Or are they?

In this weekly series, we’ll be looking at several baby essentials that really aren’t.  They may be useful in certain situations, but if money or space is tight, or if you’re just looking to simplify and reduce consumerism and waste, here’s how to get along just fine without these so-called “essentials.“

In Part 1, we questioned the crib.   Part 2 bemoaned the bucket.  Part 3 scrutinized the stroller.  Part 4 ditched the diapers.  Part 5 scrubbed the tub.  This week, let’s bust the brain boosters!

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Using nature to help children understand the environment and the world around them, it’s fun and crucial. Children learn through experimentation. Doing, feeling, smelling and experiencing the world around them is the best way for them to make connections and learn. This spring when the green grass begins to show itself I plan to use this fun activity that I’ve used dozens of times as a preschool teacher. I will make paint from green grass.

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The state of New Jersey has decided to combat the problem by mandating flu vaccines for children in preschool and licensed child-care centers, but is this a good idea?

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My daughter just asked me what her father and I were talking about. I told her we were talking about a new study that says kids like vegetables over candy. She said, “No, they don’t!”.  A new study released by First 5 California claims just that!

Contrary to popular belief, a new study released by First 5 California found that parents don’t need to sneak fruits and vegetables into their children’s meals – kids say they actually like them!

Interviews with more than 100 preschoolers across California revealed that kids not only know it’s important to eat fruits and vegetables, they frequently prefer them to candy.

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This is why I love Jackie Silberg’s book 500 Five Minute Games. Quick and Easy Activities For 3-6 Year Olds. Silberg’s book is great for preschool teachers, but also for moms and dads who tire easily of young children’s games and toys. Before getting this book I often felt tempted to pick up the phone or put on a movie when my preschooler’s games got repetitive. There’s only so many times in a day you can sincerely answer yes to ”Wanna play hippos?”.

The eco-friendly aspect of Silberg’s book is simple; the activities in it require almost no stuff. Apart from a few experiments that call for simple household items like a bowl or a flashlight, the majority of games and activities in the book require only the world’s most precious resource: children. (Some games require a few kids, but I have been able to adapt most of them to 2 player by either becoming a participant or inviting a stuffed hippo or pony into the circle.) You can also scan each page in a matter of seconds and get the game going before any attention is lost. My daughter’s favourite game from Silberg’s book is called “An Interesting Story” and is from the Language Game section. It goes like this: 

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The first step in becoming more Earth Friendly is to consume less. In an attempt to do this, we will make supplies such as fingerpaints & playdough (if you don’t want to make your own, look for eco-friendly fingerpaints). We will reuse household items such as cardboard rolls & scrap paper. We will go on scavenger hunts to find rocks, leaves & bugs. We will make music with water in glass jars and drawing journals out of cereal boxes and recycled paper. The apples will be picked from the tree in our yard and flavored applesauce will be created and enjoyed for snack time.

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Walk the Green Talk!

Lev Vygotsky was a Russian pyschologist who believed that knowledge is socially constructed and culturally transmitted. For toddlers and preschoolers, this means that modeling green choices, as well as using language to interact with children around eco ideals, is the most effective way to inspire them. For example, my children are delighted to have their own reusable shopping bags. Inspired by the book My Bag and Me!, I got my children their own bags, which they proudly carry into the store. My three-year-0ld son puts his favorite foods in his bag at the health food store. Children will imitate what they see the adults around them doing, and given the proper tools, they can assimilate this knowledge into their own lives. On more than one occasion I’ve been accused of “walking the talk”, and it definitely pays off when my children evaluate their own lives and choices using our green family values.

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Young children are especially susceptible to the negative effects of modern life, including indoor air quality and heavy metal exposure, such as lead. Many eco-living families feel like they have to sacrifice some of their green morals when placing their children in daycare or preschool. These families do the best they can by packing their children organic snacks, but there is little they can do about other aspects of the program. Now, parents in Atlanta, Georgia will have a choice to enroll their children in the first completely eco-friendly child care center FIO360.

