OK, the first two orders of business! Firstly an apology for being so slack this week! What a busy time it is leading up to Christmas! And it isn't even December yet. But I will be better this week I assure you! And secondly, welcome to our seventh follower, Annisis, great to have you here! I also appreciate all the lovely comments we've been receiving from Soumya, it's very special to have someone interested in what you're doing!
So, what HAVE we been doing this week? Well there were only 2 or 3 days when we completely achieved our list of goals, but there were lots of other adventures to be had this week. Over the weekend we went swimming with Daddy and BC did a wonderful job! Mummy and Daddy were very naughty and did one more immersion than we should have. For the first time, BC came up spluttering and coughing and was NOT a happy camper. So Mummy and Daddy learnt a big lesson that day, VERY IMPORTANT to stop while you're still having fun and not to push it!
On Monday we achieved all our goals and went shopping with BC's Great Grandma, Tuesday was library time (tinies time) and lunch out with the Mother's Group, Wednesday was the day Mummy worked so BC spent the day with his grandmother, Thursday was swimming again, Friday was Gymbaroo and then we come to this weekend!
One exciting event this week was the arrival of Baby Signing Time on the post! Yay, this was the first time I got to watch any BST and I was thoroughly impressed! I absolutely loved it and have already learnt so many signs! BC loves to see the children come on and demonstrate the signs, he gets so excited. I also made lots more encyclopedic flash cards this week, we now have dinosaurs, Australian mammals, Birds of Prey and wild animals. I am also working on fruits and vegetables with Points of Interest (POI). We don't need the POI's now but I don't fancy laminating everything once and then having to re-do it all once he is old enough for POI's.
I am waiting (somewhat) patiently for the BrillKids discount system to come into effect and then I'm going to buy the entire Little Reader and Little Math system and will hopefully be able to use this as part of our encyclopedic knowledge program (along with using it for reading and math!). I am also planning to use flash cards and other things we can buy for our encyclopedic knowledge (and reading and maths too) programs as I just don't think it is possible or necessary for me to make that many bits! Well hopefully not anyway, but we will do what we have to do!
BC is doing so well with his routines these days, although he is often not taking the last nap of the day but we aren't stressing about this. He is eating a very wide variety of fruits and vegetables now and I am planning on introducing meat into his purees when he is 6 months.
I think that is all for now! This week is another busy one as I am working two days and have another product launch seminar to attend. We are looking forward to mother's group, swimming and Gymbaroo this week too. And next week it is December and we can put the tree up!! Looking forward to that too! I promise to write again very soon!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Oops!
Oops, I forgot to welcome Nicole and NBailey!! Great to have you here ladies, thanks for reading, I hope I can continue to pique your interest.
Finished our goals list!
Yay, today I FINALLY finished writing up my daily goals list for BC. Now I realise this list looks massive and ridiculous and I know we just aren't going to get through this all everyday as we do lots of other fun things like walks to the park, visits to family and friends, attending mother's group and trips to the shops, not to mention the days when I'm working and he is with my Mum or Mother-In-Law. But we can dream can't we? And I figure if we're getting through even some of this, we are doing pretty well. So, the list reads:
- Five sets of Doman words, 3x each daily
- YBCR DVD, 1x daily
- Read YBCR book that match DVD lesson, 1x daily
- Look at YBCR words that match DVD lesson, 1x daily
- 1 lesson of tweedlewink per day
- Read a minimum of 3x books per day
- 2 sets of math cards, 3 each daily
- Doman poem 5x daily
- 2x encyclopedic knowledge lessons per day
- Visit our crawling track at least 4x per day
- Swimming at least 1x per week
- Gymbaroo 1x per week
- Vestibular and grasping activities, 4x daily each
- 3x week watch Trebellina
- 3x week watch Baby Signing Time
It looks like a lot, but you know what they say, aim high!! (I'm sure someone says that!)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The materials we are using
Welcome to our newest follower, Soumya, great to have you here! As you were interested to know what we have purchased and are using with BC, I thought I'd share it for everyone to read.
