Motherhood, I am beginning to find, is often about reinvention. I went into the hospital a woman and came out a mother. Prior to becoming a mother I worked in the publishing industry for ten years marketing scientific books and journals. Since having my first child in 2006, I turned my 20 year love of photography into a portrait photography business, Kim Binfield Photography. Having my own business allows me the flexibility to be home for my two girls most of the time. Creating an app, although not quite as momentous, was also transforming. I went into it knowing very little about the process and came out with a shiny, new app wrapped up in iPads and iPhones! For those of you out there who might be keen to create an app… here’s my story!

Creating an app was not a snap, and it was also not very quick. It was however a creative endeavor which resulted in a “tangible” product and it was an adventure of sorts as well! To reassure all those non-programmers out there (like myself), you don’t need to have technical programming skills to create your own app. All coding and programming work can be ‘outsourced’ and the process I followed, together with my husband, could be applied to any app idea you might be thinking up.

My husband and I, like so many others, fell in love with our iPhones and then our iPad. Plus we are always looking, or so it seems, to make our lives more full and more complicated so we thought – “Let’s make an app, that could be fun!” The question was what kind of app? Photography tutorials seemed like a natural for us with myself a photographer and my husband a fan of photography from before we met. Additionally, we met while working in the publishing industry so we both had some ideas of how to approach the project due to that experience. Granted our experience was publishing books and journals but we figured “publishing” an app would have its similarities.

We decided our app, Portrait Classroom: Baby and Child Photography Tutorials, would present 10 photography lessons, complete with detailed text, camera settings and ‘before and after’ example images. We thought of it as an ‘enhanced e-book’ which would contain all the information that anyone might need to start taking keepsake photos of their children with digital SLR cameras.

Here are some of the steps we took to create the app: First I selected photos from my portfolio and noted ideas for the lessons that would accompany them. Then we decided on the functionality of the app, how it would layout on the screen in both horizontal and vertical formats, what button styles to use and what they would do, what drop down menus to have, and so on. We sourced and purchased stock photos (from iStockPhoto.com) for some of the design elements within the app. With these functionality and design plans we prepared a “scope of work” document in Microsoft Word and mock-up screens in Photoshop that detailed our ideas for the app. Then we began to search for a developer to code and program the app for us. We provided prospective developers with our “scope of work” document and mock-ups to obtain estimates for the work to be done.

At the same time, we enrolled online for an individual iOS Developer Program with Apple. It is currently $99 per year and is what allows you to create and distribute apps through Apple’s app store. Through Apple, you set the price for your app and they take a 30% commission on each sale and handle all of the customer interaction and payments. Apple then sends you a monthly direct deposit of all sales collected less their 30% commission.

In the end between the iPad and iPhone versions of the app we worked with three different developers. Two were based locally in San Francisco. The third developer was found via ODesk.com (a site that matches people and businesses with developers seeking work) and was based inIndia. There were a lot of back and forth interactions with our developers including the exchange of text and image files, icon and background selections, font sizes, button sizes, scrolling effects, beta versions, testing, edits, more testing and so on.

Finally one happy day the text was finished, the handoff of content was complete, the programming was done, the final testing was complete and Portrait Classroom was ready to submit to Apple for approval. Again, our developers were able to do this step for us and once submitted we simply needed to wait a week or so while our app went through Apple’s online approval process and the approval light changed from yellow to green! It was finished and approved – our app was launched!

Since its launch, we’ve been enjoying positive feedback from the app and tracking its sales. Selling an app through Apple’s app store enables you to reach customers all over the globe which is also fascinating to track and observe. On a personal level, it has been rewarding to know that I am hopefully helping parents and caregivers to take photos of their little ones that they will hold close to their hearts. I already look back at the photos I took when my five and three-year-old girls were babies and I am so thankful for those images. There is nothing like becoming a parent and it is wonderful to have an artful and beautiful image that can rekindle those feelings like they were yesterday.

I am giving away one iPad version of the app and one iPhone version of the app to The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms readers. To enter, please leave a comment below and be sure to specify which version you would like.

