My chid doesn't sleep

If you think I'm joking, you are wrong. My 2,5 y.o. toddler has always had big problems falling asleep.

Back in the baby days, I solved this issue simply by co-sleeping and breastfeeding on demand. The older he got, though, the worse his sleep became. I've found a way to put him to bed every night, and by following this routine, anybody can put him to sleep by 7:30 pm. But if something deviates from the usual, forget it! No sleep, lots for crying and the night and the next few days are ruined for both toddler and parents. Sleep deprived toddler will be cranky and whiny all day, difficult to settle, not interested in anything, unable to concentrate.

My son will not sleep better if he ran around for hours all afternoon. If anything, he will sleep worse. He will not pass out on my shoulder or on the chairs at the party, he will not even fall asleep in the car on the way back from an event. The more excited he gets, the less chances for a good night sleep.

I've found my ways and little tricks to calm him down and have him sleeping in his bed through the night. We've dropped the nap back when he turned 2. Well, he dropped that nap, and I tried to fight that for a month or so, and then gave up.

I am used to the un-approving glances from the old school people, like my mom, when they hear about our "no nap" routine. They think I didn't set the schedule! Ha ha ha! They don't know! All my days, weeks, months, and even years were designed to set a schedule. Trust me, no nap is better for him. Even if the nap goes from 11 am until 1 pm, no good night sleep is guaranteed in our house after it.

We worked hard on determining that no toys or blankies could help Santino calm down enough to fall asleep. He never took pacifiers (and I'm happy he didn't). The only sleep association he has is music. For a while, I've used white noise recordings, like ocean waves and rain sounds, but that stopped working at one point. Then we switched to the calm songs and lullabies. I compiled all my favorite tunes from the cartoons back from my childhood in one big recording. Now we switched to a CD with soft classical music and birds chirping. As long as it is something quiet, it works for us.

Dinner, bath, book, potty, bed, milk. This is our routine. He knows he has to be quiet and stay in bed to get his milk, and I usually take my time. More often, then not, by the time that I return, he is already asleep.

I am relieved to hear from time to time, that some other moms went through the same ordeal. Their kids also didn't sleep, and that often lasted until kids turned 4 years old or so.  So, I'm bracing myself, trying to stay positive, and looking forward to the other beautiful challenges my beautiful little boy is going to bring me.

On the bright side, at least I have something to share. Sleep-deprived parents, unite!

How do you get your non-sleeping toddler to sleep?

Read More

Do You Really Need to Bring Your Toddler to a Wedding?

This is not a post with answers. This is more of a rant post, with a simple question: is there really a need for a toddler to be present at a big event at a banquet hall?

Last night we went to an important family event, a wedding. Santino's uncle got married, and according to the Italian tradition, a big celebration was planned, with 200 closest relatives and friends attending. It was a beautiful event, a great escape from our daily boring lives, and an excuse to dress up. There was lots of food, music and dancing after dinner.

First, Santino (2.5 y.o.) didn't want to be there. He got very irritated by all the people, unfamiliar premises and the fact that he still had to go, even though he said many times "I don't want to go to a party". Now, that last statement might not mean a lot, as he also stated that he'd rather wear his dinosaur suit instead of the light-colored suit with a vest his grandparents got for him. Nevertheless, he did express his will, and was ignored. All above accumulated into a big tantrum, when Santino cried non-stop, refused to be inside the hall, refused to say "hi" to people and all he wanted to do was getting back into the car.

Yes, he warmed up to the situation later on, relaxed and had a great time running around, blowing off candles and stealing chocolates and cookies. In fact, he had a bit too much fun, and couldn't stop running for 6 hours straight, disappearing from time to time from my sight in the forest of dancing people's legs, all under the outrageously loud music.

That's another thing: loud music and hundreds of drunk people dancing, is not the safest place for an excited toddler, running away from his mother.

No, I couldn't just let him run around. The place is not really designed for toddler's safety, and multiple burning candles only made the situation worse. Yes, one time he almost set a table on fire. He thought it would be fun to hide a candle under the table. Luckily, my husband spotted it on time.

