RaisingKids February 2011
26
Snack time on-the-go: tasty tips for nutritious lunchboxes Terrific treats for Valentine's Da y Our pregnancy; our baby revealed with 4D scanning ! Life's a dream for Dreamgirl and mother of three, Lindiwe Bungan e February 2011
-
Upload
tracey-garde -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
3
description
Parenting magazine
Transcript of RaisingKids February 2011
Snack timeon-the-go: tasty tips for nutritious lunchboxes
Terrific treats for Valentine's Day
Our pregnancy; our baby revealed with 4D scanning!
Life's a dream for Dreamgirl and mother of three, Lindiwe Bungane
February 2011
GET AHEADBOX GET AHEAD
BOX
www.getahead.co.za
www.myschool.co.za
www.getahead.co.za
3RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
editorial commentPublisherTLG Publishing (Pty) Ltd.
Managing EditorTracey [email protected] 460 6007
Copy EditorSharon de [email protected] 667 3935
Art DirectorHeidi [email protected]
General [email protected]
PhotographerWayne Potgieter082 853 [email protected]
Visit our website for advertising deadlines, technical specifications and advertising rates www.raising-kids.co.za
General competition rules: Winners will be notified telphonically or by email. Prizes are not transferable nor may they be exchanged for cash. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Postal AddressPO Box 67269, Highveld, 0169South AfricaTel: 012 667 3935Fax: 086 515 5487
ISSN 2070-6219
Just Google it!Welcome to our first official entirely digital issue of RaisingKids. Although
we managed to have a good ‘break from it all’ these holidays, putting this
first issue for the year together has thrown us straight back into work mode
which I’m sure rings true for most of you. Needless to say, we have had
fun discovering all the new elements we are able to incorporate into our
DigiMag and I hope you are going to enjoy each new issue as much as we
love putting it together.
My daughter’s best friend, Hayley, at the tender age of five, took to
exclaiming “Just Google it” as her answer to everything! Having, no doubt,
picked up this phrase from her parents, it made me aware how much
today’s parents use the Internet as a tool to research various things and it
is with this in mind that we trust that RaisingKids DigiMag will continue
to help you along on your journey of parenthood. We would love to hear
from you in regard to topics you would like to see featured – just email us at
In this issue, we take a look (really up-close) at Colleen and Rick's baby
via 4D scanning in 'Our Pregnancy' (page 12) and our expert Marie Otto,
educates us on issues pertaining to anxious children (page 18).
It’s Valentine’s Day this month so get your kids to make something for their
teacher or a special little boy or girl in the class – after all, love, in all its
forms, is what makes the world go round! Sherree Kruger of Supakids shows
us how on page 24.
It is heartening to have received so much positive feedback about ‘going
digital’ from our regular readers and advertisers. We look forward to
providing our readers with interactive, interesting, relevant and inspiring
editorial this year.
I wish you all a happy new year and hope, New Year’s resolutions aside, (I
have vowed to lose the weight from my last pregnancy – 5 years ago ) that
you are inspired in every way and may you spend many special moments
enjoying your family.
All work published in RaisingKids DigiMag is protected by copyright. Only with written permission from the publisher may any part of this digimag be reproduced or adapted in any form. We welcome contributions to RaisingKids DigiMag, but the publisher of this digimag retains unrestricted rights to edit submitted material. We do not accept responsibility for material submitted and can not guarantee the return of any original material. The publisher’s opinion is not necessarily that published in RaisingKids DigiMag and the publisher does not accept any liability of any nature that may arise from the contents of this digimag.
5RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
Life's a dream for Dreamgirl Lindiwe Bungane 10
Our pregnancy 12
Terrific treats to make this Valentine's day! 22
Editor’s Comment 3Just Google it!
News and reviews 6 - 7Companies are giving back to the community
in this issue’s news & reviews...
Letterbox with Huggies 9Huggies will send you R500 worth of nappies
if your letter is chosen as the winning letter.
Life’s a dream for Dreamgirl Lindiwe Bungane 10Even with three kids in tow, Lindiwe manages it
all with star quality!
Our pregnancy 12Colleen and Rick share their 4D scan with us.
