Early Times - Spring 2012

 

NASA technology helps prevent mastitis

Breast Aid, innovative breast warming pads already widely used in Sweden and Australia, utilises NASA technology and uses a mother’s natural body heat, to help prevent and cure problems including mastitis, engorgement, blocked ducts and nipple vasospasm, making them a natural and environmentally responsible solution. They also provide fast and effective relief from hard, sore or lumpy breasts and can help with expressing and blocked ducts. They are also ideal for new mothers choosing not to breast feed and having to deal with milk reduction. Breast-Aid pads are available online from www.enviro-pod.co.uk

 

BEAG the Early Arts Team

Phase One has now started of the BEAG Early Arts Team 2012 visits to designated crèches in Cork City and County. The team consisting of a musician, a theatre artist and a visual artist will create a stimulating and creative community of inquiry between children, childcare workers and artists in childcare settings.  The Research element of the development of the project was conducted by Graffiti from January to July 2011 and was commissioned by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and the Cork Arts and Health Programme - HSE South. For more information call 021 4397111.

  

 

How about getting your children really excited about science? Hands on Science have developed a new workshop, aimed at our next generation of mad scientists that can come to your Montessori school or crèche. Hands on Science can work in small groups at the children’s level so everyone gets the thrill of being a real scientist. The children will be amazed by the chemical lava lamps and coke and Mentos geyser, let them feel the force of different strength magnets, they will love squeezing pipettes and making potions change colour and blowing bubbles bigger than their own heads!

All materials and equipment are provided to have a safe, fun visit that they will remember! For more information about having Hands on Science visit instead of going on a costly trip, call Siobhan on 087 9506527 or visit www.handsonscience.ie for more information and video clips.

 

Chickenpox can be worrying and distressing for parents

Happily, however, symptoms tend to be mild in young children and chickenpox usually runs its course without serious consequences. Before developing a rash, your child might have some flu-like symptoms, including: feeling sick, raised temperature or fever, loss of appetite, generally feeling unwell. A couple of days after these symptoms are noticed, a red rash appears, starting as small, itchy red spots that then become fluid-filled blisters which eventually scab over. The rash can occur anywhere on their body and face including behind their ears, on their scalp and even the soles of their feet. If you are at all worried, call your GP. Chickenpox is a virus so there is no cure for it. Your child’s immune system should deal with the virus over a few days and here are some practical tips for parents.

Virasoothe Chickenpox Relief Cooling Gel is a revolutionary new product specifically formulated and clinically proven to relieve the irritating symptoms of chickenpox. Virasoothe provides rapid cooling and soothing relief to the affected areas. This reduces the urge to scratch which allows the skin to heal more naturally, helping to reduce long term scarring. It is suitable for children over six months of age and can be applied to both body and face. Apply Virasoothe to break the itch, scratch, infection cycle.

Keep your child as cool as possible in light, loose clothing. Keep your child’s fingernails clean and short to prevent deep scratching and make sure your child drinks plenty of water. For children over 4, sugar free ice-lollies can help to lower temperature and provide fluids, as well as soothing a sore mouth. Avoid foods that may make the mouth sore (such as salty foods). Children with chickenpox are infectious from before the first spots appear until the last blister has scabbed over. To prevent further spread, children with chickenpox should be kept off school, creche or playgroup and you should keep your child away from people who have not had chickenpox, especially newborn babies, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system.

ViraSoothe is distributed by ClonMedica and is only available in pharmacies. Always read the label. For more information visit: www.itchi.ie

 

Little Kickers & Little Rugby top for Cork tots

Little Kickers was set up in the UK, and part of it’s Cork division is run by husband and wife team, Lynda and Denis Behan. Former Cork City FC and now Limerick FC front man Denis, and wife Lynda, had a vision to provide football classes for preschool children aged 2 to 5 years in Cork. With a motto of “play not push” they encourage children to learn sports through play rather than pushing them to become the stars of the future.

