The fall season is upon us which for many of us moms, also means the return of the flu season. And of course, everyone (well, almost everyone) is starting to be worried sick about their children potentially getting sick with the H1N1 flu virus (or swine flu). A couple of my mommy friends have asked me "I'm thinking of vaccinating my child against the swine flu? What do you think". I cringe when I hear this because I personally believe that this vaccine is potentially dangerous. But such health matters are a personal decision and you, as a parent, need to be comfortable about your decision. I've said the same about standard immunizations. I do encourage parents to read other arguments and do their research. I've listed some sources below. Read, listen, and what you do with the knowledge and how you let this new information influence your decisions is up to you.

In the U.S., I know that certain states will make vaccination mandatory. And in both the U.S. and Canada, certain groups (such as health care workers) will be required to be vaccinated. As well,  pregnant women and young children are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. As an expecting mom, I am thankful that I live in Canada. But still, you never know. I hope and pray that H1N1 vaccination does not become mandatory for us.

What's your opinion? Will you vaccinate yourself or your children? Feel free to leave a comment here or start your own conversation in our forums.

ARGUMENTS FOR THE VACCINE:

Interview with Dr. Ann Schuchat from the CDC
Chief Science Officer Dr. Anne Schuchat answers parents’ questions about the 2009 H1N1 flu and the vaccine to protect against it. Children aged six months through 24 years are recommended to receive H1N1 flu vaccine.

This mother posted some info she found on the CDC and from her pediatrician.

• http://www.simplymodernmommyhood.com/2009/09/to-vaccinate-or-not-vaccinate-that-is.html
• http://www.simplymodernmommyhood.com/2009/09/update-new-info-on-h1n1-swine-flu.html

ARGUMENTS AGAINST TAKING THE VACCINE:

What To Do if You are Forced to Take Swine Flu Shot
Interviews with Dr. Russell Blaylock, a retired neurosurgeon who speaks of the dangers of the H1N1 vaccine.

Warning: Swine Flu Shot Linked to Killer Nerve Disease
In this article: A warning that the swine flu vaccine has been linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the UK Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter.

The letter refers to the use of a similar swine flu vaccine in the United States in 1976 when:

• More people died from the vaccination than from swine flu
• The vaccine may have increased the risk of contracting GBS by eight times
• The vaccine was withdrawn after just ten weeks when the link with GBS became clear
• The U.S. Government was forced to pay out millions of dollars to those affected

Concerns have already been raised that the new vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and that the effects, especially on children, are unknown.

Flu Vaccine Exposed

Perspective: Studies show that flu vaccines are unsafe and ineffective.

This presentation by the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute includes a visual depiction of flu vaccine production -- how the flu vaccine is made and what it contains.

Another Shocking Warning About Swine Flu Vaccine

Many Health Workers Won't Take Swine Flu Vaccine

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This blog post was first posted on The Working Mama.

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Have a burning question for these experts? Visit our Forums page, scroll down to the "Ask the Experts" section, and post away.

Are you expecting or know anyone who is, and looking for pre-natal yoga on the weekends?

You can sign up for Pre-natal Yoga at Moksha Yoga in Richmond Hill.

Starts Saturday, September 12.

$150.00 for 10 weeks.

I am signed up so if you decide to join, and recognize me at the class, say Hi! I'd love to know who else is expecting in this group.

I have taken yoga classes at this studio before-- both pre-natal and their egular hot yoga. It's a great studio and the instructors I've had have all been wonderful.

To sign up, call the studio directly: 905.881.0010

Read more about the studio and their classes on their website:
http://www.mokshayogarichmondhill.com/index.htm

Joanna

The Ontario Early Years Centre is holding two programs from July 14 - November 15 at the Hillcrest Mall:

1) Mother Goose for Parents and Babies 0-12 months - Tuesdays at 1PM at Centre Court

2) Musical Toddlers for parents and toddlers (13-30 months) - Thursdays at 9am at Centre Court

For details, visit:
http://www.hillcrestmall.ca/calendar/popup.ch2?eventid=11144

Stretch, bond, and breathe with your baby. This is a class for mommies to share quality time with their babies and other moms through an energizing yoga practice. Postures will help mom refocus, regain strength and flexibility and soothe aching muscles from nursing and holding baby.

The class will begin with a dynamic sequence for mom, later incorporating and partnering with your baby. We will end with some breath awareness, relaxation and bonding with a few baby yoga postures.

Benefits for baby can range from better sleep, improved digestion, strengthening the bond with mom, increased muscle development, increased circulation, help with coordination, stimulation of senses and increased body awareness.

