Gymboree Music

Listen to your tot's favorite Gymboree tunes for FREE! Simply visit the Music section of the Parachute Express website(http://www.parachuteexpress.com/?page_id=85) and click on a CD to listen to a song (subject to availability for free play on the site.

"Bubbles" can be found in the Feel The Music album, while "Shakin' It" is in the Shakin' It album. Enjoy!

Top Television Show Choices for Toddlers

While I believe that too much TV is hazardous to a tot’s physical and mental well-being (perhaps even emotional? I swear my daughter gets extra bratty after watching Dibo The Gift Dragon!), I do admit to being part of the guilty ranks of mothers who give in to it as a means of getting a few minutes of peace or as a quick remedy to a brewing tantrum. I do, however, try (it's mostly a losing battle on my end, though I do still give it my best efforts) to limit her choice of shows.

For one thing, I do not find all shows under the Disney Junior banner suitable for my toddler. All the characters in Timmy Time, for example, communicate through animal sounds, which is not at all conducive to helping tots speak their first words. Not to mention that the characters eat paper, draw/paint on walls, and destroy books/toys. The concept of Dibo The Gift Dragon, wherein someone can get their wish granted simply by saying the magic words – regardless of whether they are deserving or not – does not sit well with me either. My daughter tends to emulate Bunny, who is quite vain and selfish. I once saw an episode of The Hive where one of the bees made an imaginary friend after being ignored. While all these cartoons do end on a high note with a moral lesson, it’s not likely to get through to the very young viewers. As my daughter grows older, I’m sure she’ll learn to appreciate these shows, but for now I’m keeping close tabs on her viewing preferences.

Below are the shows that top my list of preferred viewing for my toddler:

(1) WorldWorld features a world where anything can be created simply by putting together the requisite letters – i.e., build the word! The series is a great introduction to words, letters, and phonics. The characters are colorful, funny, and engaging – I’ve yet to meet a tot who didn’t like animals – and the stories are age-appropriate.

(2) Mickey Mouse Clubhouse teaches colors, shapes, numbers, and problem-solving. And who doesn't love Mickey Mouse, the pioneer of all things Disney?

(3) Barney and Friends however nauseating this purple dinosaur can be to adults, he still promotes love, friendship, family, and good manners while teaching ABCs, colors, shapes, and numbers.

(4) Special Agent Oso as annoying as the main character can be - how can someone so brainless have been accepted as an agent??? - the show features real-life problems and solutions that young children can relate to; a good deviation to the typical ABCs and 123s.

(5) Handy Manny my two-year-old daughter impressed everyone at the play school by correctly identifying a screwdriver. Thanks to the Handy Manny section in Disney Junior magazine, she is also familiar with a crane, forklift, digger, and excavator (which, she told me proudly, rhymes with elevator!).

(6) Dora The Explorer while I find Mickey Mouse Clubhouse a better and more educational alternative, this show has its good points as well. Though I'm more fond of the wide variety of Dora books than the oft poor quality animation provided by the TV series (even the original DVD offers little better quality and with no subtitles to boot).

(7) Little Einsteins if you want to introduce your toddler to classical music and fine art, nothing beats the Little Einsteins! They will take your tot on adventures around the world, all the while instilling an early appreciation for culture and arts.

Choking Hazards

As a new mom, one of my early fears was dealing with a choking baby. We often see toys labeled "not for children under 3 years" or "choking hazard" so we know from the get-go that it does happen and it's no laughing matter. So what are the things babies can accidentally swallow and what do you do when faced with this kind of emergency? Below are a couple of links to articles that are very helpful in this regard (courtesy of BabyZone):

Top 10 Things Kids Accidentally Swallow

What To Do If Baby Is Choking

Tot's Doctor Blues

How do you convince your baby that a trip to the doctor's clinic, which usually starts as a routine check and ends with a painful injection, is not as torturous as it appears to be? While some infants take it all in a stride, there are those who wail, scream, and kick through the entire process from the moment they see the person in the white coat until you settle the bill at the receptionist's desk and head for the exit. My baby falls in the latter category. Unfortunately, convincing someone who can only stare up at you with those big, innocent, "why me?" eyes that vac-ci-na-tion is for their own good is a pretty hard sell. Not to worry though - they eventually grow out of it, and here are some steps to help them along:

Once your tot hits the toddler years, you can start using books and toys to help him/her understand what a doctor does and why. Fans of Dora The Explorer can turn to the "Dora Goes to the Doctor" book, while those who prefer Mickey Mouse can try "Dr. Daisy". Some FisherPrice books also feature doctor characters. You can help your toddler relate to the books by letting them play doctor with a toy doctor's kit (available is most toy stores). Once they get the basic concept down pat, you can engage in pretend play with your tot as the doctor and his/her stuffed toys (or mommy and daddy) as the patients.