For bonus entries:

• Like The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms on facebook
• Like Kim Binfield Photography + Portrait Classroom App on facebook
• Retweet this giveaway: ‘ Want to take better photos of your kids? There’s an App for that! #Win iPad/iPhone Portrait Classroom via @RookieMommy http://wp.me/pC8a1-2MM ’

Be sure to leave a separate comment below for each of your bonus entries

• Giveaway is open worldwide
• Winners will be drawn at random
• Giveaway closes February 17th, 2012

Kim Binfield

I am a mom of two girls and a portrait photographer in the San Francisco bay area.
See more about my app, Portrait Classroom, here: For iPad, For iPhone.
I also invite you to join my Facebook page at “Kim Binfield Photography + Portrait Classroom App” and I welcome any comments or questions you may have.

Lives can be saved by simply administering vaccines to children who are most vulnerable to life-threatening diseases like malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and polio. It’s that easy.

Mom Bloggers for Social Good have partnered with Shot at Life, a United Nations Foundation campaign that educates, connects and empowers Americans to champion vaccines as one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries.

To find out more visit Shot at Life.org

This new found Ecoawareness (yes, I just made that word up and it doesn’t spell check) has given me an introspective quality to take a look at my personal environmental footprint.  For some reason, the first place I looked was the potty….or lack thereof. After a wee (no pun intended) bit of research I was quickly appalled by the amount of diapers and wipes I threw away every time I change my little one. On average and relatively conservatively, I was tossing 6 -7 diapers per day and about 25 wipes. If I extrapolate out this to one year’s worth of hermetically sealed moistened wipey thingies and paper and gel disposable nappy doodads, I end up with a whopping 2520 diapers and 9100 wipes per year going to the landfill!!! To me this seems anti eco friendly but the sheer convenience and portability of these consumables makes it addicting to the average busy, overwhelmed and rushed parent.

So not very cool eco footprint for me personally but how does all this relate into a bigger picture? Not sure you will be glad you asked. After some online research I came up with the following stats:

• North American Disposable Diapers into landfills per year = 18 billion (yes that’s a “b”)
• This equates to 82,000 tons of plastic a year
• This equates to 1.3 million tons of wood pulp or 250,000 trees.
• Average lifespan of a diaper in a landfill = 275 years

So is there a better alternative? Of course there are tons of environmentally friendly alternatives to your average diaper. Will I let my son poo on the floor, I’m sure I won’t. Will I consider cloth diapers? Well……..maybe…..just maybe.

Let us know what you think?

But when we got the offer to review the new Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs interactive e-books from CCI Entertainment and Padworx Studions, I thought: Easy. I’ll leave it up to my kids. And this is what I got:

Bowser (4): ‘It’s great’

Pickle (7): ‘It’s good for little kids like Lewis, but a bit too easy for me.’

And try as hard as I might I couldn’t get any further useful comments out of them. So I guess I’ll have to pad the review myself after all otherwise it’s going to be very short and not very informative.

Today sees the launch in the Apple app store of the first in a series of interactive e-books based on the hugely popular TV show for preschoolers ‘Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs’. They are targeted towards preschoolers just beginning to read. This first story in the series titled ‘Uh Oh’ is the one we tried out.

Like most little ones Bowser loves getting his sticky fingers on the iPad. So I didn’t need to ask twice to come and ‘read a book’ with me. You have the choice of ‘Read Along, ‘Read Myself’ and ‘Read to Me’. We tried out all options, several times each – you know how long it takes kids to get bored of the same story.  It put me in the mind of a flap book or pop up book – the kind with the tabs you pull and something happens on the page. Kids love them, but a few too enthusiastic tugs and the moving parts don’t last long. On the interactive e-book your kids only have to tap the screen to get the pictures to move, the next part of the story narrated or the page to turn.

I have to ‘fess up and admit we don’t watch Harry in our house – just one of those programs that managed to bypass us when we were in Canada. Although according to Pickle it’s shown here in the UK on Milkshake TV. In a way I think this makes for a less biased review as it’s based on the quality of the story/app rather than the lure of the character – you certainly don’t have to be a fan of the show to enjoy the ebook.