First of all we purchased and are using all 7 of the Doman books. We are doing the reading and maths program at the moment, and are also introducing the encyclopedic knowledge program. We are doing lots of vestibular activities as suggested in the physical book and are swimming as well. I need to properly read the encyclopedic knowledge and physical superiority books and this is on my (very long) to-do list. We built a crawling track too but didn't quite follow the instructions and in the end ours is a bit wide but is still doing the job nicely!
I have made my own words, math and encyclopedic knowledge cards. For the words, I just typed up words on a landscape set page in Microsoft Word and made the fonts as large as possible where the word was all on one line. I put two words to a page, printed and laminated them and then cut them in half with a guillotine. For the math dots we used A4 pages and printed and laminated them. I have done the same thing with the encyclopedic knowledge cards of which I've done wild animals already and have made but not printed water animals, pets, farm animals, birds, dogs and reptiles. I also purchased a few cheap calenders at the $2 shop which I will pull apart and laminate the pictures. I'm looking forward to the January sales when the calenders will all be marked down to 50% off and I can get some more expensive ones to laminate and use as encyclopedic knowledge. I've seen some great ones on art, music, landmarks, countries and animals.
We purchased the entire tweedlewink package of DVD's and we are currently trying to show BC one lesson per day. We also have the trebellina music DVD and just got Your Baby Can Read. I am also waiting for my delivery of the Baby Signing Time DVD's. We are currently signing to BC using signs I learnt on Baby Einstein See and Sign and those I've learnt off the many ASL iPhone apps I downloaded.
We also do swimming, gymbaroo and both myself and my husband do lots of activities with BC to stimulate his vestibular system. We try to talk lots to him, read lots of stories and take him on 'adventures' such as walks, trips to the park, outings with the mother's groups and even just a quick trip to the shops!
I hope this helps and answers some questions!
First of all we purchased and are using all 7 of the Doman books. We are doing the reading and maths program at the moment, and are also introducing the encyclopedic knowledge program. We are doing lots of vestibular activities as suggested in the physical book and are swimming as well. I need to properly read the encyclopedic knowledge and physical superiority books and this is on my (very long) to-do list. We built a crawling track too but didn't quite follow the instructions and in the end ours is a bit wide but is still doing the job nicely!
I have made my own words, math and encyclopedic knowledge cards. For the words, I just typed up words on a landscape set page in Microsoft Word and made the fonts as large as possible where the word was all on one line. I put two words to a page, printed and laminated them and then cut them in half with a guillotine. For the math dots we used A4 pages and printed and laminated them. I have done the same thing with the encyclopedic knowledge cards of which I've done wild animals already and have made but not printed water animals, pets, farm animals, birds, dogs and reptiles. I also purchased a few cheap calenders at the $2 shop which I will pull apart and laminate the pictures. I'm looking forward to the January sales when the calenders will all be marked down to 50% off and I can get some more expensive ones to laminate and use as encyclopedic knowledge. I've seen some great ones on art, music, landmarks, countries and animals.
We purchased the entire tweedlewink package of DVD's and we are currently trying to show BC one lesson per day. We also have the trebellina music DVD and just got Your Baby Can Read. I am also waiting for my delivery of the Baby Signing Time DVD's. We are currently signing to BC using signs I learnt on Baby Einstein See and Sign and those I've learnt off the many ASL iPhone apps I downloaded.
We also do swimming, gymbaroo and both myself and my husband do lots of activities with BC to stimulate his vestibular system. We try to talk lots to him, read lots of stories and take him on 'adventures' such as walks, trips to the park, outings with the mother's groups and even just a quick trip to the shops!
I hope this helps and answers some questions!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
BrillKids website and forum
I have mentioned it a few times but I should really introduce properly, this AMAZING early learning (and everything else related to raising children) forum full of a wealth of excellent information and brilliant people. I guess the name does describe it well!