On our last trip to the doctor's office, my daughter was already familiar with the stethoscope, thermometer, and other tools; and actually seemed eager to see the real things in action. Finally, an entire session without the tears and screams. We bought her a small toy at the hospital gift shop to celebrate the milestone.

Numbers - Exploring Counting and Maths

My toddler was more interested in colors, shapes, and letters at first - counting and numbers held little appeal for her (this was, of course, before she discovered Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). One of the books that helped build her interest in numbers is the My World Numbers - Exploring Counting and Maths. This is a rather large book featuring colorful pictures of everyday objects that are appealing to toddlers such as cakes, candies, buttons, fruits, and toys. My daughter enjoyed counting the objects - she even uses the book to pretend that she has a bakery and store (i.e., pretends to pull items out of the book). The book covers the numbers 1 to 20. More than that, it also provides a first look at colors, shapes, patterns, and matching. Truly worth its cost of P200.

The book is available locally, at National Bookstore.

Tormont Nursery Songs and Sing Alongs

One of my toddler's most used and well-loved books is Tormont's Nursery Songs and Sing Alongs. This colorful board book comes with its own electronic keyboard with color coded keys. The book features popular nursery songs. Each page contains a song complete with picture, lyrics, and colored notes for easy matching with the keyboard keys. This is a great way for parents to bond with their babies and teach them their first songs. Eventually, the children will be able to sing and play the tunes on their own. My toddler is now able to sing the pieces, though her piano playing is still limited to banging the keys at random. I'm sure she'll eventually manage to match the keys and notes (in due time) - I can certainly imagine her using this book throughout her preschool years.

Songs included in the book are Hush Little Baby, Pat-a-Cake, The Alphabet Song, Ten in the Bed,  The Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy and You Know It, Oh! Susanna, The Bear Went over the Mountain, Eensy Weensy Spider, and The Ants Go Marching.

A Healthy Update to Wendy's Fries

Wendy's has recently introduced a new kind of french fries - made from russet potatoes, fried in 0 trans fat oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. Finally, a french fry I can give to my toddler - without the heavy guilt trip of feeding her junk food! The serving is quite small, but the fries themselves are tasty. They leave the skin on to prove that it's actually made from potatoes. ;)

First Ferris Wheel

After seeing Dora take a trip to the carnival (Dora's Big Pinata), my daughter has been bugging us to take her to an actual ferris wheel and merry go round. I've been searching for one that's just right - i.e., small, colorful, and doesn't go very high - and I finally found one in SM Southmall (newly renovated, by the way, very nice place now - clean and spacious with tons of shops and play areas). It's a bit pricey at P50 per head (no discounts for babies and toddlers!), but it was perfect for my daughter. Upon seeing it, she was immediately fearful and stated that "the ferris wheel is scary", but after some gentle insistence, she hopped on board. Soon she was going "whee!!!" and begging to ride it again. The attraction is very small and slow, but again, it's just the thing to introduce babies/toddlers to the concept of a ferris wheel.

Next up is the merry go round - I have it on good authority that there's one at SM Hypermart in Las Pinas City. Looks like another trip south is in order!

The Many Ways You Can Use Shelcore Stacking Cups

Not to be confused with the bulky, musical version, Shelcore Stacking Cups are a set of 8 multi-colored cups. My daughter had this since she was 1 year old and it's one of her most-used and most versatile toy. Here are the many ways you can use the cups, which are sold at less than P300 at the local toy stores (if you buy it separately from the blocks, that is):

 (1) Have your baby stack them into a tower - they need to be stacked in the proper order, from largest to smallest, in order to successfully build a tower. Great for building hand-eye coordination and as a logic puzzle for babies.

(2) The reverse of (1), have your baby fit all the cups inside each other. Again, the proper order is required - from largest to smallest - to get all the cups to fit.

(3) Toss it in the bath and use it as spill cups. The different types of holes at the bottom (used to portray a variety sea creatures) creates various "waterfalls". This kept our baby occupied in the bathtub as she'd scoop up the water, raise the cup, and watch the water drain away.