Yes, I'm his mother and it is my responsibility to watch after my kid. Yes, I understand it's hard work and I shouldn't expect to have fun when my toddler is awake and is not safely tucked away in his bed. But, really, the big events like this one are not quite suitable for kids and, I think, are quite damaging. Maybe, because they do not occur often, it's not that bad, but I consider these events unsuitable for little kids due to loud music, disruption of the sleep and multiple potential dangers, like marble floors (easy to break little teeth, if fell on), burning candles (all kinds of dangers), high heels that can step on a little foot, loud music (way, way too loud), hot drinks served, drunk people who are not paying attention, etc.

I should have insisted on leaving Santino at home, but I'm not his only parent, and my concerns were "over-voted" by other relatives' insisting on him being there. Because he is family. I was told that many other kids went through the same thing and other parents bring their kids, and it will be O.K. My mother's instinct told me it was not O.K., but I gave in this time, avoiding tension within family.

What do you think? I learned my lesson and will be more insisting on leaving the kid at home. But, what if it would upset grandparents and other relatives, who might think that I don't want my son to socialize and be with the family? Is there a "happy medium"?

Read More

Guest Blogger: Arlene Dickinson. The Big Lie About Work-Life Balance

One of the recent chats in our Facebook group with moms was about becoming entrepreneurs to support the family income and to express ouselves, inspired me to reach out to one of the most successful mom-entrepreneurs in Canada, Arlene Dickinson. I wanted to hear from this most accomplished business woman on what to look for when getting into business while being a mom and leading an already busy life. 

I was so excited and so grateful when I received the reply from Arlene's publicist, Michelle, who suggested we use one of Arlene's posts from her personal blog! It took me a little while, but I am finally posting her article, that I feel touches on the very important question "How do you balance life with work?"

There are many moms in our group who successfully started their own business and continue to be dedicated entrepreneurs and loving moms. In fact, these moms can share their own take on the same question, and I'm sure their answers will be just as valid and inspiring as Arlene's.

My take on this: as long as you believe in it, as long as it is a part of who you are, you can do it! You can balance family and work, and it will come as naturally as having a morning coffee. As long as you enjoy it!

Nataliya

---

If only we could figure out a way to achieve work/life balance, we’d be so much happier in every sphere of our lives, and so would the people who love us. That’s the conventional wisdom, anyway.

I’ve done a lot of thinking about this and I can’t say I agree. In fact, I believe we’ve been looking at this issue through the wrong lens. As a result, all we’ve accomplished, at least as far as I can tell, is to drive ourselves crazy. So here’s my two cents: I don’t think entrepreneurs can achieve work-life balance. What’s more, I don’t think we should even be trying.

When you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t have a job--at least not in the conventional sense of that word. You have a calling. And unlike a job, a calling defines you as a person. It’s who you are. That’s why it’s not realistic--or even advisable-- to ask an entrepreneur to shut the door on work at the end of the day. It’s like asking someone to shut the door on their entire being. We don’t become different people when we get to the office, so the idea that we can chop ourselves up into schizophrenic bits when we leave just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Those of us lucky enough to have a calling love what we do. We don’t view work as something to be escaped or sloughed off at the end of the day. And that’s something to celebrate, not feel bad about, in my opinion. Loving what you do every day so much that you don’t want your workday to end—how awesome is that?

When you have a calling, you’re always going to be juggling time and commitments. That’s just the way it is. And you’re not going to think about the various parts of your life as separate compartments, because, as I said, they’re all fundamentally part of your identity. That’s why it’s frustrating to pick up a magazine and find articles about how entrepreneurs can and should juggle the various parts of their lives. Just once, I’d love to see an article that acknowledges the fact that there isn’t any separation--and what’s more, there shouldn’t be.

The problem with the entrenched thinking is that it instills guilt. Buying into the notion that work and life are separate and should be perfectly, evenly balanced is a great way to make you feel that there’s something wrong with you for failing to achieve it.

You’ll read those articles and you’ll figure there’s some magic answer you’re missing but that everybody else has figured out, and you’ll decide that they must be better parents, partners or entrepreneurs than you are, because you’re always falling short—so you’d better try harder. Well, I’ve been down that road and I’m back with some news from the front: that way lies madness.

When Nora Ephron, the late writer and filmmaker, died recently, I re-read a speech she once made to young (and all female) graduates at Wellesley College, her alma mater. Ephron said something that beautifully captures the way I feel about life and the entrepreneurial lifestyle: “Maybe young women don't wonder whether they can have it all any longer, but in case of you are wondering, of course you can have it all. What are you going to do? Everything is my guess. It will be a little messy, but embrace the mess. It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it will be like, but surprises are good for you. And don't be frightened: you can always change your mind. I know: I've had four careers and three husbands.”

