We are Kindermusik

I am planning a new blog series here, called We Are Kindermusik, and I'm going to need your help! It will feature Kindermusik families, past and present, discussing their experiences with Kindermusik. If you would like to participate, please email me at Aimee@delightfulsounds.com for further details. 

Funny, Child, baking, hilarious, kid

Just a little something to warm you up for the start of our Kindermusik Milk and Cookies semester next week for children 18 - 36 months old. Happy munching everyone!

Parenting in a Microwave World

In the 1950s, Swansons put out the first ever, TV dinner. Along with the invention of the counter top microwave oven, this was the beginning of a new age in American history-the age of convenience. Fast forward 60 years, and you will find a society saturated in convenience and ease- convenience foods, computers small enough to fit in your pocket, drive through banks, drive through drugstores, and even drive through wedding chapels!
Has this plethora of conveniences affected our expectations for being a successful parent? You bet! There are some great tools out there that can make being a parent much quicker and easier than life in the 1950s. However, parenting isn't always effortless or convenient. Sometimes life is extraordinarily challenging. It requires sacrifice, selflessness, patience, and perserverance. For these character traits there is no "easy button". When faced with a challenge, whether in parenting or elsewhere, don't be afraid to go for the long haul. Facing life with grace and honesty is one of the best lessons you can teach your child about being successful, and when you fail (not if) use it as an opportunity to teach your child how to make it right and move on.

Until next time,

The Terrific Twos!

We've journeyed a long way as we've discussed social, developmental milestones in young children, and today we are going to focus on the two year old. Most people associate this age with the infamous "terrible twos". Life can be quite tumultuous when you're two, but it doesn't have to terrible. Armed with the right information and skills, I think any parent can turn this phase of development into the "terrific twos"!  Here are a few things to expect:

• Your two year old will begin to enjoy a wider range of relationships but will still feel strongly possessive of his family.
• His growing imagination may cause him to develop sudden fears that were not there before.
• Frustration tantrums peak as does clinging and whining, however with patience and proper guidance, you will see greater independence and less separation anxiety as they approach their third birthday.
• Your child will begin to understand and respect simple rules around this age.
• She will enjoy playing interactive and circle games, such as "Ring Around the Rosey".

You can encourage your child's confidence and obedience during this phase by giving him opportunities to choose something related to the trouble area. For example, a child who is not wanting to go to bed could be offered a choice of which bed time story to read before going to sleep. I hope you'll leave some of your parenting ideas for this age as a comment below. Just remember that patience and consistency are your keys to making this stretch of road the "highway of terrific twos"!!

The New Explorers Club - Flannery Brothers

Upbeat kindie rock from 2 American brothers. It genre-hops a bit, with a latin-sounding opener, reggae-lite "Kitchen floor" and the pirate-y (is "pirate" a genre? in kids music it seems to be) "Pirate or parrot". It's pretty danceable and the songs are pretty solid, with the occasional hint of Jonathan Richman, but, apart from the pirate song (and, as you know, I'm a total sucker for all things pirate), there's nothing really outstanding here.

This is fun! - Caspar Babypants

I wasn't crazy about Caspar Babypant's (AKA Chris Ballew from The Presidents of the USA) first kids album, but I'm digging this one. It's a mixture of originals and traditional tunes, sounding quite like, surprise surprise, The Presidents of the USA ... or what I remember of them anyway, must be 15 years ago now since I listened to one of their records (eek!)

Mostly the songs are pretty simple, but that's a virtue when they're also bouncy and quirky and fun and catchy enough to stick in my head - and I expect when I bring this home this evening they're going to make the kids dance. The lyrics keep making me smile - they're not self-consciously addressed to children, rather Chris Ballew just has a child-like view of the world (like Jonathan Richman) that is perfect for family-friendly music.

There's also a cover of Nirvana's "Sliver" - the one with the chorus "Grandma take me home" - and a quote from Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" in the middle of "Buckeye Jim" that made me laugh out loud when I heard it. I like this. Recommended.

Mile marker 18-24

Thinking of toddlers always makes me smile! I can't think of another age where so much energy, curiosity, and emotions are so passionately expressed! :) It's am amazing time of blossoming imaginations! You will not only notice some early pretend play, but you may also see the first signs of night mares and "monsters under the bed". At this stage, yout toddler is much more aware of other children and will interact with words and gestures while playing in a group setting.

Your 18-24 month old is also beginning to be aware of a variety of emotions that they have never experienced before- jealousy, sympathy, guilt, and fear. That makes this a great age to begin talking about body language, facial expressions, and the feelings that go with them.

• Grab a mirror for some face making fun.
• See who can find different facial expressions when reading a book.
• Talk about how you or your child feels and why. This will give them a better understanding of healthy emotional expression. 

Until next time,

What are the odds? - Meredith LeVande

American kindie acoustic-guitar-playing singer-songwriter plus band. Fairly gentle singalong-y indie, occasionally bluesy and a little They Might Be Giants-ish some of the time, it's let down by a lacklustre recording. My kids like it and the songs are nearly all good, but I'd really like to hear them re-arranged and recorded with a bit more ZING.