Summer Announcement

Now that the weather has gotten warmer and it is "holiday/vacation" season, we'll be postponing all future speakers for the fall! We hope you enjoy the summer and see you in September.

We are looking for new volunteers to help organize this weekly group and continue the fabulous networking and informative sessions for parents and babies. It is a wonderful way to meet people, as well as get to know others within the community. 

Please feel free to email roundhouse.babies@gmail.com and we'll be happy to connect future volunteers together to get the Fall season started properly.

Until next time...

Schedule - June

LOCATION: Roundhouse Community Centre, ROOM C
- doors open and playtime begins at 10:30am
- speakers arrive at 11:00am

Date: Thursday, June 2nd

Topic: Babies and the Influence of Art
Guest Speaker: Victoria Naranjo, 4Cats Arts Studio Yaletown Curator & Owner

Victoria will be speaking about the benefits of art for a child, as well as what our local 4Cats Arts Studio offers. A professional art studio for artists ages 2-15, they take inspiration from the works of famous artists. 4Cats kids create imaginative works using professional art materials.

Date: Thursday, June 9th

Event: Usborne Book Party

Guest Speaker: Julie Mitchell, Usborne Consultant

Julie believes that books are the most important tool that we can give children to prepare them for a successful, fulfilling life. She became an Usborne Consultant because she wanted to have a positive impact on the lives of children, families and communities across Canada. Join us for this fun party and check out the amazing books that Usborne offers! For Julie's personal website, click HERE.

Date: Thursday, June 16th

Topic: Yummy Mummy Makeovers...Style Secrets for New Moms

Guest Speaker: Joyce Lau, Founder of Yummy Mummy

Yummy Mummy Makeovers is an image consulting company that offers workshops & personal style sessions for busy moms. We take the frustration out of getting dressed by giving moms the confidence in knowing what works for them. By matching their outer appearance with who they are, it inspires moms with confidence to reach their goals and become stronger role models for their children.

Style Secrets for New Moms

Join us on Thursday June 16th from 11am-12pm at the Roundhouse Community Center and learn how to look polished & put together while balancing life and a baby.  Yummy Mummy Makeovers will be teaching us simple style skills that will make shopping a cinch.  Come and share your experiences and get expert tips on how to look great and feel fabulous.

Date: Thursday, June 23rd

Topic: TBD

Guest Speaker: TBD

Date: Thursday, June 30th

Topic: Sleep Training
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Garden, Registered Occupational Therapist, B.H.K., MClSc(OT), MSc.

Jennifer will be returning, so if you missed the last discussion,  join us for this month's session! She discusses a very important topic for mothers - sleep training strategies! She will also provide useful handouts and resources for your convenience. Jennifer is a registered occupational therapist and is working on a new website: www.sleepdreams.ca, which will be launched soon!

Sleep Training

On March 31st, we had a special guest speaker, Jennifer Garden (a registered occupational therapist from North Shore Occupational Therapy Inc) discuss the ever-important topic of Sleep Training.  Here are some helpful tips from that talk. We are posting it here for your convenience.

Jennifer Garden B.H.K., MCl. Sc. (OT), MSc. Registered Occupational Therapist jennifer@otvancouver.com

Five Areas to Promote Good Sleep Habits

Environment:

-          White noise is helpful to drown out background noise.

-          Some inexpensive solutions are to use a fan or put a radio on which is not set to a station (resulting in static noise)

-          Ensure your child’s room is at the proper temperature, recommendation is between 16 – 19 degrees Celcius.

Schedule:

-         Schedules help young children predict what is coming next thereby giving them a sense of security.

-         Respect your child’s cues for sleepiness e.g. rubbing ears, sucking thumb.

-         Keep naps and bedtime consistent.

-         Children from 0 – 6 months nap 3-4 times a day and 6 – 12 months 2 – 3 times a day and twice a day at 18 months. After 18 months, children ususally have one nap a day until approximately 3 years of age.

-          Set a regular time for bed each night and wake-up time each morning. Keep the time consistent between weekdays and weekends.

-          Establish a predictable and consistent bedtime routine of approximately ½ - 1 hr with calm activities, with the last part of the routine occurring in the child’s bedroom.

Physical Exercise:

-          Age appropriate activites (tummy time, signing songs, reading books, playing/exploring, walking, running, climbing, jumping, swimming, biking) develop excelent motor skils and also assist children with better sleep at naptime and during the night.  

-          Theory behind getting outside during daylight hours to do activities, e.g. going for a walk, is that exposure to daylight promotes better melitonin release at night for a better sleep.