With child obesity on the rise, sports fields and safe outdoors environments in steep decline and a depressing lack of opportunities for youngsters to truly immerse themselves in sport, there’s a growing outcry for affordable, professionally run sports programmes like Little Kickers to give impressionable young minds that all-important first taste of sport, a fast-paced first introduction that official stats prove time and again to be pivotal in children adopting a more physically active outlook for life.

Little Kickers classes help children discover the rewards of regular structured physical exercise, laying the foundation for fit, active and healthy lives. Developed and consistently improved by FA qualified coaches and nursery schoolteachers, with ongoing input from child health specialists, Little Kickers introduces real football skills through exciting play group activities. Valuable concepts such as sharing, taking turns, teamwork and listening are incorporated in the activities. The classes also enable children to develop agility, co-ordination and balance and early learning concepts such as colours and numbers are gently introduced through football at a very young age.

Soccer not your cup?  Little Rugby is the sister company of Little Kickers and operates the same principles in terms of the Play not Push ethos. Pilot classes will be held in Cork during spring 2012. 

Junior Kickers and Junior Rugby are designed for children aged 2-3.5. By playing fun games that include specific actions and movements, children gain greater bodily control whilst simultaneously enhancing their blossoming balance, co-ordination and gross motor skills.

For Junior Kickers, basic ball mastery is harnessed via multi-directional dribbling and striking. In addition child interaction and cooperation is actively encouraged as our coaches seek to stimulate greater social skills, sharing and overall team play - giving our pre-school pupils the in-built confidence to step away from their parents/carers and stand proud on their own two trainers.

For Junior Rugby, using a rugby ball tailored to their size, elements of tag rugby are introduced, including holding onto the ball with two hands whilst running forwards, landing the ball for a try, and looking up whilst running with the ball.

Mighty Kickers and Mighty Rugby classes are for children aged 3.5-5. With more basic options now at their disposal our next task is to couple a child’s blossoming physical and social confidence with a greater grasp of how to read the game. Shielding, first touch play and defensive positioning are all classic examples of simple skills that over time will become second nature. Add to this memory improvement, problem solving and team awareness and a child will be quickly demonstrating all the hallmarks of a well-rounded individual with a wider appreciation of team play.

Irrespective of what part sport plays in your child’s future, Lynda and Denis honestly believe the capacity to participate in controlled play; to concentrate on instructions and visually assess a game will hold them in good stead for the future. All-important one-on-one tuition is instrumental in ensuring that even the shyest child soon feels part of their friendly pack!

Little Kickers classes take place at Leisureworld Bishoptown every Saturdays, and at Carrigtwohill Community Centre on Sundays. For information on Little Kickers, or for the new Little Rugby classes in Cork, please call Lynda or Denis on 021 4377216, and you can also email for details of classes and times to dbehan@littlekickers.ie or visit their website at www.littlekickers.ie

 

MAUREEN CULLINEY – A HELPING HAND FOR PARENTS

DON’T you wish there was someone who could help you when your baby just won’t stop crying? Well, the answers to your prayers has arrived in the form of maternity and sleep consultant Maureen Culliney who provides a trouble-shooting service for parents across the country.

A NNEB-trained nursery nurse, maternity nurse and sleep consultant, Maureen has many years’ experience working with children and babies of all ages in both Ireland and England.  Maureen is particularly expert in helping babies suffering from colic and reflux and travels nationwide to provide a personalised service in your own home.

She can also provide help and advice on breastfeeding, bottle feeding, nutrition, weaning and sleep and feeding routines.

One parent said: “We consider Maureen to be professional, knowledgeable and intelligent but at the same time warm, funny and caring and have no hesitation in recommending her to other parents.”

For more information, contact Maureen on 0877646577 or email maureenculliney@live.ie

 

Tiny Footprints

A new book written by parents about their experience of having a baby born prematurely, has recently been launched. The book has accounts from 80 families about their premature birth experience and includes some local stories from the Neonatal Intensive Care Baby Unit in UCH Galway. O’Brien’s Newsagents in Galway are selling the book without profit and all proceeds from book sales will go to the www.IrishPrematureBabies.com charity.

