We enjoy reading to Clara, and are always looking for new books. I love this roundup of 20 Classic Books for Kids from Canadian Parents’ website. There are a few from my own childhood that I completely forgot about (Blueberries for Sal, The Poky Little Puppy), and there are a few that I’ve never heard of (Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Story of Ferdinand). I’m adding a bunch of these to my holds list at the library!
Lately, there’s nothing in the world that makes me happier than hearing my baby girl laugh. Here’s a short video of her playing ball and giggling with her Dad. Warms my heart!
Have a great weekend.
Before I had a baby, I had no idea what to give new parents as a baby shower gift. But now I have a definite “go to” – Aden + Anais swaddlers. These are the best. Usually sold in a 3- or 4-pack, the swaddlers are made out of cotton muslin (although you can get ones made of bamboo too), and they’re nice and big. They’re basically giant rectangles of fabric, but you can fold them in all different ways to swaddle your baby (or use as a receiving blanket, a playmat, a big wipe to clean up spitup, or drape over your stroller as a breathable sun-shield). They’re not super cheap (a 4-pack is about $50) so they make a great gift for cash-strapped new parents who might not buy them for themselves. But they are sooooooo worth it.
In Toronto, you can get the swaddlers at Baby on the Hip and Moms to be And More (and many many other stores, I’m sure).
[image above of Clara, just a few days old, wrapped in one of her Aden + Anais swaddlers. We had the "Alpha Bit Swaddle" pack.]
Say what you want, but I am pro-technology for kids. Of course, I think there should be limits placed on the amount of time a kid spends with a smartphone in their hands, but in general, I’d much prefer to see a child playing with n iPad (and actually interacting with it) than just passively watching TV. Everything in moderation, right?
Anyway, if you don’t mind sharing your smartphone or tablet with your kid, you might want to try some of these apps out:
There’s a Monster at the End of This Book is an interactive story app based on the Sesame Street book of the same name. My nephews (aged 3 and 6) can’t get enough of this one.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App features a make-your-own story and drawing tool, all based on Mo Willem’s hilarious “Pigeon” books. We’ve played this with our 9 month old daughter, but mostly Ian and I just like to play with it ourselves. That pigeon is a riot.
Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad. Seriously, what kid doesn’t go nuts for Elmo?
I haven’t tried it, but Swiss Miss recommends Count the Animals, an app for toddlers and pre-schoolers learning to count. It comes in 16 languages!
For more kids’ app recommendations, check out this article that the NY Times just ran in their travel section. And of course, check out BestKidsApps.com where you can search for the best apps for kids of different ages, search by different prices, different types of apps, etc.
Oh, and PS – if you’re going to let your kid play with your iPad, you better get a really good case for it so they don’t break it. I have my eye on the iGuy by Speck Products. Isn’t it adorable?
[image above by Flickr user speedye]
Now this is a great idea. ROM Moms is a 6-week program at the Royal Ontario Museum for parents and their babies/toddlers. From the website:
Get out of the house and spend some time as a ROM Mom (or Dad)! Join us for a six-week journey through the ROM’s collections. Enjoy a morning of conversation and adult learning in a baby-friendly atmosphere as you visit the Museum’s galleries and Kinderstudio, all while your little one sleeps, eats, rolls, and plays along with you. Each week includes a gallery tour and lab led by a ROM Instructor, and an opportunity to meet other parents, caregivers and children interested in interactive learning for life!
ROM Moms is on Thursday mornings or Thursday afternoons, and the next sessions start in January. I won’t be signing up just yet, as it’s right in the middle of Clara’s nap time. But once she’s a little older and only naps once a day, I know where you’ll find us on Thursday mornings!
If you have older kids, check out the ROM sleepovers for children 5 years old and up. How cool would it be to go to a slumber party at the museum?!?
[photo of the ROM by flickr user Steven Harris]
Nothing drives fear into the heart of this experienced traveller like the thought of flying with a kid. We did it successfully back in September, on our trip to NYC, but that was a pretty short flight. What if we want to go a bit further?
A friend and her 7-month old babe are flying to San Francisco this week, and I’ve been thinking about them. That’s a 5 hour flight from Toronto (longer if you do a layover). Yikes! In order to try and help her out, I compiled a list of blog articles I’ve read about travelling with babies:
Ten Tips for Traveling with a Baby from Cup of Jo
Tips for Flying with a Baby from Hannah of akhmatova
Traveling with a Toddler from You + Me
Up, Up and Away from Coos and Ahhs
A bajillion handy articles from the Canadian site, Have Baby will Travel
And in this weekend’s NY Times, there’s a great article about flying with children.
Have you flown with your little ones? How did it go? Do you have any more tips?
[image via here]
As a baby gift, we received an adorable hooded towel from Pottery Barn Kids. But one problem – it’s too small. Clara has outgrown it. So I just ordered an oversized “bunny” hooded towel from Land’s End. Isn’t it adorable? I can’t wait to wrap her up in it after bathtime. They also have a Blue Jay, Raccoon, Owl, Giraffe, Lion, and Zebra.
Happy Halloween everyone! Hope you have a great day, and eat lots of candy tonight. Here’s Clara in her strawberry costume.
Asshole Baby: “An account of child rearing from a new dad who has no idea what he’s doing or what he has gotten himself into.”
[via babymine]
Now this is a great idea. It’s a playmat, and then when it’s time to clean up your toys, it becomes a bag. Buy one here, or I bet you could even make one.
[via SwissMiss]