-          Avoid sedentary activities e.g. watching television is not recommended for children under the age of two. Exposure to television is linked to attention disorders, irritability and aggression in young children. Research also indicates it may contribute to sleep problems.

Sensory Needs:

-          Sensory processing is a neurological process that organizes sensations from the body (touch, hearing, vision, smell, taste, movement, balance) and the environment to make it possible to achieve skills like eating, sleeping, playing, toilettting etc…

-          Investigate how your child calms themselves and help them achieve these skills independently.

-          Be aware of the sensory stimulation in your child’s envirionment prior to putting them to sleep.

-          Finally, research shows that if you allow your child to explore their sensory needs e.g. sucking thumb, rubbing head etc… independenly in their crib/bed they are better sleepers than children who’s parents assist by e.g. rocking, holding, bouncing child to sleep.

  Parenting Style:

-          Use of Adlerian Psychology is parenting with firmness (firm, age appropriate boundaries) and kindness at the same time. Demonstrating mutual respect among all family members and following through with natural and logical consequences. This type of parenting fosters confidence in children leading to better sleep habits (among other skills). It’s about modelling the behaviour you want to see in your children.

-          Use of social stories and picture schedules help toddlers better understand sleep schedules. 

How Long Should Your Child Sleep For?

 Results from study completed by Iglowstein et al (2003) reporting total (quiet time, which can be assumed as sleep) spent in bed during the daytime and night time at different ages. Numbers in + are reported as one standard deviation (e.g. representing 68% of population). Please note, at 1 month of age, data are variable and is approximated from curve on original study.

Age	Total sleep	Daytime	Night time
1 mo	14.5 + 1 hrs	6 + 1 hrs	variable
3 mo	14.5 +  1.5 hrs	5 + 1 hrs	10 + 1 hrs
6 mo	14.2 + 1.9 hrs	3.4 + 1.5 hrs	11 + 1.1 hrs
9 mo	13.9 + 1.7 hrs	2.8 + 1.2 hrs	11.2 + 1 hrs
12 mo	13.9 + 1.2 hrs	2.4 + 1.1 hrs	11.7 + 1 hrs
18 mo	13.6 + 1.2 hrs	2.0 + 0.7 hrs	11.6 + 0.9 hrs
2 yrs	13.2 + 1.2 hrs	1.8 + 0.5 hrs	11.5 + 0.9 hrs
3 yrs	12.5 + 1.1 hrs	1.7 + 0.4 hrs	11.4 + 0.8 hrs

Schedule - May

- Doors are open at 10:30 am 

- toys and play time for the kiddies prior to the speaker's arrival

Date: Thursday, May 5th 

Topic: Baby Food and Portion Control
Guest Speaker: Ali J. Chernoff, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition consultant
Ali wrote baby nutrition book "Good Food Baby" (www.goodfoodbaby.com) which will be available for purchase after the presentation. If anyone is interested in purchasing the book at the meet up they are $26.25 each and you can pay with cash.  Otherwise, the book could be purchased on a later date on her website or the children store called EIO on Cambie Street.

Date: Thursday, May 12th 

Event: Mother's Day Party

Nobody knows of the work it makes
To keep the home together.
Nobody knows of the steps it takes,
Nobody knows-but Mother. 

-Anonymous

Come join us for this very special occasion!  Lots of fun is in store for you, as well as prizes and giveaways!  There will be a photographer available, as well.

Note: A photographer will be available to take photos of you and your little one!  For $50, you can have a short photo session, CD with all the photos and (1) Photoshop edited picture of your choice!  Please email April Davies to reserve your spot or for more information: aprildavies78@gmail.com

Date: Thursday, May 19th 

Topic: Infant Programs

Guest Speaker: Theresa, Vancouver Society of Children's Centres

The Vancouver Society of Children’s Centres is a non-profit community based organization which has developed and delivered a range of licensed child care services and family resource programs since 1995. Our services are delivered out of a range of state of the art program centres in Downtown Vancouver.

Date: Thursday, May 26th

Topic: Emergency Preparedness (i.e. during an earthquake)

Guest Speaker: Jackie, Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP) of Vancouver

We have all witnessed the recent earthquakes in Japan, New Zealand, Haiti and Chile and have seen first hand the devastation caused by these earthquakes. Living in Vancouver, we too could be faced with a major earthquake, yet few of us take the necessary steps to ensure our families are prepared. This session will teach you how to be prepared for any emergency or disaster you may be faced with. You will learn personal and family preparedness, how to develop a family emergency plan, how to perform a home hazard hunt and how to prepare for your pets. 