BrillKids is an excellent website and forum that I visit on a daily basis and am learning so much from. The forum is by far my favourite part but they have so many other great resources to help you on your early learning journey. They also have excellent products for teaching reading, math and encyclopedic knowledge to name a few. A music program is also on its way.
From their website; 'We strongly believe in the importance of early learning and believe that we, as parents, can do a great deal to help our children fulfill their innate potential, while also ensuring that the learning process remains fun for both parent and child.'
The forum covers EVERYTHING you can possible imagine regarding learning, parenting, pregnancy and more. I highly recommend you join us in this amazing community. By being involved in the BrillKids Forum, you not only have the opportunity to bounce ideas off other parents, you also get to earn points just for contributing that you can redeem for discount coupons from many excellent early learning companies, or for files for your Little Reader and Little Math programs. There are hundreds of free files for members to download as well that you can use to teach your children.
The points system was a great bonus for me as we were looking to buy some Baby Signing Time DVD's and the Tweedlewink DVD's and I was able to 'spend' some of my points to buy discount coupons for these products. Every little bit helps!
I know this sounds like an ad but this is my opinion only and I have definitely not been asked to say any of this! The forum has been an excellent resource for us and of course, best of all, it is FREE!
If you are interested, check out the forum's website at http://www.brillkids.com/ra.php?46994. By using this special link, and by using the coupon code BKAFF46994 (just cut and paste it when you sign up), you will get a bonus 500 points just for becoming a member through my recommendation, and you will get 2000 bonus loyalty points if you choose to make a purchase from the BrillKids Online Store (you have to use the coupon here too if you want the 2000 bonus points). Don't forget, membership to this awesome website is free!
Wow, this really does read like an ad but I can't say enough how valuable this resource is!
Check it out and feel free to look me up there under AussieMumofOne.
BrillKids is an excellent website and forum that I visit on a daily basis and am learning so much from. The forum is by far my favourite part but they have so many other great resources to help you on your early learning journey. They also have excellent products for teaching reading, math and encyclopedic knowledge to name a few. A music program is also on its way.
From their website; 'We strongly believe in the importance of early learning and believe that we, as parents, can do a great deal to help our children fulfill their innate potential, while also ensuring that the learning process remains fun for both parent and child.'
The forum covers EVERYTHING you can possible imagine regarding learning, parenting, pregnancy and more. I highly recommend you join us in this amazing community. By being involved in the BrillKids Forum, you not only have the opportunity to bounce ideas off other parents, you also get to earn points just for contributing that you can redeem for discount coupons from many excellent early learning companies, or for files for your Little Reader and Little Math programs. There are hundreds of free files for members to download as well that you can use to teach your children.
The points system was a great bonus for me as we were looking to buy some Baby Signing Time DVD's and the Tweedlewink DVD's and I was able to 'spend' some of my points to buy discount coupons for these products. Every little bit helps!
I know this sounds like an ad but this is my opinion only and I have definitely not been asked to say any of this! The forum has been an excellent resource for us and of course, best of all, it is FREE!
If you are interested, check out the forum's website at http://www.brillkids.com/ra.php?46994. By using this special link, and by using the coupon code BKAFF46994 (just cut and paste it when you sign up), you will get a bonus 500 points just for becoming a member through my recommendation, and you will get 2000 bonus loyalty points if you choose to make a purchase from the BrillKids Online Store (you have to use the coupon here too if you want the 2000 bonus points). Don't forget, membership to this awesome website is free!
Wow, this really does read like an ad but I can't say enough how valuable this resource is!
Check it out and feel free to look me up there under AussieMumofOne.
My goals for this week
We are only just getting started and already I feel so behind! My plan is to sit down this week and convert an old whiteboard we have into a daily goals chart for things we'd like to accomplish each day with BC. At the moment I'm having trouble finding the time to sit down and write out the list of things we'd like to accomplish, let along actually accomplish them! Not good. Definitely not good. So my goal for the next few days (which are busy enough!) is to set the list up and then to start achieving these goals. So far the list reads 'show 5 sets of 5 word cards 3x per day'........................................ And that is as far as I've gotten. Oh dear!
So while I am out of the house babysitting a friends children (while my bub sleeps at home with Daddy), I shall try and finish writing out my list! That is, in between writing on my blog and writing lots on the parenting forums I'm a part of! Oh and trying to get some sleep as it's nearly 11pm here and we have a big day at the Museum tomorrow! I'd also really like to finish reading the 'How to Give Your Child Encyclopedic Knowledge' book too! We have finished the 'How to Teach Your Child Math' book as well and will therefore be able to add this to our daily goals. We have been sporadically doing the reading and maths programs for some time now but I want to add more structure to this (for my sake) and need to do a better job of updating the words and numbers so as not to bore BC. We do lots of vestibular exercises with BC daily but I'd also like to add a bit more structure to this through our goals chart, just to make sure we are covering all bases.
Hopefully we will get the program more organised in the coming days, that is, in between the museum, a family birthday dinner, dentist appointment, mother's group, a full day of work for mummy, a seminar, swimming and gymbaroo.... Wish me luck!
So while I am out of the house babysitting a friends children (while my bub sleeps at home with Daddy), I shall try and finish writing out my list! That is, in between writing on my blog and writing lots on the parenting forums I'm a part of! Oh and trying to get some sleep as it's nearly 11pm here and we have a big day at the Museum tomorrow! I'd also really like to finish reading the 'How to Give Your Child Encyclopedic Knowledge' book too! We have finished the 'How to Teach Your Child Math' book as well and will therefore be able to add this to our daily goals. We have been sporadically doing the reading and maths programs for some time now but I want to add more structure to this (for my sake) and need to do a better job of updating the words and numbers so as not to bore BC. We do lots of vestibular exercises with BC daily but I'd also like to add a bit more structure to this through our goals chart, just to make sure we are covering all bases.
Hopefully we will get the program more organised in the coming days, that is, in between the museum, a family birthday dinner, dentist appointment, mother's group, a full day of work for mummy, a seminar, swimming and gymbaroo.... Wish me luck!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Thanks!
Thank you so much to Waterdreamer and Nadia for my first Blog comments and to Elizabeth (Doman Mom) and Parenting Little R for being my first two followers! It makes it all worth while when you know that SOMEONE is getting something out of the blog!
Today BC and I went on a mammoth walk with a friend from our Mother's Group and are both consequently exhausted! Tomorrow we are off to a Baby and Children's Market and on the weekend we are heading to the Melbourne Museum with friends. Can't wait to take BC on this early learning adventure although he may be slightly too young to enjoy it this time. I look forward to seeing what they have there though and will definitely take him back when he's old enough to enjoy it.
BC's Uncle has just returned to Melbourne from interstate and is about to arrive for dinner so I guess I had better start cooking!
Today BC and I went on a mammoth walk with a friend from our Mother's Group and are both consequently exhausted! Tomorrow we are off to a Baby and Children's Market and on the weekend we are heading to the Melbourne Museum with friends. Can't wait to take BC on this early learning adventure although he may be slightly too young to enjoy it this time. I look forward to seeing what they have there though and will definitely take him back when he's old enough to enjoy it.
BC's Uncle has just returned to Melbourne from interstate and is about to arrive for dinner so I guess I had better start cooking!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Rolling Over and Eating Solids
Yay! BC has been rolling for a while now but very sporadically and mostly I think it has just been an accident! Hehe, he has such a huge head (we like to think it's all those brains!) that I think he just topples himself over with the weight of his head! But yesterday, I got him up from his nap and popped him down onto his back while I was making his lunch and when I came back he was on his tummy! I had to think twice and be sure that I actually did put him down on his back! Then later on he rolled from his tummy to his back three times in a row. Yay, maybe we are on our way to mastering this skill.
As for solids, BC has eczema so we had to consult a paediatric allergy specialist and therefore had the luxury of asking the expert his opinion on starting solids and what foods to introduce and when. There is so much information out there on this topic and lots of contradicting advice about foods and allergies. My experience through university (majoring in immunology among other things) led me to believe that contrary to the current advice in Australia, holding off solids and delaying the introduction of certain foods, could actually LEAD to an allergy, rather than actually preventing it. We discussed this with the specialist who luckily for us is an expert in this area! For any Aussies out there, recently on the news there was an article about the early introduction of egg actually preventing an allergy rather than causing it. Well our specialist was one of the authors of this research.
After discussions with him and BC being tested for allergies to egg, peanuts and dust mites, he was diagnosed with eczema. I had eczema as a child and also suffer from asthma, hayfever and allergic rhinitis so it isn't looking good for BC but we have our fingers crossed anyway. We discussed the introduction of solid foods, the ideas of early introduction (around 4-5 months), delayed introduction (6-7 months) and the pros and cons of introducing or not introducing allergenic foods and in the end, with his expert advice, we decided that we would start solids at 4 1/2 months and that I would introduce foods in a logical and timely order, but that we wouldn't hold off on specific foods like eggs and peanuts as currently recommended.
Now of course I am just presenting here what we are doing and am in no way giving advice to others (you should definitely consult your Doctor)! Just sharing the things we are learning on our journey. So far BC is eating a variety of pureed foods such as apple, pear, mango, banana, blueberries, sweet potato, peas, corn, potato, carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, green beans, spinach, broccoli and more (of course most of this is in combination, BC nearly died when I tried to feed him straight pureed zucchini!). I mostly all my own food at home by steaming and pureeing the fruit and vegies and freezing in small quantities but we also use Rafferty's Garden products when we are out and about and BC is loving them! I love it too as they contain no added water, no sugar, no salt, no colours, no flavours, no preservatives, no genetically modified ingredients or anything else you can think of. They are literally pureed vegies and fruit AND NOTHING ELSE! What more can you ask for!
As for solids, BC has eczema so we had to consult a paediatric allergy specialist and therefore had the luxury of asking the expert his opinion on starting solids and what foods to introduce and when. There is so much information out there on this topic and lots of contradicting advice about foods and allergies. My experience through university (majoring in immunology among other things) led me to believe that contrary to the current advice in Australia, holding off solids and delaying the introduction of certain foods, could actually LEAD to an allergy, rather than actually preventing it. We discussed this with the specialist who luckily for us is an expert in this area! For any Aussies out there, recently on the news there was an article about the early introduction of egg actually preventing an allergy rather than causing it. Well our specialist was one of the authors of this research.
After discussions with him and BC being tested for allergies to egg, peanuts and dust mites, he was diagnosed with eczema. I had eczema as a child and also suffer from asthma, hayfever and allergic rhinitis so it isn't looking good for BC but we have our fingers crossed anyway. We discussed the introduction of solid foods, the ideas of early introduction (around 4-5 months), delayed introduction (6-7 months) and the pros and cons of introducing or not introducing allergenic foods and in the end, with his expert advice, we decided that we would start solids at 4 1/2 months and that I would introduce foods in a logical and timely order, but that we wouldn't hold off on specific foods like eggs and peanuts as currently recommended.
Now of course I am just presenting here what we are doing and am in no way giving advice to others (you should definitely consult your Doctor)! Just sharing the things we are learning on our journey. So far BC is eating a variety of pureed foods such as apple, pear, mango, banana, blueberries, sweet potato, peas, corn, potato, carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, green beans, spinach, broccoli and more (of course most of this is in combination, BC nearly died when I tried to feed him straight pureed zucchini!). I mostly all my own food at home by steaming and pureeing the fruit and vegies and freezing in small quantities but we also use Rafferty's Garden products when we are out and about and BC is loving them! I love it too as they contain no added water, no sugar, no salt, no colours, no flavours, no preservatives, no genetically modified ingredients or anything else you can think of. They are literally pureed vegies and fruit AND NOTHING ELSE! What more can you ask for!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Our Swimming Program
Thanks WaterDreamer for my first ever Blog comment, what a privilege to know someone with their own fantastic blog is reading mine! It was requested that I might talk about the swimming program we are doing with BC so here it is!
Swimming is definitely something by husband and I love to do (or at least spend time in the water, even if we're not swimming per se!) and we were excited to introduce this to our son. I haven't finished reading 'How to teach your baby to swim' by Douglas Doman but I have read the parts relevant to teaching a baby to swim and I have to say I totally agree! My belief is that all babies are born 'knowing' how to swim or at least being comfortable in the water. After all, they did just spend nine months in a fluid filled world! I believe that it is the years from birth onwards where they are not exposed to the water that prevents them from being able to enjoy the water and that creates a fear as we see in so many children. Of course this is a generalisation and there are always the exceptions to the rules or those who aren't comfortable in the water no matter what you do but we are hoping to avoid this with BC.
A local swimming chain that exists here in Melbourne has a 'Baby Play' session which is essentially a time for the Mums and Dads (or others) to bring the baby down to the pool and to play together in the water. There is an instructor there if the parents want tips on handling the baby on the water or they want to be shown different holds, games or strategies for conditioning the baby to have water over their face or be immersed. The key for us is that the water is at 32 degrees Celsius, has the minimal amount of Chlorine required to make the water safe, and the classes are conducted after all the swimming lessons finish so the pool isn't full of hundreds of splashing, screaming, noisy children. It is a private facility so it isn't open to the public for free swimming, just swimming lessons.
The Baby Play sessions run from age 3-6 months and then the children progress into a Parent-Child Class that runs from 6 months to 3 years. Daddy and I took BC to his first swimming 'class' when he was just over three months old and he loves it. We try to go weekly but of course some weeks it gets away from us. So we are by no means a perfect Doman Swimming family but BC loves it and we try to immerse him every session. He rarely minds and only occasionally will swallow a little bit of water and have a cough. He never gets upset.
First we started with water on the face which we have been doing in the bath at home for some time now. We use a cup and we tip water over his shoulders, water over the back of his head (hair) and then we say 'OK BC, 1, 2, 3...' and tip the water quickly over his face from the forehead down. We were taught that it is the rush of water over the forehead and eyes that cues the baby about what is to come and this way he holds his breath and closes his mouth so he doesn't swallow the water. It also needs to be done quickly, not a slow pour but tip the whole cup out in one go as little babies can't hold their breath for too long. From here, we waited until BC was comfortable with this and then proceeded to do an immersion at the pool with the help of the instructor.
We always start with the cup, water over the shoulders, water over the hair and then 1, 2, 3... water over the face. To do an immersion we hold BC with both arms straight out and hands, palm up under his chest (he is almost lying across our hands if we were to hold him horizontally). Then we lift him half out of the water, into a vertical position, say OK BC, 1, 2, 3... then we lift him out, tilt him down, and 'swoosh' him through/under the water, forehead first and straight out. When he comes out, we bring him straight up to the shoulder so he can feel secure against a hard surface, and then, regardless of his response, we praise him and tell him what a wonderful, clever boy he is. Luckily for us he is quite good at this and almost always holds his breath, comes out with lots of blinking of his eyes and then is back to looking around, trying to take everything in as usual.
For us swimming is fun! We can't wait to start the parent-child classes and teach him to swim for real!
Swimming is definitely something by husband and I love to do (or at least spend time in the water, even if we're not swimming per se!) and we were excited to introduce this to our son. I haven't finished reading 'How to teach your baby to swim' by Douglas Doman but I have read the parts relevant to teaching a baby to swim and I have to say I totally agree! My belief is that all babies are born 'knowing' how to swim or at least being comfortable in the water. After all, they did just spend nine months in a fluid filled world! I believe that it is the years from birth onwards where they are not exposed to the water that prevents them from being able to enjoy the water and that creates a fear as we see in so many children. Of course this is a generalisation and there are always the exceptions to the rules or those who aren't comfortable in the water no matter what you do but we are hoping to avoid this with BC.
A local swimming chain that exists here in Melbourne has a 'Baby Play' session which is essentially a time for the Mums and Dads (or others) to bring the baby down to the pool and to play together in the water. There is an instructor there if the parents want tips on handling the baby on the water or they want to be shown different holds, games or strategies for conditioning the baby to have water over their face or be immersed. The key for us is that the water is at 32 degrees Celsius, has the minimal amount of Chlorine required to make the water safe, and the classes are conducted after all the swimming lessons finish so the pool isn't full of hundreds of splashing, screaming, noisy children. It is a private facility so it isn't open to the public for free swimming, just swimming lessons.
The Baby Play sessions run from age 3-6 months and then the children progress into a Parent-Child Class that runs from 6 months to 3 years. Daddy and I took BC to his first swimming 'class' when he was just over three months old and he loves it. We try to go weekly but of course some weeks it gets away from us. So we are by no means a perfect Doman Swimming family but BC loves it and we try to immerse him every session. He rarely minds and only occasionally will swallow a little bit of water and have a cough. He never gets upset.
First we started with water on the face which we have been doing in the bath at home for some time now. We use a cup and we tip water over his shoulders, water over the back of his head (hair) and then we say 'OK BC, 1, 2, 3...' and tip the water quickly over his face from the forehead down. We were taught that it is the rush of water over the forehead and eyes that cues the baby about what is to come and this way he holds his breath and closes his mouth so he doesn't swallow the water. It also needs to be done quickly, not a slow pour but tip the whole cup out in one go as little babies can't hold their breath for too long. From here, we waited until BC was comfortable with this and then proceeded to do an immersion at the pool with the help of the instructor.
We always start with the cup, water over the shoulders, water over the hair and then 1, 2, 3... water over the face. To do an immersion we hold BC with both arms straight out and hands, palm up under his chest (he is almost lying across our hands if we were to hold him horizontally). Then we lift him half out of the water, into a vertical position, say OK BC, 1, 2, 3... then we lift him out, tilt him down, and 'swoosh' him through/under the water, forehead first and straight out. When he comes out, we bring him straight up to the shoulder so he can feel secure against a hard surface, and then, regardless of his response, we praise him and tell him what a wonderful, clever boy he is. Luckily for us he is quite good at this and almost always holds his breath, comes out with lots of blinking of his eyes and then is back to looking around, trying to take everything in as usual.
For us swimming is fun! We can't wait to start the parent-child classes and teach him to swim for real!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Our Doman Program
We are modelling our learning approach on the Doman Program so I thought it would be wise to include a summary of the Doman program for you all!
Glenn Doman Summary from Brill Kids website;
Glenn Doman is a physical therapist and a pioneer in the field of child brain development. In 1955 he founded The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP), a non-profit organisation providing teaching programs and books designed to improve and accelerate the mental and physical development of normal as well as brain-damaged children.
The IAHP was originally set up to develop the capabilities of brain-damaged children through intense programs of mental and physical stimulation. Starting from the 1960s, the IAHP began offering courses aimed at accelerating the development of normal children. Methods taught on these courses drew on many of the techniques used to help brain-damaged children. Doman’s books include How To Teach Your Baby To Read (1964), How To Teach Your Baby Math (1979) and How To Teach Your Baby To Be Physically Superb (1988). Doman’s daughter Janet (director of the IAHP) and son Douglas (vice director) have also contributed to the literature. In 2006 Janet coauthored (with Glenn) How Smart Is Your Baby?: Develop And Nurture Your Newborn’s Full Potential, while Douglas authored How To Teach Your Baby To Swim: From Birth To Age Six.
The Domans’ books are available from the IAHP’s Gentle Revolution Press. On the IAHP website, Glenn Doman explains that the objective of his “gentle revolution” is “to give all parents the knowledge required to make highly intelligent, extremely capable, and delightful children, and, by so doing, to make a highly humane, sane and decent world.”
So what does this mean for us? Well from reading the books (Yes, we have all 7 of them!), we have learnt that tiny children are capable of FAR MORE than we give them credit for. Traditionally we sit around and wait for them to accomplish goals rather than encouraging them to explore, experiment and learn new things. We want BC to ENJOY learning, because learning new things is FUN! What makes learning painful is the way in which we test children, suggesting that we don't believe that they know it, and we want them to PROVE it.
My husband and I both have a love of learning new things and we hope to instill this in BC. EVERYTHING a tiny child does is learning, whether it is playing with Mummy and Daddy, playing with his toys, playing on his own, going for a walk, going to the shops or reading stories and looking at flash cards. It is all learning and all fun. Proof that little children can learn to read and recognise words is evident in simple everyday examples such as a little one getting excited when pulling into the McDonalds car park or wanting the box of cereal with the Wiggles on the front. They learn these things (from TV and experience?) and then apply them to real life.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm not explaining it properly so feel free to check out their website, http://www.iahp.org/ and http://www.gentlerevolution.com.
Glenn Doman Summary from Brill Kids website;
Glenn Doman is a physical therapist and a pioneer in the field of child brain development. In 1955 he founded The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP), a non-profit organisation providing teaching programs and books designed to improve and accelerate the mental and physical development of normal as well as brain-damaged children.
The IAHP was originally set up to develop the capabilities of brain-damaged children through intense programs of mental and physical stimulation. Starting from the 1960s, the IAHP began offering courses aimed at accelerating the development of normal children. Methods taught on these courses drew on many of the techniques used to help brain-damaged children. Doman’s books include How To Teach Your Baby To Read (1964), How To Teach Your Baby Math (1979) and How To Teach Your Baby To Be Physically Superb (1988). Doman’s daughter Janet (director of the IAHP) and son Douglas (vice director) have also contributed to the literature. In 2006 Janet coauthored (with Glenn) How Smart Is Your Baby?: Develop And Nurture Your Newborn’s Full Potential, while Douglas authored How To Teach Your Baby To Swim: From Birth To Age Six.
The Domans’ books are available from the IAHP’s Gentle Revolution Press. On the IAHP website, Glenn Doman explains that the objective of his “gentle revolution” is “to give all parents the knowledge required to make highly intelligent, extremely capable, and delightful children, and, by so doing, to make a highly humane, sane and decent world.”
So what does this mean for us? Well from reading the books (Yes, we have all 7 of them!), we have learnt that tiny children are capable of FAR MORE than we give them credit for. Traditionally we sit around and wait for them to accomplish goals rather than encouraging them to explore, experiment and learn new things. We want BC to ENJOY learning, because learning new things is FUN! What makes learning painful is the way in which we test children, suggesting that we don't believe that they know it, and we want them to PROVE it.
My husband and I both have a love of learning new things and we hope to instill this in BC. EVERYTHING a tiny child does is learning, whether it is playing with Mummy and Daddy, playing with his toys, playing on his own, going for a walk, going to the shops or reading stories and looking at flash cards. It is all learning and all fun. Proof that little children can learn to read and recognise words is evident in simple everyday examples such as a little one getting excited when pulling into the McDonalds car park or wanting the box of cereal with the Wiggles on the front. They learn these things (from TV and experience?) and then apply them to real life.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm not explaining it properly so feel free to check out their website, http://www.iahp.org/ and http://www.gentlerevolution.com.
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