Many children love to be nurtured by their parents with a little back rub. It feels good and mom’s or dad’s attention is the icing on the cake.

“Back rubs can be a wonderful part of a bedtime or naptime routine, but can also be fun during playtime”, says massage therapist and author Martine Groeneveld. “Combined with stories, rhymes and games, it’s a wonderful way for parents to cherish their child with magical, loving touch and undivided attention”.

A little back rub goes a long way. Nurturing touch during early childhood is proven to be beneficial for healthy child development. Research shows that it’s crucial for interpersonal communications, cognitive and emotional development, brain growth, establishing first (and future) relationships, healthy body image development and for reducing childhood (and future adult) aggression.

Pretty amazing to stimulate all this development with a simple and fun back rub!

Below are some examples of cute back rubs to engage your child in. Always check in with your child if it feels good.

GUESS THE ANIMAL

With your fingers, draw an animal on your child’s back. When you’re finished, let him guess what it is. If he doesn’t know, teach him to ask questions like, “Where does it live?” or “What sound does it make?” or “What color is it?” He’ll probably want you to do another one!

Tips:

You can play the same game with shapes, numbers and letters. Say the number or letter that follows or precedes the one you’re stroking on his back, for example: “This letter comes after D” or this is the number that comes before 10″ or “This is the letter between M and O.” Based on your child’s stage of development, you can make it harder or easier for him to guess.

THIS PIGGY WENT TO…….

Walk with your fingers up the back as you say “This little piggy went to…..”
As you stroke down with your whole hand, let your child fill in the blank with a place or person in her mind. For example: “This little piggy went to…..the zoo!” Or “This little piggy went to a playdate with…..?”

MAGIC PAINTING
(It’s magic, because you can’t see it!)

This is an imaginative game with lots of variations. Ask your child what he would like to have painted on his back. A tiger? A castle? Maybe he’d like to have a masterpiece painted on his back! Pretend your hand is a magic paintbrush. Dip it in your magic paint and paint your child’s back with your hands and fingertips. Stroke gently while you create a magical painting. You can also let your child guess what you’re painting while you mention the colors that you’re using.

Tip:
Your child might want to paint your back as well!

MARTINE GROENEVELD is a registered nurse, licensed massage therapist, certified infant massage instructor and the author of Mommy, Draw Stars on My Tummy: Rhymes, Songs and Touch-Play Activities to Stay Connected. A native of Holland, Martine holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and psychology and a National Certification in Massage Therapy.

Buy Mommy, Draw Stars on My Tummy

For more information, visit http://www.mommydrawstarsonmytummy.com

I have been getting an overwhelming amount of requests for quick and easy meals for toddlers. In response to this I have created a brand new site, Easy Toddler Meals.

Easy Toddler Meals provides kid approved breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas as well as nutritional information especially for toddlers.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Join the free mailing list and get 10 Yummy Toddler Smoothie Recipes.

www.EasyToddlerMeals.com

Feel free to submit your favorite toddler meals!

I just stumbled across a great menu planning site called Menu in a Box – 100 day Meal Planning Kit.

The 20 week meal plan was created by a mom with 2 kids under 2. All the meals are fast, and family friendly. Best of all you not only get 20 weeks worth of dinners, but also shopping lists for each one of those weeks.

Save money, and get organized this year with weekly menus that your whole family will enjoy.

Check out Menu in a Box

Life with toddlers can be very hectic, and one way to simplify things, especially at meal time, it to start Meal Planning.

Meal planning can seem time consuming, I mean, who has time to sit down to find recipes, make a menu plan and the grocery list to go along with it? Luckily, there is an easier answer and that is The Menu Mom!

The Menu Mom has done all the hard work for you, compiling recipes and creating printable shopping lists. All you have to do is click print and you’re set to feed your family for an entire week.

Don’t spend anymore time stuck in the kitchen, missing out on some fun with your toddler, or wasting anymore money on fast-food.

Let the Menu Mom handle your meal planning for you.

Get started right away with a Free Meal Plan and Shopping List!

When I was a little girl I remember getting SO excited over my mother making Shake & Bake Chicken or Pork Chops. Maybe it was those commercials? Do you remember those? LOL Anyway, Shake and Bake is actually not a staple in our house and it is actually something I totally forgot about until I saw a buy 1 get 1 free coupon in our Sunday paper.

Sure enough I got the 2 boxes and now I remember why I LOVED this stuff so much as a kid…it is REALLY good!

Luckily, my little girl is at that age where she can actually help by shaking the bag, which also brought back memories of me shaking the stuff up as a child…crazy huh?

So today’s Toddler Meal Monday is simple Shake & Bake Chicken.

What you’ll Need:

1 Box Shake & Bake (or similar brand)

1lb Chicken Breast Tenders

1 Can Green Beans

This stuff is so simple you just moisten your defrosted chicken fingers with water, place in bag, and have your little one shake it up. Place the coated chicken on baking sheet or broiler pan and bake as directed. The tenders do not take long at all to cook. Meanwhile open you can of green beans as heat as desired. Really this meal takes about 20 minutes and is delicious. Your toddler will eat it up for lunch. For dinner, I like to add some yellow rice to make up a meal.

This Shake & Bake method is much healthier than your fried chicken tenders, or processed frozen ones you find in the store…and much better tasting too!

