5 Ways to Help Your Child's Development

As Brody gets older, I really am watching his development to make sure he is on track. I also really want to help anyway I can to help improve his development and keep it on track. Here are some ideas I have seen and tried and Brody loves them and so do I! I have found that when I give Brody these activities, he ask to do them again. He enjoys the challenge and having to use his brain to think.

 

1) Read to them. You can actually start reading to your kids when they are just a few months old. In fact, doctors recommend this. This is helpful for development from a very young age. Brody is now old enough to where he loves books and enjoys reading them with us. It is lots of fun! We read at least one book a night before bedtime.

 

2) Create fine motor skills games. The game I love for fine motor skills is putting pipe cleaners into a colander. You give your child a pipe cleaner and they have to put it in a hole on the colander. Brody loves this game. Once they get good at putting them in, you can even have them make a loop and put both ends of the pipe cleaner in holes.

 

 

 

3. Play sorting games. Brody LOVES this game! I got a muffin tin of 6 and put small objects in each one. Each tin as the same object and at least 2 of that object. I show him how it should look. Then I take them all out and put 1different object in each tin and he has to match the same objects with the ones in the tin. He picked it up quick and loved it! For more challenging tasks, you can have your child sort colors or even numbers as pictured below.

 

 

 

4) Allow your child to help you put things away. This will help teach them organization and also help them learn where things should go. It will help them know that socks do not go in the refrigerator.

 

5) Use lots of vocabulary with your child. Make your child try to say what they want before giving it to them. For instance, if they want bubbles and just point and grunt, make them say "bubbles" before allowing them to have it. Also, point out things to them. When an airplane passes over, point to it and say, "Look, an airplane." Do this every time you see one and they will catch on. This will help boost their vocabulary and talking.

 

These are only 5 things to help, but there are so many out there. If you just google activities to help fine motor skills, vocabulary, development, etc. you will find countless activities to do with your child. Just keep your child's brain actively thinking and moving daily.  Happy learning and having fun with you and your little one!

 

Until next time, 

 



Fun Family Fall Activities

Does your family ever get in the same routine of doing the same thing over and over again every day or every weekend? Now, this is not a bad thing, but over time it can get monotonous or boring. Here are some fun ideas to try with your family if you are in a rut.

 

1)With fall right around the corner, find a pumpkin patch to go to. Look at the pumpkins and pick one as a family or let everyone get their own. Take it home and have a pumpkin carving/decorating night as a family.

 

 

2) For older kids, create a treasure hunt to do with your kids. Even though you know the path and what is at each spot, your kids don't and they will love the adventure! You can do it just in your house, in your neighborhood, or even at a park area.

 

3) For younger kids, as a family create a masterpiece of art together! You can either get a large piece of paper and color with either paints or something like pudding or you can make a fall picture! One idea is to draw the trunk of a tree on paper. Then, have everyone have their own cork top and dip it in paint and use colors like red, yellow, brown, and orange to create a tree with fall colors. Here is a picture from the Picky Apple and how they did it.

 

 

4) Other crafts you can do is to find fall leaves, dry and press them, then decorate them with puff paint. Another fun one is shaving cream leaf painting. Check out Little Wonders blog to see how they did! It looks like fun!

 

5) Take a nature walk with your family. Find leaves, cool rocks, fun sticks, etc. Be adventurous and let your kids be adventurous and find new things in nature! Let them climb trees, skip rocks, and whatever else seems fun in nature (as long as it is safe of course!:)

 

 

6) Make fall treats together. Make pumpkin sugar cookies, caramel apples, party popcorn (popcorn drizzled with white chocolate and sprinkles), smores over a fire/grill, Halloween Rice Krispies, etc.

 

 

7) I found a fun pumpkin bowling game on this blog. It looks easy and like a lot of fun. It is at the bottom of the page.

 

8) Take a picnic on a pretty day! Pack your lunches and head to the park to eat and have some fun exercise together. Let the kids help pack the lunch too!

 

9) Make homemade ice cream together. If you dare, let the kids pick the flavor and "special" ingredients!

 

10) Make fall scented rice! This activity looks super fun! Kids love playing in rice. Plus, it will smell good! Check out this blog to see how to do it!

 

 

Bonus: You should make these divine looking cookies just because it is fall and just because they look delicious! I will be trying them soon and I will let you know how they are! To find the recipe, go to this blog!

 

 

Hope you have fun with some new activities! Enjoy the start of fall!

