Maternal Creations

Host : Lehe Elarar, RM BA

Pomegranate Community Midwives
2647 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V5k 1Z5
tel: 604-255-5556
www.pomegranate-midwives.com
office@pomegranate-midwives.com

Just out: Organic Bamboo Velour Bunting bag

Wrap your baby up in velvety comfort in our new Organic Bamboo Velour Bunting Bag.
Available in 1 size that fits newborns - 6 months. It is made out of unbleached Eco-safe soft fabric. Use the coupon code bc2008 to receive 15% off your order.

Baby Buddha takes a summer holiday !

This is a quick note of notification that we at Baby Buddha Gear will be departing for our annual vacation at the end of August.

We will be closing on Monday, August 18th. Orders placed by Monday will be shipped before we leave. All orders placed after that will be shipped after we return in early September.

For our Canadian customers, there are opportunities to see and feel our product line and make purchases at the retail stores carrying baby buddha gear .
More details on where to go on our website: http://www.babybuddha.ca/storefinder.php

This said, we are overwhelmingly excited by the projects we are involved with this year and keep an eye out for our new innovative products coming soon.

We are looking forward to you being impressed by our gear,
Alison-Joy , Paula and the Baby Buddha crew

P.S. We are nearly sold out of our Organic Bamboo Super-comfy Stretchy Baby Carrier in \'Cocoa\' - only 50 carriers left . More to come in October

Alison Cross + Paula Violi
Owners

info@babybuddha.ca
www.babybuddha.ca

Mommies on Main- Made in Canada

This is the first annual Show celebrating local and Canadian inspired creations which will enhance every Moms’ life. The show will feature numerous products/garments and accessories that are made by Moms or designed and made in Canada. Bring the whole family as there will be something for everyone. The show will be held on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 at the beautiful Heritage Hall on Main Street (3102 Main at 15th Avenue) in Vancouver. The event runs from 11 am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday. Come and enjoy an afternoon of tasty treats and creative play areas for kids. Paper crafts by Urban Source and face painting by local artists. Embrace this opportunity to purchase directly from Vancouver artists/designers. Entrance to the event will be $2.00 at the door for adults. Children under 13 years are free. One dollar from each ticket sale supports YWCA programs for single moms. The crowd pleasing " Rosie Snow Puppet Show " will be performed by Diana Jeffries' Flexible Theatre on Saturday, July 12th. Tickets can be purchased directly from the puppet stage prior to each performance. Admission is $4. Performances will be held at 1 pm, 3pm and 4pm. Shows are approximately 25-30minutes. Bring your kids over for this fun and interactive experience.

Staying Established in Peace

Painting above: 'Mamatoto' by Amanda Louise Emsley
aemsley@sfu.ca


We often associate calmness and peace with being still and inactive, and so it's difficult to imagine being calm while living a busy urban lifestyle. We may make time to refresh or go way on health retreats, but we notice a difference between ourselves at rest and ourselves actively in the 'real' world.


It's becoming obvious that health and peace are not luxuries but necessities of daily life. Daily stress, is extremely fatiguing and eventually leads to diseases; Mental worry alone is exhausting.

It is possible to live a dynamic life while maintaining strong inner peace and clarity. Not only is this possible, but if we can bring deep calm into our activity we discover we have more creativity, energy, and happiness.

Finding balance and clarity takes practice and patience. A healthy diet, sleep, and an exercise program are fundamental to a calm and active life. Also, we can study the nature of the mind: how it shines with happiness, or works to make us miserable.

Yoga is a combination of many skills that create purity in the body, clarity in the mind and quiet in the soul.

Whether you're in business, art, a profession, or managing a family, you'll find it's possible to be fully expressive and dynamic while staying gracefully established in peace!

written by:
Padma
Meditation & Yoga
Vancouver , BC contact Padma at padma@yyoga.ca

Just have fun with it !

