It's a Cloud, It's a Plane!

Monday, we had an exciting surprise outside our door.  We were headed to the grocery when we ran across a lizard.  We followed the lizard for a bit, commenting on how it moved and what it looked like.  It camouflaged itself in the mulch, which was fun too.

We tried to look for clouds too while we were outside, but there weren't a lot of clouds to see.  This week we are concentrating on the things we see in the sky, as we have two different family members flying in this week.  Even though we saw no clouds, we came home and painted cloud pictures.  We talked about the three main different types of clouds: cumulus, which are very fluffy; cirrus, which are wispy and the highest of the clouds; and stratus, which are thick like blankets and sit very low in the sky.  Fog is a type of stratus cloud.  We often comment on the clouds we see and what they look like, so we used clouds from memory.  For cumulus and cirrus clouds, we used cotton balls.  When you stretch the cotton balls out, they make great cirrus clouds.  All the clouds can also easily be painted with a foam paint.  Although you can buy foam paint, we like to make our own by mixing shaving cream (we prefer regular Barbasol) and some glue.

We also worked on our animals of the alphabet book.  This week was D-F.  For D, we included dogs, deer, dragonflies, dolphins, and ducks.  For E, we included elk, eagles, and most especially elephants.  For F, we included frogs, fish, foxes and flamingos.  Then we stood like a dog, walked and trumpeted like an elephant, and balanced on one leg like a flamingo.  She incorporated these movements in our game of "Elbow."  Elbow is her name for Follow the Leader, in which she is the leader.  We start with our elbows up, hence the name.

Then we played some catch, with different types of balls to see which stay in the air the best.

Tuesday was elections here in California so we all walked to the polls.  Genevieve took turns on her tricycle too.  While we walked, she looked for items to add to her nature collection. She added some rocks, flowers and small green oranges off the ground.  We decided to do an experiment to see if any of these oranges could grow without the tree.  We also stopped at the train station in town when we passed by to try to see some trees.  Finally we went to story time at the library.  We arrived late, but heard a story about a little girl learning to swim before it ended.

At home, we talked more about elections, using the Daniel Tiger episode as reference.   And since grandma arrives tomorrow, we read How to Babysit a Grandma and Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa.  She loves the Llama Llama books, and although both of these are about going to grandma's house, they talk about fun things to do with grandma.

Finally, we did some experiments with paper airplanes.  We crumpled a ball of paper and made some standard paper airplanes and a helicopter.  For those that haven't made a helicopter before, if you are using this pattern the solid lines are cut and the dashes are folded.  C and D are folded into the center and held together with a paperclip.  The paperclip will help provide weight to keep that part down.  A and B are folded in opposite directions to create the propeller.  It was fun to see which designs flew best.

Wednesday we had a music/dance party in the morning and read Pete the Cat's Train Trip (another favorite character of hers) and Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie.  We also drew a picture for grandma before we went to pick her up from the airport.  After we got back and she played some with grandma, we took a break to look at Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh.  Then we painted pictures with swirls and thick brush strokes like Van Gogh.

Thursday we were getting ready for dad to come back.  We read Nelly Gnu and Her Daddy Too and While You Are Away.  We worked in the garden then painted some pictures in dad's favorite colors - green.  After we finished we used lids to create patterns using both color and size.  We also talked about complimentary colors and the color wheel.

Friday, for the last week of gymnastics for this session, we played with the parachute which was a fun exercise in teamwork and turn-taking.  We played some music and played in the park.  We read books about body parts and sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes at storytime.  Despite the exhausting week, we still took the time to do a short activity in the afternoon.  While we were doing some yard work, we created a solar print since the sun is another object up in the sky.  We placed a few interesting shaped objects on the paper and let it sit for a few minutes.  After rinsing we had the finished project, which is pretty neat.  It works best if you use a variety of sized items though.  Genevieve mostly had skinny items on her print, which is harder to see in the end.

Memorial Day Week

Sunday, we went to church.  Genevieve made it through most of the service without problem, although she still doesn't like the nursery so she stayed in the small play room to the side of the sanctuary that the church set up for parents like me.  We rolled brother over and blew bubbles.  Genevieve sat still long enough to hear me read excerpts from Frost and Emerson read during the service.  Unlike other Sundays, we also made it through the whole service without going back and forth to the bathroom.  Last week, we made five trips.  Ah, the joys of potty training.

Monday, we did our chores like watering the garden in the morning.  Then we went for a short walk around the neighborhood.  We did this so that we could hunt for flowers and take pictures along the way.  We used these photos to create our own flowers for Memorial Day.  We painted coffee filters with liquid water colors.  Depending how you paint, this can also be a fun experiment in chromatography but we will talk about that more later.  After they dry, you fold the filters in half and roll them up.  Wrap a green pipe cleaner to hold them in place.  We used our art time to talk about Memorial Day.  We looked at our pictures of flowers and talked about how many people use red poppies to gift to veterans and use in remembrance of those lost.  We talked about how many countries celebrate a Memorial Day, but some celebrate on a different day of the year or use a different name.  We also talked about the first Memorial Day, which occurred in May right after the Civil War.  Recently freed African Americans used this day to remember the soldiers who had died for their freedom.