Snack time on-the-go 16What should be in a healthy lunchbox,
healthy treats included!
The anxious child 18Expert play therapist, Marié Otto, shares her
insight into anxiety in children and offers sound
advice on coping with an anxious child.
Terrific treats to make this Valentine’s day! 22
Kids will love making these ‘love bites’
for Valentine’s Day.
Learning through play 24We take a look at what stimulation baby
needs toy-wise from age 18 to 24 months.
contents
6 RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
Serious monkey business for Kellogg’s® and the Born Free Foundation!Coco Pops® fans can now help ill-treated monkeys in Malawi simply by eating their favourite breakfast cereal! This
is because Kellogg’s® and international wildlife charity, the Born Free Foundation
have teamed up in a new campaign to help save orphaned and threatened monkeys
and baboons...
Kellogg’s® recently decided that their brand ambassador, Coco the monkey, was
the perfect character to create awareness around issues affecting monkeys such as
poaching; and so they decided to partner with the Born Free Foundation and the
Lilongwe Wildlife Centre to raise awareness of the plight of monkeys.
Want to get involved in this worthy initiative? It’s easy... just click here to find
out how, or buy any two promotional packs of Kellogg’s® Coco Pops® (Coco
Pops® Chocorillas, Coco Pops® Crunchers, Coco Pops® Jumbos and/or the
original Coco Pops oven-toasted rice grains), then sms two monkey codes
found inside any two of these promotional packs to 42287 to receive your
unique code which you will then use to adopt a monkey on the Coco Pops®
website. Please note that sms entries are charged at R2 each.
Kids, you can choose which monkey you want to adopt by visiting
www.adoptamonkey.co.za and reading each monkey’s own incredible survival
story. Download an adoption certificate, get regular updates, watch monkey videos and even
rehabilitate your own ‘virtual monkey’ by playing an online game!
50c from every sms sent will go to the Born Free Foundation and Kellogg’s South Africa will contribute a further
R100 000 towards giving the monkeys the care they need to enjoy a normal life again. Once rehabilitated, the monkeys are
either returned to the wild or to the Centre’s wilderness zone. Those that cannot be released will be cared for the rest of their
lives at the centre.
You can win too!This campaign also offers a family of four the chance to win an exciting all-inclusive trip worth R80 000 to visit their adopted
monkey in Malawi! During your stay you will get to visit the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre to meet the staff and spend time with
the monkeys, sail on Lake Malawi to Cape Maclear and spend two nights at the luxurious Danforth Lodge. The prize includes
various watersport activities such as skiing, snorkelling, sailing, kayaking and a sunset cruise around the bay, and on return to
The Lilongwe Wildlife Centre you will also visit the Mua Cultural museum.
The competition ends on 30 April 2011 and the draw
for the winner will take place in June 2011, so quit
‘monkeying around’ and enter now!
To find out more about how Kellogg’s is helping
the Born Free Foundation please visit
www.adoptamonkey.co.za and www.kelloggs.co.za.
news&reviews
7RaisingKids - February 2011
Headingnews&reviews
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – 80 years of supporting cancer survivors in South Africa
2011 is the year
in which the Cancer
Association of
South Africa
(CANSA) turns 80
years old and also
marks CANSA's
eighth Shavathon
event taking place 3 to
5 March 2011. Last year’s
Shavathon was a resounding
success thanks to the thousands of South Africans who
showed solidarity with cancer survivors at their schools,
work places and shopping venues countrywide.
In response to the overwhelming support in 2010,
Shavathon 2011 will have an extra corporate Shavathon day
on Thursday 3 March 2011, followed by
Friday 4 March 2011. The public can participate on
Saturday 5 March 2011 at their nearest shopping mall.
For a R50 donation, children under 12 pay R25,
South Africans from all over the country, family and friends,
workplace staff, visitors, clients and suppliers can shave
or spray in a multitude of colours in their hair to show
solidarity with a cancer survivor.
For those who would like to be a part of the fight
against cancer but cannot attend a shave or spray event
on one of these days, a minimum online donation of
R50 may be made by visiting the CANSA website and
clicking on the bail-out fee under Shavathon.