I love the idea of embracing the mess. I honestly believe that once you do your life will improve inordinately. Why? Because you’ll be doing something that makes you feel happy and fulfilled, and in my experience when people are happy and fulfilled, many good things flow from that contentment, not only within their own lives, but outward, to the lives of those around them.

So what do you think? Do I have this all wrong?  Should we still focus on trying to achieve that elusive balance between our professional and personal lives? I’d sure love to hear from you on this one.

This article was originally posted on Arlene Dickinson's blog: YouInc

Read More

Meet The Guest Blogger: Arlene Dickinson.

Photo source: YouInc.com

 Arlene Dickinson is one of Canada’s most renowned independent marketing communications entrepreneurs. As CEO of Venture Communications, her creative and strategic approach has turned the company into a powerhouse with a blue chip client list.

Dickinson’s newest venture Arlene Dickinson Enterprises (ADE) is a company she founded in 2011 that is dedicated to serving and investing in the entrepreneurial lifestyle, with its online community and resource site for entrepreneurs YouInc.com.

Dickinson is a mother of four and grandmother of three, venture capitalist on CBC series’ Dragons’ Den and The Big Decisio , author of the #1 Best Selling book Persuasion and the creator of the Persuasion product line that includes coffee, wine, skin care and chocolate; the national spokesperson for The Breakfast Clubs of Canada; and she was recently named an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Her success and leadership has been recognized with multiple honours and awards including: Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, as well as PROFIT and Chatelaine’s TOP 100 Women Business Owners.

Arlene is also the recipient of honorary degrees from Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Mary’s University and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Website: www.ArleneDickinson.com
Twitter: @ArleneDickinson

Read More

Hosting Company Post Portum - The baby meet&greet / open house solution for your endless family and friend visit

It's enviable.  You get home from the hospital after delivering a newborn baby. Your a hormonal mess, your husbands exhausted, toddler is still adjusting to the fact that life no longer revolves just him and your house is a little better looking than a war zone.  Everything you read will tell you to "take your time". ....."Wait to have visitors" etc etc.  However the fact of the matter is that people are going to eventually wanna come visit you and your new addition.  You can only keep grandparents and immediate family away for so long, let alone your dear friends who wanna meet your bundle of joy too.  Truthfully it's kind of good for you (and baby too!) to have a little (good) company and get adjusted to life. Isolation is no good for any of you.


Once you've taken the time to adjust and feel a little "ready" to start taking some visits (for me it was the second week but I was anxious to get it out of the way ;), here are some tips that worked for me in managing

1. The open house / meet n greet concept

Pick 1 or 2 days (or afternoons).  Specific time slots that work for YOU (for us that was between 12-3 in the afternoon when my toddler was occupied by nap or after 8pm when he was asleep. Invite you family and friends that your ready to see to pick an "hour" that works for them to come for a "little visit" or "coffee".  Your gracious email tone and choice of words will give them the hint that your looking forward to seeing them but that an hour is probably all you can manage at the moment :)


What to serve?  Should you serve anything?   The choice is totally up to you.  No pressure. Have a look at what I did in 5 mins with a nursing baby in my arms and a toddler occupied by Toopey and Binoo for a sec :)


- SMALL mugs for coffee/tea (disposables would be even easier!)
- drinking glasses
- water
- my tea assortment chest (hot water in my kettle ready to go)
- a small tray of cookies
- napkins


All of this set out in the kitchen on the counter (hot drinks away from the baby) and for guests to HELP THEMSELVES.  I told them too :)


The guests can catch up on all their questions / how labour went and have their snack while you nurse/feed baby and then they have a turn to hold baby (if you are ok with that of course!) when you are done and baby is content.   Don't be afraid to tidy up from snack if you like or get something done/enjoy your hands while they are free as your guests are goggling over your new bundle of joy :).  They don't mind. :)

Some other tips:

- put a baby sleeping sign on your front door permanently.  Cover your door bell even. This will automatically lower people's voices and prevent unwanted door knocking.  