Later, we started our big project for the summer.  Genevieve is making her own book, an alphabet book.  We are starting by exploring animals of the alphabet.  We went to the zoo on Saturday, which was a great start.  Today we talked about the zoo and then started gluing letters and animals in the book for the letters A, B and C.  We will talk about more letters in coming weeks.  For A, we talked about armadillos, ants, anteaters, and alligators.  We had seen some anteaters at the zoo.  For B, we talked about bats, bears, badgers, bees, butterflies, birds, and bison.  We noticed that some of the animals also were colors that start with b - black bears, brown bats, and a blue footed booby.  For C, we talked about cats, cheetahs, camels, caterpillars, coral, chickens, cows and chipmunks.  We finished by doing some animal movements.  We wiggled our hips like an alligator, lumbered across the floor like a black bear and stretched our backs like a cat.

On Tuesday, we went to the local library for story time.  We heard stories about trees.  After story time is always puzzles and coloring.  We chose a really appropriate puzzle today, as the clock puzzle by Melissa and Doug has different shapes for each number.  This was appropriate as after lunch we talked about shapes.  We read Mouse Shapes and A Triangle for Adaora.  Then we pulled down the train cars I used using Thomas Pictures and tissue boxes.  We sorted some pre-cut shapes into the train cars.

Wednesday we read Go Shapes Go and 10 Times 10.  We looked at pictures by Wassily Kandinsky. With these sources of inspiration, we used the precut shapes we had sorted yesterday and shape foam stickers to create our own shape art.

Wednesday evening we had an exciting experiment.  When we were out doing our evening chores, we found an owl pellet.  Owl pellets are amazing.  The first amazing thing about an owl pellet is thinking about the owl's digestive system.  Owls swallow their food whole, then the things they cannot digest, is formed into the owl pellet, which they throw up.  So, yes, some people may find it gross but it's exciting to see what you can find inside.  Using tools like tweezers and sticks, you can slowly open up the hair and feathers that hold the pellet together.  The bones inside are interesting because you can use them to learn about the animals in your area and compare them to your own skeleton.  We found tiny hip bones and jaws in our owl pellet.  If you aren't lucky enough to have an owl near you and want to dissect an owl pellet, you can find kits that will also help you identify the bones.
 Thursday we took a break from shapes.  We went to soccer in the morning and made it though the whole session which is impressive considering the heat.  We took plenty of water breaks though.  We are getting better at only using our feet for soccer.  After soccer, we needed to plant some more seeds for our garden.  We read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle and The Little Flower Seed, which is a Little Clifford Book.  We acted out being seeds - we curled up on the floor as seeds; the sun and rain feel on us so then our roots emerged as we stood; we spread our arms out to be the leaves and then blew in the wind so our seeds could blow away and we could start over.  After that we planted the seeds and will now watch them grow.

Friday we went to gymnastics.  Genevieve is getting really good at pulling her feet up to the bar and walk the balance beam.  She's also been practicing her forward rolls and loves playing tag with friends on the trampoline track.  After gymnastics, we played a little in the park although it was rather warm for that.  We went to baby bounce story time for her brother.  We also signed up for the summer reading program for pre-readers.  When brother went down for his afternoon nap, Genevieve and I read Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.  This book is nice because it introduces subtraction.  However, we used the buttons theme from this book to practice buttoning our clothing.  We also pulled out our button collection.  We sorted by size, shape, color, and the number of holes in the button.

We ended our week with a special baby signs class.  This was designed for older siblings and their new babies.  We reviewed signs for mom, dad, sister, brother, love, play, baby and gentle.  We talked about ways for older siblings to play with the baby and ways for parents to help with the transition.  Then we walked down to the train station to hang out for a bit and watch the trains go by.

Learning through Play: The Talking Eggs

The Talking Eggs is a book by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.  It is a Creole take on the Cinderella story and offers many jumping points for fun, tie-in activities both literary and otherwise.  You can use this story to begin an exploration of Creole culture or compare this to other Cinderella stories from around the world.  Use language skills to recognize similes in the story and create some of your own.  Learn about estimation, hypotheses, and the science of sound while playing with eggs or create some beautiful artwork.

Most of these activities can be done at any age, with adult guidance.

The Projects

Materials needed for the project include a copy of The Talking Eggs, copies of other types of Cinderella stories, hard-boiled eggs or emptied egg shells, markers or paints/egg dyes, hard-boiled egg, regular egg, bowl of vinegar, bowl of water, and plastic eggs filled with things like coins, rice, beans, buttons, cotton balls, paper, etc.

Begin by reading the story.  Talk about how it compares with the Cinderella story most familiar to the kids, which is probably the Disney version.  What is similar in these stories?  What is different?  Most Cinderella stories include an evil stepmother and stepsisters, a dead mother, a dead father or a father who is poor at his job, a protagonist forced to do most of the work around the house to care for the family and a mutual attraction with a person of high status.  Not all of these need to be met to be classified as a Cinderella story.  Even Harry Potter has elements of this idea, with dead parents and a boy forced to live in a sad, tiny room with very little of his own while his cousin is spoiled.  Explore some other Cinderella stories from around the world and look for common elements.  Explore cultural differences.  What do you think the lesson is in these stories?  Some good places to start are:

http://www.lowvilleacademy.org/webpages/MBlow/cinderella.cfm?subpage=868111

http://www.ala.org/offices/resources/multicultural

http://mic.com/articles/90385/what-the-story-of-cinderella-looks-like-in-9-countries-around-the-world

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman

Note to parents: Read through the stories you find before you share them with your children.  In some stories Cinderella runs away because her father is inappropriate with her and in other stories the “prince” physically or emotionally abuses “Cinderella” when she is dressed in rags and acting as a serving girl.  The stories from the sites above do not include these interpretations, but other searches may bring those stories up.

