Has your little one been eyeballing your breakfast? Maybe she is reaching out to grab your fork or spoon during dinner. If this sounds familiar, chances are they are ready to try solid foods. First bites are a big milestone in a baby’s life. Often parents begin with rice cereal or baby oatmeal. But today, the bland fare that has traditionally dominated the diet of American babies – cereal, plain pasta, and the like – may be creating a generation of picky eaters. In other words, branching out of the traditional norm and dressing up baby’s first foods with spices won’t hurt your baby. In fact, breastfed babies have already enjoyed this experience as breast milk takes on the flavors of the food the mother eats. If you dine at your favorite Indian restaurant and then nurse, your baby will also enjoy a flavorful Indian meal. Going from flavor to bland won’t seem like much fun to baby. Of course, mixing foods and spices together should only be done after food allergies are ruled out.
When choosing ingredients for preparing your baby’s first meal, one thing that is known is that the organic factor matters more for certain foods than others. For example, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and avocados tend to have relatively low levels of pesticide residue. On the other hand, conventional apples, lettuce, and strawberries have some of the highest levels. For guidance, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group ranks 53 fruits and vegetables from worst to best in terms of pesticide residue.
If you find yourself ready to add Baby Food Chef to your mom resume, consider tossing some some rosemary in with that squash, liven up that chicken with a dash of cumin, and give those mashed potatoes a kick with a blend of paprika and parsley. You may be surprised by your baby’s reaction.
>> Recipe: Simple Apples & Cinnamon
Ingredients:
3 organic apples
Teaspoon of Cinnamon
Directions:
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Add apples to steamer basket and allow them to become soft (8-10min).
Transfer steamed apples to a food processor and add cinnamon.
Blend apples to desired consistency.
Enjoy!
>> Recipe: Apples, Cinnamon & Strawberry Puree
5 or 6 medium sized organic strawberries (washed)
3 organic apples
Teaspoon of Cinnamon
Directions:
Slice strawberries in half.
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Add strawberries and apples to steamer basket and allow them to become soft (8-10min).
Transfer steamed strawberries, apples, and cinnamon to a food processor and blend to desired consistency.
Enjoy!
Learn About Our Programs:
littlestepsnh.com/infants
Littlestepsnh.com/toddlers
Littlestepsnh.com/Pre-K
The Adventurous Eater: Preparing For Baby’s First Bites
/in News /by littlestepsHas your little one been eyeballing your breakfast? Maybe she is reaching out to grab your fork or spoon during dinner. If this sounds familiar, chances are they are ready to try solid foods. First bites are a big milestone in a baby’s life. Often parents begin with rice cereal or baby oatmeal. But today, the bland fare that has traditionally dominated the diet of American babies – cereal, plain pasta, and the like – may be creating a generation of picky eaters. In other words, branching out of the traditional norm and dressing up baby’s first foods with spices won’t hurt your baby. In fact, breastfed babies have already enjoyed this experience as breast milk takes on the flavors of the food the mother eats. If you dine at your favorite Indian restaurant and then nurse, your baby will also enjoy a flavorful Indian meal. Going from flavor to bland won’t seem like much fun to baby. Of course, mixing foods and spices together should only be done after food allergies are ruled out.
When choosing ingredients for preparing your baby’s first meal, one thing that is known is that the organic factor matters more for certain foods than others. For example, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and avocados tend to have relatively low levels of pesticide residue. On the other hand, conventional apples, lettuce, and strawberries have some of the highest levels. For guidance, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group ranks 53 fruits and vegetables from worst to best in terms of pesticide residue.
If you find yourself ready to add Baby Food Chef to your mom resume, consider tossing some some rosemary in with that squash, liven up that chicken with a dash of cumin, and give those mashed potatoes a kick with a blend of paprika and parsley. You may be surprised by your baby’s reaction.
>> Recipe: Simple Apples & Cinnamon
Ingredients:
3 organic apples
Teaspoon of Cinnamon
Directions:
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Add apples to steamer basket and allow them to become soft (8-10min).
Transfer steamed apples to a food processor and add cinnamon.
Blend apples to desired consistency.
Enjoy!
>> Recipe: Apples, Cinnamon & Strawberry Puree
5 or 6 medium sized organic strawberries (washed)
3 organic apples
Teaspoon of Cinnamon
Directions:
Slice strawberries in half.
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Add strawberries and apples to steamer basket and allow them to become soft (8-10min).
Transfer steamed strawberries, apples, and cinnamon to a food processor and blend to desired consistency.
Enjoy!
Learn About Our Programs:
littlestepsnh.com/infants
Littlestepsnh.com/toddlers
Littlestepsnh.com/Pre-K
Before You Use the Bumbo Seat…
/in News /by littlestepsHazel sitting in her Bumbo Seat for the first..and probably the last time.
This one-piece, adorable little seat called the Bumbo Seat is made of foam, and has been popular among parents with infants for several years. Its popularity is no surprise – as soon as an infant can support his/her own head (usually by 4 months of age), he/she can sit upright, fully supported by the Bumbo and play with arms free while mom and dad finally get some stuff done. It seems harmless enough, but in addition to its voluntary recall of 1 million Bumbo seats in 2007 to address the dangers of using the seat on raised surfaces, and its recall in 2012 to add a seatbelt after numerous babies fell out and suffered skull fractures, pediatric physical therapists believe it interferes with normal motor skill development.
Rebecca Talmud is a Pediatric Physical Therapist who published a blog about the Bumbo Seat as a guest on Mama OT. She describes the following as standard motor milestones in developing infants:
Rebecca states, “When children are placed in the Bumbo before they are developmentally ready for sitting it can interfere with the natural progression of skills.”
