Browsing Category

FAM

The Final McDonald's All-Access Mom Trip

charity, FAM By November 27, 2011 Tags: , , , , , , 3 Comments

About to take off on my final journey I am quite sad, actually.  The whole experience as a McDonald’s All-Access Mom has been transformative, but not in any of the ways I expected.  Sure – lots of questions have been answered, I’ve traipsed around farms and plants (check out the videos), and worn way too many un-sexy lab coats.  But I also feel like a better mom.  A better citizen.  The corporate culture of McDonald’s and its suppliers is much friendlier – much more transparent, than I was expecting.  After almost 6 years of momm-ing, I think I’ve gotten a bit too insular.  Charity work had lapsed and a disconnection to the world and it’s news had set in.  The opportunity to participate in the MAAM program has helped change that.

I am most excited about seeing the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  Giving back.  Sharing.  Helping. These charities give homes and home cooked meals to families whose children are hospitalized with severe illness.  I will be spending a full day with the children and families involved in the London, Ontario house, learning about the program and more importantly, the people.  I hope that I can take the lessons of charity and giving back to my own children and incorporate them into our daily lives.  I know there has been criticism of the All-Access-Mom program, but this is an opportunity to get a glimpse into something that nobody could say McDonald’s doesn’t do really well.

The second part of the trip?  Chicken at the London, Ontario Cargill facility.  Shall I cluck like when I moo-ed at the cows?  Want to know the deal with the shaped McNuggets?  (I already asked about chicken lips and toenails getting into the mix.)  Nada.  Any other questions?  Reconstituted white meat?  Glue? Sawdust? Last chance!!

Share:

Aromatherapy and your children

FAM, kids By November 24, 2011 Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments

Babies just love aromatherapy.  Imagine hearing the soft gentle sounds of a baby becoming calm again while lavender essential oil wafts through the air, or the feeling of a baby that just comes out of the bath all relaxed and ready to get into their pj’s to snuggle down for a sleep with the aroma of sweet orange and chamomile on their skin. Aromatherapy is a loving and wonderful way to introduce your children to the wonders of alternative health care and smells.

Aromatherapy and your children

Essential oils are composed of tiny little molecules that based on their composition tell us how they act on the body and mind. There is practically an aromatherapy recipe for any physical or emotional state. Below are a variety of ways to use the oils, as well as some simple everyday recipes and ideas on how to use the oils for your babies and children.

Some of the more common ways for using essential oils are;

  • Baths – add 1-3 drops of oil into the bath for children.  Add the oils after you have filled the tub to the desired amount and make sure you swish the oils and water together first before baby gets in.
  • Massage – add 1-3 drops of essential oil to 2 ounces of carrier or massage oil/cream.
  • Spritzer – add a total of 6-10 drops of essential oil to a 4 ounce bottle of water.
  • Vaporizer – add 4 drops of essential oil to most vaporizers or use a scent ball in the child’s room with the same amount of drops.
  • Diffuser – add 3-5 drops of essential oil into the diffuser for the size of an average child’s room.
  • Inhalation – for older children, (usually around 5 years) have them put their head over top of a bowl filled with hot water and 1-3 drops of essential oils to breath in the oils directly.  If you can get them to hold a towel over their heads that is even better, add the oils after you have added the water and have them to breathe in as soon as possible for best results.

Fun Aromatherapy Activities with children

  • To reduce hyper times and increase relaxation, create a spritzer with 5 drops of lavender, 4 drops of orange, and 3 drops of chamomile. Gently spray the oils over the top of your child’s head before naps or nighttime sleeps, or spray the room or car where you are spending most of your time.
  • For children over 1 year to help them sleep, you can add one drop of essential oil to their pillow or favorite stuffy that they go to bed with. Note this may stain your pillow case. A nice chamomile bath, 1 drop up to 2 years old, 2 drops up to 4 years old and 3 drops up to 8 years old will help baby sleep well.
  • If your child is getting a cold you can create a cold chest rub by adding 3 drops of eucalyptus, 2 drops of tea tree oil and one drop of lemon into 2 ounces of carrier oil or natural cream.  Massage the cream into their whole body, or for a quicker application, apply the rub on their chest, lower back and to the bottom of their feet.  Put their socks on to keep let the rub absorb into their feet.
  • When your child is around anyone with a virus or starts to shows signs of flu put thyme oil on the bottom of their feet. Add 1 drop for babies up to 2 years, 2 drops from 2-4 and after that 3 drops up till 8 years old.  Put the drops of thyme oil into a 2 ounce bottle of carrier oil or natural cream and apply strictly to the bottom of their feet and to wipe your hands off you can rub it along the lower part of your child’s back.

Young children are still building their immune system and we can help them by using essential oils in their everyday life.  Not only will essential oils help with your children’s immune systems but they can help with just their overall disposition, helping to keep them healthy, balanced, calm and relaxed through their growing and learning years.

Deborah Drummond Baker has been using and sharing the benefits of aromatherapy with her family and two children for over 15 years. She has extensive experience and certification in the alternative health field and has helped many mothers and fathers to use the essential oils in many ways with their children.Her first aroma baby is almost 14 years old and can attest to the wonders that aromatherapy has had for her. Deborah’s 3 year old is following in his big sisters footsteps of being taught the natural way to play with and benefit from the oils.