The Talking Eggs uses some excellent examples of similes and metaphors.  Use the information below to talk about what these are and hunt for some in the book.

 

The Talking Eggs is a Creole version of a Cinderella story.  Learn a little bit about the Creole culture.  Can you see any examples of this in the story?

Although most eggs don’t talk, some can make them make noise.  Fill some plastic eggs with various things.  Some of them should make noise like beans and buttons, some should be quieter like cotton balls and paper.  See if your children can identify what’s inside the eggs and if there is a lot of the item or a little.  If they are interested, you can demonstrate how the sound travels through the air by dropping items into a bowl of water.  Sound travels in waves, just like those you created in the bowl.

What else can we learn from eggs?  Well, how can you tell the difference between a hard-boiled egg and an uncooked egg?  Look at one of each to see what you can learn.  Feel them.  Can you guess which is which?  Try spinning them, then touch them to make them stop.  The hard-boiled egg should stop easily, but the uncooked egg will want to keep moving as the liquid sloshes inside.  Other fun egg experiments include trying to break the egg with two fingers, starting from the top to bottom and then trying from the sides.  How difficult is it to break the egg without hitting it?  How difficult is it squeezing in different locations?  Or try soaking the eggs in vinegar and watch as the acidic vinegar eats away at the calcium carbonate in the shell.  If you leave the eggs for about two days, until the shell is entirely gone, the egg will bounce a bit, but remember not to bounce it too hard as it still is an egg.

Lastly, many people paint eggs for Easter, but that is not the only reason to have beautiful eggs like the ones in the story.  You can use cleaned out egg shells if you want to keep your eggs for longer or hard-boiled eggs for short term.  To clean out an egg shell, use a needle to make a hole in each end of the egg.  Use the needle to try to break up some of the yolk and whites in the egg. Carefully blow through the hole at the other end.  Go back and forth between breaking up the egg’s insides and blowing until you think most of the liquid is gone.  Carefully run some water through the egg and gently shake this out.  Then allow the egg to dry.  Try not to get any of the raw egg in your mouth for safety.  Once the eggs are dry, you can use the same dyes you would for Easter eggs, can color them with markers or paint them.  Or you can use natural dyes like flowers, onion skins, coffee grounds, etc.

Some Information to Share

 Similes and metaphors

Similes and metaphors are both similar ways to provide imagery to your sentences.  They paint a different picture than simply saying that the basket is red.  The sentence “The basket is red as an apple” gives the reader a vivid image.  This example sentence is a simile, which is a comparison using LIKE or AS.  Metaphors also compare two things, but does so more directly by skipping the words LIKE or AS.  “The desk is a soldier standing tall” is an example.

 Creole culture

Creole is the term for descendants of the French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers living in Louisiana, the West Indies and Latin America.  The color of one’s skin didn’t matter.  French customs tended to prevail, especially as the English settlers began to move into the area.  The French Opera House and dances like cotillions were popular, as the Creoles loved music.  The French language played a large part, although it often blended with English as others moved in.  Many Creoles considered themselves Roman Catholic.  One of the biggest distinguishing features of Creole homes is Creole cooking.  A Creole meal is a celebration, and features a combination of European, Native American, and African influences.  Sweet potatoes, okra, and file often play a role in their dishes.  They enjoy teas, lemonade, coffees and desserts like tea cakes, galets, and pralines.  The most famous Creole dishes however are typically thought to be gumbos, dirty rice, and jambalayas.

Scientific Method

The scientific method is a problem solving technique, a way to answer questions, a method to study the world, and a test of whether a statement is true.  Although the steps may change in order from person to person and from situation to situation, the steps usually stay the same.  You should begin by asking questions, making observations, and doing research.  Observing the world around you will help you come up with questions like “Why do cats and dogs have fur?” or “Which ball will hit the ground first?”  You can do research to see what other people have to say and study other situations, like studying other animals that have hair or other items dropping.  Secondly, use your observations and research to create a hypothesis, an idea you are able to test.  It should answer your original question, but might not be the right answer.  That’s why you are going to put it to the test.  The test is the next step, called an experiment.  You’re not done making observations though.  Make observations and record what happens in your experiment.  This work should help you remember what happens and allow future scientists to compare your work and theirs.  Use the observations to come to a conclusion.  Was your hypothesis correct?  Why or why not?  What new questions do these conclusions lead to?  Finally, share your work so that others can explore what you’ve learned.

 Sound Waves

Have you ever thrown a stone into water and watched as the waves spread out?  Or played with a Slinky, watching as the coils grow closer and further apart?  This is like sound.  For example, imagine someone knocking on a door.  If we could look really close, we could see the molecules in the door vibrate.  They knock into their neighbors which begin to vibrate.  The vibration of the door causes the air molecules to vibrate.  Eventually those vibrations will reach your ear and your brain can convert the vibrations into sound.  All these different types of matter affect the speed of the sound wave, or vibration.  Since solid molecules are closer together, the sound moves faster.  Also since sound requires matter, there isn’t sound in space because of the lack of molecules to vibrate.

