Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Simplicity Parenting
Have you ever walked in to your own home, or the home of a friend, and are literally tripping over toys, puzzles, games, art supplies only to find screaming kids chasing each other in the living room, ignoring the thousands of dollars worth of toys available to them? I certainly have. I have also consciously weeded out plastic, battery operated toys from my home a few at a time, replacing the plastic drum with a set of real bongos, replacing the exercaucer with a clothesline lined with play silks for the baby to crawl through and enjoy the sensation of wind and silk on his face.
By the same token, I have also been the mother that worked 60 hours a week, struggled to keep on top of the routine, was exhausted and out of sync with my own rhythm.
Not unlike Richard Louv's 'Last Child in the Woods', Simplicity Parenting is a great manual for parents of older toddlers and pre-schoolers when things feel like they've gone awry. Based on the principles of Waldorf education, this book is a great read for anyone who is overwhelmed as a parent, has a very willful child, or a child that appears to be reacting to stress, over scheduling, or overwhelmedness at not being able to relax in their own bedrooms as a result of the amount of STUFF residing there (don't laugh, I have seen children's bedrooms so full of toys that the child literally COULD NOT sleep in their bed).
I read this book easily over the Thanksgiving weekend, enjoying it by the fire and being reaffirmed by a lot of my parenting choices, but it also did remind me to be mindful of where toys live in the house, the quality (and QUANTITY) of playthings, and to be mindful of not running such a tight schedule that my children had no time just to play in the backyard and make acorn soup!
For anyone with a challenging child, there is a lot of practical advice on how to set an appropriate physical environment to help with the child's "decompression" and relaxation. As an aside, it amazes me how many parenting books are warning about over stressing our CHILDREN. OVER STRESSING OUR CHILDREN, how can this be? We've really gotten off track with our lives as a whole, it seems.
Once the physical environment is "fixed", the tips move on to routine suggestions, exercises you can do together, and case studies of the author's former clients. It's an intriguing read, and it certainly led to some purging of a few of the plastic toys we had left, and some inspiration on where to go from here.
Recommended for parents of children age 2 and up (although you could easily read it beforehand to "pre-empt" some of these hot spots), and information I found very helpful for my 3 and 5 year old!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
More Sling Love
If you haven't met Melissa at Nurtured yet, I strongly urge you to come down and see her. You'll find her here some Thursday evenings, most Friday evenings, and Sundays, as well as the odd Saturday. Melissa has worked at natural parenting stores across Canada and has a lot to teach all of us here in Halifax where natural parenting is still in its infancy in a lot of ways. She has a wealth of knowledge about baby carriers, is our resident wool expert, and also knits in her "spare" time. She is mom to a four year old and a two year old and has a personality that is bubbling over with enthusiasm. Melissa left a comment on our last post about how using a sling improved her parenting experience, and she sent along some photos to share as well. In celebration of International Babywearing Week, here are some great photos of sling love...
:: Daddy walking at night with a fussy newborn so mommy can get some rest...April's note: why didn't I think of that? Also, I notice that the position the baby is in right now, belly to belly and feet near the pelvic bone, is actually the perfect position for a really great breastfeeding latch as taught by Rebecca Glover, one of my favourite breastfeeding advocates!
:: The end result of daddy's midnight walks...a happily sleeping baby.
:: Mommy and toddler in what he now calls "The Big Hug".
Thank you, Melissa for the photos and for sharing your story!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
For the Love of Slings
Parenting, for me, has been a work in progress. I did not know going into my parenting journey that I was an Attachment Parent, it came through intuition and instinct on what seemed to work best for my daughter. I used a number of baby carrier styles with her, from pouch slings to a mei tai to a wrap to a ring sling. When my son came along, breastfeeding on the go became a true necessity and I found that the best way to facilitate this, despite the large number and styles of baby carriers available to me, was a ring sling.
What felt right to me was a ring sling with a deep pouch that allowed my son to be belly to belly in an upright position while he slept, nursed, and snuggled close to mommy. I felt that my son was safe, secure, and kept close to my body, allowing us so much time for bonding.
For anyone who came into their parenting role knowing that attachment parenting was their style might have also learned about the use of slings from The Baby Book by William Sears, M.D. And Martha Sears, R.N., arguably the best baby book I've ever read!
Earlier in 2010, there was a recall on “bag style” pouch slings including the Infantino Slingrider. These slings are poorly designed to ride low on mom's body, keeping baby curled in a “C” shape in the bottom of a deep pouch that does not allow you to easily see baby's face. The “C” shape does not promote proper posture and, as the recall indicated, can cause occlusion and constrict baby's feeding.
