Learning to be a safer parent

by Amy We ventured out in the wind today to join a small group of folks at Anna Belanger and Associates to take part in Amanda DeGrace’s Safe Parent course. The class takes place on the lower floor of the building in a warm, comfortable area with couches and rockers for those of us who happened to have our little ones with us. Joe and I brought Maggie with us and another woman had her 10-week old with her.

I had met Amanda before at some of the Kids in the Capital Tuesday meet-ups, I liked her immediately and this class is a wonderful forum for her. She shares experience and knowledge in a very clear way. She explained that she had designed the Safe Parent class to benefit parents and caretakers who might not have enough time to take a full first aid course for certification but who want to have some of the skills to help those they take care of in case something bad happens.

During the four hours Amanda went over what do when an infant or child is choking, how to perform CPR, what to do in case of cuts, seizures, burns, and more. She repeated the important points over and over again to drill them into our memories and she quizzed us.

The most important thing Amanda told us throughout the day was that if you forget something or miss a step, don’t panic – doing something is always better than doing nothing, and that if all you remember to do is call 911, you’ve done something to help this person.

The class was informative and made me feel better about being in an emergency situation with my daughter or another child and knowing a bit more about signs to look for and what to expect to see in certain situations. It was a nice environment with not too many people. We spent our breaks talking about our experiences with young children.

It was a good way to spend our afternoon and I would definitely recommend the Safe Parent course to others with little ones in their lives.

Amanda is offering all Kids in the Capital readers 30% off the Safe Parent course.  The discount will be accepted until December 31, 2010.

Amy is mom to 8-month-old Maggie and a 4 year old schnauzer named Henry. You can read her blog at amyboughner.ca where she writes about motherhood and anything else that’s on her mind.

Picture Perfect Holiday Photos: Second Installment

by Carly

I've always enjoyed being behind the camera much more than being in front of it.  Which is why I happily oo'ed and ah'ed over the family photos tucked into the beautiful Christmas cards we received over the years, but never reciprocated with one of our own.  Then the Little Man was born and my obsession with photography morphed into high gear.

The thought of having to book an appointment for a formal portrait, even if it was only at the local grocery store didn't sit well with me.  Likely because Jake had horrible reflux until he was over a year old and the odds that he wouldn't spit up projectile vomit on the chosen outfit before we even left the house were about as good as our chances of winning the lottery.

So while Jake took an unexpected nap one bright and sunny November day, I set the scene in our south-facing kitchen.  I hung a soft white blanket from the pantry cupboards, draping it over the kitchen table I had moved directly in front of the patio doors.  With the curtains wide open, letting in that gorgeous natural light, I carefully propped Jake up on some pillows tucked under the blanket and snapped away.

Back then I had only a film camera to work with and I shot about three rolls of film to ensure I got at least one good photo.  Not long after that we splurged on a good digital SLR and the Little Man learned to recognize Mommy by the black thing in front of her face.

Over the years I've repeated the process in various bedrooms - going wherever the natural light was best, hanging backdrops from headboards and even taping blankets or sheets to the walls with painters tape.  I've gotten great results using both the fancy-schmancy camera and the regular point and shoot types.

So, if you would like to take your own photos for your holiday cards, I humbly offer the following very amateur-ish advice:

1. Take photos in natural light without using the flash.
2. Take a lot of photos.
3. For at least some of your shots, get in closer to your subject, letting them fill the frame, rather than the background.

As far as locations go, some of my favourites include:

1. South-facing kitchens and bedrooms.
2. Rockcliffe Park.
3. Anywhere in the country.
4. The backyard.
5. Gatineau Park, Mud Lake and the Byward Market.
6. Staircases.

Happy snapping!

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband and her 4 year old son, Jacob.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Game On: Dance Central

by Maranda This post is part of a new monthly series about gaming for and with kids.  Consider it A Mom’s Opinion on Gaming.

Game:  Dance Central Platform:  Xbox 360 with Kinect Players: 1-2 Rating: Teen (for song lyrics)

Dance Central is one of the launch titles for Xbox 360’s new Kinect motion controller.  It’s from the makers of Rock Band and follows a similar formula, only this time instead of matching notes on a plastic guitar, you’re using the Kinect’s full body motion control to match dance moves.  Unlike dance video games of the past, there are no controllers to hold or mats to jump on.  The Kinect’s camera capture every aspect of your movements and your score is based on your ability to mirror the on-screen dancer from head to toe.

Thankfully no real dancing skills are required, and your on-screen avatar always looks great no matter what you do.  Unlike music games, there is no failing and all 32 songs are unlocked from the beginning.  The tracks cover several decades of material and there are three levels of difficulty, making this a great game for the whole family. [But note the game is rated Teen due to a few song lyrics]

My 11 year old son and I in particular have been really enjoying Dance Central, including the Dance Battle mode which allows two players to swap in and out and each dance at their own difficulty level.  I love that he's being introduced to some new music, and he even had his guitar instructor teach him "Funkytown" after dancing to it in-game.

Personally, I love the addition of the “workout mode” which gives you an approximation of calories burned for each song.  This makes Dance Central a nice alternative to traditional workouts, and trust me, you will work up a sweat!

Dance Central is super polished and the Kinect controller works solidly.  I plan on making it a part of our regular family gaming sessions, and also a part of my winter workout routine.

Maranda is a mom of four who loves games as much as her kids do and believes the best part of parenting is having someone to play with. She blogs about parenting, techonology and practical-yet-wholesome cooking at MomIcon – adventures of a mom, geek, gamer. Her Xbox Live Gamertag is HotelQueen.

Don’t forget to brush your teeth!

by Joanne I don’t know about your kids but my kids love candy and Halloween means that since the 31st  they have eaten lots of it!    I try to limit the amount of candy that they eat but I still find wrappers that they hid when they were snacking on some “unapproved” chocolate bars.  The only thing that I am thankful for is that they both love to brush their teeth and love to go to the dentist.   This amazes me…. I hated the dentist as a child, hated the smell of his office and the sound of his drill.  I am thrilled that I did not pass on my fear to my children!  This is thanks to my amazing dentist.

When my kids were little I was unsure when to begin to take them in for their first cleaning.  My dentist would encourage me to take them with me to my appointments so they could get used to the sound of the office and see that going to the dentist is painless and important.

So, that is what I did.  I would bring my daughter with me to my checkups and she would sit and watch from her stroller eating her cheerios or looking at a book.    When she was about 3, she went for her first cleaning – nothing more than the dentist counting her teeth and giving them a gentle brush.  My son beside her in the stroller – taking it all in!

When it was his turn for his first cleaning he was so excited.  It was finally his turn to get onto that chair and have his teeth counted and cleaned - his turn to wear the great glasses and to get a new toothbrush, a sticker and a prize.

Here is with his Baby Dino ready for the cleaning by the hygienist.  He did amazing.  He was a big boy now and the Dentist explained to him the importance of tooth brushing and keeping your teeth clean.  She also told him that we were doing a great job of keeping his teeth pearly white!

Sometimes I wonder why I was so scared of the dentist.  I think it may have been the sound of the drill and the other children crying as they exited his office that freaked me out!  My current dentist has a small practice with just 2 hygienists.  You rarely hear a lot of drilling and I have never seen a child leave crying.   It is a family friendly environment with a kid’s cave where they can sit and wait for their appointment.

In my area, there seems to be a dental office everywhere you look so take the time to speak with them when you are looking for a dentist for your family – see what kind of environment they have for kids some even specialized in Pediatric Dentistry.  Also, you can visit the website of The Canadian Dental Association for a wealth of information about taking your child to the dentist for the first time.

I am glad we took the time to find a family dentist who has created an environment where my kids are excited about their check ups.  Me on the other hand… still get nervous before I go but if my 8 and 5 year olds can do it so can I!

Joanne the proud mom of Amélie (8 years old) and Mathieu (5 years).  She is new at blogging and you can find her at Our Money Pit.

A Monkey Rock Birthday

By Vicky We're big fans of Monkey Rock Music, having done two back to back sessions with John this year. It seemed like the perfect thing to do for Joel's 4th birthday party! While bringing in a performer does still incur a fair cost, it was definitely less expensive than a lot of the birthday venue options we explored. Plus I like the convenience of staying home for birthday parties, and not having to bring decorations, food, and a cake with me.

John arrived at 10:30 wearing a pirate hat (did I forget to tell the guests to dress up too? oops!) his guitar swung over his shoulder, and the big bag of instruments in hand. The kids sat in a circle in the basement as he went around learning everyone's names. As a teacher, I was amazed that he remembered them all! It's hard to do!

We sang all of Joel's favourites: Shark Attack, Hurry Hurry Firetruck, Itsy Bitsy spider, Old Macdonald had a zoo. We danced the Hokey Pokey. We made our own beats with instruments. We played under a parachute.

It was a great party, and everyone loved John. As I tucked Joel in bed I asked him if he had a good birthday, he nodded. I asked him what was his favourite part of the day? He said 'When John gave me a monkey just for me because it's MY birthday. That was my favourite part.'

For more information about Monkey Rock Music birthday parties or classes visit www.monkeyrockmusic.com.

Vicky is the mom to 4 year old son named Joel and 17 month old daughter named Mieka. You can read her blog at blog Some Kind of Wondermom.