As fun as a new routine can be, having a rough plan for the week can help to keep things in check and avoid the “I’m bored!” chants that inevitably prevail. Here are a few ideas to get you going.

1. Kindermusik always fits! Register for a summer camp or class! It will be a weekly appointment to get together with friendly faces and give you and your little ones a shared experience that lasts throughout the week!
2. Plan a standing park and picnic play date with friends! Whoever can make it, makes it. Don’t underestimate the power that comes from 60 minutes of connecting with another human who speaks in complete sentences and uses big words. And the energy that Junior expends will pay dividends during nap time, later.
3. Check out your local library or museum‘s summer programs. Seeing the world through their eyes and discovering new things  can be some of the most precious times. Take pictures and videos–even if just on your phone–their little voices and faces are changing so fast and this was the first time they saw that dinosaur, or that waterfall, or that giant goldfish.

Download, print and laminate this great graphic to inspire you to plan your week and get the most out of summer!

From www.somewhatsimple.com

This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett.

“Our children are being offered food at every turn. And adding just one extra snack each day can make a big impact. In fact, it’s possible that childhood obesity is driven by as little as 165 extra calories a day for kids ages 2 to 7, say researchers at both Harvard and Columbia universities. That’s roughly the amount in a handful of potato chips.” –Yoni Freedhoff, M.D.

Then there’s the etiquette of snacking. Isn’t it still a rule of thumb that in a group situation, if you don’t have one for all, then it’s rude to eat in front of others? And what about public places like the library or the museum? Shouldn’t we keep food and drinks confined to eating areas out of consideration for keeping things clean and neat for all?

“Toddlers and preschoolers can go two to three hours between meals and snacks, older kids three to four. As much as you can, avoid on-the-go snacks — in the car and the stroller, in the shopping cart, or as you’re going out the door. Grazing this way makes it harder for kids to eat the right amount because they’re so distracted. Mindless eaters don’t have the chance to really savor food or pay attention to their body’s hunger or fullness signals, so they often end up over- or under eating.” –Sally Kuzemchak, R.D

While most pediatricians will tell you that a toddler will eat when they’re hungry, the key is offering wholesome food at designated times, and in designated eating places. Food needs to be eaten when it’s offered, or if they choose not to eat it, then their next opportunity to eat is at the next offering. Popcorn in the family room for a movie should be a treat, not a rule.

“‘One small sweet treat a day can help teach kids about balance and to not see sweets as forbidden foods that become even more alluring.” –Kathy Isoldi, Ph.D., R.D.

Ultimately, we want them to make independently healthy food choices. A good at-home exercise: Put up a food pyramid poster and let kids put a sticker on the food group they are eating, if it’s not a real food, no sticker! Kids and parents can see what they’re actually eating and drinking.

There can be a lot of social pressure for children to behave in certain situations, but ultimately, we all know that children are children and comforting them with food is not a healthy choice. Extreme situations call for extreme measures (read: plane trip) but as a daily practice, we ALL could probably use a little snack smarts!

graphic credit: Parents Magazine

This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett, who needs to get her own food chart and stickers–is there an app for that?

Not so much, right? Chores for children can sometimes become a chore in itself for parents. It’s a basic character builder, though, and a pursuit worthy of pursuing. So, if you’re like me and sometimes need to hear the same old thing in a new and inspirational way, here are a few ideas and principles.

1. Age appropriate chores and expectations. Obviously a two year old is going to have different abilities than a 12 year old, but knowing that fine line between challenging our kids without frustrating them can go a long way in getting
   

   Pick a chore, any chore!

   the best cooperation from them. A job worth doing is worth doing well–but, in the beginning it’s more important to encourage effort and initiative. Remember, what’s old-hat for you is brand new to them. Make sure you take some time to demonstrate the chore, do it with them, and then let them do it.

2. Think outside the trash. There are so many chores that need to be completed–some are more mundane than others. It all needs to get finished, so along with the usual suspects of trash, table, and toilets, think about other things that need attention and delegate away! There is nothing wrong with helping your kids to discover chores they might actually enjoy! Yes, it’s a chore, but one child might enjoy cleaning the fish bowl, while another child might enjoy matching socks.
3. 

   What a great idea for toddlers and their little hands.

   Variety works wonders Two successful discoveries I have made on the Chore Journey: 1) Chores happen on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and we all celebrate NO CHORE DAYS. 2) If you don’t like your chores this week, fear not, you can spin the wheel anew, next week. The reason we do MWF chores is because sometimes the bathroom trash really ISN’T full and this mom needs to know that MWF I can give 100% to the encouragement and, ahem, follow-up that’s required and know that there’s a bit of a break from it the next day. The “chore wheel” is nothing more than a system of six chores for three kids–two chores for each kid, each week. Next week, you get two different chores. This combination cuts the moaning and grumbling by half!

Just add music! Toys Away, is a great soundtrack to play or sing during chore time for little ones. But any music will do, no matter what age! Make it a dance party, sing show tunes, make it fun and forget that it’s a chore. Be silly and smile–that’s what they’ll remember.

There’s a soapbox somewhere in here about delayed gratification and anti-entitlement attitudes, but I think as parents we know what we hope for in the end, and that it’s the means to the end where we need more encouragement. Chores open up so many opportunities to connect with our kids–if we look for those opportunities.

“I like the way that you did your chores without complaining! Thank you!”

“That was a big job, and you finished it all! How does that make you feel?”

“I have so many chores to do today, and you have some, too. Let’s work together and get them done faster!”

Similar to the chore wheel idea, picking two or three sticks each week allows for variety!

One more thing I’ve learned over time is that chore systems can be helpful, but it’s okay to make adjustments that fit your family’s schedule or season and it’s okay to change the system completely! Be consistent about building responsibility, but change the tool if a new tool is called for. Start somewhere, and keep trying.

This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett, who has been known to actively resist emptying the dishwasher during the day, in order to “save” it for the kiddo’s after school chore time.

Those seagulls from Finding Nemo always make me laugh. They have one thing on the brain: themselves. As for our children, from about 2-7 years old, they are a lot like the seagulls: egocentric. Egocentrism refers to the child’s inability to see a situation from another person’s point of view. The child assumes that other people see, hear and feel exactly the same as they do. Three-year-old Lucy watching her friend playing a drum: “I really want to play that red drum so everyone else must want me to play it too! I think I’ll just walk over there and take it!” ←Sound familiar??

“The world doesn’t revolve around you!” does not make a whole lot of sense to a child in the pre-operational stage of egocentrism. They literally think that it’s their world and we’re all just living in it. Awesome, right? ☺ So as adults, what can we do to keep our little ones from turning into these seagulls??? Model, model, model and teach by example. There are A LOT of conflicting views out there regarding whether or not it’s appropriate to “force” a child to share/take turns but regardless of what your views are – it can never hurt to model appropriate behavior when it comes to sharing and taking turns. Make a point of offering them the biggest portion of desert, offer to share your favorite slippers or funny hat your kid loves to put on, take an evening to share your time with kids, the most precious commodity you may have as far as they are concerned.

A Kindermusik class provides a wonderful outlet for practicing the difficult task of “taking turns”. Quite often we use one instrument and pass it around the circle for each child/adult to use. The other children are not only practicing delayed gratification but they’re also practicing good audience and listening etiquette. Win-win! The “instrument box” is a favorite activity among the toddler/pre-school set. The Kindermusik educator gently “dumps” a box of assorted instruments onto the floor and the children get to spend several minutes exploring and choosing an instrument to use for the play-a-long. This particular activity is always a great teaching tool and learning moment for the children. There are sometimes just 1 or 2 of a particularly popular instrument and this provides a healthy environment for the children to take turns, share, and experience delayed gratification. There are even learning experiences for the babes. In our baby gathering time, there are a few quiet toys placed in the center of the room (a few rubber ducks, shakers, soft books, etc) and with guidance from an adult, the little ones take turns with the various toys – assuming they haven’t already stuck the whole thing in their mouth ☺

When you notice that your child is becoming frustrated about wanting to have a turn with a particular toy, go ahead and acknowledge their feelings: “I see that you are upset. I know you really want a turn with that toy. It can be hard to wait sometimes but you will get a turn soon.” Then see if you can re-direct them to a different toy or activity. You will probably want to have several different approaches in your back pocket to pull out at different times (i.e. when playing with other children/moms, playing with siblings, etc). A friend of mine (and Kindermusik mom!) recently wrote a great blog post regarding sibling rivalry/sharing and she had a great idea: NO-SHARE time (you can read more about that here).
Sharing and taking turns is an essential friendship building skill and one of the first social skills that your child will learn. But there’s no need to stress over it! Just like rolling over, crawling, walking, talking, eating solid foods, etc – sharing and taking turns is a developmental process. Stay consistent in your expectations and modeling and I promise your child will not turn out like those seagulls…

This post brought to you by Miss Jenni, who is in the trenches with you on this one with her own two “sharers in training.”

When Caroline doesn’t want to take a nap…she goes to her door, takes off her pants, and slides them under the door into the hallway…as some sort of signal to me, I guess? I’m just thankful it’s only the pants.

–Miss Jenni, Mom and Kindermusik Educator.

Nap time. Quiet time. Rest time. Book time. Whatever you call it. Kids need it! Parents need them to do it!

Who needs a nap time or at least a rest time?

• Toddlers generally require 10 to 13 hours of sleep, including an afternoon nap of 1 to 3 hours.
• Preschoolers average about 10 to 12 hours at night, plus an afternoon nap.
• School-age kids need about 10 to 12 hours at night.
• Moms need enough time to have a cup or two of tea, listen to the quiet, scratch out a grocery list, and check a few emails–times and tasks may vary.

Ideas for making nap time or rest time successful

Routine, routine, routine. Now, this doesn’t mean that you’re a slave to a schedule, it simply means that when you repeat an order of events, it helps their little brains to anticipate: next is the story, next is the kiss, next is the music, next is the promise of sweet dreams, and next is the rest of our day together! And the beauty of this routine is that during the transition from “a napper” to “a rester,” you can easily adjust the routine by saying, “Even if you don’t need to sleep, you can lay there quietly and look at books” or “You don’t have to sleep, but you do need to stay in your room and play with quiet toys.”

Miss Jenni (Mommy to two little ones and Kindermusik Educator) says this, “We are right in the middle of this transition from nap time to quiet time. I am still trying to figure it all out (and mourn the loss of her beloved NAP time!) but I will say that CONSISTENCY is big big big. Young children are creatures of habit and if you do something out of place or out of step — it can be the end of the world as they know it! I will still read her a book and sing our songs (our normal nap time routine) and then leave her alone for her quiet time. For us, we’re noticing that she is not tired at all at the normal nap time so we’re playing around with this “quiet” time where she has to stay in her room with the lights low. She is free to move around the room, read books, play with toys, etc. I strategically choose which toys end up in her room right before quiet time and remove some that aren’t quite quiet time-appropriate.”

Is your toddler an expert negotiator when he or she knows nap time is imminent?  Use a song like May There Always be Sunshine that you both can sing that helps them to initiate and cooperate with the routine of nap time or rest time. If you haven’t already, you might think about having a play list set up on a MP3 player that might include some Kindermusik lullabies, or even some Kindermusik stories that they can listen to.

We all need those times where we break from the pace of the day and take time to cultivate the quiet. It’s especially true for our child’s developing brain, but it’s a good practice for our adult brains, too.

This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett, who remembers many the time of laying on the bed with her toddler, listening for the slow, steady breathing of her sleeping toddler, and then ever-so carefully sliding off the bed herself and making her escape out of the bedroom and into the one and half to two hours of “me-time.”

Then, in 2004, the summer after my freshman year, I took a life-changing trip to Cambodia.  (I can’t believe that was nine years ago!) I experienced so much beauty and peace while I was there and learned about the country’s rich, but sometimes difficult, history.  In some parts of Cambodian society, children are intentionally uneducated so they can be sold into slavery.  How horrible.  Ever since my trip, I have realized that the education of children is precious and important.  Becoming a teacher suddenly ceased to be a family occupation, and became a calling of my own.

When considering at what makes up a holistic education for a child, I believe that no education can be complete unless it is rich in music.  Music is a natural response to life, foundational in development, a sifter for human emotion, and a vessel for learning social norms.  Here are some highlights from my first year teaching Kindermusik:

From a mom, Betsy:

My husband and I were getting Sara ready for bed and singing  Sarasponda, when Sara filled in the ‘Oh!’ at the end of ‘ah say pah say Oh!’ Miss Sarah said that would happen one day!

From a mom, Ingrid:

Every night now, my husband and I have to rock Petra in a blanket before bed.  She loves rocking… Oh, and then we have to rock all of her stuffed animals… I blame Miss Sarah!

Blame away!

From me, Sarah:

Getting to see my son, Noah, stomp his feet and spine ’round and ’round for the first time in Miss Lisa’s class.

Seeing Kara’s first steps!

Seeing Rebecca’s first steps!

Seeing Olivia’s first time sitting by herself!

Seeing shy Hudson’s first steps in public.

At St. James: Kevin joined Kindermusik this spring, and had chosen to observe all movement activities rather than join in.  Then, one day, Ms. Lindsey paired him up with Mary Jane, stood him on his feet and said, “You’re partners with Mary Jane for this dance.”  (Have I mentioned how awesome Ms. Lindsey is, by the way?!)  We just watched as Kevin opened his mouth to surely protest, but then Mary Jane wrapped him in a big hug.  Kevin hugged her back and danced his first ever Kindermusik dance to Mazoo!

At St. James: Tory also joined Kindermusik this spring, and wouldn’t even sit in our circle the first week…  The next week he would only sit in Miss Lindsey’s lap…  The next week he sat close to the circle, but not in the circle…  The next week he played instruments…  You should see him now!  He has the cutest one-foot-at-a-time bunny hop that you’ve ever seen! (Complete with flopping bunny ears!)

Jody:  Harper started Our Time in the fall where she would smile shyly from her Mom’s lap.  I got to witness Harper’s journey into talking.  Mom said:  We always have to listen to the Carpenter’s Hammer rhyme in the car, and she says ‘see saw see’!  Upon returning from a trip away, Mom said:  We went on a trip last week, and Harper requested my phone.  I asked her who she was going to call, to which she replied, ‘I call Miss Sarah!’  (I’m beaming!)  Harper now comes into class jabbering away with words enough for us all!

So, as I stand here on my squishy floor, wrapped in my pink scarf, I believe that what I’m doing is not only fun, but important!  I feel special that ‘Miss Sarah’ is one of my students’ first words, as ‘Miss Lisa’ was one of my son’s first words.  I like to think that our greatest world leaders were once given the opportunity to bounce, hop, sing and laugh, too, when they were little.  I am honored to be one of the first pieces of the puzzle in educating these future citizens and world leaders.

So parents, you know what I’m going to say:  Bounce, hop, sing and laugh with your little ones… It’s oh so fun, and oh so important.

This post brought to you by Miss Sarah. Get to know more about Miss Sarah here.

(photo courtesy of smithsonianjazz.org)

Jazz is a uniquely American art form. It’s a hybrid form of music that fuses together African rhythms, American blues and European chamber music. There are so many different styles of jazz from early ragtime and swing to bebop, cool and west coast jazz, Latin jazz and more contemporary fusion jazz. Jazz is a music that knows no limits, no boundaries. What a fun style to enjoy with our children!

When asked what the definition of jazz was, Louis Armstrong famously replied, “If you’ve got to ask, you’ll never know.”

Exposing our children to different styles of music can be a fun way to share a musical experience at home or on a drive. Ask questions and play a kind of “Eye Spy” like: What instruments do you hear? A saxophone? A bass? Drums? Trumpets? Trombones? Turn on the jazz tunes while you’re making dinner (also known as the hour when everyone wants to meltdown) and see if a little jazz music is just what everyone needs to make it through dinner, bath time and bedtime. Who knows, maybe it might lead to a little dancing in the kitchen!

Listen to some music where they use “scat singing,” a kind of improvisational vocal singing and then try your own version! They’re using a lot of scales and you can, too! Remember, no rules–get creative!

Not sure where to start? There’s an app for that! Mobile device applications are a great resource to do the thinking for you. Use popular ones like Pandora or Spotify and create a Jazz Station or an Ella Fitzgerald station and start listening!

No matter what your musical background, we can all benefit from listening to more music and more styles of music. And, what a gift to our children that they would continue to become more and more aware of the vast variety of music that is all around them.

This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett who loves the memory of her youngest at age two singing, “Hit the road Jack…no mo’, no mo’, no mo’, no mo’!”

Going to Kindermusik class each week is such a beneficial activity for your baby or child, but if the music stops after 45 minutes once a week, you are missing out on a huge part of what Kindermusik has to offer.  If you make a commitment to sing with your child throughout each day, you will notice a big difference not only in his or her appreciation of music and ability to sing songs too, but also in language development, attention span and listening skills, ability to self-regulate, and gross- and fine- motor skills.  Additionally, music is joyful, music is soothing, music embeds itself in the deepest corners of the human heart, and is a part of many of our most powerful memories.  The beauty of your voice matters much less than the quality time and attention you pay to your child, especially in the first few years of life.  Here are some ideas for incorporating Kindermusik songs into your day that I have enjoyed with my 19-month old daughter over the past few months.

When: you need to cook dinner and it’s that cranky hour of the day
We like to: play our Kindermusik playlist in the kitchen.
Try: getting out instruments, including “found” instruments like pots and spatulas, plus dolls and stuffed animals so she can be the “mommy” and do the motions and dances with her baby doll, the same way you do them with her in class.  Come Along and Dance or any song with motions like up/down/turn around are really cute with a baby doll or stuffed animal.  Also, try to include all family members in kitchen dance parties every once in a while.

When: you have to get from one place to another and your toddler is dragging her heels, looking at every blade of grass, and taking anything but the most direct route
We like to: sing a song that includes locomotor movements (walk, run, creep, tiptoe) and make up words to get her from here to there.
Try: Walking in the Green Grass, Jing Jang, I Like to Sing, Walk All Around, Sing Sing Together

When: you need to teach the importance of not running into the street, touching the hot coffee cup, or getting into other dangerous situations
We like to: practice songs that reinforce inhibitory control so that she understands the word “stop” how to make her body do it.
Try: My Sandblocks, Shake Hands or add the words “and stop” after any song.  Also try to reserve the word “stop” along with a serious tone of voice for truly dangerous situations so it does not lose its impact.  A fun preschool game is freeze dance, where you freeze when the recorded music is paused.

When: you are playing or going about your regular routine
We like to: describe anything we’re doing by changing words to very simple songs.
Try: This is the Way (“….we take a bath; eat our broccoli”), Roll That Ball (“ride that trike right down the path; wash your hands right in the sink”), Jingle Go the Car Keys / Baby Bells

When: learning to get along with friends and siblings
We like to: keep the play dates running smoothly and practice taking turns.
Try: Bow Wow Wow.  A mom in my class sings “Choo choo choo, whose train are you?” to help her twin boys take turns with their favorite train.

When: you’ve been waiting an hour at the doctor’s office and everyone’s starting to lose it
We like to: do some lap bounces or finger plays.  They’re active and fun but still contained.
Try: The Dog Went to Dover, Dickery Dickery Dare, Bazoo Bazoo Butz, The Duke of York, I Saw A Little Rabbit, This Little Piggy

When: the baby’s screaming in the car or you’re on that long airplane trip with your preschooler
We like to: sing songs that can go on and on… and on.
Try: Morning Song (“When …. get up in the morning…” with every animal you can think of.)  Also, the hello and goodbye songs are great because even babies love hearing familiar names of family members and friends (and their favorite pets, stuffed animals, or inanimate objects!)

When: day is done
We like to: clean up the playroom, then head to the bedroom for a lullaby.
Try: Toys Away.  My daughter sings everything from “poop away” while throwing her diaper in the pail to “dishes away” while she waits for me to empty the dishwasher, so there are lots of ways to use the Toys Away song other than for putting away toys, too.  Our favorite lullaby right now is Hush Little Baby.  This one is also great for improvising lyrics, like singing “hush” to the neighbor’s barking dog, or tucking in the stuffed animals one by one and telling them to be quiet for the night.

This post brought to you by  Miss Joanna: “With thanks to my daughter Kira for singing through each day with me, and to all my students who make teaching such a joy each week.”

And now, the envelope, the drum roll and the big reveal:

Our GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF a FREE MONTH of Kindermusik classes AND a DOZEN cupcakes from Society Bakery is:

Laura Pratt

And the 10 more lucky winners of the fun, Kindermusik Egg Shakers for Baby and Chocolate for Mom are:

Brenda Monterrosa
Zehra Ahmad
Jimmy Joseph Tran
Natalie Ross Morris
Katie Knorr Green
Susan Loher Seibert
Kate Peden
Elysia Portera
Faye Cagle
Angela Thomas

Winners: If you’re already in a Kindermusik class, check with your teacher about redeeming your prize. If you are not enrolled in a class, please contact us by emailing misslisa@soundsteps.com