I would never give up a good old-fashioned book myself (Kindle, pah!) or for my kids, but these are a fun alternative. There were a few giggles when Bowser and I first tried it out and he has asked to ‘play’ again several times. He does refer to it as a game rather than a book, but I think over time he would pay more attention to the words of the story being highlighted…I suspect he’s learning without realising. And isn’t that the best way to learn?!

We have a great Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs giveaway. One lucky reader will get a promo code for a free download of the interactive ebook from iTunes, plus an exciting Harry merchandise pack of books and DVDs.

To enter the giveaway, tell us in a comment below the name of one of Harry’s dinosaur buddies.

For bonus entries:

• Like The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms on facebook
• Follow @HarryBucketDino on Twitter
• Retweet this giveaway: ‘ Interact with ‘Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs’ with a prize pack of books, DVDs and ebook app via @RookieMommy http://wp.me/pC8a1-2Mm ’

Please be sure to leave a separate comment below for each of your bonus entries.

• Giveaway is open to residents of Canada and USA
• Winner will be drawn at random
• Giveaway closes February 13th, 2012

Teeth malformations:
According to the American Dental Association, prolonged thumb-sucking can cause a child to develop dental problems. Thumb-sucking can cause a child’s teeth to become improperly aligned (malocclusion) or push the teeth outward, sometimes malforming the roof (upper palate) of the mouth. Malocclusion usually corrects itself when the child stops thumb-sucking. But the longer thumb-sucking continues, the more likely it is that orthodontic treatment will be needed to correct any resulting dental problems.

Although thumb sucking is a normal habit in infants, it causes serious teeth problems if it continues long after the eruption of permanent teeth. The problem gets more serious if it continues after the age of four or five.

Speech problems and other problems:
A child may also develop speech problems, including mispronouncing Ts and Ds, lisping, and thrusting out the tongue when talking.

Other undesirable effects can include problems with jaw movements, narrowing of the cheek bones due to the contractions of the cheek muscles, ulcerations beneath the tongue, and root resorption. More commonly, the thumb may develop calluses or an irritant eczema, and the digit itself may become deformed.

Germs spreading:
Another reason you want your child to break the thumb sucking habit sooner than later is that is easy to spread germs on a wet thumb or finger. With the onset of flu season and other bacteria living in our world, it is good to keep hands washed and dry. Thumb sucking can easily spread germs from counters and floors or any surface the child has touched with their thumb/finger and then put to their mouth.

Try and keep your child’s thumb as dry as possible so as to lessen the chances of infections or other bad bacteria. Talk to your child how germs are spread and how thumb sucking can spread germs. With the flu season approaching and swine flu getting lots of attention, stopping thumb sucking can be a good thing and may lessen the spread of germs through stopping the thumb sucking habit.

Social challenges:
According to Steven Parker, Barry S. Zuckerman, and Marilyn Augustyn who wrote Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: A Handbook for Primary Care, “thumb sucking can contribute to impaired parental and peer relationships. It is often viewed as immature and socially undesirable. Parents and peers may criticize, tease, or punish a child for engaging in thumb sucking. These reactions may in turn, adversely affect a child’s self esteem.”

Treatment:
Usually, treatment can be done at home and includes parents setting rules and providing distractions. It may be helpful to limit the times and places that your child is allowed to suck his or her thumb and to put away blankets or other item your child associates with thumb-sucking. Offering praise and rewards for not thumb-sucking may also help your child break the habit.

Parents usually start to worry too early, about how to stop thumb sucking habit of their children. It is advised that you do not try to make a child to stop thumb sucking before the age of three (unless you notice a problem to teeth due to vigorous thumb sucking) because it might have the opposite results. Here are some tips:

• Keep the child’s hands occupied with a toy, puzzle or other activity.
• Carefully remove your child’s thumb from his or her mouth during sleep.  
• Give the example of his friends that have managed to stop thumb sucking.  
• Don’t put the child in a state of anxiety or fear. If the child has any emotional problems, or is under stress and needs comforting, you may need to resolve those issues first before your child can successfully stop thumb-sucking.  
• Talk about the ‘bad’ germs that are on our hands and how the child puts them in his or her mouth while thumb sucking.  
• Avoid punishing or shaming the child.  
• Reward the child for not thumb sucking for a progressively increasing time period.  
• Ask the advice of a pediatric dentist. He will explain to your kid what will happen to the teeth if the child does not stop sucking its thumb.
• Introduce Thumbuddy To Love® to your child

