Spilled Milk

PUT A STOP TO PICKY EATING It`s time to play Bon voyage!

5 tips for travelling with baby

Dive right in!

When to get your toddler swimming

S.O.S

How to handle the first week home Page 1

PIGGY BANK! 5 ways to prepare for your child’s financial future

December 2013

From the editors

Tarah Bleier

Hello and welcome to our very first issue of Spilled Milk magazine.

We couldn’t be more thrilled to have made it to this point. When we started this journey we had many thoughts and visions of what we wanted the final product to look like, but none of us ever thought it would have turned into this.

We are honoured to have been able to work and talk with so many talented parenting experts, without whom Spilled Milk wouldn’t be what it is today.

Madalyn Hamann

In this issue we dived head first into our stories wanting to capture the true essence of our sources. We got our own tips about picky eating (page 7) when we took part in a toddler’s cooking class. We learned what it’s like to raise twin girls (page 16) and how parents can start saving for their child’s future (page 24).

We hope you enjoy it!

The Spilled Milk Team Tarah Bleier, Madalyn Hamann, Madolyn MacCallum & Lucy Oneka

Madolyn MacCallum

Lucy Oneka

What’s Inside : 1 2 4 5

First Week Survival Guide How Child Friendly is Your Home?

Building a better bond Baby Sign Language

7

Conquering Your Picky Eater

9

The Battle to Get Your Kid to Eat Healthy

11

Germs–Living In a Bubble

13 15

Getting Your Kid to Sleep Pre-baby Body

16

Profile: Raising Twin Girls

18

Discipline and Your Kids

20

The Importance of Play

22

Oral hygeine and your child

24

Your kids and $$

26 28

Benefits of swimming lessons Traveling with Your Child

Tips, tricks and cool things to do

Three holiday activities that will really deck the halls With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s nice to be able to enjoy everything around us. Here are three things the family can do to really get into the holiday spirit.

Say Cheese!

During this christmas season, enjoy great classics with your family. “Watching movies together is good bonding time,” says Meldoes Payne mother of six.

A Charlie Brown Christmas In this sophisticated cartoon, Charlie Brown questions the meaning of Christmas. Despite the approach of Christmas, he seems to be depressed and empty. He attributes this to the commercialization of Christmas. At the end of the cartoon Charlie Brown finds out the true meaning of Christmas and this ends the search.

The big man has finally arrived! Taking the kids to get their picture taking with Santa makes for a fun evening out. Besides how will Santa ever know what they want for Christmas if they don’t go and see him!

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Something Sweet.

Get out the sprinkles and start decorating. What’s better than getting the kids around the table on a cold, snowy day to help with the Christmas cookies? The kids can help cut out Christmas shapes and then decorate them. The kids get creative and you don’t have to do it all by yourself!

Bright Lights!

The journey continues in this wonderful holiday film. Kevin McCallister played by Macaulay Culkin gets lost once again, this time in New York. Kevin encounters excitement and danger in the big city. Kevin meets the same men he put behind bars a year ago. The adventure begins….

101 Dalmatians This is a great animated cartoon that takes place in London, England. The Dalmatians battle Cruella De Vil, a wealthy London heiress who has a sinister interest in them. As the story moves along, the reason she is interested in them is revealed.

The Aristocrats

Take the time to go out and enjoy all of the colourful lights, after all, people work hard to put them up for others to enjoy. When I was a kid, I remember my parents getting us all bundle up and into the car.

We would drive to all the different neighbourhoods to see all the light displays; it was one of our family traditions!

Five movie classics to enjoy this holiday season

This Walt Disney classic takes place in Paris, France. Madame Adelaide Bonfamille is the owner of four cats. She invites her lawyer over one evening to discuss her will. Edgar, her butler, overhears her desire to leave her fortune with her cats upon her death. Edgar begins to devise an evil scheme to get rid of the cats.

Yogi`s First Christmas

--Madolyn MacCallum

It`s Christmas time at Jellystone Lodge. Yogi and Boo Boo encounter a youngboy named Snivley. Snivley is bitter and wants to ruin Christmas.

--Lucy Oneka

Getting your child reading at an early age We all know how important it is to know how to read, but at what age is the best time to start? At the Toronto Public Library’s Kennedy/Eglinton Branch, readers as young as a couple of months old are getting a head start through the Ready for Reading program.

It was developed in order to help parents of young children build literacy skills through fun and interactive projects. The Toronto Public Library incorporates everyday activities into the program such as talking, singing, reading, writing and playing.

The program began in 2007 and since then, the library has placed a new emphasis on showing parents the importance and value reading-readiness has at such a young age.

Based on some of the information provided by Toronto Public Library’s fact sheet on the program, Ready for Reading helps prepare children for school and helps them develop their literacy skills faster.

Marie Belanger, branch head for the Kennedy/Eglinton library, praised the program. “(It) is very representative of the community,” Belanger said. “We aim to make the program inclusive to everyone and because of that, it empowers the parents to equip the child with the skills to learn how to read.”

Marianna Cseto, the senior library assistant, runs the Ready for Reading program. She shared some of her observations over the course of the program.

“It’s truly amazing to watch how the children learn and grow,” Cseto said. “The different ways they interact is also interesting to watch even with them just picking up a book and looking through it.”

--Tarah Bleier

Previously published on TorontoObserver.ca

Five books your toddler should have on their bookshelf •The Runaway Bunny, Margaret Wise Brown

In this sweet alternative to Good Night Moon, a young bunny imagines running away to new places, as his mother patiently follows. “If you run away,” she says, “I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.”

Children will love the comforting theme of the story and the hand painted images to accompany.

•Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein

A classic among poetry books, it is also a great introduction to

rhymes. Your child will love the humour of Silverstein, and the fun rhythms of the poems as they are read aloud.

•50 Below Zero, Robert Munsch

In the middle of a freezing cold night, Jacob hears a noise downstairs.

What could it be? Robert Munsch takes readers on a hilarious trip with Jacob as he goes in search of the mysterious sound in his house.

•Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Eric Carle

Young readers will take instantly to the brightly coloured illustrations as they learn about the different animals they see on each page.

•Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss

What would your child’s book collection be without one

by Dr. Seuss?

It follows an unnamed character who is being pestered to try some…

Green Eggs and Ham is a perfect beginner level story for your child, as it consists of only fifty simple words.

--Madalyn Hamann

survival of the first week Helping new parents cope during the first week home with their new addition

By MADOLYN MacCALLUM

“

I had been in the hospital for five days and I was so anxious to get home,” says Michelle Reidel, first-time mom of a four-month-old girl, Sadie. “I just wanted to have my own shower and my own bed. And I wanted to start getting settled with her, and get familiar with who she was.” When Reidel was discharged, she couldn’t wait to get home. But like any new mom, she was worried.

“My main concern was breastfeeding,” she says.

Being a first time parent is a scary thing, especially the first week home. There are many questions about feeding, bathing and keeping yourself healthy. And while the nurses at the hospital teach you all these things, it’s nerve-racking once you have to do it alone. This little guide will help you during that first week.

mom there too, she showed us how to give Sadie a bath,” Reidel said. When it came to the bath, Reidel’s biggest fear was dropping Sadie, because they are so little and slippery when wet.

Recovering from labour

Another struggle new moms have during that first week, is taking care of themselves so they stay healthy. Parenting expert and author of I Am So The Boss Of You, Kathy Buckworth, says it’s important for new moms to try and get lots of rest and continue to eat properly. She suggests planning ahead and trying to make meals you can freeze and then heat up later on. Having people bring you food is good too.

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to launch right back into your old life because, it’s really hard to do that,” Buckworth said.

New moms should continue to lightly exercise, but do check with your doctor as you are still recovering.

“There are a lot of stroller fitness classes and things that can incorporate the baby,” Buckworth said. “What’s great is the instructors know that mom is dealing with physically recovering as well.”

Reidel made a point of going for walks during the day, as keeping herself healthy is something that she is still battling with, even four months later, as she had some health issues in the hospital.

