Tips for swimming with a toddler

Swimming is a survival skill to be learned. I enrolled my toddler to a swimming class. What was great about these classes was that the instructor was playing games with the kids. The children had to collect penguins, colorful blocks, ducks and balls floating in the pool and bring them back.

For the first few classes, my child hung to me like a monkey. I had to find a way to let him float on his own. I used the approach of gradually detaching myself physically from him for each class.

Steps

1. In my arms

2. Hold by my arms

3. No contact but physically close.

15 books for car loving toddlers

My toddler enjoys reading books about trucks, tractors and cars. In order to nurture his interest, I did some research online and found the following books :

1. First 100 Stickers: Trucks and Things That Go: Sticker book, with Over 500 stickers

2. Tabbed Board Books: My First Trucks and Diggers: Let's Get Driving!

3. 1000 Things That Go

4. Three Cheers for Kid McGear!

5. Construction Site Mission: Demolition!

6. Construction Site: Road Crew, Coming Through!

7. Big Frank's Fire Truck

8. Little Blue Truck Leads the Way

9. My Big Wimmelbook—Cars and Things That Go

10. My Big Wimmelbook—At the Construction Site

11. Digger, Dozer, Dumper

12. Construction Alphabet

13. Lift-the-Flap Tab: Trucks

14. Slide and Find - Trucks

15. Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?

Tips for skiing with a toddler

Our winters in Montreal last about 3.5 months. As you may already know, toddlers have tons of energy. I couldn't imagine staying home on weekends with an active toddler. Then I got the idea to take him skiing. It would be great to spend some time outside and burn off some of his energy.

I learned to ski with friends in my early twenties. I am no expert. I mainly skied on green and blue slopes. I hesitated between teaching myself or enrolling Elliot in group lessons. Unfortunately, he did not meet the 3 years age requirement for snow schools in the area.

How was I going to show him how to ski?

Please find below some tips for the parent who will be accompanying the toddler in learning to ski.

1. Read the book Ski Tips for Kids: Fun Instructional Techniques With Cartoons. It breaks down the basics of teaching kids to ski into eye-catching cartoons.

2. Buy an edgie wedgie so that the skis do not cross paths and help with the pizza slice-shaped wedge for speed control.

3. Buy a slope ropes. It acts as a harness without all the clips, clasps or straps to put on and take off.

Then, you will be ready for this new adventure.

Before 3 years old, a skiing session might last anywhere between 5-30 minutes. It can be very frustrating when your child tells you that he or she is done after one run on the school slope. It will happen. Take a deep breath and respect his or her decision. It is better to keep them interested than to make them dislike the activity.