LEARNING AND PLAYING 3

GET CREATIVE: further ideas to help your child play and learn.

DRAWING AND PAINTING-

 Drawing and painting can be introduced for kids from 18 months. You can use crayons, felt tips or powder paint . You can  make powder paints thicker by adding washing-up liquid as well as water. At first you will need  to show your child how to use a paint brush,crayon. You can use thick cereal packs for paper.

 WALKING- Encourage your child to walk with you,you may use the safety harness. It may slow you down but its a good way  for both of you to get some exercise.

PAPER BAG OR ENVELOPE PUPPETS- Use old paper bags and envelopes to make into hand puppets. Draw faces on them or stick things on them to make your old characters. Slip your fingers in them and try getting them to 'talk' (using a high pitched voice), 'laugh' to your child.

LEARNING AND PLAYING 2

GET CREATIVE; IDEAS TO HELP YOUR CHILD PLAY AND LEARN

   Giving your child different things to play or creating more opportunities for them to play does'nt need to be difficult or expensive. Sharing books,songs and nursery rhymes with your child is fun, and will help them develop language and communication skills. You can also use lots of things you have around the house. Listed here are some ideas. Don't forget to get involved yourself- your child will learn more from you than they will from any toy.

illustration of kids playing dress up.

child enjoying water play.

toddler moulding with play dough.

1. RATTLES                                                                                                                                            [from four months].                                                                                                                               Wash out a plastic screw top bottle and put dried beans or lentil inside. Shake it around in front of the child and it helps them to learn how to make a sound/noise with it. As dried beans are poisonous and small objects can be dangerous for young children due to suffocation. It's  best to glue the top of the bottle very well so it will not come off.             
2. PLAY DOUGH                                                                                                                                [from 18months].                                                                                                                              You can make your own play dough. Put one cup of plain flour, two tablespoons of cream of tartar, half cup of salt, one tablespoon of cooking oil and some food colouring or powder paint in a pan. Stir over a medium heat until it forms a dough. Once the dough has cooled down, you can show your child how to make different shapes. If you keep it in a plastic box in the fridge, you can use it again.              
3. PRETEND COOKING                                                                                                                  [from 18 months].                                                                                                                             You can use bowl and spoons and measure real ingredients like flour ,sugar. You and your child can mix it up in a bowls and use spoons to stir and you can narrate what you are doing. So they are putting words to what they are doing.
4. TELEVISION.                                                                                                                                Watch television with your child and make sure you know and authorise what they are watching. Some parents prefer to limit their children's television viewing. TV can entertain as well as educate your child.
5.  PLAYING WITH WATER(any age) :                                                                                                                                Babies , toddlers and young children love water play, in the bath or paddling pool or just using the sink or plastic bowl. Use plastic bottles for pouring and squirting at each other, plastic tubing, a sponge, colander, straws, a funnel, spoons and anything unbreakable will do. You will both get wet, it's best either cover your clothes or wear loose fitting clothes. Remember , never leave a young child alone with water. A toddler can drown in less than 5cm (2 inches) of water.
6. DRESSING UP                                                                                                                                 [from 18 months].                                                                                                                            Collect old clothes,hats,scarves,bags. Make sure there are no loose strings to wrap around the child's neck or trip them [or you]. Paper plates can be used to make masks. Kids love dress up, they find it really fun.
7. READING.                                                                                                                                     You can start reading and looking at books with your baby from an early age. You don't have to read the words, just talk about what you can see. Even very young babies like looking at picture books. Local libraries usually have a good range of children's books. Looking at books with your child, even if it's just for 10 minutes a day, will help  them build important skills and encourage their interest in reading.                                                                                                                                             Look out for learning and playing 3.

LEARNING AND PLAYING

We all know playing is fun, but did you know it's also the most effective way for children to learn? Through play, children can practise all the skills they will need as they grow up.
 Play is very important to children as it is spontaneous. When children play, the use the experiences they have and extend them to build up ideas,concepts and life long skills they can carry with them later in life. While playing, babies and children can try different things out, take risks and do trial and error to find things out for themselves.
 Babies and children have to experience play physically and emotionally. In other words, it is not enough to provide stuff to play with. The most important element for young babies is the parent or primary carer. It is that person the baby is close to, the person that forms emotional bond with the baby. A child with this secure attachment feels able to rely on their parents or caregivers for safety and comfort, develops knowledge about communication and language , and uses these important attachment  relationships as bases from which to explore and learn about the world.

• Get together lots of different things for your child  to look at, think about and do.
• By making what you are doing fun and interesting for your child. You can do your chores while they are learning
• Make sure there are times you focus completely on your child.
• Talk about everything and anything, even the washing up or what you put on the shopping list.[you will literally be a talkative lol]. As you are sharing as much as possible your child will be picking up new words and be picking up her vocabulary.

