Tag Archives: Tanya Franklin

A Chip Out the Big Bowl: Toddlers, Parties and Healthy Foods Don’t Mix!

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2015-03-21 19.39.07Getting a toddler to eat healthy foods is so tricky, especially when attending a party. Yesterday, my family attended my aunt’s 60th birthday celebration dinner, and my daughter could not resist reaching for a cupcake and then reaching for the bowl of chips, pretzels or any other goodies on the table. What’s interesting is that she has only had cake three times in her 22 months of life, once for her birthday, once at a birthday party and then for my birthday. Also, she’s only had veggie chips but somehow knew that she’d like the less healthier Herr’s original option. How is it that children naturally have not just a sweet tooth but a hankering for junk food? Yes, I’m one of those, “It’s got to be healthy; are there any nutrients!” or “It’s got to be organic” moms, and it is getting tougher and tougher to keep Quinn on board. My family thought it was absolutely hilarious when Quinn just kept sneakily coming back to the table to grab chips and pretzels or even reach for another cupcake. This was one battle I just was not going to win. I’m just hoping she’ll still be willing to eat her veggie chips now that she’s gotten a taste of what she probably considers to be the good stuff!

All the best,

Tanya

PS. My sister suggested that I write about this incident on my blog as she, my cousins, aunts and uncles laughed as Quinn went back for chip after chip, so here it is!

Toddler Adventures: Casting a Fun Shadow

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Quinn's Swing Shadow

Quinn’s Pointing to the Tree Shadow

There are so many wonderful experiences involved with having a toddler. One of them is the ability to experience somewhat of a second childhood through them . As adults, we tend to get so caught up in the “important” tasks of life and just don’t have time to truly appreciate our surroundings or take  the daily occurrences of life for granted. Thankfully, my little girl slows me down, helps me to reminisce and take pleasure in those childhood moments of wonderment. Since she was about sixteen months or so, Quinn has become fascinated with her shadow. Her face will light up as she points to it and says, “Shadow!.” She’ll jump around, giggle and run to see if it is moving with her. Last week, we had a lovely March day, and she was able to go outside and get in the swing. She then noticed her shadow was much larger than usual and that the tree had a shadow too. My little girl became so excited, pointed to it saying, “Tree shadow!” I just had to take her picture as I recalled how I loved looking at my shadow and the shadows of other objects to see how big or small they would get throughout the course of the day. I can’t wait to do shadow puppets and animals with her.  Even one of my favorite poems that I teach in my Children’s Literature class is called “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson. I hope it will be one of hers too. Here’s the poem below:

My Shadow

Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850 – 1894
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Source: The Golden Book of Poetry (1947)

All the best,

Tanya

My Little Girl Can Count!

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2015-02-09 09.57.272015-02-09 09.56.45With just a little under two more months to go before my little girl is two, she’s been showing more and more of an interest in numbers. A few months ago, I was blown away with Quinn’s ability to recognize numbers one through ten. Lately, she has been not just reciting her numbers but using her fingers which is an indication that she is already beginning to grasp the concept of counting. Since Quinn is being educated at home, I’ve been using countless resources to help with her intellectual development. Out of the many resources, one that my daughter really loves is the items in a can that I purchased from Amazon: Learning Resources One to Ten Counting Cans.

At the start of each week, she knows we will be opening up a new can and will jump up and down with excitement as I grab it from the shelf. Before she opens the can, she’ll look at the number on the can and shout it out. Then she can barely contain herself as she pops open the lid and empties out the contents. Usually, she will observe me as I count and will repeat after me, but a few days ago she starting counting the pineapples, which look so realistic, all by herself (Of course when I began to film her, she got camera shy). I highly recommend this resource not just for parents of stay-at-home children but for any parent looking for a fun and engaging way to help their toddler learn numbers and how to count.

All the best,

Tanya

50 Shades: The Complexities of Learning Colors Toddler Style 

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Quinn Pointing at the Black Bear

Quinn Pointing at the Black Bear

In life, everything is not black and white; there are different shades of gray. Who hasn’t heard that cliche statement or some variation of it? Even a toddler who is eager to learn and explore her surroundings quickly becomes aware of what this means, even is she cannot articulate it, when familiarizing herself with the concept of colors. My little girl, who will be 22 months in two days, does not go day care but has daily number, alphabet, color and critical thinking lessons taught by her father or me, which she enjoys. While learning her numbers and even counting to ten and knowing all of her letters and some shapes too are some skills she mastered months ago, the colors, those countless shades of colors, are taking a bit longer.