Feeding your toddler can really be a stressful thing..and really it shouldn’t be! I know as a work at home mom I struggle every other day in feeding my little one a healthy meal that she will enjoy (especially for lunch). I think the problem is we get into a routine of making chicken nuggets and tater tots way too often, and neglect other much healthier food groups because they seem harder to prepare, or our toddler just may not like them…so we make whats quick, and something they will eat.

Each week I am setting out to make a new meal for my toddler that is healthy and hopefully, something she will love to eat

This weeks meal is: Yummy Fruit and Yogurt!

As simple as it is, this is one meal my daughter loves to eat up, but I often forget all about it. There a couple great things about Yummy Fruit & Yogurt.

1. Easy and quick to make

2. Inexpensive (Get yogurt & fruit on sale)

3. Healthy

4. Can be made as a breakfast, lunch, or snack

5. Mommy likes it too!

For lunch I whip up this meal in about 2 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Yogurt (Any flavor your toddler likes)

2. 3 or 4 strawberries halved

3. 1 Half Banana (or whole if you will be enjoying some too!)

Simply mix the yogurt, strawberries, and banana up in a bowl and serve

For lunch I would also serve this with a half sandwich of peanut butter on wheat.

This is an extra large serving below (enough for 2 to share)

My toddler LOVES this and this is a great way to get some extra fruits in their diet.

Enjoy!

Now that the New Year is here I know I am trying to get everything organized and have some new resolutions I’d like to get in place. One of them is getting a nice weekly meal plan together for my toddler.

I just got a 3 month subscription to Dine Without Whine to get our family dinners together and I am going to also sign up for Kid Approved Meals to get our breakfast and lunches together.

Meal Planning in the New Year is now going to be a breeze!

I encourage you to sign up for either of these meal planning services, the small price you will pay will more than make up for the stressing out and time you’ll save!

Happy New Year Moms!

Since I am a work at home mom, I am here all day with my daughter. Meal time around here seems to be the same old frozen waffles for breakfast, and chicken nuggets or hot dogs for lunch, day after day. In a toddler world this might taste good, but really, it isn’t very nutritious, and I am the one to blame.

Luckily, my online friend Christine of Dine Without Whine introduced me to Kid Approved Meals. Kid Approved Meals provides you with a daily meal plan for 13 weeks and the shopping list and recipes to go along with it.

These are great tasting breakfasts and lunches that toddlers and older kids will love!

This kind of thing is perfect for the stay at home mom, work at home mom, or just the mom on the go that needs quick, nutritious meals for their children.

Check out Kid Approved Meals

When you have toddlers running around the house, meal planning is often the last thing you have on your mind. I think a lot of us mothers really have no clue how to actually “meal plan”.

Meal planning can save time and money though, and I know those are two things that moms love!

Beyond saving time and money there are some other great reasons for meal planning.

By planning your meals and doing your shopping ahead of time, it’s easier to make sure your family eats healthy and balanced meals. It’s too easy to reach for the phone and order a pizza when your fridge is empty.

Here are Some Tips to Make Meal Planning Easy:

First, look through your pantry and cupboards and make a mental note of what you have. The see if there are any foods you can use to plan your family’s meals around. For example if you have pasta or rice then create a couple of meals including those staples. I often make a list of the things I do have and bring it with me to the store. This way I can use what I have to make new meals (less product to buy) and I don’t rebuy what I already have (something I do often).

Sit down and plan your week’s menu. Write down each dinner and remember to make allowances for days you don’t have a lot of time or get home late. If you know ahead of time Tuesdays are stressful then plan something pretty simple to make for that day or even make double on Monday and save the leftovers for Tuesday. You can vary the meal by changing one or two things around.

Although going to the supermarket once a week is a good way to save time and avoid overspending, it may not always be possible for all items. If you buy a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables you may want to only include half a week’s worth of items on your list and make a second quick trip during the week for the rest. Just stick to the produce isle to avoid temptations.

When planning your list think of meals that are both nutritious but frugal. Casseroles, stews and pasta dishes can be quite inexpensive and also easy to prepare. To save money, include one or two vegetarian meals a week. You can make a nutritious meat-free chili or cheesy pasta bake. Tuna is another great frugal food you can add to pasta or rice dishes.

When you’re buying your vegetables plan your meals around them to avoid wasting food. Say you buy a bag of carrots then try to include carrots in several dinners or use them for snacks to avoid ending up with a fridge full of expired produce at the end of the week.

Think ahead and use your freezer. If you’re making something that freezes well like spaghetti sauce, a stew or casserole make double and freeze the second portion for those days where you just don’t have any time to cook. Also get a Food Saver. I can’t tell you how much money this has saved me!

Finally, don’t forget to stick your menu on your fridge or other prominent place and plan ahead every day. If you’re making a crock pot stew you can cut the veggies the night before and add them to your crock pot in the morning. Leave your meat thawing in the fridge during the day and leave the items for the evening’s dinner out so that you can easily start cooking once you get in.

I also check the Sundy ads for coupons for the products I am buying. This really saves a lot in the long run.

If even after these helpful meal planning tips, you find yourself too busy check out

Dine Without Whine – A Family Friendly Weeky Menu Planner