Archive for the ‘Parenting’ Category
Toys for boys and girls
Sunday, January 10th, 2010 by tomonoWhy do boys like cars and girls like dolls?
I was reading this article http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200804/why-do-boys-and-girls-prefer-different-toys and when I looked at my son and neighbour’s granddaughters, Oscar was playing with his truck and girls were combing Oscar’s hair and feeding little dolls.
Are boys and girls preprogrammed to play with different kinds of toys? Oscar showed no interest in cars until a few weeks ago, but now he plays with them all the time.
He also gets very exchited to ride on bikes, trains and bullet trains while he was in Japan. Although he likes boys things, he also likes his mummy’s shoes… I wonder if he will get embarassed to see this post when he is older…
Oscar playing with bullet train
Oscar finds Thomas trains
Oscar arranging his cars
Oscar loves mummmy's shoes
Tomono x
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Childrens chopsticks
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 by tomonoHow did I learn how to use chopsticks? It might sound dangerous to give two sharp sticks to a little one, but it’s so natural for Japanese to teach children how to use chopsticks from an early age.
I was given these training chopsticks called ‘Edison’s chopsticks‘ but I haven’t made Oscar try using them yet. But while we were in Japan, he showed such a strong interest in using chopsticks and also loved being fed with chopsticks so I went into my cupboard and found them.
Oscar gets his first chopsticks
Still getting to grips with them!
They are training chopsticks for little one so they are connected at the top and have anti-slip grip at the bottom. They also have 3holes that thumb and 2nd and 3rd fingers should be in so that baby can hold them correctly.
"Tastes yummy with chopsticks!"
"Wonder if I can break them?"
In Japan some people are very critical about how you hold chopsticks. How you hold your chopsticks shows how you were raised. I personally think it is very important to teach table manner since at this ages so I hope Oscar will learn how to use chopsticks naturally.
Tomono x
Japanese baby weaning recipes
Thursday, November 26th, 2009 by tomonoHi,
I’ve been asked for some Japanese baby weaning recipes recently so I have decided to put some on the blog. They are all simple, healthy and delicious (at least Oscar thought so!).
Pumpkin potage
Ingredients:
30g pumpkin
2 tbs of formula milk
Method:
Remove skin and slice pumpkin quite thinly
Place on flat plate with a bit of water
Microwave for between 30 seconds to 2minutes (depending on your microwave)
Mix well with formula milk
Tofu & spinach
Ingredients:
Tofu
Spinach leaves
Method:
Boil tofu in boiling water for few a minutes
Wash spinach and boil just for a few seconds so they wilt
Put them in a blender and it’s all done!
Broccoli and rice
Ingredients:
Brocolli
Baby rice
Method:
Simmer rice for 30minutes till it becomes easy to mash.
Boil broccoli and then mash it and mix with rice.
Sweet potato mash
Ingredients:
Sweet potato
Method:
Wash and peel all skin
Slice and boil for 20mins in big pan
Drain the water and mash!
Please tell me some of your favourite baby weaning recipes! You can leave them in the comment box below.
Tomono x
Choosing a pram - there’s more to it than you think
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 by tomonoEvery mum has their preference for their first pram. Some like stylish ones, some like ones that can also be used as a car seat. The one I chose was Maclaren Techno XLR. Because I knew I wanted something light and also could be used from newborn period. I tested maybe around 50 prams but most of the ones for newborns were heavier than the XLR.
I personally wanted the one that Lulu Guiness collaborated on - you know the pink one. But Lewis refused to push such a girly pram so I had to let it go.
But don’t you agree that prams could be pink even if I was having a boy? Prams are a part of my accessory so it should be coordinated with my clothes? Or am I mad…?
Techno XLR was great and easily fit with my car boot and so compact when folded down. But when I traveled to Japan my pram seemed absolutely massive compared to mega compact Japanese ones. I could hardly shop around with that pram. They were not only compact but also really short and hard to push. I saw the TV program that is because usually the mum pushes the pram so they are now making prams a little bit taller. More dads are now helping to bring up children nowadays in Japan.