 To grow and develop , children need time and attention from someone who is happy to play with them. We all need to make out time for play for our children because while they are playing you can get their attention  to teach them as well.

ARE YOU READY FOR TODDLERHOOD?

 There are couple of things parents have to get used to, when their babies become toddlers. Some of them are:

Shopping with toddlers:

 It can be a very daunting task. You have to keep an eye on your toddler while you do your shopping. You will have to get ready to pay for everything  he/she destroys.

Getting used to messes:

 Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a sausage behind the stereo and probably forget all about it all summer. Stick their fingers into the flower beds and rub their fingers on the clean wall. Cover the wall with crayons.

Getting used to messes in the car:

Buy a chocolate ice cream and put it in the clove compartment. Leave it there. Pour packets of crisps all over the seats. Slot a coin in the CD player compartment

Getting ready to go out:

Wait outside the toilet door for half an hour.Go out. Come back in. Go out again. Walk down the front path. Walk back up it again. Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes. Stop to inspect  every stone,cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way. You can, retrace your steps. Scream that you 've had as much as you  can stand until all the neighbours come out and stare at you. Give up and go back in the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

GIVE YOUR MOOD A BOOST.

It's normal for mums and new mums to experience mood swings. The combination of the rapid decrease of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone in your body and lack of sleep, coupled with a new and massive -responsibility of taking care of a new born and older kids, is enough to give anyone the blues.
It's important to remember, however, that your mood can affect your baby and other children. Here are some ways to give yourself a lift:

• Take a break- Arrange for a babysitter or child minder for a regular time and take some time out for yourself.  Consider going to the spa for a massage and full facials. You can go on a date with your partner or you can go shopping with your friends and have  girls time out.
• Get active- A daily walk and jog can help lift your mood and even help shed some of  the pregnancy weight too. 
• Be social- Spend some time with other adults,like family,friends,or other mums who you can share your experiences, challenges and get some kind of comfort. It's soothing to share your problems , you will find out ,you will soon be feeling better and knowing, you are not alone. Check with your borough/council for mum groups, they are usually free.
• Get creative- A  diary or photo album dedicated to your family, is a good way to keep you busy and helps you capture the new  and exciting milestones you and  your family are experiencing.
• Take a nap- If you are getting up  during the night with your baby, chances are you are exhausted. If you are tired, sleep during the day when the kids are in school or if the baby is  asleep.
• Ask for help- You can't do it all.  Don't be afraid to ask your partner, family or friends for help with the kids or with your baby, helping out with the housework or for emotional support.
• Call a doctor-  Many women suffer from postnatal depression. if you think you have one or feel low, talk to your doctor.

OBSTACLE COURSE FOR CREEPERS AND CRAWLERS

Once your baby is on the move, with places to go and new things to explore and see, there will be no stopping them. Keep them busy by creating an obstacle course that both challenges them physically and teaches them what is under, over and around them. It will also help him to learn about space and the relationship between things as they creep crawl and cruise to their destination. Just remember to stay close and keep an eye on him as he learns.

Your baby is now starting to associate people and objects with names and other words with actions. And just as obstacles courses can get your baby moving, they are also wonderful opportunities to teach her some new words by naming the object as they are crawling on, over and around them. Navigating an obstacle course with some roadblocks and detours along the way will also help them develop physically.

Parents can easily do this at home; by using things they already have around the house.

• Pillows
• Bed sheets
• Towels
• Chairs that baby can crawl under or between
• Medium-size or large cardboard boxes
• A kitchen or dining room table.

Over the mountain;

Gather some pillows and cushions from your bed or sofa and make a pile. Drape a bed sheet over them to keep them clean. Challenge your baby to "climb the mountain", holding his body steady as he climbs. Remember to talk to him about what he is doing:"Up the mountain you go. You are climbing so high! Now you are on top of the mountain. Now you are climbing OVER the mountain!" Or you can make a mountain with your own body. Sit on the floor and bend your knees so they form a peak. (I do this a lot). Let your baby climb the mountain from your feet up to your head. Help him along and praise him as he goes.

Under the bridge;

Make a bridge for your baby to crawl through. It can be a chair or a table, or two chairs back to back with a space between them and a towel draped over them. You can even turn your legs into a makeshift bridge. Sit on a chair and place them in front of you. Describe what your baby is doing as he crawls under the bridge.

Through the tunnel;

Tunnels can be exciting for your baby and you don't need to buy a special one for him to crawl through. Just cut both ends of a medium-size or large cardboard box and stabilise it between two chairs. Or you and Dad can also be the tunnel-just stand together with your feet spread apart. Place a favourite toy at one end and your baby at the other, and encourage her to through the box to retrieve it. Encourage him as she is crawling.