(4) This is one more for bath time that is sure to delight your baby - stick a plastic ball on top (the really light, multi-colored ones used to fill up those kiddie tents, pools, etc.) and dunk it in the water. The water will go through the holes at the bottom and cause the ball to fly up in the air with a slight popping sound.

(5) Use the cups to teach your baby about the different colors. It also helped my toddler learn to differentiate between light and dark colors.

(6) Bring it to the beach - great for molding sand!

Toys for Tots: LeapFrog Fridge Phonics

If your child loves fiddling with the fridge magnets, may as well give him or her something safe, fun, and educational to play around with. LeapFrog Fridge Phonics is a magnetic letter set that can teach your child the sound each letter makes. Each letter magnet is big, brightly colored, and covered in plastic, making it safe and easy to handle. Letters can be placed inside the doghouse magnet in order to hear the different sounds each letter makes. There's even a music button that launches the alphabet song (my toddler learned to sing ABC by singing along to this toy!). We used this toy to familiarize my baby with letters and phonics. Now that she's trying to learn how to read, we let her form simple words on the fridge. We currently have a "word of the day" thing going and she's able to identify at least a dozen simple words.

Schooling Starts At Home - Teaching Babies and Toddlers

At 2.5 years old, my toddler is able to speak full sentences; can recognize and identify letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and body parts; has memorized at least 10 nursery rhymes and 3 Dora books; knows her fruits, vegetables, and animals; and can count to 50. She is currently learning how to read and write. She accomplished all these long before I enrolled her in Gymboree classes. I'm often asked by parents and yayas if she goes to school already, to which I say no - I've been teaching her myself since she was born. I haven't followed any tried-and-tested approach or teaching methods, mostly I just played it be ear, so I thought it best to list some of the things I tried that seemed to work:

(1) Start reading and singing nursery rhymes to them early on. Even if it seems like it's a useless effort as they don't appear to listen or understand, it does get through. This is evident in the way my daughter - when she finally learned to talk - suddenly sang the songs we sung to her when she was less than a year old. I had a yaya who sang Nobody (Wonder Girls) when she was about a year old. She'd changed yayas since and no one else sang that to her. Imagine her current yaya's shock when she suddenly burst out "nobody, nobody but you!" just the other week, complete with head bobbing action.

(2) Introduce them to books. I can't stress this enough. Let them handle books appropriate for their age to get them interested. I started with Fisher Price books with bright colors. Dora's Little Library came next - it's just perfect for little hands! I also kept telling her that books were not toys. She was not allowed to tear, bend, or fold the pages, or stand/sit on the books. Fully Booked is her favorite jaunt now and she has a huge collection of Barney, Dora, Pooh Bear, and Mickey Mouse books.

(3) Allow them to watch educational shows while eating. When we first introduced solid food, we also introduced her to TV for the first time. She could watch TV while eating, and we showed her Sesame Street videos full of songs that teach ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes, and body parts. This made her grasp basic concepts easily and she actually enjoys eating (I have a lot of friends whose babies refuse to eat so this is a coup for me!). The only drawback was that she eventually graduated to Barney and would watch over and over and over again. She eventually got off this habit though.

(4) Make every moment a learning experience. Buy alphabet bath stickers for the bath. Show her colors and shapes when you're out and about or while playing with her toys. Make her count groceries while sitting in the shopping cart.

(5) NO baby talk. Treat them like little adults so they will learn to act and speak accordingly. You'll be surprised at how they will try to pick up singular-plural and past-present-future tense rules on their own by listening to you speak. Refrain from screaming and shouting when they do something wrong or won't stop crying. Instead, explain things to them calmly, in simple terms they will understand. Keep talking and they'll eventually calm down. And yes, the lecture does get through to them.

(6) Teach them regularly. When my daughter turned 1, I started teaching her ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes, and animals through Brainy Baby books. Flash cards were also a big help. It's best to use simple flash cards, I got ones with the letter in front and sample word and picture at the back. I found that cards with too much information on one side - especially those featuring popular characters such as Mickey Mouse or Barney - were too distracting. This was also about the time we started her on the First 1000 words book.

(7) Do as you teach. My daughter saw me and my husband reading (even if only comics and magazines) and wanted to read as well. She saw her lola do crossword puzzles and wanted to learn how to write. She saw us building puzzles and wanted to try it out on her own. Toddlers love to emulate - be sure to be a good role model to them. If you want them to say Please and Thank You, be sure to always say these key phrases when you hold conversations with other people.

