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| Toddler - Week #73 |
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| Milestones: |
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Evan had his first omelet this week! He hasn't had eggs up until now. He has had some foods cooked with eggs, and he has picked at my egg sandwich here and there, but he's never had his own plate of eggs. That is until this week! He also started having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches this week for lunch at school. This was not an easy decision for me to make, but ultimately it has worked out okay. |
| Creating Good Readers: |
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How is your child's language these days? As language develops more and more, reading together becomes even more important. Is your child able to point to things in books now when you ask? Is she babbling to you as you read as though she is telling you a story? Can she perhaps even name some of the items she sees in the books? Did you answer no to one or all of these questions? Don't panic! One of the biggest mistakes we can make as parents is to compare our children to other people's children or even to their siblings! I have four children. Each one of them has a different reading style; even Evan. My older son and my daughter love books. They can't get enough reading. My middle son, Justin, has a really tough time with reading. It took awhile for things to click for him. He really has to work at understanding the print, which sometimes takes the joy out of reading for him. I have to really look hard for books and magazines that he can enjoy. Evan doesn't have a huge interest in books right now. He liked them more before he began walking and exploring. I had to remind myself not to jump to conclusions and think he was going to be like Justin. Likewise, don't compare your child's development to a friend's child either. There are guidelines for a general idea of when kids should develop in certain ways, but they are merely landmark guidelines and not to be used to make you panic! So if your child is like Evan and seems to have lost a bit of interest in books or isn't saying his alphabet like the child sitting beside him at daycare, don't get upset or give up-just keep trying to read to her and trying to find just the right books to engage her! |
| Book Of The Week: |
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What better book to celebrate our first omelet than the classic Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham ? You remember this one from your own childhood, I'm sure. Sam I Am is trying to get everyone to enjoy his delicious green eggs with a side of ham. Unfortunately, he has no takers. Nobody really likes his colorful eggs. He tries to tempt them by presenting them in various locales and different ways, but still no takers. The rhymes in this book are what make it fun to read. I like to try to see how fast I can say the words without getting tongue tied! |
| Activities: |
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Egg cartons can be used to make great craft projects. Here is one we made this week. For us, Week 73 is also Halloween time! So we used our egg carton to make a spider. Evan painted one of the carton cups black. We used black finger paint-with and without the paintbrush! Then Mommy punched eight tiny holes into the cup with a needle. Evan threaded eight pipe cleaners through the holes with some help from Mommy. We counted as we did this, so maybe Evan would get some early exposure to the idea that spiders have eight legs. You can bend the legs so that your spider will stand up. Make him a little web if you like, using either store bought spider web materials, cheese cloth that you stretch out, or yarn. You could also use egg cartons to make caterpillars, ants, dinosaurs and other little critters in a similar way. All it takes is a little paint and other materials like pipe cleaners, yarn, and such. |
| Rhyme Time: |
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Here's a fun song to sing when you're making lunch! Peanut Butter and Jelly First you take the peanuts And you crunch 'em, You crunch 'em First you take the peanuts And you crunch 'em, You crunch 'em For your peanut, peanut butter And jelly jelly Peanut, peanut butter And jelly jelly Then you take the grapes And you squish 'em, You squish 'em Then you take the grapes And you squish 'em, You squish 'em For your peanut, peanut butter And jelly jelly Peanut, peanut butter And jelly jelly Then you take the bread And you spread it, You spread it Then you take the bread And you spread it, You spread it For your peanut, peanut butter And jelly jelly Peanut, peanut butter And jelly jelly Then you take your sandwich And you eat it, You eat it Then you take your sandwich And you eat it, You eat it 'Cause its good, peanut butter And jelly Good, peanut butter And jelly First you take the peanuts And you crunch 'em, Then you take the grapes And you squish 'em, Then you take the bread And you spread it, Then you take your sandwich And you eat it 'Cause its good, peanut butter And jelly jelly Good, peanut butter And jelly! |
| Evan's Opinion: |
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This week is a hit all around! Evan loved the new foods introduced, thought the book was hilarious, and loved the craft project! Evan really enjoyed the book when I read it really fast trying to say all of those rhymes without tripping over my tongue. He thought that was totally hilarious. He also had a blast painting the egg carton cup. It was messy. So, a word to the wise-have the wipes handy before you start. I realized that too late and had to run for them while he painted in his high chair. Though it took me two seconds, it was all he needed to also paint his t-shirt! I thought it was funny, too, how much he loved painting with the paint brush. It's just like how he loves to dip foods. He'll eat a bunch of celery if there is a dip to go with it. He loved dipping the brush in the paint. We usually finger paint (which he eventually ended up doing), but he really liked the brush for awhile. I still find it amazing that he doesn't eat the paint. He's sitting in the same chair he eats in, he's dipping like he does with food, but somehow he just knows this isn't food! That's incredible to me! |
| You're Probably Wondering..... |
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"How do I know what foods to give him at what age?" I got a note from Evan's teacher asking me to send sandwiches instead of warm-up meals. Apparently, he wasn't eating his hot lunch choices that I'd been sending, and he was quite interested in everyone else's sandwiches. She gave me some sandwich ideas and had included peanut butter and jelly on the list. I was puzzled because I had thought peanut butter was off limits until age three. I did some internet exploring and found many sites said peanut butter may be okay for a child over one year of age if he had no allergy issues with other foods. Evan has had no food issues at all, so I wondered if it would be an option for him. He's had wheat, strawberries, and even chocolate (shh, don't tell!). After discussing with the teacher, I decided to give it a try. She made sure she kept an eye on him that day to see if he had any reactions, but the only reaction was pure enjoyment! He loved the sandwich and has done very well with the food a couple of times now. But isn't it so confusing? Who knows what they can eat and when? It seemed easier to decide when he first started eating solids because I was so vigilant about reading about what he could have and asking the doctor. But once he began eating three meals a day and trying all sorts of new foods, it seemed like anything really was fair game. Of course, you always try to make healthy choices-but strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, oranges; they all seem healthy, right? Yet, if you read about these foods, there can be cautions. Strawberries can cause an allergic reaction if not cooked just right. Raw ones are recommended only after the first year. Grapes can be a choking hazard if you don't cut them up. And acidic fruits like oranges and tomatoes can cause a bad diaper rash or an upset tummy! Who knew? Then there's the dreaded peanut butter decision. The rule I found was to wait until after one year for the non-food sensitive child and wait until after two or three years for those with sensitivity or allergies. If anyone in your family has any food sensitivity or allergy, it's better to assume your child might have one and hold off on any foods that could potentially be allergenic. And of course, know the warning signs of an allergic reaction; hives, swelling, trouble breathing, vomiting, or diarrhea. There are so many more food questions that it can become overwhelming. It's hard for a new parent. Luckily, the internet gives us access to reputable sites like the American Academy of Pediatrics, which often has valuable information to finding answers to our questions. But sometimes, I wonder what if I hadn't already known things like honey is totally off limits? I'm not even sure how I know that, but if I didn't, would I have had a question about it or might I have just given it to him if it ever came up? Hopefully, most pediatricians tell parents what is okay and what is dangerous. But if your doctor doesn't just offer this information up, be sure to ask what you can and cannot add to your child's diet at each visit. At Evan's last visit, I learned he couldn't have tuna fish at all. I had thought it was okay once in awhile just like it is for us. But I learned not only can he not have it, but my four-year-old cannot either! She wasn't too happy because she loves it! Ugh! These food decisions are tough. Remember when life was as simple as the bottle or the breast? Those days are a distant memory! Well, I'm off to make myself a sandwich for lunch. I wonder if I should have tuna or peanut butter and jelly? |
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