- Turn your phones down to low or off and don't feel bad to only check voicemails and return your calls when you can.   Once a day! while you nurse on speaker phone was a great time for me.  Don't feel like you need to run to every call.  Most people calling are really just wanting to leave you a congrats message anyhow :)


- send out mass email updates/Facebook status updates/thank you's (if you are into that :).   If you keep people informed with how your doing it keeps tons of people from contacting you and you having to respond to so many calls/emails/inquiries on the same deal

- don't be afraid to ask for help while you got them!    When people asked what I needed for baby #2, I didn't hesitate to change things up and request ready made/freezer meals in lieu of another stuffed animal to collect dust :) (see my blog post on "what a new mom really wants"

Other handy tips:

Worried about others holding your baby / germs / smokers?   Have a receiving or other late blanket ready to go.  Place that in everyone's arms before placing baby into that blanket and then into their arms :).   Also keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your door with a cute little note "your germs are too big for my newborn immune system. Please use me ;)"

2 days.  10 visits.  Happy and informed family and friends.  Happy mom :).  Do what's best for your family and what YOU are comfortable with mom.    To me, "getting the visits over with" for lack of better phrasing was better than dreading how to manage for months on end.  

Read More

Living with a child with autism

Autism. It consumes my day, my night, my life. 

My son was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as he turned three years old.  My world crumbled. What does this mean for him? What will happen to him? Will he be able to go to school like other children, attend prom, go on to college? What about marriage and meeting someone who he can share his incredible self with? What can I do? All these questions flooded me and honestly crippled me at the time of his diagnosis.

This was only two months ago and I have to be honest, these questions have not been answered and I live in a constant world of helplessness.

Joe requires IBI therapy to teach him skills that come naturally to most of us. Skills such as self-regulation, conversation, empathy for others, and much more. This therapy can cost up to $100,000 a year, who can afford that? The government does recognize and fund this program, but the waitlist is 2.5 – 4 years to receive this government funding. The government also recognizes that early intervention is the best, and that is considered between the ages of 3-5. My son was lucky to be diagnosed at an early age, most children are not diagnosed until they reach school. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense does it? If early intervention is the best, why not fund it early, rather than wait until the child turns 5 when the damage in the development has gone too far?

For now we have decided to go with the minimal amount of therapy that we can afford and hopefully we will see improvements, but only the future holds these answers.

My son is amazing and I cherish every moment with him, some good, some not-so-good. He memorizes books and songs after only hearing them a couple of times. He is obsessed with numbers and letters, I don’t think it will be long before he is reading and practicing his math skills. Although he lacks some skills, he excels in other areas. He is affectionate and caring and completely adorable. Of course, I am his mom and I love him so much, I have never felt love like this in my life.

I guess I am hoping to answer some of the questions that people ask me when Joe is melting down. It could be in a grocery store, a playground, or even at his preschool. Please don’t judge him for the things, that he cannot help. It is not that he doesn’t get enough discipline or I spoil him rotten. It is that his brain is programmed a little differently and some things can be overwhelming for him. This was the hardest thing for me to learn about him and I hope I can help others understand the difficulties autistic children face every day of their lives.

Read More

Counting Our Blessings Instead of Fingers & Toes

It was a scary sight as a new mother.  I remember lying in the hospital bed after having just delivered our second son, Marco.  As the doctors are dealing with my afterbirth I look over to my husband on the other side of the room with my nurse who's dealing with the regular baby work.   

Joe looks over at me as he sees me observing what's going on.  He has a new dad look of Joy on his face and says, "babe he's beautiful...he has 10 fingers and toes".   Then I see him turn back to the nurse and baby and have a quite different look in his face.  One of more worry.  I hear him ask "is that normal?"  I'm getting a little nervous myself now as I can feel his internal struggle of trying to keep it together whilst also wondering how he's going to "break the news" to me. I ask if everything is ok and his response. "95%".   What does that mean?

Our son Marco was born with a hand Deformity known as Syndactyly.  We will know better after some appointments and x-ray tests we have coming up. Basically he has a pinky finger, but the other fingers are fused together to form what looks like one.  At the moment we don't know what could have caused this other than just the sheer miracle of life process and all the cell generation that happens as a part of it....somewhere along that process his fingers just never separated perhaps.....

