Earth Babies Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Parenting’

I am not a home schooler and hopefully never will be. Not because I feel formal schooling is better (in many ways I don’t – each approach has its pro’s and cons), but I know MY personal limits as an individual and as a mother.

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When can you start swimming with babies?

It is not advised starting swimming lessons before 6 months as prior to this their immune system is considered too immature to be exposed to the natural risks that come with public swimming. Parents do need to take into consideration though the pro’s and cons of swimming lessons before enrolling for this activity. It is not an essential skill for babies but is a wonderful learning experience for both parents and babies/toddlers.

(The American Academy of Paediatricians does not recommend swimming lessons as such for children under 4 years of age).

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Do unto your children as you would have other people do unto your children.

Everyone, children included experience both positive and negative emotions – you cannot prevent them from experiencing negatives but your role as parent is to teach them how to cope. Coping with emotion is not an inborn instinct, it is something that needs to be learnt through experience, guidance, following examples and repetition.

3 most basic tips:
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(this was posted on a forum – so cute and true, I had to share)
by Dr. Burton L. White

if you wont climb off, i'll climb on

If I give it to you and change my mind later,
IT’S MINE!

If I can take it away from you,
IT’S MINE!

If it’s mine it will never belong to anybody else,
No matter what.
If we are building something together,
All the pieces are mine!

If it looks just like mine,
IT’S MINE!

If it breaks or needs putting away,
IT’S YOURS!

This is always a concern for parents 2nd time around – how will the older child take to the new baby. Are they going to feel jealous, neglected, like you no longer love them? Are you going to be able to love more than one child?

To the last question – YES you are, there is no deep explanation other than love has no limits there is always enough to go around … now time is another matter

Preparing for a new baby:
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Do you encourage independence in your children? Do you judge a mother (me ) waiting in a car while her child runs in to a shop as lazy? Do you teach distrust of all strangers? Do you try push or persuade them to do things they do not want to, speak to strangers etc?

My approach with my kids is a bit of a mix of very protective and giving them lots of space.

For me independence is a form of self confidence and trust in ones own judgement and instincts and I try to nurture and grow this in my kids but sometimes feel like I am getting it all wrong.
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Today for the first time EVER (because she refused and not because we could not), my daughter is wearing a ponytail. It is a very scruffy thin little bundle on her head but I am in ponytail-love heaven.

One of the reasons I love her hair up is then I get to see the back of her little ears and the little dent at the back of her neck – these make my heart mushy. With my son it is the sweep of his lashes on his cheekbones, the dimple on his right cheek when he smiles, the double dents (dimples) just above his bum. With both of them I love that they still have dimples instead of knuckles and their kissy lips ♥swoon♥.

dimple

little ears

Share – what is it for you??

translated into English by J. Alison James

I read this book to the kids this week and found a you-tube clip of the story.
It is a simple yet sweet story about the joy of sharing – not only about the giving of an item but about the joy it bring those that receive as well as those that give.

On the flip side it can also be a good introduction to talking about how we treat those who are different. How having ‘more’ does not make a person better and that just because someone looks different does not mean they need to be treated differently.

Youtube clip of The Rainbow Fish (6 minutes)

Another book/you tube clip blogged about was
Where the Wild Things are

(I originally wrote this for @play in Cape Town)

“It takes two people to communicate – one to talk and the other to listen.”

Many of us live in a two language household – how to approach this is a concern. Do you only teach one language or do you raise them bilingual? If bilingual how do you approach this – do you each speak both languages, alternate from week to week or each parent speaks their mother tongue?

How to approach raising a bilingual child:
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One of the biggest stress factors of a newly pregnant couple is how are they going to afford all the ‘things’ babies need.
Do babies really need all the things that as new parents we get caught up in the stress of buying and affording? Are they really as expensive as we make them out to be or is it more a case of wants than needs?

Part of my original motivation of Earth Babies, was to try share with others a simpler, less stressful approach to parenting and lessen (for those open to it) that consumer push for more and more gadgets that babies ‘need’ (this makes me a very bad sales person as I am always trying to find a way to save someone money even when they are not concerned about this ).

Our baby start was very affordable as we got practically everything we needed pre-loved and gifted. The first time we needed to buy clothes for our son was after his 3rd birthday. The only baby item we needed to buy was a cot mattress.

What for you is a must have with babies?
What was your least used baby gadget that you bought?
How do you feel about using pre-loved items?

♥ BABYLOVE ♥