Parenting Frequently Asked Questions

	My child and I have a lot of fun together and we play a lot. I have to wonder though, can there be too much play? When is my child learning?
	To the casual observer, it might indeed look like your child is just playing and having fun. It has been commonly said that "a child's work is their play." This is true. Children learn if they are emotionally connected with the activity in a positive way. Play is the perfect vehicle to marry both the positive emotion, the opportunity to experience new things and to practice skills which are emerging. The importance rests on providing DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE activities. With our mentoring program, you will learn how your child's brain acquires new skills and when to introduce which activities so the learning is appropriate for their readiness to learn.
	Honestly, how do BABIES really benefit from well thought out experiences? Don't they just learn by imitating?
	Babies are like sponges. Their brains are growing at an alarming rate but do so in a certain way. If you introduce the right experiences at the right times, then your baby will thrive and learn. For example, if you know when your baby's eye sight is development, you can use that window of opportunity to introduce new patterns, colours and shapes into their world in a carefully planned, logical order, fully aware of how they are going to acquire new skills. Our mentoring program will teach you how to integrate experiences into your child's day, teaching you the benefits of various of activities and the timing of them.
	What if I want to enroll my child in gymnastics, dance, soccer, karate, or music? Which is better?
	As children reach the age of 3 ½ to 4, a world of possibilities in the community opens up to them. We can send our children to any number of wonderful activities, but they don’t all involve the family. Being able to enjoy our families in a rich musical environment is priceless. Today, children are being pushed out into the world at younger ages than ever, and it’s nice to have an activity where family involvement is celebrated. Many of the benefits of the other activities, such as promoting physical coordination and social skills, providing a structured routine, building self-esteem and developing talents and cognitive abilities, are all encompassed in a Kindermusik class. While there are other programs out there, I have not seen another that encompasses all areas of a child's learning seamlessly through fun activities. Plus, there is the added benefit of a development for a love of music that will last much past the time the dance shoes and karate gees are put away - in fact, as we say at Kindermusik, "A good beginning never ends." The opportunity to creatively express their individual imaginations through art, vocal, dance and instrument activities is unique to Kindermusik. In our mentoring program, we review different products in the marketplace, looking at the benefits of each so you can make a more educated decision.
	What sort of things should I be doing with my child? I play CDs to him but what else can I do?
	When a baby smiles, they obviously recognise the voice of their caregiver. Before birth, each child has been rapidly growing brain cells and physically developing, listening, hearing, seeing. They have responded to music and movement in the same way as they do when they are born. Often parents think that they will wait to introduce music to young babies until they can jig up and down to the radio at 14 months of age. Babies respond to music and musical instruments from a few weeks of age. Correctly designed musical instruments can be used to enhance visual tracking, unilateral movements, the development of the grasp reflex, tactile stimulation, and so much more. It is important to use developmentally appropriate musical instruments designed for the needs of this age group. There are so many things parents can do within their own home to enhance their child's learning and assist them to reach their potential. Rocking is one way that may seem like a natural event but stimulates a baby's vestibular system. When the head of a baby is moved from side to side as they rock, the fluid in the middle ear moves, causing the child to have to rebalance themselves in space. When instruments are added to the mix, a child can learn important, and lifeling skills. As egg shakers are placed, one in each hand, and as a child shakes them, a parent can model how to shake them to a steady beat. Internalising a steady beat is essential for things like walking, brushing our teeth, crawling and even cutting with scissors. Many concepts can be taught through having fun with musical instruments in the home environment. Social skills through ensemble playing, turn taking, colours, sound discrimation, object permanence and more are essentail life skills that can be acquired through fun, imaginative filled music sessions at home. Finding the correct instruments to use at the correct ages can be difficult. Normal handheld bells are inappropriate for babies as they can cut their mouths on them as they put them in their mouths. All bells should be encased to allow for mouthing and tactile stimulation through mouth receptors. Textures and smells should also be considered. A variety of materials such as metal, wood, plastic and material should be used to allow for maximum benefit of learning. Our mentoring program teaches you how your child learns at different ages and then what is suitable for the different ages. Come and join us now!
	Being a parent can be really daunting. What can I do to help my child with language acquisition?
	Our mentoring program gives you great practical ways to help your child to acquire language. When you really understand the process of how children learn language, you will know how to include fun, purposeful activities into your day to aid the process. Did you know that high and low pitches are basic elements in music and are also basic to language acquisition and development of the speaking voice. Exposure to high sounds play an important role in maintaining alertness and energy required for baby's learning. Learn more in our mentoring program.
	How do I communicate with my child when they are not even talking yet?
	When we're talking and making sounds with our babies, we pause and give them a chance to respond. This helps them to learn "turn taking" which is fundamental to conversation. Actual words aren't important, but vocal inflection demonstrates natural conversation along with eye contact that encourages response. Our mentoring program gives you the knowledge and skills necessary to know how to do this.
	I know that touch is important to my child but how important is it?
	Different sorts of intentional touch used in different ways with different parts of the body is important. Babies learn dimension, texture, line and even color through touch and also the sense of "this is me" and "this is something else." Intentional touch through massage strengthens babies' ability to relax while relieving digestive problems or fussiness. Our mentoring program will gradually teach you 20 benefits of intentional touch.
	Should I massage my baby? I am afraid I might do it wrong or hurt them.
