The Reading Centre, Children's Playrooms and Win a Book!

During the first 5 years of your child's life 85% of the brains pathways are developed. These pathways develop through the interactions, communication and the exposure your baby has with the world around them.  Children who are exposed to a literacy rich environment in their early years have more success socially, professionally and academically. They are also more confident and become better readers.

Infants learn early literacy through your communication, singing, finger-plays and reading aloud. You can develop your toddlers early literacy skills through story time, being read a book, songs and nursery rhymes.

Early exposure to print is important and you can do this by labelling equipment and bins in the playroom, providing lots of books and age appropriate magazines. Visiting the library is also fun and often they will offer circle times and story times that you can attend with your children for free. Reading a book before bedtime can start right from birth. Early literacy is the building blocks for success. Another way of creating a literacy rich environment is by creating a reading centre in your home.

The reading centre should be warm and cozy. A place where your child can go to and sit back with pillows, comfy chairs or blankets. A place where your child can chill out when things are busy and they need some time to calm down. I am not a believer in time outs. Personally I think that they create negative feelings for the child and that it isn't teaching them any lesson. The only thing the child takes away from a timeout is that they are being punished. There are other ways to help a child calm down...or "teach them a lesson"...but this is for another weeks theme!

Back to our reading centre....this space is the space they use to snuggle up with a good book. There are all kinds of shelving units out there and book cases that you can get to store your children's books. The most important thing to remember when purchasing a shelf or book case is to make sure the books will be accessible to the child. The books should be displayed at the child's eye level where they can see and choose the books that they want and have an interest in. Another tip for the reading centre is to make sure you don't have every book you own out! keep them interested by creating a rotation system. You can either work on a bi-weekly or monthly rotation. I like to set out 10-15 books and then rotate my books once a month. I try to add books that have to do with what might be going on that month (holidays, events) and books that my children might have a certain interest in that month (trucks, dinosaurs, space).

What should the 10-15 books look like? A list...

1. Include books about nature and environment. Books that represent real things, with photos and not only cartoon books. (approx. 2 books)
2. Books about animals. You can have books about pets, farms, jungles...(approx. 2 books)
3. Books about people, that represent people of different races, colours, and genders. Books that represent different abilities. (approx. 2 books)
4. Nursery rhymes, story books and books with poems (approx. 2-4 books)
5. Books that represent children's real life experiences and learning - potty training, bed time, brushing teeth, sharing with friends...etc. (2-4 books)
6. books about holidays, events or child's current interest (2-4)  like christmas, halloween, hanukah, valentines day, first day of school, going on your first airplane...etc.

There are other things you can add to your reading centre. I like to add flashcards with numbers and pictures. I can sit with my kids and use them to strike conversation and develop their language skills. I also like to post pictures on the walls which can be used to start conversation. Label the photos so that the print is visible to the child. You can add a felt board and create your own little felt characters as an art project with your little ones. You can create stories, tell classics or write down a story your child is telling you as they make it up....and then laminate and save for them in their keep sake box.

There are other fun things you can do to promote early literacy in your home. Finger plays is one of my favorite. Here is a cute little finger play you can do the next time you're snuggled up in the reading centre with your little ones:

My little one Grows:
Five fingers on this hand,
(hold up one hand)
Five fingers on that
(hold up other hand)
A dear little nose,
(point to nose)
A mouth like a rose,
(point to mouth)
Two cheeks so tiny and fat.
(tap both cheeks)
Two eyes, two ears,
(point to each)
And ten little toes
(point to toes)
That’s the way the baby grows.

I would love to hear about your reading centres at home, please share! Send me pictures or share comments!

