Kindermusik with momstown Oakville

Thanks to the Performance School of  Music and Dance, we had another great kindermusik event for our momstown Oakville families.

 

This class was filled with action and exploring for our little ones as they played "peek a boo", smiled into mirrors, and ran & danced with scarves.

Every class taught by Miss Lorry from the Performance School of Music and Dance is different, and she's so great at making adjustments to suit the mood and energy level of the group!

Kids were giggling out loud, making new friends, and all went home ready for a nap! Thanks Miss Lorry!  We can't wait for next time!  To join momstown Oakville register for a FREE 4 week trial.  We offer opportunities in music and so much more.

Alphabet Play - B is for bunny!

Yesterday we got together for our Alphabet Play program, this program is great for kids of all ages!  Even new moms can bring their wee babes to hear the stories we read and the songs we sing.  Focusing on the letter "B" we talked bunnies, balloons, birthdays and barnyard animals!  After bee and bunny rhymes and everyone’s favourite Sleeping Bunnies song it was time to become official bunnies. Everyone made their own set of bunny ears.

Thank you to Sherri from Circle Time Parties for helping us learn all about the letter "B"!

Alphabet Play happens monthly at momstown Oakville, and is one of the top ten programs developed out of our program pillars which defines the curriculum we deliver on a monthly basis.  We've got plenty to keep you busy whether your a new mom or a mom with toddlers or preschoolers - or all of those!  Join us for a free trial to see why momstown is more than moms just getting together.

Our little Easter bunnies are now ready for our Easter Egg Hunt!  "C" you next time!

momstown: A Prescription for Mother's Health

This is amazing news to share.  Not just because I am the owner of a momstown chapter, but because helping women feel supported and empowered through motherhood is essential. I hope that this information leads more moms to momstown so that they don't just survive but thrive in motherhood.


The University of Waterloo conducted an independent study on momstown and found the following key findings.

1. momstown is a community builder
2. momstown facilitates matchmaking.  Mamas need help making friends too.
3. momstown provides needed support beyond the 1st baby shower. Second and third time moms are at a greater risk of isolation and postpartum depression.
4. momstown provides mental health support

Wow.  The first point is not that surprising, but the other three are key in understanding how momstown is more than moms just getting together. momstown's unique blend of online and in person interaction is key to providing the type of support that moms need.

FACT:  momstown improves mothers' mental health.

“momstown.ca had a significant impact on the mothers’ mental health, thereby suggesting women should receive “a prescription for friendship and fun” when they become mothers. The current research suggests social and community-based treatments for women with post-partum depression.”

FACT:  moms at risk of postpartum depression need peer to peer support

“20% of the (momstown members) women discussed formal diagnosis of PPD, while many others discussed self-diagnosis and negative emotions throughout the early experiences of motherhood. While a number of the women in the current study sought out professional help, they did not want to medicate nor did they “want to sit in a room with other mothers complaining about PPD.” Rather, they recognized the need for peer support from other moms in a similar situation.”

Both of those quotes are from the study, Cyber Mummies, Healthy Mummies: The Roles of Online Social Networking Sites in Mothers’ Health by Diana Parry, PhD, Caitlin Mulcahy and Troy Glover, PhD - University of Waterloo.

Once the study was complete, the researchers admitted to being surprised by what they found.  "We did not anticipate the responses being so overwhelmingly positive.  Previous research had indicated mothers groups could be sites for negative experiences for mothers, but participants in this study revealed very positive experiences with momstown.ca."  

We are working hard to get all this information out to moms everywhere! Thank you to the media who have helped us get the word out about how momstown can help.  Stay tuned for more links to media coverage.

Do you have story to share about how momstown has helped you?  We'd love to hear it!

momstown Oakville's Belly Trials

There has never been a better time to join momstown Oakville - check out our recent exciting news!

Here's how you join us:

Visit our website to register.  When asked "How did you hear about us?", enter "BellyPromo".  That's it!  You will then receive an email confirming your registration.

Take this opportunity to build your support network before your baby arrives and connect with other moms in your community.

If you have any questions, please email us!  We look forward to meeting you.

Art & Play: Sensory Fun!

momstown educational curriculum changes monthly. We learn and play each month based on the theme! Our theme for March was "my senses"! This has been a great month for our kids, and learning about senses involves so many great activities! We had a great morning at Dazzle Art.


Today at art & play, we let the kids do some exploring and creating on their own with some great material that were fun for our sense of touch! We had foam, cotton balls, pom poms, glitter, pipe cleaners and glue. The kids had a great time touching all the items, rolling them around in their little fingers and playing with them before deciding how to add them to their art. It was amazing as a parent to watch the imagination flow. I loved asking them about their project when they were done. We had someone who created a park, an animal, and a rainbow! The kids enjoyed the freedom to think about and create anything they wanted, and we loved to let them be creative while learning at the same time!



To learn more about other great sensory crafts you can do at home with your kids, check out momstown arts & crafts.
March is almost over, but we will have a whole new group of crafts and activities organized for April! To join us, register for a FREE 4 week trial.

Muffins!

momstown Oakville hosted our first muffin exchange and what a great success! Our moms were busy baking a huge assortment of muffins, both regular size and mini muffins.

This is such a great idea for stocking your freezer with healthy options.

Our moms arrived with their muffins and "exchanged" for so many varieties. Everyone went home with new muffins and some great recipes.

Our moms are always looking for a great excuse for a night out, so we planned this event in the evening as "moms night out". We enjoyed drinks, sampled some muffins, and had some great conversation!

Our next "mama meals" event is a Big Cook where we will be exchanging fully prepared freezer meals. What a perfect option for a busy night when you don't have time to cook. Want to join us for our next "moms night out"? momstown Oakville offers a FREE 4 week trial membership. You can check out what all the fun is about, come out and meet us at an event, and get to know us a little better on the message board. For information about a trial members, register now!

What a week!

It's been a busy and incredibly fun week for our momstown Oakville members. Not sure if it's the promise of spring weather (although we didn't really have a winter, did we?) but we've been out in full force!  Here's a look at some of the things we had going on.

MONDAY - We started the week with our monthly Art & Play program. This event is great for all ages and is often one of the first events new members attend. Kids can either climb and play on the toys and equipment at Dazzle or participate in our themed craft - or most actually do both!



After the kids were in bed, our mamas got together for our monthly book club. The book this time was The Birth House. Next month we'll be talking about The Secret Daughter.

TUESDAY - A Rubber Duckie swim and a playgroup were on tap for Tuesday morning. Our new members were welcomed with a Mama Meet and Greet event in the evening. We had great conversation over delicious treats! Conversation ranged from basic "get to know you" chit chat to stories about celebrity sightings, child care options and recommendations, the importance of girls nights out and much more! Welcome to our new members that came out!

WEDNESDAY - We had a fabulous guest speaker at our Baby Basics weekly group. Read more about what we learned with regards to finding quality child care in Oakville here.

THURSDAY - The weather mostly co-operated for our Sip n' Stroll event and we had lots of mama's out for a coffee and some exercise. As we move into spring, we'll have to add a reminder to put on the sunscreen!

FRIDAY - Discovery Field Trip! We headed to Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington for the Chocolate Exhibit. While my son was interested in how chocolate was made, he was also quite taken with the koi fish that he could get up close and personal with!




The little ones LOVED this larger than life box of chocolates. Okay...maybe the mom's were pretty impressed with it too! It was very hard to not eat chocolate after our visit today, so I decided I'd better stick with the theme and indulge.



Wondering what's coming up next week?  Check our calendar, we got lots of things lined up including The Baby Steps Fair (we are a proud sponsor!) which is taking place on Sunday, March 11th.  Our members get a $2 discount on admission.

There is no better time to join momstown Oakville! We've got a jam packed month ahead and we're offering a FREE 4 week trial. What are you waiting for? See you around the neighbourhood!

Finding Quality Child Care in Oakville

On Wednesday we had a representative from The Halton Resource Connection come and speak at our Baby Basics program about finding quality childcare.  Whether you are looking for full time or part time care, the information she provided to us was extremely helpful so I wanted to try and summarize some key points to share.


We received a handbook called "A Parents' Guide to Quality Child Care" which has a ton of valuable information in it.  It covers things like the differences between child care centres, licensed home care providers and independent home care providers.  It also provides lists of questions to ask when you are seeking child care.  There is also a section on the Quality First program which is a development model for quality improvement in child care centres.  Does your child care centre participate in the program?

We talked about the three types of programming philosophies that are used in different centres or home daycares.

Reggio Emilia
High Scope
Montessori

Deciding what programming is right for your child is completely up to you and all of them are great learning tools for children.

We also discussed the need for your child care provider to provide you with their policies and procedures guide (yes, even in an independent home care setting!) which should include things like their approach to discipline, illness policy, payment policy and their hours of operation.

Once you've selected child care, it's important to build a relationship with those people caring for your child. Clarify your expectations, share information, discuss your concerns and maintain the partnership.

The Halton Resource Connection can assist you in doing a search for appropriate childcare and are also happy to speak with you over the phone to further provide support.

I really like the daycare that my son has been attending.  I find they are open with communication, I can see that they are really invested in his well being and show lots of support and affection.  It's still hard to leave him there sometimes (he's been there for almost 2 years!) but I feel good in the choice we made for his child care.

It's a really tough decision to make and can be really stressful on both parents and kids in the beginning.  But most kids adjust to child care pretty quickly and you will soon have a fridge covered in art work they bring home and hear the names of new friends that they are excited to see.

Whatever you choose, as long as you are comfortable with it, then it's the right decision for your family!

momstown Oakville is more!

Our monthly newsletter went out today with some exciting news about momstown! We're proud to introduce our 6 Program Pillars which will help us continue to deliver mama support and fun while still focusing on the whole child, the complete family and early education.

While we love our playgroups, we also want to shout from the rooftops that we are so much MORE than that. The latest momstown moments blog really explains it very well, but in a nutshell, in addition to all the things you love about us, we've committed to bringing you more consistency and focus in our programming based on our 6 Program Pillars and through our top 10 events.

We are so excited to bring our mama's even MORE for the same membership price. Just $45 a year!  Join now for a FREE 4 week trial and see what all the excitement is about!

5 reasons I love Stroller Fit!

3rd baby? Don't worry, you'll lose all your baby weight so easily chasing 3 kids!
So, now I'm onto plan B.

My baby is 8 months old, and i've had no luck just losing the weight. So, I was looking for something to do, just to get active again, and start to feel better too.

Along came stroller fit! Mieka Forte from Clear Studio has been running stroller fit classes in Oakville.They are posted on the momstown calendar - and loads of fun.

As Mieka says "this ain't just a stroll in the park!"
I can't believe i never tried this before! I really love it.



Why do I love stroller fit so much? My top 5 reasons:

1. It's scheduled. So for me it requires a commitment (which is good). I know i need to be there at 10. So i am.

2. It's like having a personal trainer. Mieka pushes you harder than you can push yourself. Much better than being at the gym alone.

3. The great thing about this class is that it's geared to all fitness levels - you adjust what you do to suit your needs.

4. It's something fun for me to do with my baby. He giggles when i jog, and smiles at me when i do squats and push ups in front of him!

5. It's also just another great way for moms to get out of the house and meet other moms.

Oakville just happens to be a wonderful location for stroller fit. While i'm jogging, and exercising i can enjoy the scenery of life by the lake, as well as the much appreciated breeze, beautiful parks and trees.

Want to join me for stroller fit? Check out the momstown calendar with a free 2 week trial or momstown facebook fanpage. Mieka also has all the details on her facebook fanpage too.

I LOVE Summer!

This May long weekend, i feel like we finally got a little taste of summer 2011!

I love the smell of summer, the warm air, the long days. I especially love how summer makes my kids sleep! This was the scene by mid Saturday afternoon after several hours outside playing. My little 2 year old Issie went from sandbox to slide to pool to bug catching playing in the beautiful long weekend sunshine. She came inside for a quick break from the suns rays, and a snack. I cut up a few orange slices, and when i peaked around the corner to see how she was doing, this is what i found. I threw a blanket over her and she managed to stay in that exact position for 2 hours! Unheard of in the winter months. We live in a busy house: 3 kids, 2 dogs, and loads of visitors. None of the commotion seemed to disturb this wonderful nap. Momstown will have many outdoor activities planned for the summer, from park playgroups, to splash pad get togethers, picasso in the park, and swimming parties. Join us for some outdoor fun, and you might even get a minute to rest and put your feet up this summer!

Turkeys on the loose!

Gobble Gobble! Enjoy the Thanksgiving Weekend and all the feasts and festivities.

And just in case you haven't had enough by the time Tuesday rolls around, join us at the momstown Oakville Crafty Kids playgroup on Tuesday morning for momstown fall type crafts and adult chit chat, turkey, bats and maple leaves!!!

Don't worry, I never leave home without the wet wipes!! Make sure your little ones have their craft clothes on :)