Throughout the class, moms may stop to feed or soothe their babies and rejoin the practice when it is possible and comfortable to do so. No previous yoga experience is necessary.

Babies from 8 weeks to almost crawling are welcomed.  Dress comfortably and bring a blanket for your baby. Note that there is no space for strollers in the studio,  however please feel free to bring in your infant car seats.


**********
About Debbi Lee Wong

Debbi is a new mom and certified yoga teacher, registered with Yoga Alliance at the RYT200 level. Debbi introduced her baby to yoga early, as she practiced and taught yoga until 1 week before baby was born. Join Debbi and Zoey as they share their experiences on the mat.

Please bring a yoga mat for you and blanket(s) for baby. If you do not have a mat, you can rent one at the studio.

Cost: Free for LWAB members that RSVP prior to the class -

Please register  by the day before the class. If you do not register through LWAB, you will be required to pay the studio's community class fee of $7.

Venue: Yoga Tree Thornhill, 1416 Centre Street, Unit 9, Thornhill (Dufferin/ Centre)
More about the studio at http://www.yogatree.ca/

Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of your first class, in order to register and sign in at the studio.

Time:
Movies start at approximately 9 pm based on when the sun sets.

Location:
Raised parking lot off Carl Hall Road, just east of John Drury Drive – look for the signs.

Friday nights — July & August
July
July 3	Madagascar 2
July 10	Hotel for Dogs
July 17	Star Wars: The Clone Wars
July 24	Kung Fu Panda
July 31	City of Ember
August
August 7	Space Chimps
August 14	Horton Hears a Who
August 21	Paul Blart: Mall Cop
August 28	Meet Dave

For your movie enjoyment:
Bring fold up chairs or blankets to sit on.

You are welcome to bring food and beverages to enjoy during the movie. Barbeques and alcohol are not permitted. We ask that afterwards you help us keep the park litter-free by disposing of garbage in receptacles provided.

We recommend you bring a blanket and appropriate outer wear as some evenings can get cool and mosquitoes often come out after dark.

Portable toilets are available on site.

Dogs are permitted on leashes. Please use your discretion as we want everyone to have an enjoyable movie experience.

Umbrellas are permitted.

Link to official site:

http://www.pdp.ca/en/events/movies.cfm

We'll be running our Managing Expectations program for new & expectant parents starting Friday July 10th @10am at the Ontario Early Years Centre at Bayview & John.

The focus of this program is to normalize the challenges first time and new parents face adjusting to the new dynamics in their relationships.  This 6 week program will include tips and strategies for:
*Keeping the marriage strong
*Sleep training methods and strategies
*Getting support and local resources
*Expectations v.s. reality and the supermom complex
*Importance of self-care and eating for mood
*Managing Money and Life With a baby on a budget

Week one - Let's talk about sleep, baby!

So you know those romantic notions we had before giving birth that all babies do is sleep and eat ... As first time parents we think that up until the point we get home from the hospital and find ourselves thinking why won't the baby sleep... so we go down the list;
we make sure the baby is fed, we change the diaper, we check the room temperature - is it too hot, is it too cold, we rock/and or nurse and the baby falls asleep so we decide to put her down in her crib and tip toe out the room, you get outside the door and say YES!!! she's sleeping and then.... that's as far as we get, so we go back in and try the routine again and again to no avail, by this time, baby is tired, mommy is tired, daddy is tired... this is how arguments start, sleep deprived parents become cranky, easily irritated and sleep deprivation can lead to the baby blues - good news is there is help...

In order to better understand the how-to's of getting you and your baby to enjoy going to sleep and staying asleep, we will discuss some important principles of sleep that every new parent needs to understand.

Luckily we have a wonderful Doula, Marcia Horbacio, our very own sleep fairy will provide information on the various types of sleep training methods as well and discuss the importance of sleep and mom's health.

Sleep training does not mean that you let your baby cry it out, In Week 1 of our Managing Expectations program we'll discuss our expectations of sleep, and we'll give you tools and tips that you can use at home with your baby so that the entire family can get the rest they need.

See the Calendar for more info on this session

We are very, very happy to announce that we have a permanent space to run programs in the Richmond Hill area.

The wonderful people at The Richmond Hill Christian Community Church has offered us space to run programs, events, playdates and workshops.  I've had a few request from parents that they wished for more events in Richmond Hill and we are very pleased that we were given the chance to fulfil these request.

Even better, we will be able to run programs for Infants and Toddlers at the same time because the area is separated by a gate so that the toddlers have a separate play area (so for parents with two, you can bring your toddler/child and your infant).  If you've ever been to an indoor playground where a toddler almost ran over your infant - you will really appreciate this space.

