Tag Time

Courtesy of http://comp.webstockpro.com

Activity for: Child & Parents

Summary:

Tag, probably the oldest game in the world, is a great way to help your child burn off some energy and strengthen his muscles.

Tag is an everyday, favourite game in our family. Of course, for now, Daddy is “it” and Mommy is the safe haven. The game always ends with my daughter flying into my arms, laughing madly. It’s the perfect game for extra hyper little tots. (But then again, aren’t all tots extra hyper?) If you keep the rules simple, even young toddlers can catch on quickly.

• Start with classic tag - one person is "it" and the other is being chased.
• The key is to coax the child with phrases like, "Come and get me!" and "You can't get me!"
• You'll want to slow your pace down to a trot so that your little one actually has a chance at tagging you. You also can crawl or walk on your knees if you want to be closer to your child's level.
• When it's time for you to be "it," give your child plenty of time to enjoy being "faster" than you. Before too long, he really will be!
• As your child learns the ropes of tag, you can try things like Freeze Tag, where the person who gets tagged must remain frozen in place for a period of time, TV Tag, where the person being chased can call out the name of a TV show to avoid being tagged, and even Flashlight Tag, where you tag each other with a beam of light in the darkness.
• You can play tag indoors by designating a safe area in which to run around, such as a living room, playroom or childproofed basement. If you use multiple rooms, designate a space to be a "safe zone," such as the kitchen, where kids can take a break without fear of being tagged.
• When playing tag outside, make sure to create boundaries so kids don't run anywhere they choose, and take care to remove obstacles such as lawn chairs or rakes. Use the natural environment to create excitement - run around a tree or scamper through the sandbox - or to serve as natural boundaries - don't run past the bushes!

Playing tag with your children is also fantastic exercise for you (that is, if you can keep up). Now, that’s what we call multitasking.

Source: www.huggies.com.my

Bedtime Two Minute Tales

Bedtime Two Minute Tales – MPH bookstore

This is the first book I bought for my daughter; I bought it at MPH before she was born. It’s a big hardcover book with beautiful illustrations. I started reading it to her when she was around 2 or 3 months old at bedtime. At first my husband laughed at me when I started reading in storytelling tones, you know, in an exaggerated manner with hands waving all around. But when he saw our daughter falling asleep during my storytelling session, he tried it out himself. This remains the “bedtime” book for her because I want her to stop playing, relax and listen to my voice telling her the story.

Now she’s more involved in the storytelling, pointing her fingers at the words and the pictures, laughing when I make animal sounds. She wouldn’t sit in my lap but she would sit on the book itself, so she could see the pictures up close. There are a few torn pages here and there, though. I guess she gets a little too enthusiastic sometimes.

Here are some pictures of the book in action:

She keeps lifting her face up to smile at the camera when my husband snaps the photo.

Engrossed in the book. I think.

She simply loves the camera!

Her favourite story, Fat Cat.

Tone up that flabby tummy with baby!

Before getting yourself into any kind of exercise, check with your doctor first, especially if you had any complications during delivery or you had Caesarian section. Go slow at first as your body had just gone through a huge ordeal (giving birth) and at any sign of pain, STOP! Try again when you feel ready and painless. Read the article below for some guidelines:

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/ref/postnatalexerciseisbodyready/

These exercises can be done by Daddy too, for some major toning up and bonding time. Try and compete between Mommy & Daddy and see who can do more repetitions with baby. (If Mommy wins, you go, girl! Daddy, you have some serious catching up to do!)

Crunch with Baby

Starting Position:

Lie down on the floor or a mat with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Sit baby on your hips, resting against her back against your thighs. Gently hold her in position. Keep a space between your chin and chest (looking diagonal towards the ceiling). Engage your abs by pulling your belly button towards your spine.

Action:

EXHALE: Hold onto baby and raise your chest until your shoulder blades lift off the floor. INHALE: Slowly lower back to floor to complete one rep. Aim or 1-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Special Instructions:

Safety should be your main concern, for you and the baby. Make sure that baby is totally secure in all movements. If any exercise is uncomfortable or too strenuous with baby, try it without baby first. Focus on using your abs in a slow, controlled manner. Make sure your abs stay engaged throughout both phases of this movement. Raise your head and shoulders so they are just off the ground, or until you feel your abdominal muscles start to contract (keeping the head, neck and shoulders in line and avoiding tucking the chin in as you crunch). The traditional crunch targets the upper ab muscles (recti).