Looking back .... all those ultrasounds....and we never noticed.  Nor did anyone point it out. (I had several ultrasounds and we even did a 3D one!).  And all the times we as expecting parents say "he has all his fingers and toes....I'm happy" or "as long as he has all his fingers and toes".  I can't help myself but relook at this and now and say "so what?"   So what if we had known or now that we know.  Does it change anything?   Absolutely not!  "So what" if he only has visually 7 fingers?   Does it make him less loved?    Absolutely not!

I want to share the email I sent out to our family and friends when we shared the news about Marcos arrival and what we call "his special hand".  I've had an overwhelming positive response  to it. Perhaps cause I wrote it in 5 minutes strait from my heart as fresh new mom of 2, hormonal, tired and bitterly honest. 

Perhaps this will shed some light on our love for our child who turned out to not have all his fingers and toes.  Perhaps you'll think again about using this phase when referring to a newborn or expecting baby :)

----

Marco DAY 3 UPDATE and Info re: His SPECIAL HAND :)

Hello Family and Friends!

First of all we wanted to say a really REALLY big THANK YOU for everyone's love and support and encouragement throughout the entire pregnancy, the labour and what turned out to be a very FAST delivery.  We wanted everyone to know that Marco, Mommy, Daddy and Jonathan are all doing really REALLY well and we are enjoying day 3 now that we are home from the hospital as a family of 4.  Marco is truly an angel and really just such a good baby.  He's beautiful, happy and healthy...Latching really well.... popping like crazy and gives really awesome cuddles :)    What more could we pray for?

With that said, there is something that we wanted to share with you all.  We did have a little "surprise" and I suppose you can say it's going to be a little "challenge" that we will have to deal with.  It looks like Marco was born with a Hand Deformity possibly known as Syndactyly.  We will know better after some appointments and x-ray tests we have coming up. Basically he has a pinky finger, but the other fingers are fused together to form what looks like one.  At the moment we don't know what could have caused this other than just the sheer miracle of life process and all the cell generation that happens as a part of it....somewhere along that process his fingers just never separated perhaps......

Undoubtedly we will have a little journey ahead of us in terms of getting more information on it, probably speaking to a multitude of different specialists etc.; however we wanted everyone to know that Marco is a completely (...and for lack of a better word....) "normal" baby.  We love him to death.  He is in no way in pain.  He has full functionality of his hand and the "two fingers" that he was blessed to be given.  The hardest part at the moment for all of us is just going to be getting over the "esthetics" of the hand itself and possibly different functionality.  Rest assured, we are being told that this is actually quite common and that there are a ton a options for us to explore on this.  Knowing our family, we will be ALL OVER the research and options :)  And we've been so blessed with so many great family and friends that we are sure you will all be there to love and support us through it too.

We trust that you will keep Marco and us in your prayers.  We are so excited for you all to meet him.  Please PLEASE PLEASE do not worry about US or HIM.  We are all TOTALLY fine over here.  We really appreciate your love and support through this.  We weren't sure the best way to handle sharing this information; however after much thought we figured it would be best to just put the information out there so that everyone can ask any questions they might have (...and possibly share any information, contacts, resources you have found too!).   Please feel free to ask us anything, touch him, hold him, love him, hold his hand...explore.....  He's a BEAUTIFUL baby boy (he looks exactly like his big brother Jonathan ;)

Looking forward to seeing you all with our new bundle of joy!

xoxox  The Berenguers

Marco Joseph Berenguer
Weighing 7lbs, 8onz
Born April 12, 2013 at 6:42am

For this child we have prayed and the LORD has granted the desires of our heart. 1 Samuel 1:27

Read More

"Spring Into Creativity" Article 4 by Janine Georgiou-Zeck

There might be a few snow days yet but we are in the spring finally and the earth where we stand is starting to breath the fresh breath of life. This is a wonderful time of inspiration. New eyes to the earth will be fascinated by all that moves and grows as the garden and the parks start to come into blossom.  Having  “Jasper” who just turned one on the first day of spring, I am so excited about what his little eyes will see on our walks. He stares and absorbs the newness, not just of spring but of this new world he has become a part of.  Our children can give us new eyes to see the beauty around us. 

On good weather days, this is the perfect time to go out and draw natures beginnings. Just a sketch pad and pencils will suffice for the trip. This is a good time to go  for a walk to the park and sketch what is left from last fall, that the melting snow reveals. These will be the before sketches. If the trip is made every Two  weeks, especially in the spring the children can identify developments. 

