Christmas Crafts

Christmas Crafts for the Kids

If you are anything like me - Christmas time is my absolute most favourite time of the year - I love putting up the Christmas tree and hanging all the decorations. For me it's "family time" and whether you are going away or not, I think it's the perfect time to "get creative" with your children.

So instead of letting them sit in front of the TV or Ipad, Playstation or XBox.....get creative and stimulate their fine motor co-ordination while at the same time spending quality time together.

Here is a wonderful craft idea - where you can make presents or decorations for the tree or table. It's quick and easy.

Salt Dough Recipe:
1 Cup Salt
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Water

Mix all the ingredients together into a bowl (you may need to add a bit more water to get the right consistency) - then once you are able to get it into a ball (you can use a fork to help mix together) - roll it out into the shape/shapes you want to create (you can use cookie cutters). You can also add different food colouring to give it a colour (or paint yourself at the end). Remember if you are making Christmas decorations that need to hang on the tree, you need to make holes at the top before your bake them.

Once you have your moulds / shapes - you can do finger, hand foot prints. It is then time to bake. Bake in the oven at 100 C (200F) for about 3 hours.

Once the decorations are done - let them cool. You can then paint them if you have not done the food colouring. Thread with pretty ribbon and "VOILA" - your creations are ready!

Bath Time Fun

BATH TIME FUN

Learning through play is definitely one of the best ways in which to teach your little toddler. This week we are going to focus on BATH TIME and the fun things you can do with your little one to help stimulate and develop.

When I think back to when my little ones were small, I always find myself thinking back to bath-time! It was definitely one of my most favourite times of the day....

Water can be such fun and pretty much begins from birth. So simply things such as pouring water from one cup to another can turn a nightmare situation into an absolute tranquil and soothing experience for you and baby. Plus it is constructive as you are in effect helping to stimulate their hand-eye coordination.

I have put together some fun Hints & Tips for you to try with your little one...To view these hints and tips click here

The Safety of Our Children

The Safety of Our Children

Being a parent is one thing - living in South Africa is another. It simply tears at my heart strings when I read each day about children being abused, neglected, abducted. Families being hijacked etc. Sure it happens all over the world, but my concern is right here, right now, where I live, where I raise my children.

Unfortunately our kids are being exposed to this on a daily basis too and as such I worry that subconsciously they are being affected. So how do we overcome this? Do we keep them sheltered - turning off the radio when driving them to and from school each day? Or do we explain to them the right and wrong of each story being aired?

I tend to go for the latter - whether this is correct or not, I only hope that my parenting skills will prevail. That by explaining and proving them with as accurate yet tactful explanations, they will grow up to be wiser and aware of their surroundings - whether good or evil.

I also believe that it is imperative that we as parents ensure that our children are well aware of the basic things such as their parents cell phone numbers, home address, emergency numbers. But more importantly that they know what to do in case of an emergency. Who to call etc.

It is the least we can do to ensure the basic safety of our children.www.babeeze.co.za

Healthy Snacks

Healthy Snacks for Toddlers

A new year! New goals! New habits! Well, we try...

I write this article today as I am sure there are a lot of moms and dads out there that are confronted with the same daily "chores" as I am - making kids lunches for school, snacks for after sport or extra murals etc. (The same would apply to parents with toddlers that are on the move, out and about, going to Day-care etc.).

For me this has to be one of my frustrating tasks that I have to contend with on a daily basis. Not because I don't enjoy doing things for my kids but more that fact that I want to ensure I am preparing HEALTH meals / snacks for my little ones. And healthy snacks that I know they will in fact eat and want to eat.

I came across these tips on our website over the holidays and thought they would be great to try. They have helped me and so hopefully I can share them with you.

Planning healthy meals need not be a difficult task. It can in fact be fun, quick and easy… Here we give you some interesting ideas that you can use and adapt to your little one’s daily meals / lunches.

TIP:

• Always try and include one of each of the following…
• Portion of carbohydrate e.g. wholewheat bread, pasta, rice salad, Snacker bread.
• Fruit and or veggies.
• One portion dairy e.g. yogurt, cheese etc.
• Portion of protein e.g. egg, tuna, chicken, beef, lentil or beans.
• A drink – water, juice etc.

That way you know your little one is receiving a healthy well balanced meal.

Some meal ideas:

• Chicken pasta salad with mushrooms, sweetcorn and even some peas and baby tomatoes may be added.
• Mini pita pockets with a slice of cheese, some cucumber and even some hummus.
• Egg, lettuce and tomato roll.
• Salmon or tuna pasta salad – again you can add sweetcorn, tomato and peas.
• Wholewheat bread with a slice of ham or beef with tomato and cucumber.

Remember that if you are packing school lunches, some of these may be a bit "smelly" - like eggs or tuna - so maybe keep these ideas for at home.

