mommymedia : toddlers

Baby and Toddler Yoga DVD

Madelyn8278 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:51:00 GMT

Baby yoga is such a great idea but it’s not just for improving your baby’s flexibility. The exercises and gentle movements included in this DVD can help with digestion, promote sleep and encourage muscle development (theoretically helping your baby gain the strength to lift his or her head and sit up earlier). In addition, you and your baby will learn to communicate subtly with each other through practice. However, the beginning of this DVD seems to offer the mother very little in the way of exercise, which seemed odd. In addition, there were no accommodations for women who have had c-sections. Only a few of the movements for the infants seemed beneficial and enjoyable for the baby, but the few that were made the baby’s eyes light up with delight and their bodies seemed relieved afterwards. It was interesting to see how certain exercises visibly energized each part of the baby’s body.

The first part of this DVD had an ad-lib nature of teaching, making it seem unorganized and hard to follow. The toddler yoga on this DVD, however, is a completely different story. Some of the teachers were absolutely wonderful, the toddlers were so happy to take part in yoga and the parents got good exercise too. Even if you don’t like yoga, this section of the DVD will provide you with creative ways to interact with your toddler and the children’s antics while they do yoga will bring a smile to your face. That yoga “high” that you feel through practice is obviously a benefit children can feel too.

While this DVD is satisfactory and easily accessible even if you haven’t done yoga before, there are undoubtedly better ones on the market.

Pick up a copy here.

The Practical Encyclopedia of Pregnancy, Babycare and Nutrition for Babies and Toddlers

Satya — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:04:00 GMT

This is a great reference book for pregnant women and parents of children up to 18 months of age. It covers all the basics that mom and dad will need to know and includes valuable information on feeding a newborn, recipes, fussy-eaters guides, nutritional information and more.

The largest section features homemade baby food recipes. The recipes range from simple purees for babies just beginning to eat solids to thicker styles for older babies, as wells as more well-rounded recipes for toddlers. Each recipe includes nutritional information for easy reference.

This book may leave the reader wanting more information as it tends to cover topics broadly without delving into too much detail. However, it is a great starting point for expecting and new parents. Pick up a copy here.

I Brake For Meltdowns- How to Handle the Most ‘Exasperating’ Behavior of your 2- to 5-year-old

Satya — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:07:00 GMT

Michelle Nicholasen is a mother of triplet girls and, as anyone could imagine, she has survived some of the toughest situations a parent could dream of. She collaborates with preschool educational director Barbara O’Neal to share stories and tips on how to handle the day-to-day emotional outbursts of young children.

Many books out there give parents impractical step-by-step lists instructing them on how to handle temper tantrums, but I Brake for Meltdowns gets right to the core of the way we think about addressing our children. Instead of yelling and punishing a child for being upset, the authors suggest (depending on the age of the child) using each outburst as a learning experience for how to handle their emotions and cope with issues that affect them.

The first mechanism the authors suggest for a parent is to, at the very least, put on a convincing act – to be a calming force when a child is in the throes of a fit and show the child that, even when he or she is upset, there are appropriate ways to express such emotions. Further, ask questions to help the child understand why he or she is upset, and teach them more appropriate ways to approach similar situations in the future.

Nicholasen and O’Neal recognize that there are going to be times when a child is persistently disobedient and a timeout is in order. There may also be times when a child suddenly becomes dangerous to him or herself or others around him, which is where a physical but passive way of restraining called the “containment circle” comes in.

While the authors share a personal story here and there, they cover a broad spectrum of situations and a variety of ways to handle them. Overall, I Brake for Meltdowns is a great book with loads of helpful tips and information on handling the sometimes “exasperating” behavior of even the most precious child. Not only would I recommend it to first-time moms, but even the seasoned mother might be able to harvest some new ideas.

Pick up a copy here.

Creative Child

Satya — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:33:00 GMT

Creative Child by Dr. Dorothy Einon is more broad-spectrum than it appears. It contains a lot of information on how to stimulate a child in subjects like art, music and theatre. It also has information about stimulating their interests in science, gardening, cooking and social and general household skills.

The most helpful area of this book for parents, aside from the plethora of activities it suggests, includes the lists of milestones. Each section has its own set of creative milestones for 2- to 6-year-olds. It also has an individual section dedicated to general milestones for 2- to 6-year-olds broken down by age group. The suggested activities are creative, fun and highly beneficial for progressive child development. Parents looking for new ways to stimulate their children’s minds will find them in this book.

The only questionable sections of Creative Child are the “talent spotter” areas, which provide information on how to tell if your child is talented. The ideas presented in the “talent spotter” areas aren’t age specific, so be careful not to assume that your child is or isn’t talented based on the author’s bulleted points.

Overall, this book is a good resource for parents who are having trouble finding stimulating activities for their children. For those well-versed in this area, however, don’t bother picking it up.