Initially, I was concerned that she only recognized about four colors consistently, the primary colors (red, yellow and blue) and purple (we’ve been working a lot with purple). Then it occurred to me (and after doing a little research) that most children do not master the basic colors until around age three. Also, the intricacies involving the many shades of colors can be quite overwhelming. While I try to use items that are “true or basic colors,” we come across so many different shades of the same color in our day to day activities that make learning colors one convoluted task. Why must there be so many shades of the same color? Yes, this comes in handy when picking that “perfect” shade of paint for a living space. But try explaining to a toddler that blue is not just blue. There is light blue, sky blue, royal blue, navy blue, etc. What about those colors that are a cross between two? My daughter has a bath time toy that is a fuchsia shade, which is a cross between purple and pink. How can a toddler, let alone an adult, grasp the concept of colors when there are so many different shades and mixtures?

Presently, we do a color of the week. Quinn and I will wear the color throughout the course of the week. We will have a treasure hunt and find objects around the house in that particular color and sing silly songs about the color. Some of the activities will involve making and playing with play dough in the color of the week and coloring pictures with the color of the week.

While I drive my self nuts trying to make this learning process fun and less confusing for my daughter, I find that I just might be making it more overwhelming than it needs to be for me. Then I must remind myself that a benefit my daughter has is that her brain is absorbing far more and building many more new connections than my adult brain is today. She’ll master those many shades of colors in no time! If you have any suggestions or activities that have helped your child learn colors, please feel free to share.

All the best,

Tanya

 

Ready for Your Close-up Baby?

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Quinn Ready for Her Close-up

Quinn Ready for Her Close-up

There is a possibility that my 20 month old little girl has had more photos taken of her than the average person does in a lifetime. Yes, I am guilty of being one of those gushing parents who doesn’t want to miss a moment and refuses to let any chance for a photo opportunity pass them by. Actually, for the first year of Quinn’s life, she had an average of five pictures taken a day just to have a record of how quickly she was growing. Within the past couple of months, Quinn has been taking selfies and has become intrigued by the camera. She now likes posing for pictures and will eagerly say, “Cheese!” On some occasions, she will get as close up on the camera as possible to either smile or grab the lens as if she is saying, “No more pictures please!” Is there such a thing as taking too many pictures of the precious little girl you love so much who is constantly growing? I know some people say they do not waste their time taking pictures because they are too busy enjoying the moments, but she’s growing up so quickly, and I just want to capture those moments and enjoy having photos to accompany those fleeting moments which will one day be distant memories.

All the best,

Tanya

Let’s Hit the Gym Baby!

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Quinn Having Some Exercise Fun

Quinn Having Some Exercise Fun

At the start of every new year, gyms near and far can count on a serious surge of new members looking to get in shape. While some people are looking to lose weight, others just want to get moving because it helps with endurance and one’s quality of life. This rings true not just for adults but for children as well. When my little girl was just two months, we started doing the “Happy Baby Workout” to not only assist me with getting back my pre-mommy figure back but for us to develop a bond. As soon as she was old enough, at around nine months, we enrolled in mommy and me classes at “The Little Gym” and have consistently enrolled in a weekly class for a little over a year now. Quinn absolutely loves it, and I love watching her walk across the balance beam, with my help of course, and attempt to do the forward rolls at home that she practiced in class along with climbing and crawling through obstacle courses.   Perhaps your new year’s resolution on behalf of your young child is to get him or her moving or to have some time together to bond as parent and child. I would highly recommend this company to anyone, especially those who would like their toddlers to interact with other toddlers if they are not in day care like Quinn.

Best regards,

Tanya

Big Baby is Watching!

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Quinn looking at photos of herself

Quinn looking at photos of herself

Though my little girl is only 19 months, she enjoys leafing through the many photos and videos on my iPad. One video in particular that she plays quite frequently is of her walking for the first time at a little under 11 months. She often smiles and points and signals to me or my husband to watch the video with her as she replays this achievement over and over again. Using an iPad has become so natural for her that I should have known what was coming sooner rather than later. On quite a few occasions, Quinn has taken random “selfie” pictures, but the other day, for the first time, Quinn decided that she wanted to film her first video rather than watch. She recorded a 20 second video basically looking at herself. Now that I know what she is capable of doing, I better watch out because my “big baby” girl is watching and just might start filming me. Who knows, maybe I have a future video production professional on my hands!