Maybe you were inspired to create a cozy reading corner for your child - share share share and you can win a beautiful board book for your new centre from usborne books. At the end of this week I will announce the winner of the book. Remember to send photos to listymama@gmail.com or send your comments or story....the most inspiring will win a book! Winner will be announced Friday evening!

xx

Playroom Centres Defined

Good Morning,

Ok so this morning we are going to begin with understanding the very basics of a playroom. Before we can get to equipment or layout and design (fun part); we need to understand what the different centers are and why they are important. This is the part where preschool/playroom cross paths.We will discuss what equipment (toys) goes where a little later when we beak down each centre in more detail.

BUT for now...

You will want to create at least 5-6 centres in your playroom. There should enough space for the child or children to move around in and between each centre. (my playroom is small and I have 6 centres, so yes it is possible, it is all about set up). Another aspect of a playroom that is very important is lighting. I am a strong advocate for as much natural light as possible but sometimes there just isn't enough windows or a window at all (for safety reasons I would suggest ensuring the space has a window especially if this will be a home based childcare playroom).

Here is a list of centres for a playroom
You can chose to include as may as you like to your space

1. The reading centre: a reading centre promotes early literacy and should be in every playroom, this on is a must. We will be creative in it's set up but keep in mind all children love to be read a story. Language development starts right here! Early literacy is what a child knows about reading and writing before they actually can read or write. Your book corner, the books you have, the story times spent together, encouraging your child to flip through a book and even tell you the story based on the photos are all first steps in promoting a lifelong love of reading. 
2. The Art centre: There are studies that state that children who do art will read better and get better grades in sciences and mathematics. Children need art to express themselves and it is one of the first ways they are able to do so. Art is free, open and children don't need to worry about making an error, it is all about discovery. We will look at what else art does for child development later this week.
3. The block centre: probably a favourite of mine. Boys and girls both love block centres. It is a place where they create and build. They can add people, cars, animals and whatever other props they like as they play. Blocks come in many shapes,sizes and forms. We will look at all the different blocks and I will suggest that you have 2 or 3 different block sets as part of this centre.
4. The dramatic play centre: Another favourite of mine. A place where children can be who they want. A place where lot of communication takes place and children expand oral language skills. The dramatic play centre should include equipment like a kitchen set, pretend food, cups and dishes, babies, dressup clothing and playsets.
5. The manipulative skills centre. This should be close to a small table, or beside the art centre. Here children practice and develop their fine motor skills. You would include equipment like playdough, lacing cards, puzzles etc. We will look into the importance of fine motor centres a little later this week. This centre promotes problem solving, thinking, awareness, hand eye coordination - just to name a few.
6. The music centre. Children love to move, wiggle, dance, shake, rattle and roll! Music promotes gross motor development, thinking skills and much more. Through different sounds, different patters, different instruments...children will develop many skills.
7. Nature and Science. This can be a centre on it's own or you can add a little bit of nature and science to other centres or just as part of the room. Children love to discover. They are natural scientists and the are driven by their curiosity to better understand the world around them. 
8. Water and Sand table. Not many moms are to eager to bring water or sand play into the house. However I am a strong strong advocate for water tables! Children love water tables and their is so much learning going on at this one centre. Filling up cups and pouring them out, adding colours to change the waters colour, adding different toys to stimulate play and imagination. They also can use the water table to wash baby! or you can add whip cream to the table instead of water to create a winter snow storm that cars can drive through. These are just a few ideas. You don't have to buy a real deal water table there are ways to recreate a table yourself, we will discuss more this week!
9. Computer centre. You may want to add a computer to your child's playroom. technology is all around us and our children know this. There are many educational games you can get for your computer. You can also add an Ipad and download apps. I was not a huge fan of having the ipad as part of our playroom but I am in control of what the children can do and it is limited to 15 minutes once they start at that centre. 

remember you don't need to have all centres in the room. You will be able to bring some together. Centres will help to define space and layout. You will know where to place equipment and keep structure in the room. Children are better organized and feel confident in their play when the room meets their early learning needs. 