Reverse Crunches

Starting Position:

Lay baby face down on your shins, facing you while you lie on your back. Hold onto baby with your hands to keep her secure. Keeping your knees bent and your feet off the floor, engage your abdominal muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine. Keep a space between your chin and chest (looking diagonal towards the ceiling).

Action:

EXHALE: Lift from your hips, pulling your knees towards your chest, focusing on your abdominals. INHALE: Slowly lower hips and legs back down to the starting position to complete one rep. Aim for 1-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Special Instructions:

Safety should be your main concern, for you and the baby. Make sure that baby is totally secure in all movements. If any exercise is uncomfortable or too strenuous with baby, try it without baby first. This is a very slow, small and deliberate movement. Be careful not to use momentum. Try to keep the motion controlled by your abs.

Source: www.strollerstrides.com

Hiding Hands

Courtesy of www.inmagine.com

Activity for: Babies, Toddlers & Parents

Summary:
A hide-and-go-seek game for hands!

By this age, your child may have developed object permanence - the awareness that things exist even if he can't see them. This guessing game is a great way to reinforce this understanding.

Getting Started

1. Have your child watch you hide a few small finger foods in one hand.
2. Hold both hands closed in front of your child. Ask him to choose the hand that is holding the snack. (You may have to guide him the first time, or demonstrate with an older sibling first.)
3. Be sure to express enthusiasm and encouragement whether he gets it right or wrong.
4. Don't be surprised if your child wants you to play again and again!

My husband has made this game even more fun with our daughter. He’ll hold something small that can be hidden in his palms and pretend to do a magic trick. He’ll blow on his hand and pretend to throw the object away, but secretly hiding it behind him. Then he makes it “appear” behind her ear. This never fails to make her laugh in delight. (A real magician would shake his head in despair at the lameness of the trick. But our "audience" was entertained, so who cares?)

Older-Kid Involvement: Let baby's siblings do the hand-hiding for a while, but be sure to monitor the first few tries so that playful snack-hiding doesn't turn into teasing.

Source: www.huggies.com.my

Play as your baby grows

Courtesy of www.pharmacymix.com

Play is the way a child learns about the world around him. This article talks about play and development from birth to 2 years old. It explores how children of different ages play and also explains how to choose appropriate play equipment.

Up to 6 Months

In the first months, the baby' senses are not fully developed. He can only see things that are about 8 - 14 inches from his eyes. He enjoys soft sounds and music, your cooing and singing.

At about 3 - 6 months, your child can suck his fingers and grasp a toy that has been put in his hand. He is also beginning to reach for toys and pass it back and forth in his own hands.

Provide toys that are big, colourful, full of sounds and music and preferably moving, like a mobile. Toys at this stage also need to be safe for chewing.

6 - 12 months

At about 9 months, the baby becomes aware that objects still exist even though he can no longer see them. You can hide his favourite toy under his blanket and he will lift it up and voila, he has found it!

Your child is also becoming increasingly mobile - crawling, pulling to stand and cruise. He is also becoming more adept with his hands, picking up whatever he finds on the floor and putting it into his mouth.

Balls are a favourite at this stage. he can crawl after them, throw them and watch them drop with a bounce.

From about 9 months, he also enjoys shape sorters, which test his problem solving abilities, toy telephones which he can use to imitate. He is also able to start stacking crudely when he is close to 12 months.

When he is beginning to walk, he will enjoy push toys as he leans on them and takes a few steps forward.

12 - 24 Months

He can explore all corners of the house. His hands have also become more coordinated, he can scribble a drawing and start to sort out his toys. He is more experimental in his play - what happens if I drop this bowl?

His curios self motivates him to try things repeatedly to gain mastery over it. As he reaches 24 months, he is continually testing his limits and begins to insist on his independence. He will have the infamous temper tantrums as he begins to let you know what he thinks!

At this age, child's play is more active. He is also an imitator of the parent in everyday life. He likes any game that is physically involving.

Provide the child with push and pull toys. Give him large building blocks as his hands are more coordinated and are beginning to stack more effectively. Give him lots of crayons and paper to start scribbling.

Provide your child with a safe area where he can climb, hide, slide and practise all his emerging gross motor skills.

Puzzles will be intriguing at this age, as he is more capable of problem solving and learning from trial and error. Making music with tiny instruments is a thrill as they learn rhythm and tune.

Role of Parents

Parents are the child's best playmates. Creative children are usually the result of adults who have involved themselves with the child's play. The parent must join in and play at the child's level. Daily playtime is a great way to bond with your child.