Probably many dads actually help bringing up children but for my mothers generation, it is often told that dads never changed nappies or helped at all.
Does your partner help much?
T xx
Food and babies
Friday, October 30th, 2009 by tomonoWe had a pot luck lunch party yesterday at one of my Japanese friend’s house. I can never leave Oscar when I want to concentrate on cooking so I decided to do slow cooked Chicken the previous night.
I always love chicken with bones and skin. So whenever my mum in low prepare roast chicken, she gives me all my favourite bits on my plate! Nibbling around bones must be such a shocking site for them but for us it is the best bit - with lots of collagen which is good for your skin.
Oscar is spoilt for choice at the pot luck party!
I stewed chicken legs with some ginger, garlic, konbu seaweed, onion and carrots for few hours in the evening. It smelled absolutely gorgeous and tasted good, too. To make little bit more party mood, I did Temaki Sushi (’hand-rolled’ sushi) where you can choose your own topping on the top of Seaweed and vinegary Sushi Rice.I prepared some radish pickle, tuna with Wasabi Mayonnaise, some bonito flakes, ocean sticks, fish eggs, smoked salmon and some cucumber.
My favourite Temaki Sushi was one with cucumber and smoke salmon with hint of Wasabi. The crunchiness of the cucumber and crispy seaweed is just the best combination ever.
What Japanese babies eat
Japanese babies often live on sticky Japanese rice. They love it but usually dislike vinegary Sushi rice , so please do not feel tempted to try this recipe for your baby! All I got from Oscar was yukky face and the daunting job afterwards of cleaning the floor and even walls of semi-dried sticky stubborn rice.
I’m sure every country has own baby weaning recipe, but this is one of the best gift I strongly recommend. 100% vegetable flake so easy to use for early stage of weening. Available in pumpkin, sweet corn, potato and carrot varities.
The first meal
Usually we are recommended to start weening around 6months but in Japan we have ceremony called Okuizome (Okui means ‘eat’ and zome means ‘first’) on 100th day after the birth.
Traditional first meal for babies in Japan
Sea Bream is often used for special occasions
This is a traditon to wish their healthy life always full filled with enough food rest of their life. Family members gather around the table and put teeny tiny bit of food on baby’s lip with chopsticks or just let them have a taste of soup.
Putting rice on Oscar's lips
Do you have any traditional ceremony in your country? I’m very curious!
Tomono x
A walk in the four seasons
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 by tomonoKonbanwa,
I think it is such an adventure to take your new born baby anywhere outside. After Oscar and I were discharged from hospital on a Friday night and we took our first trip to see the midwife on the following Saturday.
Whether it was my lack of sleep or just a new mum thing, I just took my wallet, mobile and pink lipgloss in my bag along with Oscar.
When we took off Oscar’s nappy to weigh him, of course he start weeing and it was going everywhere. For a few seconds, Lewis and I looked at each other as if to say “Did you bring any nappy or change of clothes?”. We hadn’t.
Luckily they had everything we needed there.
I had my parents, Lewis’ parents and Lewis at home for the first 3weeks but when they had all gone, it was such a task juggling with 24/7 attention seeking baby and all the housework. I had tons of laundry piling up and a crying baby. After my first Fairlie trip, I realized it takes ages to get ready and typically baby tends to get busy mums’ attention by having a smelly nappy just before setting off!
Never mind, no need to stress. I always told myself the first priority is this tiny baby - everything else can come second.
I usually take Oscar to the local park in a pram. It really helped him to fall asleep and getting fresh air with my peacefully sleeping baby was my favourite time of the day. That sleeping baby Oscar is now walking about. Loves looking for acorns and chasing squirrels and dogs. Every time he sees a dogs, he points it out very quickly and shouts “wan-wan” (dog in Japanese baby language) and scares them off.
- Spring picnic
- Summer with tatami matt to keep cool
- Autum playing with golden leaves
- Oscar warmly wrapped up for winter
If you have a little one, I definitely recommend wrapping your baby up snug and going for a nice long walk even in this cold weather!
