A year long photo project
This summer a few blogs published this nice movie which was posted on YouTube. Parents took (at least) one picture of their baby every day for the first year of his life, nearly always in the same position (basically lying on a white sheet). Then they made a movie out of it with a nice soundtrack. I think it’s brilliant!
You need some commitment sure, but it would be such a precious memory. It’s truly amazing to be able to see your baby’s growth in just over 2 minutes.
If you are pregnant now it may be something you could try to do. And personally I guess you could even cheat on a couple of days….
-Michela
Multitasking gets tested
I pride myself in being a good multitasker, and I’m sure I’m not alone! Over the years my casual (but now numerous) observations have led me to believe that women are generally better multitaskers than men. Also, I believe this quality further improves with motherhood.
I may be wrong but it seems to me that mums are particularly good at handling many things at the same time. After all they (still in most cases) keep the family running! They can breastfeed while buying groceries online, then immediately switch to bathing the toddler while remembering to defrost the meat for dinner and load the washing machine with their husband’s dirty jogging clothes.
Isn’t this multitasking? Isn’t this a nice ability to possess?
Well, not everybody thinks so. The NYT reports the results of a Stanford study which has investigated the cognitive abilities of good multitaskers and found no advantage whatsoever if compared to low multitaskers. They were shocked too, but it seems that when a self-declared multitasker is bombarded with information his brain in the end does not work very efficiently. They actually performed all the tasks worse than the others. (more…)
Booklight
You know all those seemingly useless gadgets that fill up crowded bookstore counters? Well, I think I’ve never bought any of them (and was proud of it), but I recently bought this (not very sexy) led booklight by Energizer and I’m quite happy with it!
I finally caved in to such a gadget because I love bedtime reading — it doesn’t matter how late it is or how tired I am I really love to read before falling asleep. From 10 minutes to a couple of hours (when I am close to finishing a book) I feel it’s a better way of ending the day. I’m not too bothered about disturbing my husband, who actually does not seem to mind, but these days I’m sharing the bedroom with my two children and the little one is a very light sleeper so I had to find a solution!
I have now been using it for a week and I’m so satisfied, I actually really like being able to read while surrounded by darkness and the soft noise of sleeping kids. It clips on the book cover and it produces a cool light that’s enough for reading, the arm is flexible so there is space for a bit of adjustment.
I’m sure there are better designed ones, and I will definitely be on the lookout for a cooler version because I’m telling you… I will never be without a booklight again!
-Michela
Playpen
Both my children have spent more than a few hours in our playpen in the first year of their lives. At the beginning it was just a nice place where they could lie and look at the mobile or play with the baby-gym. When they could sit it was a place where pillows and special toys were kept — a place to put them when I needed both my hands. When they started to crawl it became a safe place where they could also experiment with some new moves. Even when they were older than 12 months I put them in the playpen always surrounded by toys or books.
I had no idea it was such a controversial piece of equipment until I read this article on Slate. Maybe it was because my mother used it with me, or because Esther (who I was basically sharing my life with after we both gave birth in late spring 2005) had a very cool wooden one, or just because I never used it for very long stretches of time. Honestly it never crossed my mind that I might have been slowing down my children’s development. (more…)
Babies and allergies
Luckily, neither of my kids have developed any food allergies… so I’m definitely not an expert in the area. But what I find puzzling is the different approaches to ‘allergenic’ food in the different countries. It seems that every country has its own dos and don’ts for what to feed your children, similar to the rules regarding what you can eat while you’re pregnant.
Emily has already written a funny post on Italian weaning… but apart from offering jars of horse meat, the Italians have very rigid weaning rules to follow.
For example vegetables have to be introduced very slowly. At the beginning, only potatoes, carrots, courgettes and lettuce, and then gradually more veggies can be given. Tomatoes, however, have to wait until the baby is older than 12 months, and that’s pretty strange given the role it has in the Italian diet. Yet it seems other countries are not worried about them. (more…)
Family vacations
I admit I’m lucky — my academic work gives me a lot of flexibility and, especially in the summer, I can take a lot of time off to spend with my family. My husband is not as free but still he spent 2 weeks with us in the mountains. This is absolutely normal in Italy. Depending on family income the destination may vary but 2 or 3 weeks of holiday in August is definitely not a luxury.
Spending so much time with my children is physically draining but extremely emotionally rewarding. We somehow get to know each other better and enjoy new experiences together. Every night now my husband tells me how his relationship with our moody and recently-mother-needy daughter improves by the day as he gets to spend more time with her.
So when I read this article on Babble I was pretty shocked — I knew that European workers were kind of lucky in terms of paid vacations but I had no idea that most American workers have about one week of holiday a year. (more…)
Key ring compass
We are holidaying in the Dolomites at the moment and today was cloudy and rainy so we decided to tour the Wein Strasse just south of Bolzano. We actually spent the day hopping from one wine producer to the next and ended up with a trunk full of wine. This was definitely not the most child friendly day we could come up with, so we promised our children a little gift from the lovely village toy shop. It’s small and cute and full of German toys we don’t easily get in Milan. The only problem is that these toys have to travel back with us at some point (the wine goes back with my husband) so we kept redirecting our son to smaller items.
