So your little angel isn't being so angelic? You're not alone!

This is the first blog in a little series I'm doing with the lovely Marlene Roy, on Behaviour Management.  Marlene is my own personal child expert!  She has over 35 years in the childcare industry, is  childhood education and behaviourally qualified and is an expect in baby sleep and settling (if you've been blessed with one of Marlene's Home Visits, you'll know what I mean!). Through articles on my website Zimmer & Jee and through this blog, Marlene hopes to share her child knowledge with all of us! Here's our first installment - please enjoy :) 

Being a parent is both rewarding and challenging, and we've had times when our child displays behaviour we think is inappropriate, and that we can find hard to deal with - how many times has your child thrown a huge tanty in the supermarket and you find other customers watching you....curious as to what you might do about it?  Well I've been there...as I'm sure most of us have!

All children will test out limits and try different behaviours - trying to see what works and what doesn't work; trying to make us respond and to see where our boundaries lay.  The challenge for us as parents is to learn how to respond to these behaviours to keep the bad ones at a minimum!  (I'm sure you're thinking right now...easier said than done! Hang on...keep reading....)

Let's talk mind mechanics for a second - on a psychological level all children have a NEED to belong...in other words, they need to feel noticed and accepted.  CHILDREN OFTEN MISBEHAVE to get the attention they crave, because on a psychological level getting is trouble IS getting attention.

So what can we do if our little precious is acting up, causing trouble, just  to get attention? POSITIVITY - focus on their good behaviours, acknowledge them when they are behaving okay, or when they are co operating or helping. A good tip here is to use language of ENCOURAGEMENT rather than PRAISE, as it has a more positive long term effect.

For example when child has been playing quietly with his little brother you might say “Jamie it looks like you’re enjoying showing Sam how to use the Lego. Thankyou for being so gentle with him” rather than simply saying “Good boy Jamie” - be specific, be positive and direct, and detail what behaviour you're happy with - that way "Jamie' will know what you liked, and will (hopefully) try to do it again in the future.

Now lets face it, it is unrealistic to expect that we, as parents, can react the RIGHT way every time. Life is so busy these days and most families are trying to juggle so many things. But we all do the best we can and that's the important thing...that we try to encourage, support and direct good behaviour.  Not only for ourselves and our own sanity - but we're shaping little citizens here, that will one day go out into the world and who wants to be the parent of the delinquent trouble maker??? Not me!

Trust me, I get that it's hard to be a friend of a defiant or uncooperative child, but the time when a child is being most difficult is the time when they are in most need of a friend and understanding.  Trying to diffuse their frustration, encourage their good behaviours and praise with love will go a long way to not only helping good behaviour form, but also help to foster a long term positive relationship.  Humour is also good to lift the stress of a situation - but always remember, there's nothing wrong with walking away if you have to. Even today Mr 4 was being so challenging I got to a point where I had to leave the room ... so I left Daddy in charge and sat on my bed with a book for 10mins....I needed downtime, so I took it.

So in a nutshell Marlene's points for combatting bad behaviour:

• learn which situations to react to - we can't win every battle, and honestly who wants to spend much of every day arguing with a child - so choosing the more important situations and behaviours and letting "smaller indescretions" fly under the radar, can make life easier for everyone
• remember WHY children can misbehave, some are craving attention. And often through no real fault of our own - we're not "neglecting" our kids...but we have to work and so many things have to fit in each day that sometimes it's easy to forget to add the "quality" into the "time" we spend with our kids
• encouraging good behaviours leads to repeated good behaviour (well we hope) - and remember, this is more than just positive praise
• don't berate yourself when you slip up! There will be times where you can't help yourself and find your yelling madly, even before you realise your doing probably...don't worry, kids for the most part are resilient little things and also quite forgiving...

So that's it for our first installment on Behaviour Management - hope you enjoyed the read! Next installment will be chatting about the "4 C's" of managing behaviour and how routines can help.

Thanks and look forward to the next chat :)

"Loving life & being a mum...well, most of the time!"
Cass from
Zimmer & Jee Baby and Toddler Store

Work, life, hobbies, fun & responsibility - making it fit

Let's chat about hobby's, life & doing what we enjoy doing...balancing it with doing what we must...!  You know what I mean..we'd love to sit & say, crochet, all day; but the kids need lunch, the dog needs a bath, you have to go grocery shopping plus a million other things that are yours to do each day...

