All posts filed under: Helpful Parenting Tips

Great Ideas for Wee Little Hands

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We’ve been very busy with summer camp and our little Tots have been experimenting with all sorts of materials. We’ve been doing a ton of art and sensory activities. Each day at camp we have a new theme and then base our art/sensory activity on the theme. Here are a couple ideas you could easily do at home with your little one. Not to worry if you don’t have access to a proper sensory bin, any shallow container will really do, the dollar store has a great selection! Craft Ideas Boat Pictures Cardboard, construction paper, cotton balls, blue tissue paper, blue, paper plates Zebras Paper plates (cut in half) black construction paper, glue, pompoms, cotton balls Weather Chart This was an easy and fun craft. We’re learning about weather and seasons and so this craft fit perfectly. We traced the kids hands and then helped them to cut them out. They used different colour tissue paper depending on the seasons. For the winter picture they stuck on cotton balls. Materials: construction paper, tissue paper, glue, …

Making Mistakes

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So this month my son is really into markers, particularly the lids (which is definitely better as it means less marker on the walls however, it does mean that we constantly have marker on our hands). I’m not sure why anyone ever thought that non-washable markers was a good idea (or really my thought should be about what possessed me to buy them in the first place). My son’s absolute favorite thing to do is put the marker lids on his on his fingers (which he then appropriately calls marker fingers) and then tries to play with his toys which inevitably results in frustration since he can’t accomplish anything with markers on his fingers. What gets me, is that he still tries every time. My son is a clever kid, I know all parents think that about their own children, so I’m ok with the eye roll at your computer screen. My question is that how come toddlers will try something over and over again regardless of whether or not they keep getting the same …

Craft Ideas for All Ages!

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I just did a talk on how to nurture creativity within yourself and with your little ones. It was for a great group of moms who were really keen on getting their kids crafting more (my kind of moms). Creativity is so important and will be more and more in the generations to come as standard employment positions will cease to exist and we’ll need to think more creatively in the job market, or for resources, etc. Being creative to children is so natural. Ken Robinson describes creativity and children so perfectly in his famous quote: “we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it”. It’s important we nurture creativity in our little ones as much as we can and we can do so by encouraging them to think outside of the box, to explore and to use their imaginations. Find a space in your house that you can designate to “creating”. Ikea sells the perfect “craft” table for little ones and let them get started! For those of you that have kiddies who …

What Would You Do With a Time Machine?

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Let’s be honest who hasn’t thought about what they would do with a time machine? I may ponder this thought more than the average person but I think it would be hard to find someone out there who has never had the time machine thought, even for a fleeting moment. Of course, there are the big ticket items we all think about, stopping wars, preventing unnecessary deaths, etc but let’s eliminate those from our list of possible time travel choices. Let’s say, your time machine only takes you to moments in your own life and you can’t prevent anything from happening you can just have a chat with an earlier version of yourself, what would you say?  Childhood Self Play, play lots and lots, enjoy the fact that you can entertain yourself for hours with a cardboard box and a paper towel roll. Entertainment isn’t cheap in your thirties. I know that your big brother is a bit of a pain but trust me one day he’s going to be your best friend, you’ll even …

Increasing our Creativity!

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Creative projects have an endless amount of therapeutic benefits. Creating something with our own two hands leads us to sentiments of accomplishment and pride, these feelings are present in us even from the age of two when we draw our first circle or when we colour in our first picture. As we grow, our projects may increase in complexity but the feeling of achievement remains. Taking nothing and molding it into something allows us to gain confidence. We begin to value our self-worth and individuality the more we create, the more we put our ideas out there, the more we grow creatively. Creativity can help to foster: Self-esteem Imagination Determination Assertiveness Courageousness Perhaps some of us are scared by the word creativity because it is often associated with artistic abilities, however, creativity and artistic ability are not necessarily a complementary pair. One can be extremely creative in something and yet have no idea how to hold a paintbrush. We can be creative in our finances, in sports, in problem solving, in writing and even in …

Oliver

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So, my wee little baby is going to be the big first digit next month! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by, everyone said that (time will fly) and at first it seemed to be moving slower than molasses but, now everything is so blended together and I can’t believe how many “firsts” I’ve already forgotten. There are some that have ingrained their memories into my mind, perfect pictures left etched there forever, like: the first time he rolled over, sat up or took his first steps. Every day I smell his perfect scent, bury my nose in his little neck and tell him how much I love him. Some days I just want the world to stop, for the hands on the clock to slow right down, so I can remember these moments forever. Every night when I put him to sleep, I think about all the perfect minutes that happened that day, I want to save them all in a big jar and replay them forever in my mind. That …

Food Fit For a King!

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There were so many things I said I would never do as a parent and then I became one. I swore my baby would be on a schedule, I would not give him a soother, I would never have him in our bed, the list goes on and on. However, there was one thing I said I would do and have so far stuck to it and that’s making my own baby food. This way I know what’s going into his little tummy and since he’s well into solids now it’s actually pretty fun concocting new recipes and experimenting with all the purees! My biggest issue (and I’m sure many others) is that there’s never enough time in a day. Being a working mom and having others watch your baby means you don’t always get a say about what goes in their tummies. Plus, since I enjoy food so much I’m not really into basing our meals around his simplistic tastes. So, I was only really left with one option: a 3 hour cook fest …

Baby Nutritrion Workshop!

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Just wanted to let you know that we’ve partnered up with Loblaws and will be offering a very fun and informative Sunday afternoon. We will be meeting a nutritionist/dietician at Loblaws at 3pm, her name is Melanie Byland (you can read her bio on our Staff page). She will be focusing her interactive talk on the nutritional value of different fruits and vegetables and will help us plan meals/diets for our babies. We will be returning to Seasons just before 4pm where we will spend an hour making food for our babies for the week! You are welcome to bring containers or we can supply (for an extra charge) to bring your food home. We will be making a variety of fruits and vegetables. There will be staff(s) onsite to watch the babies (in the studio downstairs) so that we can focus in the kitchen. If you would like to partake in this fun afternoon please let us know, spaces are limited! If your babies has any allergies please notify us. When: Sunday, April 7th …

Dads Group

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On January 12th, 2013 Seasons will host its first Dads Group. The group will run on Saturdays from 10-11am and all Dads are welcome! Come for a coffee/tea and join the chat, hear from guest speakers and share your stories with other Dads. Give your wives/partners a little break on Saturday mornings and get to spend some quality time with your baby! If you have any questions or would like some more information please feel free to contact us at info@seasonsfamilycentre.com   

Our Kids Private School Expo

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To preschool or not. What kind of preschool. What’s the difference between Montessori and Waldorf? Should I send my children to private school for the long-term? How do I pick a private school? Can I afford private school? These are all questions that you can have answered at the Our Kids Private School Expo. There are so many school choices available to parents , and now you can see them all under one roof. The Toronto Private School Expo is the place to meet private and independent school leaders, find out about the admission process, learn about scholarships and more. If you’re thinking about picking a school for your child you should attend your event. Seasons Family Centre is pleased to offer our community free admission when you pre-register. See the details below. http://www.ourkids.net/expo/email/2012/General/ourkids-toronto-seasons.html