Get Your Toddler to Cooperate!
By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of Kid Cooperation and Perfect Parenting


Toddlers and preschoolers require finesse to gain their cooperation, because they have not yet reached the age at which they can see and understand the whole picture, so simply explaining what you want doesn’t always work. Robert Scotellaro is quoted in The Funny Side of Parenthood as saying, “Reasoning with a two-year-old is about as productive as changing seats on the Titanic.” (He must have had a two-year-old at the time.)

You can get around this frustrating state of affairs by changing your approach. Let’s look at two situations – first the typical (Titanic) way:

Parent: David! Time to change your diaper.
David: No! (As he runs off)
Parent: Come on honey. It’s time to leave, I need to change you.
David: (Giggles and hides behind sofa)
Parent: David, this isn’t funny. It’s getting late. Come here.
David: (Doesn’t hear a word. Sits down to do a puzzle.)
Parent: Come here! (Gets up and approaches David)
David: (Giggles and runs)
Parent: (Picking up David) Now lie here. Stop squirming! Lie still. Will you stop this!
(As parent turns to pick up a new diaper, a little bare bottom is running away)
I’m sure you’ve all been there. Oh, and by the way, David is my son. And this was an actual scene recorded in his baby book. Like you, I got very tired of this. And then I discovered a better way:
Parent: (Picking up diaper and holding it like a puppet, making it talk in a silly, squeaky voice)
Hi David! I’m Dilly Diaper! Come here and play with me!
David: (Running over to Diaper) Hi Dilly!
Parent as Diaper: You’re such a nice boy. Will you give me a kiss?
David: Yes. (Gives diaper a kiss)
Parent as Diaper: How ‘bout a nice hug?
David: (Giggles and hugs Diaper)
Parent as Diaper: Lie right here next to me. Right here. Yup. Can I go on you? Oh yes?!
Goody goody goody! (The diaper chats with David while he’s being changed. Then it says, Oh, David! Listen, I hear your shoes calling you – David! David!

The most amazing thing about this trick is that it works over and over and over and over. You’ll keep thinking, “He’s not honestly going to fall for this again?” But he will! Probably the nicest by-product of this method is that it gets you in a good mood and you have a little fun time with your child.
When you’ve got a toddler this technique is a pure lifesaver. When my son David was little I used this all the time. (I then used it with my youngest child, Coleton, and it worked just as well.) Remembering back to one day, when David was almost three, we were waiting in a long line at the grocery store and I was making my hand talk to him. It was asking him questions about the items in the cart. Suddenly, he hugged my hand, looked up at me and said, “Mommy, I love for you to pretend this hand is talking.”

Another parent reported that she called her toddler to the table for dinner a number of times, when he calmly looked up at her, chubby hands on padded hips and said, “Mommy, why don’t you have my dinner call to me?”
And suddenly, the peas on his plate came to life and called out to him; he ran over to join the family at the dinner table.
A variation on this technique, that also works very well, is to capitalize on a young child’s vivid imagination as a way to thwart negative emotions. Pretend to find a trail of caterpillars on the way to the store, hop to the car like a bunny, or pretend a carrot gives you magic powers as you eat it.
It’s delightful to see how a potentially negative situation can be turned into a fun experience by changing a child’s focus to fun and fantasy.

How to Have a Happy Marriage When You’re Busy Being Parents

Is your marriage everything you ever hoped it could be? Or has it been pushed down your list of priorities since having children? Let’s face it, parenthood is a full-time job, and it dramatically changes your marriage relationship. But marriage is the foundation upon which your entire family is structured. If your marriage is strong, your whole family will be strong; your life will be more peaceful, you’ll be a better parent, and you’ll, quite simply, have more fun in your life.

Make a commitment

To create or maintain a strong marriage you will have to take the first critical step: You must be willing to put time, effort and thought into nurturing your marriage. The ideas that follow will help you follow through on this commitment and will put new life and meaning into your marriage. A wonderful thing may happen. You may fall in love with your spouse all over again. In addition, your children will greatly benefit from your stronger relationship. Children feel secure when they know that Mom and Dad love each other—particularly in today’s world, where 50 percent of marriages end in divorce; half of your children’s friends have gone, or are going through a divorce; or maybe it’s your kids who have survived a divorce and are now living in a new family arrangement. Your children need daily proof that their family life is stable and predictable. When you make a commitment to your marriage, your children will feel the difference. No, they won’t suffer from neglect! They’ll blossom when your marriage—and their homelife—is thriving.