Courtesy of www.gettyimages.com



Source: www.huggies.com.my

Crawling Obstacle Course

Courtesy of news.bbc.co.uk

Activity for: Babies & Parents

Summary: Make a simple obstacle course at home.

Once your baby starts to crawl they are able to explore their environment on their own. You can make a simple obstacle course to challenge them which can contain boxes for tunnels, pillows for mounts and towels or other fabrics for texture. Begin by collecting 2-3 large cardboard boxes e.g. refrigerator or tv boxes, ensuring your baby is able to fit through them easily. Remove any tape or staples that may be attached to the boxes and cut off the flaps. Stick the boxes together with tape. Place things such as stuffed toys in the tunnel to create obstacles.

Place your baby at one end of the tunnel and yourself at the other opening. Call out your baby’s name or wave a toy, encouraging your baby to come towards you. Always praise your baby’s efforts and cheer when they accomplish the task.

For a steady crawler, you can add pillows or large, flat cushions so your baby can climb over them. Then spread a towel in front of it so your baby could feel a different texture on her knees. You can pretty much put anything as long as they encourage your baby to crawl e.g. push a toy car in front of her to indicate to her to follow. I used two turned over dining chairs with a huge towel draped over. When my daughter is passing, I'll tug the towel and cover it over her, turning it into a peekaboo game. Babies don't need expensive toys, really. Just use your imagination!

Source: www.huggies.com.my

Play is a Child's Work

The many hours that infants and children spend in play are by no means wasted or merely recuperative in nature. Play may be fun but it is serious business in childhood. During these hours, the child steadily builds up his competence in dealing with his environment. A child who is born into this world is like a special sponge - bursting with an inner desire to absorb, explore and find out more about the environment into which he is born.

Play is a course of exploration and discovery, which occupies the most part of a child's play. It only stops when he is asleep. In essence, PLAY IS A CHILD'S WORK.

Like a working adult who learns to solve problems in the work place in order to get the work done, the child learns on a small scale through play the skills necessary for being part of his new environment.

Play influences the physical, mental, social, psychological, emotional and linguistic developments of the child.

Physical Development

As a child crawls, pulls to stand, walks and runs, he experiences movement. This movement will facilitate the development of more complex physical coordination such as being able to use both hands in a particular activity, for instance running. Hence, the child is required to coordinate the swinging movements between the hands and legs.

From the 3rd month of the child's life, he initiates movement from the shoulder and elbow. However, in these early stages, such movements are limited to inaccurate swiping and hitting. As the child plays with smaller and more complex toys, he begins to develop the function in the hands.

Play also develops the muscles and strength in the upper and lower limbs.

Mental Development

In imaginative play, a child may pretend to be a nurse, doctor or a fireman. He may also pretend to cook, sew or have a tea party with his friends. Such imaginative play stimulates the thinking of the child. This will in turn prepare him for more complex learning situations when he is older.

Social Development

As children play with one another, they develop an idea of the world around them. They will learn that there are certain rules which have to be adhered to. These rules involve socialisation such as taking turns at the slide, making friends, the act of giving and taking, sharing or just being friendly.

Although initially, the child will seem to be egocentric and always concerned about himself, he will learn to develop through the guidance of an adult, preferably the parent.

Psychological Development

A child gains confidence and self-esteem when he plays and experiences fun and success in the process. Confidence encourages further exploration and drives the child to experience more challenging activities. Development of confidence will help him meet challenges as he grows older. The process of meeting these challenges further develops skills.


Emotional Development

Bonding with parents is part of a child's first stage of emotional development. There is no substitute for this stage of development. Parents should be involved as much as possible during play. This will allow the child to experience security in his new environment. With this secure feeling, the child will be more willing to move out to explore the world with the assurance that there is always someone to rely on should things turn sour.


Language Development

Language is the medium by which we translate meanings, our thoughts and feelings. Language development starts from day one of birth. Initial attempts at communication are simple and repetitive. As the child develops physically, the language requirements also increase. Children need words and gestures to express ideas and learn to solve problems as they experience new and varied sensations. Language is a unique and wonderful part of play and distinguishes humans as thinking beings in comparison to animals.

The pre-requisites for language development can be reinforced through play. There are numerous opportunities to encourage the following through play:

• Eye contact
• Listening skills
• The paying of attention
• The learning to take turns
• Social interaction skills

It is useful to label objects when introducing new words to the child as it will increase his vocabulary. The meaning of the words are further reinforced by encouraging the child to handle the object.

