastic molds that makes bricks out of snow. We only managed to make one brick that stayed together. The others fell apart. It could’ve been good snowman making snow, but it was too warm for it to stay together. We couldn’t make a decent snowman, but we could make some fantastic snowballs. Even though most of them melted quickly, they were perfect for throwing. Rosebud picked one up and threw it at me. Then it was on! We threw snowballs back and forth and just kept laughing. We had so much fun.

It reminded me of my childhood. Back then, we used to get a lot more snow than we do now and we’d spend hours out there. I remember helping my mom shovel snow and thinking how fun it was. Of course, now it’s not so fun. I remember making huge snowballs with my classmates. We’d just make gigantic snowballs to push around, just seeing how big we could make them. We made tall snowmen, experimented with spraying the snow with colored water, taking sleds down a huge hill on the school’s playground. I remember making a snow fort at the baby sitter’s house. We wanted to make it really strong because the kids who lived next door decided that they’d throw snowballs at our fort. I think we were going to throw some at their’s too, but we thought we were so clever when we got some water and started making ice as the top coat of our fort.

We didn’t care if they came with snowballs because we were busy seeing how strong we could make our fort.

I’d often go down to the pond with those same kids and pretend to ice skate. There were holes all over the pond and it definitely wasn’t the safest thing to be doing, but back then, kids were allowed to take risks. Maybe more than we should have, but we learned to be careful. We knew what our limits were. We learned through trial and error. We learned how to share, make our own rules and most of all, we learned to look out for each other.

Every day, I’m constantly telling kids about how this isn’t safe and that isn’t safe. We tell them not to climb the slide, stay out of puddles, don’t play on the ice, don’t throw snowballs and on and on. It gets old. I start to wonder what came first. Do we tell them not to do these things because they show us they don’t know how to be safe or are we just assuming it before giving them the opportunity to learn? We tell them not to throw snowballs, but why exactly? It seems as though that it’s just one of those childhood memories we all have. At least those of us who grow up in winter climates.

With some of the kids, I’ll tell them to stop because they always take it too far. If they throw snowballs, they go for the other kid’s face. If they play on the ice, they pick up a piece and throw it. Is it because we’ve hovered too much that they have to push the envelope even farther or does it come down to the fact that they don’t know how to play and interact with other kids? Is all this hovering crushing their spirits? Can we step back a little or is all of this necessary? My guess is the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

When Rosebud and I played outside, I thought of my own childhood and I wanted her to have some of those same memories. I want her to remember happy times even if they were just playing with mommy instead of the neighborhood kids. I let her throw snowballs and threw some back. I let her see if she could climb her slide with her boots on. She discovered that it was slippery, but if she held on tight and paid close attention, she could still get to the top safely. She discovered that she shouldn’t run on the ice or she might fall. I pulled her around the yard in her sled and her laughter was contagious. The hint of spring with the warm sun on my back and seeing Rosebud’s pure joy was the perfect ending to my day.

Recently, this brilliant article called,The Most Overlooked Reason Why Your Kids Won’t Listen, Focus or Sit Still came across my newsfeed. It discusses the consequences of children not having the opportunity to take risks and not getting enough time outdoors. It’s worth reading. What are your thoughts? Are our children missing out?

8 Comments

Childcare, Parenting, Toddlers

Five Sleep Essentials for Toddlers

February 5, 2019

For the first 15 months of Rosebud’s life, we co-slept. While it’s not a good option for everyone, it’s what worked best for us. I will write about my experience with co-sleeping in a future post, but this post is about our transition into her own toddler bed. I have to say I was pretty lucky. Our transition wasn’t as hard as it could’ve been. I had a few essential items that definitely helped with this process.

1. The Mattress

I have to say that buying a decent mattress for Rosebud made all the difference. When I first bought her crib, I bought a relatively cheep mattress to go with it. It was one of those mattresses that made a lot of noise when you put the baby in the crib. I’d rock Rosebud to sleep, but then when I’d lay her down, the noise from the mattress would wake her up. Then she knew what I was doing, so there was no chance of putting her back in her bed. We went through this routine for about a weak until I started wondering about the mattress. I figured that since my mattress is memory foam, maybe if she had one like mine, she’d be more comfortable. I wondered if they even made a mattress like that for toddlers. After a few clicks, I purchased one from Amazon. Two days later, it arrived and that very night, Rosebud slept comfortably in her bed through the night for the first time.

This mattress is a little more expensive than the average, but it has been worth every penny. It comes with a water proof cover to protect it and more importantly, it seems comfortable. Not too squishy, but not too firm. I just want to mention that I wouldn’t have felt comfortable buying this if Rosebud were still an infant, but since she was well passed her first birthday, it was a safe option.

2. Pillow and Blanket

Rosebud was excited to finally get her own pillow.
 
This was another great find on Amazon. It’s the perfect size for a toddler. I got it for her for her first birthday and she carried it around everywhere.
She’s had a couple different blankets over the past year, but the most recent one I bought is her favorite. She says it’s cozy and soft.
 
This is her first larger blanket and she loves it. It’s warm, washes well and is extremely soft. The unicorns are also a plus.

3. Special Stuffed Animal

Since I wouldn’t be right there next to Rosebud anymore, I had to help her find a special stuffed animal. She has several on the end of her bed now, but the one she always chooses to sleep with is Miffy the Bunny.

In fact, I just got her another one for her third birthday since the first Miffy she had no longer talks. It doesn’t matter though because now she takes both of them to bed. Throughout her infancy and when she was a young toddler, she didn’t seem interested in getting attached to any of her stuffed animals, but as she’s gotten older, they have provided her comfort.

4. Rocking Chair

This has been a big one for me. Rosebud has always liked being rocked to sleep. During her first year, I had a standard rocking chair made for a nursery. The chair was good for a while, but I’d get sore after sitting in it for long periods of time. Not to mention, it was small and cramped. After it broke from being used so much, I took the plunge and bought a more expensive rocking chair. I bought the beige version as it fits better with the colors in Rosebud’s room.
 
Now that Rosebud is three, she usually falls asleep in her bed, but occasionally she still likes to be rocked. We also use the chair for snuggling up to read books every night. If you have an infant or toddler, you’ll definitely want to invest in a decent chair. You might be using it for years to come.

5. Sound Machine

Rosebud is a light sleeper and in our neighborhood, we might hear barking dogs, lawn mowers or snow plows depending on the season. Everything wakes her up. When Rosebud was an infant, I found this owl soother and baby night light. It plays sounds, lights up and has a projector. there is only one image of the moon and stars, but it is perfect. It’s not too bright and the machine doesn’t make loud noises like they do when they are switching images. The light can be bright or dim. There are several sounds to choose from. Our favorite is the ocean, but there is white noise, a heartbeat and lullabies. There are so many sound machines to choose from. It all depends on what you want. Whether you want a night light, just sounds or an image projector. This one has the best of all worlds and you don’t have to use the features all at once. The important thing is Rosebud sleeps undisturbed because it helps block out noise.

Extras

I also have a couple extra things I inc. into our night time routine. The first was books. We read several stories and then end with, Time for Bed by Mem Fox. In this book, all the animals are going to sleep. She asks for this book almost every night so it has become our ritual.

Another thing was music. When I’d rock Rosebud to sleep, I’d play piano music for her. She has now decided she didn’t want music anymore, but for a long time, it helped her relax before bed. I have a Spotify subscription. You can either build your own playlist or choose from ones they already have created.

We all know a well rested toddler means more sleep at night and a better day for us parents. If you have an infant and are in the process of Transitioning your baby to the crib, you should check out these tips from Cendu from Sincerely Yours. What has made your child’s bed time a little smoother? What are your must haves to help your toddler sleep? Tell me in the comments.

15 Comments

Gift Giving, Infants, Parenting, Shopping, Toddlers

Valentines Day Gift Guide for Infants and Toddlers

January 18, 2019

Valentines day will be here before you know it. The holiday is so commercialized, but for me it’s about spending quality time with those I love. I try to do that anyway during the rest of the year. When I was a kid, my mom would always buy me a little Valentines gift and I have been doing the same thing with Rosebud. If you are wondering what to get your little Valentine, here are some ideas.