I'm creative & crafty, as many of us mums are. Funny how so many of us only find our creativity once the kiddies come along..perhaps it's all the clag-glue & playdoh we find ourselves immersed in everyday!

So many times, everyday, I have ideas for little projects I'd like to undertake but by the time I've made a toddlers' morning tea, given the baby a bottle & washed the brekky dishes I've often forgotten the brainwave already.

Oh yes, I know about keeping journals and notebooks for ideas...I have plenty of them..they keep the dining table & office desk level!  So one of my aims right now is to get out those notebooks, from under the wobbly furniture legs, dust of the cobwebs & actually get moving on the ideas.

My journals (or visual diaries as I like to call them..) are mostly filled with crafty little projects plus the occassional "potentially world changing" business or product idea - my flugelbinder (anyone remember Tom Cruise in Cocktail???). But right now the aim is to see the journals scribbles come to life & actually get completed.

Some of my projects are good - some are even great (like my kindy easy sheets!), some probably not so good (like Zoobie Owl that looked more like a cross between Furby & a penguin).  But I'll share the creative journey here with you...and anything that's a flop...hopefully you'll have ideas to help me turn a bad idea into a good one!

From time to time when I have extra of my handmade items like kindy easy sheets, kiddy stuff bags, handmade toys & other funky things...you'll find them here at Zimmer & Jee Handmade Range.  However most of these are sold before they're even made, in custom orders.

And as for the time for me to complete all these gloriously rewarding projects...well I'm still looking for the journal with THAT plan of action...which table leg was that....?????

If you'd like some more info, want to chat, or would like to request a custom order, you can do so using the Zimmer & Jee Contact Page or post below & i'll get back to you :)

Oh, and my little secret...fav places to buy fabric....

Fantasia Fabric Land - Machinery Drive, South Tweed Heads
http://www.funkyfabrix.com.au/
www.theozmaterialgirls.com/

Low Allergy Recipes & Meal Ideas for Toddlers & Kids My first child presented very early with multiple allergies - he was allergic to quite a range of foods (some very common & seemingly simple foods too) and could suffer a range of reactions from rashes & eczema right through to swelling of the face & mouth & breathing difficulties. While still a baby sleeping in his cot, he reacted to the mere smell of cooking onions & presented with swelling of the face & breathing difficulties. So it was crucial we found & developed safe meal alternatives. My sons allergy list included - dairy, gluten, wheat, lactose, beef, pork, fish, capsicum, tomatos, pumpkin, onion, garlic, orange & citris, egg, green beans - and that's just a snippet! But take egg, dairy, wheat & gluten from your diet & it doesn't leave a lot of meal options. Here we'll share with you recipes that we, and other parents of children with allergies, have used successfully with our kids & families. Remember that your child may have different allergies so it is important to assess each recipe's suitability for your child (both allergy-wise & age wise) before using it. If you'd like to submit a recipe idea please email to info@zimmerjee.com.au. LOW ALLERGY CHICKEN VEG STIR FRY NOODLES serves 4 (2 toddler, 2 adult serves), not suitable to freeze suitable for toddlers that can eat solids well, but you could puree a portion for a younger child What you'll need: - Chicken cut into strips 500gm (thigh or breast - thigh has a higher iron content) - Noodles - we use Hakubaku Organic Udon as it's gluten & egg free - 2 cups Vegetables cut to stir fry - whatever you like that your child will eat - try carrot, celery, brocolli, zucchini, baby corn, capsicum For Sauce - 2 tbsp Soy Sauce - we use Tamari Japanese Soy as it's wheat free - 1/2 cup Honey or Golden Syrup - Golden Syrup is the best low allergy option, as some children react to honey - 1/4 stock chicken stock cube - we use Massell brand as it's free of lactose, gluten & msg (many stocks contain MSG so read labels carefully) - 1/2 cup boiling water - 1 tbsp cornflour - to avoid wheat use real cornflour, made from corn (some cornflour is actually wheat flour ground finely) - 1/2 cup boiling water How to Make It: Prepare the vegetables & chicken & set aside ready to cook. Make sauce by placing cornflour in a jug & add a little boiling water to make a smooth paste. Add honey/golden syrup & soy sauce & mix - add more boiling water to turn the paste into a sauce. Sit aside ready to use. Cook chicken over a high heat in a little oil to brown. Then add vegetables and stir fry ( you may need a little water). While this is cooking prepare noodles as per directions on the pack. Once chicken & vegetables are ready add the sauce & mix to coat, heat through & allow to thicken a little. Turn off the heat, add noodles & mix to combine. You're done - serve & enjoy! Want a more adult version? Add a spash of sweet chili to the sauce mix. For added texture water chestnuts are great too, or nuts if your kids aren't allergic. HIDDEN VEGGIE PANCAKES not suitable to freeze, best eaten as soon as made suitable for toddlers A great recipe to add vegies to a fussy eaters diet! Potato is low allergy, sweet potato even better, but you can easily hide a number of different vegetables in this dish. It's more a hash brown really than a pancake. We've made it successfully with or without egg - as long as the pan is hot enough the white potato starch will combine the ingredients when you don't use egg. Great as a side dish to a meal, or a snack. It is cooked in oil so choose a good quality, healthier oil. What you'll need: - A couple of good sized potatos, grated - Other veg you want to "hide" in there - sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, zucchini all work well grated into this dish - 1 egg, if you're using egg How to Make It: Mix all grated vegetables in a bowl, add the egg (if you're using it) and mix well. If using egg you can drain some starch liquid from the grated potatos. Add a little oil to a heavy based frying pan & heat, then add tablespoons of the mixture & flatten slightly. Cook till brown and crisp then turn and cook the other side. Great served with dips/garnish - my kids love mashed up avocado & hommus dip - but also nice with salsa if your kids can tolerate tomatos. And for kids that can have dairy, try a Cheesy Pancake version, simply add a handful of grated cheese into the mix. More recipes & low allergy info will be added to our Zimmer & Jee page in the coming weeks so you can view our INFORMATION & ARTICLES FOR PARENTS HERE.

