Daily Minnesota ~ Wordfilled Wednesday

I couldn't help but stop by and share this (Never) wordless Wednesday post. Yesterday I got to meet some mama's that I have 'known' through a mommy message board since I was pregnant. I had a blast, and even picked up this shirt for Squishy. We may be in MN but Daddy and Squishy are still Packer's fans!

I am so happy to be spending the first day of my last year as a 20-something with my family. The only way this could be any better is if my Hubs were here with us. A birthday hug from him would mean the world to me.

Squish has learned several new Baby-signs while being here in MN. He can now do thank you, eat, more, hat, shoe, all done, milk, train, and TOUCHDOWN!!

Is it time for the touchdown sign yet??

Mama, you forgot my cheese-head!

Let's go already, I'm ready to watch the game!

Also, I just wanted to share that today is the kick off for Blog For a Cause. I have joined in this group writing community designed to bring attention to causes near and dear to our hearts. Each month two causes will be chosen. You can chose to write about them and link up with all the other bloggers who do, or simple just read some wonderful posts about these events. To find out more, check out Nirvana Mama, our host for this meme. Look for my posts later this month.

Toddler Talk Thursday ~ Week 5 (TV/Movies)

Welcome to the fifth week of Toddler Talk Thursday! Where Family and Life in Las Vegas, Crazy about my Baybah, and My Life as a Sippy Cup Mom talk all things Toddler!
Toddler Talk Thursday was created as a place for moms and dads of toddlers to come together over a weekly topic and share ideas, go-to toys, or products. It is a great way to meet other bloggers of toddlers. Each week the topic will be different; we invite you to link up, share your weekly Toddler Talk!!

We are adding something new to Toddler Talk this week.
Each week the hosts will travel around to each blog that links up, and pick an idea, story, or picture they think was a great example of that weeks topic. In order to qualify for this you need to blog about this week's topic, and follow the hosts. Comments letting us know you are participating are always great too. If we choose your blog, we will link back to your post the following week.

This week's topic is: Toddler TV and Movies

TV can be pretty hot button topic among parenting circles. No matter what kind of parenting you practice, or choices you make, my bottom line is this; Your baby, your choice. If you choose (and we do) to allow your child to watch TV, and you are actively participating in watching it, and you control what they watch and how long they watch it, I personally don't see the harm. Here are a couple reasons why I personally will allow TV in this house.

One big reason for that is my Hubs is currently deployed. I tend to alternate quiet, TV, and Music. There is no way that I could personally keep it off all day. There are days when we just don’t make it out of the house; this means that there are some days when I have little to no interaction at all with adults. I like to keep the TV on channels like the Food Network, HGTV, and PBS so that I can at least hear an adult conversation.

Another thing is that sometimes mama needs a break. And now and then for short periods at a time, they pros outweigh the cons for me to let Squishy watch shows. Even when I am doing things around the house, I am still watching and talking to him through out the time he is in front of the TV.

I feel like some TV can be educational, and used as a learning tool. Some of the things I do to make TV interactive, is to get involved. I ask him questions about what he is seeing. I do his baby signs with him. We may read a book that has a similar theme later. I personally don’t believe in just plopping him down in front of the TV and watching whatever. I try to pick shows that are educational, interactive, and are directly related to things he loves right now. We also watch shorter blocks of TV at a time. If I feel like he is totally zoning into a show, I will switch it to music. I have no problem with utilizing TV as a learning tool.

Finally Let's face it, TV can be a temporary distraction. There have been times (more so now as we bulldoze into the Toddler years) that Squish is just having a bad day. We have tried books, listened to music, gotten out of the house, and nothing works. If I put on one of his signing videos - insta-calm. Honestly, it helps both of us to relax for a few minutes and regain a few minutes of sanity.

So what is Squishy watching??

TV:

Sesame Street is a favorite here – an oldie but a goodie. I like that they have the show broken up in to multiple sections.
Nina and Star on Sprout – Squish LOVES Nina. (To be fair he loves all his ladies!) They do signing, singing, and many other things Squish likes. This is also broken into shorter segments so he isn’t watching a huge block of TV.
The Wiggles is another favorite (despite mama’s personal feelings about grown men in weird outfits…:p) Squish loves to dance. The creative color, songs, and costumes are right up his alley.

Movies:
The movies we watch are mostly baby signing movies that I rent at the library. Squishes signing vocabulary has easily tripled since watching these videos. This has led to him being able to communicate better with me when he wants something. Some are better than others, but they are all enjoyed by my Squishy Baby-Signer!

(Please excuse the mess that comes with a Tornado also known as Squishy!)

Link Up Suggestions

1. We ask that you follow all three hosts. That way you can keep up to date on future Toddler Talks.
2. Please grab the Toddler Talk Button and display it in your post or on your blog.
3. Stop in to other blogs that are linking up. Leave a meaningful comment if you visit, and follow if you would like.
4. This link up is for families that have toddlers. Raising a toddler can be fun, crazy, exciting, and exhausting. Sharing what works for you could give other families another way to do things.

Have Fun! - Next weeks topic will be Music!