The surprising secret is that this doesn’t have to take any extra time in your already busy schedule. Just a change in attitude plus a committed focus can yield a stronger, happier marriage.

So here’s my challenge to you. Read the following suggestions and apply them in your marriage for the next 30 days. Then evaluate your marriage. I guarantee you’ll both be happier.

Look for the good, overlook the bad

You married this person for many good reasons. Your partner has many wonderful qualities. Your first step in adding sizzle to your marriage is to look for the good and overlook the bad.

Make it a habit to ignore the little annoying things — dirty socks on the floor, a day-old coffee cup on the counter, worn out flannel pajamas, an inelegant burp at the dinner table — and choose instead to search for those things that make you smile: the way he rolls on the floor with the baby; the fact that she made your favorite cookies, the peace in knowing someone so well that you can wear your worn out flannels or burp at the table.

Give two compliments every day

Now that you’ve committed to seeing the good in your partner, it’s time to say it! This is a golden key to your mate’s heart. Our world is so full of negative input, and we so rarely get compliments from other people. When we do get a compliment, it not only makes us feel great about ourselves, it actually makes us feel great about the person giving the compliment! Think about it! When your honey says, “You’re the best. I’m so glad I married you.” It not only makes you feel loved, it makes you feel more loving.

Compliments are easy to give, take such a little bit of time, and they’re free. Compliments are powerful; you just have to make the effort to say them. Anything works: “Dinner was great, you make my favorite sauce.” “Thanks for picking up the cleaning. It was very thoughtful, you saved me a trip.” “That sweater looks great on you.”

Play nice

That may sound funny to you, but think about it. How many times do you see -- or experience -- partners treating each other in impolite, harsh ways that they’d never even treat a friend? Sometimes we take our partners for granted and unintentionally display rudeness. As the saying goes, if you have a choice between being right and being nice, just choose to be nice. Or to put this in the wise words of Bambi’s friend Thumper, the bunny rabbit – “If you can’t say somethin’ nice don’t say nothin’ at all.”

Pick your battles

How often have you heard this advice about parenting? This is great advice for child-rearing—and it’s great advice to follow in your marriage as well. In any human relationship there will be disagreement and conflict. The key here is to decide which issues are worth pursuing and which are better off ignored. By doing this, you’ll find much less negative energy between you.

From now on, anytime you feel annoyed, take a minute to examine the issue at hand, and ask yourself a few questions. “How important is this?” “Is this worth picking a fight over?” “What would be the benefit of choosing this battle versus letting it go?”

The 60 second cuddle

You can often identify a newly married couple just by how much they touch each other — holding hands, sitting close, touching arms, kissing — just as you can spot an “oldly-married” couple by how little they touch. Mothers, in particular, often have less need for physical contact with their partners because their babies and young children provide so much opportunity for touch and cuddling that day’s end finds them “touched fulfilled”.
So here’s a simple reminder: make the effort to touch your spouse more often. A pat, a hug, a kiss, a shoulder massage – the good feeling it produces for both of you far outweighs the effort.

Here’s the deal: Whenever you’ve been apart make it a rule that you will take just 60 seconds to cuddle, touch and connect. This can be addictive! If you follow this advice soon you’ll find yourselves touching each other more often, and increasing the romantic aspect of your relationship.

Spend more time talking to and listening to your partner.

I don’t mean, “Remember to pick up Jimmy’s soccer uniform.” Or “I have a PTA meeting tonight.” Rather, get into the habit of sharing your thoughts about what you read in the paper, what you watch on TV, your hopes, your dreams, your concerns. Take a special interest in those things that your spouse is interested in and ask questions. And then listen to the answers.



