Creating an Oasis of Routines and Rituals

Your Toddler – 1½ to 3 years
Describing most toddlers is like describing Niagara Falls! Temper tantrums, irrational fears, and fierce independence are coupled with hugs, clinging behaviors, and boastful “Me do it!” statements. What emotional turbulence!

Routines and rituals are crucial for your turbulent toddler. At a time full of change, growth, joy, and frustration, the routines that you establish can be a calming oasis for your child. Your child needs a secure base to venture forth successfully and then return. Have you noticed that one minute your toddler has an overwhelming passionate desire to be close to you, and then the very next minute an equally fierce force for independence? This is normal for toddlers! Some people refer to this developmental stage as the “rubber band” stage and Kindermusik lovingly calls it the “bound away and back kangaroo” stage. No matter how you label it, your toddler is in a period of overwhelming conflict between independence and dependence. There is no better way for you and your child to partner and navigate through toddlerhood than by establishing meaningful and fun rituals.

A Kindermusik Ritual:
Sing Good Morning!
Does your wake-up routine include listening to music from the radio alarm clock? Why not wake your child in the morning with singing? Making up new wake-up words to a well-known song such as “Old Brass Wagon” is the perfect way to begin any morning. Ask your child, “What do you do when you get up in the morning?” It won’t be long before your toddler will be making up words and singing right along with you (or by herself!).

Making up new words for a song or “piggybacking” is a longstanding tradition, and many children’s songs lend themselves well to this type of improvisation.

Enjoy singing these morning verses to the tune of
“Old Brass Wagon”:
• “Get out of bed, and sing good morning…”
• “Brush my teeth, and sing good morning…”
• “Pet the dog, and sing good morning…”
• “Put on my clothes, and sing good morning…”
Click here for music clip: “Old Brass Wagon”

“My daughter’s routine is listening to a Kindermusik CD every night. We have a whole collection of CDs and we’ll let her choose what to listen to. She’ll actually tell me, ‘Mommy, I want this one.’ We put the CD on repeat play and she listens all night long. If she wakes during the night, the music comforts her. If we ever forget to have the CD on for some reason, she’ll cry for it. Music is part of everyday life for us.”

—Diane Cabbell and daughter Samantha,
two years old
Our Time class

Magically Transforming Routines

Your Baby – newborn to 1½ years

We know that routines are important to the very youngest. Your newborn baby came into the world with natural sleeping, eating, and alert patterns. At first, you follow your newborn’s lead, and then—over the ensuing months—you guide the creation of routines dependent on your parenting choices and style. The structure and predictability of these routines are essential elements in providing your baby a sense of security and comfort.

Transforming a daily routine into a loving ritual can be magical. For example, take extra time and add a kiss, a hug, or baby massage during your baby’s diaper time. Pay close attention to elements in your baby’s surroundings such as light, sounds, music, and objects to touch and see. Recognize which of these elements seem to produce noticeable delight in the form of cooing sounds, flailing arms and kicking legs, or consistent eye contact. Include a few of these favorite elements in your baby’s environment during bath time and watch the routine transform into a delightful ritual. Continually talk and sing to your baby. Select a favorite song and sing it to your baby while getting ready for the daily stroller ride. Your tender, loving attention and care transform your baby’s routines into rituals. It’s like magic!

A Kindermusik Ritual:
The Tenderness of Lullaby Time
Focus some extra loving attention on your baby’s nighttime routine. Enjoy a cozy lullaby ritual together while singing “Rurru” or another favorite lullaby to your baby. Your voice is your baby’s most comforting and beloved sound!
Click here for music clip: “Rurru”

“We do Kindermusik every day, whether it’s class day or not. For us, Kindermusik has given us some practical tools for routines at home. When Jordan is changing from her bottle to a cup, we sing ‘Old MacDonald’ and it helps her make the transition without getting upset. In fact, we use this song a lot. We can sing it any time she is upset and it calms her down. At nighttime, we have a routine where we brush teeth, plug in the nightlight, get in the recliner, and sing songs. Some of our favorite Kindermusik songs to sing at bedtime are ’That’s an Irish Lullaby’ and the good-bye song, ‘Oh, How I Love My Baby-O.’”

—Dee Dee Chambliss and daughter
Jordan, age 13 months

Baby It’s Cold Outside!

Even though we live in Florida it still get’s chilly out especially when we wake up to 25-degree weather.  During those days it’s nice to have activities ready for little hands. 

Cold weather got you and the kids trapped inside? Here are some fun and innovative ideas for activities with the kids that can be done
with little or no preparation. Have fun!!

