“Back rubs can be a wonderful part of a bedtime or naptime routine, but can also be fun during playtime”, says massage therapist and author Martine Groeneveld. “Combined with stories, rhymes and games, it’s a wonderful way for parents to cherish their child with magical, loving touch and undivided attention”.

A little back rub goes a long way. Nurturing touch during early childhood is proven to be beneficial for healthy child development. Research shows that it’s crucial for interpersonal communications, cognitive and emotional development, brain growth, establishing first (and future) relationships, healthy body image development and for reducing childhood (and future adult) aggression.

Pretty amazing to stimulate all this development with a simple and fun back rub!

Below are some examples of cute back rubs to engage your child in. Always check in with your child if it feels good.

GUESS THE ANIMAL

With your fingers, draw an animal on your child’s back. When you’re finished, let him guess what it is. If he doesn’t know, teach him to ask questions like, “Where does it live?” or “What sound does it make?” or “What color is it?” He’ll probably want you to do another one!

Tips:

You can play the same game with shapes, numbers and letters. Say the number or letter that follows or precedes the one you’re stroking on his back, for example: “This letter comes after D” or this is the number that comes before 10″ or “This is the letter between M and O.” Based on your child’s stage of development, you can make it harder or easier for him to guess.

THIS PIGGY WENT TO…….

Walk with your fingers up the back as you say “This little piggy went to…..”
As you stroke down with your whole hand, let your child fill in the blank with a place or person in her mind. For example: “This little piggy went to…..the zoo!” Or “This little piggy went to a playdate with…..?”

MAGIC PAINTING
(It’s magic, because you can’t see it!)

This is an imaginative game with lots of variations. Ask your child what he would like to have painted on his back. A tiger? A castle? Maybe he’d like to have a masterpiece painted on his back! Pretend your hand is a magic paintbrush. Dip it in your magic paint and paint your child’s back with your hands and fingertips. Stroke gently while you create a magical painting. You can also let your child guess what you’re painting while you mention the colors that you’re using.

Tip:
Your child might want to paint your back as well!

MARTINE GROENEVELD is a registered nurse, licensed massage therapist, certified infant massage instructor and the author of Mommy, Draw Stars on My Tummy: Rhymes, Songs and Touch-Play Activities to Stay Connected. A native of Holland, Martine holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and psychology and a National Certification in Massage Therapy.

Buy Mommy, Draw Stars on My Tummy

For more information, visit http://www.mommydrawstarsonmytummy.com

Family Fun Thanksgiving Desserts and Treats - “From secret family recipes to pumpkin pies with a twist, these Thanksgiving desserts will guarantee a perfect ending to your holiday meal.”

Nick Jr. Thanksgiving Treats - “So many tasty ways to celebrate Thanksgiving!”

Wonder Time Thanksgiving Recipes

Parents Connect Thanksgiving Recipes

Parents Magazine Thanksgiving Recipes for Baby - “9 Thanksgiving Recipes for Baby”

Once your email is entered you will receive a unique code to redeem at KodakGallery.com for $15 off your purchase.

Think free Christmas gift, free Christmas cards…whatever you choose, you get $15 off your purchase. Does not include tax or shipping and handling.

Codes must be redeemed by November 17th, 2009.

Sign up to get your free $15 Photo Gift

Right now if you sign up for the free e-newsletter at www.BigIdea.com you can get a free Veggie Tales DVD with $2.99 shipping/handling.

There are 3 DVDs to choose from:

-Lessons From The Sock Drawer

-Where’s God When I’m S-scared

-The Ballad of Little Joe

One free DVD per customer with valid account and newsletter sign-up. Valid while supplies last.

Check out these fun printables and craft ideas:

Disney Family Fun - Star Spangled Fun

Kaboose - 4th of July

Apples 4 the Tacher - 4th of July coloring pages

Teaching Tiny Toys - 4th of July party ideas

Happy 4th of July!

I came across an audio course that helps parents deal with the terrible twos, all the way up to beyond 6 years old. It is called Talking to your Toddler.

