Affirmative Parenting

I guess I never really thought about "Affirmative Parenting" until a friend commented on how so close my son and I are with each other and how we effectively communicate. I was practicing affirmative parenting without actually realizing it.

She commented on how happy, cheerful, and contented J seems. He's never been a difficult child (from pregnancy til now), he's just cheerful most of the time and smiles/tries to communicate with everyone he meets. She mentioned something about J and I being so connected and communicate effectively as I understand and quickly respond to his needs & cues.

See, I bring J everywhere I go- whether to work, events, spontaneos strolls, and of course, to mommy-baby dates. A lot of the people we meet comments on how cheerful and laid back the little man is.

Since he doesn't know how to talk yet, J and I communicate through body signals, cues, and through his little "baby words". As an infant, he would wave his hand when he wants to nurse. At 2 months old, he started speaking "baby words"/phonetics. He would say "Bababa" when he wants to nurse. He'd raise his arms and mutter "Geegeegee" when he wants to cuddle and take his nap. When he does something naughty or starts being impatient, instead of reacting negatively, I give him positive/affirmative words. Take for example when I am working and he wants to play-- when he gets impatient, he would start muttering words and express his frustration. I would tell him, "Sweetheart, please let me finish working first then we can play." As soon as I finish, I'd tell him, "Thank you for patiently waiting. You are such a good boy!" then play with him. Keeping him happy is easy as he knows how to actively communicate and express himself.

Holistic Parenting: A Healthy Child is a Happy Child.

When it comes to protecting your child, how far would you go?

Last February 23, we were invited to Mommy Mundo's launching event called PLAY, a disease awareness raising campaign at the Playdium at Fun Ranch, Frontera Verde Pasig; along with 24 media moms and their children. PLAY stands for Protection, Love, and Activities for Young kids. It's about expressing your love for your child in a holistic approach-by providing your child with a happy and healthy environment.

How do you provide a happy environment for your child? By spending quality time with him through enriching and stimulating activities that promotes parent-child bonding. This is what the event taught us moms (and dad- hi, Marc!) through the fun activities they prepared for us. There was a parent and child amazing race/treasure hunt, a word scramble, and a puzzle game, among others.

Teaching Your Baby Sign Language (A Guest Post)

Teaching Your Baby Sign Language

Many parents who are interested in supporting their child’s development use baby sign language from the age of eight months and sometimes even earlier. This is the time where their babies become more active and more entwined with the different sounds, symbols, as well as hand gestures they see. There may be no assurance that your children will learn immediately but they will certainly keep a part of this experience and learn from it in due time.

Baby Talk: Calming and Understanding Your Baby with Baby Language

As all new parents would say, the first few days, weeks, or months with your baby could be a bittersweet mix of pure bliss and insanity. Holding your baby for the first time, bringing him home, and sharing his "firsts" is such a precious moment for parents. Then there's the sleepless nights, endless crying, and (if you're a breastfeeding mom like me) the on-demand feeding.