Music and Movement
1. Play dress up and dance to fun music.
2. Play favorite music and look through old photos of the kids and family.
3. Play start and stop to music. Move when it is playing and stop when it stops. You can pass the movement and do mirroring and/or follow the leader.
4. Find sound makers around the house and play with them.  Play a steady beat and simple rhythms to repeat.
5. Put on an exercise tape and do it with your child, or at least let it inspire your own movement activity!

Fun With Water
1. Take a bath with measuring spoons, cups and bowls or other
toys or non-toys.
2. Fill a dishtub or shallow pan with water and give them measuring spoons, cups and bowls, turkey basters or other toys or non-toys . . . keep towels nearby (a great way to get the kitchen floor clean!)
3. Give a spray bottle full of water (you can add a little vinegar for shine) and a sponge, rag or towel to clean floors, walls, etc.
4. Paint with water on paper, a chalkboard, a cookie tray, the wall, the floor, etc.

Fun With Food
1. Spread peanut butter or cream cheese on a tortilla and let the
kids ’decorate’ with raisins, cereal, jelly, etc.
2. Bake a cake or cookies, trail mix, or granola….kids love to
empty measuring cups and spoons and mix batter and will take
at least 10 minutes to lick the bowl while you are cleaning up!!
3. Sort, pattern, and/or count and graph with multi-colored foods (M&M’s, Fruit Loops, or a mixture of several like
Cheerios, raisins, and Goldfish).
4. Make a mixture of cornstarch and water. Get it thick enough to
roll a ball between your fingers. Paint in it with a brush and
tempera paints or just play in it with your hands!

Arts and Crafts
1. Make a drum or other instrument (with pots, bowls, toilet
paper tubes, saran wrap, rubber bands, spatula, cans) Decorate it!
2. Take old drawings, paintings, photos, magazine clippings and
art supplies to make a book or collage (toy and flower catalogs, and kid friendly magazines are great for these!)
3. Make a doll or puppet using socks, toilet paper tubes, yarn,  feathers, fabric, etc.
4. Make a hat out of paper plates and construction paper. Decorate it!
5. Cover a styrofoam plate with aluminum foil and show your child
how to etch in it with a popsicle stick.
6. Make a decorative string, like a string of flags, pictures of friends, your child’s name, abc’s etc.
7. Tape a large piece of butcher paper or a poster board to the wall or floor where the kids can draw or paint when they feel like it with crayons or markers.HAVE FUN!

Family Time Free Previews

Announcing a New Affordable, Convenient Music Class at The Music Studio. 

In a multi-age, multi-child Kindermusik Family Time class, you’ll see in one semester how music helps your family laugh together, share, take turns, and how musical learning really can be a family thing. 

Free preview classes available at The Music Studio in Lake Mary, in the Driftwood Village Plaza Suite D and at the Deltona Dance Academy in Deltona. 

• Thursday, Feb. 23 at 9:15-10:00 in Deltona 
• Friday, Feb. 24 at 10:30-11:15 in Lake Mary 
• Saturday, Feb. 25 at 11:30-1:30 in Lake Mary 

Family Time Classes begin through the month of March.

Click Here for more details and class schedule visit http://www.wilsonarts.net/FamilyTime.html 

RSVP for a preview by replying to this email or calling me at 386-748-4517.

Away We Go Week #4

Dear Our Time Parent:Was your comfort level a bit higher today now that some of our songs,chants, and activities are familiar? Over the next few lessons, we’re going to repeat many of these activities. You may find yourself wondering why we’re singing the same songs, but your toddler loves the comfort of familiarity. With each repeated activity, the neural connections in your child’s mind grow stronger, helping him to think, reason, create, and express.This week at home have some fun with the Train and Tunnel Cut-Out on pages 7-8 of your home activity book.

 

 

Dream Pillow Week #4

Dear Village Parent:Wee Willie Winkie, Sarasponda, Skinnamarink … play around with these words and you’re helping your baby understand even more words. It’s called vocal play.  All the real and nonsense words you use when talking to your baby puts the finishing touch on his understanding of the words now forming in his mind.

Many scientists believe the more expressive these interactions are, the more communicative the conversation is to your baby.  Here are some suggestions for one-on-one vocal play you can both do together at home this week:

· With baby looking at you make eye contact and say, “I love you” like we did in class.

· Pause for a moment to let your baby respond then say whatever sound he makes back to him. This validates his vocal attempt. It also helps him discover the turn-taking aspect of communication.

Welcome to the Music Studio Blog

This is an exciting day.  I have been toying with setting up a blog.  There are so many wonderful moments that we have in class and lessons at our studio and I wanted a simple way to communicate all that happens at our Music Studio without sending emails everyday.  You are welcome to visit this blog frequently, because we will add posts daily and contests will be announced here as well.  Read more about us here.

Blessings,

Erin Wilson, Studio Coordinator and Mommy to Natalie, Sammy and Julia