Author: AmmaToday

How to read to your infant

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So you already know why it is important to read to your baby. But the quintessential question arrives- how do you go about it? Fortunately for you, I made a list.

1. Go by your child, not the clock

This is a universal rule applicable for almost every situation, no? So there are going to be days (sometimes stretching for weeks), when your baby would be interested in the book for 30 seconds, and sometimes it may stretch to half an hour. Either ways, follow your baby’s lead.

2. The surrounding

Have a dedicated reading corner. It helps if you have a routine, probably before sleep-time. But then again, follow your child’s lead.

Ensure that there are no other distractions or loud noises to over stimulate your baby.

Although we had a reading corner and started out reading in the morning and before sleep, owing to the house filled with my books, we sometimes picked them up at any point of time too, including, during travel.… Click to read the rest

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Toilet learning- the Montessori way

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Phew! Just when you think you have diapers and a poop routine figured out, people start asking if your child is toilet trained yet! The woes of  a parent never end eh?!
Why toilet learning? Why not toilet training?
Toileting is more than just a milestone. It is an everyday skill that is about independence and self esteem.
Toilet learning, is more child-led, more about a child learning to use the toilet and less about an adult telling the child “you’ve gotta pee now, the way i want, when i say so”.

1. Readiness

Obviously one cant expect a 2 year old to write 4 languages. Similarly, the sensitive period for starting toilet learning happens somewhere around 12-months, give or take.
At months baby V finally started showing signs of readiness. By this, I mean, she started being aware of when she wanted to pee and when she was peeing (this started with a keen interest in pee).… Click to read the rest
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Mess Free Painting for babies

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I love this poem by our favorite illustrator Nick Sharratt.
Painting is an amazing activity for babies! It is a great way for them to explore
  • Color, shapes, texture, patterns;
  • Sensorial play;
  • Hand-eye coordination;
  • Motor skills;
  • Spatial skills;
  • Creativity;
  • Focus and
  • Fun.
Obviously I couldn’t wait for baby V to show some readiness towards enjoying painting activities.
At about 7-8 months, she finally showed interest in the same and we jumped into mess free painting.
The easiest way is to paint before a bath in the bath tub using bath tub paints ( or simple home made colors), but somehow we weren’t comfortable with this one.
Read on for some cool mess-free painting tips for infants.

1. The zip-lock hack

This has got to be the easiest one. And best of all, all materials are available at home.

  • Dab drops of thick paint on A4 sheet or cardstock.
  • Place the sheet inside a ziplock ( jugaad if you dont have one – use plastic sheet and sellotape it to thefloor or table) and seal it.
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