We asked our Sage Mamas and Papas to share one piece of advice out of their experience that they would like to share with others. Here are some excerpts — Enjoy !
• I’m a sage mama and my piece of advice to expecting sage mamas is to enjoy every minute of that pregnancy. Those 40 weeks feel like they take forever but it’s such a blessed time and it may be your only time feeling it!
• Cherish every moment as they are learning experiences for both Mom & babies that you’ll never forget.
• Savor every moment while baby is still a baby. Time flies and baby grows fast!
• I am the mama of 2 baby boys who are 13 months apart. Aaron is now 22 months and Hunter is almost 9 months. One thing I have learned with having 2 babies so close in age is that when they are both having a break down – always go to your older one first. They will remember if you ignore them and they will get jealous of the little one.
Ask any parent of a baby or a young child; and it is likely they have had at least one bad experience taking their child on a simple shopping errand. Â How many times have you been in a store and observed a frazzled parent trying to get a handle on a temper tantrum from an overtired and overstimulated baby or child?
We live in a world that tends to rush and operate at a hurried pace; and that presents big challenges to new parents. What if a simple shopping excursion can be turned into an opportunity to teach your child about the world outside our home? I came across this article by Jan Hunt, founder of the popular parenting site: Natural Child- and felt this is something parents everywhere will appreciate.
Though it is 20 years old, this article gives very practical and sage advice for any parent of families of all sizes and ages. It is very much in line with Rachael and Abraham’s approach to patient parenting. Enjoy!
1. Remember that children have limits. If you are shopping with children, be alert to their needs: are they tired, hungry, overexcited by the noise and confusion, or simply in need of fresh air and exercise, or a reassuring hug?
2. Remember that children are naturally curious. Children are naturally curious; this is how they learn about the world around them. If they want to examine an attractive item, please don’t scold them. Instead, help them to hold the item safely, or let them know that it can be viewed but not touched. You might say “This is breakable, so let’s just look at it together.” Even if an item cannot be purchased, it can be helpful to share the child’s enthusiasm and interest in it.
3. Shopping with infants…Shopping with an infant will be far easier if the trip is made after they are rested and have been fed. Babies and small children can become dehydrated in the dry air of shopping malls, so be sure to take frequent nursing or juice breaks.
Babies are almost always happier when carried. A sling or carrier worn by the parent provides far more comfort and emotional security than a stroller or grocery cart. A small child-proof toy can help a baby to cope with the inevitably lessened attention from the parent, but remember to stop as often as possible and take a moment for gentle words, eye contact, and hugs.
4. Shopping with toddlers…Toddlers can begin to be included in shopping decisions. Involving the child with questions such as “which of these peaches looks better to you?” can turn a boring, frustrating experience into a more pleasurable one, for both parent and child. Children of all ages enjoy and appreciate being able to make some of the product choices themselves. Bringing along juice, a favorite snack, and a well-loved picture book, or a newly-borrowed one from the library, can also be very helpful.
Being surrounded by a crowd of adults can be intimidating to small children, especially when stores are busy. Using a backpack can be one way of bringing toddlers up to a height where they are more contented. It can also prevent the common, frightening experience of losing a toddler in a crowd.
5. Shopping with older children…An older child can be a great help in shopping, if approached in a spirit of fun and appreciation. If the parent brings along clipped-out pictures of food from the newspaper grocery ads, the child can help to locate the item. Children mature enough to shop by themselves can help shorten the trip by finding items alone, returning periodically to put items into the cart.
6. Avoid the crowds. Shopping just before dinner, when stores are crowded, and parents and children are tired and hungry, can be very stressful. Try shopping in the morning or early afternoon on weekdays, or move dinner up and shop during the quiet early-evening time between 6 and 7 PM. When we can avoid the stress of crowded stores and long check-out lines, we can have more energy and creativity for responding to our child’s needs.
7. The check-out lane can be a challenge…Check-out lanes which have colorful, enticing gum and candy packages can be a real challenge, especially as they are encountered at the end of shopping, when both parent and child are most fatigued and hungry. Bringing a favorite healthful snack from home can allow an easy alternative: “That package looks pretty, but candy isn’t very nutritious. Here’s the oatmeal cookie and juice we brought.” Shopping at stores which have “child-proof” check-outs without candy can be well worth a longer drive. If there is no local store with such a check-out, you might suggest this feature to a store manager, promising to shop regularly if this option is made available.
8. When you need to say “no”…The most important part of saying “no” is conveying to the child that we are on his or her side, even if we can’t satisfy all desires immediately. It might help to say, “That is nice, isn’t it? Take a good look and when we get home, we’ll add it to your wish list.” As the educator John Holt once said, “There is no reason why we cannot say ‘No’ to children in just as kind a way as we say ‘Yes’.” And remember that smiles, hugs, and cuddles are all free!
9. If you reach your limit…If you reach the limit of your patience and energy, try to show by example positive ways of handling anger and fatigue. You might try saying, “I’m starting to lose my patience. I think I need a break from shopping for a bit. Let’s go outside for a few minutes so we can both get refreshed.” Even a few moments of fresh air away from the crowds can make a big difference for both parent and child.
10. If your children reach their limit…If, after trying some of the above suggestions, your children have simply reached the end of their ability to handle any more errands, please respect that. Shopping can wait; an exhausted, hungry, or overly-excited child cannot
Remember that all children behave as well as they are treated. A child who is regularly given our time, undivided attention, patience, and understanding will have more tolerance for a shopping trip – and any other challenging situation – than the child who must face stressful situations without this emotional support.
We have been offering swim diapers for over fifteen years. We hope you will visit us online where it’s easy to order and we’re always just a phone call away to help you out. Our swim diapers are made in the U.S.A. and have been used by Swim Schools , Swim Parks and lots of Happy Parents.
Rachael & Abraham, owners of Diaperaps
Made in the U.S.A. Â Â Â Â Low minimum order of $200 Â Â Â Â Â Â $5.90 each
Visit us online
or Call 800-477-3424
Why Diaperaps® Swim Diaper is the Answer
1. Our Swim Diapers have a unique waterproof lamination between the cotton blend liner and the outer layer of fabric. This contains accidents.
2. Our special design fits snugly around the legs and waist to prevent accidents from leaking. And there’s NO Velcro to come undo in the pool.
3. Our sleek Swim Diaper is lightweight. This makes it more comfortable for baby.
4. These features give parents the confidence they need to enjoy the pool or beach with their babies.
5. Our beautiful prints and bold colors will make baby the best dressed swimmer in the neighborhood.
Each month, we will feature an organic baby product carried by Baby’s Organic Nursery and give you the story behind the people who create  it.  I felt it would be appropriate to launch this series by  featuring  Diaperaps® Swim Diapers- created by our very own Rachael & Abraham!
Rachael Flug & her husband Abraham, owners of Baby’s Organic Nursery, exemplify an ideal business partnership. Â The couple works seamlessly together to fulfill their commitment to find the the healthiest products for babies while serving their loyal customers. Â It is their passion to teach parents how easy it is to “do the right thing” for babies and the environment and go through a rigorous process to select the products they carry. Â They only offer organic products from companies they know are committed to Fair Trade practices as well as Certified Organic Standards.
Rachael, who oversees product development, has always relied on her sharp instincts to make the best choices for their 3 children (now grown) and now relies on those instincts to create healthy, comfortable and environmentally safe products for babies.  She says her guiding principal to making the right choices is asking herself: “What products would I want to surround my 1rst grandchild with?”
These very instincts combined with their innovation led to the launch of Diaperaps® 26 years ago.  The Diaperaps® Swim Diaper is one of the most popular products from this line and has been been used by swim schools , swim parks and many happy parents for over 15 years.  In Rachael’s own words:
I introduced my swim diaper in 1993 and today Diaperaps offers the largest selection of infant swim diapers in the world. Most swimming pools now require infants to wear tight fitting covers for hygiene reasons. My swim diapers are the solution to a messy problem and give parents the confidence they need to enjoy the water with their babies. Our unique construction combines a cotton blend knit fabric laminated to a stretchable waterproof barrier. Only the soft cotton touches baby’s gentle skin. Our special design fits snugly around the legs and waist to prevent leakage and is lightweight and comfortable to allow free movement in the water.
My swim diaper has a unique waterproof lamination to contain accidents.
My special design fits snugly around the legs and waist to prevent leakage.
My sleek style is lightweight and comfortable to allow free movement.
I recently came across a post: The Long Term Rewards of UnderIndulgenceon Green Baby Guide that addresses how new parents tend to over indulge and over stimulate their babies. So many new Moms worry if they do not run out and buy the newest toy or participate in the latest trend- they would be depriving their baby- or even worse he or she may fall behind the other babies and be scarred for life!
Imagine a scene now of your child 40 years from now sitting with a therapist: “I could have done better for myself Doc, but my parents did not get me the newest version of the electronic counting games when I was 6 months old….it ruined me!”  I think not! Of course we all mean well- but need to ask ourselves if babies really need so much “stuff” and would it be wiser to save the money we want to spend on the newest and fanciest and smartest new toys so we can teach them to value the more precious things in life.
Is under indulgence the same thing as deprivation? We think not! Buying fewer, thoughtful gifts and treats for your child will allow him or her to have an enhanced sense of appreciation, plus you’ll be helping lighten the load on our planet and your pocketbook.
I have commented on this line of thinking before. Over the past years it has often been considered a keystone of good parenting to “push” your baby to walk, talk and read as early as possible. Surrounding them with learning toys to teach the alphabet or putting them in front of educational T.V at two months old forces our little ones to grow up at an alarming rate. I could quote lots of research but I prefer to speak Mother to Mother and ask you to allow your natural instincts, your intuition, to be your guide regarding whether what I am saying rings true for you.
Our precious babies are born with senses that have not been tainted or tarnished by the world. They are a spiritual treasure and it is no wonder that everyone loves a new baby. So why can’t we allow a baby to be a baby? What’s the hurry? We live in a hurried world and our babies often grow up to be hurried children. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Having a new baby gives us an opportunity to see the world through our babies’ eyes. We can take the time to quietly rock them to sleep, singing a lullaby, and surrounding them with peacefulness and calmness. You don’t need any money to do this or even a good voice.
We can sit patiently and wait as they slowly open their eyes and begin to take in the world around them. We don’t need to surround them with expensive mobiles or clutter their cribs with all the latest stuffed animals. And most of all we can just enjoy our time with them and allow them to awaken to the world around at their own speed. Each baby is unique, each baby will learn to speak and walk in their own time. We can honor this time by being patient and protecting them from the inpatient world around us.
Ask any parent of a baby or a young child; and it is likely they have had at least one bad experience taking their child on a simple shopping errand. Â How many times have you been in a store and observed a frazzled parent trying to get a handle on a temper tantrum from an overtired and overstimulated baby or child?
I recently came across a post: 