Kids Gourmet Squoosh for the Picky Gourmand

As you probably know, I love food. 
Call me a foodie, epicurean, connoisseur... I love to explore different kinds of cultural cuisine. I do restaurant reviews often and every now and then my family and I love to enjoy eating out.
But of course I always enjoy a warm home-cooked meal and experiment with different recipes often to find things that my entire family will love.
Kids are way more simple.
They just know that whatever tastes or looks good - that's what they want.
My eldest 5 year old daughter is very food-finicky right now, and now that my son is a brand new toddler, we are now introducing more food variety to him and yes, the imminent persnickety monster is peeking through.
I fell in love with Baby Gourmet's selection of products when my son was a baby because it was fast food done the healthy way for growing babies!
Now they have introduced their Kids Gourmet Line which includes Squoosh™ -- an organic snack that delivers one full serving of fruit and vegetables in every pouch.

All four Squoosh™ flavours have no added sugar or salt, are kosher, and are nut-free and gluten-free!
The flavours include:

• Squoosh™ Banango - Tasty butternut squash is blended with a fruit medley of banana, mango, and apple and sprinkled with a natural organic coconut flavour
• Squoosh™ Beetberry - Delicious banana and apple are mixed with super-nutritious beet and topped off with juicy blueberries and strawberries. 
• Squoosh™ Squabbleberry - Naturally sweet and delicious apple, blueberries, and banana are swirled together with tasty butternut squash for a healthy and nutritious snack.
• Squoosh™ Orangobango - The exotic summer-time flavour of mango is blended with the goodness of carrot and the natural sweetness of banana and apple for a delicious treat.

And let me tell you, they really are very tasty!

I myself enjoyed the Banango! Yum! I love the tasty medley in each flavour.

Both my kids enjoy it and it's a sigh of relief during hectic days for me when I'm rushing in and out of the door with both kids - I just pop a few in my diaper bag and we're good to go!

Note the concentration? Quiet kids sitting side-by-side is a rarity these days! :)

It's also good to know that Baby/Kids Gourmet Founder, Jennifer Carlson is also a mother.

I loved this part of the write-up on the website about Jennifer: 

"Jen oversees every aspect of Baby Gourmet with the passionate and watchful eye of a mother and a business person.

Founded on a mother’s love and fueled by an unwavering commitment to quality, we make great tasting healthy, organic baby food."

Thank you for creating something real, something good, and something oh-so-appetizing for my future lil' gourmands. And how FUN is it to say the word Squoosh?! 

You can find Kids Gourmet and Squoosh Products at most major grocers.

To learn more about Kids Gourmet and Squoosh Products here: www.babygourmet.com/our-food/squoosh

They're also social!

Find them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Disclosure: I received product samples for a complete review; however as always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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What To Expect When Your Child Starts Kindergarten

Only a few weeks left to go until us anxious mommies send our little ones off on one of their biggest adventures yet -- Kindergarten! 

If you're a first-time Kindergarten Parent such as myself, you're definitely left with so many questions & concerns that you're dying to have answered.  On top of the obvious nervousness, it's a very exciting milestone for your child and all part and parcel of their wonderful journey to discovery and growth.

Who am I kidding?

I am chewing my nails off, reading every single article there is out there about Kindergarten making sure my little girl is more than prepared, asking many more seasoned moms and dads tons of questions, tackling the early back-to-school shopping (even before they hit the shelves) and fending off premature tears.

Glad to know that this is normal and I'm not just one unbalanced and delirious mother that's blowing this way out of proportion.

I was able to gather some more great questions from other first-timer mom's and dad's and luckily was able to have them answered from a friend that also happens to be a Designated Early Childhood Educator.

Whether you're enrolling your child in full-day or half-day Kindergarten, hopefully by answering these questions, it will ease the anxiety for you and for your child who is starting kindergarten.

1) What can we expect our child to experience on their first day/week?

School is an exciting experience.  At first, your child may be nervous about being way from home.  Your attitude toward the start of school can help set a positive tone.  If you do feel anxious or worried, try not to pass those feelings along to your child.

The first day and even the first week, will be a busy one.  It will be a day that the child gets to meet his/her teacher and D.E.C.E., meet new friends, and familiarize and explore the classroom.  Routines are not implemented yet until a few days or until the majority of the children seem settled in.  However, routines will be introduced to begin the flow of the day for the children.  

2) What’s an average day like?