	Massage is a wonderful way to bond with your child. I used to do a lot of massage and even now at 15 and 19, my boys still love to have their backs rubbed by me. Sitting in a meeting, they will often just lean over to have their back rubbed. Massaging releases both oxytocin and endorphins and therefore can assist with pain relief and mood enhancement at times like teething, congestion, colic and emotional distress. You will learn 20 benefits throughout our mentoring program.
	What is the vestibular system?
	The vestibular system is a system that is housed in our middle ear near the cochlea that is responsible for our balance. Most people stop there but in fact the strength of the vestibular system affects how many of our sub-systems work such as proprioception, sight and many others. Our mentoring program gives you access to all the information I presented to a national conference of teachers that went for 4 hours. It is broken down into manageable parts and explained in terms that anyone can understand. Simple, easy, every day language for complicated topics that are essential to your child's growth and development.
	My child can hear fine but why do they look like they are not listening all the time?
	Hearing is only part of the equation. There is something called auditory processing which most people don't know about. I ended up training and becoming certified in it because that is what my son suffers from - Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) as do many many children out there who have no idea. They are the children who get into trouble at school for not paying attention, asking for the question to be repeated, they fidget and have short attention spans etc. Some get misdiagnosed as ADHD, most autistic children have some form of auditory processing difficulties etc. Our mentoring program will show you what to look for. Explain what the 11 essential auditory skills are and what happens if your child is missing out on some of them. It can be a simple as having an ear infection on days when the body is developing these skills, or birth trauma etc. You will learn invaluable informatin and know what to look for so your child will never have to find learning more difficult than necessary.
	How do I know if my child is developing at a "normal" level?
	This is often a concern for first time parents. What is normal? Children differ so much when should I be concerned? Our mentoring program will offer you detailed information on what is considered appropriate in the areas of social, emotional, physical, cognitive and musical progression for children in various age ranges. These guidelines will give you clear information on how your child is going, remembering that all children will vary in the rate at which they acquire skills which is perfectly normal.
	How does my baby's brain develop? What can I do to help my child?
	Brain development is a really complex issue and one that I love teaching parents about. It is something that I have always found fascinating and love watching those "lighbulb" moments in my seminars when parents get complex concepts easily. Our mentoring program will give you access to videos, and written material that explain things in a way that is easy to understand. This will be knowledge that you will build on week after week and carry with you so you can help your child for the rest of their lives.
	I know there is something wrong with my child but I am not getting the answers I need from health professionals. Where do I turn to get information?
	Great question and as a mother of a special needs child, and a sister of a special needs sibling, I know only too well the pain and frustration parents go through, looking for answers. It is very common in my working with special needs children that parents come to me,after spending tens of thousands of dollars on specialists, and are still not getting information they need. They get a "diagnosis" a "label" but no practical help as to how they can help their child. I have found in my own experience that knoweldge and information empowered me to be able to cope. The more I learned about how my child learned or was having difficulty in learning, the more I could adapt how I worked as a parent and source for them the help they needed. It was information that was the key for me and so many other parents I know. When they really understood the nature of the problem, the difficulties their child faced and how they could "think outside the square" to overcome difficulties, the lives of whole families changed. In our mentoring program, we teach parents and early childhood professionals the information they need to make a difference. Practical, down to earth information so they can apply it in the lives on their own families and their children. Knowledge is empowering and takes you from a place of feeling helpless and unable to assist your child to a place where there is hope.
	Are labels important? My friends are constantly pushing me saying I need a label for my child.
	This is horses for courses. In some cases labels are important. They can often help you get financial aid in the educational system or assistance in caring for your child. It can help you have a starting point so you can go and find out more and work out how to help your child. I think the most important thing is to remember that health professionals are not always accurate. I have had in my years of working with special needs children, specialists who have told parents that their autistic child will never speak, will never walk and basically "this is the best it is ever going to be. Put them in a home and your life will be easier." Can you imagine the devastation that causes and lack of hope that then influences the possibilities of later experiences? That particular child learned to walk, they learned to sing words (never speak them) but after 12months of working through music, learned to sing conversations. Imagine the joy of that parent when that child turned to her and sang "I love you." There wasn't a dry eye in the place. I think the important thing to remember is even if you have a label or diagnosis, then never put limitations on that. If you do, you will meet your expectations. If you have no expectations and just see what is possible, amazing things can happen. Our mentoring program teaches you how your child learns, or struggles to learn. It gives you practical ideas of how to help your child. And, as part of our mentoring program, you can email me and ask for ideas. PRICELESS!
	Why is my teenager always arguing with me. We used to have a good relationship and since they hit puberty, things have just been difficult.
	Teens are at a stage where they are starting to press boundaries in a different way to when they were little. This is the start of the process to figure out where they fit in the world. They want to be grown up, but they aren't yet. They are in some ways, but not expreienced in others. The test boundaries to see where their place is in the family as well as part of society. This is also a time where they learn to make decisions. This can mean sometimes they make decisions that are not the best choices, but through encouragement, love and stability in the home environment, they can recover and learn from the experience. Modelling stable behavior is important if you have a teen. With hormones, short tempers and emotional inexperience, it can lead to temperatures soaring and arguments erupting. It is important to model good control and talk to your teen about controlling their body, thoughts and actions regardless of circumstances. Does that mean the road of a teen will not be rocky? No. And this is a brief answer to something which really requires a whole book (at least 1 anyway) to gain a better understanding and gain strategies. Basically, teens need more love, support and caring than ever before to ride through the rough road of emerging adulthood.