Please go to www.shavathon.org.za to register your
workplace event and order your consumables by
23 February 2011. See CANSA Shavathon Facebook
for updates. For more information, please contact Margie
Laubscher at 011 616 7662 or email
The Huggies® marketing team spent a day at Blessings Crèche in
October 2010, where they repainted the school and made the day special
for the 83 children and orphans attending the school. The headmistress
of the school, Ruth Makwena Semenya was delighted: “It will make a big
difference in the children’s lives and their learning will be more fun. I am
so grateful to everyone involved; I don’t think any words can describe just
how happy I am. Huggies® is really a brand that cares.”
Huggies® gives back to the community
8 RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
www.adoptamonkey.co.za
9RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
www.huggies.co.za
www.huggies.co.za
Letterbox
Home, away from home
I am currently on holiday in Mozambique and as luck
would have it, it has been pouring for most of the
week, leaving the four of us ‘holed up’ in the room.
Thank goodness I brought some board games for the
kids and my hubby is content to snooze on the couch
(as usual), but I have been quite bored and frustrated
as there is not a shop for miles around for me to pop
into and buy a mag – I prefer magazines to books as
they are easy to put down and pick up again without
‘losing the thread' with all the interruptions we moms
have to contend with!
Luckily my hubby has his laptop with him – and that
is how I discovered the RaisingKids DigiMag! It has
been a pleasure ‘digi-flipping’ through the pages of the
magazine and I am hooked, even though I’m far from
being a cyber-mom! I have enjoyed the informative
articles, especially ‘Infertility: alternatives to invasive
intervention’ (Dec/Jan 2011 issue) as we have been
battling to conceive our third child for some time now.
What a saving that the DigiMag can be downloaded
for free – in these thrifty times it is unfortunately
always the luxury items one crosses off the expense
list, which is how I wound up on holiday without a
magazine in the first place!
I am really looking forward to your February issue; it
will give me something to do during my lunch hour
when I am back at work!
Kirsten MacNicol – Johannesburg
Hi Kirsten
Thanks for your letter – I am pleased that you enjoyed
our DigiMag. The fact that our magazine is so easily
accessible online, no matter where in the world you
may find yourself (as in your case), is one of the many
reasons why we believe we have taken the right road.
Sound, reliable, easy reading is the philosophy of the
editorial we select for our mag and it’s always great
to receive reader feedback, especially when there is a
specific article that has been particularly relevant. We
will be making at least two back-issues available on
our website, so if you need to refer to the article again
over the next three months, it will still be available there
– how’s that for not cluttering up your cupboards with
old dog-eared magazines!
Make sure you subscribe to our monthly ‘new issue’
reminder (on page 15) and we’ll be sure to keep you
updated.
Enjoy!
Regards
Tracey
Our winning letter
Letterbox: The author of the winning letter will receive a Huggies® hamper to the value of R500. Simply send us your ‘Letter to the Editor’ to [email protected].
LetterB x
10 RaisingKids - February 2011
Feature
When we are young many of us dream of becoming a star, but
Lindiwe Bungane knew from an early age that singing was the career
she wanted to pursue. When her natural ability to act flourished, her
move into the world of theatre was the next step towards realising
her dream.
Zambian born Lindiwe has worked hard to achieve many
milestones in her career to date. She is the youngest female artist to
receive the prestigious Zambian music award, the ‘Ngoma Award’,
for Best Female Performer when she was just 19 years old and this
signified the start of her journey as a performing artist. The following
year she scooped the same title in the ‘Battle of the Bands’ held in
Lusaka and she has since also received a ‘Mukuba Music Achievement
Award’. She is the youngest woman to be honoured in a book entitled
'100 women celebrated in Zambia' and she has performed at many
prestigious events around the world. The climax of Lindiwe’s career to
date has been her winning the television reality show ‘Project Fame’
in 2006.
A very busy lady indeed, (by anyone’s standards) and believe it or
not, while Lindiwe has been advancing her career she’s also managed
to settle down and start a family! Not a small family either; she has
three kids, Christian (6 years old), Noah (2 years old) and Dzingibueh
(1 years old), which means she really has her work, on and off stage,
cut out for her!
