Welcome to Mother and Sons...
Well since I am a mother bringing up 3 boys (1 is a stepson) I thought it would be wonderful to meet other mums alike and share stories/tips and ideas about how to raise our boys into wonderful men/fathers/husbands.
Mar 222010
Before my boys were born I imagined spending sunny afternoons in the backyard with my beautiful, well behaved children, painting, glueing, cutting, drawing and creating these amazing masterpieces.....
Well for any of you who have tried art for toddlers know that this vision quickly vanished within the first 30 seconds of my children reaching the paint pots!!!
However having an artist as a mother (plug for mum Mudpaitings) I was brought up with art/craft in my life and think it's a wonderful outlet for all children, so I was determine to bring to life my original vision in some form. Through many failed attempts I have developed some pretty fail proof steps to make Art for toddlers a pleasurable experience for all.
1) Plan ahead
It's really important to know what you are going to do with them and prepare what you need ahead of time. By this I mean don't sit them down at the table then stand around and think about what you are going to do with them, you would have already lost their interest and by the time you get the stuff out they are over it.
2) Set up designated area while Toddlers are distracted
I like to distract my toddlers with something else while I set up like morning tea. Otherwise I have too many "helpers". I try to mostly do art/craft outside with drop sheet down.
3) Cater for all kids
Make sure you have enough equipment for all kids so there is no fighting over brushes/glue sticks etc. set them out in a way each kid can easily access them.
4) Make sure wash cloths are prepared and close by
I like to have my clean up tools - wash cloths/buckets prepared before we begin and have them easily accessible as you never know when the activity is going to end
5) keep low expecatations
What I mean by this is don't think your children are going to sit there for a long time creating a master piece. In my experience the maximum time with children under 5 is 10 minutes. This however depends on your child. Archie my 3 year old could probably last 30minutes but with his 1 year old brother around it seems the limit is 10 minute some days we only get 5 minutes.
6) clean messy stuff first.
Clean up can often be where things come "unstuck" as some kids may still be trying to create and others are running around with a loaded paint brush. I guess my tips here is remove the things that cause the greatest mess first ie. the paints/glue then the messy hands then once you have the kids engaged in their next activity you can go back and clean the rest of the stuff.
I hope these few tips help you and your toddler enjoy the fantastic world of creating. Keep an eye out as I add more post with some great Art for toddler ideas!! In the meantime check out this fantastic blog Pink and Green Mama
Sonya
Hello Everyone,
Well it's been a long time between posts. As all of you understand, I have been busy with the kids, work, life and NAPPIES!!! In fact I started to punch numbers, perhaps not a wise move and discovered that In the last 3 years I have changed approx 5,475 nappies!!!! AND that's just for one kid add another 1,825 for Zac and then I had better minus a few for the times when the daycare or other loving relatives do the dreaded duty so we are looking at probably 6,000 nappies!!!!!!! OMG! then if we change that into minutes/hours/days spent changing nappies, now this I couldn't believe I have done my calculations over and over again as I was in shock. It works out to be (based on 1minute a nappy change - which is very generous considering I spend at least 3minutes trying to tackle Zac to the ground) it's 6000 minutes which is 100 hours!!!! which works out to be 4.16days spent changing nappies!!!!
....Anyway I digress. What I really want to say today was that I have put some thought into this website. I set this up for two main reasons:
1) To set up an online store selling the fantastic products that I have come across and truly believe are wonderful for mums. Also to sell things that are great for little boys.
2) Telling my story. I have learnt so much from listening and learning from other mums stories that I thought maybe in some small way by hearing my story other mums out there may feel comforted knowing they are not alone.
Now the first reason got me stumped and it hasn't been as easy as I thought which is why there has been a delay in posts. However the second reason has always been there and what I have decided to do is focus on this and start posting more often. I'll Chose a topic as they appear in my life and letting you know about my experience.
So I hope to see you dropping by more often, would love comments but I know now that we are all busy and that all though you may read it maybe hard to find the time to comment.
Until next time, remember happiness comes from looking at what you have not what you don't have. (I'm trying to remind myself this every day)
Sonya
Jul 072010
Hi Everyone,
Now is your chance. There is obviously a need for mothers of sons to have a website dedicated to them. What we need to do now is identify what it is you want from this site. I would love to have some feedback so that we can make this the place for you!!! Leave a comment below or answer this poll:
Regards Sonya
How to take photos of little boys (and the occasional little girl!)
Hi, my name is Lauren Walker, from Tiger Lily Photography - im a family portrait photographer, based in Sydney, and working all over NSW. I take photos of kids of all ages – from squishy newborn babies to smiling 6 month old sitting up for the first time; from 1 year olds learning to walk to 2 year olds learning to say no; from 3 year olds exploring the world to five year olds telling me what to do; and from 6 year olds who just want to please, to 12 year olds who are just ‘too cool’.... and every age inbetween!
Im also the mother of a 16 month old little boy, who is starting to get very determined, runs when he sees the camera – so I know a lot about the word NO!
Here are a few tips to get the best out of photographing your kids.... J
* Play Silly Buggers. This ‘game’ will depend on your kids age, but often I try tickling and playing ‘peek-a-boo’ with the kids first. Or asking them to find Thomas or Dora in the camera. In the photo below I pretended I was sneezing.... little Zac here wouldn’t stop laughing at me!
* Let there be light... natural light. Take your kids outside, turn the flash off your camera, and position your kids so they’re not looking into the sun (to avoid squinting, and to get some gorgeous backlighting). If outdoors isn’t an option, open the blinds and let some lovely natural light into your house.
* Props, Props, Props. When kids are occupied, they’re normally really still (or at least not running around as much), and therefore easier to photograph. You won’t necessarily get photos of your child looking at the camera, but often they’re the best photos – see below.
* The closer the better. Some of the best photos of children are the ones where the camera has zoomed right in, and focused on the childs eyes (or eye lids, in the below photo!). And, as you can see from the photo below, even when they’re throwing a tantrum, it can be super cute!
* The rule of thirds. A classic photography ‘rule’, but basically it means don’t always centre your child in the photo – try moving the camera so your child is to one side. These photos always look terrific blown up really big – a lovely lounge room canvas even!
* Belly Baby. As soon as a baby is happy on his or her belly, and starts to lift their head, get the camera ready! This is such a gorgeous age, and not one to miss!
* Get Down. As kids are little, you sometimes need to get down to their level. Lay on the floor, so you’re eye to eye to each other (tip – this one is good exercise, as kids often get up and run when you least expect it!)
* Family Time. For family photos, try positioning your family where you want them to be, shoot a few frames, and when you’re happy, set your camera to your timer setting, and jump in there. Or call me….. please mention this article for 10% off your session fee J
Happy Shooting!
Lauren Walker
Tiger Lily Photography: Simple, Beautiful Photography
m. 0416 006 779
p: 02 8824 7895
f: 02 8824 6266
e. lauren@tigerlilyphotography.com....au
w. www.tigerlilyphotography.com.au
b. www.tigerlilyphotography.com.au/blog
f. www.facebook.com/tigerlilyphotography ** become a fan! **
May 102010
I hope you all had a wonderful mothers day. I feel so privelaged to have these boys in my life- as batty as they send me sometimes it truly is a miracle watching them grow before my eyes. A special thankyou to my mum who i am lucky to still have with me. She is my role model and my best friend xx
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