Thumbuddy To Love^® addresses all of the above issues:

1. Thumbuddy To Love keeps a child occupied.
2. Thumbuddy can be worn to bed so it encourages them not to suck.
3. Thumbuddy To Love teaches the importance of stopping thumb sucking and growing up to be a big girl or boy.
4. Thumbuddy To Love is a positive teaching tool for parents, teachers and children.
5. Thumbuddy To Love lessons the anxiety by making it fun to stop.
6. Thumbuddy To Love books give the example of friends and heroes who have stopped.
7. Thumbuddy To Love avoids shaming or punishing a child by not using thumb guards or thumb polish which has chemicals in it.
8. Thumbuddy To Love rewards a child with a success calendar in the back of the book and keeps them motivated and positive so that they can quit.
9. Thumbuddy To Love is recommended by Dentists and Pediatricians.
10. Thumbuddy To Love received the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award. You can order Thumbuddy To Love at thumbuddytolove.com or on Amazon.

Andrea Van Ness

Andrea Wulfing Van Ness founded Thumbuddy To Love™ in Boulder, Colorado because she noticed the lack of positive teaching tools to help stop thumb sucking without the use of thumb guards or awful tasting nail polish (Malava Stop) which is full of chemicals. She wanted to help kids with their thumb sucking problem before they have to get braces to save their teeth.

We have a Thumbuddy set to give away to one lucky reader. Your choice of Fireman Fred, Ballerina Sue or The Binky Fairy (for pacifier suckers) thumb puppet and illustrated story book with a success chart to help stop thumb sucking. To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us your thoughts on the Thumbuddies.

For bonus entries:

• Like The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms on facebook
• Like Thumbuddy to Love on facebook
• Follow ThumbuddyToLove on Twitter
• Retweet this giveaway : ‘ Help your child give up thumb sucking the positive way with @ThumbuddyToLove #giveaway via @RookieMommy http://wp.me/pC8a1-2Kq ‘

Please be sure to leave a separate comment below for each of your bonus entries.

• Giveaway is open to US and Canada
• Winner will be drawn at random
• Winner can choose one of the Thumbuddy crew: Fireman Fred, Ballerina Sue or The Binky Fairy
• Giveaway closes February 10th, 2012

This latest story is told from the perspective of the Buddies’ newest friend, a mischievous Egyptian monkey named Babi. In a race against a devious cat, the Buddies and their new friends, Babi and a baby camel called Cammy, must avoid booby traps, solve puzzles and explore a mysterious tomb – all in search of the greatest treasure known to animalkind: the lost necklace of Cleocatra.

We’ve got 3 Treasure Buddies Combo Packs (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)RRP $32.99 to give away courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Canada.

To enter, simply tell us in a comment below the name of one of the Buddies crew.

For bonus entries:

• Like The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms on facebook
• Like Walt Disney Studios Canada on facebook
• Retweet this giveaway ‘ The Buddies are back in a new adventure. Win a Treasure Buddies DVD Combo pack via @RookieMommy http://wp.me/pC8a1-2JE ’

Please be sure to leave a separate comment below for each of your bonus entries.

• Giveaway is open to Canadian residents only (excluding Quebec)
• 3 winners will be drawn at random
• Giveaway closes Friday February 3rd, 2012

You could bury it. Some families choose to commemorate the birth and celebrate the placenta by burying it beside an existing tree or under a new tree or plant. It fertilizes the tree making a symbol of life. Quite tasteful and as a plus point once it’s buried you can’t see the placenta.
This is a popular custom in many African cultures. Navajo Indians bury the placenta within the sacred four corners of the tribe’s reservation as a binder to ancestral land and people. The Navajos also bury objects with it to signify the profession they hope the child will pursue.