The kindergarten classroom is alive with activity centres, artwork, toys, learning spaces, creative materials, books, letters and words, dress-up clothes, art supplies, listening centres, sand and water tables, child-size furniture, blocks, puzzles, games, paper, writing tools, and much more.  Many classrooms have computers, plants, and pets.

Children benefit from a variety of learning activities, including listening to stories, singing songs, chanting poems, solving math problems, investing science, and creating through art.  Children learn through play.  Each child's emotional and social development, oral, reading, writing, math, and science abilities are matured in rich, real-life contexts.

Every day, the educators provide exciting activities.  Children explore, discover, inquire, and problem-solve together.  The educators also provide intentional instruction to the large group, small groups, and individual children, based on each child's developmental learning stage.  Children also participate in daily outdoor or indoor physical activity.

3) Are parents allowed to pop in?

Depending on how the child is adjusting or adjusted, parents are recommended not to pop in.  

If your child is having a bit of a hard time settling in to the program, seeing their parent in the classroom may not be the best idea as the child may get the idea that they are going home or that you will always be in the classroom with them.  

An Open House or "Kindergarten Night" event is coordinated for just for parents to attend with their child to come in and explore their child's classroom and find out what a day in the life of their child is like. 

Volunteering at your child's school is a great way to say informed and contribute to your child's success.  There are many volunteer opportunities, including:

•  Preparation of arts and crafts supplies

•  Baking for bake sales

•  Classroom reading buddies

•  Membership on school council or attendance at school council meetings

•  Fundraising

•  Coordination of hot lunch or pizza days

•  Field trip supervision

•  Concert/special event assistance

•  Welcoming new families, proving help with translation/interpretation

•  Helping with the school's environmental program, e.g. garden planting or recycling.

4) What if my child does #2? What’s provided for them to clean themselves? Do the teachers assist?

Parents are encouraged to practice washroom routines like flushing the toilet, washing hands and dressing before their child starts school.  If your child does a "number 2" at school, the child is provided with the necessities to clean themselves - toilet paper and water.  

Unfortunately, the teachers cannot physically help the child during this time.  

If the child soils himself and is unable to clean themselves, a phone call will be made to the parents to come and help out.  Parents are told to bring a spare change of clothes in case.  

Accidents still happen during kindergarten and are completely normal.  The spare clothes are also used to change in to for days when your child has a really busy day and gets dirty.   

5) What if my child or another child is behaving badly, how are they disciplined? What’s the course of action?

Children are positively redirected if and when any inappropriate behaviours arise.  As mentioned previously, children learn through play.  They also learn problem-solving, creative thinking, and essential social skills.  

As educators, we want to find out what, if any, is causing these behaviours so that we can help the child understand how to fix the situation without it escalating.    

6) My child is allergic to certain foods. How do you monitor whether or not she/he is not exposed to any of it, especially during lunchtime?

In cases where your child has a food allergy, the educators, including the other kindergarten educators from other classrooms, are made aware of this.  

Schools have made it a point to make their environments a peanut and nut-free environment which may be made clear by posters displayed around the school.  

Newsletters are sent home to stress the importance of packing a peanut and nut-free lunch.  

During lunch time, either the educators or a lunchroom supervisor will monitor what the children are eating.

   

7) What items do you recommend we pack in our child’s backpack each day? What is not necessary?

If possible, the child's backpack should be large enough to fit an 8x10 sheet of paper without folding it.  

This is because it needs to hold your child's artwork, important letters from the school, the child's lunch and snacks, and extra clothes.  

Sending your child with crayons, markers, toys, etc., are not necessary as the children are provided with all these materials at school.  

We also don't want any of the child's belongings to "accidentally" end up in another child's backpack or even break while it's being shared with the other children. 

8) Are the kids monitored well at the end of day when they are being picked up or getting on school bus?

Every school will have a different way of safely dismissing the children at the end of the day.  

The educators ensure that the child gets picked up and sent home with the appropriate adult or sibling.  

As for the bus routine, there are always educators on duty to help make sure the children safely get on the appropriate bus.

9) What are your top 3 back-to-school must-haves for Kindergarten students?

Your child should have a backpack, a nutritious snack and lunch, and an ideal wardrobe for "power learning" including:

•  In the course of an average kindergarten class, your child will jump, run, walk, bounce, stretch, crouch, bend, and sit in a chair or on the floor.  Choose clothes and footwear that will be comfortable during all of these activities.

•  Choose clothes, jackets, shoes, and boots that are easy to put on, take off, and fasten.