 

 Until next time, 

 

 

 

 

 

What to expect when you have a baby

One of the things that scared me a lot when I was pregnant was the hospital stay. I didn't know what to expect or what was going to happen really. So, since it is my son's second birthday today and I am reminiscing on his birth, I thought I would share some important things to expect when you have a baby!

 

1) If this is your first baby, expect a long labor and delivery. This may not happen for you, but it is better to be ready that it will likely happen and expect it than be surprised. My labor and delivery together was 14 hours long.

 

2) Expect lots of beeps and noises. You are hooked to several machines. Sometimes they beep loudly and make lots of noises. Don't be alarmed and automatically assume something is wrong with you or your baby. The nurses stay at a nurses station and constantly monitor you. If something is wrong they will know immediately and come to you.

 

3) Expect lots of pokes and "checking". If you are induced, then you will have to have pitocin and an IV for sure. They will check this and change this. If you have an epidural, you will have several more pokes. And by the way, I was petrified of the epidural and it was not bad at all. Just a little sting and it was over! However, make sure your anesthesiologist is available for a little while after you get it in case it doesn't work. They will also come and "check" you often to see your dilation, effacement, etc. This can very uncomfortable but isn't always.

 

4) Expect that if something goes wrong, to stay as calm as possible. You don't want to get too worked up for yourself and the baby. The nurses and doctors know what they are doing so trust them.

 

5) Make sure you rest while you can. Lots of people will be checking in and wanting to know if your baby is here! Try and relax during all labor if you can and then let people know when the baby comes. Labor and delivery is hard work and you need your rest!

 

6) Expect to have your baby about 45 minutes to 1 hour after they are born and then for them to go to the nursery for a while. They have to clean them, test them, etc. During this time you will likely be moved to another room if delivery and post-partum rooms are separated.

 

Hope this helps to know what to expect a little more! Good luck!

 

Until next time, 

Milestones: Month 5

Your baby is almost 1/2 a year old! Time sure goes by fast, doesn't it?!? There are some things you should be looking for that your baby is doing and some new things to try with them this month!

 

1) Recognizing Sounds: Your baby should be able to recognize sounds, their own name, and when you are talking to them. They should be able to turn their head in the direction the sound is coming. It is very important to talk to them at this age. They learn words and language best from you!

 

2) Emotions: Your baby's emotions should start having a wider range by now. They can let you know more when they are hungry, tired, wet, happy, etc. They are also more likely to laugh at funny faces, silly noises, etc. They may even reach for you to pick them up and give you hugs and kisses.

 

3) Feeding Themselves: Your baby should be able to start holding their own bottle soon. However, do not leave your baby unattended while they feed themselves at this age. They could choke on the milk or get overheated.

 

 

4) Sitting alone: Your baby may start to sit alone this month. Try letting them balance it out on their own, but be near by in case they take a tumble!

 

 

5) Stranger Danger: Your baby might start to be afraid of people they do not know. They may get anxious and cling to you. Know this is totally normal and don't be embarrassed. Try to soothe your baby and introduce them to new people slowly. Also, tell others of their anxiety and have them approach your baby slowly.

 

6) Tracking Toys: Your baby should be getting good at tracking toys by now. They may also go for toys they see and like. Place toys near them and let them try to get it on their own. Also, read color books to them. They are starting to see more pastels now than just the bold colors.

 

7) Distractions: Your baby is easily distracted. If they get upset about something, try singing a song to them or getting out their favorite toy or book. Enjoy this while it last because it won't last forever!

 

8) Bringing Objects Closer: Your baby should be able to rake objects closer to themselves by the end of the 5th month. Place an object near them to let them practice this skill.

 

9) Babble: Your baby should be babbling lots now. Many common babble sounds you will likely hear are "ma", "ba", "ga", etc. Encourage this and talk back!

 

To do this month: Start introducing solids! Towards the end of the month, give your baby some rice cereal. If you are nursing, mix it with breast milk. Otherwise, mix it with formula.  They may not like the flavor at first but they likely will soon. They may also not get much down because they are used to sucking liquids down every meal. Be patient and realize it may take many tries for both of you to get it!

 

  At six months, you can start giving your baby solid foods. This is fun to see what they like and don't like. Get ready for some awesome faces!

 

 

Happy 5 months of life to your sweet little one!

 

**Remember, every child is different. These are general milestones and babies may hit milestones at different times. Concerns to look for:
- Your baby is not reaching for objects
-Your baby is not tracking objects
-Your baby does not babble at all
-Your baby does not turn towards sounds
 If you are concerned about your child and their milestones, make an appointment to see their physician so they can assess your child. **

Until next time,