We will talk about room safety and each centre a little later today and tomorrow. 

to keep on top of our playroom week, be sure to add yourself to this blog to your mailing list

xx

Purposeful Playrooms

Being a Child Development Specialist in Alberta has given me the opportunity to wear many hats in my field. One of which was as quality support manager a few years back. My role was to go into the different centres and ensure that the environments in each room were safe, creative learning spaces that met the needs of that specific age group of children. I would work with staff, take the actual rating scales back to the manager and then come up with a plan to bring the standards of the room to excellent.

Daycare spaces and home playrooms are not much different from one another. Children learn through play and so it is important that any environment that they spend time in "playing" is the best space to meet their individual needs and keep them interested. Playrooms actually have an advantage over playschool, preschool or daycare rooms because they are 100% catered to meet the needs of YOUR child and their interests. As a parent it is your role to ensure that their interest is always documented either in your mind, on paper or any other creative way. It is with this information that you are able to continuously keep up with your ever evolving child's interests and creating a play space they actually spend time in.

Now---> how you do this and why you should....well we will get to that a little bit every day this week. We will dissect the playroom and look at each piece. We will discuss set up, intentional layouts, toys with purpose and keeping up with children's interests. At the end of this week I hope that you take away a lot of valuable information and begin to change up your child's play space to create a purposeful playroom. A learning environment rich in developing all your child's own potential. Gone are the garbage useless toys! We are going to take a good close look at equipment that will have value and interest your children. We will discuss toy rotation, art stations and so much more. By the end I hope to receive some before and after picts of your playrooms to share with the rest of the Listymama's.

Looking forward to starting our journey tomorrow!

xx

Listymama Photo Friday

Spring Butterfly-All you need is 5 things to make. Tissue paper, clothes pins, pipe cleaners,  markers and stickers

Reading

Easy crafts you can do with your children. Animal paper bags

Blocks are a key toy for all playrooms

The Itty Bitty Newborn, how to interact with your newbie

I get asked many times how to interact with a newborn, especially by new parents. For those that don't work with children or don't have nieces or nephews...bringing home baby can be very intimidating. However no need to panic! both mom and dad can do lots of things to interact and bond with their new little treasure.

For me, being pregnant and having to deliver a child...was the scary part. I was absolutely stoked and excited about bringing home baby! That was the easy part, but for most parents that is not the case. The idea of having this little floppy person that looks a little bit like them and poops all day long...freaks them out! Between feedings, crying, lots of sleeping and pooping there is little awake time in the first couple of months. Your baby is mostly adjusting to life outside the womb. There are few moments when baby is actively awake and this is your chance to have some fun with your Newborn. 

Paddy Cake, Stef, 3 months

bicycle time, Stef, 3 months

The moments asleep are also moments to treasure because as they grow those moments are few and far between!

10 things you can do with your newborn in the first couple months

1. Even though they cannot see well a lot of eye contact is still important. You can do this while holding baby close to you and looking into their eyes while singing or talking softly to your baby.
2. Babies like brightly coloured objects. Hang a mobile or hold one up close to their face. Remember babies can get overstimulated and this is stressful on them, but they do have the ability to withdraw by turning away or falling asleep. A cue that playtime is over.
3. Do some soothing and reassuring activities like holding your baby closely and rocking them or place them on your legs while you sit and slowly rock back and forth.
4. Read a book aloud. Your own book will do during the first few months. This makes it entertaining for you and baby. Babies love the sound of your voice and it is one of the first ways they bond with you...from inside they have been listening to you talk!
5. Take a class that allows you to bring baby along. I did a strollercise class when my son was 6 weeks. You can also look into parent and baby yoga.
6. Take a walk! put baby in carrier or stroller and head outside or to your local mall if the weather isn't so great
7. Lots of hugs and kisses!
8. Play with babies feet. Do bicycle or make them dance. This also can help alleviate some gas if baby is being fussy. Kiss each little toe!
9. Blow bubbles on their tummy
10. Give baby a warm bath and a baby massage. Their are baby massage classes you can take. Babies love the soothing massage. There are a lot of benefits to baby massage.

xx

It's not just about the older ones, what about our babies "at home" fun?

