By Apryl Gorton, Thrive Initiative

Generally, people enjoy and feel comfortable when they hear their own names used in a positive manner.

When a baby hears his or her own name, it helps to create an environment conducive to bonding. At meal time, make up a song describing what your baby is doing. Pick a familiar tune and include baby’s name as often as possible.

It may look something like this: “David likes to eat his lunch, eat his lunch, eat his lunch, David likes to eat his lunch, at the kitchen table.”

Or: “Sarah eats her yummy food, Sarah eats it gone, Sarah likes to use her spoon all meal long.”

A simple tune like this will help you bond with your child as well as help baby learn vocabulary and stay focused on the task at hand. Oh, don’t worry about your singing voice. Your baby already thinks you’re a star.

 

A toddler’s special gift

Do grandma and grandpa have drawings or photos with no way to tastefully display them?

Well, you have come to the right column. Today your child can make a beautiful miniature easel for displaying the little masterpieces.

You will need: five craft sticks, acrylic paints, paint brush, craft glue and cardboard. Cover your work surface with newspaper. Decorate five craft sticks with acrylic paint. Let the paint dry. Glue three sticks in the shape of an A. Glue a fourth stick perpendicular to the cross piece to make the art stand.

To make a hinge, cut a 1-inch square out of cardboard. Fold the square in half. Glue it to the back of the point of the A-frame. Glue the last stick to the other side of the cardboard. Let the glue set, then stand the easel up and put your picture on display.

Don’t forget to make one to give away and one to keep. Spoiler alert: These make great Mother’s Day presents.

 

Ideas for play

We were all over scheduled. Work, school, dance, sports, faith commitments and meetings were taking over the family time we cherish.

Do you know what we did? We stayed home. Yep, we canceled our weekend plans (except church) and stayed home to play together.

Cell phones were turned off, and nobody snuck off to “finish the report” or do “just a few minutes of work.”

We dusted off the board games, baked cookies, dressed up in stuff from the back of the closet and played charades. We made simple foods, told stories from our past and reconnected in a way that never could have happened without intentional relationship presence.

Go ahead. Take your family time back.

Apryl Gorton is the director of New Direction Tutoring and a volunteer with the Freeborn County Thrive Initiative. Visit the website at www.0to5infreeborn-county.org.