We made it. I didn’t kill my baby.
Can you relate to the thought? Breathe that sigh of relief?
On my baby’s first birthday, we celebrated with our friends and family in the park, surrounded by nature, grassy hills, huge eucalyptus and sycamore trees, and bubbles, LOTS OF BUBBLES!
Though we ended the year on a high, we didn’t have an easy start. (more…)
I was completely OFF THE GRID last week, in the forested wilderness of Three Lakes, WI. It was heaven! Fifteen of my family members shared time and living quarters in a more than 100-year-old lodge on Butternut Lake.
We disconnected from the “digital divide” and connected with wilderness and family members. We swam, read, painted, created art, talked, napped, played card and board games, water skied and tubed, caught and released frogs, snakes and crawdads, and fish.
Looking back, I felt relaxed, despite all the things that kept us active. We did a lot, and I was exuberantly exhausted! (more…)
We are on our family vacation in Chicago, visiting our pre-family stomping grounds for the first time since our three crazies were born. What an amazing city, and yes, the average age of people walking around seems to be the late twenties, exactly when we lived here. (more…)
When did you KNOW you wanted to be a mom?
As kids, we are surrounded by the idea of family, because we are living it all the time. For most of us, it’s engrained socially and culturally from the very beginning. Having a family is an expected part of existence and is often assumed that eventually, we will do the same thing.
But, when did you know that’s what you wanted? (more…)
Happy Summer!!
I love summer!
Of course, the weather is warm and the days are long, but can I tell you…I love summer because of the free time.
During the school year, adult-directed activities dictate our kids’ agendas. We teach, supervise, correct and redirect, organize and schedule. We take care of them, feed the crew, make sure everyone gets out the door on time, drive to extra-curricular activities, and make sure homework gets done. We do all of this the best we can, and of course, it never seems to be enough. (more…)
Just yesterday, as most days, a colleague at Kids Unlimited posted an excerpt talking about the importance of tummy time. Some responses offered an alternative article written on the RIE/Janet Lansbury blog highlighting the case against tummy time. I would like to directly respond to this article. There is much of RIE, Resources for Infant Educarers, I love and respect and use on a daily basis with my patients, clients and children. However, I do not agree with their beliefs on tummy time.
Culture, according to Merriam-Webster is “the beliefs, customs, arts, values, etc of a particular society, group, place or time” and in Cambridge Dictionaries is “the way of life of a particular people, especially as shown in their ordinary behavior and habits, their attitudes toward each other, and their moral and religious beliefs.”
Move Play Grow is three years old and I now have a “preschooler” on my hands. I’ve learned so much from the over 450 babies and families I’ve taught in that time and I want to take this moment to thank you all, to share some great photos of my happy babies in tummy time, and of course to offer some tips to help the next generation of happy tummy timers! See you in class!
A celebrated developmental milestone is when a 6-month-old baby (give or take a few weeks) can sit up independently. But, what does that mean? The reference books say independent sitting is when a baby is placed in sitting on the floor and can remain there without help from caregivers, other supportive props or gear, or the use of their own hands for balance. But, is this independent sit functional for baby and why does it matter?
Wendi was recently featured as an expert guest on ParentSavers.com, talking about the importance of tummy time! The podcast is a total of 30 minutes with the feature interview taking place after the initial discussion about an application called Alert ID. Click on the link below to listen! We would love any and all comments! Stay tuned for a video of a Tummy to Play Everyday class from Parent Savers, which streamed live at the Your Natural Baby Fair 2013!
When Strides Physical Therapy embarked on the mission to provide wellness services to the general community in addition to therapy services to those in greatest need, we were extremely passionate about getting our message out. We felt we had so much great information to share from our studies and years of practice in the realm of pediatrics and movement development, but that information was not reaching a majority of families. We wanted to empower all families with greater knowledge about their growing babies and children, to provide information that sparked dialog and informed choices. And we especially wanted to reach the babies and children, who are ALL at risk for exercise deficiency, lack of motor proficiency, and sedentary lifestyles in our electronic, wireless, mobile world. We wanted to help bring some balance back into our lives to support a healthier future, one family at a time. Thus, Move Play Grow was born!
Babies at 9 to 12 months are really moving and grooving! They are in to almost everything and will likely be pulling to stand, cruising along furniture, and preparing to take those first few wobbly steps! This is also a bittersweet time for many parents (myself included) as you see your little baby vertical – even if holding on to something! Typically, by 9 months, babies are sitting unsupported and reaching for toys, crawling (tummy up or down) and by the end of this stage, babies are creeping, pulling to stand, cruising, and some may even be walking. Their ability to move in new ways (crawl, stand, even walk) makes it easier to explore and helps them make new discoveries.