So I have been focusing a lot on our toddlers but what about the babes of our homes? You can do so much with a baby at home. So many people underestimate their baby's potential. Bottom line is the more you expose them to, the more they will learn and develop. Their little brains are just sucking up all the information and creating road maps that last a lifetime. These connections are called synapses. Science now believes that it is these synapses that shape your child's "healthy" brain and their development. This development is where you play a large role. It's your support as a parent in the child's health, emotional development, social development and nutrition that will help the child thrive. Research now believes that not only is the nutritional aspect important for the brains growth and development but the interactions with people and things are just as important.

Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, lets get back on track! Basically playing with your baby and talking to your baby are important parts of their development, HUGE actually. Because I work in the field I don't think it's strange at all to sit and have a full on out conversation with my 3 month old. I also don't think it's strange that when my kids paint, I take my little baby's hand and dip it in and swirl it around and make him do some painting too. This sort of early exposure is what helps them grow and develop. So that being said, you can  do fun activities with your little ones too! Keep in mind their attention is short, so it may not last long but the affects are ever lasting ;)

Anthony (3) and Stefano(3 months) worked on this one together

Ten fun things you can do at home with your baby (6 months - 12 months old)

1. Finger Painting. You can actually paint with baby food. I like to buy a dark coloured baby food. Tape a piece of paper down to the table and put some of the baby food in a bowl. Sure it may be messy but its the experience that counts. Also they can eat it and you don't have to feel worried!
2. Water Table. You can fill a small bin up with just a little bit of water, less than an inch. Throw some toys in there and introduce them to water play. They love this. Make sure you keep your eyes on the child at all times. Supervision is important when playing with water.
3. Make a sensory poster. I love this one cause its amazing how babies love it! Glue some different fabrics and objects that have different textures to a poster. Tape it to the wall and the child can feel the differences. They love this sensory activity.
4. Read. I can't stress this one enough. Reading to babies is so important and plays a huge role in early literacy.
5. Let Lunch Be Fun Time. Every once in a while it's okay to let the mess turn into ...well a mess! When they spread their food all over the highchair, their faces and who knows where else (your hair) they are learning. Join them!
6. Put out some sensory and musical toys. you can buy tons of fun sensory and musical toys but you an also make them as well. Take a bottle, fill with water and add food colouring with different objects (sparkly, shiny and colourful) or take a water bottle fill with different objects that make different sounds. Be sure to seal the bottles with a hot glue gun or a strong tape.
7. Smells! An easy one to do at home. Go check out different scents around the house. For example,  vanilla in the spice rack, cinnamon, basil in the fridge or a cut up orange. 
8. Play in the tub. You just don't have to have fun at bath time. Set the tub up with toys and equipment and have fun during the day! 
9. Sponge Painting. You can buy sponge shapes and non toxic paint or you can also just use old sponges you have at home. Help your child and guide them as they test out different colours. Discuss the names of colours as you sponge!
10. SING SING SING!!! I am a huge singer at home and in my work. I strongly believe in singing. Children love it and it's great to use for transitions, cleaning up and so on. Start early! babies are amazing.They love to dance, wiggle and sing along. Even if you have a terrible voice they don't care. Especially when the singing comes from mommy. With the Internet today you can brush up on your nursery songs and children's music in no time!

Have any ideas to share that you would add to this list? Please comment or email me your ideas so I can share them with the world!

xx

And Then It Rained

Wow our day started off amazing. It was beautiful and sunny out again. I took Anthony out in the Valco running stroller while I got 3km in. As the day progressed we had a few errands to run. Picked up Domenic from school and just as we rolled onto the driveway the rain had arrived.

Rainy days can be hard on parent's with toddlers. I like to get the kids out of the house this time of year. My kids love the outdoors. However when it comes to rain, my kids are not huge fans (but really, who is?)