All the best,

Tanya

Shake Those Maracas Baby!

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Quinn and her musical maracaRegardless of a toddler’s gender, race or culture, it has been my observation that most children love music. There’s something about the rhythm that makes them want to move, jump, spin, giggle: you name it! Since my little girl already loves dancing and music, we have purposely selected some musical toys to encourage her interest. When Quinn was just a year old, we got her the Leap Frog Learn & Groove Counting Maracas, and they are one of her favorite go-to toys. What I love about these maracas is that she is able to practice her counting and colors in both English and Spanish. Though she is only 18 months, she is already saying many of the numbers in order. “Uno, dos, tres…” comes out “oh no, dotes, twes,” but it is too cute to watch her say them. Of course, when I attempt to record her, she will not say her numbers or colors in either language, but I am looking forward to the days when she is eager to share what she knows. If you are looking for a fun musical toy for your toddler that teaches as well, this may be the one for you.

All the best,

Tanya

“Falling” in Love with My Baby

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Quinn Having Fun in the Leaves

Quinn Having Fun in the Leaves

When I was younger, I loved jumping in the leaves, taking in the beautiful reds, yellows and oranges, listening to the loud crunches as I stumped my feet. Though my fun has now shifted to work as I rake up piles of leaves that surround my home, I have managed to fall in love with autumn all over again through my little girl. Initially, she was seated in her trike, but overtime, she made it very clear that she wanted to get out and enjoy nature. As soon I got her out of her trike, she headed for the leaves and could not resist jumping in them and throwing the leaves everywhere. She was absolutely tickled as she tossed the leaves all around her, as was I.  In that moment, I was not thinking about how she was slowing down my progress with getting all of the leaves to their designated area for the leaf collection or the dirt and other germs that might have been in those leaves. I just smiled and thought about how carefree she is and how grateful I am to have her in my life. Quinn continues to leave me in awe, and I am looking forward to more simple yet memorable moments in the near future. Here’s a brief video below that really captures the fun Quinn was having. If only we all could have this much fun playing in the leaves.

All the best,

Tanya

It’s My Hair, and I’ll Cry If I Want Too Baby!

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An Anomaly: Quinn smiling as she gets her hair done

An Anomaly: Quinn smiling as she gets her hair done

It’s wonderful dressing up little girls! There’s so many cute outfits, pretty little shoes, not to mention the adorable hair accessories. Unfortunately, as cute as the finished product may be, it is no fun for my 13 month old Quinn. She loathes getting her hair washed. As soon as she sees the shampoo she begins to whimper and cry hysterically. Combing her hair, and styling it tends to be a battle as well, but I’ve been doing a little trial and error to make the experience better for the both of us. Maybe you also struggle with doing your little girl’s hair, so this is what occasionally works for me.

1.Singing:  I either sing a children’s song I know she loves, or I have the song playing and sing along. It may not consistently calm her down, but it works about 80 percent of the time.

2. Snack: Even though I don’t want Quinn to associate food with getting her hair done or as a reward for sitting still and not fussing, she is more patient as I’m doing her hair while she is having her snack. If you look at the photo, you’ll see a box in the background containing her snacks.

3. Teamwork: I try to make her a part of the process by letting her hold a brush or comb or to look in her hair accessory box with me to get the items ready for her hairstyle.

4. Eagerness: Though she may not completely understand yet, I talk to her to get her eager and excited about getting her hair done. It works sometimes.

5. Distractions: Anything that can keep Quinn’s attention and distract her while I’m doing her hair is used. It may be “Super Why” or “Thomas and Friends,” a book or small toy she loves.

6. Intervals: Doing her hair in small intervals allowing her to have a break works too. For example, if she has four pony tails, I may do two then give her a fifteen minute break or a little longer, depending on how fussy she is about getting her hair done, then do the other two.

7. Right Products: I make sure to use hair styling products that are gentle on her hair but make it soft and manageable so that detangling her hair does not cause her too much distress.

Do you have a little one who prefers that you leave her hair alone? What works for you when you’re trying to give her an adorable style or to simply wash her hair? Please feel free to share.

All the best,

Tanya