And for parents concerned about their child & baby's health & wellbeing, why not check out our range of eco alternatives - we keep organic clothing, bpa free bottles, bpa free feeding plates bowls & utensils, funky stainless steel drink bottles for babies & kids that are bpa free, organic toys, natural baby care products & bath lotions - check out our Eco Bubs, Eco Kids & Eco Mums at Zimmer & Jee today. We're adding to this range all the time - plus our prices are below recommended retail on all items & we ship FREE Australia wide on all order over only $50!

DURING JULY MILK BABY & LARISSA BRIGHT NATURAL, ORGANIC, VEGAN BABY CARE, BATHTIME, NIGHT TIME & SKIN CARE PRODUCTS ARE ALL 25% OFF....HURRY, WHILE STOCKS LAST!!!

Does Your Child Suffer with Eczema? Both my kids have eczema - my first developed it right on 5 mths, my second at only 3 mths. From research I've done & discussions with my naturopath it seems most kids develop eczema around 5 or 6 mths - which coincides with when most bubs start solids. With my second, the date he developed ezcema coincides with when we started using a rice thickener in his bottles - so again, introduction of solids. This supports the opinion that I have, that ezcema is just the external display of things not being right in bubs tummy. Eczema causes the skin to itch, become red & irriated, welt & peel. For the baby or child the symptoms can be a huge range of mild right through to severe. Working as a naturopathic assistant I've seen children covered in dried scratch marks, where they've scratched so hard they've bled. Not to mention the emotional distress these poor kids suffer. My children have varying degrees of symptoms, dependant upon what they've eaten recently. Normally it takes about 3 days for the reaction to be full blown. Hints & Tips to Help Here is a list of things that I do to help combat my childrens eczema. A number of these were recommended by my good friend & naturopath, Tanya Goldie. •Oats - tie a handful of oats in a square of muslin and put it in their bath, squeeze to release the goodness, creating a lovely milky bath. The oats help to calm the itch & soothe the redness, while adding moisture & nutrition to the skin •Beeswax - products containing beeswax are helpful as they leave a barrier on the skin that assists keeping the itch away. I personally use Pure Body Balm and Yours Naturally Baby Balm (these products were so effective, I stock it here at Zimmer & Jee to make it easily available)but their are a number of options available at healthfood shops •Food - eczema seems to relate to foods eaten, with my children limiting wheat, gluten & dairy really help. You need to discover your childs triggers, and limit them. My eldest spent his first 2 years on a dairy, gluten & wheat free diet due to allergies and today (he's 4) he can no longer is allergic to any of these foods. •Pro-biotic - pro-biotics are excellent to assist eczema as they work to repair the gut, meaning your child can better digest food and not react as severely. I personally use one called "Lactobac", my children use "Ultra Flora Immune" & my husband uses "Inner Health Plus" which you can get from any chemist & they have a child form too. Lactobac & Ultra Flora Immune is readily available in healthfood shops or from natural practitioners. •Coconut oil - coconut oil is a great natural base to make your own creams as it's soothing & moisturising (I use coconut oil to make my own chest rub for the boys too). Just be aware if nut allergy is in your family, as coconut is actually a nut (I have a nut allergy but my children and don't react to coconut, but just be careful). You can purchase coconut oil from healthfood shops. •Rosemary - a client recommended this helpful tip - for eczema on the head or in the hair, rosemary brewed like tea & cooled, works well poured over the head. Great tip - thanks Heather! And a quick note about chemist and doctor prescribed treatments - various creams, ointments & lotions are available from chemists & by prescription that are supposed to help. I've tried many and never found any that gave any decent results. The issue I have with many of these products is that many are petroleum and/or steriod based, neither of which I want on my childs skin. If you do a little research, steriod creams are claimed to thin the skin too. I found these worked short-term, but the eczema returned worse after I stopped using the steriod creams. Please remember I'm not a professional healthcare worker, just a mum with a experience with these sorts of issues, trying to offer you some help from sharing what I've learnt. If you like to contact me or offer more advice for this article please do email me at cass@zimmerjee.com.au. And take a minute to check out our great selection of Natural & Organic baby & child bath & body care products - you'll find some lovely things for mum too!