 Eggs

Most of the time when we think of eggs, we think of chicken eggs but many animals lay eggs from dinosaurs to birds, from reptiles to fish and even the duck-billed platypus.  Most eggs have some sort of covering that allows air and water to pass through but helps protect the growing animal.  Chicken eggs have a shell made of calcium carbonate, which is the same thing coral skeletons and antacids are made from.  The egg white is mostly albumen, and if there were a baby chicken inside, this would be the food it could eat while it’s growing.  The albumen has all sorts of vitamins and minerals in it that are good for you or the baby chick.  The yolk is where the baby chicken would grow from.  There is also usually an air pocket at the large end.  White and brown are not the only color of egg, although they are the ones we are most familiar with.  Hens are known to lay eggs in pink, green and blue too.  The egg can tell you how fresh it is.  Old eggs float in boiling water while fresh eggs hang at the bottom.  Or you can look at the egg white to tell how fresh it is.  If the egg white is clear, the egg is very fresh while cloudy egg whites mean the egg is starting to age.  If your egg white is pink or iridescent, don’t eat that egg.  It has gone bad.

 Faberge eggs

Faberge eggs are elaborate Easter eggs created by the Russian goldsmith Faberge.  The most well-known and valuable tend to be the ones created for the Russian Imperial family.  These eggs were made almost yearly between 1885 and 1916.  There were a few years when Russia was at war that it was difficult to create the eggs.  The tradition began when Tsar Alexander III decided he wanted to give his wife an extra special Easter present.  His wife had enjoyed an egg owned by her aunt, so the Tsar turned to Faberge to create a special egg for the Empress.  The first egg is known as the Hen Egg, and opened to reveal a golden yolk which in turn opened to reveal a small gold hen.  The hen also opened and inside was a diamond replica of the Imperial Crown.  She was so impressed, Alexander III decided to commission Faberge to create a new egg each year.  He left Faberge to design the details, but required that there be a surprise in each egg.  The eggs were very intricate and often took more than a year to create.  Faberge often looked to important events in Russian history and the family life for inspiration.  The most expensive is the Winter Egg of 1913 and has diamond snowflakes.  After Alexander III died, his son took up the tradition, continuing to have an egg created for his mom and his wife.  The Russian Revolution brought an end to the tradition.  Of the fifty Imperial Faberge eggs, 42 have survived.  Recently, another egg appeared at a flea market and was purchased by a scrap dealer who did not recognize it, but thought the gold and gems might be worth something.  He eventually turned to the internet and discovered the purchase to be worth $33 million.

Bibiliography

The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci

Fairy Tales by Jeanne King

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/PC_met.htm

http://www.growingwithgrammar.com/files/www5smplelessfinal.pdf

http://ocw.usu.edu/English/intermediate-writing/english-2010/-2010/metaphors-and-similes-skinless_view.html

http://www.grammarly.com/blog/2015/whats-the-difference-between-a-simile-and-a-metaphor/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Creoles.aspx

http://www.nps.gov/cari/learn/historyculture/creole-history-and-culture.htm

http://www.frenchcreoles.com/CreoleCulture/creolefacts/creolefacts_NEW.html

http://www.biology4kids.com/files/studies_scimethod.html

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/projects/thescientificmethod.html

http://iss.schoolwires.com/cms/lib4/NC01000579/Centricity/Domain/1453/Steps%20of%20Scientific%20Method.pdf

http://www.ducksters.com/science/sound101.php

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/sound.html

http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_topics/what_is_sound.html

http://keysborougheggfarm.com.au/fun-stuff/fun-facts/

http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-chickens/

http://www.livescience.com/10043-dozen-extraordinary-egg-facts.html

http://www.faberge.com/news/49_imperial-eggs.aspx

http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/faberge_nav/main_fabfrm.html

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/where-you-can-see-fabled-imperial-russia-faberge-eggs-180954863/?no-ist

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/world/faberge-third-imperial-egg/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/10706025/The-20m-Faberge-egg-that-was-almost-sold-for-scrap.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/11434818/Faberge-eggs-all-you-need-to-know.html

Book Review: How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm and Other Adventures in Parenting by Mei-Ling Hopgood

This book examines parenting practices around the world, to place into a better context our own parenting practices and question why we make the parenting decisions we make.  Mei-Ling is a mother and journalist from Michigan but living in Argentina.  She has birth siblings in Taiwan and a birth sister raised in Switzerland as well as a sister-in-law from Korea.  When she first discovered she was going to be a mother, her journalistic instincts started her quest into this research on parenting.

Each chapter examines a topic from a different cultural perspective and her personal experience.  She also includes an additional tidbit from another perspective. 

The first chapter questions her experience in Argentina watching parents allow their children to stay up quite late.  She notes that most parents in Argentina are not early risers, and tend to drop their children off at daycare on their own time.  Kids are typically welcome at events.  She called the National Sleep Foundation in Washington D.C. and Jim McKenna of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame to get additional perspectives.  She ends her chapter with a tidbit about sleeping arrangements in a few other cultures.

The second chapter explores French techniques used to help their children eat healthy food.  The school menus she examined sound amazing and students at the school she explored are told they should try everything twice.  There is no difference between adult and kids meals.  She discusses additional techniques used in France and America and the importance of taking time to unplug and enjoy your relationship with your food and the people with whom you are sharing it.  She ends with a tidbit about different foods children eat around the world from kimchi to coffee.

The third chapter explores the benefits of carrying babies versus using strollers.  She looks to Kenyan mothers as an example of people that carry their children as their roads often aren’t convenient for stroller use anyway.  She explores bonding and response to children’s needs.  She looked at different methods cultures used to carry the infants.  She mentions the studies about the benefits of vestibular stimulation versus “bucket time.”  She shares the story of her attempts to go stroller-less on a trip from Argentina to Chicago with her nearly two-year old daughter.  She ends with a tidbit about some interesting products offered to parents in Japan.

The fourth chapter explores the challenges of potty training and looks to the Chinese techniques of elimination training using a special kind of pants.  Chinese parents often have their children potty trained earlier than American parents, but as disposable diapers become more popular worldwide, that is not really the case anymore.  She ends with a tidbit sharing the Argentinian secret to preventing diaper rash.

The fifth chapter looks to some of the best fathers around the world.  She explores the Aka and others.  She ends with a tidbit about paternal leave.  The sixth chapter examines keeping family close through the lens of Arab families and the challenges of balancing family ties with the independence and privacy cherished by many American families.  She ends with a personal tidbit about her experience as an adoptee and adoption views around the world.  The seventh chapter explores the ways pregnancy is treated around the world.  She explored Tibetan beliefs and how religion can play an integral part in pregnancy.  She includes her personal experience with miscarriage in this chapter as well.

In the eighth chapter, she explores how Japanese parents let their children fight.  Rather than butting in and solving problems for their children, she observes the way children are encouraged to create a community by solving the problems together.  Teachers and parents step in to prevent injury, but realize the children can do an excellent job of managing each other.  She ends with a tidbit about the different stories cultures tell to scare their children into behaving.  Chapter nine is another example of parents standing back, this time giving them space to play on their own.  Most parents recognize the importance of play and many understand there is bonding and learning occurring when parents play with their kids but there are times and spaces when it’s better to give kids room to play on their own or with their friends as they see fit.  She also discusses the way children may learn from older playmates.  She ends with a tidbit about some historic toys.

Chapter ten is a discussion of why Mayans expect their children to work and the sense of responsibility children can experience from chores.  She ends with a tidbit about the talents of children around the world.  The final chapter discusses schooling in Asia.  She discusses the studies about the stereotype about Asian scholastic success and the stress on achievement.  She ends with a study of 15 year olds around the world ranking reading, math and science success.

This book explores many topics and many parts of the world, offering a personal perspective on most topics as well.  She talks to real people rather than relying solely on studies to gain a better understanding of the reasons behind the techniques.  If you are interested in understanding where some of our practices come from or why others may parent a little differently, this is a great book.  And it helps remind you not to judge others for their parenting practices because they may have a different culture than your own.

What to Avoid During Pregnancy and Why

Unborn babies are resilient, otherwise the human race would have died out long ago.  However, there are many things that could affect your baby that you can work to avoid.  These things may cause premature birth, affect birth weight, or could even cause long-term effects to your child.  There are things that should be avoided at all if possible and things that can still be used, but with caution.

Avoid

Drugs, Cigarettes and Alcohol

Street drugs can pass through to your baby, causing illness or even addiction.  These types of drugs increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and still birth.  Even if your child survives childbirth, they face an increased risk of learning and behavioral problems as well as serious health problems.  They may also cause physical abnormalities.  Babies suffering from withdrawal because they were born with an addiction may experience greater irritability, sweating, shaking and seizures.  Needle use also increases the risk for mother and baby to catch diseases like HIV or hepatitis.

Although the French and others may disagree, smoking endangers your health and your baby’s.  While smoking, you inhale hundreds of chemicals including tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide.  These chemicals can cross into the placenta.  Smoking affects your breathing, which may cause challenges during labor.  Carbon monoxide limits the amount of oxygen in your blood stream, which limits the amount that will reach your baby.  Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and SIDS.  It may also cause abruption, which is when the placenta separates from the uterus.  Babies born from mother’s who smoke tend to be smaller and suffer from more health problems.  Babies exposed to smoke are more likely to get respiratory infections.  Smoking and co-sleeping should never be mixed as well, whether smoking while pregnant or after the baby is born.  Luckily, many women find the smell of smoke abhorrent while pregnant and find it easier to quit at this time.  And if you can make it through these 9 months, it may be easier to quit for good.

Alcohol is a trickier subject.  Experts know too much alcohol can be responsible for fetal alcohol syndrome, other birth defects, and learning problems.  Fetal alcohol syndrome often causes deformities of the face, head, heart, arms, and legs.  Fetal alcohol syndrome may cause the baby to grow slowly both in and out of the womb.  It’s possible that the baby may also suffer from alcohol withdrawal.  These effects are most often seen in babies whose mothers had at least 6 drinks per day.  The effects of a few small drinks here or there, or even moderate drinking, are less well known, but most experts will agree that it is best not to risk it by drinking any alcohol at all.

Prescription Medication without Doctor Approval

Prescription drugs, like over the counter drugs, should be run by your doctor to confirm that you should continue taking them.  Your doctor will help you weigh the pros and cons of continuing your medication.  It is possible for some medications to pass through your bloodstream and into your baby, while other medications are important for your health.  Your doctor may recommend alternatives that are known to be safer versions of some medications as well.  They may also be able to advise you about safe over-the-counters for some of the known side effects of pregnancy like nausea, heart burn and headaches.

X-rays

Although in some cases there are some medical reasons for you to have an x-ray, it is best to avoid x-rays when possible.  Discuss the fact you are pregnant with anyone ordering x-rays to weigh the pros and cons.  If you do have an x-ray, make sure the technician knows so they can shield your baby well.