You could burn it. After I was born at home it took my dad by surprise when the midwife presented him with a package and said “you’ll need to burn this in the garden”. The midwife didn’t want it – by the end of a busy day she’d be ferrying around a carful of placentas and trailing a string of excited dogs in her wake. Not being prepared, it took my dad quite some time searching out enough wood to make a reasonable bonfire. After my brother was born 5 years later knowing ‘What to Expect’ he had his fire all prepared ahead of time.
In some countries, South America and Korea for example the placenta is burned after birth to neutralize it. The ashes can be kept and used as medicine for the child when it is ill.

Before you bury/burn it you could embark upon a few placenta art projects. Try a placenta print (prettier than you might think for a picture drawn in blood) or make a charm out of the plaited cord in the shape of a heart and put it in your window – should scare away the door-to-door salesmen, and anyone else for that matter.
In many cultures it is a popular custom to keep the umbilical cord as a kind of good luck charm to protect the child. In India and Mexico, the cord is placed around the child’s neck, while in Turkey it is kept in the house. Among Plains Indians, an infant’s dried umbilical cord is placed in a small beaded pouch and when hung from the headboard of the cradle becomes the baby’s first toy.

You could eat it. Eating the placenta is known as placentophagy. Many animals eat their placenta to get nutrition – but when people are already well-nourished, there is no benefit say medical experts. However, many believe that because the organ is rich in minerals and vitamins, particularly B6, it has various health benefits to the postpartum mom including reduced risk of post-natal depression and reduced haemorrhaging.
There are many ways to prepare it. Basically, treat it like beef or kidney and the choice is yours: roast placenta, placenta lasagne and placenta bolognaise, placenta meatloaf, placenta Wellington, placenta jerky and (gag) placenta tartare, which preserves the greatest amount of the placenta’s nutritional content. However you cook it, be sure to remove the membranes and umbilical cord first! Famous placenta aficionado Tom Cruise says placenta “reminds him of veal, but with a springier texture like heart” and even knew which wines to serve with a placenta meal. For example with his favourite placenta meatloaf he suggests you serve smoky wines such as Barolo or Barbaresco. One wonders just how many placentas Tom has tucked into given that he only has one child.

You could have it made it into placenta capsules – it lasts longer. One placenta makes 90-140 capsules if you steam and dehydrate it then grind into a powder and encapsulate it. For thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine has recognized the placenta as a life-giving force. The powder is sprinkled on meals as it is believed it will increase a person’s energy and vitality, increase milk supply, settle hormones after birth and avoid postpartum depression.

You could even drink it. Whizz placenta chunks, a few berries and a banana in the food processer and you have a delicious placenta smoothie. Oh yes, that does sound appetising!

You could have a placenta party. Now here’s where it gets complicated. While you, or your husband, may not have a problem eating your own meat, it takes a special group of friends to want to indulge – you might find some have recently turned vegetarian after you send out the invites. It’s something I only associate with Hannibal Lecter and the plane crash survivors in ‘Alive’.
Anyway, if you’re going for it…decorate your room with your placenta prints and hang your umbilical cord charm on the door to welcome your guests. For the best wine to accompany your placenta pâté starter and main course of placenta hotpot consult Mr. Cruise. Follow up the meal with a placenta smoothie dessert and send your guests on their way with a strand of dried umbilical cord as a keepsake.

So what did you do with your placenta? Would love to hear any interesting stories. Do share (just the story – keep your placenta jerky to yourselves).

Say you and your baby mutually understand each other – you decide to stop breastfeeding. But the question remains … how do you stop breastfeeding? And how do you introduce weaning to your child?

The pace you need to wean from breastfeeding depends on how fast or how slow your child wants it. The ways to stop it however, will completely come from you. Then you will wait for the child to either accept it or reject it.

But before anything else, here are ways you shouldn’t do it, as this will possibly affect you physically and your child emotionally (contrary to what other people may say):

Medication. Some well-meaning friends may advise you to take “milk drying-up” medication to abruptly eliminate your milk production. These drugs may have possible adverse effects, inhibiting you from producing milk ever again. These may also lead to mastitis (inflammation of the breasts) as the milk ducts will be blocked, giving the remaining milk in the duct to calcify and may give you pain ranging from moderate to severe.

