As parents we always hear how important positive reinforcement is when disciplining your child.  Instead of just punishing your toddler for wacking the dog, praise her when you catch her petting the puppy nicely. I’m sure you have all heard this over and over again.

Well, recently, I’ve discovered that this works for me as well.  I tend to beat myself up over every mistake I make as a parent and think “Alright now I’ve gone and screwed her up for good.”

Last week I started trying this positive reinforcement thing out on myself.  I have been ending every day with thinking of three things I did RIGHT that day concerning Eva.  It has seriously made a huge difference in my interactions with her.  Not only do I feel better about myself and my ability to raise a little human being but throughout the day I think about how I am going to have to answer to myself and I make better choices because of it.

Positive reinforcement has made me a better mom.

This picture is from our Duck feeding session this week.  Did you know that you can feed hard boiled eggs to ducks?  According to my duck-friendly sister it is better for them than bread.

Also, did you know that peeling hard boiled eggs is a great fine motor activity for toddlers?  I discovered that one for myself.  Now, if I could just figure out how to get her to eat one.

I hope you are all enjoying your Spring as much as we are!

I finally watched Slumdog Millionaire last weekend. At first I couldn’t see what everyone was talking about with it being such a good movie. Yes, the poverty was disturbing but it was not news to me. However after watching the whole movie I did like it and I do think it deserved the Oscar.
I remember seeing the kids who were in the movie at the Oscar ceremony and then hearing about how they went to Disneyland the next day. I knew that the kids were actually from the “slums” of India and lived in deep poverty but I was curious what had come of them now? Had they been paid well for their work in the movie? Were they able to at least afford to buy a house for their families to live in?
Today I was shocked and disturbed to read this article that talks about the little boy who played Salim in the movie being homeless after his families shack was torn down. In the article his mother said that the government promised housing for them because of their part in this very famous movie. She says that still hasn’t happened and she asks “My son has brought glory to this country, shouldn’t he get some credit?”
My question is…What about the production company that made the movie?! Aren’t they giving the boy some credit? Was he not paid for his work? I realize that the film did not have a very large budget to start with but surely they have made a ton of money off this movie. Do they have no conscious? Didn’t they think about the hypocrisy when they chose to cast these victims of poverty children in the first place. The article says some people in the media have referred to this movie as “poverty porn”. In that case these children are being exploited, and what does that say for a movie speaking out against victimized children?
I realize that we do not live in a fairy tale world and that the movie was merely reflecting for us the situation in India. Of course even if these two children are rescued from this life what about the thousands of other children living this way in countries across the world?  On the other hand two children are two children.

To help children in poverty click here…Children International
To read about the situation in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump and how you can help click here…Safe Passage.

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When you make pasta use the multi-grain brands. It has important Omega-3’s which are good for your child’s brain.

*photo credit: big stock photo

Play with your child for 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon, and 15 minutes in the evening. Just the two of you, no distractions.

-Let your child lead, don’t criticize or demand and try to limit questions. Give them lot’s of praise and use descriptive words. This will foster your child’s self esteem and their language abilities.

*photo credit: big stock photo

This week I am going to start a new feature called “Mommy tip of the day.” It will be something short and easy that you can do that day with your child. A lot of the tips will talk about your child’s brain development. The reason I think this is so important is because the first 3 years of your child’s life are crucial.
A baby is born with something like 100 billion brain cells. As soon as they enter this world those cells start making connections based on what they experience around them. A lot of the cells your child does not use by the age 3 they will lose. It is literally a “use it or lose it” scenario.
I hope you enjoy the mommy tips. I will try to post one every day until I run out. Then maybe I will put them into a calender that you can download.

*photo credit: big stock photo.