Our Four Year Old

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Ayanna is four now and is just as busy, inquisitive and keen on having fun. Four year olds, according to experts, exhibit a budding maturity, self-control and understanding of rules than their younger counterparts. We see that taking shape in certain aspects of her daily routine.

She is especially mature in her role as ‘aka’ or big sister. It’s wonderful to watch her with Shamindra and how effortlessly she’s evolved into this new role.

She loves school and she’s having loads of fun making friend and playing with them. Sociability is a hallmark of this age.

We look forward to a lively, energetic and sociable year ahead.

At four, Ayanna is certainly more confident about some of her skills – such as running, speaking, reading, cycling and drawing.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYANNA

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Ayanna celebrated her 4th birthday today. She celebrated with her friends and teachers at school. Mummy, Daddy & Shamindra were there celebrating with her.

Thank you to Ayanna's teachers for organizing a splendid party that included tattoo art, party packs, and more.

Our little princess loved her princess cake and accessories.

Starting the cup

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

We’ve started experimenting with a cup. Teaching a baby to drink from a cup (as I’m once again reminded) requires plenty of patience. Since Shamindra has refused the bottle, a cup may be the perfect (or only) alternative for providing an additional way to give him fluids.

Now that Shamindra can sit supported, it is the perfect time to try.

We started with a plastic cup – though unbreakable, it doesn’t work for training because Shamindra was more excited that he could crush and crack it than actually attempt to drink from it.

Next, we ‘re set to try both a one and two-handle cup for better grip as Shamindra continues to explore and discover his most compatible cup.

Of course we will most certainly head the way of the sippy cup. But we’re not starting with one. It is important that baby begins to learn the fine art of sipping from a spoutless cup first before we bring on the sippy. Using both will reduce a baby’s over-dependence on the sippy.

As it has proven, teaching baby to drink from a cup won’t be a neat affair. There’s more water that ends up on his shirt, dripping down his chin than in his mouth. A waterproof bib helps during drinking lessons.

A-sip-at-a-time works best. Only a small amount of water is filled into the cup. I hold the cup to Shamindra’s lips and slowly pour a few drops into his mouth; then take the cup away. He tends to sometimes grab the cup from me; we happily encourage participation.

Just Weeks Away...

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Ayanna is just weeks away from her fourth birthday. Can’t believe she's turning 4 - it's hard to keep pace. The past 4 years have been super awesome. Ayanna is a typical preschooler with her own brand of personality. She is constantly surprising us, generating loads of laughter and fun. 

Ayanna is most comfortable with her friends in school and with family; familiar faces in familiar surroundings.

She is not as eager when it comes to tasting new foods. It takes several tries before she even makes an attempt to put it in her mouth. Watching her friends eat different foods at school has helped piqued her interest. The other day she surprised us by wanting to eat raisins because her friends do. She tried it and  loves it now.

Ayanna loves to explore her world- the outdoors. Ayanna loves taking walks in the park; using her senses to smell, touch, taste, see and hear her world.
Ayanna loves to paint and draw and can spend hours playing with play dough; she loves to dance and sing and enjoys puzzles.

The Importance of Cleaning Teeth and Gums

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Shamindra has no teeth. However, we wipe Shamindra's gums every night before he sleeps. We use a soft cloth so that he is used to having his mouth/ gums cleaned.

It's important to start doing so early on because:

- since the gums hold a place for the permanent teeth, it's good to take care of them.

- it instills good dental habits early on.

Once those pearly whites start to sprout, a combination of wiping and brushing (with a finger tooth brush) is how we will clean his teeth. Cleaning after meals and before bedtime will be the order of the day.

No toothpaste is necessary. However you could use one that's formulated for infants and toddlers that doesn't contain fluoride. Biotene First Teeth comes highly recommended (it's the one we used for Ayanna as well). My only gripe is that it is pricey (RM25) but using just a tiny bit everytime ensures that it lasts.

Starting the cup....

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

I've just introduced water into Shamindra's diet. Since Shamindra has refused to take anything through a bottle, I've had to use a spoon to feed him his water. He laps it up eagerly.

The next natural progression will be to introduce a cup for juice, milk and water. This will make it easier to wean him from the breast after he learns that there's an alternative to the breast. And of course, it affords me some freedom :)

How did you introduce the cup to your little one? Care to share....

Seventh month update

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Exploring through the tunnel

Shamindra continues to surprise us. Just the other day he started clapping and does so when he’s excited or when he hears his favourite song – Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes. He smiles, coos and babbles away. He combines vowels and consonants such as da-da, pa-pa.

He’s also started to glide forward on his tummy, working hard to get to a toy that may be out of reach. Though he can sit for longer periods of time but he is yet to sit independently. He rocks back and forth on all fours, lifts his bottom in the air and seems like is almost getting into a sitting position but slumps back down onto the floor.

Peek-a-boo is his favourite game as his understanding of object permanence deepens. Shamindra is fond of giving wet, drooly and gummy kisses which I absolutely love.

Cycling

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Ayanna zooming away....

Ayanna has begun cycling.

She’s graduated from getting around on her balance bike to actually peddling her bike. We inserted pedals on her balance bike and it only took her a couple of days to master the art of cycling. She starts moving with one foot on the pedal and the other on the ground; after getting to a comfortable speed, she places her foot on the pedal, looks up and peddles away.

We are so proud of her – it’s a true achievement.

Falls are inevitable. She never leaves home without her helmet.

What goes in must come out…

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Since we started Shamindra on solids, we realized dramatic changes to his poo. From soft, mustardy poo of a breast-feeding baby, his poo now appears thick, dark and is somewhat smelly; reflecting his diet and the foods he eats. If he has pureed carrots for dinner, the contents of his morning nappy will be a bright orange.

Mild constipation tends to creep up now and then. His poo appears small and dry and this is when we know he’s constipated. The introduction of solids mainly rice cereal which is low in fiber is generally the culprit. Mixing the rice cereal with pureed vegetables and fruits often does the trick.  Pear is good in helping to alleviate constipation. 

My 3 year old's princess diaries

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

My Indian Princess

Pretend play tops Ayanna's list of things to do. On most days she's a princess  - one day she slips into her Indian pavadai (skirt and short top) and transforms into an Indian princess; the next day she dons a crown and gown and twirls around like a ballerina. Any toy or household item can turn into a prop - a spatula can magically transform into a wand that she waves around as a fairy. Some days she loves playing teacher.

Pretend play becomes more complex and interactive at this age. Children learn by doing and imagining. When they engage in pretend play, they are in control of the character and have the freedom to explore and navigate through a different world.

As parents - we encourage and even participate in pretend play. Some days I'm queen; other days I play the student (while she the teacher) and sometimes, baby kitty (while she's mama kitten).

Encourage your preschooler to have an active imagination as it :

- improves vocabulary

- helps kids take control of situations

- helps them solve problems

How do you encourage your child's imagination?