Fever and External Heat Sources

There are many things that might raise your core body temperature, which could cause problems with your pregnancy.  Showers, warm baths, hot water bottles, and warm beverages are fine.  But things like electric blankets, saunas, hot tubs, and steam rooms could have unknown effects.  Heatstroke is known to be lethal to a fetus, so take caution with excessive sun and heat.  Also long-lasting fevers in the first trimester have been linked to miscarriage and spinal defects.  To help keep your fever down, drink plenty of fluids, take acetaminophen, and try showers or cool cloths.

Use Caution

Over-the-Counter Pain Medications

Most doctors will agree that aspirin should not be used during pregnancy.  There are a few studies that suggest that low-dose aspirin can help prevent certain conditions like preeclampsia, but there isn’t enough evidence to that.  As far as breastfeeding, 4-6% of the aspirin is transferred to breast milk and can build up in the body.  It has also been linked to Reye’s Syndrome, a rare disorder of the brain or liver.

Acetaminophen, most often taken in the brand name Tylenol, is most recommended by doctors.  There is a long history of women safely using acetaminophen during pregnancy.  It is also most safe to take while breastfeeding as very little passes into the breast milk.

Ibuprofen, often known of as Advil or Motrin, is more difficult.  Most doctors advise against its use, but studies do not always confirm this to be the case.  There is evidence that using ibuprofen in the third trimester could cause harm as it has been shown to cause heart or lung problems.  Some studies suggest an increased risk of miscarriage if taken during the first trimester while others find no such links.

Cat Litter and other animals

Sometimes it seems like people want you to give up your pets just because you are pregnant.  But with proper care, you can still keep your pets and have a healthy child.  In fact, some studies suggest that being pregnant with an animal may reduce your child’s risk of animal allergies.

The main worry with cats is toxoplasmosis.  Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that you may not even notice or may appear to be an average flu, but could cause eye or brain damage in infants.  If you’ve had it before, which is likely if you’ve been around cats all your life, you are unlikely to get it again and unlikely to be able to pass it on to your baby.  But don’t assume this is the case and relax your hygiene standards.  Toxoplasmosis would be found in cat feces, mostly in the feces of outdoor cats.  So the litter box is the problem.  Your best option is to have someone else clean your litter box for you but if that isn’t an option, remember that it takes more than 24 hours for the litter to become infectious so if you clean the litter box every day, it should not become infectious.  Still, wear gloves and remember to wash your hands after cleaning the litter.  Also if your cat walks on your counters, make sure you wipe them down before you put any food items on them.

Cat feces can also be a problem in the garden, since outdoor cats may use it as a litter box.  So be sure to wear gloves and wash your hands after gardening.  And cat feces is not the only place where one may get toxoplasmosis.  Eating raw or undercooked meat could give you toxoplasmosis.

Amphibians and reptiles may carry salmonella in their feces.  Ask for someone else to clean their enclosure if possible.  If not possible, use gloves and wash your hands when cleaning the cages.  Clean the cage outside if possible.  If your animal needs a bath, bathe it in the tub then clean the tub.  Thoroughly wash your hands after handling the animals or their cages.  And don’t let your pet near food preparation areas.

Birds can transmit toxoplasmosis, like cats, or campylobacter, salmonella, chlamydiosis, and other protozoal infections.  The veterinarian is capable of telling you about any problems your bird may have, but to be on the safe side, always wash your hands after handling your pet.  And if no one else can clean the bird cage, use gloves and wash your hands afterwards.

Lying on Your Back

Throughout your first trimester, it is perfectly fine to lie on your back.  As your uterus gets heavier, you may find yourself struggling to get comfortable on your back though.  Doctors worry that your uterus may press down on a major vein responsible for returning blood from your lower body to your heart, which may cause you to feel dizzy or put your feet to sleep.  More importantly, the doctor is concerned that it could interfere with blood flow to your baby.  That means your baby may not be getting enough oxygen and nutrients.  You may find yourself suffering from backaches, breathing problems, digestive problems, hemorrhoids, and low blood pressure from this.  Doctors instead recommend that you sleep on your side, especially the left side.  Use pillows if needed to make yourself more comfortable. 

If you are suffering from heartburn, it might help to sleep with your head and shoulders propped up, which may also help with nasal congestion, which often is a problem in the third trimester like heartburn.

Whatever position you try to fall asleep in, don’t panic if you wake up on your back.  Just roll back to your original position.

Lunch Meats and soft cheeses

Lunch meats and soft cheeses could carry listeria, a dangerous foodborne illness.  Listeria grows best at room temperature, so deli meats that sit in display cases can be susceptible.  Listeria is known to cause miscarriage and stillbirth for some pregnant women when encountered. 

Also raw or undercooked foods could carry toxoplasmosis or other bacteria that could cause infection which may lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infection for your growing baby.  As long as the food is fully cooked, those bacteria should be killed in the cooking process.

Fish

Fish is low fat, especially saturated fats yet often contains the important DHA about which we hear so much as it is important for brain development.  The potential problem with fish is mercury though, which could damage a developing infant’s nervous system.  Most fish like salmon are fine, but others like marlin and shark are likely to contain high levels of mercury.

Caffeine

Research indicates that high levels of caffeine can result in a miscarriage or low birth weight.  Its main effect on you is increased alertness.  Other possible effects include an upset stomach from the stimulated release of stomach acid.  Caffeine is also a known diuretic, which means it increases the elimination of fluids, which can result in water or calcium loss.  While pregnant it is especially important to stay hydrated and you may be suffering enough from an upset stomach, but you may also find yourself dragging and longing for the energy kick from some caffeine.  You have to weigh the pros and cons for yourself.  And remember, some growing babies seem to get the same excited alertness from the caffeine and may be more active, which may keep you awake from discomfort.