Look for Events starting in July, various play groups on Tuesday Mornings as well as First Aid Workshops, CPR training, Infant Massage Workshops, Sleep Solutions Workshops, Car Seat Safety Clinics and Many, Many More!

A big thank you to Lori Splett and the team at RHCCC!!!

Why so lucky?

Babies are wired to learn any language in the world and have the ability to learn more than one language at a time.

Learning how one language works builds the foundation for learning how other languages work.

An understanding of the richness of any language improves literacy skills.

Bilingualism improves brain growth and activity.

Language connects your baby to his culture.

How do we do this?

Speak to your child in the language that you know the best. This way you model your language at its richest.

Use the "one person, one place" rule. Have one person always speak one language tot he child and another person always speak another language to the child.

Or always speak your mother tongue when at home, and speak English when you're out in the community.

Speak Grandmother's language when you visit with her.

Avoid mixing two languages in one sentence. This confuses a child who is learning to speak.

 

A Message from the York Region Early literacy Specialists 2007

A Child's 5 Senses Are Very Important to Growth and Development!

by E. Harmon

Preschoolers learn through their five senses. The senses of touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing are how young children explore the world around them. As parents and educators, it is our job to help them explore their senses by providing appropriate activities for sensory play and learning. To better understand the importance of the senses for young children, imagine you are about to take a drink of something you think is water. You lift up your glass and take a big swig. It turns out to be lemon-lime soda. You pull your face back quickly and possibly even gag a bit. Did the soda taste bad? Not at all. But, you were expecting water. Adults already have mental ideas of what things look, sound, feel, hear, and taste like. We already imagine what an item will taste like before we even have it in our mouths. When something challenges what we already know, it throws us for a loop. For toddlers and preschoolers, everything is new! They have not developed these mental pictures yet. That is why the world is so fascinating to them, and why we have an obligation to show them the world through their senses. Try these tips and ideas to get your toddler or preschool child to delve into our amazing world and to start using his senses to develop his own mental pictures.

The most commonly stimulated sense for young children is sight. From birth babies are given brightly colored and patterned playthings. Indeed, many children and adults learn best through their sight. The best way to stimulate the sense of sight is to allow your child to experience as many different sights as possible. Take your child to different places: the grocery store, a local park, the library, etc. Exposing your child to new and interesting experiences will keep her curiosity high. While you are exploring these places, talk to you child about what she is seeing. Explain what each item is to help develop the link between sight and sound. Visual art projects are also a great way to stimulate this sense. Age appropriate art materials of various colors provide a sensory smorgasbord for young kids.
Hearing is another commonly stimulated sense. Many toys for young children feature music and other various sounds. Music is extremely important for children. Many kids learn best when a concept is set to music. Music encourages motor skills development as children learn to keep a beat and to dance. When you are getting ready in the mornings, or preparing for bed at night, listen to a CD or sing some songs. Classic nursery rhymes are excellent, as are classical music CDs. Don't worry about what you sound like, your child won't care!

The sense of touch is probably only second to sight when it comes to common stimulation. The youngest of babies learn through the touch of their mother's skin. As children grow, different textures become highly interesting. Introduce babies and toddlers to various fabric textures. Use the side of a crayon to produce "rubbings" of items like coins, tree bark, or tombstones. Allow children to really explore their sense of touch through a sensory table. Items such as shaving cream, dry rice, sugar, dry beans, potato flakes, and countless other items, all provide inexpensive interesting textures for children to explore through their sense of touch.

The sense of taste is probably the most neglected of the senses when it comes to exploration. Once babies reach a certain age, they are encouraged to keep everything out of their mouths. Using mouths to explore, however, is quite natural. To stimulate the sense of taste, allow your toddler to try different textured (safe) foods. Let your toddler help you cook so that she is more likely to try new dishes. Make edible doughs to mold with and taste.

The sense of smell is often also neglected when it comes to sensory play. The sense of smell, however, is actually stronger than we realize. We link our smells to very sentimental items in our lives. To stimulate this sense, encourage your child to sniff the air and ask her to describe what he is smelling. Smell flowers, and foods, and other odors. Try putting some common smelling items into opaque containers, then allow your child to smell the items and guess what is inside. Children are often better than adults at this task!

Sensory play is essential to a preschool child's growth and development. It doesn't just happen on its own, however. We are responsible for opening up the world to our children through encouraging use of their five senses. Try these tricks to get started and really show your child the world!

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/167489/sensory_play_is_important_for_preschoolers.html?cat=4