Monday, March 7, 2011

The Benefits of Infant Massage

If you are a new mom, or expecting a baby you have probably heard something about infant massage. There are great benefits that come from doing infant massage for both baby and parent. Below are listed some of the benefits mentioned in our March newsletter.

Benefits for child:

Increases oxygen and nutrient flow to cells
Improves muscle tone and reduces muscle stiffness
Improves sensory awareness
Relieves discomfort from teething, congestion, gas, colic, and emotional distress
Encourages bonding with a loving caregiver
Increases a baby's sense of well-being
Improves blood circulation
Promotes better sleep
Boosts immune system
Improves skin condition
Helps waste elimination
Helps digestion
Facilitates body awareness
Helps baby feel loved and secure
Promotes brain growth
Stimulates growth-promoting hormones
Helps relieve tension built up from all the stimulation baby experiences

Benefits for Parents:

Feeling more confident and comfortable in their ability to care for their baby
Learning techniques to comfort, calm, and soothe their infant
Learning to understand and respond to baby's cues
Feeling closer to their infant
Relaxation

Check out this website, babybabyohbaby.com, to learn more about how to do infant massage. There is a video clip that explains how to do some of the strokes.

*Picture taken from http://www.raising-twins.com/infant-massage.html

Friday, March 4, 2011

Silly Spiders

Silly Sally got me thinking about a silly craft you could do with your kids. I found this cute craft at this cute blog.

What you’ll need for each spider…

Paper Cup

Black marker or dimensional paint

Scissors

Pipe cleaners

Glue

wiggly eyes

paper for fangs

pencil & yarn for hanging

If you plan on hanging your spider, use pencil to make hole in bottom of cup, thread yarn through the hole and knot on the inside of the cup to create hanging string.

Flip cup upside down and cut 4 1/4 to 1/2 inch slits on opposite sides of the cup. Push pipe cleaners into slits to form legs.

Glue on eyes, draw mouth, and glue on fangs.

You can use different colored cups, purple is really cute. Enjoy!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Happy Birthday to Help me Grow!!

On Tuesday we celebrated Help Me Grow's first birthday. They are one year strong. They have helped 234 families and 99 are active currently. They have processed over 300 parent screenings, have made 28 referrals to early intervention and over 400 referrals to numerous community resources. Help me is a parent-info line that connects families to community services. Dial 2-1-1, ask for Help Me Grow, and let us help you find the resources that you need. Such as, Parenting classes, looking for vision/hearing screenings, and speech therapy.

We are so lucky to have Help Me Grow in Utah County. If you have any child development questions at all do not hesitate to call 2-1-1. They have amazing resources and are here to help! For more info visit their blog at http://helpmegrowutah.blogspot.com/

Color Coordinating with Nature

The craft this week was found on familyfun.com at http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/a-trail-tote-672562/. This tote carton will help your children match colors they see every day to those in nature. Children love being outdoors, so why not make it interactive?

A Trail Tote

To help kids get the most out of communing with nature, Lizette Castano at the Children's Nature Institute suggests packing a canvas bag with a few of simple items.

Materials

Egg carton
Magnifying glass
Magnets

Water-filled spray bottle
Homemade soil slides

Instructions

Egg carton: Paint the bottom of each compartment a different color, then challenge kids to find natural souvenirs in a matching hue.
Magnifying glass: Encourage your family to take a closer look at things and discover treasures hidden in plain view, such as the silvery veins on a leaf or tiny mites on a decaying log.
Magnets: Run a strong magnet across the soil to see if iron bits are lurking about (they'll stick to the magnet). For an even greater wow factor, bring a paper plate, top it with soil, then run a magnet underneath it to make the iron bits dance.
Water-filled spray bottle: See how a gentle spritz can change the look of things, such as spiderwebs and color-shifting rocks.
Homemade soil slides: Cut a 1/2-inch square in a notecard and cover the hole with a piece of clear tape. Press the sticky side against soil, then use a magnifying glass to discover its individual components.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Make Your own Healthy Baby Food

For those of you that are interested in making your own baby food, this is the site to visit. They have some great, healthy recipes. Below is an example from the site. Click HERE for more recipes.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) full fat plain yogurt 1/2 cup (125 mL) raspberries or strawberries or blueberries, (fresh or thawed and drained) 1/2 banana, sliced 1 tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup

Preparation:

In blender, purée together yogurt, raspberries, banana and maple syrup until smooth. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days).

Makes 2 cups.

picture taken from http://paintermommy.com/parenting/baby/is-my-baby-ready-to-eat-baby-food

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