Most experts recommend not exceeded 200 mg of caffeine, which is like a chocolate bar and a mug of regular coffee, or two mugs of tea and a can of cola.  Tea has less caffeine than coffee, and herbal teas are a nice pick me up, but remember that some herbal teas may increase blood pressure or cause other issues while pregnant depending on the herbs inside.

Various chemicals

Chemicals are all around us.  Some are benign, but some can cause birth defects and other problems.  Many chemicals have not been studied enough to know for certain what the problem is.  It is best to play it safe while pregnant for this reason. 

Most doctors will recommend you avoid oven cleaner, aerosol cleaners, dry cleaning agents, and spot removers.  When painting, avoid oil-based paints, varnish, shellac, turpentine, paint strippers and make sure the area is well ventilated.  Be careful if you are doing home repair around lead paint or asbestos.  Asbestos is linked to cancer, and lead can increase the risk of miscarriage and cause long lasting effects.    When working outside, avoid insecticides, weed killer, and fertilizer.  A more recent warning recommends you avoid BPAs, or bisphenol A and other phthalates found in plastics and other places.  To be safest, read all warnings and follow instructions on all chemicals you might be using around the home or at work. 

Hair color and perms are considered to be low risk.  There is minimal exposure to the chemicals and you are typically in a well-ventilated area.  Let your cosmetologist know that you are pregnant, and they should use the safest products.  They will also be able to best choose the products that will get you the result you desire, as you may find your hair reacts differently to dyes and perms while you are pregnant.

The Great Outdoors

While you are more pregnant, you may find you are more likely to get sunburn.  It’s recommended that you use sunscreen while outside.  Although you can use bug spray, it’s safer to wear long sleeves and apply the bug spray to that.  If you can find a DEET free bug spray, that’s the safest.  DEET has been linked to birth defects.  But tick bites can be just as bad, so weigh the pros and cons.

EMF

EMFs, which is basically the wireless signals all around us from cell phones to smart meters and everything in between, are a newer controversial topic not just for pregnant mothers but for many people.  Some people link these signals to headaches, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and nausea.  There is not enough scientific evidence to confirm this, but WHO does wonder if this needs to be studied further.  Some studies suggest that these magnetic fields may be connected to increased asthma, risk of miscarriage, or low birth weights in infants from exposure during pregnancy but there are too few of these to really confirm this.

Bibliography

http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-take-ibuprofen-during-pregnancy_1246873.bc

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/pregnancy/2014/02/is_advil_safe_to_take_when_pregnant.html

http://www.today.com/parents/im-pregnant-what-can-i-take-headache-2D80554947

http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-change-the-cats-litter-box-when-im-pregnant_1246885.bc

http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/toxoplasmosis-during-pregnancy-topic-overview

http://www.petmd.com/cat/care/evr_ct_pregnancy_and_cat_litter_toxoplasmosis

http://www.ssmedcenter.com/healthy_pregnancy/what_to_avoid.cfm

http://www.mumsnet.com/pregnancy/dos-and-donts

http://emfsafetynetwork.org/maternal-exposure-to-magnetic-fields-during-pregnancy-in-relation-to-the-risk-of-asthma-in-offspring/

http://www.emfs.info/limits/compliance/pregnant/

http://www.dor.kaiser.org/external/news/press_releases/Study_Finds_Exposure_to_Magnetic_Fields_in_Pregnancy_Increases_Asthma_Risk/

http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html

http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-sleep-on-my-back-during-pregnancy_1245287.bc

http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/sleep-soundly-during-pregnancy

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/sleeping-positions-during-pregnancy/

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/ask-heidi/week-27/sleep-positions.aspx

http://www.slate.com/blogs/expecting_better/2013/09/06/deli_meats_and_sleeping_on_your_back_while_pregnant_are_either_ok.html

Screen Time

Screen Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calculates that today’s average child consumes about 7 hours of screen time.  Screen time is any activities done in front of a screen, including watching TV, playing video games and time on computers, smart phones and tablets.  Most screen time is sedentary, meaning you are physically inactive and sitting down during the activity.  Even really young children are being introduced to more screen time.  A recent study by Common Sense Media found that 38% of toddlers and infants under the age of 2 have used a mobile device, as compared to 10% in 2011.

The AAP continues to suggest limiting screen time to no more than two hours per day for children over the age of 2 and no screen time at all for children under the age of 2.  These guidelines are most likely based on research showing the benefits of active play for young children.  There is research showing children benefit from outdoor play, the use of manipulatives, and interactions with other people.  However, as technology quickly offers more interactive media, research has not yet had time to study the effects these applications may have on the developing brain.

The Problems

Many shows and applications claim to have educational benefits for your children, and some of these claims may be true, but too much screen time can also have negative effects.  Excess screen time is linked with:

·         Inconsistent or poor sleep - This risk is increased with the use of screens in a child’s bedroom.  The light from the screen can confuse our bodies into staying awake.

·         Obesity - Since most screen time is inactive, the more time a child spends in front of a screen the less they are moving.  Children are also especially susceptible to commercials, so commercials for junk food and sugary drinks can cause them to desire less healthy foods.