Rainy days here means indoor fun. All  you need is a good craft kit, baking items and sheets for forts. Just these items can guarantee hours of fun!

April 24th 2012 - the boys stamping away with dino stamps

Ten fun things you can do with your kids on a rainy day

1. Stamping- My kids love to play with stamps. You can get tons of great foam stamps for cheap at craft stores. Buy a couple of coloured ink pads and your set. We usually tape a large painting paper to the table, they create a backdrop with colours as scenery and then stamp away. 

2.Bake something together. Children love to crack the eggs, hold the beater and lick the spoon. Make some chocolate chip cookies or muffins.

3. Don't just play a board-game. Make a board-game! Snakes and Ladders is an easy one to make. Once your done, find a dice from another game and off you go. 

4.Make SLIME! who doesn't love slime. The kids sure do and it's so easy to make at home. 2 cups of water, food coloring, 6 cups of cornstarch. (get the kids to make their own)

5.You can all play dress up. My kids love this! I have a bin that holds all the old halloween costumes and cheap costumes I picked up along the way. I added all our old glasses, shoes, phones and purses. So fun!

6.Nothing beats dancing! turn up the tunes and have a dance off. 

7.Make your own placemats want to know how? click here!
8. Build a fort. All kids love to build a fort. I still enjoy it, I can't lie.
9. Scavenger hunts! get a treasure and hide it. Create a map and have the kids find clues along the way until they find the treasure (at my house it is usually a fun lunch like cookie cutter sandwiches of fish or stars)
10. on a rainy day, create a rain stick Want to learn how, click here!

Hope the sun comes back soon but until then make the best of it having fun!

xx

With Warmer Weather On The Way...

What to do on a warm sunny day? This weekend was nice but nothing close to today's record breaking 26 degrees and super sunny weather. We accomplished a lot this weekend and we were rewarded with an amazing beautiful Monday. My husband Ben also had the day booked off. Our Monday was perfect! We spent the morning at the park and lunch on a patio having burgers. Ben booked a tee time in the afternoon leaving me with all three boys, the sun and the heat!

What to do? Since Ben was going to be missing dinner tonight, that left me questioning how to make this evening "fun" without having to spend time indoors cooking. I wanted to make sure we all enjoyed the entire day outdoors so I planned our first picnic of the year! I packed up the stroller with a big blue blanket, mortadella sandwiches, cut up cucumbers, apples, strawberries and didn't forget the chocolate almond milk. We crossed the road and headed to the park. We set up our station right by the monkey bars and off they went. We spent 2 hours running, jumping laughing and playing. We snacked on fruit and milk. We had fun! ...and I forgot my camera! 

No pictures to share of today - but here is an oldie

here is a list of 10 things you can do on a warm day.

Ten unique things you can do with your children on a warm sunny day without leaving home

1. Have a picnic in your backyard
2. Make popsicles together 
3. Get a big old cardboard box and turn it into a bus, spaceship, car...
4. Set up the water table (if you have one) If not, get an old bin, fill with water, add blue coloring! There now you got the sea, just add toys! children love this
5. Tape a large black garbage bag down onto the grass. Using whip cream or shaving cream cover bag. Get the cars out and drive through the "winter storm" in the summer!
6. Paint the fence with water. Using a bucket of water and paint brushes you can create fun monochromatic pictures. 
7. Get the chalk out and create games or pictures on the driveway
8. Pitch a tent in your backyard and camp out for the night
9. Gardening, get your child 2-3 small pots. Let the child paint the pots and decorate them.Get some seeds and plant them and watch them grow together...or pick-up some small annual flowers let them transfer and plant them into their pots. 
10. Make a bird feeder. Most gardening places carry easy to make kits. Build it with your child and have the child paint and decorate. 

Have a great day! 

xx

They Totally Can Help

Beautiful Sundays are never missed in my home. Today it was 23 degrees and the sun was shining. Coming off of yesterdays blog, I wanted to show you just how much a little 3 year old can do! Today Anthony and I had some big plans. We have this old bench in the corner of our yard that was looking kind of sad and lonely and needed some loving. Last night I asked Anthony what he could do to make the bench look better. He said he would like to paint it blue. So we did! I took him out to Rona and together we learned all about wood stains and brushes. We picked up an indigo blue stain and headed home with our paint brushes in hand.

I was ready to toss this bench until my son convinced me to keep it. He said he needed it to read books on.  So I decided to give the bench another summer.

Now I am not advocating giving your children paint brushes and going crazy in the house renovations. This was a great outdoor project with adult supervision. This old bench was destined for the dumps so it didn't matter to me what the end result would be. I just wanted Anthony to have fun along the way and be proud of something he had worked on.  

The whole process took about 1 hour and required 2 coats of stain. His patience through it all was amazing. He was also very proud of his work. I kept giving constant positive feedback throughout the whole hour. Reassuring him that his work was so appreciated and so well done. He took so much pride in every stroke. I was really excited at the end result. His vision for a blue bench to read on was really amazing...it totally looked great after! A blue bench...who woulda thought!

As our day continued, Anthony helped clean up all the summer patio furniture and plant a tree. There was so much learning going on! We even googled the best way to plant a tree and read all about it together!  In everything we do we can find ways to include our children. There is so many missed opportunities for learning! I would love to hear how this has changed you over the last couple blogs and how you plan to include you toddler in special projects! please share!

So how do toddlers learn at home? here is a list:

1. Through observation and watching what you are doing
2. They love to listen to our conversations and pick up more then you can imagine
3. Asking a lot of "WHY?"
4. Trying new things
5. Copying a sibling or parent
6. Helping out with simple chores that are fun for them (take out trash, sweep, sorting laundry)
7. They need to practice what they learn 
8. Through positive guidance children learn to be confident
9. They can learn a lot by having a pet (even something small and simple like a fish)
10. They will mirror who you are! Love them, care for them and they will do the same to others.

Have a lovely evening, I am exhausted!

xx

Mommy, I wanna help!

How many times have I heard, "but mooooom I wanna help too!". My Middle son Anthony is only 3 but boy does he love to help out around the house (take advantage cause my 10 year old hates to help out).  Many parents underestimate their little ones abilities. Especially when it comes to cleaning. Often parents will plop their kids on the couch, throw in a movie and begin their usual Saturday morning cleaning routine. Parents don't understand that children learn through participating, exploring and being immersed in a real life activity. When you involve your children in something as simple as cleaning there are so many skill sets that the child is learning and taking in along the way. Children learn by doing. That is why I am a strong believer in learning through play.

Guess what, cleaning can be fun!

I have always switched off the television, turned up the tunes and had my kids participate in the cleaning process at our home. People are so amazed when we are over at their house because when it comes time for us to go my children are the first to begin cleaning and organizing their mess without a grumpy face. 

Today wasn't any different in our home. On my list of things to do was to clean out the garage. The winter has come and gone and it was time to sweep, clean and organize the chaos. I got both Anths and Dom to help us out. 

They went through all the old shoes and tossed ones that were destroyed by old man winter. We organized piles of junk by what needed to go to the dump and what could be used in a garage sale. We put away winter sporting gear and took out the summer stuff. The boys labelled their bins for balls, soccer equipment, chalk and bubbles with pictures they made. They found a couple old kite and planes and worked together on building them and storing them in an organized fashion for easy retrieval.

Kids are so much smarter then we give them credit for. While they are helping, they are also taking away important developmental skill sets such as 

• gross motor skills by using their bodies to carry, move, bend and balance. 
• Language and thinking - by providing bins that they can label with pictures of what goes where (you can add the words- great early literacy) and organising by matching objects to photo and words. 
• social and emotional  - by following simple directions and giving them tasks they can tackle which you can follow with lots of positive reinforcement.