  They will observe and document what they discover. By the time summer is here they might have the transition of a few different plants or trees documented in sketches. You could have one small pad for each plant they want to investigate.  They could make notes or you could help them make notes at the bottom of the page describing what they see and predicting the next stage of development.

   

 At the age of one Jasper will probably get as much out of me walking along and describing what I see, while encouraging him to touch nature, as those who can begin to sketch it. Enjoy the beautiful gifts this time of year can offer you!

  

Read More

Instead of a "Bucket List" - April Activities for Kids

Back in December I suggested to come up with a list of fun activities for winter, a so called "bucket list", and we did! For spring, I am posting a suggested activities calendar for kids. Its fun! (Source: http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/calendar) Grab your ideas for the play dates, moms!

Read More

One of "Those Days"

Today will go down in history as "one of those days".  I'm sure many of my mommy friends will be able to relate.  You know one of "those days" when you just should have trusted your "gut" and not left the house?  Yup.... That was me!

I left our local community centre this morning (they were having a special kids Easter event) at 36 weeks pregnant carrying my 35lb kicking and screaming 2 year old *sigh*. This was after what i think were three very generous warnings about waiting in line (patience), staying close to mommy (obedience) and listening with your ears (attentiveness) - three character qualities that we've been working really hard at.

We are now home having a "time out day" which includes us watching his Brother Francis movie about "Forgiveness".  He requested it after a discussion we had about how he should to say sorry to mommy and Jesus for his behaviour (we are a practicing Catholic family).  I thought it was an excellent idea! In fact; I think we will spend the day learning more about this forgiveness and repentance as a result.  

In reflecting on what had happened; all I can do is chalk this up to a learning experience and a really good lesson for me as a mom.  I really need to learn to trust my "gut instinct" (or if your a Christian family, those little messages that God sends you) a little more. Obviously when your child wakes up rotten (like we all do at times); probably not a smart idea to take him out to a major event where there will be lots of temptation and chaos.  It's actually probably not fair to even expect a 2 year old to be able to handle something like that given his temperament that day.  Lesson learned! 

The great thing about days like today is all the great things we learn from it - both us as moms as well as our children.  I'm actually really looking forward to a day of teaching and reflection with my son about behaviour, forgiveness and remorse.  

Luckily I don't have many days like this  ;)

Thank You,

Connie & Jonathan Berenguer

Founders / Directors

E. connie@connieberenguer.com

W. www.goobergang.yolasite.com

 

Resources: Brother Francis series of DVDs for children. Especially "Forgiven". 

See http://www.catholicchapterhouse.com/store/dvds/children-s-dvds/brother-francis-forgiven-the-blessings-of-confession

Read More

Good 'Ol Fashioned Birthdays Parties and Potential HARMFUL Risks You May Not Have Thought About

As an event planner by profession and fellow mom, of course my head is always spinning with new event ideas and ways for the kids to have a fun time.  Recently I had to plan to party which would have many children ages 0-6 years.  I must have been stuck in some type of time warp the last few years, because what apparently the things we all grew up with at birthday parties as children (and still likely do in our homes and experience when we go to other birthday parties) are now not considered "safe".  In fact, they are FORBIDDDEN in many places.  

I am sharing this information with all you fellow parents and "party planners" out there in case you, like me, had no idea.  And please don't feel bad about it!  Because I totally beat myself up (and likely still am, hence this blog rant post) because I felt like "I should have known better" or that I was a "bad mother" or "bad event planner" because of it.  The fact of the matter is that information changes all the time and sometimes we don't even realize such things until we become a parent and experience it hands on to learn about it.  Of course we all want the best for our children and when caring for other children we especially want to ensure their safety as well.  So although you (like me) may find some of these things a little "extreme"; after thinking about it some more you may see that they do in fact make sense.  Just be aware of these recommendations and decide what to do in your own home for your own parties and with your own children - and don't be surprised like I was if a 3rd party place you chose to host a party at will absolutely just not allow certain things in their facility.

Allow me to elaborate on just some the dangers: 

1.     Balloons.  Apparently now HUGELY forbidden. I had some that I was going to blow up for decoration at a party but apparently they are a huge choking hazard for children (both un-inflated and inflated).  I must have been naive to think that birthday parties generally have balloons?   The last dozen of parties I've been to with my son recently have had balloons?  I never thought twice about it.   But yes, it's true (see links below to Canadian Red Cross).   Balloons are totally a thing of parties past. 