·         Problems with attention and behavior - Children may be confused by things they see on television and copy inappropriate behaviors.  The inactivity may also be linked with hyperactivity and attention problems. 

·         Depression - The increased risk of poor sleep and obesity can increase the chances a child suffers from depression.

·         Difficulties recognizing emotions in others - UCLA researchers studied 6^th graders from a public school in Southern California.  Researchers found that students who spent 5 days without access to electronic devices were better at reading facial emotions and nonverbal cues than those that continued to use their devices.

Most governments recommend limiting screen time for children and not allowing screen time for children under 2 or 3.  Some governments have even made excess screen time illegal. 

Additionally, parents sometimes have assumptions about media use that could cause them to use screen time poorly.  Studies have shown that content claiming to be educational does not always have the intended effect.  Some children may be able to repeat words heard from a DVD but others will have no benefit from this screen time.  Another study focusing on Clifford the Big Red Dog asked kindergarteners to watch an episode intending to teach that friendship can overcome physical differences as Clifford befriends a dog with three legs.  Since the majority of the episode dealt with the dog’s physical differences, children seemed to be too engrossed with the differences to catch the intended lesson.

Background television, especially if it is adult themed, also is a problem even if your child doesn’t appear to be paying attention to it.  Children tended to perform poorly on cognitive tests with exposure to adult-oriented television.  One theory assumes the child’s mind is busy trying to figure out what is going on in the show, but they do not have the background knowledge to process this.  A study by Garrison and Christakis reported in the 2012 issue of Pediatrics also suggests that a reduction in exposure to violent or adult-oriented television shows produced better sleep in children.

The Benefits

For years, the AAP has recommended reducing screen time for children under the age of 2 and removing all screen time for children under the age of 2.  However, as many parents who have had a screaming child in a waiting room or on a flight or have needed a few moments to do something else like prepare a meal, take a shower, or help a sibling, sometimes screens provide those few moments of distraction to calm a child.  Do we suffer through the tears or face guilt over the damage this screen time could be causing our child?  Isn’t there some benefit or way to create a positive media experience for our child?

·         Web cam interactions – When family members are far away, technology can keep families and friends connected across the distance.  Although these experiences may not be the same as playing and interacting up close, studies like the one in Child Development in 2013 have shown that these video interactions can help children form or keep bonds and even increase vocabulary.

·         Cuddle time and dialogue opportunity – Recommendations from the AAP and others don’t always take into account the fact that screen time doesn’t have to mean the screen is baby-sitting your child.  You can take the opportunity to cuddle with your child and talk about what your child is doing or watching.  For those that don’t always know what to talk about with their young child, this could be the key to start a conversation.

·         Early lessons in media consumption – We have to recognize that television, computers and smart phones or tablets aren’t going away.  We can use screen time to help our children develop positive habits in media consumption.

·         Age-appropriate interactive screen time – Studies exist which show very young children can benefit from certain age-appropriate media, especially when parents and children interact during screen time.  Researchers have found that when children under the age of 2 watched educational television, it did not negatively affect their attention span; although the presentation of the material does make a difference in what the children actually learn.  Each child is different, so media that works for one child might not work for others though, but when parents are involved, the lessons do have a tendency to last.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center agree with the AAP that children under 2 should not have any passive screen time.  They added the word passive to indicate that they believe interactive screen time could be alright if they are used to strengthen adult-child relationships.

Practical Ways to Limit Screen Time and Use Screens Wisely

·         Replace screen time with other fun activities like arts, books, puzzles, outdoor play, or games.

·         Create screen free zones or times in the home.  Meal time, bathrooms (to help keep electronics from suffering water damage) and bedrooms are great screen-free zones. 

·         Have a screen-free game night.

·         Don’t use the television as background noise.  If you need noise, use music.  Research shows that children playing with background television spend more time hopping from toy to toy.  Parents also seemed to interact with children less.

·         Lead by example.  If you use your phone at the table, so will your child.  Limit your time in front of the television as well, so your child won’t want to mirror those activities.

·         Plan ahead about which programs you want to watch.  If you can, DVR them and watch them commercial free to avoid the effects commercials might have on your child.

·         Try a screen free challenge.  Go for a week with no screen time and see what kind of new fun you find.

·         Experience boredom.  When we constantly turn to our screens for entertainment, we lose precious daydreaming time, which is important for our creativity and imagination.  After a few moments, you may create something really fun like an obstacle course or find fun in an imaginary tea party.

·         When your children are using screens, pay attention to how they behave during and after use.  If their screen use is balanced with active, screen-free time and they are using age-appropriate media, then their behavior ought to remain positive.  If they start acting out, or you notice a change in their personality, you might want to re-evaluate the media they are using and the amount of time they spend with their screens.

·         Explain the rules you are creating and involve your children in the decisions about screen time.

·         Talk to your children while they are using media.  Not only will you know exactly what they are watching, but you can reinforce the lessons you want them to walk away with and explain anything that could confuse them.  Let them tell you about what they are doing.  If they are playing a game, maybe they can teach you how to play too.  They may not always be interested in talking, but just spending time together can be good.

Bibliography

http://penfieldbuildingblocks.org/2014/05/importance-limiting-screen-time/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000355.htm

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http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/11/zero_to_three_issues_common_sense_advice_on_toddler_screen_time.html

https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/reduce-screen-time/

https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/pages/media-and-children.aspx

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/screen-time/how-much-screen-time-is-ok-for-my-kids

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Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina