Blooming Baby Jamaica Magazine Issue 5

ISSUE 5 JULY 2021

MAGAZINE BEST SUMMER BABY CONTEST

WILD AND FREE

TRIP TO HOPE ZOO KINGSTON

What you can do for fun with your babies without paying a huge fee

CREATING PORTRAITS Cherishing your Babies' BIG moments with Little Memories Photography

START SCRAPBOOKING

WWW.BLOOMINGBABYJAMAICA.COM

Here's what

awaits you!

06

08

Helping your Blooming Baby to reach her fullest potential

29

How to make homemade baby food

19 The newest and one of the best attractions

33

Celebrating birthdays from April to July

Taking the child health clinic to you

WWW.BLOOMINGBABYJAMAICA.COM | JULY ISSUE 5

37 An EZ recipe for those Little Chefs

I'm especially excited about this summer edition of this our quarterly magazine. It's already issue 5 and it seems like just yesterday that this content sharing project got started.

I really want to thank all contributors for this publication, and I must point out our proud parents who are always so happy to share those super cute photos of their Blooming Babies.

I am really grateful for the opportunity to raise 2 little ones myself. They truly give me so much inspiration and I thank God for them and my family. Summer brings so much sunshine and lots to bask in, and I hope that this magazine issue will deliver something similar, as it sheds some more light on how you can keep those babies blooming!

e enaidChief ZFounder/ Editor

on our cover Blooming Baby Zhayn is a happy 1 for his 1st birthday photoshoot with Little Memories Photography, on July 1, 2021.

pg. 27 pg. 20

pg. 15 pg. 23

pg. 25

Issue 05 July 2021

MAGAZINE

876-831-0796

Blooming Baby Jamaica is an establishing baby and family brand that focuses on four facets for its functioning- content creation, event execution, product development and charity involvement.

We are also being repositioned as a social enterprise that is currently using social media to reach our audience, generate revenue and positively impact families and communities.

Call our founder and Projects Manager at 1-876-831-0796 to find out how you can partner with us!

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BLOOMING BABY AND FAMILY BRAND AT:

www.bloomingbabyjamaica.com

Nourish. Cherish. Flourish HELPING YOUR BLOOMING BABY TO REACH HER FULLEST POTENTIAL

There are many things involved in nurturing babies in order to ensure that become the best

seeds that begin to grow and continue to undergo growth until they start shooting and

then produces ripened fruits.

For us as parents, the water and sunlight that we need to

they can be. By making a comparison to how flowers bloom and how trees start bearing fruit, we get to easily understand and appreciate the

leaves appear then blossoms and fruits. While this process happens naturally, it does require the right contributing factors to move from the stage

provide for our child's optimal growth would represented by proper nutrition, positive interactions, protection, fair discipline, education and lots of

fact that children are like plants.

They start off as little

of sprout or seeding to a budding, flowering plant that

tender love and care; then they will bloom!

KEEP THEM

Blooming

@bloomingbabyja

CHILD NUTRITION If you are interested in preparing your own baby food but find the idea daunting, start with just a few homemade items. Mashing a very ripe avocado or banana is a good place to begin. After your baby responds well, you can try preparing nutrient-rich foods that might not be as common in the baby food aisle, such as beets, broccoli, turnips, asparagus, spinach, blueberries, kale, mango and papaya. Just be sure to mash or puree the foods for your baby and serve only one new single ingredient food at a time.

Use items that are in season or foods that you’re preparing for the rest of the family, but without the added sugars, salt and seasonings.

Everyone in the family will get to enjoy the same nutritious foods, which will save you time and effort.

Above Homemade semi-solid baby foods made from local fruits and vegetables..

Be vigilant about sanitation. Use only wellscrubbed and washed produce, clean hands, utensils, cutting boards and countertops.

Preparing homemade baby food requires extra care to keep baby's food safe and to retain the nutrients from fresh foods. After you've prepared the food, either serve it or refrigerate it right away. Keep homemade baby food in a covered container for one or two days in the refrigerator or one to two months in the freezer with a label and date.

Small portions served in separate dishes are ideal because any food that was served, but not eaten, must be thrown out. Bacteria thrive in the mouth, so if a spoon goes into the baby's mouth and then touches the food, that food should not be saved for later.

HOW TO

MAKE

HOMEMADE

BABY FOOD

Source eatright.org

CARES "Love for babies and for family is at the heart of all we do."

Blooming Baby Jamaica wishes to extend an invitation to all well-thinking Jamaicans with strong values and a heart for giving to consider joining our charity missions by becoming one of our Benefactors. Becoming a Benefactor, simply means that you have chosen to make a donation, whether big or small to us, to be given to parents who are in need and often make contact with us. The needs of our beneficiaries vary and generally include diapers, wipes, formula, cereal, and clothing. We must advise that gently used clothing are accepted.

"Blooming Baby Jamaica truly cares."

Our mandate which states, "To help parents raise their child or children in the best way

possible.", continues to drive our efforts to secure well-needed resources for parents who find it difficult to provide for their babies and other growing children. We especially want to thank all Blooming Baby Jamaica Benefactors who have come on board with cash or kind and have made it possible for us to give back.

On Sunday, May 31, during Child Month we were granted the opportunity to share our purpose

with the congregation and watching audience of Mount Salem Open Bible Church . In this

presentation, BBJ Founder encouraged parents to bloom smart, safe, secure, smiling and sanctified babies. A small donation of a single gift basket, suitable for an expectant mother was also handed over to Rev. Gary Balfour, the host Pastor.

Charity involvement is just one of the four main arms or functions of Blooming Baby Jamaica, but it is at the very heart of all that we do!

Find us on

BloomingBaby Jamaica

keep them safe SUMMERTIME IS FUN TIME BUT REMEMBER THERE'S STILL A SCARY VIRUS GOING ALL AROUND.

The season of summer is certainly that time of year that makes you want to spring into the action of going somewhere. For those of us with bigger Blooming Babies, they seldom hesitate to say what they want to do and where they wish to go. Places like the seaside or park and visiting somebody, always seem to be at the top of their list.

Though there may be "ifs" and "buts" about taking a trip to some destination, you and I know that this outside experience is a mutually beneficial one. Blooming Babies get some time to splash and play while enjoying the freshness of the open air.

Blooming Baby Mamas and Dadas can bask in the moment as they breathe a sigh of relief from the "noise" contained within the walls of the house.

Whether you are packing beach bags with towels and buckets; filling picnic baskets with plenty of food; going on lunch dates to your favourite place in town, or heading in and out of places of amusement, we still have to think about safety. Summertime fun can get our minds off a lot of things but we must keep sanitation and social distancing on them. Because whether we want to believe it or not, covid still a keep.

Blooming Baby Ja Mama Blog

With so many styles to choose from, you won't find it hard to find that perfect combo for your entire family as you set your own trend and enjoy one of the best summertime activities.

Matching swimwear are definitely a thing. You can sport it as "mom and me" or "dad and me". However you choose to share your story, this online matching outfit store has you covered. So, shop now while the swimsuit sale continues throughout this summer. Find them on Instagram as mom.n.me.dad.n.me or Whatsapp 876-390-5356.

#i bloomingbabyja

e k a t s ' t e L

A TRIP

to...

Hope Zoo was opened to the public in 1961 and was conceived as a Caribbean and Central American zoo. Its aim was to display as wide a variety of animals as possible. The Zoo until 2005 was owned and operated under the Central Government within the Public Gardens Division. read more on next pg.

"A PASSION AND COMMITMENT FOR OUR PLANET’S WILDLIFE CONSERVATION."

What you can do at

HOPE ZOO Guided Tours

A more in-depth, educational and exciting experience that is geared towards school groups and learning more about the animals.

Tours can be specialized to meet the age and curriculum of the visiting schools. Group sizes are a maximum of thirty (30) persons and tours take 45 minutes or more. ________________

icon Budgie Feeding

This is a wonderful hands-on experience where beautiful birds eat directly from your hands. Feeding is done on an hourly basis from 1pm – 4pm daily. Group size per session is up to 10 persons. ________________

icon Petting Zoo

Thought a snake was “scary” or a crocodile was “creepy”? Well guess again! Come interact with these animals and more at our Petting Zoo. Group sizes are a maximum of thirty (30) persons. If you cannot make it to the Zoo then we can bring the Zoo to you!

WIN 7 Follow us on Instagram now TICKETS 2 @hopezookingston

to find out how you could get free day passes for your family to visit the zoo!

HOPE ZOO OPENING HOURS MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS 10 AM TO 5 PM | WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 10 AM TO 5:30 PM

OLD HOPE ROAD, KINGSTON 6, JAMAICA PHONE +1 876-927-1085 ZOOBOOKINGS@HOPEZOOKINGSTON.COM

Print &

PLAY

ACTIVITY FOR BIG BLOOMING BABIES

up next

Montego Bay's

newest attraction for Blooming Babies!

Harmony Beach Park which is actually the totally transformed Dump Up Beach on Howard Cooke Boulevard in Montego Bay is absolutely a superb addition to the attraction options for babies and families.

Although disappointing to every Blooming Baby because of its current closure due to Covid-19, the playground is the most picturesque outdoor public play space you'll find in Jamaica.

The seaside is especially inviting, and is certainly a great option for sand time for your Blooming Babies as they'll get busy digging sand and making castles of some sort. The shallow and clear water makes this beachside a comfortable one for Blooming Baby Mamas and Dadas who want to give their little ones a chance to take a plunge.

This picnic park is a perfect place to let your tots enjoy nature on a beautiful, sunny day!

WILD AND FREE

What you can do for fun with your babies without paying a huge fee

Oh how we sometimes just need a break from staying home but often wonder what can we do that's fun but's also free. While you can just take a step into your backyard and make the most of that, your Blooming Baby wouldn't mind an opportunity to take on a whole new world and go wild. But have you ever heard the term "$500 Flex"? That is Jamaican dollars of course. Dwl. This is simply finding some place to be or something to do that wont have you dipping too much into your purse or wallet, and making a sizeable withdrawal of cash from your bank account.

Its not free but you definitely wont be paying a huge fee. So, how do you go about taking those Blooming Babies on a "$500 Flex"? It starts with brainstorming. Think about the places of interest that are located close to where you live.

The thing is, they might not be that interesting to you but for those little eyes, there'll be a whole lot to see. Just make sure they are safe places.

Next, consider how much it would cost you to get there. If you can walk to the spot, that's super. But if it will require some driving time, you've got to factor that in, though you can cheat the system and not check the amount you use from your gas tank. The real aim is to spend only just about $500 on your tots while you are out.

Once you've got your list done, you can move on to planning. Maybe you'll end with a "$500 Flex Monday", or it could be your Sunday thing. This idea could be a once per week affair but two days isn't too tough on the piggy bank because that will take you to $1000 for the week. However you choose to swing it, just keep it affordable and stick with the budget. Your Blooming Babies won't care about how much you spend but will be so happy about the time you spent! continued on next page

So, just in case you couldn't come up with any "$500 Flex" ideas of your own, here are a few you can take on as recommended and actually "pulled off" by a Blooming Baby Mama, 1. Park time and picnic Pack those little lunch bags with their favs and head to a nearby park or safe area with good grass. Spread out your sheet or mat to set up your spot and start snacking. Soon after, your kids will kick off their shoes to sprint here and there. For two hours at Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, $400 was spent, and that was for parking.

2. Nature trail Just take a short trip by feet or car to a quiet outdoor venue where only little insects lurk around. You may miss what's creeping and crawling but those little ones who are closer to the ground, wont. Even an ant making a move with food will catch their interest. All this at Half Moon Shopping Centre for $0.

3. Single scoop split in two Everybody knows a Devon House Ice-cream scoop is a big one. So, for those of us with 2 mouths to feed, simply pay for an extra cup and make it work. Trust me, you'll get your share because they wont eat it all. That's $500 spent at Scoops Main Street, formerly called Shoppes at Rose Hall.

4. Eye shop and cart drop Taking children into a store can be daunting ordeal, as they end up seeing too much and wanting too much. One trick is to get the trolley and let them hop in. They'll like the ride and get the feeling they are really shopping. But the plan is to let them pick up just one thing and drop it in the cart. We left Mega Mart with two cool things and gave them only $595. Over budget by $95 :)

THE $500 FLEX From a MOM with 2 Blooming Babies

Sassy

Page 33

Teen Magazine

HAPPY CHILDREN Children really don't need to have a whole lot to be happy. Contrary to what many of us as parents may think, our children do not have to get every little "in-thing" in order to feel good, smile or laugh. So, lets share happiness with our Blooming Babies and not just stuff.

CREATING PORTRAITS

Cherishing your Babies' BIG moments with Little Memories Photography

Why did you consider maternity and newborn photography as your specialization?

2.

Initially I started with newborn photography as it is an underserved genre in Jamaica and not many people know about it. I was working in the

Blooming Baby Jamaica recently caught up with

photography industry and my research led me to

the creative artiste behind the most attractive

developing a love for newborn photography and I

photography of Blooming Babies that you will

already loved babies :). After starting with newborns,

find in Jamaica. This exclusive interview with her

I realized expecting moms also appreciate the same

will reveal so much and help you embrace the

level of patience and effort that I love giving to my

incredible trend of creating portrats from bump

babies. Adding to that, as babies grow and

and beyond.

celebrate important milestones such as their first

Who is the photographer behind Little Memories? W h i t n e y M c K e n l e y , o n e o f J a m a i c a ' s 1.

birthday, moms were asking me to come back and first

newborn photographers. I am a 27 year old who hails

take their photos. So, I officially ventured into capturing birthdays.

from Montego Bay. My love for God, babies and

believe captured memories last the longest, and I am

What are 3 exciting things that set Little Memories apart from other photo studios?

best known for my patience and gentleness during

Wow, there are many things that are hard to just

photography sessions.

write on paper, they have to be experienced. Little

adventures keep me going each and every day. I

3.

Memories is a very personalized photography service.

Whitney

THE JAMAICAN NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

trust with my clients so they are completely comfortable if I have to fix anything for them or style them. The experience is very personal for both myself and each

I offer in-home sessions for my babies and moms and the entire experience is very personal from the inquiry to the delivery of my products and final images. For me, it's not

client. I'm very interested in knowing if they have a vision for their session which could include anything from the outfits to the theme or colours they would like me to use.

I also encourage parents to participate in the session,

about selling a service, I am gifting families their own memories which will last for generations. I also offer complete setups for first birthdays with balloons and

even if I'm just photographing their hands.

Years from now, these are photos they will look back at and be so grateful that they were captured.

props included. For newborns, everything is provided, from outfits to props, and for my expecting moms, I have a client closet with dresses and fabrics.

Where can potential clients find more information about the services of Little Memories? I can be found 5.

on Instagram and Facebook as Little Memories JA but my

4.

How do you help potential and new parents to

embrace the idea of creating maternity and newborn portraits? There

preferred way of contact is through WhatsApp at 876-595-1229.

are so many benefits in having these

memories captured, just think about a baby being photographed in their earliest days, a period where they will never be so tiny again. Then think about a mom who is glowing beautifully with expectancy as she prepares to give birth. I am not just a photographer, I'm going to their homes to hold their babies, feed them, change diapers and everything in between. For maternity sessions, I build

Baby Zhyonn's newborn session done at 18 days new

Baby Kairo smashes his cake at his first birthday session

Baby Mirya and her parents are all smiles at Mirya's first birthday session Beautiful maternity portrait

endorsed by:

START SCRAPBOOKING My Blooming Baby Story is a creative scrapbook that allows parents to cherish every little, big and special moment of their child's blooming, from in the tummy to twelve years of age.

Each page gives you a great opportunity to capture an incredible milestone. Also included are inspiring points and prayers for every step of their awesome journey.

Having a baby is a blessing and with this book, you'll be able to bring your child's very own growing up story to life by adding all the colour and fun details.

Created by a mother of two Blooming Babies, especially for creative mothers of Blooming Babies.

Scrapbook workshops coming soon on...

Why didn't I hear about this earlier? My baby is almost a year old?

I know every mom would want to have this from her baby is in the tummy, but it's never too late to get started. I, the creator, am just getting started and my children are ages 7 and 3. It's all about creating something that you and your child will have to cherish for many years to come!

Is it a photo album?

This is so much more than a photo album.

It's your child's very own storybook that shares all their exciting milestones, and you get to create about 100 pages of it!

BLOOMNG BABY MAMA REVEWS "My Blooming Baby Milestones and Memories Scrapbook is very detailed, straight forward and easy to complete. The activities are fun for parents and child to complete together. It is good for parents that want to capture all significant moments in their child's life, but don't want to

- Garsha

spend a lot of time writing, journaling, or scrapbooking every detail."

"The scrapbook is definitely a keepsake, both for parent and child and it's

what are the pages like?

All pages are printed in black and white so you get to add the colour and bring it to life.

What's the cost?

For the remainder of this summer, it's on a special sale for $1199 for 1 copy and 2 copies for only $2155.

- Felicia - C.amille

an activity book that can be used for bonding. I recommend it for first time parents and grandparents."

"It has all the perfect ideas to capture your lil one's milestones."

Message 876-831-0796 to order or request a preview.

OF THE MONTH! Blooming Baby Nickayla takes the top spot for April!

Our Baby of the Month Contest all began in July 2020 as a fun and entertaining way to showcase Blooming Babies from NB to 3T all across Jamaica, and to also share with them and their families, an awesome gift from us or a supporting sponsor. The support was overwhelming and the opportunity to truly become one of your babies biggest fans really began to bloom with the birth of this contest, hosted on Instagram. Now, we have a family of fantastic babies who are the highlights of our IG page. We definitely cannot deny that they are the cutest babies ever!

For the month of May, it was all about "Mom & Me". Here is Blooming Baby Rafeet with his mom Andrea.

Thanks a bunch to all you Blooming Baby Mamas and Dadas who consider it a worthwhile venture to have your Blooming Babies enter our monthly contests. Without your interest and willingness to share your lovely little ones with us, our efforts to embrace them would be meaningless. Of course, we wouldn't have winners without voters, and so thanks a bunch to all followers and fans of all our Blooming Babies and our brand, Blooming Baby Jamaica.

Blooming Baby Sarai was in no way shy of the prize for June Baby!

Best

summer

Which blooming baby is looking cool for summer ?

01

02

Blooming Baby Jamaica loves summer and so do Blooming Babies. We recently posted this summer baby contest on Instagram and got ourselves 5 fabulous contestants. Now, its your time to VOTE!! Our winner will get a fun gift basket!!

CONTESTANTS 01 Kaelyn 02 Sarai 03 Amearah 04 Amora 05 Khalyssa To vote, text their number to 876-831-0796 by August 20th! Winner will be announced by August 27th!

03

04

05

A RESORT REVIEW: BEACHES NEGRIL A weekend stay at this family friendly Caribbean luxury resort will have your children asking for another trip to the hotel right after you have checked out.

Let us just say that the overall resort experience was the ideal definition of hassle-free vacationing, from the moment we checked in. The concierge style check in procedure was certainly a very relaxing one, as we could sit back, relax, sip on drinks while we waited for our few entries on a tablet to be reviewednot 1 minute on our feet!

A very friendly tour of the main areas for indulgence got us feeling the resort vibe and very soon, our Blooming Babies got a glimse of Sesame Street characters in action and as you can imagine, that almost ended the tour :) One of the most sought after moments of that first day is when your room door is opened and you walk into a fresh, cool, extremely clean and inviting space that will be yours for two nights and you wont have to worry one bit about keeping it neat :) Japanese cooking action by the chef at Kimono's got 5 stars as everyone had to share a giggle. Breakfast at the main buffet was just fine, but beach time was definitely divine. The help from a pool bartender to take our stack of meals to us by the sea was definitely unexpected and that was a sure taste of luxury.

For the sake of the little ones, we can't leave out the famous YoYo's that saw us coming back so many times for those flavourful frozen yogurts with something extra sweet on top that pulled out the broad smiles.

At the end of the day, Beaches Negril is truly one of the most memorable places to stay.

-Zenaide

FUN, VIBRANT, UNIQUE and FASHIONABLE are the words that truly captures Malibrands Ja- the island’s premier, exclusive hair accessory store.

The brand provides 100% locally handmade hair bows and other products such as personalized tutu sets, caps and hair bow holders which are perfect for birthdays, gifts, parties and photo shoots.

Our products are well liked because of the creativity, variety, exclusivity and styles offered. We pride ourselves in creating an inclusive, feel-good brand, and we believe our clients identify and embrace this. Our hair bows are currently available online via our Instagram @malibrandsja and physically in Megamart Waterloo (Pharmacy) and Carby’s.

Celebrates BIRTHDAYS ADRIAN AZARA & AZARIYAH SHANTAE

bloomed to 1 on April 7 bloomed to 3 on April 21 bloomed to May 10

JAMAR

bloomed to 3 on May 31

JAEL

bloomed to 5 on June 6

ANALEAH

bloomed to 3 on June 16

TIMONEE

bloomed to 1 on June 20

JOEL

bloomed to 7 on June 20

ADRIEL

bloomed to 12 on June 29

ZHAYN

bloomed to 1 on July 1

CAIRO

bloomed to 1 on July 16

KHAMEESI AMEIRA

bloomed to 1 on july 17 bloomed to 3 on July 29

To join our fanbase, please visit www.bloomingbabyjamaica.com, or send us their birthday photos via IG, email, or WhatsApp.

from April - July!

23

from top (left to Khameesi, Joel & Analeah, Adrian, Shantae, Jamar, Zhayn, Adriel, Azara & Azariyah, Jael, Cairo, right): Ameira, Timonee

2nd MY

Pregnancy EXPERIENCE

by Jillian Robinson- Brown Being a mother of a toddler is no walk over. I have experienced a lot of highs and a few lows since being given this honorable task. Once I knew that I was pregnant with my firstborn Zion, I took everything serious, my health as well as that of my child. Being pregnant with my first meant keeping abreast of all my check ups, staying on top of my required nutrition, mental health checks, physical health etc.

My second pregnancy, though relatively easy has been different since I have one in utero and one in hand. Less attention is given to myself and more to my child who is here and needs me.

I would say it is a bit more work when you are pregnant and have a child who is still totally dependent on you. My two pregnancies differ in so many ways but I'll make mention of a few: 1. My first pregnancy moved so slow and I could tell exactly how far along I was; 12 weeks, 4 days, 4567 minutes and 20 seconds, lol. This second pregnancy seem to be moving so fast that I literally forget that I am way out of my first trimester.

2. For my first pregnancy, I didn't know what to expect so I was always reading and watching videos. This second time around I am like, "do your thang baby".

3. My first pregnancy was an emotional wreck. I was crying all the time and feeling sorry for the lizard I killed because it's someone's child. This time around I feel like the incredible hulk, especially since I have to continually run behind my toddler when he is in his " trouble mood" and I know I have to keep watch because his safety is paramount.

4. My first pregnancy had me so fearful of even stooping or even accidentally waking up on my back. Now, your girl is doing some acrobatic stunts without hesitation.

Pregnancy is a blessing and should be seen as nothing less regardless of the variations that exist between pregnancies. To all my expecting mommas, keep safe and a happy landing!

THE

CHILD

HEALTH

CLINIC

Ensuring that your Blooming Baby attends all scheduled visits at the different stages of their development, is a very important responsibility we have as parents. Never neglect clinic visits and always be open and honest in your sessions. The advise you get must not be pushed aside because they will only help you to keep your babies blooming!

Next, we'll share some noteworthy points from a professional in public health services.

EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING Nurse Veronica Anderson, Registered Midwife - St. James Public Health Services, Western Regional Health Authority

This is necessary for the first six months of life.

Breast milk provides all the nutrients that a baby needs for the first six months, for the necessary growth and development.

TRANSITION TO SEMI-SOLIDS

Foods from the family pot can be a challenge, in that, baby is now learning new foods. Parents must be patient and be consistent and it will surely work.

Provide nutritionally balanced diet for your children, especially after the first six months of life.