Time to put my toddler to bed :) More tips to come on my next post!

Books For Tots: My First 1000 Words

My First 1000 Words books are a good stepping stone in teaching toddlers the words used to identify everyday objects.  My daughter received a copy on her 1st birthday and immediately took to the book.  She enjoyed pointing at the colorful objects on the page and asking questions - usually a simple What's this?

I found that showing her the actual object to compare against the picture and explaining its use made it easier for her to commit it into memory.  Soon she was able to identify most of the commonly used household objects. I was extremely pleased that her first set of words included practical ones that deviated from the persistent "Barney" and "Pooh Bear" mantra.  My daughter has just turned 2, but can already speak short, complete sentences that clearly explain what she wants.

The First 1000 Words books are quite common and can be found in almost any bookstore.   As there are numerous variations to this book, I recommend reviewing it for the following before you actually buy a copy:

(1) Ensure that the pictures are large and colorful, and that there are just enough words/pictures in every page.  With the success of her first copy, I bought another book featuring other words/pictues, but found that too small pictures crammed into a single page confuses and bores my baby.

(2) Get a copy that already includes pages on shapes, colors, and numbers so your baby can learn these basic concepts as well.

(3) As much as possible, choose a book featuring pictures of items that can be found in your house or neighborhood.  A book featuring seasons such as fall and winter, for example, would be harder to grasp by a child living in the Philippines.

(4) Baby girls may enjoy Disney's Princess Word Book, which showcases everyday objects used by (what else?) the beloved Disney princesses!  My toddler was fascinated at the idea that Princess Aurora also goes to the bathroom and brushes her teeth. ;)

(5) Check the content of the book.  My baby actually has a magnetic letter board that says "X" is for "Xmas".  Granted, this particular error wasn't printed on a book, but you can never be too careful!

Helper Horror #2 The Early Years

My earliest memory of a helper horror story was when I was 4 or 5 years old.  The events are quite hazy in my head already.  But I recall quite vividly the maid hiding me behind a couch and giving me the set of house keys.  She told me to stay there and hold on to the keys.  I did as I was told.

A few seconds later, I hear a horrified shout and see my brother (11 or12 years old at this time) running through the living room where I was "hidden".  Hot on his heels was the same maid, brandishing a large pair of scissors.

The rest of the story I got from my mom as I honestly don't remember what happened afterwards.  Apparently, my brother (yes, he survived unscathed and is still the bane of my existence or mayhap the other way around? lol) escaped to our neighbor's house.  Our neighbor rushed back to our place to secure me as well.  My parents came home to learn their kids were at the house next door.  They got the full story from us and the maid was promptly dismissed.

Learning Points:

(1) Be sure your children know what to do and who to run to in case of an emergency (assuming neither parent is available).

(2) To be fair, my brother was an utter brat and very disrespectful of our hired help at the time.  Of course, he did nothing to warrant being skewered, but it's always good to teach children to respect others - especially those who are caring for them.

Books For Tots: Barney & Friends

If your toddler is as crazy about that purple dinosaur as mine is, you've most likely spent some time scouring the bookstores for the ever elusive Barney books.  Unfortunately, these books typically won't be found at your local bookstore favorites - Powerbooks, Fully Booked, and National Bookstore. You'll end up feeling like you have the worst luck in the world when you hear these familiar words from the staff, "Oh, we just had some, but they were sold already.  Barney sells very quickly, you know."

How well I do!  Because Barney is already considered outdated in the US, you would have better luck finding his books in Booksale and Books For Less.  The best place would be the seasonal Bargain Books stalls that suddenly pop out in the middle of the mall.  The one by the entrance connecting Landmark and Glorietta just reopened - in case you're interested ;)

Toddler Travels: Ark Avilon Zoo, Pasig

Is your toddler or baby fond of animals?  You don't need to go far to experience a real zoo - take a detour on the way to Tiendesitas and stop by Ark Avilon.  This attraction is meant to be a sneak peek of the zoo's main branch in Rizal, but can hold its own  by showcasing animals such as bears, deer, and a white tiger.

Best of all, you don't have to drag (or more likely, carry) your sensitive baby through miles of rough terrain under the sweltering sun to meet and greet with these wild creatures!  Patterned after Noah's ark, most of your Ark Avilon experience would be in an enclosed area (both shady and clean!) with the exception of a petting zoo for farm animals at the 2nd level and a mock waterfall at the ground floor for their selection of birds.