Spend time with your spouse

It can be very difficult for your marriage to thrive if you spend all your time being “Mommy” and “Daddy”. You need to spend regular time as “Husband” and “Wife”. This doesn’t mean you have to take a two-week vacation in Hawaii. (Although that might be nice, too!) Just take small daily snippets of time when you can enjoy uninterrupted conversation, or even just quiet companionship, without a baby on your hip, a child tugging your shirtsleeve or a teenager begging for the car keys. A daily morning walk around the block or a shared cup of tea after all the children are in bed might work wonders to re-connect you to each other. And yes, it’s quite fine to talk about your children when you’re spending your time together, because, after all, your children are one of the most important connections you have in your relationship.

When you and your spouse regularly connect in a way that nurtures your relationship, you may find a renewed love between you, as well as a refreshed vigor that will allow you to be a better, more loving parent. You owe it to yourself — and to your kids — to nurture your relationship.

So take my challenge and use these ideas for the next 30 days. And watch your marriage take on a whole new glow.


Parts of this article are excerpted with permission from books by Elizabeth Pantley:
Kid Cooperation: How to Stop Yelling, Nagging and Pleading Hidden Messages: What Our Words and Actions are Really Telling Our Children,
New Harbinger Publications, Inc. and by McGraw-Hill/Contemporary
Website: http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth

Let's Fly together

I wanted to share an experience from last night, Monday April 7th.

Going on a recommendation from a friend I went to a 'free' yoga class. It turned out to be one of Kundalini yoga greatest teacher GurMukh on a teaching tour but now living in Hollywood. She is well over 60 years old, maybe in her 70's but as radiant as a child. We spent 24 minutes dancing and going wild to raga music, and I felt like a child. Just doing, not thinking so much.

What really moved me is when she read a sufi's story about Geese. Geese fly in formation helping each other gain the velocity to travel great distances. When 1 bird falls out of formation it is subject to the forces of nature. Geese honk to encourage the leaders to keep up the pace. When a goose gets sick or can not fly a group of geese land and stay with the bird until it dies or regains it's strength to fly on.
The moral of this story is that we should live like a flock of geese, helping the week, leading with our strengths and staying unified though the good and the hard times.

Check out the video which speaks to the Geese phenomenon ... let's fly together people!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9cdyej0AJaI

Lessons from Geese

lessons from Geese www.leadershipi2i.com/geese.cfm. It was based on the work of Milton Olson.

Fact 1

As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock has 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of each other.

Fact 2

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson

If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

---

Fact 3

When the lead bird tires, it rotates back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson

It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each others’ skills, capabilities, and unique arrangement of gifts, talents, or resources.

---

Fact 4

The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson

We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and to encourage the heart and core values of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

---

Fact 5

When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation to catch up with the flock.

Lesson

If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we’re strong.

georgia straight article about child wearing

Sling it to singapore

By Pieta Woolley

Publish Date: September 6, 2007

Have babe, will travel with chic next-gen carriers.

East Van new mom Alison Cross wasn't about to let baby Coco tame her travel bug or dampen her yoga fetish. The 35-year-old costume designer, however, couldn't see herself shoving a stroller the size of a shopping cart over the dirt roads of Laos, or wearing a pastel-bunny-covered sling to salute the sun. So she teamed up with Emily Carr industrial-design grad Paula Violi to came up with a 21st-century take on an ancient idea: the Baby Buddha Together Sling. It's made with stretch fabric, comes in three modular parts, and looks like a comfy wrap shirt when it's on. No baby fuss, no baby muss.

"When I was pregnant, I knew I didn't want to look like the stroller moms looked," says Cross, who gives the impression of an artsy Julie Andrews. "They're frustrated. They don't fit through doors. Pushing a stroller voids any sexy outfit you might wear, because you look like you're pushing a plastic mountain."

Cross, who says she's travelled comfortably to 10 Asian and European countries wearing her sling, is at the forefront of a Canadian sling revolution. Babywearing, a term coined by pediatric guru William Sears, promises less crying, more interaction, and faster social learning than leaving the kid in a stroller or car seat.