Learning Other Concepts

Play also helps children learn and understand basic concepts such as numbers, colours, and spatial positions (left/right and in/out).

Such concept development is a crucial starting point in a child's development as it teaches:

• Interaction between objects - how one object is related to another. For instance, pots and the stove, fork and spoon, a ball and a bat.
  
• Interaction with materials. For instance, boiling water is hot, ice is cold, cloth is soft. It helps the child to identify himself with his action and ideas. For instance, if the child does not like the sensation of heat, he may not want to carry the kettle. This gives him greater awareness of what he is capable of doing and teaches him that he can actually do it again.
  

Understanding the cause and effect relationship. For instance, "If I touch boiling water, I will get burnt." This is the foundation for problem-solving. By solving problems and experiencing and learning the rules about the nature of things, the child learns to adhere to safety rules.

Source: www.huggies.com.my
Information provided by KK Hospital - Singapore's Leading Women and Children's Hospital

Count and Play

Count and Play - Mytoysandbooks.com

This is her favourite book so far, the one that could hold her attention the longest. As she's a very active kid, longest for her would mean 5 to 10 minutes. For now I keep this book in the car, along with some coloured pencils and paper for scribbling, so she would sit down quietly for some time. Her favourite would be the 4 pizzas, because she could take them off and paste them on repeatedly. Next would be the 1 rabbit, the 2 doors, the 5 birds and the 6 fishes. The 3D stuff that you could actually hold is what makes this book awesome! She would actually point out her finger and "count" in a sing-song voice by herself. Even her older cousins love playing with this book. A truly fantastic and engaging book.

What's there not to love?

Bonding Baby Massage

Courtesy of www.goodpregnancyguide.com

Activity for: Babies & Parents

Summary:
Bonding Baby Massage Pamper your prince or princess with a relaxing rub-down.

Infant massage is excellent for calming colicky and cranky babies, toning their little bodies, and helping them to sleep longer. The skin contact helps baby’s physical development and boosts food absorption.

Baby’s massage checklist:

• There isn’t a right or wrong time to massage baby. You could try before or after a bath, or at bedtime. Just ensure you have some uninterrupted time so you can focus on her and really enjoy her reactions.


• Baby will wriggle and move about when you massage her, so for safety and comfort, place her on the floor on a large and comfortable mat or towel. Make sure it’s clean!


• Turn off any fans or air conditioning. Make sure the room is warm and there’s no draught. We don’t want her to catch a cold.


• Make sure that she’s been fed at least an hour ago to avoid queasiness.


• Wash and clean your hands, remove watches and jewellery and have some oil or lotion ready.

Some really active babies do not really like being restricted in their movements for too long, which is the case with my daughter. When she started crawling, I reduced the massages and soon stopped altogether. I prefer reading as a relaxing, bonding time. But give it a try with your precious one, she may like it.

Step by step massage:

LEGS

1. Place baby on her back and rub some lotion or oil on your palm.


2. Place your palms on baby’s upper thigh and gently “milk” baby’s thigh from hip to feet.


3. Maintain eye contact and talk to her, whilst observing her reactions.


4. Repeat each movement five times, doing the same with the other leg.

HANDS

1. With oil in your palms, start from shoulder to the fingertips, using firm milking movements.


2. Repeat the same movement five times, doing the same with the other arm.

CHEST

1. Rub some oil in your palms.


2. Place your palms on baby’s collarbone. Using firm, gentle movements, criss-cross your palms as you move towards the end of the ribcage.


3. Repeat the movement five times.

TUMMY

1. Rub some oil in your palms.


2. Start massaging from the right side of baby’s abdomen.


3. Move your hands in a circular clockwise motion around the umbilical area.


4. Massage five times.

BACK

1. Place baby on her tummy or on your lap. Rub some oil in your palms.


2. Place your palms over baby’s shoulder. With firm gentle strokes, work downwards along the spine towards the buttocks.


3. Repeat five times.

Once you have finished the massage, cover baby with a towel and rub off excess oil with the towel. Dress her up, and you’re done!

Source: www.huggies.com.my and Asian Parenting Today book.

Signing for Little Ones

Courtesy of www.deafchildrenandsigning.com

Activity for: Babies & Parents

Summary:
Help your baby communicate her needs before she is able to talk.

If you feel exasperated listening to your baby cry, think about how frustrated she must feel not being able to tell you what's the matter! Teaching your child sign language can help her communicate her needs without her having to turn on the tears. There are lots of information & graphics on the internet about signing for babies. Before you sign up for a formal course -- or invest in books on the subject -- get your feet wet with these simple techniques.