2.     Most Candy & Chocolate.  It's not challenging enough (but at least it's very common knowledge now) that we need to be extremely careful when it comes to Nut Free treats.  This is generally an accepted principal across the board now and "common knowledge".  However in going through my Piñata recently almost 100% of what was in there proposed some type of danger per the resource links provided.  Whether it be a dangerous due to a "stick" (i.e. lolly pops), too hard of candy, too chewy of candy, the shape, the size, etc. -- the fact is that most candy you can get today is just NOT RECOMMENDED.  So scrap the piñata all together I suppose?

3.     Popcorn.  Yup!  They serve it as part of the kids meals at movie theatre and will sell it to you at any children's show (I just bought some for my son at Disney On Ice), but also extremely not advisable. With its sharp edges and kernel flakes, popcorn is one of those foods that can even get caught in an adult's throat, causing gagging and choking.

Thankfully we could sing happy birthday and have a candle for me to blow for the event I had planned.  (I suppose it wasn't unreasonable for me to ask if cutting a cake with a knife or having an "open flame" was an issue after my other new findings?   (--> insert sarcasm here ;) ........ Good thing this was allowed *phew* cause my birthday party plans would have turned into just another day of chaos but with 30 unoccupied kids to entertain and equally frazzled moms.

Thank You,

Connie Berenguer

Founder / Director

Newmarket Goober Gang Play Group

E. connie@connieberenguer.com

W. www.goobergang.yolasite.com

See the following resources for further information:

Canadian Red Cross http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=6884&tid=021

Ontario Public Health: http://news.ontario.ca/mcscs/en/2011/08/public-safety-reminder-from-the-chief-coroner-for-ontario.html

Read More

A post on LWAB blog. Local Resources: Ontario Early Years Center, York North (Newmarket)

I decided to share our great experience with the Ontario Early Years Center, York North division as they call themselves (but we just call it “the Newmarket one”). If you are a parent and live in Newmarket, and don’t know about this great parents-children resource, please read on!

This is the first Nataliya's post on LWAB blog as a part of a series about local places of fun for children.

Read More

Anticipation and Fascination: Creative Tools

Article 3



Anticipation and fascination: These are two tools that can inspire creative thought. When children experience some anticipation they get curious and excited, this stimulates the mind and directs it into thoughts and feelings that help develop problem solving skills. Here you see my son and daughter 10 years ago allowing a caterpillar to crawl on them. They are fascinated and they are anticipating the creatures next move while taking in the beauty and feeling of it. They still remember the experience today. Creative and alternative teaching methods seem to reap the greatest rewards. Who doesn’t remember a field trip in elementary school or an excursion with family where they discovered something new and fascinating. When something happens that fascinates a child they express joy or surprise and observe closely. They are taking in this new revelation, this new experience and expanding their thinking and their feelings. These memories tend to become permanent faster than a more mundane experience. Doing anything in a creative way enriches the whole experience.

 We can ignite anticipation by suggesting something exciting like building a leaf fort, or making letters out of cookie dough. We can engage in the anticipation while reading stories and pausing to ask “what do you think will happen next?” The response is a wide eyed stare and then suggestions from the mouths of babes.

 

The fun continues as they engage in the activity and enjoy the creative journey. Fascination arrives as they complete a task and observe your reaction and when they see their cookie letters come out of the oven and they enjoy eating them piece by piece. Some letters will change as they eat them, like a Capital E might become a capital L after two bites. Stories always fascinate especially if we use fun voices and encourage the children to join in here and there.

My sister in England once put a foam letter into coloured goop (corn starch, water and colouring) with foam shapes of objects that started with her chosen letter. Her sons enjoyed pulling the objects out of the goop and sounding them out. This is a creative way to build connections with letters, make memories that last, ignite anticipation and revel in their fascination.

Janine Georgiou-Zeck
Janine’s school of Fine Arts.
Newmarket, On
905-952-0806
www.jzartstudio.com

Read More

Creative Hands Creative Hearts!

Article 2

 

As parents we think of so many things we would like our children to accomplish and dream of them doing great things. When my teens were little and I would drop them off at school I would say “Do Great Things”.