My Sister’s Closet – A Social Enterprise of Battered Women’s Support Services
In our effort to support zero waste and eco fashion, we are solid members of the thrift movement, where women, men and children have access to beautiful new and thrift clothing.

Revenue generated from sales of clothing go into funding violence prevention and intervention services operated by Battered Women’s Support Services supporting over 8,000 women every year.

Our decision to free ourselves from the whims of government drove us to be in business to end violence against women.

Shopping and donating to My Sister’s Closet – Social Enterprise of Battered Women’s Support Services means you are directly assisting women and children who are living who are living with violence to find safety:

Crisis Line

Counselling

Legal Advocacy & Court Accompaniment

Support Groups

Workshops

Education

Information

Employment Services

Specialized support

Training

Youth Engagement in Violence Prevention

Volunteer Programs

Artisans and Women Designers

Zero.O.Lab – our in house brand

Visit us at 1092 Seymour Street at Helmcken in Vancouver, BC or call us at 604-687-0770


We're in business to end violence against women!

Quality Thrift & New Clothing
Featuring local designers and artisans

Shop, Donate, Participate

www.bwss.org

Schedule - April

- Doors are open at 10:30 am 

- toys and play time for the kiddies prior to the speaker's arrival

Date: Thursday, April 7

Time: 11:00 am to noon

Place: Room C

Topic: Moms & Networking

Guest Speaker: Christine Nielsen, Owner of momcafé Vancouver & North Shore

Christine Nielsen, regional owner of momcafé Vancouver and the North Shore, works full time as the coach and captain of an all-star home team made up of her husband and two young boys. A self-described “technology maven” Christine worked in the IT industry for ten years before delivering child 1.0 and two years later 2.0. Lucky to live on the North Shore, Christine is an avid snowboarder, cyclist and keen supporter of Team Finn and the Ride to Conquer Cancer. momcafé is dedicated to providing a supportive and encouraging environment in which moms seeking information, inspiration and balance in life can come together to share ideas and resources. Through meetings, seminars and internet-based communication tools, we bring positive and inspiring role models to speak to Moms. Our collective experiences and successes prove that the challenges of motherhood are no longer obstacles to having a fulfilling career, business, or community involvement. We hope momcafé brings a fresh perspective to the choices moms need to make for themselves and their families, because our vision is also simple; to have a positive impact on women’s lives.

Date: Thursday, April 14

No session


Date: Thursday, April 21

Time: 11:00 am to noon

Place: Room C

Topic: Car Seat Safety & Baby Travel

Guest Speaker: Shana Cherry, Co-Founder Wee Travel Baby

Wee Travel (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) launched in 2005 as Canada’s first full service baby equipment rental company. Their mission is to make it easy for parents to travel lighter by providing the full range of the latest hard-to-pack-can't-live-without baby gear and accoutrements. Equipment is safety inspected and sanitized prior to delivery, and is replaced regularly to ensure that customers receive the latest gear in new condition

Date: Thursday, April 28

Time: 11:00 am to noon

Place: Room C

Topic: Naturopathic Care for Babies

Guest Speaker:

Schedule - March

- Doors are open at 10:30 am - 




Date: March 3
Time: 11:00 am to noon
Place: Room C
Topic: Wills & Estate Planning Post-Baby
Guest Speaker: Joel Altman, Senior wills and estates lawyer




Join us on March 3, 2011 for an information session with Q&A on wills and estate planning post-baby. 


Now that baby is in the picture, we are faced with important legal considerations to ensure that baby will be protected if something should happen to mum and dad. 


Senior wills and estates lawyer Joel Altman [http://www.hammerco.net/partners_and_associates/jaltman.php] will be joining us to provide an overview of the issues, and to answer questions that you may have.  In order to make the most of the session, some things to think about and perhaps discuss with your spouse in advance are:


1) Who will be your child's guardian? 
2) Who will be the executor (administrator) of your estate? 
3) Who will the other beneficiaries (heirs) be?
4) Do you have alternates in mind, i.e. in the event that your first choices for guardian / beneficiaries / executor are unable to act as appointed, or to inherit?

Date: March 10

Time: 11:00 am to noon

Place: Room C

Topic: Baby & Mom Naturopathic Care

Guest Speaker: Dr Stephanie Palz, Sage Clinic


Join us on March 10 for a 30 minutes session on naturopathic care for baby and mom. An expactant mom herself, Dr. Palz will offer tips on teething and how to treat and prevent cold and flu symptoms.





