Tag Archives: early childhood development

What kind of geek am I?

What kind of geek am I? Zoe at E3

If you’re following me on Instagram (and of course you are, right?), you’ll know that I was at a photoshoot last week. I can’t wait to tell you a whole lot more about the event and share some of the pictures I get from the incredible photographers who were there. I also went to a girl geek brunch, which was a ton of fun and really nice as a way to meet some cool ladies who might someday form part of my Arizona social circle. But it made me ponder more about my geek cred, and what makes me a geek or what kind of geek am I?

I guess the reason for this is two-fold. The photoshoot was great and a wonderful reminder that I’m a creative being, and that this corner of the internet is unique. I remember looking for geeky mom blogs when I was knocked up and not really finding them, which is part of how I decided to start my own. One of the cool ladies at the event said she loved my niche, and that I should go even geekier… I think I knew what she was trying to say, too. But does that then make me fall into some kind of mom-geek-gatekeeping? Continue Reading

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6 Skills Your Child Learns from Reading That Aren’t Literacy

6 Skills Your Child Learns from Reading That Aren't Literacy

I often write about how important reading is to me, and as a part of how I’m raising Harley. All the studies say that babies, toddlers and kids who are read to for at least 20 minutes a day perform better in school. But this goes beyond test scores and even beyond teaching a kid to read, because there are many things our kids learn – skills from reading that aren’t literacy.

This might seem a bit counterintuitive. I mean, the whole point of reading to kids is to teach them to read and get them literate, right? Well, not exactly. There’s a whole lot more that goes into it, like having a healthy bedtime routine. But there are also specific skills that kids use for the rest of their lives that can start with simply reading together. Continue Reading

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Bath time: for development, fun and SLEEP

bath time

Harley used to hate bath time. She was so tiny, I used to give her baths in the kitchen sink. I’d make sure the water was perfect, I’d be sweet and gentle with her, but she just hated it… until she could sit up. Ever since she was able to sit on her own in the bath tub, she absolutely adores bath time, and it has become an important part of our daily routine. There is so much that can be gained from bath time, and it can really help to establish a helpful sleep pattern.

I remember I used to love bath time. I had a couple fun toys; I remember an awesome wooden paddle boat with a rubber band around a wheel so you could wind it and then it would paddle off down the tub. That was the best, obviously, but I also had rubber duckies, and random bottles and containers that I could fill with water and pour out. My mom would sit with me and we would chat and laugh while I was playing in the bath, and then we had silly routine conversations about the names of body parts that we would play when she would dry me off and get me into my PJs. Surprisingly, it all plays an important part in helping a little person to grow and learn, as well as unwind and eventually fall asleep. Continue Reading

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Baby swimming lessons – for safety, development and fun

swimming class

Harley has been going for swimming lessons for a few months now, and I can’t get over how far she has come. I told you a while back when I reviewed her cool swimming nappy that I would tell you more about the classes themselves, and I feel like I’ve tested them for long enough to give you a detailed and honest assessment. Swimming lessons are quite possibly the best thing I ever could have done for Harley.

As we move into summer, I’m sure many of you will be heading to the pool. It’s a great way to cool down, to have fun as a family, and with the current water restrictions it can even help cut down on bath times. But I’m sure plenty of you are a bit nervous about your little ones in the water – when is it safe to start them swimming and how do you introduce them to the water, let along teach them how to swim? Well, thanks to the swimming lessons at Aqua Marine Aquatics Academy, not only is Harley doing well with all those things, but I also feel confident to hang out with her in the water. Continue Reading

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Activities for baby development – 9-12 months old

Harley is screaming ahead in her development. It seems that every day there is a new discovery, a new ability, a new goal. I want to do everything I can for my little one to develop, to help her reach her milestones and understand the world around her. I want to help her become a little genius, not just the savant kind that is only good at one thing – I want to help her become a balanced, brilliant, creative, free-thinking, kind human being. Of course it’s all conjecture about how to do that at this point, but here are some ideas for what helps little blobs develop into cool people.

This is a really important time for baby development. That first year of life is incredible if you think how much they accomplish. To go from crying, helpless blobs to tiny people who can play, get around and sort of communicate… it’s amazing! Because they are growing so much during this period, it’s important to work with them on motor skills, as well as social and mental development. At this point, physical stuff is still the most important as it’s how babies experience the world and understand everything from how their bodies work to how the world and physics work (yes, Harley knows that things drop now, even though she still enjoys testing it out). Continue Reading

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