When asked what life at home is like, Lindiwe laughingly
responds, “Hectic!” Three busy little boys keep Lindiwe and her
husband, Joey, on their toes and with her first big stage production –
Dreamgirls – about to take off, Lindiwe will be relying heavily on the
help and support of her relatives to see her through.
Landing the lead role in an international award-winning
Broadway show of this scale with a multi-talented, all-black South
African cast is truly a dream come true for Lindiwe. As she prepares
for a character she describes as "easy to portray" with workshops six
days a week for acting, singing and dancing, she will be certain to
take some ‘time out’ once the show is over to spend some quality
time with her family.
Her boys (including her hubby) are her biggest fans so they
get to tag along whenever the opportunity arises – when the show
moves to Cape Town a bit later this year, a family trip down to see
mommy in her ‘down time’ will be arranged, Lindiwe insists. She
refers to her boys as her personal ‘backup singers’ and says that there
is no way that she would leave them behind while they are still young
enough to accompany her whenever possible.
In addition to caring for her family, Lindiwe also holds the
children in Ndola (a town in Zambia close to where she grew up)
close to her heart. Over the past few years she has helped build a
primary school there and whenever she gets the opportunity, she
visits to see what she can do to make the children’s lives a little easier.
“It’s rewarding to be able to give back to the community, creating
hope and inspiration in children to follow their dreams,” says Lindiwe.
Her upcoming performance in this major international musical
production will certainly take Lindiwe another step closer to realising
her dreams.
Dreamgirls is coming to The Teatro at Montecasino from Friday 11 March 2011 and to Artscape in Cape Town from Wednesday 8 June 2011. Performances are Tuesday through to Saturday at 20h00, with matinees on Saturday at 15h00 (Teatro) and 16h00 (Artscape) and Sundays at 14h00 and 18h00. Tickets are available at Computicket.
Dreamgirl Lindiwe is living her dream
11RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
Our pregnancy diary
Pregnancy weeks 28 to 34; one month to go...
Our baby revealed in 4D! click here
13RaisingKids - February 2011
HeadingPregnancy
She says…As I sit down to write
this, I can’t believe there
are only 40 days left until
Splodgy arrives – I’m so
excited! We’re into the
third trimester now and the summer heat has been barely bearable
since I have my own personal ‘internal heater’ – I am always ‘on the
boil’ these days!
My baby shower has come and gone – it was held earlier than
usual since baby is due in early February 2011 and with everyone
going away over Christmas and New Year we thought we’d rather
get on with it sooner. Everyone had a good laugh at my expense
when (blindfolded) I was ordered to change a nappy, complete with
a ‘nasty’ (of the peanut butter variety) on a baby doll – none of the
moms present were volunteering their own kids for the exercise!
The logic behind this, so I was told by the more experienced moms
present, is that after one month or so of having a newborn baby, I
would be so tired that I’d be doing it in my sleep, so I may as well
practice so long!
We also really looked forward to our 4D scan and it proved
well worth the expense – I would recommend it to anyone who is
dying for a sneak-preview of baby. Fortunately Splodgy was in a
good position and we were able to get incredible images and video
footage which included a smile, some thumb-sucking, her playing
with her toes and even a yawn! I became very emotional and teary
during the scan – it was incredible to see our little girl’s face at last!
December seemed to come and go very quickly as we busied
ourselves with the nursery. I definitely have the ‘nesting thing’ going
on now! At our 32 week scan we discussed our birthing options with
our Obstetrician who recommended a Caesarian section based on
the fact that I have had some previous surgeries which could be
compromised by the pushing part of natural childbirth.
Braxton Hicks contractions have become a regular occurrence
and as December drew to a close, they (along with severe heartburn)
became quite uncomfortable, so I wasn’t getting much quality sleep
at night. On 31 December 2010, disaster struck and I slipped in the
bathroom and fell heavily – luckily on my (by now well-padded) bum.
I developed a huge bruise and my arm, which also took a knock,
was very painful. We called the Obstetrician and after discussing it
thoroughly he said to take a warm bath and to come in for a FST
(foetal stress test) if I did not feel well. Apparently, you have to
experience an impact similar to a bumper bashing to dislodge a
baby… that was a relief to know.