Tomono x
Long flights with little babies
Monday, October 5th, 2009 by tomonoOscar was only 4months when we first took him on to a plane. I remember being worried about his ears popping. I heard swallowing something helps so I breastfed him during take off and landing. Luckily he didn’t suffer from it at all.
I spent months and months figuring out what would be essential to pack for a 3 month trip to Japan. Since it was a long trip, we needed a car seat, baby gym, sterilizer etc etc basically everything. And why is all baby stuff so bulky?
I also packed his pillow and toys for his little bassinet. I put his unwashed sheets and pillow to make him feel like home and it even looked like a proper bed! However, despite his comfy bed, he only slept for about 30mins of the 14hours flight. For the other 13.5hours he definitely made our arms stronger….. bless him.
Oscar 'not' sleeping in his bassinet
Some people worry if baby will sleep well or won’t cry much to disturb other passengers on the airplane. I think he slept well because of engine noise and all the vibration helped too. Also air conditioner noise mostly killed baby’s scream so it wasn’t bad as I expected.
Because it is so hot in Japan in summer, we slept most nights with mild air conditioner on and Oscar slept very well because of the white noise. I heard some people even record that noise to make baby sleep well. I read that noise is very comfortable for new born baby because it reminds her when she was in mummy’s womb. Amazon has lots of audio CDs with white noise sounds for babies too such as Soothing Sounds for Baby-Vol 1 (1 - 6 months)
My whole family was there to greet little Oscar and when we got home there was a lovely welcome sign, air-conditioned room, and a fresh futon were waiting for us. It took only a couple of days for Oscar to get over the 8hrs jet lag.
Lovely welcome to Japan message
Lewis and Oscar
Oscar in the pool
On the other hand when we came back to UK it took a whole month to get back into his routine. He used to wake up in the middle of night asking for a feed, and was wide awake for a few hours. So I definitely recommend taking your little one for holiday before she/he starts having routine!
Tomono x
Precious time with my little boy
Monday, September 28th, 2009 by tomonoI had the weekend off from my venture this week.
Lewis has been very supportive for a couple of months before we launched. I knew Oscar was having a fun with his dad, but I just couldn’t help feeling guilty not to able to spend enough time with him on weekends. So, I took him to the park on Saturday.
It was very fist time to see him walking in the park since he just started making little steps. He loved walking on the golden leaves and talking to the trees. It always amazes me how his world is full of new and exciting experiences. Everthing he sees, touches and feels is a wonderful new phenomenom.
Oscar wondering where to go next
Oscar speeding along the path
On a totally different topic, I have not been adventurous with his snacks so far. I usually give him healthy fruit and other organic snacks but when I gave him a Marie biscuits, which he used to receive at the playgroup called Boogie Woogie Babes, he got so excited to have that sweet biscuit taste again!
I wonder if he will ever go back to simple rice cakes…
Love
Tomono x
little help
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 by adminHelene from Sweden will be our Au pair for this summer! She seems such a lovely girl and we are looking forward to meeting her on Sunday!
I was talking about Au pair system to my Japanese girlfriends and they were astonished. Most of my Japanese friends with children are struglling with getting enough help from their busy workaholic hubbies. Japanese girls are petit but very tough. Making sure providing husband comfortable stay at home, doing all housework as well as looking after small chilren. Some of dads come home after midnight because of overtime. I’m not exaggerating at all, it is quite common. If my husband is like that and have no parents around, I’d go mad…..
I really appreciate how my husband is helpful towards to housework. He is also hard worker but he is balancing very well.
Well, while Helene is here, we would like to take this oppotunity to go out just two of us in the evening. I’m making the “To Do” list. Talking of going out, I see lots of couple going out without children if it’s evening or night occation. But in Japan, usually they take small chilren with them or mums stay at home with children. Babysitter is not very common either (besides their own parents).
It’s just different culture, but I like English way in this topics, and hope hard working Japanese mum could get little bit more help from hard working hubbies.
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"I am so happy that someone in England is making baby kimonos!!"
Zen, Cornwall