Weaning by separation. This has been recommended by our elders, saying that this will be good for the child and when mommy returns after a week, the child will completely forget about breastfeeding. This is definitely not good for the child as it will cause a negative emotional impact and may see that his/her mother has abandoned him/her. Plus, the child will not forget about breastfeeding; it will only complicate things. If the mom comes back, the child will possibly become clingy, believing that mommy may just up and go again.

“Sabotaging” breast milk. The most common way for this would be to put something on the nipple (either an herb, something bitter, something sour, or chili pepper). The notion is for the baby to dislike what he/she tastes, thereby making weaning much easier. Again, this would have an emotional effect on the baby. Not only that, it might cause the baby to suffer from serious abdominal harm (since we really shouldn’t be introducing strong substances to a baby just yet).

Bind the breasts. Binding the breasts was said to help stop milk production. But it also puts you at risk again, for mastitis and clogged milk ducts. When the trapped milk calcifies, it would most likely cause you pain.

What you should do is…

• Gradually move baby from breast to bottle. Cut one feeding at a time. If you’re doing 5 feedings a day, cut it down to 4. If done slowly, your milk production slowly decreases as well, giving your body ample time to respond to the lessening milk need.
• If the baby is having trouble accepting formula milk, try expressing your milk and combine it with the formula milk. Slowly but surely, your baby will begin to accept the milk as you also lessen the expressed milk over time.
• If you are having engorged breasts and feeling a little pain, try to take a hot shower. In this way, the breasts will leak out the excess milk. If a shower is not possible, try to express a little of the milk via pump or hand. Taking out just a little milk will cause milk production to decrease little by little, gradually making your body adjust.
• If you’re still smarting from the pain, try putting cold compress on your breasts. Chilled cabbage leaves are said to bring comfort to the breasts at the same time releasing an enzyme that helps in stopping lactation.

Stopping breastfeeding is not an overnight process. It takes time for you and your little one to get used to.

Wendi Blaire

Being a mom and seeing first-hand how the weaning question should be seriously addressed, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I decided to write about it. Using what I had learned from my own experience, the extensive research I had made on the subject, countless interviews with doctors, doulas and lactation consultants and with moms who have weaned their babies at different ages, I am pleased to present to you the product of my work. For more information, please refer to my website: http://www.byebyebreastfeeding.com/

Giveaway!!!

If you are looking for more tips like this on how to gently wean your baby from breastfeeding, check out Wendi Blaire’s Hello Milk, Bye-Bye Milk: An Expert Mom’s Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding and Weaning. Her ebook answers all of your questions on weaning such as how to express milk, how to spot signs of readiness for solid foods, and how to address your own problems associated with weaning such as engorgement and breast pain.

You can win a copy of Wendi’s ebook here. To enter simply leave a comment below.

For bonus entries:

• Like The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms on facebook
• RT this giveaway: ‘ Tips on how to gently wean your baby from breastfeeding, #Win Wendi Blaire’s “Hello Milk:Bye Bye Milk” via @RookieMommy http://wp.me/pC8a1-2IT ’

Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each bonus entry.

• Giveaway is open worldwide
• Winner will be drawn at random
• Giveaway closes February 3rd, 2012

My kids are 4 and 7 years old. Overall they are generally helpful children. As with all young kids they are more focused on playing games and doing crafts rather than helping mommy clear the table after dinner. I have recently been trying to teach them to contribute to our family meals by removing their plates from the dinner table and taking them to the sink. Normally this activity is followed by the crashing of a fork on the floor and left over pieces of dinner falling off the plates. While cute and a learning for them, this actually makes my clean up job way more extensive….but, it’s the thought that counts….right

Sometimes the unexpected delight does occur. This past Saturday I was hosting a dinner party for my family.  All of the adults had finished their dinner and we were all sitting around the table chatting.  All of a sudden my daughter started to clear the dinner table (and NOT just her own plate….but everyone’s plates). Both my husband and I gave my daughter approving words for taking the initiative, which prompted my son to join in and help my daughter. Between the two of them, they cleared the entire dinner table, placemats, serving platters, wine glasses and all. I was very happy but also wondered what type of awful mess would be left for me in the kitchen. So, I poured myself another glass of wine and decided to tackle that job later on.