•  Kindergarten children learn best when they explore, discover and experiment - in other words, get messy.  Choose clothes that are durable and easy to clean.

•  Outdoor play is an important part of the kindergarten program.  Your child needs outdoor clothing for all types of weather.

10) What is your advice for parents sending their child to Kindergarten for the first time?

On the first day of school, get yourself and your child up early enough to eat a calm, unhurried breakfast.  And keep things as normal as possible - if your child normally has cereal for breakfast, make cereal that morning.

When you say good-bye to your child on the first day, make it quick, light and reassured by a warm hug and a reminder that you, or the usual caregiver, will be there after school is finished.  

If you have feelings of anxiety and worry, try not to show those to your child.

After school, plan a special dinner with your child's favourites to celebrate the first day of school.  

Use the first day of school to start some routines that will help make sure the whole school year is great.  

One of these is to talk with your child every day about what happened at school - here are some questions that can help to start the discussion:

•  Did your teacher read you a story today?

•  What did you do in school today that you really liked?

•  Did you make a special friend?  Who is the special friend, tell me about him/her?

•  What do you like best about your teacher or about one of your friends in your classrooms?

•  What are you most looking forward to doing tomorrow?

Another good routine to get started on the first day of school is displaying your child's learning and school creations.  After you have looked and talked about it, display it on the fridge.  Or create a "gallery" by hanging an inexpensive bulletin board in the hallway at your child's eye level on which to tack your child's art, writing and photographs.  

Get the art gallery started by having your child draw a picture about the first day of school.

More helpful hints:

•  Speak positively to your child about starting school.

•  Expose your child to fun activities that include the use of crayons, markers, paint brushes, and scissors, etc.

•  Teach your child how to dress themselves.

•  Read and look at books with your child.

•  Contact the school to find out if there is an Open House or "Kindergarten Night" event you can attend with your child.

•  Visit neighbourhood and school playgrounds together.

•  Encourage your child to play with other children.

•  Practice washroom routines like flushing the toilet, washing hands and dressing.

•  Teach your child how to tidy up after themselves.

Tarra works for the Peel District School Board as the Designated Early Childhood Educator in a Full-Day Kindergarten program.  She begin her career working in a private daycare for 7 years before starting with the school board 2 years ago.  Since then, she's seen firsthand the benefits of 4 and 5 years olds beginning school in the Full-Day Kindergarten program. 

These answered questions were such a relief to me and I truly hope they help you as well.

Thank you to Tarra for taking the time to answer these questions for me and other parents out there.

If you have any other questions or would like to talk about concerns, I'm available to chat anytime! 

After all, it's so important to keep a close circle of other parents that you can confide in and share stories with.

Wishing you and your little ones a wonderful start to their school year!  

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Merry Christmas from our Family to Yours...

Our little Ava sending her Christmas greetings and singing Jingle Bells to all my lovely readers! :)

Have a safe & joyous Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Years!

~ From the Gomez Family

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Are you Spoiling your Toddler?

Signs You’re Spoiling Your Toddler

… and 5 tips for changing your ways

This is one thing that I'm a tad concerned about, especially as of late. Ava has been extra "tantrum-ish" lately if she doesn't get her way and has become very territorial of her things.  

Having had issues with fertility with her and now as we try for a second, my tendency to allow her wrongs to slide are a lot more frequent.  I think we may be a little too easy on her. It's not right, I know, but we do try to instill proper rules and behaviors to her. She does get punished for being bad, such as time-outs or no desserts or watching her favourite TV show. But do you know what happens? She cries, cries and cries. And I feel bad, bad, bad... and then allow her to do exactly what I said she can't. *sigh*

I came across this wonderful post on Spoiled Toddlers on Babble.com. I hope this helps me and many others moms (and dads) out there that are thinking this exact same thing: Am I spoiling my toddler?

Toddlerhood is a time of rapid brain growth and leaps in emotional and cognitive skills. Our little ones need heavy doses of affection, empathy, warmth, and understanding — and they need to feel seen and understood as they navigate the bumpy waters of early childhood.

On the other hand, our kids also need us to be in charge. For a toddler, a world without consistent expectations and rules is like an adult driving around a big city with no stop lights or road signs — it doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t feel safe.