Share:

4 Simple Steps to Getting Dad to Help with the Kids

FAM, kids By November 16, 2011 Tags: , 1 Comment

So, you’re walking through the door after a long day at work and you find the house is a mess, the kids are hungry and running wild, and your husband is cheerfully ignoring it all. You want to throw the game console or computer or whatever it is that distracts him from your children out the window; you know that it’s vitally important that a father spend more time with his kids—not to mention that you could use some help! How do you encourage your significant other to start pulling his own weight at home with the kids, for the benefit of all, without seeming like a complete nag?

Continue Reading

Share:

Outdoor Exercise in Winter for Pregnant Moms

FAM, pregnancy By November 1, 2011 Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

outdoor exercise pregnancy winterYes, we all know that getting appropriate exercise before, during, and after your pregnancy is very important; it makes the pregnancy easier, less prone to complications, and often makes labour and recovery much faster and easier. For those expectant mums who have the luck of being heavily pregnant during the winter months (believe me, being nine months during a heat wave is NOT fun), outdoor exercising often seems impossible, especially when it’s been snowing. However, that really isn’t the case: there are many things pregnant women can do outside during the snowy months to keep fit and healthy.

Continue Reading
Share:

Encouraging Your Child to Read More

FAM, kids By November 1, 2011 Tags: , , , No Comments

I remember when I was a little girl, my grandparents would bring me books every week. My grandmother was a teacher, and I lived with them for long periods of time. During the summers, Nanny would bring home piles of books, and I would work my way through them. I remember sitting outside under the redbud tree and reading all afternoon, and I had such a rich and vivid internal life. I still played with other kids and got into trouble, but books were my first love. It helped make me who and what I am: a very literate person who knows a lot of stuff. I also think that by reading so many types of literature that I gained a lot of perspective, and didn’t develop so many of the ignorant prejudices that dog our kids.

If you want a child who has a great imagination, whose intelligence is stimulated, who has a real perspective on the world, encourage them to read! Studies show that a child that reads more does better in school, and they tend to succeed more in life. How do you encourage a child to read? It’s simpler than you may think.

  • Be an example. Your kids won’t read if you they don’t see you reading. Make sure they know you enjoy reading; keep books around the house, and talk about them with your partner, or with them.
  • Before you see a movie made from a book, read the book to or with them. They’ll see HOW much better the book always is, compared to the movie.
  • Read WITH them, not always to them, once they get older. I have read all the Harry Potter, Eragon, Chronicles of Narnia, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and others with my daughter. At first, I read, but now that she’s older, we take turns reading pages or entire chapters. This really encourages reading and other skills, such as public speaking (even though it’s just you) and how to read dramatically.
  • Start early. I read to my kids before they were born, and then I had a steady supply of good books from my childhood ready for them (Dr. Seuss, Where the Wild Things Are, Richard Scarry’s books, etc.). Once they’re older, let them pick them out. Make a trip to the bookstore or library a fun trip.
  • Get involved with reading in your community: book clubs, storytime at the library or local bookstore, etc. Volunteer at the library or bookmobile.
  • Start encouraging them to think about what they’re reading by asking questions about the books. Ask them to explain the plot, or what they like/dislike about the main character. How would they have done things differently? What was their favorite part? Little kids can draw pictures. Older kids can be encouraged to write their own “fan fiction”, which can continue the story in their own words, or cover things they don’t think the author covered sufficiently. You might end up with your own little author!
  • Treat books well. Make sure they have their own shelf, that they don’t get thrown around and abused. If kids treat books with respect, they’ll respect reading more.
  • Be diverse. Just because your daughter is a girl, it doesn’t mean she only needs to read romances! Encourage all kids to read fantasy, sci-fi, biographies, etc. Also, encourage the classics that they may not get at school, and explain the things they don’t understand.
  • It may sound like a bummer, but during summer months and holidays, try out a reading quota. Make sure they can pick some of the books, but you get to pick the others. There is a reason schools used to assign summer reading lists: it keeps the brain from turning to mush between sessions! It doesn’t have to be a chore.
  • If your kid gets carsick when they read, let them listen to audiobooks. Otherwise, get them an e-reader, or an e-reader app for their mobile. You’re never going to get rid of this form of reading, it’s here to stay, so you might as well go with the flow. Reading on an e-reader is better than no reading at all, right?

 

Share:
One Year Old Birthday Party

One Year Old Birthday Party

FAM, kids By October 19, 2011 Tags: , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

The One Year Old Birthday Party is a celebration not only for your child, but for your family.  The milestone of making it through he first year is huge, and a mother and father should take the time to celebrate themselves as much as their child.  Many parents skip a formal party altogether, and have a family dinner or quiet evening with their child.  Some are so overwhelmed by the last twelve months that a party seems out of the question.  Whatever you decide, we suggest that you do something to mark the occasion for yourselves.  Lighting a candle, doing a special yoga pose or a walk in the woods can be enough.  If parties are you thing… here are the UrbanMommies One Year Old Birthday Party ideas.

Continue Reading
Share: