Because art doesn't have to be boring...

If you have ever googled "things to do in Vancouver" I'm sure you have come across one of these sites... babyvibe.ca, kindervibe.ca and maybe even doggyvibe.ca. Their motto is cool vibes for smart famiilies... and I agree! I have written about their site here before and am really excited that Beetling will take part in their first Spring Family & Baby Fair.  Below you can find a little bio about babyvibe.ca from the co-owner, Nancy Owens, and you can find them on twitter and Facebook.... Better yet you can come to Port Moody on May 15th and check them out in person!

With 6000 subscribers, we are proud to be Western Canada's leading e-newsletter for new and expectant parents. Launched in 2006, Babyvibe is a free, twice-weekly e-newsletter delivering pint-sized news and reviews on innovative products and services, expert tips and family friendly events for new and expecting parents. In 2008 we launched Kindervibe (Babyvibe's older sibling), which delivers the best scoop on cool products, services and tips for the bigger kids, with a focus on healthy, natural living!


With both publications, our mantra is: involved parenting, happy kids, healthy community!


On May 15th, join us at our first annual Spring Fair, a fun, fabulous and free event, happening in beautiful Port Moody, BC. More information can be found here.

Michele Borba Ed.D and author of "Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries" wrote an article in Urban Baby and Toddler that I wanted to share with you. She wrote about raising caring kids which I just love because too often I read articles about how to raise smarter faster and stronger kids and I think we as a society are losing track of what parenting is really about. Her article made me think about my own parenting style as well as some of my own childhood experiences that taught me to care.

 A few of Michele's tips that really jumped out were: 

1. Be the change you want to see 
I know this is something we all think about at some point, but what are we really DOING about it. Our kids are little sponges and they learn from our actions as parents-Monkey see Monkey do right? Imagine what they would soak up if we consciously made it a point to help at least 1 person everyday. It could be as simple as opening the door for a struggling mom juggling 2 kids, bringing old toys to a local charity or calling grandma just to say I love you. Ask yourself what you did today that made a positive difference in someone's life and did you share that experience with your kids? I know this works because my 4 year old holds the door open for e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e because he sees us do it and he loves the "thank-yous" he receives from people. I'm going to make this a daily priority and keep track of our "good deeds" and see the positive effect it has on my boys... I hope you do too, and please share some experiences with me!


2. Pause before you praise
This is something I never really paid much attention to, but I am so guilty of over praising! I think it is natural to be very proud of our children and we want to make sure they know how amazing they are, but we can get carried away. If we reward our children for every "please and thank you" or every time they pick up their toys we can create a monster. Michele talks about the fine line between confidence and cockiness and how over praising our children can make them think the world revolves around them. If your child is very impatient or needs to win every race or game, that can be a sign you have a "monster in training" so nip that in the bud ASAP! This is a problem I have right now and I can tell you it is a hard habit to break. I have started pausing and thinking before I praise and I no longer give gifts as rewards, it is hard but I know it will be worth it! 

3. Get your kids to give back
This is my favourite tip from Michele. Pick a charity or organization that would interest your children and get them involved as hands on as possible so they can see the difference they are making. Writing this just brought back a great memory from my childhood. When I was a wee little girl, I had a piggy bank that I would save money for candy or some barbies. One year when I was 9 or 10 my Dad asked me to save up my money until Christmas and give it away. Of course this sounded crazy to me, especially at Christmas, but my dad promised me a reward so I said yes. We all saved money and when December rolled around we picked 3 families in need and put together a basket full of food, some presents and cash then we personally delivered them. I still remember how grateful they were just to see the food. There were tears and smiles and even at my young age I understood we had made a huge difference in their lives, and it felt really good. For my reward I didn't ask for more presents I asked for a bigger piggy bank and we made a new Christmas tradition. 


Most importantly I think we need to relax and realize there is no such thing as a perfect parent or a perfect child and it is our imperfections that make us unique. We aren't raising robots, we're raising little humans!

Progressive Parenting Network is an online community of parents, educators and caregivers that promotes physically, educationally and emotionally healthy children who surpass developmental milestones.  The goal of Progressive Parenting Network is to collect and share the best practices for helping children achieve and exceed expectations. 

SLEEP TRAINING – The nursery is painted, the crib and changing table are put together…finally.  You have created a perfectly coordinated safari scene of 3-D giraffe, tree and zebra wall art from www.beetling.com.  The only problem is that even though she is old enough, your bouncing little baby does not want to sleep in her brand new room by herself.  You and your spouse take turns every night easing her into sleep then gently laying her in the bed and sneaking out of her room only to hear that dreaded “whimper” as you tip-toe down the hall.  Then back into the room you go.  The cycle seems to continue long into the night.  You wonder how other parents seem to find time to do other things while your nights “begin” at midnight each night! 

Not to worry, new parents, there is a solution that will have you sleeping in your own beds again.  It is called “sleep training” and it is exactly what it sounds like.  Please be aware, that training your little one to sleep is not the most fun you will ever have—especially if you are extra sensitive to a crying baby; but ultimately the process is well worth it.  There are several methods of sleep training that have merit, however the one that worked for us was a cold-turkey approach, suggested by a friend whose son (born a week after our baby girl) was able to put himself to sleep without being held.  
Our little one stood up in her crib and cried for about an hour for the first night.  After she realized the crying was not working, she fell asleep standing up!  She stood sleeping, leaning on her crib for two and a half hours for the first night.  Fortunately we installed a baby-cam in addition to the audio baby monitor so we could keep an eye on the progress and make sure there were no actual problems.  The following night she only protested for about 20 minutes— probably because she was tired and likely figured that the extra effort to stay awake just was not worth it.  After a few days, our daughter was able to put herself to sleep in her room (in complete darkness) without Mommy or Daddy holding her.  For this process to work, there are several factors that need to be addressed by the parents.  To keep this post moving, however, the summary is that the child needs to be able to trust that everything will be alright when she goes to sleep and that you will be there for her when she wakes up.  Your child can feel this sense of security because of your effort on the front end – all of the loving and nurturing pays off now (among other times)!
After sleep training, our daughter knows what to expect and has a routine where she is able to put herself to sleep and remain asleep for 11 -12 hours each night with a 2 hour nap during the day.  The best part is that we are able to be adults after her bedtime and we can get the rest we need.  When you step out of your home people will not immediately identify you as the parent of a baby evidenced by your disheveled appearance and bags under your eyes. Sleep training might be the single most important thing we have done for our whole family since she was born.


You can find more great tips on their website or twitter