The summer is quickly approaching, and we are pleased to help you get ready for a memorable season. Browse camp essentials and summer camp ideas, to make sure your family is prepared for a summer full of fun.
Deet-free all natural insect-repellant Sponsored Listing: Get your kids ready for camp with Deet-free insect repellent from DRUIDE. Find eucalyptus-free citronella-based lotion, spray and shampoo/body wash. Don’t forget to check out our new Camping section which also features natural toiletry products, water bottles, daypacks and travel games! Discount: Save 15% until June 30th with code KACCAMP
My Stow-N-Tow Sponsored Listing: Tidy Totes for Tots & Tweens. Fits them to a TEE: T - Tidy & Towable; E - Environmentally Friendly; E - Encourages Independence & Responsibility. Handmade with affection. Colourful & fun you won’t have to ask them twice to “stow it” or “tow it”.
Contact: 613-875-9284, info@mystow-n-tow.com, www.mystow-n-tow.com Sponsored Listing: As Canada’s leading provider of Sports Instruction for Children, our summer camps provide your child with the opportunity to learn the skills associated with our 8 core sports. In addition to multi-sport skills children from 16months-12years will enjoy arts & crafts, story time, music, cooperative games and theme days.
Calgary Girls Choir SINGING IN THE SUMMER Choir Camp Sponsored Listing: For GIRLS in grades 2 to 6 WHO LOVE TO SING! Develop vocal skills, learn Kodály choral techniques, present a fabulous concert and meet new friends. Arts, crafts, folk dancing, games and drama will further enrich and enliven their experience.
Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts Sponsored Listing: SING, ACT, DANCE! Perform in the fabulous musical Willy Wonka Jr. Students will learn and develop music theatre skills and help create set pieces for the final production held at Alumnae Theatre. Bravo Academy specializes in Full and Half Day Music Theatre Camps.
Join Us For Some Creative Fun! Sponsored Listing: Art Glazed Over is excited to announce its 5th yearof summer art! We will be creating with raw clay, painting on bisque, learning the art of glass fusion, and working with a variety of paper/textile crafts. Full Day programs, Preschool Program and Tween Programs are available. No charge before/after camp supervision as for details.
Steeles West Gymnastics Summer Camp Sponsored Listing: Come and learn your cartwheel, handstand and aerial at the Steeles West Gymnastics Summer Camp. Enjoy a jam packed program including gymnastics, trampoline, arts and crafts, special event days, special guests and theme weeks. Customize your camp days (full day, half day and pick the day or full week). You are going to have a blast.
GEORGINA ARTS CENTRE & GALLERY SUMMER CAMPS Sponsored Listing: “Art and Science” Kamp July- 4th -8th $160; “Nautical” Kamp July 12th-14th $100; “Sutton Fair” Kamp July 18th-22nd $160; “KidzArt Parade” Kamp July 25th-29th $160; “GO GREEN! Environmental” Kamp” Aug 8th-12th-$160; “Bugs, BIrds and Belugas” Kamp August 15th-19th $160. “In the Wild” Kamp Aug 23rd- 25th $100.
Please call the Georgina Arts Centre & Gallery for more info at 905-722-9587 or check out our website at www.gacag.com
Davina’s Swim House Sponsored Listing: Davina’s Swim House has locations in the GTA and Vaughan. Low 3:1 ratio. All year round sessions. Red Cross and Lifesaving programs. Ages 6 months plus. Swim lessons for all ages. Warm pools and friendly well trained certified instructors. Now accepting summer and fall registrations.
Ontario Science Centre puts it “Eyes on the Skies”
Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen recruited to launch Eyes on the Skies, a new planetarium program for toddlers
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 (Toronto, ON) – The Ontario Science Centre sparks curiosity about the night sky in a new generation. Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, one of the Agency’s newest astronauts, brings pre-schoolers on a virtual voyage through the universe with the Ontario Science Centre’s new Eyes on the Skies planetarium program. This new program will introduce young children to the night-time sky through songs, connect-the-stars constellations and a journey to the moon.
Designed for children under the age of five, this one-of-a-kind lively program introduces children to the nighttime sky in an upbeat, friendly manner. Researcher/Programmer in Astronomy & Space Sciences Sara Poirier along with members of the Science Centre team who have early childhood education training worked together to create Eyes on the Skies.
“Our goal is to create a positive experience within a nighttime environment so young children become curious about the night sky, our planet and its neighbours,” said Sara Poirier. We hope the program inspires children and their caregivers to look up at the night sky together.”