Valentines Day Themed Books

Books make great gifts. There are so many options, they are educational and they are relatively inexpensive.

If you are looking for more Valentines books for kids, check out this post.

Heart Shaped Stacking Cups

Stacking cups are simple, inexpensive and babies love them! They can scoop, they can pour and they can stack. These cups have little holes on the bottom. Rosebud would use these in the pool and pretend it was raining. These even have numbers inside if you wanted to do a counting activity. We’ve had these for a couple years and she still uses them in the water.

Rubber Duckies

How about these Valentine themed rubber duckies. There used to be this cool online shop called Rubber Duck Land that no longer exists. That’s where I found these cute little duckies, but I have found something similar to link to. It’s just a cute little novelty.

Stuffed animal

I’ve gotten a lot of Valentines stuffed animals over the years, but you don’t even have to stick to a Valentine theme for this one. Anything soft, cute and cuddly will do.

First Valentines Day Play Set

These are cute during the first year. I bought Rosebud the birthday play set and she loved it. They have these for most of the holidays. They are little soft toys with different textures to touch, colors to see and sounds to hear. They make great keepsakes as well.

Flowers

This flower toy from Green toys is a neat idea. It’s flowers. It’s spring. It’s educational and Green Toys is a company that makes all their toys from recycled milk cartons. Rosebud has a dump truck made by Green Toys and she likes it. Their toys are sturdy and well made. I’d recommend this toy for older toddlers.

Homemade Gifts

More often than not, the best gifts are free. If you are the creative type, take out the craft supplies and create a beautiful card or a meaningful keepsake that will be saved and treasured later. You can work together with your kids to make Valentines for loved ones. If you are looking for something that your kids can give to others, try these salt dough keepsakes.

Quality Time

The number one gift is quality time. Just be in the moment with your kids. Whether it be playing outside, reading a book or curled up on the couch watching a movie, take the time. They will treasure it more than any physical gift just as we would. The memories together is what they will remember.

If you are looking for some fun Valentines Day Activities, head over to Fab Working Mom Life.

If you are searching for a gift idea for oder children, check out these Love Buckets for Valentines Day

13 Comments

Activities, Parenting, Preschool, Sensory Play, Toddlers

Water Beads Sensory Tub

January 11, 2019

One of Rosebud’s stocking stuffers this year was a bottle of water beads. I’ve been seeing these things on early childhood blogs for several years, but have never seen them in person. They always looked so cool and I’ve always wanted to try them, but never had the opportunity with any of my classes. Well, I finally got the chance to play with them with Rosebud and she loved them.

I’m a big fan of sensory play. We do a lot with play-dough, sand or just plain water. There are so many benefits to sensory play and it really captures childrens attention. These water beads are definitely a different sensory experience. The ones we have are a little smaller than the standard sized marbles. They start out about the size of a sprinkle. At first, I thought of a grain of rice, but I think they are even smaller than that. I love dessert and sprinkles was the first thing I thought of. Anyway, they are tiny, but they start expanding soon after you put them in water. I think they were at full size after soaking for about an hour.

I poured a bunch in the tub, added water and when it was ready, I brought it to Rosebud. She loved the different texture. They are squishy and slippery. They can fall easily and role all over the place which makes them more attractive to kids, but makes a bigger mess for us to clean up. I included little scoops and cups, so we did lots of scooping and pouring. We counted how many scoops would fill each cup. We looked through the water beads and discovered that we could see light through them. We saw them bounce off things in the tub. I added a large funnel. The opening was big enough so that one bead would fall through at a time. Rosebud had fun filling the funnel and watching them fall down.

I’m looking forward to playing more with the water beads and tying them into different themes. I also want to look for larger ones. Have you used water beads? What cool things have you done with them? Let me know in the comments.

Here are more links to explore.

10 Ways to Play With Water Beads from Teaching Mama

Exploring Water Bead Science and Sensory Play from Little Bins for Little Hands

Edible Water Bead Sensory Play from A Little Pinch of Perfect

8 Comments

Memories, Parenting, Personal Development

Happy New Year, 2019!