Do the terrible twos have you stressed out? Is your 4-year old’s behavior driving you nuts? Are temper tantrums a regular event in your house? Maybe you find yourself pulling out your hair because your kids are out of control? Do you feel guilty because you yell at your kids even though you love them tons?

What I love about this program is that it uses language strategies, words you can use to make a bad situation into a better one. This program is all about communication, and how you can better understand your toddler, and they can do the same with you.

Toddlers thrive for communication at this age as their vocabulary is limited. Getting attention from a temper tantrum is how they begin to communicate once they see that it is affective. If you know this scenario well, take a look into Talking with Toddler - it may just save your sanity!

New from Huggies, Enjoy the Ride Rewards.

This new program offers moms a chance to earn reward points which can be spent on chances to win valuable prizes such as trips, gift cards and more!

You earn points by entering special codes that will be located on direct mail pieces, magazine ads, and online -through taking polls, watching videos and participating in other fun activities.

Sign up for free at www.enjoytheriderewards.com

Diaper Dude, a lifestyle and a Brand that was born from the idea that fatherhood doesn’t have to be complicated, has 2 new eco-friendly products just in time for Earth Day:
The Green Dude, aptly named for both its color and echo friendly materials, contains a large compartment to hold those essentials needed for a day out with your little and a bonus compartment just for dad.  Also contains a padded changing pad, an insulated bottle holder, removable cell phone holder, breathable mesh padding for a comfortable fit and our ever popular dad check list screen printed under the front flap. Made of recycled PET material (plastic water bottles) rewoven into durable polyester.

Also available is the Diaper Dude Earth Day organic cotton t-shirt and onesie for $39.99.  A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to Global Green USA.   You might see Jerry O’Connell, Charlie Sheen, Andrew Firestone, Joel Madden and Ben Affleck rockin’ this around town.

Earth Day is April 22nd, but being green is fashionable year round.

For more great Daddy gear check out Diaper Dude.

On April 22nd more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries will celebrate Earth Day.

Education experts at Goddard, the country’s leading child care franchise company, offer the following fun projects that you can do at home to teach your toddlers and preschools about the environment:

1. Create the Earth. Eco-friendly coffee filters make great miniature earths.  In two separate cups, use food coloring to make blue and green colored water. Then allow the children to use eyedroppers to drop the colors on their Earth (coffee filter). When the colored water is dropped on the filter it spreads a bit and the children can create land and water shapes on their “little earths.”
2. Lights Out, Flashlights On. Play “I Spy” in the dark.  Have the children use flashlights to locate objects they can use to become more “green,” such as a light switch or recycle bins.
3. Go for a Nature Walk. Place tape, sticky side out, on the children’s wrists and take them outside to collect things in nature. You could also decorate a sack and go around the neighborhood picking up litter.
4. Dress It Up! Hold a fashion show using old newspapers as the runway. Create vests by using grocery sacks decorated with recycled supplies such as used yogurt cups, etc. Glue recycled materials to the vests and decorate with paint. Then let your kids show off the “beauty of recyclables” while learning what items can be recycled.
5. Make Rainsticks. Recycle old paper towel rolls by making rainsticks. Have the children close the bottom of the stick with paper and tape. Then fill with beans or rice. You can also crumple up some aluminum foil to make a louder sound. Let the children decorate the rainsticks with construction paper. Use this activity to talk about the importance of clean water and water conservation.

About Goddard Systems, Inc. www.goddardschool.com

Recently named #1 Childcare Franchise in the United States, by Entrepreneur magazine, for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales), by Franchise Times, for the second consecutive year (October 2008); Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI) is expanding The Goddard School® network throughout the United States. Headquartered in King of Prussia , Pennsylvania , GSI currently licenses 320+ franchised schools with more than 40,000 students in 37 states. With a successful system in place and dedicated franchisees, GSI is the acknowledged leader in franchised childcare and a premier childcare provider in the United States .