“Over the last year, much misinformation and unwarranted fear has been cast on sling style carriers through announcements by Consumer Reports and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). [There is, in fact research indicating the] overwhelming benefit of baby carriers and...that the view that sling carriers are unsafe is wholly inaccurate. In fact, the chance of an individual being struck by lightening is twice that of the mortality rate of children while being worn in baby slings.”-Baby Carrier Industry Alliance
A ring sling, by its very design, allows you to wear your baby in positions that are much less likely to cause this occlusion.
As a result of the recall with regard to “bag style” slings, consumer groups in both Canada and the US (Health Canada, Consumer Products Safety Commission) are attempting to paint all baby slings with the same brush. As a result, we are potentially facing a future in the Canada and the US in which baby slings DO NOT EXIST in the marketplace.
Nurtured has been engaged in active conversation with sling manufacturers, babywearing advocates and educators including The Baby Carrier Industry Alliance about the future of slings in the US and Canada. The Baby Carrier Industry Alliance has gathered decades of research on the benefits and safety of babywearing. If you care about your choices in the marketplace, if you are concerned about the future of babywearing, I urge you to read the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance Position Paper on Babywearing/Kangaoo Care and/or get involved with the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance.
We'd love to hear your experiences with slings. We've had amazing feedback to our Facebook page with regard to our customers' experiences with slings. They have made my parenting experience so much more positive, and you will hear positive experiences from a lot of the ladies at Nurtured with regard to their use of slings. Let's make sure these attachment parenting tools do not disappear from the marketplace.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Nurtured Winners
Thank you to all who voted and responded with such positive comments, we appreciate all of your efforts and continued support.
As promised, we're giving away 2 $50 gift certificates to those who posted on our blog. I decided to give away one to blog posters, and another to those on our Facebook page who also responded that they voted.
The two winners are:
Erika
original comment:
Hi!
Just did it!
You guys really deserve it!
and
Jen Campbell (from Facebook)
original comment:
voted!
Thanks everyone, please send me an email with your contact information, I can either leave the gift certificate at the store for pick up, mail it to you, or if you are a mail order customer, I will create an online discount code for you.
Wish us luck!
-April
Friday, September 17, 2010
Breastfeeding 101 with Robyn Berman
Breastfeeding 101
Are you pregnant and exploring the idea of breastfeeding your baby? Robyn Berman invites you to join us for informative and interactive breastfeeding education. You will walk away feeling empowered and full of information as you prepare for this unique yet sometimes challenging relationship with your new baby. Robyn will cover all of the basics, including: which books are helpful (and which are not!), how to achieve the best latch, common challenges and how to overcome them, local community resources, and so much more.
Tuesday October 5th, 2010
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Nurtured
Cost: $45 +tax single or couple
PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE
2571 Robie Street
(902)405-4367
www.nurtured.ca
Light refreshments will be served
Please bring a newborn size doll or stuffed animal
This workshop will be facilitated by Robyn Berman CD(DONA), CD(DONA). To find out more about Robyn visit www.halifaxdoula.com.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Pampered Mamas Pre-natal Classes
Are you in your third trimester? Looking for a childbirth class to prepare you for labour and birth? Pampered Mamas Doula Services is offering its next prenatal series starting Oct. 13th at 7pm. This is a 5 week, comprehensive class that looks at labour and birth, and gives prospective parents an opportunity to learn and prepare for this special event in their lives. Class includes a workbook, additional handouts and an online component with access to dozens of videos to compliment the elements taught in the session. Class is taught by a Professional Certified Birth Doula.
Space is limited so contact Jen today!
Pampered Mamas Doula Services, Jen Hammond.
Cost: $100.
Birthing From Within
“Birthing From Within”
In these interactive birth preparation sessions you will:
• learn to support the body’s natural ability in pregnancy, birth and postpartum
• build confidence in yourself and your partner
• learn to ask questions and make decisions in labor
• protect your birth space
• track and tame your "Birth Tigers"TM
• explore assumptions about pain and learn pain coping techniques
• learn how to give birth from within during unexpected outcomes that require medical support
• learn to care for and feed your newborn
The essence of “Birthing From Within” childbirth education is self -discovery, not assimilating obstetric information.
However, if you are seeking information on the routines and policies of the hospital, you may benefit by complementing your “Birthing From Within” childbirth class by taking the classes offered by the IWK..
Your Birthing From Within classes will be:
• a balance of practical, useful information and creative, experiential exercises
• personalized to your needs and interests
• stimulating, lively discussions and interesting exercises
• learning, not just about birth, but also about yourselves!
Tuesday, Oct 12, 19, 26, Nov 9, 16, & 23
6:30-9:15pm (healthy snacks provided)
cost: 397.00/couple
Where: Passionate About Birth studio 99 Cavalier Dr Lwr Sackville
Birthing from Within Mentor Karen Reed
For more information or registration please contact Karen at 864-8971 or email karen@passionateaboutbirth.ca
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