Kindermusik: Parenting Through Music (Part 1)

Spotlight on Learning: Village Class (ages newborn - 18 months)

By exploring with sound, babies and young toddlers practice their visual thinking skills or spatial-reasoning skills. Good visual thinking skills are essential for a child to later excel in math, science, and geography. We spend time in Kindermusik doing this together by playing different instruments and experimenting with lots of sounds, such as the different bird calls we "sing" together. In fact, children participating in Kindermusik tripled spatial-reasoning skills during a recent research project.

Everyday connection:
Be a Sound Explorer with your child. How many different sounds can a bath book, baby spoon, and Kindermusik Chime Ball make? Does a sippy cup with milk make the same sound as a sippy cup filled with cereal? What items on your changing table make sounds that can entertain your baby during a diaper change?

Time for Some Live Musical Education

Well, Autumn has officially fallen. I actually welcome it with open arms this year. We had a fantastic summer and we did a lot of fun summer stuff. I honestly can say that we made the most of it and now I'm ready to settle into some cooler weather and more indoor activities. I've decided to take in more concerts this fall and winter. My husband and I used to frequent the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at least a half dozen times a season and I so miss that (having children has made it much more difficult to get out the last several years)!

So, I'm ready to soak up some serious musical vibes and set a goal of taking in at least three major concerts this next season, hopefully more! I say three because I should have no excuse to not pull this one off. There is a lot to choose from for affordable prices out there if I take the time to look. Plus, I'm going to up the ante by making sure that my son takes in at least one of those together with us. It is so important for children to not only hear music played through a stereo or Ipod, but to also see it performed live and learn how it is that the performers create these wonderful sounds that they're hearing. Personally, I'd love to see if "The Nutcracker" is playing somewhere for the holidays. I encourage you to do the same!

To start, there's the season opening concert through the Steinbach Arts Council featuring The Three Baritones in Il Primo. I'd love to check it out and invite you to as well. They'll be playing at the Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach on September 29 at 7:30 pm. You can read a little synopsis on them or check out the Steinbach Arts Council website to get your tickets. Bonus feature is that they are giving discounted rates for all music students from any school, any age, for only $5.00 each! Their goal: To encourage students to attend live professional shows - a vital part of their musical education! I whole-heartedly agree.

What's that green thing on my plate?!

My fridge is full, bursting at the...uh...hinges. This time of year is such a wonderful season of abundance. The variety of vegetables and fresh fruits in my crisper right now is overflowing and sending me scrambling to my recipe collection to find ways to cook, bake and preserve all this goodness before they go bad. 

That's where I run into a wall. I have a fussy eater. Anything green, leafy, or coming out of the earth is usually met with a great deal of resistance. Although we promised we would never do this, we find we've often prepared separate meals for our son from what we were eating. I have recently been inspired to completely rethink the way we present our mealtimes and approach food with our children.

At our most recent Healthy Baby SuperStart meeting in my hometown, the topic of discussion between the mothers present was food and what was the parent's responsibility and what was the child's responsibility. I learned a very simple and straight-forward approach to preparing and presenting meals for toddlers and young eaters. I thought I'd share what I learned.

Basically, there's a Golden "Rule" for feeding children:

You Decide:
-What food is served
Offer a variety of foods from each food group. What I've learned is that it's best to provide a selection that your child can choose from at the table. A lot of parents have a tendancy to "plate-up" their child's dish with what they want them to eat. By doing this though, we are taking away the child's desire to choose for themselves what they'd like to eat. As a result, their sense of independence is challenged and then they resist.
-When food is served
Make eating times pleasant. Food is to be enjoyed. Let your toddler be a messy eater and feed themselves. This is part of learning. Don't rush feeding. Children often take longer to eat than adults. Expect toddlers to stay at the table at least 10 minutes. Another thing to try and avoid is allowing your child to 'graze'. Try to avoid giving children food or drink at least an hour before mealtimes so that they actually have an appetite and learn to eat at structured mealtimes.

Children Decide:
-Whether to eat
Saying "no" to food is a way of showing independence. Occasionally, it is OK for a child not to eat a meal or snack. Never force a child to eat, or punish a child for not eating. I know this is hard, but try not to use dessert as a bribe to eat the rest of the meal. This will only solidify the child's feelings of the meal being an ordeal to get through in order to achieve the prize of something sweet, instead of instilling a genuine love of the meal itself. 
-How much to eat 
Let toddlers develop their own sense of when they are 'done' or full. At times, children will be hungry and eat a lot. Other times they won't eat very much. Keep their portions small and don't pressure a child to "finish your drink" or "clean your plate". Just remove uneaten food without comment.


-Taken from "Feeding Your Toddler with Love and Good Food" -British Columbia Ministry for Children and Families.