Snacks for on the side:

Carrot or cucumber sticks Fruit – cubed. This can include apple, strawberries, pears, banana etc. (my kids simply LOVE this) Raisins Rice cakes / provitas Snacker bread

Hope this helps. Try keep it interesting for you and your little one.

Till next time. Happy snacking...

Are you prepared?

As much as we try not to think of all the things that could go wrong in and around the home, the fact remains, they can. The question is...How prepared are you?

Have you done a CPR course? What is CPR? CPR stands for - Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is an emergency procedure which is attempted in an effort to return life to a person in cardiac arrest.
There are a number of places in and around the country that offer these courses both for you as the parent as well as your caregiver, domestic helper etc.
If I can give you some advise - book yourself on a course. You will not be sorry. Besides - it gives you peace of mind in knowing what to do in any given situation. Most CPR courses usually include general care i.e. cuts, sprains, nosebleeds etc.

My next question to you is...do you have a well kept and up to date First Aid Kit? Do you know where it is? Does it include burn shields, cream for cuts, bites, bleeds? Moms and dads I strongly suggest you make a plan to either get a First Aid Kit or make sure that your kit is well stocked and up to date. i.e. you don't want items in there that have dates that have already expired.

There is nothing worse than having a situation and you have nothing for it. This includes gastro, vomiting, hydration etc.

Where can you get a kit? Most pharmacies stock rather comprehensive kits.

Then for some additional info - why not visit the website where we give you hints and tips on insect bites and stings, cuts, grazes, nose bleeds, foreigh bodies in the eyes and soo much more.

Let's be well organised and prepared mom's and dad's!

Till next time!

Smoking...

Hi all

Here's hoping that the start of your day has been a good one?! Monday's are often dreaded I know, by most. For me, I always like to think of it as a fresh new week - a fresh new start.
"Fresh" being the key word here! So on this note, I would like to bring to your attention something that really got me worked up this past week and most definitely had nothing to do with the word "FRESH"...

What would normally take me half an hour from point A to point B, instead took me over 2 hours last week. So you can imagine how the "red mist" was rising within me. I think the real irtritation that actually sent me over the edge was not so much the bumper to bumper traffic caused by traffic lights not working, burt rather the sight of a young mom, all smartly dressed in her formal work attire, with what looked like 3 children no older than about 7 sitting in the back seat (so one good point for her - they were in the back seast and looked to have their seat belts on). To my shock, horror, she was puffing away on a cigarette.

Now, understanding one's frustration of sitting in traffic and the craving for nicotine to try and calm yourself(I myself was a smoker - so I can relate), BUT the fact that you have 3 little "healthy" bodies in the car, most certainly does NOT SIT RIGHT with me. Second hand smoke has been proven to be unbelievably harmful to one, especially when these little one's are kids. Secondly it simply LOOKS DISGUSTING!

Come on moms - think about what you are doing to your little ones. Besides poluting their lungs, you then drop them off at school, creche, daycare etc. with them smelling of smoke, you definitely do not look to be the responsible parent here...

If you are going to smoke - by all means do, just take into account what you are doing to your little ones!

So please - I urge you all....think FRESH! think HEALTHY! You can make a difference to your OWN CHILDS HEALTH!

Getting organised

If you're anything like me, I always like to start a new year by being organised.

Whether this be a tidy desk, an organised and up to date year planner / calendar and or diary (with all birthday's / holidays and special occassions marked), or simply making sure cupboards are neat and tidy.

Once these items are diaried, sorted and up to date, I feel like I can begin the new year - a great sense of achievement (even if small).

One area that I never quite seem to get on top of is all the "glorious artwork" created by my little ones (from daycare / aftercare/ school etc). I simply never have the heart to want to get rid of them. Besides, could you image the heartache I would cause if they saw me throwing anything of theirs away.

So on this note, you can simply imagine my shock and horror when doing my annual tidy up and planning for the new year. Not only was there glitter, beans, sand etc. all over the place, but I was greeted with a whole stack of fishmoths that had taken very lovingly to my kiddies beautiful artwork.

I then get to thinking of the huge mound of artwork I will be housing in a couple more years if based on the current status....plus the delightful (I think not) nest of fishmoths I would be breeding.

There is light at the end of the tunnel... Thank goodness for teachers and their great ideas - as mine simply gave me the wonderful idea of taking pictures of each and every piece of artwork. How simple and yet soo effective! Plus I can make this fun by including the kids - they can help take the picture, plus they then get to throw the "originals" away.

Let me tell you - I now have happy kiddies (we still have all their artwork, but the difference is that it is safely stored away - available to them at any time). At the end of the year we shall take all their artwork and create our own Photobook. For more info on how to do this visit www.picassophotobooks.co.za

We then end up with their own book of art. Plus I no longer have piles and piles of art with shelves covered in seeds / glitter / grass / wool and other exciting items they get to use to decorate their creations. And the cherry on top...NO FISHMOTHS!

So thanks "Teacher Natalie" - another brilliant idea!