200 Facebook Fans Celebration!!!

At Zimmer & Jee we're so thrilled that we've reached 200 fans that it's time to share the joy!!! We have two gorgeous outfits to give away - from the stunning designer label Absorba - one for the boys & one for the girls, both 24mth sizes.

How to enter is so simple....answer this question - in the picture above, what colour is the toddler wearing? (answer - orange)

To enter just go to our facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Zimmer-Jee/314845559269?ref=ts and post your answer under the comment "200 Celebration". Competition opens tonight Wednesday 19th May & ends 8pm Friday 21st May. Winner selected by random number generator out of all entries received. Entry open to Aust & NZ residents. Winner will be announced here and on facebook straight after the random draw.

Good luck! Questions can be posted on our page or emailed to info@zimmerjee.com.au

Teething Troubles 2010

How I do not wish to be a baby right now!

Most times I look at bub, sleeping in a comfy cot or being pushed around in a snazzy pram and think "gee, I wish someone would let me sleep in the afternoon" or "how awesome to get pushed around the shops"! I think many of us have thought that before :)

But now we're in hard-core teething territory I'm not so sure I'd want to trade places. Actually, I think it quite advantageous that we grow up and don't remember it.

And I'm not talking just a little dribbly, chewing on a fist with no real evidence of teeth. Oh no, I'm talking huge swelling, little white protrusions everywhere breaking through all higgly piggly. We've gone from two front teeth (that took 3 months to fully rise) to a couple of weeks full-on teething producing (so far) one complete molar, 2 molars starting to cut & 4 eyeteeth all showing through. Poor bub!

Funnyily enough, my first had a lot of teething pain but at least his teeth came in the proper order. My second has gone from two front teeth to a molar - how that works, I'll never know. Apparently "cross-cutting" as my paediatrician described it, is more painful that normal teething. After what's going on here right now, I could agree with that.

So what have we done to ease my little ones pain? Quite a selection of remedies actually :)

Firstly, it began with teething toys (the chewable kind with sterile water inside) that I kept in the fridge. This turned into multiple teething toys that have been constantly rotating through the fridge the last couple of weeks.

Then we needed to "up the ante" so moved onto an natural amber teething bracelet. He was very fascinated with this, so I've had to pop it right up his arm, under his sleeve, where it's quickly forgotten. As the teething worsened, I added an amber necklace wrapped around his ankle a couple of times, under the sock. I think the added warmth helped too. (find out how amber works as a natural analgesic & anti-inflammatory here).

Then the next 2 molars half popped out....ouch!

