We have the founder of Stroller Strides talking about her new book Lean Mommy. We talk to Steffani Raff about Rhymes, Songs, and Chants for Itty Bitty’s and Shelly discusses how to bolster your immunity for the flu season.

Lean Mommy is Lisa Druxman’s new book. It is inspiring and well-written. Check it out!

Rhymes, Songs, and Chants for Itty Bitty’s

What is the difference between reading and telling a story to your children?

• When you read a story the focus is on the book. When you tell a story your focus is on each other.
• You can change a mold a story to your child’s attention span and activity level.
• Storytelling develops your child’s ability to form pictures in their mind. Essential for reading, problem solving, empathetic behavior.
• It’s fun! There’s a lot of hard things you do as a mom this isn’t one of them.

Is storytelling better?

Good things happen when you tell a story to your child. For instance…

• Communication skills are developed when you tell a story. Turn taking, speaking with expression, hearing many sounds and words repeated and connected with a concept.
• Develops coordination when you use hand or moving rhymes.
• It’s portable – you don’t have to have a book with you to make it happen – great for grocery stores, doctor offices or anywhere you can’t give your entire focus to a book.

Where do I start?

• Rhymes and interactive songs are a great place to start.
• They are easy to learn and remember.
• They are short and lend themselves to interaction.

Beehive
Here is a beehive.
Where are all the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch. Watch and you see them come
out of their hive…
One…Two…Three…Four…Five!
Buzzzzz!
If You Want To Be a Monster
If you want to be a monster
Well, now’s your chance!
Cuz everybody’s doing the monster dance.
First you stomp your feet.
(Stomp feet 4 times)
Wave your arms all around.
Shake it up! Shake it up!
Put them on the ground.
Ooh Ah, Ooh Ah, Ooh Ah,
Ooh Ah Ah!
Ooh Ah, Ooh Ah, Ooh Ah,
Ooh Ah Ah!
One Little Baby
One little baby rocking in a tree.
Two little babies splashing in the sea.
Three little babies pounding at the door.
Four little babies crawling on the floor.
Five little babies playing hide and seek.
Everybody cover your eyes till I say, “Peek!”
Alligator Pie
Alligator pie, alligator pie
If I don’t get some I think I’m going to die.
Give away the green grass, give away the sky,
But don’t give away my alligator pie.
Alligator stew, alligator stew
If I don’t get some I don’t know what I’ll do.
Give away my furry hat, give away my shoe
But don’t give away my alligator stew.
Alligator soup, alligator soup
If I don’t get some I think I’m gonna droop.
Give away my hockey stick, give away my hoop
But don’t give away my alligator soup!
Here is a baby
Here is a baby who needs a nap.
Lay her down in her Mommy’s lap.
Cover her up so she won’t peep.
And rock her till she’s fast asleep.
Clap Your Hands
Clap your hands.
Clap your hands.
Clap your hands till the music stops.
(Use these options for other verses)
Pat your head…
Rub your tummy…
Stomp your feet…

Tick Tock
Tick tock tick tock
Goes my daddy’s big clock.
Tick tock tick tock
Goes my daddy’s big clock.
But my Mommy’s little clock says,
Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock.

Two Little Blackbirds
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill.
One named Jack the other named Jill.
Fly away Jack
Fly away Jill
Come back Jack
Come back Jill

I have a Little Turtle
I have a little turtle who lives in a box.
He swims in the pond and he climbs on the rocks.
He snapped at the minnow.
He snapped at the flea.
He snapped at the mosquito.
And he snapped at me!
He caught that minnow.
He caught that flea.
He caught the mosquito.
But he can’t catch me!

Jumping Jack
Jumping Jack jump up and down
Boing boing - boing boing
Jumping Jack Jump up and down
Boing boing Stop!

Round and Round the Garden
Round and round the garden
Goes the Teddy Bear.
One Step.
Two Step.
Tickle you under there!

Creeping Creeping
Creeping, creeping little flea
Up my leg and past my knee.
To my tummy on he goes,
Past my chin and to my nose.
Now he’s creeping down my chin,
To my tummy once again.
Down my leg and past my knee,
To my toes that little flea.
GOTCHA!

Bolstering Immunity for the Flu Season

• Wash hands often. Use soap and water, teach children to sing the alphabet while they scrub. The soap loosens the germs and makes them slippery so they will rinse away with water. Particularly wash hands after coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid using the pen at the store. Bring your own. Avoid touching the entry doors at stores and the doors when you leave the restroom.
• Try to break habit of touching your face, that’s how germs enter your body.
• Drink plenty of fluids – it helps flush out toxins
• Get enough rest. (yeah right) Your body knows what to do with a germ, but if you hamper it with poor diet or fatigue, it may not respond to illness as quickly as you need.
• Load your body with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
• Exercise - moderately.
• Use different toothpaste tubes for each member of family (something my husband does, but I find it too cumbersome for ALL our family members –but he rarely gets sick)
• Less Stress – don’t add to it by worrying about sanitizing everything.
• For your baby, continue nursing. Your antibodies provide a great deal of protect for their young immune system.
• Remember your immune system is a growing body of knowledge. Don’t stress about overcleanliness. Low levels of germs can teach your body in a small way what is bad. This is the principle of vaccines. It learns what is good and bad and when you keep your body healthy, the immune system quickly gets rid of what is “bad.”
• Don’t smoke –it reduces mucus lining that protects germs from entering your body
• Cut alcoholic consumption. Alcohol impairs liver function and dehydrates, and fluids are important

And Who should get flu shots? According to the Center for Disease Control People at high risk for complications from the flu, including:

• Children aged 6 months until their 5th birthday,
• Pregnant women,
• People 50 years of age and older, and
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions;
• People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu (protects them from getting it and passing it on to those they care for

Hand sanitizer danger

Beer has 5% alcohol content
Wine 12%
Hard liquor starts at 40%
Hand sanitizer at least 60%

So 2 Tablespoons of sanitizer can have as much alcohol as one can of beer.

 

 Lean Mom, Rhymes and Immunity [55:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 9:47 am and is filed under Developing Story, Healthy Baby, Happy Mom, Podcasts/Shows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.