Now, up to this point I was very impressed with both my daughter and my son. They could have stopped at this point and went to their rooms to play. However, the true surprise was when I finally got up the courage to walk into the kitchen and found that my daughter had rinsed all the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, had put saran wrap on all the left-over food and put it in the fridge and she had wiped down the counters.

I have to say, I almost fainted.  I admit that I didn’t think my daughter had it in her to tackle such a large job. I didn’t know she even knew where the saran wrap was let alone what it’s used for. When I turned to one of my dinner guests to profess my amazement she said something that will stick with me forever. She said “obviously your daughter watches you very closely and she knew exactly what to do”.  It was at that moment that I realized how closely my daughter must watch me when I am not paying attention.

So, for all you veteran moms out there…what I learned is that it is the smallest acts that can surprise you the most when it comes to your children. And for all you Rookie Moms out there….be aware of how you act as your child will mimic you when you least expect it, for the good or the worse.

Kids learn 80% through their vision. And it’s not suprising that nothing stimulates a toddler’s vision better than a toy. 

Parents often wonder what type of toys are best to buy for their babies and young children. Here are some suggestions from www.allaboutvision.com

Birth to 12 months
Brightly colored mobiles (make sure the colors and detail on the mobile pieces face down to the child, not up to the parent), rattles, balls, stuffed animals, activity gyms, blocks, stacking/nesting toys, pouring toys (such as measuring cups).

1-year-olds
Finger paints, modeling clay, board books, balls, stuffed animals, blocks, stacking/nesting toys, pouring toys (such as measuring cups), riding toys, puzzles, shape sorters, musical toys.

2-year-olds
Finger paints, modeling clay, chalkboard and chalk, felt board and felt pieces, board books as well as standard books, balls, stuffed animals, stacking/nesting toys, pouring toys (such as measuring cups), riding toys, puzzles, shape sorters, musical toys, swings, dress-up clothes, child-sized household toys and items (broom, vacuum, rake, lawn mower), toy typewriter or cash register, child-sized kitchen area (refrigerator, stove, sink, cupboard, table and chairs), sandbox, kiddie pool, toddler tape player, stringing beads, sewing toys, magnetic letters, climbing toys (such as backyard gyms or playscapes).

3- to 6-year-olds
Large crayons, large markers, finger paints, modeling clay, chalkboard and chalk, felt board and felt pieces, doctor/nurse kit, books, balls, stuffed animals, tricycle or bicycle, puzzles, musical toys, swings, dress-up clothes, child-sized household toys and items (broom, vacuum, rake, lawn mower), toy typewriter or cash register, child-sized kitchen area (refrigerator, stove, sink, cupboard, table and chairs), sandbox, kiddie pool, child tape player, stringing beads, sewing toys, magnetic letters, climbing toys (such as backyard gyms or playscapes), toy computer or computer games, toy camera with film, basketball set, board games, roller skates.

Toys to Avoid
Toys to avoid at any age would be those that shoot objects in the air such as slingshots, dart guns or arrows. World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H.) has published its ‘2011 10 worst toys‘ list. The two that we recommend to avoid are “Gigan” Godzilla from Bandai and Jack Sparrow action figure from Jakks Pacific. “Gigan” has pointed fins, wings and knife like attachements that may poke a child’s eye with these sharp protrusions. The Jack Sparrow also has a 4.5 inche pointy sword of rigid plastic and may also be a concern for parents.

Dr. Jessica Chang

Dr. Jessica Chang was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biology, at the University of British Columbia. She then continued her studies at Pacific University to complete her Doctorate of Optometry degree. Her areas of special interest include pediatrics, contact lens fittings, and ocular disease. Jessica also has a passion for international eyecare and has volunteered in Ghana and Guatemala. See her at her day job at Avenue Eyecare, W41st in Vancouver