40 days to go… Happy New Year everyone!
He says…Well everything is getting very ‘real’! Coll’s getting bigger,
weekends are getting taken up by baby shopping and the house
looks like a bomb full of baby stuff exploded in it! Nothing can go
into the baby’s room yet as it is being painted, etc., so the house is
feeling a little full. I guess we need to get used to that feeling.
And then there are the baby expo’s… I have two pieces of advice
on baby expos for first-time dads out there: firstly, do everything
you can to find a female friend, mother or mother-in-law to do duty
on the baby expo days! They aren’t really that bad, but if you are the
type of guy who likes ‘efficient’ shopping, then you will end up feeling
rather frustrated! The second piece of advice is that if you do go, you
need to encourage your pregnant wife to take a couple of breaks to
eat and drink while wandering around the expo; a hungry, thirsty and
tired pregnant wife is no joke – I experienced this first-hand!
Other than surviving baby expo’s and keeping Coll well fed
and watered, I decided to do a bit of reading in preparation for
fatherhood myself and I happened across a fantastic book for dads-
to-be called 'What nobody tells a new father: The new dad’s guide
to pregnancy and parenthood' written by Alan Hoskins. It is great to
read a book written by a father for fathers, a book that is focused on
what us dads-to-be are and will be going through.
The Braxton Hicks contractions have caused Coll some
discomfort and when she slipped in the bathroom I rushed home and
then called the doctor for some advice. Luckily it doesn’t seem like
the fall caused any damage.
Not long to go now and still a million things to do before baby
arrives! I will admit to leaving too much to the last minute, but I still
have about a month to get my ducks in a row thank goodness!
Click through to the book Rick refers to below
http://www.booksagain.co.za/index.php/what-nobody-tells-a-new-
father-6872.html
... or so they thought! Lillee Evans was born on 12 January 2011, a little earlier than expected, but both mom and baby are doing just fine. Congratulations Colleen and Rick! We look forward to hearing all about it in the next issue of RaisingKids (March 2011).
Pregnancy weeks 28 to 34; one month to go...
http://4dvividview.co.za/gallery.php
Join our Facebook Group, RaisingKids SA and win
awesome prizes!
15RaisingKids - February 2011
Join the Raisingkids family by clicking here
... and stand a chance to win fabulous prizes!
Or sms your name and email address to 34509 now!Please note that all SMS entries are charged at R2 each.
16 RaisingKids - February 2011
Snack time
Brain-power ProteinS
CalCium Corner
a well-balanced, nutritious lunch which will still tempt your tot (or teenager) is not so difficult to accomplish. Click on the below for some tried and tested tasty tips that will inspire you!
click here
click here
17RaisingKids - February 2011
Snack timeon-the-go
Carbohydrate Creativity
vitalVitaminS
click here
click here
Click here for these Kellogg's
lunchbox treat recipes
18 RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
The anxious
childAt 12 years of age, Jessica
is still afraid of the dark. At night she hears strange noises
outside her window sending her into a panic. Her hands
become sweaty, she has trouble breathing and her heart beats
faster and faster until it feels like it will explode. She sleeps with
the light on and lies in bed, often paralyzed with fear. She can
never accept invitations from friends for sleepovers and has to
find excuses so that she is not left alone, especially at night time
and even in her own home.
19RaisingKids - February 2011
Play therapy
Jessica’s parents have reassured her over and over again and
have, in frustration, even tried to force her to face her fears, but now
they have just given up.
Although fear and anxiety are a common and normal part of
growing up, excessive worrying and anxiety can often wreak havoc
in children’s daily lives and this can manifest in many ways. Children
experience specific fears and phobias at particular stages of their
lives: it is natural for babies to fear separation from their mothers and
be wary of strangers and unfamiliar situations; many young children
are afraid of the dark and imagine scary monsters and ghosts hiding
under their beds and in the closet; some children are afraid of water,
spiders or dogs. Even in the teenage years, self-consciousness and
shyness often contribute to teenage anxiety. More often than not,
these anxieties and fears are part of the normal developmental
stages of a child’s life. Sometimes however, fear and anxiety can
become excessive, disrupt the child’s normal day-to-day life and
cause the child intense distress.