 

 A guide to weaning - join DAIRY DEN

The National Dairy Council invites you to join Dairy Den, the FREE club for mothers of very young children. The team of expert nutritionists has put together a range of practical, easy-to-read booklets and, it’s science-based and backed by the latest independent research. Beginning with the Guide to Weaning, which they’ll send out when your baby is four months old, it will be followed by a Guide to Nutrition for Toddlers when your child is two years old. The guides cover all the food groups and explain the importance of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients essential to a growing child’s health and wellbeing. To join the Dairy Den simply email www.ndc.ie dairyden@ndc.ie

 

Save your memories thanks to Tweekaboo

Cork based start-up company, Tweekaboo has just launched a new iPhone App that helps parents to keep a private digital diary of their children's lives using their phones and then share the memories securely with family and friends online. Check out http://www.tweekaboo.com or visit the App Store at

www.itunes.apple.com/kz/app/tweekaboo/id440682407

 

New pre-school board books in Irish from Futa Fata

Galway based Irish Language Publisher Futa Fata has a lovely range of new board books in Irish for pre-school children. The Baba agus Jeaic series of four books covers day to day activities such as Getting Dressed, At the Park, Yummy Food and Bath Time. They also have a series of beautifully illustrated paperback books about animals for age 4+ The Tá mé ag fás series includes Coileán, Ainmhithe Feirme, Coinín and Piusín. www.futafata.com 091-504612

 

Waterford Parent & Toddler Groups News

Parent & Toddler Groups are local social groups where young children and their parents/carers meet to play and socialise together usually one morning a week in venues accessible in a safe and secure environment. Each parent or carer is responsible for their own children at all times.

It gives children an opportunity to socially interact with other children and provides your child with a stepping stone to prepare them for joining a playgroup. It gives parents and carers a chance to socially interact with one another and meet others in similar circumstances, with access to information, training and social events.

If you would like to meet other parents/carers why not go along to one of the 17 Parent & Toddler Groups located around Waterford county? Groups generally meet around 10.30am/11am for an hour or so, and new parents/carers/residents are always welcome.

Parent & Toddler Groups are located in Ardmore, Ballyduff Upper and Lower, Ballymacarbry, Cappoquin, Clashmore, Dungarvan, Kilbrien, Tallow, Cul na Smear, Modeligo, Old Parish, Ring, Tramore, Stradbally, Portlaw, Lismore and Rathgormack.

Contact Waterford County Childcare Committee on 058 48024 for a detailed list of the meeting places, days and times that the Parent & Toddler groups meet. Childminders can also get free support and training from the Childcare Committee.

 

Need sleep?

Lucy Wolfe, Irelands’ only gentle sleep coach and certified Baby and Child sleep consultant promoting better sleeping habits for babies and children without using controlled crying or cry it out techniques. Lucy deals with children from six months to school going age, and with families that are experiencing interrupted sleep for whatever reason, helping them to gently unlock the child’s natural ability to sleep during the night and nap during the day. Private consultations and equally successful telephone/Skype consults are available for those not able to travel, and provide ongoing support, motivation and advice to succeed. Call 087 2683584 or visit www.sleepmatters.ie

 

EARLY TIMES CLASSES

LITTLE KICKERS & LITTLE RUGBY 021 4377216

Kinderama Cork 086 2446433

Gymboree Cork 087 7786358

Jo Jingles 021 437 5354

Wriggoleto 021 4776908

Mini Musos Waterford 086 3268061

Music Therapy Ireland 021 2340217

Playball Cork 087 9068203

Fitnuts Kerry 066 7192469

FitKids Cork 089 4390798/Kerry 083 1176473

FitKids Tipperary 087 6359046 /7680500/6148773

Baby Massage Ireland 086 1502136

Baby Massage Cork: Gillian Lee 021 4892996

Prenatal Yoga Cork 086 8580131

Unity Yoga Cork 086 3014428