The key ring compass from Haba made us all happy! It belongs to the Terra Kids line of adventure toys.
Now my son is proudly parading his new acquisition and asking loads of questions on cardinal points, magnetism and the north pole. Now, if Haba had provided a little booklet with all the answers it would have been just perfect!
(Available from Amazon, UK and US.)
-Michela
101 Things To Do Before You Diet
I’m not fat, but if I’m honest, I should loose between 4 and 5 kilos (that’s 10 pounds for you, imperial friends). Unfortunately I’m also not very good at dieting, and that’s for two reasons.
The first one is that I love to eat, and that does not go hand in hand with slimming down. The second one is that I know that what really works in the long run is a change in habits and lifestyle, so I tell myself that dieting will not solve my problems.
So given I was late for the summer swimsuit-trial I thought that reading this book by Mimi Spencer could prepare me well for a slimmer fall. She is a fashion editor with self declared flaws in the tummy area. Mimi has come up with a thoroughly entertaining and illuminating list of 101 things that will help you free your thinner self. She covers topics in every possible field, from eating to fashion, from fitness to cooking. A lot of them are common sense, many others I had read in magazines here and there but it’s truly something to have them all in a book. I honestly could write maybe 101 posts on them, but here are a few of my favourites, that I will embrace in the hope of shedding those pounds. (more…)
Penis envy?
My 20-month-old daughter and her 4-year-old brother have been taking baths together for over a year now, actually since she could sit at around 6 months. Obviously they take their baths naked but she has never payed attention to body differences.
We are now at the seaside and yesterday they were (exceptionally) both playing naked in the sand when she suddenly noticed her brother’s little penis. She started pointing at it, then looked at herself and didn’t find one. She then started crying, screaming “me, me, me” and wanted to pull it away!
Her brother was amused and ran-off with his treasured possession.
I thought it was really funny… and in any case a bit early for a proper explanation!
-Michela
Poo Poo Yah Yah
Yes, a book about poo… and it’s really funny and educational!
Poo Poo Yah Yah, by Gaby Goldsack, is a clever pop-up book with good paper engineering telling all sorts of facts about poo. Some are well known things (like why it stinks, why it’s brownish..) and others less so (biggest and smallest poos, elk poo jewelery, etc).
We had a great time reading the Italian translation (on sale here), and I’m sure you’ll have fun too!
-Michela
Rattled!
I just finished this book by Christine Coppa and I loved it! The book is her memoir about how her ‘Sex and the City’ lifestyle as a journalist changed when she found herself unexpectedly pregnant three months into a relationship. At 26 this is a big change in one’s life but she declares from the start that although the pregnancy was not wanted, the baby always was!
The father disappears from the picture quite soon and Christine keeps playing solo with the help of her loving family (of Italian origin) and her super cool friends. She moves out of Manhattan back to the New Jersey suburbs and sets up her nest to welcome her baby, Jack Domenec.
The book is a funny and empowering story about a girl who is about to become a mother, her fears and her doubts, and also her few certainties. I think that any mum would relate to her immediately because of the way she dissects and describes the joys and pains of motherhood. (more…)
Do they always need a fig leaf?
The other day I read an article in an Italian newspaper about child nudity that quoted this article in the New York Times. The article discusses, with the aid of interviews and psycologists’ opinions, whether it is appropriate to let children play around in the nude, and until when. The article also discusses whether it could be appropriate at home but not in public places, and also whether the presence of unknown adults matters.
From the sheer number of comments (on the online article) I realized this topic is quite hot and controversial.
I think I have an “average” attitude toward the issue, in the sense that I typically encourage my children to have their clothes on at home (or outside of it), but do let them run around naked on the beach or in a friend’s garden if they so wish. Even at home we take a relaxed approach; I never go about doing my business in the nude but I also never hide myself when dressing or coming out of the shower. Sometimes my children point at me, after all my body is different from theirs, and sometimes they just don’t care.
Although I’m pretty sure that any child below the age of 3 should not offend anyone’s feeling if he or she is seen naked, I’m not too sure about when, and if, this freedom should stop for the comfort of the child and the people surrounding him/her. (more…)
Be different by Gizmoroo
It’s the peak of the summer, the sun is shining and I’m finding myself choosing more colorful clothes for my children!
My latest choice was this cute and funny t-shirt by Gizmoroo, a young UK company started by a mom with a passion for design and music.
The cotton is organic and the message is one that I really like.
Ideal for playing outdoors!
Gizmoroo have a well designed small online shop, in 4 languages, and they’ll ship worldwide!
-Michela
Arms and guns
My son does not have any toy guns, not even a water gun. I’m also very careful with the television programs he gets to watch — no violent cartoons at all. Even the news is carefully monitored so that he doesn’t hear about the worst events. I also know that his teachers at school are very adamant that no “shooting” is allowed during school time.