January 1, 2019

I’ve been meaning to do a series of posts leading up to 2019, but I’ve been so busy with the holidays and watching Little Guy that I’ve had no energy left at the end of the day. I want to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Actually, I want to sleep long before that. Usually it starts as soon as I hear Rosebud talking to herself in the morning since she refuses to sleep in, even if she goes to bed late. She has also given up naps for the most part, so she’s been exhausted lately. Although I love blogging, I haven’t had it in me. I’m hoping to get back on track in the new year.

I was one of those people last year who decided to have a word as a theme to 2018. Well, my word was change and 2018 turned out to be the complete opposite. If I were to sum up 2018 into one word, it would be stuck. I felt like I was in a maze, going down one path only to realize it led back to where I started. At the end of 2017, I was able to come up with a long list of wonderful things that happened that year. I reconnected with some great people I had lost touch with, I took pottery classes, I was able to make big improvements on my home and Rosebud grew so much and met so many milestones.

This year was hard. The cats were sick a lot. Most of my coworkers retired, moved away or quit because they couldn’t take it anymore. Since then, it has been a revolving door of new faces. I’m usually anxious about meeting new people, so this has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. On one hand, I think it will be exciting to meet new people because maybe, just maybe, it will be someone I can connect with. Then I usually end up disappointed because we don’t share the same interests, our personalities aren’t compatible or there’s just nothing there. this goes for coworkers, friendships or relationships. My exploration of transcription fell through and I decided it wasn’t for me. Coaching is still an option, but I will have to take out a loan to cover the cost of training, so this will have to wait. Maybe I can start this year depending on how things go. I missed out on pottery classes because they fill so quickly and I didn’t find other classes that interested me. The improvements I made to my home were minimal, but on the flip side, I’m lucky that there aren’t urgent things that need fixing.

For the positive, Rosebud has become quite a conversationalist. She always has something adorable to say. Her latest thing is reading to me. I love hearing her try to retell a story or make up her own. The other positive thing was meeting Little Guy at work. We clicked since day one and now I have connected with his family. I’ve watched him a lot this month which not only has allowed me to make some extra money, but has given me a great trial run in childcare from home. I have to say that it has been going great except for yesterday. I woke up in a bad mood, Rosebud was crabby and Little Guy was tired and his family is in the middle of moving to a new house. He was not acting like himself for most of the morning, so it was a difficult day all around. We will all have those days though no matter where we are or what we are doing.

Here are my goals and hopes for the new year.

To finalize a career plan. Do I want to have my own business and what will I be doing? I will be taking a training this month on home childcare since I’m leaning towards watching a couple kids from home. My long term plan would be to continue being a childcare provider for the next couple of years. Meanwhile, I could start building up a coaching business.
Take a class for fun. It could be pottery or something else.
Get back to a regular exercise routine. I’ve been slacking lately!
Journal regularly. I know I’ll look back on this time later and regret that I haven’t kept up with it. I want to keep the memories of Rosebud while she is little.
Turn one room in my house into a play room.
Get Rosebud potty trained. This has been a hard and frustrating thing we’ve been working on.
Let go of things I don’t need. Whether they be objects or self limiting beliefs.
Read at least 20 books. This should not be hard with my Audible subscription.
Take one night per week for self care.
Post on the blog on a regular schedule. Over the past few months, I’ve figured out that Tuesdays and Fridays work best for me.

Well, I’ll be busy this year, but I’m excited to get started. If I do something each day to reach my goals, I’ll get there eventually, but I know I have to start by breaking it down into achievable steps. I won’t be choosing a word or making new years resolutions, but I will be progressing towards long-term goals. At the end of the day, I know I need to get back to basics. Spending quality time with Rosebud, maintaining a healthy mind and body and focusing on writing and creating because those things make me the happiest. Even if I don’t have a play room by next January or if I. Miss out on pottery classes once again, I know there are still things to be grateful for. I could dwell on everything I didn’t accomplish from last year, but why? Maybe I won’t accomplish everything I set out to do this year and that’ll be okay. What are your goals and hopes for 2019? Will you be working on setting goals with your kids? Introducing Smart Goals is a great way to start! What keeps you motivated? Let me know in the comments.

2 Comments