At some point or another, most parents question whether they’ve mastered the empathy part, but have let the rules get too loose. If that’s the case, here are some things to consider:

What spoiling is not

In a way, “spoiled” is an outdated word (harkening back to the days when child rearing advice came from psychologists like John Watson, who said, “never kiss and hug (children), never let them sit on your lap.”). Now we know better: all the latest science and research on parenting tells us that responsiveness, understanding, and warmth are key to raising healthy kids. There’s no limit to the affection, hugs, kisses, and love we can give our little ones. But nurturing and structure are not mutually exclusive — they actually fit very well together.

Signs your toddler needs more structure

She’s anxious or extra-emotional

Since life without rules can feel like internal chaos to a toddler, if yours is in need of more limits and boundaries you might notice that she’s especially sensitive and anxious. Of course these traits also come and go with the natural course of development (and they’re highly linked to your toddler’s particular temperament). But having set expectations and consistency feels containing to kids, and sometimes when toddlers have too much control, they can become more nervous or clingy.

You feel helpless, out of control, or angry

All parents do at some point (or, let’s face it, on a daily basis during certain developmental phases). But sometimes we can feel trapped and controlled by our toddlers’ whims: If you don’t let him watch another Thomas episode, give him the fifth stuffed animal he’s demanding at bedtime, or let him take home a toy from Target, mayhem will ensue. Again, it’s a completely normal part of parenting a toddler. But if it’s a non-stop pattern, it can make you feel really powerless and angry.

Your toddler’s sleep has gone haywire

Sleep patterns can be like a barometer for what’s going on during the day. If your toddler is waking up a lot at night, going to bed very late, and is sleepy during the day (and you are too), it might be time to consider tightening up the routines and expectations in the house — both daytime and nighttime.

You can’t stand to see your child upset

It breaks my heart to see my three-year-old disappointed, frustrated, or sad, and sometimes every fiber of me wants to scoop him up and rescue him from whatever challenge he’s hit. But our kids need to know that it’s okay to have difficult feelings, and that we can tolerate them too. When you set a limit and your child melts down in response, is it too uncomfortable for you to stand? The discomfort can make us cave, but it can also send mixed signals.

What you can do

Reframe your thinking

If you feel like your toddler is being showered in toys or rewarded with too many treats, see if you can shift your thinking about this. Objects and goodies are fun, but they don’t do much to fill up our kids’ self-esteem or bolster our relationships to them. Toddlers will gravitate to flashy new playthings, but in the end, a simple puzzle on the floor with mom is worth more. Toddler attention is malleable, and if you redirect yours to a basic activity like books or drawing, she will catch on.

Empathy first

As you get busy reigning in your toddler’s wild desires or setting tighter rules, make sure you don’t skip the most important step. When she melts down because you won’t buy the useless Target toy or you have to extricate her from a play date, give a nod to her feelings before you lay down the law. Connect with the emotional side of her brain by saying something like, “I know, it’s really hard to leave. You’re having so much fun!”

State the reality

Once you’ve engaged your toddler’s feelings, clearly state the line. “Today is a looking day, not a buying day,” for example. Don’t negotiate or over explain. Problem solve by offering suggestions like, “Maybe we could put that on our list of things we like for when it’s a buying day.” When you both empathize and bring in logical rules, you’re literally helping your child connect the raw emotional centers of her brain with the rational centers — the more these synapses fire, the stronger the connections (and your child’s ability to self-regulate) get.

Don’t make statements you can’t follow through on

Sometimes in an attempt to regain control, we throw around hollow or random threats. This will only amp up the chaos in your toddler’s mind, so avoid making statements you can’t act on. Only say, “If you hit your friend one more time we’re leaving the restaurant,” if you’re prepared to throw down money and leave the table immediately.

Talk before and after

One of the best ways to handle toddler demands is to prepare ahead of time. In the car on the way to the store, talk about what the objective is. If she ends up disappointed or struggles with a limit you’ve set, process it after you leave. The more you talk about what’s happening with your child, the more her bustling emotions (and your structure and rules) will make sense to her.

Credits: Babble.com, Ben Kirchner

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Mommy, I have to go!

Those are great sounds coming from a toddler, especially in the ears of an enervated mother who has been trying to get the poopy stains and scent  off the carpet.
Having just successfully completed it with my almost 2 1/2 year old is a huge relief and a glorious consummation.  It took approximately 4 days for my daughter to get the hang of going in the potty before she went in her pants and undies and by the end of the week, she was 100% potty-trained. Toilet-trained at home and in public took another few days.