How exactly does it interfere? Rebecca explains that the seat claims to hold the child in a specific position that allows for the ‘active practice of the head and postural control,’ when in reality, “…there is no active control being achieved. The child is passively placed in position and then locked in.” There is a lack of muscle activation and joint mobility while in the Bumbo, and no natural weightbearing occuring, which robs the child of the sensory input needed for development.
Talmud’s post goes on to mention other inconsistencies between what the Bumbo claims to accomplish and what actually happens during use in regards to posture, noted in the Chicago Tribune by Mary Weck, Clinical Coordinator of Physical Therapy at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Seems a no-brainer to toss your Bumbo Seat so it can join the ranks of other failed and unsafe baby equipment. Instead of a Bumbo, help your baby practice sitting by physically sitting with your baby. If you need to get stuff done, make use of a Moby wrap or Ergo.
Check back later for the lowdown on the ExerSaucer!
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
/in News /by littlestepsTips On How To Keep Baby Safe In Winter Weather
Babies are not experts at regulating their body temperature quite yet, but that doesn’t mean they should be bundled up like mini space travelers to enjoy a winter stroll. Getting outside is a good cure for cabin fever and can break up the day when you’ve spent WAY too much time indoors. To keep baby warm and comfortable, the general rule is to dress her in one layer more than you’re wearing yourself. However, each baby is different, so see what works best for your child and enjoy some much needed fresh air.
Baby Matilda is all ready for a Winter stroll.
Here are more tips on how to keep baby happy and comfy outdoors:
Protecting Babies Skin:
The winter season can be irritating for your child’s tender skin. Cold, dry air can sap moisture, and your little one’s rosy cheeks can quickly become leathery and wind-burned. Luckily, there are basic steps you can take to protect baby from seasonal skin hazards.
Keep these tips in mind, because ‘baby, it’s bad out there,’ and before you know it, winter will move out so you and your little one can enjoy the fresh spring air!
Welcome Kathleen Collins
/in News /by littlestepsLittle Steps Early Learning Center welcomes its new Director, Kathleen Collins.
Professional Experience:
Education:
Professional Affiliations:
Dog Week in the Mango Room
/in News /by littlestepsAt Little Steps, we are encouraging our toddlers to find their inner impressionists. Our Mango’s came up with some abstract puppy paintings that are sure to catch your eye!
As we all know, not only painting, but arts and crafts in general, can be a ton of fun! One thing we must remember is, aside from fun, the importance of craft and ingenuity. Simple creative activities are some of the building blocks of child development. The motions that come with painting or scribbling with a crayon are essential to the development of fine motor skills within toddlers. Along with fine motor skills, crafting with kids gives them an opportunity to learn new words, shapes and colors, in turn aiding in your child’s language development. According to a report by Americans for the Arts, art education strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The experience of making decisions and choices in the course of creating art carries over into other parts of life. “If they are exploring and thinking and experimenting and trying new ideas, then creativity has a chance to blossom,” says MaryAnn Kohl, an arts educator and author of numerous books about children’s art education. As well as problem-solving, language, and cognitive development, art plays a role in children’s inventiveness and visual learning. These skills are more important now than ever! “Parents need to be aware that children learn a lot more from graphic sources now than in the past,” says Dr. Kerry Freedman, Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University. “Children need to know more about the world than just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to make choices based on it.” PBSKids states that “knowledge about the visual arts, such as graphic symbolism, is especially important in helping kids become smart consumers and navigate a world filled with marketing logos.”
Here is a book the Mango’s read to wrap up Dog Week!
The Latest Blueberry Project
/in News /by littlesteps“Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together, they make this world a beautiful garden.” -Unknown
We take pride in our creative learning curriculum as well as making sure your active little ones have an awesome time here at Little Steps. Although these precious tikes may be young, it is still vital for their development to learn who they are as people through imitation and imaginativeness. This month our theme is Garden; we practiced these developmental techniques by painting and making abstract pictures with our hands, feet and reading fun books about bugs. Here are some photos of July’s Garden theme crafts.
In the piece of art above: each flower represents a Blueberry and the teachers are listed in the clouds.
In the piece of art below: the Blueberries had fun getting messy in the paint with their hands, feet, knees and elbows!
Stay Cool in the Summer Heat
/in News /by littlestepsTips for Keeping Kids Safe This Summer
Warm weather is here and the heat continues to get more intense! Summer is the season for fun times, great friends and getting outside; but it’s also a time to take extra precaution when it comes to protecting your infants and toddlers.
Follow these simple tips to keep your kids safe in the sun:
Here at Little Steps your child’s safety is our top priority! We keep your child’s safety in mind when going outside by applying sunscreen and dressing them in hats provided by parents, as well as by finding the shadiest spot for your little one to play in (Blueberries, especially).
Learn more HERE!
Inside Little Steps
/in News /by littlestepsLittle Steps Early Learning Center is coming along…
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Little Steps is Opening Its Doors
/in News /by littlestepsLittle Steps Early Learning Center has been working diligently to complete the finishing touches to their facility. We are excited to announce that the tentative opening is scheduled for April 29th, 2013.
If you missed our first open house, mark your calendars for their Grand Opening being held on May 1st, 2013, from 4:30-7:30pm. Tour the facility and meet the staff of Little Steps. After, head upstairs and meet the providers of Salmon Falls Family Healthcare. Light refreshments will be served.
Open House!
/in News /by littlestepsJoin us for our Open House tonight, April 10th!!
When:
3:30-6:30/7:00pm
This is your chance to meet the staff and tour the facility.
Light refreshments will be served.