They knew that I felt that the little, kind and thoughtful things they did each day were “Great Things” to me. We are the teachers of great things. We know  when we are presented with a teachable moment. We have the gift of a wonderful connection with our own children. They hang on our words and actions. They hold moments close to their hearts and pull them out of a hat when they need them. When they are toddlers they are retaining memories that are tactile and more of the visual. It’s a time to feed the visual memory by supporting it with tactile connections.  It’s a time to share with them how their little hands can be creative and hearts thoughtful at the same time..

Valentines is a time to show your little ones visual ways of expressing what is in their hearts.

The heart itself is a great first shape to teach. Using their own hands they can form a rough shape of a heart. They can stamp their hand in finger paint or have you paint the bottom of their hands with a washable paint. You might want to have a bowl of soapy water and a towel ready. Once the heart is stamped as many times and in as many colours as they like, they can fill in the shape.

 

You could offer them some decorative sticky foam or other embellishments that are easy to apply to decorate the artwork or card. You can cut shapes out that they can stick on. Ask them what they would like to say in words on their gift, and who they would like to give it to. You can use dots for letters they can trace over or write the words for them.  This will help them to reinforce connections with others through a creative channel, while learning about a special shape and their abilities.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Janine G-Z . 
Janine’s school of Fine Arts. 
Newmarket, On 
905-952-0806 
 www.jzartstudio.com 

    

Read More

Guest blogger: Janine Georgiou-Zeck

Name: Janine Georgiou-Zeck

 WWW.JZARTSTUDIO.COM

Bio: Founder of JZART Studio and Janine’s School of Fine Arts Newmarket, presents workshops in studio on Saturday’s and to a variety of schools and groups throughout York Region.

Mediums: Textiles, Watercolour, Oil, Acrylic painting, drawing & 3D designs. 

A portfolio of over 200 classes and still designing workshops to help build confidence in students.

Janine's School of Fine Arts was founded on a love for creativity. For Six years Janine has shared her joy for art with students from all over York Region. The studio has grown from the tiny seed of volunteering to a colourful ever expanding community studio. Her workshops are simply a joyful journey into the world of art. The community includes the residents of the local health center, public and private school students, neighbours and friends. Both the participants and their families become part of this experience because of the joy of art.

Janine's Textile work was featured in Canada"s sewing magazine "A Needle Pulling Thread", spring edition 2011. 

 For more information, a free trial class, and to sign up your child for a course, please contact:


Janine G-Z . 
Janine’s school of Fine Arts. 
Newmarket, On 
905-952-0806 
 www.jzartstudio.com

Read More

Guest post: Our Little Creative Thinkers

By Janine Georgiou-Z 
Article 1

In the 21^st Century our children need to be creative and critical thinkers. We are continuously moving forward into times of new challenges. Creative thinkers will pave the way as problem solvers and engineers of the future. 

When your child says “ I love to draw” what they are saying is that that they love to use the creative side of their mind. This is an expression of one of their many gifts and talents. This gift if nurtured will enrich their lives in many ways. One way will be to infuse all areas of their education.  Creative thought processes  will help them explore other subjects with curiosity and search for creative solutions to problems that arise. Joy in one area inspires contentment and enriches abilities in another. 

The very beginning of this creative process is the wonderful stories children are told that inspire their imagination and the mucky stuff we let them touch and explore, like paint and textured creative materials. These are a feast for the hungry mind of child. As you know if you feed them well they will flourish as will the creative spirit that dances with the arts. All one needs to get stared is their little ones and a few simple materials. 

   

When my teens were toddlers I threw a huge sheet of paper on the kitchen floor, and had 6 colours of paint at hand, as well as a bucket of soapy water and some towels. We had a blast. The paper became a beautiful mural of hands and feet and I think a nose or two.lol. I know it’s not an everyday event especially with a busy household, but trust me it is one of those events that are never forgotten, for the pure creative fun of it. Take photos and stick the poster on the ceiling so they can look up at it while lying on the floor. Even if it’s just for little while. Of course you want to wait until it dries. 

These moments will inspire future creative moments in both you and your children. Get messy and have fun!


Janine G-Z . 
Janine’s school of Fine Arts. 
Newmarket, On 
905-952-0806 
 www.jzartstudio.com 

Read More