We had a wonderful Saturday. We all worked hard and had fun along the way. Now off to the park to test out some of those summer gadgets, kites and soccer balls.

Todays List:

Ways you can get your toddler to help clean around the house 

1. All toddlers love spray bottles. Give them a spray bottle filled with water and mild vinegar solution. With a wash cloth in hand they can tackle small projects like cleaning door knobs, wiping down small tables and baseboards. (and it doesn't have to be perfect! no pressure here, just fun!)
2. pass on the dust buster or small vacuum to your toddler, let them go around the house and vacuum up dust bunnies (they LOVE this)
3. buy a cheap broom and cut down the handle. I made my kids mini brooms for their dramatic play centre at home. These also come out during cleaning time!
4. cleaning up the playroom or their bedroom should be easy- have them label bins with pictures for easy toy organizing (cars, musical, dolls, animals, stuffy toys etc...)
5. Laundry - get them to help sort by colors (they love this and is also great for improving logical reasoning skills and mathematical skills)

Remember that you will have to be patient and understanding at first. This might be more work on you the first couple times but have fun, be positive and encouraging. Your children will gain way more by helping instead of sitting in front of the television .

 Happy Saturday,

It's Friday!

Today I made the best purchase. Keeping in mind that I am the list lady. I mean for as far back as I can remember  I made lists for just about everything.  I had several journals that listed song titles I needed to download by category. top ten movie lists that were constantly evolving. Wish lists for clothes I wanted to buy. I had a journal that I wrote in daily that listed 3 things I was grateful for each day. I made lists to organize my following work day. I made lists about what I needed to get at the grocery store. Point is I have made and continue to make A LOT of lists. 


NOW


TODAY was a good day for me because I found the greatest thing ever! I was shopping at my local bookstore when I came across this...

and yes that is hummus. I was also very hungry when I was taking that pict. Anyway, this is the ultimate list diary. a fill in journal for any list that you can ever think of creating! imagine my eyes when I saw this baby! This beauty is by http://listography.com/  and comes in at about twenty bucks.


What a fabulous Friday find! and with that said, Fridays will be our official checklists day and/or fabulous find day. I will try to keep it on topic with the weekly theme. Since I am just launching Listymama this week I thought this share would be appropriate.


BUT


I didn't want to leave you without a list for the weekend so on that note. Here is a top ten must have baby nursery playlist to download. These soothing lullabies will help put baby to sleep and maybe even help you get some chill out time.

Top ten baby nursery playlist:

1. Little sack of sugar by Elizabeth Mitchell
2. Yellow by rockabye renditions of coldplay songs
3. Moon River by Brandi Carlile
4. Baby Mine by Alison Krauss
5. Lullaby by Jewel
6. Twinkle Twinkle little star by Fredrika Stahl
7. Beautiful boy by John Lennon
8. Crash into me by rackabye renditions of Dave Matthews Band
9. Brahms Lullaby by Celine Dion
10. Somewhere over the rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Getting Siblings Ready for New Baby

Everytime I have been pregnant I have had a little person to prepare as well. When pregnant with my first child I had my stepson who was only 6 at the time and was not looking forward to the arrival of his new baby brother. The situation was so delicate. We wanted him to know that he was just as special as the new baby to come. However, I did need him to understand that there would be times that I would have to be with baby to feed him, change him and just give him cuddles. We had lots of good talks once we shared the news that I was expecting.There is nothing wrong with being honest with your kids. Telling them what it's really going to be like is important...let them know that it may be sometimes hard, sometimes exhausting and all the time full of love.

My second pregnancy my step son was 9 and my first born, Anthony, was 3. As my bump grew and baby started to move more Anthony became increasingly interested and excited. This was the perfect time to begin the process of introducing baby. We bought many books about bringing home baby. We read these a couple of days a week without making it the only thing we read....we still read the regulars about dinosaurs, cars and farms. 