Date: March 17

Time: 11:00 am to noon

Place: Room C

Topic: Photography & Baby

Guest Speaker: Elayne Wandler, owner and founder of Bopomo Pictures Studio

Elayne Wandler is the founder and owner of Bopomo Pictures, the popular Vancouver photography studio. The flagship studio, in Kitsilano, opened its doors in September 2006 and quickly attracted a loyal following thanks to a unique approach that combines convenience, affordability and fun with modern, high quality photography in a hip and child-friendly setting. Today, with the addition of a second outlet at The Shops at Morgan Crossing in South Surrey and a combined staff of 21 employees, Bopomo continues to grow throughout the lower mainland. 
“Bopomo has been the most exhilarating experience of my professional life,” she says. “Although my background helped prepare me to launch Bopomo, nothing in my previous jobs compares to the amount of work, challenges and rewards that come with running your own business. Along the way I’ve met a few truly inspiring people who helped me immensely. And hopefully I’ve done the same for others, because at the heart of any endeavour is the strength of the relationships that grow and thrive out of it.” 
 
Elayne lives in the Point Grey along with her husband and two children, and enjoys tennis, golf, gardening—and photography. www.bopomo.ca


Date: March 24

Time: 11:00 am to noon

Place: Room C

Topic: Baby Music

Guest Speaker: Katherine Deane, director and teacher of West Side Music Together


Here are some videos from our sessions with West Side Music Together:

Session #1

Session #2

Date: March 31 

Time: 11:00 am to noon
Place: Room C

Topic: Sleep Training

Guest Speaker: Jennifer Garden, Registered Occupational Therapist, Msc

Schedule - February

- Doors are open at 10:30 am - 

Date: February 3
Time: 11:00 am to noon
Place: Room C
Topic: Salsa Babies
Guest Speaker: Lara Leontowich
Note: Please bring a baby carrier, wear workout attire and comfortable shoes.

Bio:
Dance back into shape with the best little partner of all — your baby! With little ones snuggled into baby carriers, new moms learn basic steps to popular Latin dances, while babies shake maracas and bounce around to the Latin beat. Salsa Babies offers a great workout, and chance to socialize with other moms (mamacitas) and an opportunity to introduce one’s child to music and movement. Not to mention, it’s perfect for people who have always wanted to learn to dance, but could never convince their partner to take lessons! 

With the birth of her son Ayden in 2004, came the birth of her business, Runners and Booties Fitness www.runnersandbootiesfitness.com, a business geared at moms seeking both social interaction and a regular fitness regime. The concept was an instant hit, allowing women to interact with other moms and their babies, while simultaneously doing their bodies a favour. With a passion for fitness and previous background in dancing, Lara was excited with the opportunity to bring Salsa Babies to Vancouver and provide moms with even more options for getting in shape after baby.  

Date: February 10
Time: 11:00 am to noon
Place: Room C
Topic: Baby Gymnastics
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Hood, B.A., B.Ed., Director

Date: February 17
Time: 11:00 am to noon
Place: Room C
Topic: Yoga and Baby

Guest Speaker: Lori Lucas

Bio:
I was first introduced to Yoga in 1988, and over the years my love of Yoga has continued to grow. In 2003 I became certified in teaching Prenatal Yoga with Janice Clarfield, and then completed a 5 month Classical Hatha Yoga Teacher Training course at the Prana Yoga and Zen Centre in Vancouver, under the influence of Shakti Mhi and Bernie Clark. My studies included asanas, pranayama, history and philosophy of Yoga, anatomy and theory, voice and communication, 5 Tibetans, energy centres in the body, Kriyas, and building flows. I completed the Anatomy for Healers course at Langara College with Earl Core, and the Labour Support for Doulas course at Douglas College. I am a member of the Doula Services Association, and was an active Birthing Doula, attending births at B.C. Women's, St.Paul's and Royal Columbian Hospitals from 2002-2005. I studied Kids Yoga (levels 1 & 2) with Maalaa Lazar of the Yoga Tree, and have taken various workshops with many inspiring Teachers of different styles and backgrounds, both local and International. Some of them include: Jason Crandell, Sadie Nardini, Sarah Powers, Rodney Yee, Sara Ivanhoe, Martin Kirk, and Maria Garre.

Date: February 24

Time: 11:00 am to noon
Place: Room C
Topic: Financial Planning (life insurance, RESP, critical illness insurance)

Guest Speaker: Christine Etherington