Select two to three words or phrases that express a request such as: "more," "yes," "no," "bye-bye," "I'm hungry," or "I'm thirsty." Perform a simple hand sign every time you say the corresponding word. For example, move your hands like lobster claws when you say the word "more."

Or point to your mouth when you say, "I'm hungry." The point is to choose a sign that is easy for your child to imitate and remember. Once your child has these signs down, you can build up her vocabulary by adding a few more words at a time. You don’t even have to follow any specific signs, just try and make up some of your own.

But of course, don’t expect your baby to start signing back to you immediately. They need to understand that the signs mean something. Also they also need to be able to imitate the sign you make, which requires some eye and hand coordination. Teaching a baby to sign is a slow process which requires patience, consistency and a lot of repetitions. It’s so easy to lose heart and abandon all when you don’t see any respond from your child. Just think of it as something fun and make it a part of your daily routine, you won’t even notice you’re signing. Your baby will sign back when she’s good and ready.

I’ve heard of some parents’ concerns such as, if you teach your children to sign, they might be reluctant to talk because they can pass the message without uttering a word. Research has proven otherwise, that signing babies talk and read quicker than their non signing counterparts and more calm and relaxed, because they communicate better.

My daughter has one sign down pat i.e. milk, where she opens and closes her fingers into her palm to make a fist. Other than that, she also has goodbye, water and fish in the bag. We are trying to reinforce more basic words with her such as drink, eat, I love you and thank you. The day she signs back, “I love you” back to me, I’ll let you know!

Here’s some websites for your further reading (or you can just Google “baby signing”):

http://www.babysignsmalaysia.com/
http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/
http://www.signingbaby.com/

Just for you to kick off your own baby signing, print out this cheat sheet and tape it to your fridge. (from http://www.signwithme.com/)

Source: www.huggies.com.my

Reading Rocks!

Courtesy of www.moseleyworld.com

Activity for: Babies & Parents

Summary of benefits:
Reading to your baby is an activity that serves several purposes. First of all, it's fun! But the benefits beyond that lead to a lifetime of discovery.

Though most kids aren't taught to read until age 5, studies of brain development indicate that the best time to begin reading to children is when they are between the ages of 3 months and 3 years. Experts say children's fundamental language skills are acquired during infancy. An infant's brain grows rapidly between the time she is born and age 4. Active reading, especially when accompanied by sounds, pictures, character voices and physical actions, significantly increases the number and type of neural pathways the brain develops.

Reading is also an ideal way for parents and children to simply take time out to be together. This interaction, in addition to helping children learn about the world around them, creates important bonding time. A study by the Philadelphia-based Commission on Literacy reported that little ones whose caregivers read to them consistently were more emotionally stable and far more likely to achieve academic and work success later in life.

I started reading to my daughter when she was 2 or 3 months old. My parents, my brother and even my own husband were amazed to see me reading to my baby. “It’s not like she understands what you’re saying.” They said to me. It doesn’t matter, I answered. She doesn’t need to understand, I just wanted her to feel comforted by my voice and show her the colorful pictures in the book. I wanted to cultivate a love in reading in her as early as I could, so she would enjoy it in the years to come, just like I did. Now she looked forward to the bedtime reading as much I did. I tried to read to her every night, but being the imperfect mother that I am, I did miss some nights. But it was incredibly satisfying to see her actually wait for me to start reading to her. I felt that I had succeeded in my small mission.

Below are some tips on how to start reading with your child:

• Make reading as interactive and fun as possible, and make reading part of your baby's daily routine - a good time is after meals or before bedtime. For me, the bedtime reading has become a major bonding time. I found that my daughter goes to bed without much protest and falls asleep without too much trouble.


• Hold your baby when you read to him, take time to let him really look at the pictures and be patient when he flips through pages without actually reading. But if you have a more “involved” child like my daughter, she’d prefer to sit on the book itself to get a closer look.


• Point out interesting things on the page, vary your vocal pitch and create character voices.


• Stop reading when it's clear that your baby has had enough. As he grows, he will have a longer attention span - make sure you have plenty of books on hand but that you don't mind reading a favorite one over and over! Or, to keep it cheap, buy one book with many stories like I did i.e. Two Minutes Bedtime Stories.
  