Eyes on the Skies follows a simple narrative that begins with the kids in the city at sunset, transports them to a nighttime country sky, and then blasts off from earth for a trip to the moon, returning home in time to watch the sun rise. Unlike typical planetarium experiences, talking and moving around are encouraged, not discouraged. Throughout the experience, the presenter literally gets on the ground with the children, singing songs like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Zoom Zoom song, an action-based children’s song about taking a rocket to the moon. The constellations are displayed with participants suggesting new interpretations including Leo as a mouse and the Big Dipper as a kite. To help little ones who may succumb to fright, Eyes on the Skies uses ‘Co-Pilot Moonie’ a stuffed glow-worm who can be passed around if needed.
Eyes on the Skies is offered in the CA Technologies Planetarium on Level 4 and is free with admission to the Science Centre. The show is presented daily on weekdays, subject to availability of the Planetarium; visitors are invited to check the Science Centre’s daily schedule upon arrival. On weekends, the show is presented daily at 10:30 a.m. Eyes on the Skies lasts no more than 20 minutes to accommodate wandering minds and little feet. Space is limited to a first-come-first-served basis and times may vary.
“Eyes on the Skies is just one of the new initiatives that the Ontario Science Centre is introducing for younger children,” says Lesley Lewis, CEO. “In fact, KidSpark is a space specially designed for kids aged eight and under to enjoy with their parents or caregivers. Since it opened in the fall of 2003, KidSpark has proved so popular that visitors asked for more. We responded and children can now enjoy twice as many KidSpark experiences as were in the original area.” It is important to note that adults must be accompanied by a child in KidSpark and during busy periods there may be a line up to enter.
About the Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre opened on September 26, 1969, pioneering the concept of an interactive science museum. Since then, well over 40 million visitors have passed through its doors. It is a model for over a thousand science centres around the world that have been built since its inception. The Ontario Science Centre uses science as the lens to inspire and actively engage people in new ways of seeing, understanding and thinking about themselves and the world around them. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Please visit us at www.ontariosciencecentre.ca.
Sleep problems in toddlers and preschoolers are very common, with bedtime difficulties and night wakings topping the list of parent concerns. Research shows that 25-30% of toddlers have bedtime problems and up to 50% still experience night wakings. These problems continue to be common (from 15-30%) in preschoolers. Often times, difficulties falling asleep and night wakings occur in the same child.
Population surveys of parents suggest that these problems may even be more prevalent. The National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America Poll (2004) found that 43% of toddlers and preschoolers fall asleep with a parent present at least a few times a week and 46% and 36% of toddlers and preschoolers, respectively, still wake at night and need “help and attention” to return to sleep.
Consequences of sleep deprivation are numerous and affect all main areas of functioning including social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioural. Sleep problems in children generally disrupt family life and are often the cause for significant parental distress, disruption to parents’ sleep, decreased level of effective parenting, and marital conflict. Signs of insufficient sleep in children include irritability, poor concentration, moodiness, unplanned naps, planned naps past an age when napping is appropriate, whininess, overactivity, and difficult to manage daytime behaviours (just to name a few).
Common causes of sleep problems in infancy also apply to toddlers and preschoolers. These include, but are not limited to, poor timing of sleep periods, not falling asleep independently, inappropriate and inconsistent responding during the night, co-sleeping, and an unsuitable sleep environment (e.g., too much light/noise/heat in the bedroom, toys in the crib/bed).
Parental presence at sleep-onset and following night wakings, including co-sleeping, is a common culprit in causing and maintaining sleep problems in toddler and preschool-aged children. However, with increasing age, other factors such as nighttime fears, moving a child to a bed (especially if the move is made prematurely), and limit-testing behaviours may also be relevant in causing or exacerbating sleep problems.
Many children are transitioned to a bed between 2-3 years of age. However, barring no safety concerns (e.g., a child climbing out of the crib in the dark when alone) waiting until age 3 to make the move is recommended. Children this age are usually more “mature” and better able to understand the “rules” associated with sleeping in a bed. Often times, moving a child to a bed is done with the hopes of resolving sleep problems. However, many parents report that making the move is not helpful and, often times, can make the problems worse as the child is now mobile. It is recommended that parents address sleep problems while their children are still in a crib. Use of a mesh crib tent can be helpful to maintain a child sleeping in a crib (in the face of safety concerns) until they are at a more suitable age to be sleeping in a bed. When a child is moved to a bed, parents are advised to use guard rails on their child’s bed.