The only drawback for me is the price - P300/person; P200/kids no taller than their ticketing counter.  The admission fee is a tad extravagant given the small exhibit.  Be sure to get that photo-op with the monkey to get your money's worth!

Travel Tips:

(1) Wear light clothing; though jeans are recommended for those who would be iffy at the thought of bumping into the animals that are allowed to roam around freely (mostly the birds).

(2) Call beforehand to check if there's a scheduled party or event so you can avoid a big crowd.

(3) If you have a thing against mice, stay away from the cages by the entrance.  I am fond of the occassional hamster and guinea pig, but the sheer number of white mice and rodents on display made me imagine that one of the little critters may escape and find their way in our bags.

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First Prayer

In an attempt to teach my toddler the sign of the cross...

Me: "In the name of the Father..."

Baby: "In the name of the Father..."

Baby glances at me triumphantly and exclaims, "Daddy is my father!"

"Micro" Work From Home

In my continuing quest for stay at home work, I stumbled upon microworkers.com.  I did some research and most post/reviews indicated that this is a legitimate site that enables you to choose "micro" jobs that you can do from home - and yes, you get to earn money in the process!  The only catch is that you have to reach $10 before you can withdraw.  No problem.  How hard can it be to earn $10?

So I check out the site to learn more about "micro" jobs.  From the jobs list preview in the homepage I found that this type of work pretty much covers the following:

"Like [product] on Facebook"

"Post a blog"

"Post an entry"

"Sign Up/Register"

and each task would earn about $0.1 to $0.3.  With a bit of math, it seems it would take nearly 100 of these micro tasks to reach $10.00.

Still, if you have some time on your hands and want to give it a go, there's really not much to lose and a bit to gain with a $1 bonus for every sign up ;)

And my search for the ultimate (paying) work from home job goes on...and on...

Dissecting The Garbage Can Myth

This is an actual conversation I had with my 18 month old daughter one afternoon after I taught her to throw her empty jelly containers in the garbage can on the morning of the same day:

Baby: "Blanket garbage"

Me: "No, sweetie, you throw the blanket in the garbage, you'll never see it again.  Anything you throw in the garbage you don't get to see again."

Baby stares at me a moment, then scrambles down from the bed and opens the garbage can.

Baby: "Jelly still there."

Books For Tots: Brainy Baby

Get a good grasp of the basics with the Brainy Baby series.  These board books provide large, colorful images that introduce your child to the world of numbers, animals, shapes, colors, and letters.

When I saw the word "baby" in the title, I imagined my little one would immediately take to these kinds of books.  It wasn't exactly love at first sight for my baby.  I learned that mere images weren't enough to amuse her and had to inject funny noises and animal sounds to make it more interesting.  I also taught her that books were not toys - she could not fold, toss, or step on her books.  Over time she came to respect and love these tiny tomes.  These days a trip to the toy store makes her face light up, but a trip to the bookstore - ah, now there's a treat that can convince her to take a nap, eat her vegetables, or visit the doctor.

My baby now has two shelves dedicated to her in our mini library (my husband and I are quite the bookworms ourselves) and is close to occupying a third.  And it all started with a little series called Brainy Baby.  My daughter just turned 2 and has already memorized the contents of these books, but we still use them regularly to refresh her skills.

You can purchase a set of 4 board books at Toy Kingdom.  A set comes in a bag with handle, making it convenient to lug around.  It also makes it very presentable as a baptismal, birthday, or Christmas gift. ;)

Books For Tots: Hola! Soy Dora

Dora's Little Library was a big hit with my baby - and with me! One pack contains 5 books.  Each book is a miniature, simplified version of an existing Dora book/adventure.  At around 3x3 inches, these board books were perfect for my baby's little hands.  She enjoyed flipping through the pages and picked up a lot of learning points. Dora's Little Library teaches the basics of numbers, words, and opposites in true Dora form i.e., English and Spanish ;)

The second set I purchased, entitled Dora's New Adventures, introduces children to concepts such as siblings, school, doctor, dentist, and manners.

I'm quick to snap up one of these sets whenever I come across them - at less than P300 per packof 5 books, I get more value for my money than buying a single Dora book ranging from P150 to P350+. ;)

Where to Buy: Powerbooks and Fully Booked