Anthony was getting excited and as we began to set up the baby's nursery I made sure to  include him in some special projects. I had Anthony do some art work and we framed them with some cute Ikea frames. Together we hung them in the baby's room. Anthony also tagged along with me when I picked up the essentials like diapers, wipes and bottles. I had him take his favourite stuffy and we talked about the things we need to buy and do for baby. I gave him an old onesie and we put it on his stuffy. I gave him a diaper and we played and practised diaper changes. I bought a cheap bottle and we talked about how the baby drinks only special milk and can't eat regular foods. All these little things were preparing Anthony so that when baby arrived he would understand some of the routines. We also talked about how it's important to be gentle and the job of being a big brother.

We also decided to take both boys along for the last ultrasound. I know for some people this is touchy but we felt confident everything was going well with our pregnancy. We wanted the boys to meet their new little baby brother and see how he was moving and living in me. Anthony was so excited that we gave him a copy of the ultrasound picture. We taped it by his bed so we can talk about baby at night before sleep.

Closer to the arrival of baby I did something special for Anthony. Baby was due mid January and at Christmas I decided to buy a special present for Anthony from baby. I taped a picture of the ultrasound on the wrapping paper. When it came time to open the gift, I explained to Anthony that this was from his little baby brother. Anthony was so excited. He opened up the new train and looked into my eyes and said "Mommy I love this, and I am going to share it with my little baby brother". I knew right then and there that all our hard work together was definitely going to help alleviate some of the stresses of bringing home a new baby.

Here is a list of some of the things you can do to help prepare your children for your new arrival

1. Talk! when you feel like it's the right time to share the news with your child, DO! and discuss the role of a BIG sibling.
2. Get books about bringing home baby. Read the books 2-3 x a week until arrival of baby. 
3. Get your child to create a drawing, painting or craft you can frame and add to the baby's room.
4. Hang pictures of the older sibling and/or family pictures in the baby's room. Discuss the roles that mommy, daddy and brother (or sister) will play in the new baby's life.
5. Bring your toddler or child along shopping for things like diapers, bottles, formula, etc...and talk about each thing and what it is for. 
6. With a toddler, play house! use a stuffy or toy and practise changing diapers, feeding baby and being gentle! 
7. Get a gift for your toddler/child from the baby. It doesn't have to be anything big!
8. You can take your child along to the last ultrasound you have.  

I'm having a baby!

Now don't go crazy, I am not actually having a baby but I figured since I am giving birth to this blog I may as well start with the right theme for the week. Giving birth, what a wonderful thing. I can tell you that when I found out I was pregnant the first time around, the idea of giving birth stressed me out more than the idea of bringing home a little being (and I was just as stressed the second time around). 

While it has been in the works for months, giving birth to Listymama has been a very stressful process, and this time around I am stressed about the afterbirth and postpartum blogging. My goal with Listymama is to share with you my experiences, my knowledge, the most up to date information and discuss what's out there in the media based on weekly themes about parenting the early years. We will cover everything! well that is my goal at least. At the end of each week I will post a LIST that will help you organise yourself based on the weekly topic. So if this week is, "Having a Baby" - then the weekly list may be "how to prepare for your delivery List" and would include everything from birthing plans checklist to what to pack for the hospital. 

My lists have been derived from my experiences as a parent, an educator, a child development specialist and many discussions had with other parents. It was my discussions with other parents that made me realize....wow I do know quite a bit about the early years....all those years of working and university did mean something. However it wasn't till I was a mom that I realized the potential of creating such a blog. Being a mom has made me more aware, more open, more understanding and more relatable to parents. SO...with that, Listymama is born and over the next 52 weeks my plan is to be able to create 52 lists and blogs that could potentially result in the birth of a book. A book for moms and dads to help them as they work through the early years. I believe parenting is the toughest job in the world. The stresses and anxieties are enormous but the joy can be immeasurable. Especially when you got some help from Listymama! So with that....we push, push push...and today...I welcome Listymama to your world.