1st Birthday

Are you looking for some gift ideas for a 1 year old?
Here are a few pictures of things that the litte guy really enjoyed nad made good use of over the past year.


With 1 year olds anything that can be freely explored works well. It is true that they often get more enjoyment from the box that a present comes in than from the present itself!
Some other things that make great gifts are simple musical instruments, wooden cars, soft blocks and stacking toys.

New Baby Gift

In the US it is common to have a baby shower before a baby is born and in Japan it is common to give gifts after the birth. In either situation I like to give something a bit more personal than money and more helpful that clothes that the baby will soon outgrow.

When I have time I like to make a bag for the gift that can be reused. This is a simple rectangle shape with a ribbon drawstring sewn in at the top.

Here is a peek at one newborn gift. Included are some of my favorite baby prooducts.

- Set of Roll-a-Rounds (each ball makes a different sound)

- Homemade cloth with various bits of ribbon for the baby to explore

- Pack of gauze handkerchiefs - a great multipurpose item

- American baby wipes - these are bigger, stronger and softer than the commonly avalible Japanese counterparts.

When you can't make up your mind about what to give just remember that it's the thought that counts!

Margaret Homfray Lectures

I've been looking around online for more information abotu child development so that I can stay a few steps ahead of the little guy in his development. One interesting thing I came across is a series of lectures by Margaret Homfray who learned from and worked with Dr. Montessori. You can see them on Google Video here. Many of the lectures are long (45 minutes) but the depth of imformation is wonderful. It is easy to see how many or the objects and ideas that Dr. Montessori used have inspired toys and activities for kids around the world for the past century.

We won't be ably to buy all the supplies but the basic concepts are easily applied to things already in the home.

It is awesome to have access to this (for free) from home!

Mommy's Secrets

I've started teaching an English class for Mommies and Babies on Mondays. In class today we had a good discussion which got me to thinking... we have information that can be shared and hopefully will be helpful to other moms (or dads) in the area.

Today's topic was "Mommy's Secrets". Our discussion questions included "Where do you like to go with your baby?" and "What is something you wish you would have known before having a baby?"

Here is a summary of what we came up with:

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Where do you like to go with your baby?

0123 - a city-run place that resembles a jidokan (children's recreation center) for kids age 0-3 years old.

Kamiigusa Sports Center Kid's Room - The public sports center has a room that families can use for free. They just ask that you sign in at the desk so they know how many people are using the room. It's a great place to play on a rainy day! (There is a picture of the room at the bottom of the linked page)

Skip Kids - A cafe with a small American-style play space. There is also a separate ball are for babies under 1 yr. old so they don't get trampled. The food, staff and atmosphere is wonderful.

Local parks - we have many of them in Suginami-ku. It is great to get out and play on a sunny day!

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What is something you wish you would have known before having a baby?

- That not all babies sleep a lot and some babies don't like to sleep at night.

- It is ok to go out of the house in the first month after the baby is born. Many women in Japan feel trapped at home with the baby until the 1 month check-up as they are told not to even go out for a walk or to the grocery store. In class we agreed that for the mental health of the mommy it's best to not feel trapped in a small apartment for a month!

- You don't need to get a complete wardrobe in every size. Babies grow quickly so you may not even be able to use all the baby clothes. One approach is to buy things in every other size - for example get things in 50cm, 70 cm, 90 cm and skip buying things that are 60 cm and 80 cm.

- Babies can be very expensive. It is not just buying things... the utility bills may go up, budgets for travel need to be increased to cover an additional person, child care/activities need to be taken into consideration.

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During the baby (more like toddler) time today we read 2 books.

Chika Chika Boom Boom

and

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear (Sign and Sing Along)

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Starting Points for Montessori at Home

Jojoebi, another "foreign" wife in Japan has a blog that I've enjoyed reading for quite a while. Her success with integrating Montessori ideas into family life here has inspired me more than once. Today she has a great post for those which can give guidance to those who are just starting out on a Montessori journey in their own homes.

http://jojoebi.blogspot.com/2009/09/montessori-top-tips.html

It's a long post but so full of good information.

I love the way ideas, experiences and information can be shared online!