In looks, slings have come a long way. In Chinatown and Richmond, traditional Chinese tie-on slings are well-used by grandmothers and still for sale. But Canada is also a hotbed for innovation; just witness Vancouver's Maya Wrap, Abbotsford's Pillowslip, Cranbrook's Nurtured Cub, Winnipeg's Peapod, Ontario's CXD Baby and Heart to Heart, and New Brunswick's Little Star. Langley's the Baby Sling Shop (www.thebabyslingshop.com) even offers its version of Tupperware parties in the Fraser Valley.

Wearing up to 16 kilos of baby places obvious strains on the body. Richmond-based chiropractor Heather McLeod has been seeing moms with back pain for 25 years. Slings, she said, can be fine, but they can also damage the neck and back. The trick is to find the right one. "Try them on in the store," McLeod advises. "If they feel right, have thick straps, and support you and the baby, they're probably okay."

McLeod notes that she sees more new moms with back problems now than when she did when she started her practice. She attributes this more to parents waiting to have kids than to the use of slings themselves.

Sales of the Baby Buddha have been so good that Cross and Violi have capped the number of stores they sell to. (See www.babybuddha.ca.) This fall, though, they're planning to take it across Canada. They're also developing a sustainable hemp/organic cotton/Lycra fabric, which will be manufactured cooperatively in a village in China. Their little baby's

all that power in one little banana

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain.
-Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
-Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
-But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychologyin Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

Last Child in the woods

( my Friend DJ made notes from this very interesting book about how children need nature. I totally agree and it makes me want to move the family out to the country )


NOTES From - Last Child in the Woods – Richard Louv VPL 155.418 L89L

- Natural play a quaint artefact
- Kids now aware of environmental issues but have little physical contact with nature
- nature now is more abstract than reality
- Contact with nature may be as crucial to childhood development as good nutrition and adequate sleep
- Early experiences of nature bind us to nature forever
- Unlike tv which steals time, nature amplifies it
- Nature offers healing, fantasy, escape, creativity, senses, privacy
- Nature is a place of archetypal power, teaching, and challenge; offers wonders , calm and focus but also excitement
- Book identifies the current generation as the 3rd frontier (of America), displaying the following characteristics:
o 1. Separation from food source/origin
o 2. Merging of machines, humans
o 3 Increased awareness about environmental information but less intimacy with it
o 4. Increasing numbers of wild animals in cities
o 5. Increase in suburban lifestyle
- Children in this age display a “know it all” attitude
- In one study, a child, asked to list her weekly activities does not list her soccer games or practices as playtime
- Current life is less a life of the senses than previously
- Shift since the 1970s from activity orientation to knowledge orientation
- Cultural autism (tunnelled senses, feelings of isolation and containment)
- Narrowing of true experience
- We’re losing our ability to experience the world directly and this impoverishes us.
- John Dewey in the early 20th century said that the worship of secondary experiences (tv, video, computer as opposed to real life experiences) in childhood came with the risk of depersonalizing human life
- Children live through their senses
- Sensory experiences link kids to their exterior world with their interior hidden world
- The natural enviro is the principal source of sensory stimulation
- Freedom to explore and play outdoors is essential for a healthy inner life
- Self-actuated, autonomous interaction with nature
- Children test themselves by interacting with their enviro and reconstructing human culture
- Depression. Loneliness reported in adults who did not spend free play time outdoors , especially in wilderness
- New technology moves us further from direct experience
- Physical touch is essential for human health – and ultimately for peace in the world (think of hand-shakes)
- Medical students have trouble understanding how the heart works because they’ve never used a pump or a siphon
- “that which can’t be googled doesn’t count”
- The “know-it-all” attitude is really quite fragile; breaks down with real-life experiences with nature
- Deepest friendship evolve from shared experiences, especially in environments where all the senses are enlivened
- Natural settings stimulate all the senses; these help build cognitive constructs in children’s brains
- Nature stimulates the imagination limitlessly
- TV and electronic media displaces the primary experience of nature
- There is more creative play in natural environments vs. build spaces (playgrounds)
- Children use more imagination, retain a greater sense of wonder, are more egalitarian, and have a greater ability to concentrate when they play in natural environments without imposed structure
- The developing consciousness of all children involves a dynamic sense of relationship with their place
- Nature is used as a restorative therapy for children with ADHD
- Too much (adult) directed activity leads to attention-directed fatigue in children, leading to impulsive behaviours, agitation, irritation, and inability to concentrate because the neural inhibitory mechanisms become fatigued by blocking competing stimuli
- In 1990, children roamed over was five times less area than did kids in 1970;
- Stranger danger scare (94% of abductions are actually perpetrated by family members or friends) is now blamed for increased shyness among children and adults as well as the retreat from social interaction into electronics; a high price to pay for the perception of guaranteed safety
- Too much education/exposure to enviro abuse/degradation may make kids feel overwhelmed; they associate nature with catastrophe, not wonder
- More environ-based OR place-based education recommended (currently PCs sucking up education dollars)
- Knowledge of local vegetation and environment decreasing; how can we notice if some organism is changing or in the wrong place if we don’t know what should be there??)
- Concern re waning sense of awe
- US national park usage decreasing; camping down especially among the under 30s
- Development and energy interests are moving in to fill the void (by exploiting natural resources in the national parks)
- Environmentalists are looking increasingly old and white
- In US, Girl Scouts now have more programs to do with stuff other than nature (including marketing, product-developments, interviewing skills)
- In the middle Ages if you said you were bored you were committing a sin of devaluing the world and its creator; would have been considered self-indulgent
- In pre-modern times, life wasn’t considered interesting or exciting either, it just was
Kids need day-to-day contact with he elements (not necessarily dramatic, or picturesque wilderness – it’s better to know one mountain than to climb many
- Modern life narrows the senses; nature accentuates the senses
- The child in nature has to make decisions not encountered in a constricted, planned environment; ones that present danger but also opportunity
- The natural environment is more complex than any sports field
- Nature is where the inner life can develop at its own pace
- Advocate for joy and wonder with respect to nature (over the educational)
- Fear of liability adds another layer of deterrence to encouraging natural play