Feeding Time

When it comes to feeding, Maria Mosqueda, lactation consultant at Rouge Valley Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, says there is no real feeding routine you can set up during the first few weeks, especially when breastfeeding because the baby will let you know when they are hungry, usually every three hours.

“It’s best to feed on demand,” Mosqueda says. “Whenever your baby is ready, you should feed her. So if she wants to eat hourly, that’s fine.” The rules change a little for formula-fed babies. “You can put formula feed babies on more of a schedule,” because the formula keeps them fuller longer, which allows you to feed them every three to four hours.

Reidel said that the best thing she and her husband did when they got home, was to make an appointment with a lactation consultant because she was given conflicting advice when it came to feeding. Some nurses told her to feed Sadie every three hours, while others said it was okay just to feed her when she was hungry. The lactation consultant helped Reidel and her husband to smooth out the conflicting advice they had gotten.

“She was probably the most valuable resource that we had,” Reidel said.

Making time for visitors

Help from family and friends is going to make the first week home with you new baby a little easier.

“Take all the offers you get,” Buckworth said. “Because you’re really going to appreciate the help in the long run.”

But Buckworth also says it’s good to limit the visitors you have during the first week because you’ll be tired and fewer guests will be more manageable for you as new parents.

Mosqueda agrees saying, it would be better to ask guests to not come the first week, and wait until the second week or later to visit.

“We made sure we spaced out our visitors,” Reidel said. “We got home on a Saturday and I think we didn’t have any visitors until the Monday, just because we wanted a day on our own just to sort of settle in.”

Reidel says that you should give yourself a good two to three weeks to really get the hang of being a new parent.

Buckworth added, “This can be hard to do, and that week is hard physically and mentally, but try to enjoy it because it does go by so quickly and it really is a magical time.”

Bath Time

Reidel says that, if possible, get your mom to stay with you for a few days because it helps to have someone around who has already been through it. Reidel’s mom was a big help when it came to bath time.

“The nurses showed us how to do it. But then once we were home again, that was one of the nice things about having my

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By TARAH BLEIER

t’s the last place you would not expect an acIcomes cidents to happen- in your own home. When it to children however anything is possible. Ac-

“My husband does a lot of repair work for computers and electronics, and we were concerned about the many small parts that entails, like the millions of little screws I sometimes would find places.

Jen Kavanaugh a mom of three describes the whole process as really hit and miss.

“It depends on each child, each child is different.

For one of my children the vent grates were an issue , she would pull at them so we ended up bolting them down. For my other children it wasn’t an issue” David Drutz,owner of Kiddie Proofers a safety proofing company located in Toronto mentions some of the most common safety hazards he and his team notice when going in for consulting.

“Kids are explorers and will go where ever they can so usually we find a number of areas and items in every home that would pose a safety hazard to young children. Stairs, chemicals and small items would be my top 3 safety concerns” Some of the most common injuries that occurr in the home with children include; falls, choking and poisoning.

Is there such a thing as over kill when it comes to safety proofing? According to Kavanaugh-No! “You can never be too careful when it comes to safety in your home for your child. “

cording to Child Safety Link most home injuries occur in children under the age of five. Approximately 20,000 children are seen in emergency rooms across Canada coming in with accidents that occurred in the home.

When you break it down that’s 60 children per day that sustain injuries in the home that are serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital.

For first time mom Sarah Chhan not a lot of prep work with regards to safety proofing was done before her daughter Aiya now 5 months old was born.

She and her husband Cha Ya did the proofing themselves instead of hiring a company.

Chhan got most of the information she needed from friends who were already parents.

“The best knowledge came from my friends who had children before me, and their experiences as their child grew through stages. I learned at what stages they could access things and some easy ways to avoid it.” ,Chhan said.

What are some of the main concerns she and her husband had when it came to safety to proofing their home? Small parts.

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1. Lock away dangerous items such as cleaning supplies and other poisonous items. Using safety locks on cupboards is a good idea.

2. Place child safety gates near steep staircases especially at doors leading to the basement.

Illustration- Fotolia Photos- Tarah Bleier// Spilled Milk

3. Place safety plugs on all exposed electrical outlets, Find the right safety plug that works for you if you find your child likes to pull them out.

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The power of a touch What you need to know about showing your child affection

By LUCY ONEKA

“

I used to sing Rock a Bye Baby to my children,” says Donna Stephenson, mother of two. The Toronto mom says bonding with your child is an important part of parenting.

“I would sing to them every single night. They would react with a smile even though they were small.”

Stephenson says that even small infants will benefit when you play, read and talk with them as a form of bonding. “Parents need to realize that their child depends on them and should provide the love and care they need.”

Carla Stevens, a psychoanalyst based in Toronto, says one of the ways a child bonds with you is by crying. Every time they cry, they are expressing their feelings. There is also an emotional bonding that begins to take place,” Stevens says. She says it’s important to respond to your child’s cry.

“Parents tend to try to form a physical bond and the hospitals do encourage skin to skin interaction.” This is done to form a physical bond. The cries should lessen as they get older, around eight months. If it does persist, you will need to monitor your child to determine if they are crying because they

are bored, want attention and or need something.

Stevens says breastfeeding is another form of bonding.

“There is a warmth and intimacy to breastfeeding that cannot be imitated.” At the same time, she realizes that not everyone is going to be able to breast-

feed and points to the many other alternatives available to a mother in bonding with her child. “There are other ways to connect outside the actual physical breastfeeding.” Stevens emphasizes the importance of touching, stroking and looking at your baby’s face as you hold them .

“It is very important to show love to your child. Some people respond to different expressions of love. Express

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love to your child verbally, and or through hugging,” Stevens says.

She says it is important that you develop a healthy repertoire of different ways of expressing love.

“At the end the child lives by what is modeled for him or her.”

Dawn Miller, mother of three, says her children are living what was modeled to them by their father, Colin.

Miller says that bonding with her children when they were small was a little hard for her because she had two jobs. She did not bond with them as much as she would have loved to; however, she did manage to bond with them on the days her husband went to work and she stayed home.

“Breastfeeding was one of the ways I bonded with my children.” Colin would bond with the children by bathing them and putting them to sleep. He would feed them and play with them. “They loved sleeping on his chest,” she says.

The love and nurture that he showed our kids make them see fathers in a way most don’t.

She credits her husband for doing an amazing job of raising their three children. “He is a great dad,” she says.

It’s all in the signs How signing can help you and your baby communicate

By MADALYN HAMANN

W

hen Toronto mother Sharon Reitzes had her first child, she had never heard of a sign language class for babies. She’d heard from a friend who was taking a class, and decided to try it. “Being at home with a baby is a very lonely experience,” Reitzes explained. “I had nothing to lose, so I went mostly for the social activity, and with an open mind.” She remembers the exciting moment her son signed back to her. “The signs I were most consistent with were in food,” says Reitzes. “The first time I signed to him, ‘Do you want some more cheerios?’ he put up his hands and said ‘all gone.’ I said, ‘what? you can speak?!’ Afterwards I went around calling people, telling them my son was a genious!”

For a baby, it can be a frustrating situation when they are unable to say what they want. So what can parents do to help their baby express his or herself better? The answer can be found in the hands.

The use of American Sign Language (ASL) has been a helpful tool for parents looking to communicate better with their babies. In Toronto, programs such as Weehands and My Smart Hands provide both parents and babies with ASL lessons that can be learned through songs and games. If you’re considering taking up a class with your little one, read on to learn more.

How does signing help?

It lays the groundwork for speech. Sharon Weisz is a speech therapist and signing instructor at Weehands in Toronto, founded in 2001. She says it prepares their minds before they can speak. “Whether the words are signed or spoken, it builds up their language count right from the beginning,” says Weisz. “They don’t have the strength in their motor skills, or the coordination in their tongue and jaw to be able to put words together verbally, but they do have the cognitive ability to memorize words.” It also helps relieves the frustration between parent and child of being unable to communicate. “Signing really benefits them in terms of building their understanding of language,” says Weisz. “ For toddlers, their speech isn’t perfectly clear, and signing helps repair communication breakdown. If they say a word, and you don’t understand what they’re saying, if they show you the sign, you can understand.”

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Signing baby image courtesy of Fotolia.com

How old should my baby be to learn signing?

Anytime from four months onward. At this stage, they are starting to develop motor skills, which include rolling, crawling and being able to reach for items. They also become more responsive to people around them, and will begin to recognize familiar faces, as well as the different tones of voice. Professor Margaret Harris says that a baby between four and eight months, a baby can start imitating the vocalizations of adults. “During this time babies gain increasing control of the articulation of the larynx and the mouth,” says Harris. “They experiment with the loudness and pitch of their vocalizations and the position of their tongue. This gradually allows the production of adult-like vowels and features of adult-like consonants.” (Developmental Psychology) Why hasn’t my baby started signing back?

If you think your baby does not seem to understand, don’t worry! Even though they haven’t been responding, they have already starting to associate things with what you are singing to them. Reitzes explains that her son didn’t start signing back until he was about ten months. “You feel ridiculous when you’ve been moving your hands around, and your kid just stares at you, and one day they start signing back and you realize they’ve been absorbing what you’ve been doing!” Weisz says a common misconception people have about signing with infants is that it will hinder their ability to start speaking. “If they’re not talking yet, it’s because they’re not ready to talk,” says Weisz. Laura Berg, who founded My Smart Hands in 2006, started her own children at four months. “Some parents start earlier than four months, but if you’re the type of person that needs it right away,” says Berg, “I would wait until six to eight months to start. The older they are, the faster they’ll get back to you.”

What if I don’t have time for a signing class?

Berg says parents shouldn’t feel overwhelmed if they have busy schedules. “Parents may not sign with their babies because they feel intimidated,” Berg says. “Even if you just incorporate one or two signs into your daily routine, you’ll find that after a little while, it will be much easier for you to pick up more signs. In the beginning you’ll feel that signing isn’t necessarily natural, but once they start signing back, they’ll pick it up faster.” Reitzes advises to be persistent with your signing, and eventually, “you’ll get the results.”

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Three simple signs you can start with

“All done” (Wipe hands together)

“More” (Tap fingers together)

“Help” (Place fist over palm and gesture upwards

Filling up your picky eater Have a fussy eater at home?

Let’s get them cooking!

Story and photography by MADOLYN MacCALLUM

T

he sounds of chopping fill the room, as turkey, cheese and celery are sliced up for a fresh twist on dinner. The chopping sound is louder then that of a knife slicing food on a cutting board. That’s because a knife isn’t the tool being used. A kitchen gadget called a “chopper” is creating the sound. It is the safest way for three year-old Dilan to dice the ingredients for his turkey wrap.

Dilan’s mom Felicia Sarjoo enrolled Dilan in the PC Little Hands cooking class in Scarborough, so that he’ll become interested in different foods and learns skills he can use in the kitchen.

“I want him to eat healthier, and to be more independent.

And to have the initiative to tell me what he wants to eat,” says Sarjoo.

Getting kids started in the kitchen at an early age will help them explore food and may even get picky eaters to try something new. Krissy Nivicki, the instructor of the Little Hands cooking class, has been with the cooking school for 15 years. She says getting kids in the kitchen shows them that there is more out there than

just “kid friendly” foods, such as chicken nuggets, French fries and pizza.

“I have one rule in the kitchen,” says Nivicki. “If you’ve made it, you have to at least take a bite.

And after you take a bite, I want you to tell me what you like about it, or what you don’t like about it,” she says.

Nivicki says that kids get in the habit of saying they don’t want to eat a certain food because of the way it looks, and she finds that adults tend to do the same thing, and won’t be adventurous with food.

“When they [the kids] see everything that goes into it, and they get to make it themselves, they get so excited about it and they love to try it,” Nivicki says.

Carol Harrison, a registered dietitian says that one of the best things a parent can do when you have a fussy eater is to get them cooking. “Washing, cutting and cooking food are all baby steps to trying it,” she says. “My son was so picky, just getting him to wipe some mushrooms clean was a first big step in helping him become more familiar with foods.”

Nivicki has several strategies

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she uses to make it easier for kids to get cooking. “Keeping a stool or chair by the counter makes it a lot easier for them to get in there and kind of check things out,” she says. Nivicki added that mixing is perfect for younger kids to do.

She gets her students to come up to the front and mix what they are cooking, with supervision.

Harrison says the main goal is “to keep cooking with kids fun and interesting so they’ll want to do it again.”

Cooking classes help because children get to hang with other kids their age, socializing and making new friends. (Cooking classes also keep your kitchen clean so you can enjoy the experience even more.) “The interaction with other parents and other kids gets them excited about cooking,” Nivicki says.

By the end of the class, Dilan was running around the room full of laughs and excitement. He enjoyed making his wrap and eating it too.

KITCHEN TASKS FOR 3-5 YEAR OLDS

Mixing Chopping with a tool, such as a “chopper” Spreading Assembling foods, such as wraps or pizzas Pushing buttons (on blenders, microwaves) Closing doors (cupboards, dishwasher, fridge) Putting dishes in the dishwasher

W

hen faced with a cookie or a plate of celery and carrot sticks, a child most likely will pick the cookie.

It’s a battle that’s been going on for years between parents and their kids – getting them to eat healthy.

With today’s hectic lifestyle, it can be difficult to prepare healthy options from scratch and instead many parents turn to the convenience of pre-packaged foods.

Unfortunately, many of these foods contain unhealthy additives,, such as salt and sugar.

Lori Cohen, mom of two boys, Harley age five and Tyler age three, says… it’s about informing your kids that junk is part of the natural food groups but that a balance needs to be had. She is aware that many of these snack foods such as cookies and snack bars contain added sugars but strives to maintain a good mix between healthy foods and treats “Healthy eating requires moderation,” she says.

“Kids are going to be exposed to unhealthy foods no matter how hard we as parents try to prevent them from eating it.”

With her two kids she said she also noticed a huge different between what foods they liked and didn’t like.

Harley is more of a picky eater than Tyler.

She further adds that it boils down to your child’s personality and who they are.

“Kids will have different tastes . You have to learn that it is just who they are and some kids are more sensitive or less willing to try new things but our job as a parent stays

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the same.”

The best strategy is to provide healthy food and drinks throughout the day at scheduled times, says Jordana Schonberger, a dietitian a St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto.

“It is up the child to determine how much they eat and what they are going to pick from their plate to eat during meal time,” she says.

Schonberger says it takes 20 to 30 times of introducing a child to a new food before they like it.

Parents shouldn’t be discouraged if their child rejects the new food the first couple of times she says.

She suggests pairing a new food with foods the child is already eating.

Carol Dombrow,a dietician with Health Check Canada( a branch of the Heart and Stroke Foundation ) which helps Canadians eat healthier said the following: “It’s much easier to teach a young child to eat healthy then it is to change poor eating habits later in life. Poor eating habits puts you at risk for developing heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity plus many other diseases,” she says “It’s important to give your child a healthy start early in life to set them on the right path.”

“Even if the child is interacting with the food in some shape or form, such as picking it up, smelling it, licking it, they will eventually move on to tasting it,” she says.

You can also try disguising some of the healthy foods to make them more appealing such as celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins (ants on a log),

Photos-Fotolia

By TARAH BLEIER

however that only works for so long. “It becomes an issue of trust as the child gets older, eventually they will figure it out and not really appreciate that you are trying to trick them,” she says.

Vegetables and fruits should be part of the normal snacking routine for kids from the get go according to Health Check Canada’s snacking guidelines. They also recommend the following tips and guidelines parents should keep in mind. makes it less of a big deal for both the parent and child, and less stressful.

Finally, parents should avoid getting in the habit of making a separate meal for their child, instead they recommend serving at least one food they know their child likes.

Finally it’s important that families eat together on a regular basis. Lori tries to make her sons’ meals enjoyable and stress-free.

“Eating in general is a social part of life, and getting your kids to look at eating together in a social capacity that is fun, free from nagging about how much they eat or don’t eat can make a world of difference.”

Firstly, establish set regular meal and snack times.

This will prepare your child to come to the table hungry and ready to try new foods. With regards to meal times don’t set your child in front of the TV or allow them to play with toys at the table. Secondly, don’t pressure reward or trick your child into eating, if they haven’t eaten within 10-15 minutes simply remove their plate quietly and let them go from the table] Doing that The old phrase “don’t play with your food” does not come into effect in these situations”, says Schonberger.

“Even if the child is interacting with the food in some shape or form, such as picking it up, smelling it, licking it, they will eventually move on to tasting it,” she says.

You can also try disguising some of the healthy foods to make them more appealing such as celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins (ants on a log), however that only works for so long.

“It becomes an issue of trust as the child gets older, eventually they will figure it out and not really appreciate that you are trying to trick them,” she says.

Vegetables and fruits should be part of the normal snacking routine for kids from the get go according to Health Check Canada’s snacking guidelines.

They also recommend the following tips and guidelines parents should keep in mind.

Firstly, establish set regular meal and snack times.

This will prepare your child to come to the table hungry and ready to try new foods. With regards to meal times don’t set your child in front of the TV or allow them to play with toys at the table.

Secondly, don’t pressure reward or trick your child into eating, if they haven’t eaten within 10-15 minutes simply remove their plate quietly and let them go from the table] Doing that makes it less of a big deal for both the parent and child, and less stressful.

Finally, parents should avoid getting in the habit of making a separate meal for their child, instead they recommend serving at least one food they know their child likes.

Finally it’s important that families eat together on a regular basis.

Lori tries to make her sons’ meals enjoyable and stress-free.

“Eating in general is a social part of life, and getting your kids to look at eating together in a social capacity that is fun, free from nagging about how much they eat or don’t eat can make a world of difference.”

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Germ scare?

What your child needs you to know about germs

“

I am not too worried about the idea of my daughter putting her hands in her mouth,” Stevie Baker says.

The Toronto mom says she believes that a baby chewing on their hands is part of nature’s way of building their immune system. She thinks they have to be exposed to some germs.

“You have to try to make peace with the fact that kids will be a little dirty pretty early on.”

She doesn’t use hand sanitizers to wipe her daughter Stella’s hands because the idea of cleaning her daughter’s hands with chemicals freaks her out. She says the harsh chemicals in the sanitizers could do more harm than good.

“Right now, she is three and a half months old and is starting to teethe, so she is chewing on her fingers a lot. I wipe her hands a couple of times a day with a face cloth and water,” she says.

What’s going into my child’s mouth? Can excessive hand washing and sanitizing be good for my child?

Rosane Stephenson, a Registered Nurse at Providence health

care in Scarborough, agrees with Baker. She says exposure to a little bit of dirt won’t harm your child. She says it’s not a good idea for parents to wash or sanitize their children’s hands every time they touch something and this is because along with killing the bad germs, the good bacterium that protects us is also killed. According to Dr. Shelly Reitkop, a Naturopathic doctor who specializes in children’s health, the good bac-

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teria protect us from the bad bacteria.

Stephenson says she understands the concern many firsttime parents have about their children putting their hands in their mouths, because she was worried about her own kids. But she says exposure to germs is not a bad thing because it strengthens the immune system.

Dr. Reitkop says the immune system is strengthened when the body is exposed to a number of different antigens and foreign substances. If a child is always in a sterile environment, when they come around someone who is exposed to the flu, they will not be able to fight it off as well as children who are exposed to a lot of different things.

Dr. Reitkop says children are more susceptible to germs before age seven because their immune and digestive systems are not fully developed. She encourages parents to boost their child’s immune system naturally by letting them be exposed to dirt and feeding them healthy foods that boost their immune systems.

Dr. Reitkop says if your child is playing in the sand for example, you should not be worried about them catching germs. “I don’t

Boy surrounded by germs illustration by Fotolia

Story and photograph by Lucy Oneka

think it is necessary to sterilize their hands by giving them anti-bacterial soap,” she says. She says the use of such soaps allows the removal of good bacteria.

This can cause your child to become atopic, which means they become more reactive. In addition, being too sterile puts your child at risk of developing asthma, eczema and allergies.

What are the good and bad germs?

What are germs? Dr. Reitkop says that they are bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, or anything the body recognizes as an invader.

Catching colds is a natural part of growing up.

She says that the germs that parents need to be most worried about are the ones that lead to life threatening conditions, such as: bacterial meningitis, pneumonia, even stomach flu, which often happens when someone doesn’t cook food properly. The stomach flu can lead to bloody diarrhea, high fevers and even death.

What are some ways you as a parent can keep the bad germs away?

According to Dr. Reitkop, parents should make sure that counter tops are sterilized, food is cooked properly, and that your child is taught good hand hygiene when it is comes to using the bathroom. They must

wash their hands after using the washroom.

“We wash or sanitize our hands to protect ourselves from the bad germs,” she says.

Dr. Reitkop says good germs exist throughout the body. There are a hundred trillion of these bacteria that are essential for our survival as human beings.

They allow us to digest food better; they help with absorbing nutrients; they even provide several vitamins such as folic acid and niacin, which are vitamins B3, 6, and 12. The good bacteria also produce certain acids that will inhibit the growth of bad bacteria and stimulate the immune system to fight off bad germs. She advises parents to not become too germ obsessed. “So even if they are exposed to germs, there body is naturally able to fight off the infections that they are exposed to,” Dr. Reitkop says.

Stephenson is adamant that parents not allow their children to live in a bubble.

“You cannot be too protective,” Stephenson says.

“We wash or sanitize our hands to protect ourselves from the bad germs.” ~ Dr. Reitkop 12

Sleep Ease Create good sleeping habits to give your baby (and you) a good night’s sleep

By MADALYN HAMANN

W

hen mom of two Shannon Moore had her first daughter, she was single and working a full time office job. “I co-slept with Aidan,” Moore recalls. “She hardly slept in her crib until she was about two, when I finally broke down and transitioned to a toddler bed.” Moore says the switch was not easy, because Aidan would often wake up in the night lonely. “It was as if she always needed somebody in the room with her, and was anxious to spend more time with me at night because I was away all day during the week,” Moore says.

No situation is alike for each parent, and with each situation comes differing sleeping habits for babies.

Whether they’re a few months or a few years, it is important that your baby gets a good sleep in a comfortable space without distractions. Here’s what you can do to ensure that your baby sleeps safe and sound.

0-5 months For babies younger than a year, sleep safety is the biggest priority, because they are at risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). An infant’s motor skills are not fully developed until they are five months; at this stage, they are able to crawl, push themselves up with their arms and roll over. Julie Taylor is a coordinator from Parachute Canada, an organization that helps promote the issue of preventable injury. She says that when an infant is in their crib, there are a few things you want to steer clear of for them to avoid suffocation. “Don’t have a thick mattress cover,” says Taylor. “Stuffed animals and pillows should not be in the crib with your infant, because they also increase risk of suffocation.” According to the Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, parents should be having their infant lie on their back, because that is the safest position to have them sleep in. As well, it becomes habit for them.

Co-sleeping with infants is also considered a high risk for SIDS; Public health Canada recommends that instead of co-sleeping with your infant, you have your baby sleep in a crib that is within arm’s reach of your bed, until they are six months of age.

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Sleeping baby image courtesy of Fotolia.com

6 months- 3 years As your baby gets older, there will likely be times when they’ll be keeping you awake during the night. In 2011, Rebecca Earl established the Sugar Plum Sleep Co. based in Toronto. Earl gives parents advice on creating good sleep habits for their infants, and helps them create schedules that will fit their lifestyle. As a mom, she knows all too well the sleep troubles in infants; her first born, she says, was a difficult sleeper. “He would sleep for 30 minutes maximum in his crib, but would sleep for long periods of time in a sling or buggy,” Earl says. She decided to try a sleep consultant because her son’s habits growing increasingly difficult. “By the time he got to be five months, he was really difficult to go down for naps during the day,” she recalls. “I didn’t have time for myself and for what I wanted to accomplish during the course of the day.”

Earl says she realized with her firstborn that she needed to establish consistent sleeping habits. Impressed by the results, she became a consultant herself, and decided to take a more proactive approach with her second child. She says one of the reasons a baby doesn’t sleep through the night is because they are overtired.

“Babies need to rest during the day,” Earl explains. “A lot of the time the child has not had a nap, or has not had a sufficient length of a nap. They’ll be waking up more frequently during the night and will be harder to settle down again.” Earl recomTo avoid SIDS, have your infant sleep separately in a crib beside your bed. mends incorporating frequent naps into your routine throughout the day; it will give a good length of time to rest, as well as a routine, so that they’ll sleep better over night.

Another reason, Earl says, that infants won’t sleep through the night is because they rely on props. “Sleep props are either objects, like a pacifier, or a parent or caregiver that provides a milk bottle or rocks them to sleep,” says Earl. She recommends that you monitor the props your infant uses, because they could be affecting their sleep habits. Without these props, an infant’s sleep time will be shorter because they will wake up expecting their prop to be in the same place. If your infant relies on a sleeping prop, what you can do is gradually limit their use of them until they can sleep independently without it.

Moore says her second daughter, who is not yet a year old, loves sleeping her crib. “On most nights Rose will sleep through the night, or only get up once or twice for a bottle/diaper change,” says Moore. “She’s very active during the day, and I think it wears her out. Also, I think a big difference is that she is with me a lot of the time, so she doesn’t feel as much separation anxiety as Aidan did.”

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Putting yourself first: losing the baby weight one pound at a time Story and photography by MADOLYN MacCALLUM its of giggles fill the room, as four-month-old Fagain Penelope goes up into the air and then back down in her mom’s hands.

Mallory MacCallum, Penelope’s mother, is doing her daily exercise routine, as she works towards losing the weight she gained during her pregnancy. But new moms should wait for the ‘ “okay” from their doctor before they start exercising again.

“It’s not easy. I didn’t start working out again until after my six week check-up,” MacCallum says. “It was more like seven or eight weeks before I actually started back with my regular routine.”

Because MacCallum is busy with Penelope, she does her daily workouts at home. Slowly she started back with one of her favourite kickboxing videos, but MacCallum’s favourite exercise now has to be when she uses Penelope as a weight.

“I use her more now that she is getting bigger but she loves it,” MacCallum says. “She does a lot of laughing.”

For most new moms, losing their baby weight can be tough because they have new responsibilities that they have to fulfill, says Diane Leighton, a fitness instructor at Mommy and Baby Fitness in Toronto. But keeping themselves healthy, through fitness and nutrition is important to give them the energy they need throughout the day.

Leighton advises new moms to kick themselves into starting an exercise routine, by incorporating their baby into the exercises. At Mommy and Baby Fitness classes moms will use their babies while doing squats which help warm the body up but also to calm and relieve stress from the baby.

“When moms are separated from their babies especially when they are really young, there is anxiety and some stress, and they’re not really engaged in the moment,” she says. “That’s the nice thing about Mommy and Baby classes because, they can stop, feed their baby or deal with any issues and then return back to the workout, stress free.”

Leighton believes that once they start seeing some results, motivation to keep going will

kick in. But moms need to be aware that they are still recovering, and need to build their bodies back up to the strength they had before the baby.

“I always recommend swimming because it’s gentle on the body,” says Leighton. And for moms who still find it hard to get out of the house to exercise, she recommends doing a workout video designed for new moms because they know how to work the post-natal body. Leighton also says that walking is a great exercise for a new mom.

MacCallum tries to get out at least once a day to walk with her baby. “I usually go when it’s her nap time,” she says. “It’s a good way for her to get some fresh air.”

Getting out and moving around is going to help new moms get back into pre-baby shape, but they also need to make sure that they are getting the proper nutrition.

“It helps with feeling good, if they’re not eating; they’re going to be tired and stressed out, and that will affect the way they are interacting with the baby,” says Evelyn Vaccari, nutritionist from Toronto Public Health.

“We recommend they eat according to Canada‘s Food Guide,” Vaccari says. To help lose the baby weight in a healthy way, new moms should follow the food guide recommendations for their age category, stay hydrated and ensure they are not skipping meals.

According to Canada’s Food Guide, the recommended servings for females aged 19-50 are; seven to eight fruits and vegetables, six to seven grain products, two milk and alternatives, and two meat and alternatives.

MacCallum does her best to find time to make herself healthy meals. She says that the crock pot has become her best friend because she can throw in some chicken or fish in the morning, go about her day with Penelope and when dinner time rolls around, all she has to do is throw together a salad and she has a quick and healthy meal.

“It’s for my daughter now, because I want to be able to see her grow up,” MacCallum says. “She is my inspiration to get healthy and lose the extra weight.”

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PROFILE : RAISING TWIN GIRLS

By TARAH BLEIER 5th 2013 Clare and Richard became the proud parents of not one but two beautiful twin OFromngirls,January Eliana and Nora Wiskin. that day their life as a family of four began. Richard recalls just what he and his wife Clare experi-

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Courtsey Richard Wiskin

-Photos

enced those first three months.

“The first few months were amazing but frightful as new parents of twins. We were so worried that in a sleep deprived state that we would loose track of who we fed and how much, so we created a schedule and a tracking sheet for both girls and both me and my wife were diligent in filling it out for all the in's and out's.”

During those first few months the entire family lived in the basement. Every thing they would need was all set up there and made it easier for them when they were just starting out. Richard and Clare like many other first time parents were very lucky to have the support of their family and friends to help out.

“Both my wife and I survived really with a lot of help. I had my in-laws living in our house (they are out of towners) for 2 months to help my wife cope. That alone made things so much easier.

We also had our schedule and a lot of clothing and equipment donations from friends and family with children.”

The girls now nine months old have grown and changed in so many ways and their parents have enjoyed seeing the new changes everyday. Clare describes a typical day to day with the girls.

“It’s really a learning experience, they do something different every day and it’s really quite amazing to see the new things they do .Whether its them trying to stand up or just the different ways they interact with us”.

The girls despite being twins have already begun to show their unique individual personalities even at this early of an age.

“One is more verbal and the other more physical. We they witnessed the last couple months. try to encourage play between them and have no“One great first was watching them play my guiticed that one is teachtar for the first time. “ They ing the other new things strum away and enjoy makby watching each other. ing sounds.

Other then that we dress “They are most recently them differently, but we proud of the fact that they try to keep them on the can get themelves down same routine, feed them into a sitting position from a the same foods and standing position. “ amounts.”

With their first big birthRichard also went into day around the corner, The detail about the emoWiskins are looking forward tional aspect the girls to a small party with their have had on him and his family and friends. Will the wife and the rest of the girls have to share a cake? family.

Despite not having full par“We love it. Even after ty plans as of yet the most 9 months we still look at each other and can’t believe important detail was decided first. how lucky we are.”

“The only thing we have discussed is that they will With Eliana and Nora turning one soon, Clare each get their own cake.” and Richie reflected on some of the important firsts

“They will each get their own cake.”

~ Richard Wiskin

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“Don’t be a brickwall but don’t be a jelly fish!”

Disciplining your toddler on a positive middle ground.

Story and photography by MADOLYN MacCALLUM

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ith his head down, arms dangling at his sides, W eight-year-old Lucas slowly marches up the staircase. He’s heading to his room for some quiet

not calling it ‘time-out’ but rather a place for them to go settle down.

It’s important not to give too much attention to time, after having a little meltdown when he was their behaviour, or to talk too much to the child, beasked to get ready for bed. cause some negative behaviour is attention seeking Toddler tantrums come with having kids. Betheand you don’t want to give attention to negative lene Hart Da Costa, a childcare consultant in Toronbehaviour. to, says that parents need to teach their kids how to After being able to calm down, the child realizes cope with their feelings in a positive and appropriwhat they have done. ate way.

“After his punishment, he [Lucas] comes down “I describe when children get upset as being big and hugs me or his mom and apologizes, and says feelings in a little body,” Hart Da Costa says. “They ‘I’m sorry daddy for doing what I did, I know it was have these human, normal, adult emotions that wrong,’” Arsenault says. Lucas uses his quiet time to they don’t know what to do with.” Hart DaCosta says think about why he was sent to his room and comes it’s important for parents to understand where their back in a better mood. child is coming from.

Beveridge and Hart Da Costa agree that redirectLucas’s father, David Arsenault, says he tries to ing a child to a different activity can help with their understand how Lucas is behaviour. feeling when he has a melt“Change a mood, not a down. When Lucas was mind,” Hart Da Costa says. asked to go and get ready “You can’t talk somebody for bed, he continued to out of how they feel, but keep playing instead of doyou can maybe change the ing what his parents asked. mood.”

After ignoring his parent’s Hart Da Costa suggests request Lucas was sent to putting on some music and his room for the night. having a dance party with Arsenault says that when your child to change their Lucas acts up, either himmood. She says you need self or his wife will remove to laugh with your child him from the situation and and just be silly. have a talk with him about It’s important to be conhis behaviour. sistent with young children and to set clear boundDisciplining is not just something parents have to aries. deal with.

As a parent you can’t allow your child to push for Jackie Beveridge, an elementary school teacher those extra five minutes to play or watch TV, you at Dorset Park Public School in Scarborough, says need to be firm and show them who the leader is that when her students are upset, she takes the Hart Da Costa says. time to talk with them. “You need to find out what “Provide them with a visual, like a timer,” she says. happened before the child got upset,” she says.

“So they know that when it dings, their five minutes Hart Da Costa says that when talking to your is up, the TV goes off, they go brush their teeth and child, never ask them why. “Why is the most useless you read stories.” word to ask a child who is upset,” she says. “They When disciplining your child Hart Da Costa says don’t know why.” that it’s not necessary for both parents to share the Once the child’s feelings are identified, you as the same philosophy but it does help. She suggests that parent want to offer them choices, Hart Da Costa parents go to parenting classes together, that way says. they are learning together and one isn’t an expert “If a child says ‘I don’t want to wear my blue pants’ over the other. you could say ‘okay, you can wear your green pants While it’s important to be consistent, it’s also imor your brown pants.’ And if the child is still frusportant not to undermine your partner. trated, you say ‘well, you choose or I will choose for “You don’t have to be carbon copies of each othyou,’” she says. er. Children know, that mommy parents this way, When Lucas misbehaves, he is sent to a quiet and daddy parents this way,” she says. “But if one place where his parents give him some choices. parent is doing the parenting, then let that parent “In his time-out, he can sit quietly or read a book,” finish. Don’t undermine them.”

Arsenault says. “But there is no playing games.”

Arsenault says that his wife is firmer than he is When a child is upset, it’s good to provide them when it comes to disciplining Lucas, “but we stick with a quiet place, Hart Da Costa says. She suggests together!”

“Provide them with a visual, like a timer.”

~Hart Da Costa

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BY TARAH BLEIER

W

atching a child a play with their toys can be entertaining both for the parent and child.

However there is more to meets the eye then just a child playing going on .

There is development both physical and mental at work here at play here. According to the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for children between the ages of 5-11 they should be active physically for at least 60 minutes daily.

Just what are these impacts on a child? Francine Ferland a Professor at the University of Montreal in the Occupational Therapy Program and Author on the subject explains.

“Play is a super vitamin for child development, stimulating each sphere of development. While playing, children learn to move (global motricity), to use objects (fine motricity), to imagine (cognitive aspect), to express themselves (affective) and to relate to others(social). Play is also a health barometer.

If children are sick, sad, feel insecure, they won’t play.

When we see them having fun in playing, spending a lot of energy, we can assume that they in are in good physical and emotional health.”, she stated.

According to Elizabeth Steggles ,the Professional Affairs Executive for the Canadian Association of Ocupational Therapists and Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University play is something children are engaged in from day one.

Children need to be allowed to discover things on their own, including how they play and what they play with.

Minimal guidance is required . Interference can impact them later on. “ If children are always guided/scheduled then they will not learn to make their own decisions, learn from mistakes, learn to problem solve or plan their own time.”

Parents should take time to play with their children especially in today’s high paced tech- heavy society.

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Photo - Madolyn MacCallum// Spilled Milk

“Play takes place constantly and is not something that is “scheduled” like a dose of medicine. Play is the way a child develops his/her skills”, she said.

According to the an article titled “Let’s get moving!:Strategies for increasing children’s physical activity written for the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists right after meal time is ideal.

Kids have the most energy to burn around this time and will give them that extra energy they need to get the important things done, such as homework.

The effect play time has on a child’s performance in school is noticeable and tremendous.

“In play, children develop various capacities required at school: visual perception of colors, forms, shapes, perception of space, holding a pencil, cutting, equilibrium, understanding rules and strategies, sharing material with others, paying attention, In general, children who have played a lot (free play), will be more autonomous than others because, in play, they have to decide, to organize themselves.”,Ferland said.

Some suggestions made was to create separate indoor and outdoor play areas.

Kids need a place to go where they can really let loose and parents don’t have to worry about them breaking anything, in short they need a “free” space.

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With so much variety of toys out there it can be hard for a first time parent to know exactly which toys would benefit their child for their age group. For children aged 0-5 exploratory play ,object play and sensory play are ideal for their growth and development. Any toy or game that lets them explore objects and their environments would benefit them such as Playdough, clay, building blocks and painting.

Adam Gertzbein of Spin Master toys adds the following suggestion: “When buying a new toy for a 0-5 year old a parent should always aim to find something is designed to aid the development of their child.0-5 are critical years in your child’s life and ensuring that their toys are stimulating, engaging , and fun, are part of helping to develop your child’s cognitive,social and motor skills” The one toy Adam recommends from Spin Master for toddlers and young kids is the ‘Aquadoodle” line. Aquadoodle lets kids draw with a water filed pen on a special mat. No mess and the drawing disappears after a few minutes.

According to Adam it’s a must have for parents who fear kids making marks on walls and floors.

In the end playtime is all about the kids that is the bottom line.

The most important advice Ferland gives to first time parents is to just let kids be kids.

“Avoid to always transform a free play period in an educative one. Even though your children don’t play to learn, they always learn when playing.”

Photos-Fotolia

Ferland engaged with her children (now grown adults) when they were young.

“I remember that when I came back from work, my sons asked me to play. And, before doing anything else, that was exactly what we did during 15 minutes .

That was a way to reconnect together after a long day and to give them attention.”

Finding the right time however can be challenging as well these days. When exactly is the right time for children to engage in play?

The tooth lesson What you need to know about your child’s oral health

By LUCY ONEKA

T

aking care of her children’s teeth is a role Victoria Scott takes seriously. The Toronto-based mother of three does a lot of research and asks a lot of questions during her children’s dental visits. She says she wants Nazarene six, Mordechai three, and Hezekiah one, to learn that oral hygiene is very important. She says she uses a rhyme to get the message across. “Remember to brush, never in a rush. Remember to floss, hygiene is a must.”

Professional advice for babies Robert Farinaccia, from the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, says studies show that oral health can affect your overall health.

As a result, taking care of your child’s teeth is essential.

“Preventing cavities in baby teeth is very important because the longer the baby teeth stay in the mouth, the better it is,” says Farinaccia. “They are a holding place for permanent teeth and they help permanent teeth develop and position themselves properly.”

He says the longer you can keep those baby teeth in without decay, the better. He recommends wiping your baby’s teeth after feeding with a wet cloth because it cleans your baby’s teeth.

Dr. Mahim Pouyan, a dentist in Toronto says cleaning your baby’s teeth is important because it will prevent baby bottle syndrome. “Baby bottle syndrome is a decay in a baby’s upper teeth, in the gum line,” Dr. Pouyan says. She says it occurs when parents don’t wipe their babies’ teeth after a feeding.”

The sweet tooth about brushing your child’s teeth Parents should supervise children as they brush their teeth, says Dr. Pouyan. “Until age 10, 11 or 12, parents should brush their children’s teeth.” She says this is because children don’t do it properly. “Parents can give their children the toothbrush so they can do it for themselves while they supervise.” Good oral hygiene is especially important around age six, adult teeth start to grow.

Dr. Pouyan says children’s teeth should be brushed once in the morning after breakfast and not before, because most breakfast meals contain quite a bit of sugar. “Brushing their teeth before breakfast is a waste of time,” she says. They should also brush at night before bed. Once they brush their teeth, they should only be given water to drink. “The reason you should brush their teeth at night time is because when they are sleeping, the incidents of decay is higher.” This is because there is no saliva flow.

Scott says she did not have any problem introducing her children to brushing. “They love brushing. They take the toothbrush and do it themselves or they will ask me to help.” For children who don’t like brushing, Dr. Pouyan recommends buying toothbrushes that play music or that have superheroes on them to encourage them to brush.

The right time snacking Farinaccia says that while fruit is good for you, the

sugar in them can cause the environment in them can cause the environment in the mouth to become conducive to cavities. “There are certain foods that cause decay. Anything with sugar can cause acid to be produced in the mouth and attack teeth, such as candy or fruit juices.”

The best way to solve this problem, Farinaccia says is to have the right amount of these sugars at the right time. “Eating of sweets after a meal is the right time. It will cause less damage to the teeth as opposed to eating it as a snack. Once you have a meal, the environment in the mouth can handle the sugar.”

And this is because there is saliva flow.

Dr. Pouyan reiterates the importance of diet when it comes to good oral hygiene. “The problem is the poor diet the children have,” she says. Parents need to set a good example for their children so that their children can begin to form good oral habits.”

Flossing Flossing is more important for adult teeth. Adult teeth touch each other so the brush can’t get in between to clean out plague, Farinaccia says. This is where flossing comes in.

“Flossing for a child is to get them introduced to it, and develop a good habit,” he says. Flosses for kids look like a wishbone and come with a handle.

“Parents can help or let them do it themselves with supervision,” says Farinaccia.

The choice of toothbrush and toothpaste Farinaccia says that toothpaste with fluoride should not be used for younger children. “When the child gets older and can understand that they are not to swallow the toothpaste, the parent can use fluoride toothpaste.”

Scott says she uses non-fluoride toothpaste for her two youngest. “Even though fluoride is good for your teeth and makes them stronger, swallowing fluoride is not good for the stomach,” Scott says.

Toothbrushes, Farinaccia says, should be used when your child is around one or two. He recommends using soft bristle brushes on their teeth.

“Don’t use hard bristles because it can damage to the gums.”

Setting good habits Scott says that she has begun to instill in her children good oral hygiene habits.

“I tell them to always brush their teeth and tongues,” she says.

Dr. Pouyan recommends showing children that brushing and flossing their teeth is fun by letting them watch you do it. It is by example that they will begin to form good habits.

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Financial Tools

Five things you need to know to prepare for your child’s financial future Story and photography by LUCY ONEKA

B

eatrice Pitter is already setting money aside for her three-year-old daughter, Sarai. The Toronto mom says she wants Sarai to have a good start in life. “Sarai has a bank account,” she says. She decided to save for Sarai because she does not want her to have any financial struggles.

Jiuliano Ciardelli, district vice-president for TD Bank in Hamilton, says the fact that Pitter has already began to save, is a step in the right direction. He says when it comes to expenses, a lot of parents aren’t prepared or don’t realize the number of costs that are involved in raising a family such as education and extra-curriculum activities costs.

“We recently did a survey in TD economics that estimated that raising a child born today to the age of seventeen could cost as much as $233, 000.00, and this is not including costs associated with post-secondary education,” Ciardelli says.

Here are five things you can do now to…

1. Get out of debt Kern Kalideen, director of risk management at RBC in Toronto, says parents who are in debt, should stop the habits that have landed them there and fix their finances.

“Today, we have people living beyond their financial means. They live off their credit cards and loans, which isn’t a sustainable way of living,” Kalideen says.

He recommends sitting down and reviewing the last six months of your bank statement to see what your spending money on.

“There are some things you can cut off immedi-

ately, such as cable, or reduce your cell phone plans,” Kalideen says.

He says a simple change on your cell plan can save you hundreds of dollars every month.

“Simple things have a big impact over time,” he says.

The next step is to categorize your debts into those with higher interest such as a credit card and those that have lower interest rates, such as a mortgage. Once you do this, he says, begin to pay off the ones with high interest. Use the money you save from cutting back to pay the high interest debts.

He also recommends consolidating your various loans in a single loan with a set repayment schedule.

This is because it helps reduce debt and manages your cash flow.

2) Talk to financial advisor Ciardelli suggests that you avoid being caught off guard when it comes to providing for your child. He recommends you go see a financial advisor at your local bank and discuss ways you can help save for your children’s future. You should plan a long-term financial strategy that aligns with what you want to provide for your children.

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child goes to university.

Ciardelli says you should make some reductions in your day-to-day, weekly discretionally expenses. “You don’t have to make a big deposit for your children’s future expenses. The savings will grow quickly over time with compounding interest.”

He suggests you put money aside every month.

3) Start healthy budgeting habits Ciardelli says you should plan early for all the costs that come with raising a child. You need to consider current expenses such as clothing, as well as potential expenses for over the coming years, including sports, clubs, toys, extracurricular activities, vacations, education, and even summer camps.

Thirdly, he says, save towards meeting those additional costs.

“Set up a tax-free savings account,” says Ciardelli.

“All the savings within these accounts grow tax-free until it’s needed for later in the future.”

This is because with tax-free savings accounts, you are not taxed on the income you make.

“You should make some reductions in your day-today, weekly discretionally expenses.” ~ Ciardelli

4) Set aside money for the future “It doesn’t matter what your family income is, the government pays twenty percent of the annual contribution you make to an eligible RESP,” says Kalideen. “You also get a tax credit for whatever you put in.” “Plan ahead,” says Ciardelli. Pitter has an RESP account for Sarai.

“I don’t want her to go into debt by borrowing money for school,” she says.

“The TD economics survey shows that the average cost of an undergraduate degree will be around $150,000.00 by 2031,” Ciardelli says.

Fortunately, you have many years to save till your

5) Teach them financial responsibility Kalideen says you can begin to teach your child about saving as early as two years old.

“A piggy bank is a good way of teaching your child about saving,” says Kalideen.

“As they get older, take them through different stages. “At around six years of age, he suggests you open a joint account with them, so that they can see how their money begins to work for them.

“They will learn about interest and what they can get back,” Kalideen says.

Teach them how to budget. “The plan is to live within their budget,” Kalideen says.

Kalideen says they need to understand that responsibility is not just spending your money on games or Play Station.

“By putting aside a bit,” says Kalideen. “They will learn responsible living through saving.”

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Making a splash

Why swimming lessons at an early age can be a lifesaver

By MADALYN HAMANN

E

arly on Saturday morning in the community pool, lessons are taking place in the Aqua Kids Swim program. Most of the splashing comes from older students at more advanced levels, practicing their jumps and kicks. In the shallow end, instructors are leading a small group of toddlers around in a circle and singing; Ruby Sharma is among the parents watching from the sides as her 23-month-old daughter splash with the other tots. “This is her first lesson without me in the water,” says Sharma. She had been previously taking the mommy-tot swimming class, but now her daughter is ready to move up to the next level.

For the tots, their time in the water is about having fun. But they are also learning essential skills that can save their life.

Statistics from the Canadian Red Cross show that 57 children drown each year in Canada on average; those aged one to four are at a higher risk. Most accidents are easily preventable, and often occur without proper supervision. According to the Red Cross, more than 90% of children that drown were not accompanied by an adult.

At Aqua Kids, courses are provided to infants as young as six months to help them develop strong swimming skills.

“The sooner you can learn how to swim, the sooner you can be safe in and around the water,” says program director Cheryl Wolfson. “It doesn’t only involve being near a pool, or a lake. Sometimes you could be near a pond, or a river, or a boat. Swimming is a life skill.” Wolfson says you can begin swim lessons for your tot any time before they are a year old.

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For tots in the class, swim lessons provide a fun environment, where they play games and sing songs with their instructors. Blowing bubbles, kicking and splashing give them a sense of self-assurance in the water, and prepares them for more learning more complex skills later on, says Megan Cleary, water safety representative from the Canadian Red Cross. “By doing front floats, back floats, and blowing bubbles, it teaches them not to be afraid in the water,” says Cleary. “When they start doing the more detailed skills later on, they’re more confident.”

According to the Red Cross, toddlers who fall in the water often have trouble regaining their balance again, even if it’s only in a few inches. Drownings happen silently, despite the belief that a toddler can thrash and make noise.

Ruby Sharma’s daughter seems to show no fear of the water: she is confident in allowing her instructors to guide her around the shallow end, and enjoys making splashes and kicks. Sharma says she was introduced to 1. Always keep a close watch on swimming at a young age herself, and enrolled your child, whether they’re in a her daughter at five months. “She enjoys the water,” Sharma says. “Certainly if she had any pool or in a bathtub fears or phobias, we would try to get her over it, but she seems to be having fun.” For Sharma, taking the mommy-tot swim class was not 2. Never leave your child unattendonly a time for bonding with her daughter, ed in the water, even if it’s for a but also a social activity to meet other parents during her maternity leave. few seconds.

The number of toddlers in the class is kept to a minimum of four. Instructors can focus on each child individually, says Wolfson. “We can 3. Keep an enclosed fence with a give them more individual attention, so they latch around around the pool for can all progress quicker.”

As a parent, having a strong swimming young children background is essential to be able to reach your child in the water. But what if you’ve not had swim lessons yourself? There are swim 4. Consider having a lifejacket for classes available for adults that will help overyour infant while in the water come fears of the water, and teach the essential swim skills. “If you’re afraid of the water,” says Cleary, “it’s best to start at a beginner 5. Learn infant CPR to be prepared level. When you become more comfortable, you can accompany your kids in the water and in the event of any emergency still have supervision on them.”

Cleary also urges parents to do their research on water activities, such as looking into how safe they are, and whether your child is of age to partake in them.

Having your toddler take swimming lessons is a key in drowning prevention, but it is the responsibility of the parent as well. Have fun with your baby in the water, but don’t forget that safety and supervision comes first!

Water safety tips

Baby swimming image courtesy of Fotolia.

For more information, visit the Red Cross website at redcross.ca

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BON VOYAGE, BABY! Five pieces of advice for when you start traveling with your little one

By MADALYN HAMANN

T

oronto travel blogger Cheryl Leung says that the first trip she and her husband took with their fourth month old was a cross border-shopping excursion. For Leung, it was a definitely a trip of firsts, and something she learned from.

“She was on a regular feeding schedule,” Leung recalls. “Part way through our drive we had to stop at the side of the road so I could nurse her, because she was going bonkers!” She says her daughter also had difficulty adjusting to her new surroundings in the hotel room, and that they “barely slept during that trip!”

There’s a lot of planning around your baby when it comes to taking them along on a trip. While it can be stressful at times, it can be a wonderful learning experience, as well as a chance to bond.

Here are 5 pieces of advice to help prepare you for that first family trip: Pack only as much as you think you’ll need It’s easy to get carried away in packing too many items, thinking you’ll need them all. However, Thomas Cook travel advisor Corinne McDermott says that you want to be able to manage your items.

“You want to make sure that you bring stuff that’s going to make your life easier,” says McDermott. “If you think it is essential, then it is.” She recommends creating lists to keep organized, and to prevent yourself from forgetting any items. Leung prepares by writing a list in advance. On that first trip, she says she packed her daughter’s play pen, stroller, bath tub and breastfeeding pillow into the car. “The car was packed even before we started our shopping!” says Leung. One thing she says they could have done without was the bathtub. “She could have taken a bath in the hotel sink because she was so young.”

Choose a location that’s not far from home When traveling either by plane, train or car, you want to choose a place that’s easy for you and your baby to get to. Leung prefers to take trips with her children that are closer to home: “we decided our trips would be to places we were already familiar with,” says Leung. “Like Disney World, Michigan, San Francisco. We go to places where we know the food is good, and where there are kid friendly activities.” McDermott says that when you’re flying, it’s best to choose a locale where the flight is short and preferably direct, without unnecessary stopovers and flight changes.

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Make health and safety a priority Infants are too young for immunization shots, but McDermott says it is not uncommon to worry about getting them shots right away. “People have concerns about traveling before they’ve had their first vaccine,” she says. “But if you’re breastfeeding, your baby already has some bonus immunity antibodies.” Parents should not have their child vaccinated until they are a year at least.

While you’re traveling, you have to be especially diligent when it comes to staying healthy. Doctor Stephen Rotstein, a family physician in Toronto, recommends having a supply of medication on hand: Tylenol, rubbing alcohol and antibiotic cream, in the event that they injure themselves. Tempra and Tylenol you should also have for when they fall ill. “If an infant under three months has a fever, that’s when you’d see a physician,” says Rotstein.

“But over three months, fevers aren’t quite as • Diapers scary. ” When traveling to more tropical climates, • Diaper rash cream Rotstein says that you want to be careful with exposing your infant to water; not only for safety • First aid kit measures, but because of harmful bacteria that • Blankets could be transmitted to them if they ingest it or if • Wipes they have a skin injury.

Your packing list at a glance

Baby image courtesy of Fotolia.com

Travel while they’re young It may sound surprising, but traveling with your baby at only a few months of age makes for less stress. McDermott says the younger the better, because they are less fussy, and easier to tend to. “At a very young age, they are easily portable; they mostly eat and sleep,” says McDermott. “You have more control over who comes into contact with them, and they’re not being exposed to germs by sticking their hands in their mouth.”

Leung advises not to be afraid of taking your baby out on trips frequently. “The more you do it,” she says, “the quicker they’ll get adjusted to riding in a car, a boat, and plane.”

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Bibs Extra outfits Bottles + extra nipples Baby shampoo, body wash, and body lotion Tempra/Tylenol Rubbing alcohol Band aids Instant formula (enough to last your trip) Blankets Plastic bags Hand sanitizer Sunscreen

Don’t be afraid to toss routines out the window Traveling with your infant helps them adjust to new routines more easily, and gets them used to new surroundings as they get older. McDermott explains that she began taking her son traveling when he was ten weeks of age, and was worried about how he would behave onboard a plane when he was older. “I think the sooner a child knows what is to be expected of them, and what to expect while traveling, they can handle it,” says McDermott. Traveling helps you as a parent to solve problems in new situations, and in turn, you learn more about yourself as well as your child. It will not always be relaxing, says Leung, “but that’s just the nature of traveling with young children. It will come eventually!”

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Graphic Sources The graphics and pictures seen throughout the magazine are courtesy of the following Fotolia Kid girl playing with toys © Oksana Kuzmina - Fotolia.com Boy on slide © Miredi - Fotolia.com Kid looking down behind white empty banner isolated © Andrey Kuzmin - Fotolia.com Healthy eating choice © Brian Jackson - Fotolia.com Whirly Pop Bouquet © Brenda Carson - Fotolia.com Little girl is eating grapes © Serhiy Kobyakov - Fotolia.com Little girl visiting dentist © Sergey Nivens - Fotolia.com Child Washing Hands © John Takai - Fotolia.com Brusheezy.com VectorMe.com MyPhotoshopbrushes.com Deviantart.com User: Enjoydotcom Baby Block Brushes User: Hendastock -Balloon Brushes