In some cases, the exact nature of the fear is understood as it
is based on obvious causes – the fear of attending school due to
bullying or a fear of the dark after suffering a traumatic incident
such as a break in or burglary. In other cases however, the fears and
worries that children experience are much more difficult for parents
to understand, for example, the child who worries that she is stupid,
but is doing perfectly well at school and in other areas of her life.
Childhood should be carefree, however anxiety is the most common
problem reported in children (of all ages) and it is diagnosed in
one in every 10 children in the United States. Less extreme, but
still distressing, fears are found to be even more prevalent. Anxiety
and fear can affect children of all ages, from infants to adolescents,
affecting home life, school performance, friendships and stifling
much of the child’s feelings of happiness and joy.
Is your child’s anxiety a problem?
Even adults feel anxious from time to time and it is not
necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes anxiety can be helpful –
motivating one to study harder, to do that little bit of extra
preparation before an important meeting and motivate you to fulfil
your dreams. Feeling worried or anxious can be the warning sign
saving you from a potentially dangerous situation or be a reminder to
be careful.
When children experience intense anxiety it is likely to affect them
in three ways:
1. Repeated thoughts and statements that centre around the
perceived danger or threat;
2. The anxiety is experienced physically, like hyper arousal (fight or
flight response), rapid heart rate, increased breathing, sweating
and nausea, complaining of stomach aches, vomiting, diarrhoea or
feeling ‘stiff’ and tired.
3. Anxiety affects children’s behaviour: children may ‘freeze’, fidget,
pace, cry or cling to their parents. Anxiety usually also causes some
form of avoidance behaviour, such as in Jessica’s case where she
avoided sleepovers or being alone at home.
Is my child’s anxiety a cause for concern?
• Considerwhetheryourchild’sanxietyisaproblemforhimorher.
Does it interfere with your child’s daily activities and routine or
cause problems at home or at school?
• Hasyourchildbecomeclingyordistracted?
• Doesyourchildhavesuddennervousmovementsorseem‘on
edge’?
• Doesyourchildhaveproblemsfallingasleeporhasnightmares
and disrupted sleep?
• Doesyourchildhavenervoushabits,suchasnailbiting?
• Doesyourchildexperiencesweatyhands,anacceleratedheart
rate and fast shallow breathing when feeling anxious?
• Doesyourchildoftencomplainaboutfeelingnauseous,having
stomach pain or headaches?
Children can experience different types of anxiety that will all
have a negative impact on their day-to-day functioning. If you are
concerned about your child’s fears, phobias, worries or anxiety, the
worst thing you can do is to ridicule the child or ignore it. Consulting
a child therapist, psychologist or other mental health practitioner is
the better route to follow.
Marié Otto, Play TherapistPlay Therapy & Parental Guidance Centre, ErmeloMarié Otto is a Play Therapist and the founder of the Play Therapy & Parental Guidance Centre in Mpumalanga, which aims to provide therapeutic services, support and guidance to children and their parents. Marié holds Honours degrees in Psychology and Criminology (UP) and a Master’s Degree in Play Therapy (UNISA). Marié started her professional career in 2001 as a psychometrist and has extensive experience in assessing and working with traumatised children.
Tips for Parents: Click here to find out how you can help your child cope with anxiety.
20 RaisingKids - February 2011
Heading
ww
w.s
upak
ids.
co.z
a
www.supafun.co.zawww.supacakes.co.za
Love and Learn - ParenT guIdanCe • 5 March 10.00 – 13.00: Changing unacceptable
behaviour into acceptable behaviour & avoiding power struggles.
• 21 May 10.00 – 13.00: Which is the right time/age to start nursery school?
HoW do I juggLe a fuLL-TIme job and effeCTIve ParenTIng? • 17September10.00-13.00: My teenager is
driving me dilly!