:: The Power of Inner Freedom ::

THE DAILY GROOVE ~ by Scott Noelle
www.enjoyparenting.com/dailygroove

:: The Power of Inner Freedom ::

You live in an abundant universe of endless creative
possibilities. So the good news is... whatever you
desire, you can have.

The *other* news is... You can't have what you want
unless you're free *not* to have it. More precisely:
you can only have it *to the degree* that you're
free not to have it.

For example, if you want to feel *successful* as a
parent, get free to *fail* as a parent. Why? Because
if you're resisting failure, your mind is focused on
what you *don't* want, and whatever you focus on
becomes your experience. (That's the Law of
Attraction.)

As soon as you decide that you're free to fail, you
stop resisting failure, and that frees your mind to
focus on creating success.

The more you feel free to fail, the easier it is
to succeed... Go figure! :-)

http://dailygroove.net/inner-freedom

Feel free to forward this message to your friends!
(Please include this paragraph and everything above.)
Copyright (c) 2008 by Scott Noelle

"Inspiration & Coaching for Progressive Parents"
http://www.ScottNoelle.com
http://www.EnjoyParenting.com

1044 Water Street, Suite 342
Port Townsend, WA 98368
USA

Baby Betsy

Canadian Parents

Sometimes I look around the web and I find something out in Cyber space about the baby buddha'a stretchy baby carrier, Here is a posting from Canadian parents dot com I just had to share. By the way getting this kind of positive feed back makes me jump out of bed every morning with a sense of real purpose ' BABY BONDING BLISS'
Here's the post:
___________________________________

Right before Christmas I bought a Baby Buddha 3 piece sling। For those that aren't familiar with it, it is basically two slings and a support band, that can be worn together for a "wrap" type effect।

I've always LOVED how cuddly babies look in wraps, but was very intimidated by the actual "wrapping", therefore the baby buddha seemed like the perfect solution.

