Tara0702's Profile

They are all very pretty, but I love the natural feel of the stick and origami birds. Also, you have to remember that your baby will be looking up at the mobile from below. The fabric circles and paint sticks both look great from an adult's perspective in the room, but your baby would end up looking mostly at the flat, narrow ends of either one. I think the birds' outstretched wings and the stick would make the most interesting view for a baby lying underneath.

I also think that the calming colours would set the right tone if it is going to be over a crib. Colourful, high-contrast mobiles are great for stimulation, but I'm not sure if they make the most sense if you are going to hang the mobile over the crib...

One thing I thought I could do without was a nursing pillow, but when I received one as a gift a few weeks in, it was a life saver! I tried all sorts of pillows I had at home, thinking they would do just fine, but found I could never get things set up just right. Maybe it was a bigger deal because I was recovering from a c-section, too. I definitely had my challenges with breastfeeding in the beginning, but the nursing pillow made things SO much easier.

@JudiAU With the French Immersion schools where I live, most children's parents speak only English. In school, the children are taught only in French from kindergarten until grade 3, at which time they do start taking English as well. Research has found that the students catch up to - and in many cases, even surpass - their English learning peers in regards to their English skills (reading & writing) within a couple of years. They are considered to be fully bilingual by the time they finish high school. I'm not sure if the same success would be achieved with a nanny, but I have my questions about the detriments.

The French Immersion schools here are very common. Our city population is under 200,000, and there are 9 elementary schools and 3 high schools offering French Immersion.

I've been following Mariah's blog for awhile now and am currently waiting for her book to arrive in the mail. I am an early childhood educator and can't wait to get some of these activities started in my classroom!

From the sound of it, I think you're doing things exactly right. It's great for young kids to be exposed to a variety of books and have the opportunity to experience books on their own, but these goals don't have to be acheived at the same time. Give them variety with the library books you read to them, and let them handle (and damage!) their own books - which it sounds like you're doing. Just invest in lots of clear packing tape :)

As a mom and early childhood educator, I know that we parents are always looking forward to our children reaching that "next level" of independence. But sometimes they just aren't developmentally ready, and so we do what we can with where they are at.

I LOVE this! Where The Wild Things Are is one of my absolute favourite kids' books, and this party looks like it completely did the book justice :) My favourite part is the cardboard boat - so simple, rustic, and imaginative!

I think a fence and/or constant supervision are the only way to go. At that age, things can go terribly wrong if you even turn your back for a second. It sounds like a GREAT opportunity for them to explore nature, but I would always be within arm's reach :)

I completely agree with Christi B and stickyricemama. I don't think kids need their own tools, but the thought of preschoolers wielding sharp knives is pretty scary no matter how much supervision is involved. There is a balance here. Little ones can stick to stirring, pouring and measuring, and we can teach them to chop, peel and grate once they have the necessary maturity and fine motor control.

Hairspray takes permanent marker off of a dry erase board - not sure if it would work for countertop, but probably worth a try! Just spray, scrub with a cloth, and then wash with lots of soapy water.

I don't think this is a good set-up, but I don't think people need to be so harsh about it either. Obviously these parents are not intentionally endangering their child, we all make mistakes.

And no, I don't think this is grounds for child protection to remove their children. No, kids in "the projects" do not have better sleeping arrangements than this. (I've worked with kids in a rough neighborhood, so I do know.) I think it is inconsiderate and hurtful for people to make such overly dramatic statements.

All that being said, I would suggest that a different sleeping arrangement should be made because there are some significant safety concerns here. If the older two really can't share a room, maybe baby could move into your room? Just another aside, those crib bumpers are cute, but could be used by a toddler to climb over the crib rails.

Please know that there are reasonable people out here who understand that you are not trying to harm your child, even if you maybe do need to rethink some choices!