MAKING YOUR HOME BABY-PROOF.

MOST PARENTS ARE HOUSE- PROUD.YOU HAVE YOUR FURNITURE WELL ARRANGED AND LITTLE FITTINGS AND FIXTURES TO MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK NICE.ONCE YOU START HAVING KIDS,IT WONT BE THE SAME ANYMORE,MORE SO WHEN THEY START CRAWLING.

WHEN YOUR BABY STARTS CRAWLING, HE IS LEARNINGABOUT THE WORLD, EXPLORING BY TOUCHING, TASTING EVERYTHING THAT HE CAN GET HIS TINY HANDS ON.

AS THIS IS A HEALTHY AND NATURAL BEHAVIOUR, IT'S   VERY IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS MAKE THEIR HOMES SAFE FOR THEIR EXPLORERS.

LISTED BELOW ARE SOME WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BABYS ENVIROMENT ACCIDENT FREE ZONE-

• ALL SOCKETS SHOULD BE COVERED FOR ALL ELECTRICAL OUTLETS AND ALL SHARP FURNITURE EDGES.SAFETY LATCHES SHOULD BE USED ON ALL LOWER CUPBOARDS.MOVE ALL CLEANING PRODUCTS TO A HIGH CABINET OUT OF REACH OF THEIR LITTLE HANDS.PUT UP A FIREGUARD.
• ALL KNICK KNACKS, BOOKS AND PLANTS FROM SHELVES AND LOWER TABLES SHOULD BE REMOVED. THEY CAN VERY INTRIGUING.
• CURTAINS AND BLINDS ARE VERY TEMPTING AND SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM BABIES.
• REMOVE ALL INSECT TRAPS, REPLLENTS AND POISONS ON THE FLOOR.
• THE CARPETED FLOOR SHOULD BE CONSTANTLY KEPT CLEAN.THE BARE FLOORS SHOULD BE CONSTANTLY MOPPED AND WITH NON-HARDOUS CHEMICALS.
• PLACE DOG, CAT FOOD AND THEIR LITTER WAY OUT OF REACH. (I PERSONALLY DONT MIX BABIES WITH PETS.)
• MAKE SURE BUCKETS AND OTHER LIQUID CONTAINERS ARE EMPTIED BEFORE THEY CAN BE LEFT LYING AROUND.
• LOCKS AND STOPS SHOULD BE ON THE WINDOWS AND SCREENS TO PREVENT THEM FROM BEING PUSHED OPEN.
• MOVE INDOOR PLANTS OUT OF REACH AND FIND OUT WHICH OUTDOOR PLANTS ARE POISONOUS.
• SAFETY GATES SHOULD BE USED ON KITCHEN DOORS, ON THE STAIRS TO PREVENT THEM FROM WANDERING INTO DANGER ZONES.

KATE'S ROYAL TRAPPINGS

·         Kate's birthday on 9th January will be officially marked by the hoisting of the union jack above every government building.; the queen will grant Kate a consort’s coat of arms, made up of symbols from William's family and emblems from the new Middleton coat of arms.

As wife of a British Prince, Kate will be entitled to use the normal royal standard (the flag used by the monarch and members of the royal family) but as she is not of royal descent, hers will have an ermine border, as Diana's did.; Kate's first taste of royal pageantry is likely to be the trooping of colour on the 11thjune, when she will share the first carriage with Camilla and William.

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THE MAKING OF A PRINCESS

From the moment they were engaged, Kate's name will have been added to the list of those invited to private royal family gatherings. Banquets and formal dinners will become very much part of her new role. As a Princess, She will have to learn how to;
BEHAVE AT FORMAL OCCASSIONS.
EMBRACE THE ROLE OF A STYLE ICON.
UNDERSTAND THE PROTOCOLS OF ROYAL MANNERS.
LEARN TO LOVE THE GREAT OUTDOORS.

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WILL AND KATE'S BIG DAY

The long awaited royal wedding has come and gone and i must say it went very well. Everybody looked really nice and elegant. The bride wore an Alexandra McQueen’s dress designed by Sarah Burton. A beautiful lace bodice and royal silk in ivory/champagne dress. I guess she went with the wedding phrase that goes' something new, something borrowed and something. Kate wore a Cartier tiara lends to her by the Queen. Her sister, the maid of honour wore another Sarah Burton dress. The groom and best man were in their military suits and were looking really cool.
The pair that announced their engagement in November last year, sealed their wedding with a kiss at the Royal balcony in front of the waiting crowd who came to cheer them. It was indeed awesome.

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·         KATE'S ROYAL TRAPPINGS

·         THE MAKING OF A PRINCESS

·         MOVING ON