That's when I remembered the chamomile tea remedy we used with my first son...off the healthfood shop we went! So easy...just make the tea, let it cool then rub it on their sore little gums. I found this really helped. I also soaked a cotton facewasher in the tea & froze it, giving it to bub to chew on. He really enjoyed this :)

I would be lying if I let you believe that's all I did for him - but as molars 2 and 3 started to cut I had no choice but to offer panadol & then nurofen as the pain worsened. Although these did help, I keep it minimal as my bub has some digestive issues & painrelievers aren't generally good for him, & he does tend to vomit them back up.

Just a little soapbox for a minute - chemist style teething gel - you know the brands I'm talking about (but as I'm about to speak negatively I won't mention them by name ). If you do a little research you'll see that there's research linking the use of these gels with stomach ulcers in baby's and toddlers. Keep in mind these products are generally aspirin based, so each time you administer it, you're essentially giving your baby a dose of aspirin, which is known to cause stomach ulcers & thin the blood. Anyway, I'm no doctor, I just think we should all take the time to check it out...

The one product I would recommend though that you can get from your chemist is Hyland Teething tablets. They are in a lactose base that my bub can't tolerate, however we had fantastic success using them with my first. They are a natural, homeopathic remedy that is also very calming. We found them helpful for sleeplessness too bub's sleeplessness that is!).

And as I said before, I'm no doctor, just an ex-naturopathic assistant & mum of two terrible teethers, who thought my experiences might be of assistance to you. I'd love to hear your thoughts & experiences too..feel free to comment below.

And if you're looking for a good range of teething products here you'll find bpa free teething toys, natural amber teething remedies & soon to arrive 100% natural rubber teething toys too - where I stock the products I know, that I have used and that I trust.

http://www.zimmerjee.com.au/

bpa free magic flower teething toy

amber natural teething necklace in cognac

Getting out and about with little people

My husband and I used to love going out to cafes for lunch - we spent WAY to much money doing so actually. After the arrival of my first son we got back into this trend after a few short months, as Alex was very content to just sit in his pram & play with toys while we enjoyed a lovely cafe luncy. But our second bub has been a different game altogether!

Never content to just sit his pram plus he desperately hates highchairs (his own included) we were never able to go out and have a civilsed meal. Trying to do so always caused screaming, crying and fussing from Jasper, indigestion for us due to rushing the meal plus plenty of disapproving looks from cafe staff and fellow diners! It really just wasn't worth it.... As for home, try feeding a crawling baby...chasing him around, stuffing in a spoonful, chasing again, getting another spoonful in. Sounds hard hey? Well it was better than the screaming match and food throwing fight that ensued each time I put him in his highchair.

But I'm happy to report this has all changed! How, you may ask? The solution turned out to be pretty simple actually. It seems our baby doesn't actually like being a baby! Sit him in the highchair - he screams. Sit him on a chair just like everyone else's - surprise, happy baby. He'll happily eat, drink and be cheerful as long as he's sitting on a "big person" chair. Obviously you can't just plop him on a chair, and one of us can't just sit there and hold him, so I embarked on a journey to find a chair solution.

I tried a hard plastic booster seat thingy I got in Target, but my chubby bubby was too big around the middle for the piddly little strap. I tried a portable booster that looked abit like a box, but he felt so insecure he screamed and complained. A bit more money spent, a few more failed options, until I came across a little gem from the UK....

I couple of clever mums put their heads together and came up with TotSeat - "the washable, squashable highchair for babies who lunch" (love that tag line). Jasper just loved it! The design straps onto pretty much any chair (I haven't found one yet is doesn't work with), a unique cummerbund style strap provides perfect support meaning bub is secure (and makes the TotSeat useable on open backed chairs) plus all the straps/buckles are really hardwaring. It's made of a polycotton so it's washable, and mine's washed up perfectly time and again. Weighs only 260gm, comes in a little travel pouch - so I leave mine in the carboot so I always have it.

So now little Jasper happily sits anywhere in his TotSeat, enjoys meals with the family at the family table (which I think is just devine) and we can actually go out and dine in the real world without utter embarrassment! A couple of the cafes we've been too have been so impressed that they've taken on TotSeat too and offer it instead of highchairs - what a great idea....

The best part - TotSeat is only $59 plus is shipped for FREE Australia Wide! Check it out at http://www.zimmerjee.com.au/. Know someone having a baby? This would be a perfect, and unique, baby shower or new baby gift - something long lasting, useful and trendy - the new mum will thrilled!!!