Bedtime problems including bedtime resistance and bedtime stalling are common in older toddlers and preschoolers. While consistently setting limits on acceptable bedtime behaviours is often necessary, this is only effective if the timing of the bedtime is appropriate (i.e., parents put their child to bed only when tired). It is also important to ensure that too much day sleep and napping too late in the day are not contributing to bedtime problems.
Parents are often unaware that sleep problems in children can be effectively treated with behavioural strategies. Alone, or with the help of a health care professional, parents need to identify the factors which are contributing to the maintenance of the problems. Then, a detailed treatment plan that addresses such factors needs to be developed.
Treatment plans should include the development of an age-appropriate sleep schedule and an understanding of normative sleep patterns for the child’s age, the importance of bedtime/naptime routines, how a child is falling asleep and being responded to during the night, the benefits of introducing a sleep-compatible transitional (security) object, a suitable and safe sleep environment, and sleep training recommendations that are tailored to the child’s age and the presenting problems.
Often times older toddlers and preschoolers have a more favourable response to gradually reducing parental contact at bedtime and following night wakings. However, it is recommended to have a step-by-step plan in place to ensure that steady progress is being made. During this time, it is important to consistently work to eliminate parental behaviours which can maintain the problem such as co-sleeping, reinforcing unreasonable requests at bedtime and during the night including nighttime drinks/bottles, and other types of “responding” unless a child is sick. For children who are already in a bed, the use of a safety gate at their bedtime door, if necessary, is preferable to locking a door or holding it closed. A reward chart/system can be helpful to reinforce positive behaviour.
Sleep training methods are highly effective if an appropriate plan is developed (e.g., the right choice of treatment is made, all factors contributing to the problem are addressed) and if the plan is carried out properly. However, it is not uncommon for things to get worse before they get better, especially the older the child is. Parents are encouraged to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment plan only after such a plan has been fully implemented. Before any sleep training is started, it is suggested that parents speak with their child’s physician to ensure that medical causes of sleep problems have been ruled out.
Pleasant dreams!
Dr. Nicky Cohen, C. Psych.
Practice in Clinical and Counselling Psychology
491 Lawrence Avenue West, Suite 203
Toronto, Ontario M5M 1C7
Tel/Fax: 416.783.3900 www.kidsleep.ca
I was introduced to Robeez Footwear in my baby group for my first child. After complaining about my inability to keep shoes or socks on her feet, they turned to each other and smiled.
Then they let me in on their baby group secret … no longer a secret by any means. ROBEEZ, is the footwear that FITS. I went and bought a pair of the sweet, stylish shoes and was so pleased with their ease of slipping on, but not off, that I told everyone I met, and frequently gave them as baby and toddler gifts.
Years later, there are so many more styles to choose from, and yet the perfectly snug fit remains the same.
Right now there’s a special we are pleased to share:
Q. When will my son drop his final nap?
My son is almost 3 years old and has recently stopped napping. He is very tired in the late afternoon and sometimes falls asleep on the couch. When this happens, getting him to bed before 9:30pm is very difficult! Is there anything I can do to get him napping again?
Dr. Cohen:
Many children drop their single (afternoon) nap between 3-5 years of age. However many 3 year olds still need to nap and have trouble making it to bed time without their nap. A nap may be dropped prematurely due to social activities or because a child starts resisting the afternoon nap at the usual time. I am an advocate of not dropping a child’s nap because of social activities but parents make this decision considering a variety of factors. Sometimes if a child starts resisting their nap it is helpful to move it later by 30-60 minutes to increase his drive to sleep. A 3-5 year old, for example, may not be ready to nap before 2:00-3:00pm.
If however, a later nap is interfering with falling asleep at night, limiting the nap (e.g., to an hour) and/or moving bedtime later (e.g., to 8:30pm) may be necessary. In some cases – when a later nap interferes with even a later bedtime or the child still resists napping at a later time – these may be signs that the child is ready to go without a nap. Eliminating the nap and moving bedtime earlier may be necessary.
Some children, during the transition in dropping their nap, may still need to nap periodically as their sleep debt builds. So continue to offer your child an opportunity to nap. On some days he may and on other days he may not. Replacing the nap with ‘quiet time’ can give everyone a bit of a break from an otherwise busy day!
Q. When do children transition from 2 naps to 1?
My daughter is 13 months old and has started to resist napping twice a day. Sometimes she does and on other days she will only nap once. Can you please discuss how and when the transition from 2 naps to 1 is expected to happen?
Dr. Cohen:
Usually the 2nd nap is dropped between 12-18 months of age, with an average age being 14-16 months. However, some toddlers still need 2 naps a day until as late as 20 months of age. A sign that it may be time to drop the 2nd nap is that a child is resisting the 1st or 2nd nap at appropriate times, which is usually after 3-4 hours of being awake. When this happens for more than 3-5 days in a row, the single nap can be scheduled around the mid-day mark and gradually moved later (e.g., 1 pm at 2 years of age). However during the first few weeks of this transition, there may be some days where she still needs 2 naps and other days when 1 is enough.
When the 2nd nap is dropped, bedtime may need to be temporarily moved earlier while the child gets used to having 1 longer nap and being awake for a longer period before bed. Usually the single nap is 1.5-3 hours in length. If your child has a fragment (i.e., an early waking) during his nap and/or still seems tired, give her 15 minutes or so to see if she will fall back asleep. It is important that toddlers are falling asleep independently for their nap(s) and at nighttime, and are being responded to appropriately and consistently. If children do not have the skill of falling asleep independently they will need assistance when they have an early waking both at night and during their nap.
An early morning wake time (in children over 1 year) can be another sign that a child is ready to drop her morning nap. In these children, maintaining the morning nap can result in early morning wakings because the body does not need to sleep to a regular hour and have a morning nap. Therefore the body starts to learn that because another sleep period is coming, it can wake early. Making changes to the daytime sleep schedule (i.e., dropping the morning nap) often resolves early morning wakings that are due to this cause.
Q. How can I get my infant to have longer naps?
My son is 6 months old and his daytime sleep is very erratic. He has 4-5 “cat-naps” a day and usually only sleeps for 30-40 minutes at each nap. He often wakes up crying and still tired and will only sleep for longer periods in his stroller. He falls asleep on his own at night, but I am still rocking him to sleep for his naps. At his age, what can I do to encourage better napping?
Dr. Cohen:
Many 6 month olds nap 2-3 times a day. Usually the third nap is dropped between 6-9 months of age. At 3-4 months of age, most healthy full-term babies are capable of falling asleep independently for all of their sleep periods (both day and night). The skill of falling asleep independently is more easily learned at sleep onset for nighttime sleep as the drive to sleep is stronger than it is for daytime sleep. Once a child has mastered the skill at nighttime, he can be given the opportunity to learn it for his naps.
“Cat naps” can be due to several reasons including: (1) being put down too early (as the drive to sleep is not as strong as it should be), (2) not falling asleep independently, and (3) being given the opportunity to nap too many times throughout the day (as the body learns it does not have to sleep very long because it will be offered another sleep period soon). Many 6 month olds are ready to sleep after 2-2.5 hours after being awake if they are having 3 naps a day, and after 2.5-3 hours if they are napping twice a day.
Usually when sleep training for naps is initiated, and even following sleep training, some children continue to have fragments (i.e., early wakings) in their naps. However, if the timing of the naps is appropriate, many children will fall back asleep, if given the opportunity. If a child has slept for less than 1 hour for a nap (i.e., less than a full cycle of sleep), sometimes giving him 15-20 minutes to see if he will fall back asleep can be helpful.
Pleasant dreams!
Dr. Nicky Cohen is a Registered Psychologist in private practice in Toronto. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from York University and developed an interest in parenting issues related to children’s sleep disturbances after having her first child 5 years ago. She is active in the community disseminating information on healthy sleep practices and increasing awareness of the importance of making sufficient sleep a family priority. Dr. Cohen has held various research and clinical positions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the University Health Network (Toronto General Hospital). More information about Dr. Cohen’s work can be found at: www.kidsleep.ca.
They’re cranky, mostly non-verbal, unreasonable, demanding, and totally egocentric. Toddlers? Or teenagers? Actually…both. Johnny Depp once said that his two-year-old was like an angry drunk, careening about the house, smashing into furniture and making outrageous demands. I think this is true. A teenager is more like the angry drunk the next morning.
With kids ranging in age from six to 17, two boys and two girls, I’ve seen almost all the moods and stages that kids go through from infanthood through to being a young adult. Kids at any age are demanding; every parent knows this. But these two ages (of toddler and teen) seem to be the most difficult to get through – or to understand.
Hormones are the key driver for teenage angst, while likely an uncomfortably full diaper might be driving your toddler crazy, but the you-know-what hits the fan in pretty similar ways. For example, to both teens and toddlers Moms are annoying. VERY annoying, due mostly to our insistence on doing things in a reasonable manner.