Presenter: Rykie Morey (qualified teacher, Psychology student and involved in parent guidance for the last 5 years).Venue: 1 Middlehill Str. Cornwall HillCost: R150 p/p or R200 per couple (notes + coffee, tea
included)
Pleasecalltobookat0827708943or mail to [email protected]
PARENTING WORKSHOPS FOR 2011
terrific treats for Valentine'S day
Spoil your loved one with these easy-to-make treats: CliCk here
24 RaisingKids - February 2011
Learning through play
25RaisingKids - February 2011
This next stage in our ‘Learning through play’ series is truly
marvellous for both you and baby. You will be fascinated by the
miraculous tenacity with which your tot attempts to understand the
goings-on in her world. Her new independence and freedom which
she has gained from being more mobile means that her curiosity to
explore and discover will know no bounds. While this stage is fraught
with danger too (you will be ‘on patrol’ now more than ever before
– it’s truly exhausting), it’s amazing to witness the process of the
acquisition of understanding in one so small. This is the time when
parents will boast about how bright their tot is, quite unashamedly
and often… but who can blame them?
While you needn’t rush out to enrol your tot in University quite
yet, there are a few toys you can invest in to improve their learning
environment. Ah, and you will have such a range to choose from
now! Toy manufacturers are very astute when it comes to providing
all sorts of paraphernalia designed to tempt even the most truculent
tot! You will be spoilt for choice and tempted to buy simply
everything for your budding little Einstein!
Curiosity is king, that’s for sure. Whatever you choose to buy,
make sure it will satiate an ever-growing appetite ‘to know’, to ‘find
out more’ and (just as importantly) to repeat the whole experience
in many diverse ways. This is how neurological pathways are formed
and strengthened… how we ‘learn’ to do things. Don’t put the
cart before the horse by offering toys that may be too difficult for
your tot to master (that’s right Dad, put the chess board away for
now); learning takes place in steps after all and there is nothing like
frustration to undermine the process.
Sort, stack and solve are key concepts to consider now when
choosing toys, as these toys and games will encourage problem
solving. Purposeful exploration will develop your tot’s planning
ability and the ability to execute these plans successfully with time
and practice. Shape sorter toys are great for spatial development and
they come in various forms and different levels of difficulty.
Dexterity may still be under-developed now, so make sure your
tot can grip the toy properly; wooden puzzles with knobs will
facilitate physical grasping for example. While your tot should be able
to grasp a crayon by 15 months, she will not have developed a pencil
grip yet. Scribbling is a necessary stage of development, so hide all
pens away and invest in washable crayons as soon as possible – your
walls will know no respite for the next few months alas!
Activity centres/play sets are much more involved at this level
and usually combine developmental elements that are incorporated
into a ‘theme’ which the child can relate to both in reality or in
fantasy play. Activity farmyards as a theme for example, can offer
a child a wealth of learning opportunities. Once presented with
this theme in the form of an activity centre, your tot will learn the
names of farm animals, establishing the understanding of names for
things (noun acquisition) and this will be reinforced when exposed
to a book about the farmyard which perhaps shows the animals
doing something, introducing ‘action words’ (verb acquisition) to
her vocabulary. Very soon your tot will be able to form two-word
sentences, for example ‘moo cow’, ‘doggie woof’, etc. It is important
to understand that the play/fantasy world you have introduced
to your child will have no significance in the real world unless you
make an attempt to introduce your child to the real thing – so a visit
to a real farmyard to follow through on the fantasy/representative
experience is vital; if this is not possible then find TV programmes
that offer live footage of ‘real’ animals so that your child can begin to
discern between reality and fantasy/represented reality. Books can
play an important role in exposing your child to this concept and you
can start choosing books that are more advanced for your tot now
– she will be able to turn hardcover pages on her own and will begin
prompting you to read too, often trying to imitate sounds or words
you make.
Interactive activity centres incorporating exciting buttons
with sounds and lights will always delight, and remember that
these facilitate the learning process; the ‘fun’ element should not be
ignored when choosing a toy, it is what makes learning easy. There
are few tots that will be tempted to push and ride a ride-on activity
toy which will have more gadgets than the latest BMW! Make sure
any ride-on activity toy is of a good quality if it is to bear weight… oh,
and beware of down hills when riding outdoors – unless you want to
find out how fast Dad can run to catch one runaway tot!
Learning through play (12 to 18 months)
Sort, stack, solveBy Sharon de Beer