I LOVE IT!! It's so easy to use, and it holds my son nice and close! It's made out of a spandex material (like yoga pants). So it's nice and stretchy so both my husband and I can wear the same size (they only come in two sizes). My husband is 5,11', and 190ish lbs and i'm 5,7' and 130ish lbs (just for comparision reasons.)

Anyways, I just wanted to share my short review.. and include a picture of my husband (he'd kill me if he knew I posted this) and my son (3 months old).

Enjoy!!

Sheena

ORGANC BAMBOO VELOUR BUNTING BAG CONTEST

BIRTHFEST CONTEST:

ENTER TO WIN ORGANIC BAMBOO VELOUR BUNTING BAGS by entering your name in to our newsletter and emailing us your favorite colour for spring/ summer in Organic Bamboo. CONTEST DRAWS AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH APRIL.30, MAY 30TH, JUNE 30TH
1 WINNER PER MONTH will be CHOSEN PER MONTH

BirthFest 2008

BirthFest 2008
Come and visit BABY BUDDHA for great prizes and a look at our new baby products at the 2nd Annual Community FestivalCelebrating Bellies, Birth & Babies
March 8th, 2008, 10 - 3

We are happy to invite you to join us for the second annual BirthFest at Britannia Community Centre in East Vancouver. Organized by the Vancouver Birth Lounge together with Britannia Community Centre, BirthFest is a fun, free, interactive day for the whole family with information tables, local crafts & products, live music, workshops, and a wonderful space to connect with our community.

Last year we welcomed over 400 parents along with their beautiful children on a miserable rainy day. Those of you who attended last year will remember the transformation of Gym D into a luscious, festive "lounge" filled with soaking wet but very happy families. We envision having many more come to enjoy the day this year. We look forward to offering more exhibitors, more music, more workshops, and even more fun!

what's this in the National Post Story

2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

Wearing your baby in style

Slings replace clunky strollers and backpacks

Marta Gold, National Post
Published: 2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

EDMONTON - First came celebrities sporting tiny dogs in big handbags as living, breathing, fashion accessories.

read more

Copyright © 2007 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

LITTLE SWEETHEART BALL/rethink breast cancer

For the second year, Baby Buddha proudly supports the LITTLE SWEETHEART BALL and rethink breast cancer. This is a great way to get out with your little one and have fun. After you dance the afternoon away, you can bid on great baby products including the Baby Buddha Stretchy Baby Carrier, Buddha Belly Band and Play Sling with all proceeds going to breast cancer research. Have fun!

The Little Sweetheart Ball Vancouver

The Little Sweetheart Ball is a “babylicious” benefit for breast

cancer where alpha toddlers can see and be seen.

This party is for hot mamas, hip dads and tiny tots

to come out and support Rethink Breast Cancer’s innovative

education, awareness and support programs.

When: Sunday, February 17, 2008 from 1 pm - 4 pm
Where: Plush Nightclub, Plaza of Nations, 750 Pacific Blvd।
Attire: Hip & fashionable or fun & fancy - it's up to you!
Tickets: $35 adults, $5 kids

Click here to purchase your tickets online.

Baby Buddha's Stretchy Baby Carrier named Top Product for fussy babies.

Baby Buddha's Stretchy Baby Carrier was named as a Top Products for Fussy or Colicky Babies. It is recommended to calm your Hard-to-Soothe Infant.

Holly Klassen, a expert baby whisperer, has done extensive research on how to cope with colic and high needs children. She offers advice and support to anyone who has a fussy, colicky or high-needs baby at www.fussybaby.ca. Holly knows knows that many of the baby products out there are designed for 'easy' babies. So what about those of us left at home with a crying, unsettled baby ? Time to calm 'em down by attempting to replicate the experience of the womb, helping your little one to feel safe, secure, and soothe them to sleep.

The Baby Buddha carrier has a womb with a view effect for the wee ones and lets you carry your calmed baby in an cradle or upright position to avoid reflux.
Designed for the preemie to preschooler it works until your child is 30 lbs.