So then why is my 4-year-old boy so attracted to guns? At every occasion he will pretend to have one. If he gets his hands on two wooden sticks they will become a gun immediately, and the same thing happens with pens, ice-cream plastic palettes, even straws.
The other day he told me that when he grows up, after he turns 18, he will “make war”!
Why? Is it innate? Male hormones? (And mind you, he is not even an aggressive child, rather totally the opposite.)
Now my question is, should I pretend not to hear? Or should I explain at every occasion that we do not like arms, that guns are dangerous and only the police should carry guns?
Hopefully it’s just a phase and it will be over soon!
-Michela
Baby’s footprints
I gave birth to my son in a very posh London hospital and they foot-printed my baby, for security and identification purposes. This might be common in the US but it was definitely not common in London in 2005 and it is still unheard of in Italy in 2009. It is done with an ink-less wipe that will print on special paper, so you do not really stain the baby’s feet–and it’s safe.
I thought it was a great idea — that piece of paper with those sweet tiny feet on it was one of my most treasured possessions. After a couple of months I cut out the footprints and framed it in a very simple Ram frame from Ikea. I thought it was sweet, without being too cheesy.
So when my daughter’s birth was imminent I searched the web for an ink-less wipe that would allow me to footprint her too. They can be found, together with more sophisticated (sometimes over the top) kits on many websites (like this and this) but I bought just the wipes and the magic paper on ebay, saving some money and keeping the freedom of choosing the frame.
-Michela
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Magic (mess-free) markers• Restaurant bag
• Vive le café
• Bring a carrier
Little Wings
Little Wings is a young Dutch company that makes some of the cutest baby’s clothes I have ever seen. They have a permanent collection of Unisex essentials and then a small quarterly seasonal collection for boys and girls.
They use certified organic cotton and either natural dyes or eco-friendly chemical dye, to minimize the impact on the planet and maximize the health of the baby.
The clothes are simple and stylish, in very soft colours.
Everything comes in an elegant cream coloured box and each single item is packaged in a lovely organdi cotton bag that makes every piece look so special and unique.
The clothes look lovely on their website but I must admit I could not appreciate them fully until I was holding them. The people at Little Wings are perfectly aware of this, and for this reason they would like to develop their own “Tupperware” sales scheme, so that people can see the clothes before they buy them. If you feel like getting involved and earning a bit of extra money on the side, contact them!
In the meantime I will keep looking at my daughter wearing her Sirla dress…. simply adorable!
-Michela
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Kids and Jet Lag• The perfect travel outfit
• Cash in the car
• Traveling in Italy
• Traveling with kids!
Noomray, personalised books
You should have seen my son’s face the other day when we received the book that was custom-written for him!
Noomray, a little Italian company, came up with a great idea– they write and illustrate books where the main character is the person who will receive the book.
It is geared to children, but they do cater to adults too. You just give them the details and in about a month they will ship this very special book. You can pick a genre (typically it will depend on the receiver) among teen books, historical books, fantasy or adventures. You then fill out a form with some of the information you deem essential to build the story: habits, important persons, favourite places, favourite food, preferred activities and also a description of the physical appearance. You can also pick some of the material features of the book: type of paper, type of cover, colour or black&white, etc.
Our story is a nice adventure, in 4 chapters, with elements of Toy Story and Cars in it (my son’s favourite movies) and with an appearance from mom and dad, little sister, both sets of grandparents and the beloved toys: mini-micro scooter and stuffed rabbit. (more…)
Is there a right way to space out siblings?
I came across this article on Parenting, about the pros and cons of different age gaps between siblings.
They came up with three classes: less than 2 years apart, 2 to 3 years apart, and more than 4 years apart. I have to admit they seem to list them perfectly. The authors, in fact, mention the logistical nightmares of having 2-under-2 children around, but also stress the strong bonds they will develop. For the second group they highlight the fact that the older son may better understand what’s going on, but still may not react well to the new arrival. The wider spacing instead has the logistical and financial benefits of not having two children in daycare or college, but they most likely will be less involved with each other.
They also talk about the effects on marriage with each option. It’s good food for thought in my opinion. (more…)
Watermelon and feta salad
It’s summer and it’s hot here! I’m not really in a cooking mood but I still want to eat fresh things. This salad is simple, colourful and quick — it makes a great light starter. It’s not Italian, I suppose it could be Greek but funnily enough I ate it many years ago in a gastro-pub in Cambridge (UK).
What follows is the recipe for one portion, but I would say that you could easily get six servings out of half a watermelon.
Here’s the recipe: (more…)
A late Father’s Day reading
Last Sunday was Father’s Day in many countries (not in Italy though) and reading a few blogs I discovered the essay President Obama wrote on the occasion for Parade magazine.
The title, “We need fathers to step up“, is very powerful and so is the whole essay, simply to the point — as the President has got us used to. He grew up without a father and still managed to be elected to the most important position in the world, so this means that everything is possible in spite of your upbringing.
Still he writes that fathers have to be present in body, mind and soul for their children. They have to be there through thick and thin and to make an effort of shielding the younger ones from the problems in their own adult life. They have to be role models because parents are the primary teachers in a child’s life. (more…)