To the two-year-old:
“But sweetie I just put your boots on and we have to go NOW or we’ll be late. Stop it. Stop taking them off. Yes I know Mummy didn’t put them on the right way. If you take them off I’m taking away your blanket. Don’t you dare throw that boot at me. Ow!”
To the teenager:
“I just bought you a pair of new jeans last week. Put them on before we go to Grandma’s. No, you can’t wear those torn sweat pants. Change them now. If you don’t change them I’m taking away your video games. Don’t you dare slam that door young man. Ow!”
Both two-year-olds and teenagers think that they know everything, and that everything they say is right. This causes them to make fairly ridiculous statements.
Exhibit A:
The Toddler: Chocolate milk only tastes good in the blue plastic cup.
The Teen: You make food that I hate on purpose.
The Toddler: It’s my truck because I touched it first.
The Teen: You promised me you would buy a jacket I liked. ANY jacket.
The Toddler: I don’t have to clean up my toys. You do it.
The Teen: Why do you care if my room is messy? It’s MY room.
The Toddler: I hate the stupid baby.
The Teen: I hate my stupid sister.
The Toddler: I like Daddy better.
The Teen: Dad told me I could.
The Toddler: It’s not fair!
The Teen: It’s not fair!
The Toddler: Mooooooommmy!
The Teen: Mooooootheeerrrrr!
A few years ago I heard a comedian say that when her own teenage son spewed out the classic line of “So why’d you have me then?” in the midst of a heated discussion, she replied “Well I didn’t know it was going to be YOU.”
When they’re a toddler WE’RE just discovering who they are. When they’re a teen, they’re just discovering who THEY are. And during the whole process, as parents, we’re discovering why our own parents knew the biggest threat they could give us was “Wait until you have children of your own.”
Read Funny Mummy every month. Visit www.kathybuckworth.com Kathy’s new book “The BlackBerry Diaries: Adventures in Modern Motherhood” will be available in March 2009 at bookstores everywhere.
Get your kids ready for camp with Deet-free insect repellent from DRUIDE. Find eucalyptus-free citronella-based lotion, spray and shampoo/body wash. Don’t forget to check out our new Camping section which also features natural toiletry products, water bottles, daypacks and travel games! Discount: Save 15% until June 30th with code KACCAMP
Tidy Totes for Tots & Tweens. Fits them to a TEE: T - Tidy & Towable; E - Environmentally Friendly; E - Encourages Independence & Responsibility. Handmade with affection. Colourful & fun you won’t have to ask them twice to “stow it” or “tow it”.
As Canada’s leading provider of Sports Instruction for Children, our summer camps provide your child with the opportunity to learn the skills associated with our 8 core sports. In addition to multi-sport skills children from 16months-12years will enjoy arts & crafts, story time, music, cooperative games and theme days.
For GIRLS in grades 2 to 6 WHO LOVE TO SING! Develop vocal skills, learn Kodály choral techniques, present a fabulous concert and meet new friends. Arts, crafts, folk dancing, games and drama will further enrich and enliven their experience.
SING, ACT, DANCE! Perform in the fabulous musical Willy Wonka Jr. Students will learn and develop music theatre skills and help create set pieces for the final production held at Alumnae Theatre. Bravo Academy specializes in Full and Half Day Music Theatre Camps.
Art Glazed Over is excited to announce its 5th yearof summer art! We will be creating with raw clay, painting on bisque, learning the art of glass fusion, and working with a variety of paper/textile crafts. Full Day programs, Preschool Program and Tween Programs are available. No charge before/after camp supervision as for details.
Come and learn your cartwheel, handstand and aerial at the Steeles West Gymnastics Summer Camp. Enjoy a jam packed program including gymnastics, trampoline, arts and crafts, special event days, special guests and theme weeks. Customize your camp days (full day, half day and pick the day or full week). You are going to have a blast.
“Art and Science” Kamp July- 4th -8th $160; “Nautical” Kamp July 12th-14th $100; “Sutton Fair” Kamp July 18th-22nd $160; “KidzArt Parade” Kamp July 25th-29th $160; “GO GREEN! Environmental” Kamp” Aug 8th-12th-$160; “Bugs, BIrds and Belugas” Kamp August 15th-19th $160. “In the Wild” Kamp Aug 23rd- 25th $100.
Davina’s Swim House has locations in the GTA and Vaughan. Low 3:1 ratio. All year round sessions. Red Cross and Lifesaving programs. Ages 6 months plus. Swim lessons for all ages. Warm pools and friendly well trained certified instructors. Now accepting summer and fall registrations.