  
  
  

Source: www.huggies.com.my

Busy Baby Noisy Book

Busy Baby Noisy Book – Mytoysandbooks.com

I bought this together with the Lullaby and Goodnight book, because I read that babies love to look at other babies. It's a big book for a baby and easy enough for her to turn the pages, with colourful pictures of lots of babies doing daily activities such as bathing, eating and feeding. Something like a reference guide for babies, but a very cute one.

At first she would just look at the pictures of the babies in the book. (That’s pretty much what a baby can do at 4 months old.) Now she would pull the book off the shelf by herself and opens it up, babbling all the way. She would press and pull and the noise makers at the right side of the book, she would babble as she points at various pictures of babies. There is a picture of a baby holding a sock to her foot. She would then take a sock from her dirty laundry and try to put it on her own foot (making a mess of her dirty clothes at the same time). I guess she improvised from the guide just a little bit there.

Lullaby and Goodnight

Lullaby and Goodnight – Mytoysandbooks.com

In my opinion, this is a great book to show your child the bedtime routines. It's nice if you can set up an established routine, as young children loves the predictability and comfort of knowing what's going to come next. Try and repeat the same pattern every night e.g. diaper change, a feed and a story. (I did say try, I varied it myself from night to night, depending on my energy levels. Or what's left off it.)

I bought this for my 14-month old daughter when she 4 months old. At the time, she loves to grab the teddy bear and put it into her mouth. I used to show her the pictures and she would look at them, holding the bear in her hand. She still puts the bear in her mouth, but now she loves it when I bring the bear to life i.e. make as the bear is moving through the motions; drinking the milk, taking the bath and putting on the pajamas. The best part is the goodnight part where she’ll kiss the bear and then kiss me too!



Check out other photos of the book at this page:
http://www.mytoysandbooks.com/lullaby-and-goodnight-bestseller-p-290.html

Buying books or toys? Check these out!

When you’re out of ideas of do-it-yourself games or crafts to do with your little ones, buy these value-for-money toys. As children spend majority of their time playing, it’s essential that you buy old fashioned, educational toys. When in doubt, don’t worry, just buy books!

One of my favourite toy stores is www.mytoysandbook.com. Oh, I still buy the occasional Fisher Price and Vtech toys, but I love stuff from www.mytoysandbook.com for the educational value of it. They would include the developmental benefits for every product, so I’d have more sound knowledge of everything I buy. Gone are the days where you just buy toys because they look and sound nice. Don’t be cocooned in your blissful ignorance, knowledge is power!

These reviews are based on my observations with my daughter. Reaction may differ from child to child, but we definitely had tremendous fun.

Time is Love

Do you know why kids cry when you leave them alone, or leave them with someone else e.g. your babysitter, maid or nursery no matter how used they are to this routine? My 14-month old daughter is content, just playing around me when I sit down to watch tv. Oh, she runs around, go make a mess here and there, but she’ll always come back to me. She always wants to be picked up, she always wants me to hold her hand, she follows me around practically everywhere. Why?

Because to children, time is love. The more time you spend with your children, the more they’ll love you. Guaranteed.

Your kids will be kids only once. Sure, they cry a lot, want your attention all the time, fight with their siblings to get your attention, make messes faster than you can clean them up and practically tear down the whole house. But remember, they’ll grow up and go to school, become teenagers, then become young adults. Before you know it, they’ll be leaving your home for college, a job in another city, to get married and finally, settle down in their own nest. All you have left are some baby photos and you wonder, where have all the years gone by?

A very busy, hardworking colleague once told me, “It’s like she grew up before my eyes. I wake up from my work slumber and there she is, all grown up.”

Don’t let this happen to you! Imagine if someone asks your children, “What were your favorite moments with your mom/dad when you were young?” Your kid hesitates and answers, “I don’t know, they were never home.” Spend time with your children every day, no matter how busy you are. Even for five or ten minutes daily before she goes to bed.

Go out and fly kites. Go swimming, run or have picnics in the park. Go to shopping malls, libraries, museums, zoos, beaches. Or stay home and cook together. Have a family movie night. Play games, make some craft, read together. There are so many things you could do as a family.

I’ve read, compiled from other sources and tried some of these activities myself. Also, I’ve included information on child development for your reading pleasure so you know why it’s important to take some time and play with your kids. Besides having fun, I try to incorporate some kind of learning in every possible activity, so kids would know that learning doesn’t have to be boring, it can be fun! Some activity ideas in here are so basic; you must have done it with your baby at some point in her life. But don’t take my word for it, try them out yourselves. Spend a stash of money or keep it low budget, take your pick. Now, turn that tv off and go and have fun!