After letting these concepts sink in a bit, I've realized that I don't need to fret so much about whether my children are getting the proper nutrition they need and I don't need to prepare foods to cater to specific palettes. The approach is simple. Make food the way I normally would, as long as there is variety to choose from. If there's something in a dish that my child doesn't like, he can pick it out. That's fine. Eventually, after being exposed to it repeatedly and seeing us eat and enjoy the foods we prepare, I have to trust that he'll want to try it himself. I have to remember that if my children see me stressing out over their food consumption, they'll see it as a negative experience and naturally want to avoid it. I hope you've found this information helpful if you have a fussy eater in your home.

 

Is it Back To School Already?

As the parent of a pre-schooler, I'm starting to feel that 'back-to-school frenzy' that starts to build at about this time of year. I'm beginning to become more aware of all the busy preparation that's involved and what I have to anticipate in the years to come. A large part of me is very excited for Max. Picking out backpacks & lunchkits, getting all the pencil crayons, erasers and glue. I so loved school as a little girl and going shopping for school supplies was a favorite thing to do with my Mom. As a mom now, I can see how it can be stressful time of year as well.
Added to an ever-growing list of school supplies & clothes needed to start the school year off right, there's the extra-curricular activities to choose from like sports, art classes, or music. It can get overwhelming, and depending on where you live, the choices may be difficult to choose from. Especially if you have a busy household to begin with.

I read a really great article from one of my favorite blogs on extra-curricular music study and how it relates to a child's success in the classroom. It points out a number of really great reasons to make music lessons a part of your fall registration list of to-do's. 

Top Ten - from Studio3Music Blog

Social Media and Children's Social Health

I'll admit, I'm not all that techno-savvy. I don't have a Blackberry, or laptop or even an Ipod (although I REALLY want one). It's not that I have a problem with any of our modern-day technologies... I don't. I guess I never really felt the need for it and was getting by just fine without them. Now with children of my own and a growing business, I'm starting to realize that the way we relate to others around us is changing in a very permanent way and that I have to get with the program, to a certain degree at least.

This train of thought naturally takes me to the topic of social media and how it will affect my children and their peers in the future. With all the ways we can and do communicate that doesn't require us to ever speak face-to-face with people, I wonder how this will change the social development of our future generation.

I can see how there could be many positive results. It's a tremendously exciting age that we live in. So many possibilities. For example, the very shy have new ways to reach out to others that can serve as a stepping stone to developing relationships. People can stay in touch with others, even old friends, through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. I know I have. There's also a vast selection of social support groups online that can help people feel better about themselves and their place in the world.

Then there are the negative side effects that I can foresee that could be huge problems for us parents. With young people increasingly relying on cell-phones & the internet to connect with their friends, I can see an increase in social anxieties and dysfunctions when it comes to knowing how to talk to people in person, particularly strangers or more formal encounters. There's a certain measure of confidence & acquired skill needed to carry on a physical conversation like; holding a steady gaze with another person, intently listening & propelling the conversation forward.  Plus, let's not forget the huge problem with online bullying and predatory behavior and how devastating that can all be.

Weighing out these potentialities makes me more determined to try and have my children involved in as many socially interactive activities as possible. I believe it's crucial to try and get them relating to others in healthy environments where they are physically present and developing their social skills while we still have a significant influence on their development. Before long, they'll be asking for cell phones and whatever new techno gadgets are in our future and their social lives will increasingly become their own.

That's another reason that I feel great being in the line of work that I'm in. The sense of community and socially diverse activities in each class are wonderful for both child and parent. I love seeing the delighted recognition on children's faces when they meet up with their fellow classmates each week. They know they're going to have a fun time together and I like to think that there are some truly long-lasting friendships that are being cultivated in my classroom. It's also a great exercise in social diversity. There are often all different walks of life and culture joining in a class together and it's nice for children to step outside their own circle of family and friends and meet new people.

Written by Rose, who takes comfort in knowing that nothing can ever replace the warm & fuzzy feeling a true smile and hug can bring. No emoticon could ever compare.....:)

Was it Hot Enough For You?

Wow, what a weekend! Aside from the sweltering heat, Frog Follies/Ag Fair turned out quite well. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to participate in too much due to having a little one to tend to. With those high temperatures, I felt it was best for Zander to be indoors during the really hot hours of the day. At least my husband and Max got to enjoy some activities. Particularly the parade. Max was thrilled to be in a parade float this year. I found it quite fun to be involved myself. It was my first experience and I think it went pretty well. Aside from the fact that as a walker handing out jingle bell bracelets & flyers, I felt the procession moved a bit too quickly. I was separated from my float after the first two blocks...lol! Oh well, it was still a lot of fun. Looking forward to doing it again next year. I've already got a few float ideas....

Kindermusik Playdate

Looking for something different to do with your kids? Did you know that you could enroll for a one-time Kindermusik class? It's called Kindermusik Playdate and it's perfect for Birthdays, Playgroups, Story Time, Family Night Out, or just because. You get the same high quality musical experience that includes an instrument and music for each child to take home with them plus a bonus craft or playtime activity. Rates are very reasonable and I'm more than willing to come to you or even host a class in a nearby park or yard over the summer months.Call me at 433-3589 to book your class.