What makes a child care facility eco-friendly? According to FIO360,

• Solar tubing to conserve energy and provide natural daylight throughout the facility;

• Radiant, heated floors in all classrooms-proven to reduce energy costs, enhance air quality and improve circulation, which contributes to a stronger immune system, a healthier heart and better sleep;

• Activclassroom whiteboard technology and software informed by teachers to foster an interactive learning environment that keeps students engaged, focused and enthusiastic;

• Streaming video capabilities in each classroom for parents who want to periodically join in on their children’s learning and play experiences throughout the day;

• Waterless urinals and sensor-activated faucets in all lavatories to preserve water;’

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Fire Race is beautifully illustrated by Sylvia Long, and the illustrations hold true to Karuk traditions in the garb of the animal characters. For example, Coyote wears a basket cap traditional to the Karuk Tribe. The Karuk Tribe resides in far northern California along the Klamath River. Fire Race tells the traditional tale of how Coyote appealed to the vanity of the yellow jacket sisters to steal their fire. The race begins, with many local animals passing the fire to one another as the yellow jacket sisters chase them. Eventually, the fire is swallowed into the wood, where it is stored today for us to burn and stay warm.

I just love this book! It has always been one of my favorites as a teacher and a parent. There are so many things to discuss, such as the vanity of the Yellow Jacket Sisters and the cooperative effort of the animals. I love to connect the story to our hearth for our children, as we give thanks for the warmth our woodstove provides us. It is a gift from the land.

Melissa and Doug See and Spell is very appealing to the children in my program, and a great way to teach letter recognition, letter shape, phonics, etc. Each wooden “card” has two sides, totaling 20 words in all children can spell. The words are all high frequency, three and four letter words. This toy is recommended for children 4-7 years old; however, I have found that younger children really enjoy it too, especially with a little bit of scaffolding. Parents can limit the letter choices for very young children to ensure their success. Of course, young children require close supervision for choking hazards. The letters are large, but they say that anything that can fit though an empty toilet paper roll is a choking hazard. For my six-year-old daughter, the toy is too simplistic to sustain play when no longer novel.

I have noticed that many readers have come to Eco Child’s Play by searching for Melissa and Doug toy recalls. It is true that most Melissa and Doug toys are made in China; however, this company is not involved in any of the recent recalls. Melissa and Doug state that they test each batch of toys twice (once in China and once in USA) before distributing them. The testing is not done by an outsourced company, but by Melissa and Doug employees. For more information, please visit:
Duck Duck Goose Boutique
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
China Free Christmas
If you are boycotting Chinese toys because of safety concerns, then you may feel comfortable with Melissa and Doug. If you are boycotting Chinese toys because of their human rights violations, then you will not feel better knowing Melissa and Doug test their toys twice. I have heard conflicting thoughts on boycotting China because of the situation in Tibet. I have heard that the Dalai Lama has said that it would hurt people to boycott China, and this would not be the compassionate approach. I have also read that many Tibet liberation groups support such boycotts. Personally, I have adopted a modified boycott of Chinese products, weighing in man factors before making purchases. Perhaps this is lame, perhaps it is not. I don’t really know…

We have had the Child’s Cleaning Set in my preschool classroom for four years now, and it continues to be one of the most popular play items. Children often use the mop for fighting fires (perhaps they have heard the term “mop up” after local forest fires), and they use the broom to clean up sand from the sand table. Cleaning up your own messes is a natural consequence for spills, and the most effective way for children to learn responsibility. Learning life skills, such as cleaning, is also part the Montessori philosophy for early childhood education. According to Michael Olaf, an amazing source for Montessori materials,

I have heard parents exclaim in dismay that their child is “wasting time cleaning in her new Montessori school when she should be doing math!” However, math and all other intellectual work requires the ability to move carefully, to focus, to complete sequential steps, to concentrate, to make intelligent choices and to persevere in one’s work. This is exactly what is learned during practical life work. As a result of periods of time spent concentrating on such a task a child becomes calm and satisfied and, because of this inner peace, full of love for others.

Perhaps an even more important result of this work is that the child sees himself already as an important and contributing member of the group, and as an intimate friend, when he is welcome to participate in the work of the adult.

Magic Cabin’s Child’s Cleaning Set is made in the Netherlands, so no need to worry about Chinese manufactured goods with this purchase. The optional tool stand is made in the USA. With the holidays approaching, the Child’s Cleaning Set would make a great, practical gift.

The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond could end after the alphabet is over, but there is much, much more! The “Beyond” portion of The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondprovides recipes, fun facts, geography, links to other great children’s literature on the letter or fruit/vegetable, jokes, tongue twisters, etc. This is a great resource for parents, teachers, homeschoolers, etc. to extend the nutritional and alphabet lesson.

ABC books are great for young children. They offer an enjoyable method to expose children to the alphabet. The more exposure children have to letters, the more they will notice their characteristics, etc. ABC literature is an effective method for letter introduction and reinforcement, and it is much more developmentally appropriate method than direct instruction. The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondoffers a fun way for children to learn about nutrition in the context of the alphabet. I can’t way to try out some of the recipes!

Many children today are simply “overscheduled”. Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum write, “Many well-meaning parents have fallen into the trap of imagining that by signing their children up for multiple activities they are being better parents and therefore will “produce” better children…We cannot stress this strongly enough: It is counterproductive for your preschool-age child to be doing too much. Children who do too much too soon tend to be stressed, anxious, and susceptible to feelings of low self-esteem.” I have witnessed this overscheduling phenomena with my friends. Their children are tired and stressed, and the parents feel likewise from all the running around. One fortunate consequence of living in the middle of nowhere like my family does, is it is virtually impossible for my children to be overscheduled.

Practical Wisdom for Parentshas a section on discipline, an area I have definite opinions about. For the most part, I agree with the advice in Practical Wisdom for Parents;however, there is a lot of research that no longer supports the use of time outs, thus I have to disagree wit the authors’ advice. Time outs are for adults, as young children are not able to use this time to reflect and learn from their misdeeds. Simply having a child sit quietly for misbehavior does nothing to correct and teach appropriate behavior, yet it does remove a child from a situation and give parents a chance to calm down. No matter how you slice it, time outs are a form of punishment, which can be harmful to children if overused.

Other advice from Practical Wisdom for Parentsregarding behavior guidance includes:

• Establishing routines
• Anticipating and preempting problem behavior (my favorite as a teacher!)
• Breaking it down
• Working alongside child
• Giving a warning
• Giving either/or choices
• Using distraction or humor
• Getting your child on your side
• Reinforcing good behavior
• Avoiding overpraise

There is so much information in Practical Wisdom for Parents,that is impossible to list all of it here. This book gives information in a straightforward, simple manner, that is accessible for most parents. Whether you are expecting a new addition to the family or wanting to support your child’s independence, you will find some useful information in Practical Wisdom for Parents. The only thing missing is how to make your life greener with children!

There is evidence that special needs children may especially benefit from yoga. For example, often children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cerebral Palsy have poor muscle tone. Practicing asanas offers a gentle method to build strength. In addition, yoga calms the mind, eases tension, and teaches children coping methods. These skills are especially important for children with special needs. Joshua Betts, a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, writes of his yoga experiences:

My mom loves yoga. Since she loves me so much, she wants me to do yoga too. She says that yoga keeps her happy and not stressed. I learned some yoga poses. I must say they are not as bad as I thought they would be. My body felt weird at first: very shaky and wobbly. My mom made me do this yoga stuff a lot and I actually started liking having my head upside down! I also liked when my mom told me things to think about while I was doing the poses. She told me to think about being a warrior and being brave and strong when I am doing some of the poses. Sometimes when I am bored at school, I think about these stories to make the time go faster and to stop myself from flapping so much. The weirdest thing my mom makes me do is breathe in strange ways. Mom said that the breathing could help me stop flapping when I am not supposed to. I used to flap at the bus stop all the time, because I was bored and nervous about the school day. Mom told me to take some breaths and she breathed with me. Since I was thinking about my nose and air coming into my body, I could not think about flapping at the same time.

Like Joshua’s mother, I love yoga too. From the time my children were growing in my womb, they have been part of my practice (some Hindu texts say that children practice all 108 asanas in utero). As my children grew into toddlers, they would alternate between playing with my body, such as crawling under my downward facing dog, to imitating my poses. In fact, my daughter would get upset if I skipped my daily practice.

Young children’s attention span for yoga is not that of an adult; thus, many yoga products have been created to entice children to practice. There are many videos, games, and books available to introduce children to yoga. My favorites kids’ yoga products are the children’s book Babar’s Yoga for Elephants, which offers advice as to where to place your trunk during certain asanas, and the Yoga Garden Game, a cooperative game where players work together to plant the flowers before nighttime falls.

Children don’t need specially designed products to learn yoga, but they do need a teacher to guide them. As an elementary school teacher, I regularly incorporated asanas into our physical education program. In addition, the whole class would form a circle and complete the sun salutation each morning. We called this the “Good Morning Stretch,” and it was a wonderful way to begin our day of learning together.

It is important that children learn that yoga is a gentle practice, in order to avoid injuries. According to Cookie Magazine, “In yoga, children’s natural gifts, agility and enthusiasm, are also their curse: Many are so bendy that they may not recognize their limitations and overstretch, inadvertently injuring muscles. Kids can also get hurt in efforts to compete with their friends, impress the teacher, or try advanced poses before they’re ready.” Children must be taught that yoga is not a competitive sport!

Yoga practice with children is definitely different than practicing with adults, but children deserve opportunities to experience this ancient tradition. If you decide to include children in your practice or volunteer at a local school, be prepared for giggles and silliness. You might even find yourself joining in the laughter with the little yogis and yoginis!

For more information on Yoga for Kids, please visit Yoga Journal.

Only 2 days left to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag.

Magic Cabin offers an affordable, Small Waldorf Mermaid by Kathe Kruse. This doll is made of all natural cotton, wool, and mohair. The tail is removable, allowing the doll to live on land, as well as the sea of your child’s imagination. The detailing on the doll includes beading and shimmering threads. My daughter adores her Small Waldorf Mermaid, which makes the perfect travel companion due to her small size. Kathe Kruse makes natural toys you can feel good about!

The Plan Toys Crane Setcomes with a construction sign, a street sign, a cement mixer, two workers, etc. The Plan Toys Crane Setpivots around and picks up small items. Plan Toys offer many smaller toys that make wonderful additions to the Plan Toys Crane Set

Plan Toys is currently my favorite toy company! They are a socially responsible company that makes beautiful wooden toys. Their prices are more expensive than plastic toys, but their prices is lower than many other wooden toy companies. We will be reviewing many Plan Toys in the coming weeks, thanks to our recent birthday celebrations.

Only 2 days left to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag.

Eco Dad jokes that cooperative games are games where nobody wins, but this is not true. In cooperative games, everyone wins by working together. There is enough competition in our society, that a little cooperation can go a long way to teaching the values I want my children and students to learn.

The Yoga Garden Game was created by Yoga Kids. Z Recs recently featured a post called “Kids Musical Yoga and the Entrepreneurial Spirit“, which you may want to visit for more information on yoga for children.

Although I do not have any experience with DVDs or classes on the subject, I do have some personal experience. After taking a two week break from labor, I gently began my yoga practice. Mostly, I would try to practice yoga when the baby was asleep, but with two children, there was always one around. I allowed the children to find ways to play while I practiced. During downward facing dog, they would crawl under my inverted body. During bridge pose, they would sit on my belly and enjoy the lift up. Sometimes this was very challenging and required me to let go of my previous notions of yoga as a quiet and peaceful time; however, I still felt the benefits afterwards in my body and mind. In addition, as my children grow, they love to imitate my asanas, and I encourage their practice. My three-year old son lying next to me in corpse pose is very sweet. There are times when they try to play that are not appropriate, such as when I am doing a difficult pose and fear I may fall on them or I need all my concentration to stay balanced. They have learned there are times they can play with me when I am doing yoga, and there are times when they need to give me space. It does get easier as your children grow.

I did a little research for Cathy, and some communities offer classes for mommies and their children, usually up to age five. One class I read about consists of 2/3 of the poses include children with their mommies/daddies. In addition, the children are allowed to explore the childproof room and socialize with one another. According to Dr. Feldman of Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital, “When you do yoga with children, what you are doing is introducing them to the language of the body, the structure of a class and to space in general and how the child fits in that space. It’s giving them a sense of pleasure and doing it through accomplishments of the body.” There are even mother and baby yoga retreats!

I found the following titles on Amazon that may help, although I do not have personal experience with any of them:
Yoga Mom, Buddha Baby
Baby Om: Yoga for Mothers and Babies
Yoga Mommies: Mommy and Baby Yoga DVD
The New Method: Baby and Mom: Postnatal Yoga DVD