I initially started potty-training her earlier in the months following her 2nd Birthday, boy was that a mistake.
I bought pull-up trainers (I highly recommend you don't! Only for bedtime if you must), and even had her reading/watching potty books/shows, the lollipop or M&M award for every time she went, but it all did not work. Why? Plain and simple -- she just wasn't ready!
I think one of the biggest blunders moms tend to do is try to start potty-training way before their child is even ready in hopes that they will be trained earlier.
What happens is it causes a regression where the child is too scared to want to continue successfully training therefore delaying the time more. Looking at it know, it took me more time trying my hardest to make her go potty when she wasn't ready than it did actually getting her trained this time around. 4 days. That's all it took.
Keep in mind 4 days means no accidents. The days before that, there were plenty of accidents.

Patience. Patience is the key word during this milestone journey for your toddler. What helps is keeping in mind that she/he will get it and every grown human has gone through potty-training in their early years of life so it'll happen. Just be patient.

I created a potty chart and stuck it to the wall behind her potty with stickers nearby so every time she went she could place a sticker on the chart. No candy/chocolate bribery was needed. :) I also strongly suggest you skip the pull-ups all together and go straight to big-kid underwear. There will be accidents so just prepare. This is normal. Also, keep in mind that boys tend to take a little longer in potty-training than girls.

I also gathered some of her favourite books to keep near her potty so she could read. I heard that keeping their minds occupied on something interesting/fun for them and not on their potty, helped heaps in making them go. It worked!

The first time she successfully felt the urge to go went in her potty, she was naked. Ha ha! Not sure why but she preferred it that way. That only lasted a day until she realized she didn't have to be in her birthday suit to go potty. :/

Whichever way your child prefers -- in the nude or not, the first potty success is the start of finally getting your little one off the diapers! Yay!

Signs that your little one may be ready:

• Your child is staying dry for longer periods of time (often two hours or more). This indicates that her bladder capacity is increasing.
• Your child recognizes when she is in the process of urinating or voiding. If you try to potty train before this time, you'll likely run into trouble, since your child isn't really aware of what she's doing and so is unable to control something she can't understand.
• Your child is able to easily pull her pants up and down. She may not have had any reason to do so in the past, but luckily, of all the readiness factors, this skill is easily learned.
• Your child can follow simple instructions. There are many steps to using the toilet that we take for granted as adults. For example-- go to the bathroom, turn on the light, pull down your pants and underwear, sit on the potty, wipe your bottom, flush the toilet, wash your hands-- the list goes on, so this is a very important skill.
• Your child is able to sit and engage in an activity for several minutes without becoming distracted or irritable.
• Your child is walking and running well. Because the urge to potty is often sudden in toddlers, and because a potty isn't always steps away, it's important for your child to be able to make it to the toilet before an accident occurs.
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, your child shows interest and desire. Interest in keeping dry or clean. Interest in wearing "big kid" underwear. Interest in what you're doing when you go potty and a desire to do what you're doing.

Remember, age is not the most important factor. Potty training will be best accomplished when your child's physical and emotional development are taken into account as well.

Here are my top 8 tips for potty-training success:

1. Get your child ready - explain to your child that it's time to do "pee-pee" and "poo-poo" in the potty. Promote the benefits of being trained such as no more diaper rash, interruptions for diaper changing, being clean and dry. Discuss training as an important stage of growing up.
2. Make it fun - first and foremost, make this a game. Children will naturally resist anything which is not framed as a fun learning experience. Use play, music, toys, and stories as part of the experience to keep the child from getting bored or distracted.
3. Create a ritual - try to make the experience repeatable so your child knows what to expect each time and gets into the routine of sitting and staying on the potty.
4. Use props - use of books, toys, videos and music all help create an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment which is so essential.
5. Time it right - Try repeating the process every hour for 2 to 4 minutes. If you can do this close to times your child usually has a bowel movement or urination, such as just after a meal, even better.
6. Be prepared - If you are traveling or away from home, bring a folding, plastic adapter ring that fits onto an adult toilet seat is useful. Extra tissue and wipes will be useful in bathrooms that are short on supplies.
7. Give praise - give you child social praise for sitting on the potty patiently or for staying dry. If the potty routine is successful, consider some reward (e.g. special prize, book or foods) that are especially valued.
8. Show your child how to clean up - demonstrate how to wash hands and dry hands on a towel ( we purchased this cute orange toilet wipes container where all she had to do was press it to open.)

Remember that training you child takes patience and perseverance. Staying on task and being consistent send an important message to your child. Above all, don't let your child feel forced. It's important to keep the whole experience fun and enjoyable for the best results.
Good luck! :)

Credits: babyparenting.about.com

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