GET HELP

ENSURING SAFETY

Observe your two, three and even four year olds for delayed developmental milestones. They might not be talking at this time or obeying simple commands .

Especially in this pandemic when the children are locked away and have not been having any social gatherings with other kids at daycare and preschool., and are at home with no stimulation, you might notice some delay. So, if you observe this in your two, three or four-year old, please get help. Do not stay in denial. Early interventions bring quicker recovery. Seek a healthcare provider or one who is knowledgeable. If you are not capable in the area of child development, seek somebody who is capable and has some knowledge. Do not stay home raising your children by yourself. If you need help, please seek help.

Ensure baby is safe at all times, including the play area for your baby and young children. If there is nowhere else to put your babies after six months, please put them on the floor or make a bed in boxes. Accidents do happen in the homes.

PRAYER AND INCLUSION

Pray for your children. Pray from they are in the womb.

There is a God. Pray that God will help them to develop and to grow into children who will be helpful in the society. Pray for them that they will not detour to evil and will not be dysfunctional in this time that we are living in. Prayer surely works. God answers prayers. Remember to take them and get them blessed. Get them christened and put a blessing upon them and continue to pray for them. Allow other family members (extended family) to be a part of your care. At one point, it was the community that raised children. Now, not again, and because of that our children have been growing in ways that are not nice and are abnormal.

SPENDING TIME

Talk to your children and find time for them. Do not spend time on your phone and forget to spend time with your children. Do not allow technology to raise your children or to keep them quiet. They need parental guidance, love, support and stimulation at all times.

POTTY TRAINING

Potty training is very important and this should commence at one year and six months. There are persons who have started potty training earlier which is wrong. Potty training should commence at eighteen months. It is not only physical but psychological. Do not rush, beat or abuse your child if it is not done properly. Be patient, be kind and show love during this process. If training is not done properly, your child will regress and will go right back to baby stage, and the process will take a longer time. The child will eventually develop a psychological problem which is called neurosis.

GOOD MORALES

Children live what they learn. So, good morals and values are important in raising children at this time.

Ensure that your children are raised in the best environment. It doesn't matter where, but what you teach and display in the homes are very important.

Safe Spot 24 hour counseling services for children and teens provides a safe way to get help. Safe Spot is a FREE and confidential counselling service for Jamaican children and teens to reach for help all day, everyday.

Toll Free Line:888-SAFESPOT (888-723-7768) WhatsApp: 876-439-5199 OR send a direct message via Instagram or Snapchat to safespotja

How soon can our Blooming Babies get their hands into some cookie dough or start making some coconut pie? The answer is, as soon as their little fingers are ready to touch anything in sight, and of course being able to sit up, usually comes in handy. It can feel like so much work to actually get an activity set up for your child and the thought of all the mess that's going to happen, just makes you want to sigh. But, for the sake of their stimulation, it's best to get them doing something creative, and mixing and stirring will take the cake, or do I mean, bake the cake? dwl.

CAKE BAKING

or troublemaking?

Sooner, than later, your Blooming Baby will be heading into your cupboards for pots and pans; and the attempts to keep them out may never end. So, embrace it if you will. Give them their own cooking set and when they want to get involved in the baking, a little task here and there won't hurt.

"This Blooming Baby can bake.

You'll be surprised at how much they can learn and how quickly, when you get to spend time together doing activities"

"This Blooming Baby is busy doing her own thing. If there is time, those little hands are free and their tiny mind is adventurous, a lot of OMGs can happen- Oh my goodness!"

So, the morale of this story is, it is better to spend time with them for cake baking than to leave them with no other choice than to get busy with troublemaking.

AN EZ Recipe

For those Little Chefs You'll need: 1 cup of flour, preferably all purpose 1 cup of cornmeal 2 teaspoon of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of salt i/3 cup of granulated sugar (white) 1 egg 1 cup of milk 1/4 cup of melted butter 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavouring

CORN

d a e r B a e Br d To make it: Shake all your dry ingredients through your strainer.

Mix all your liquid ingredients in another container.

Add liquid mixture to dry mixture and stir carefully to properly combine.

Bake in your loaf pan at about 300 degrees and after 30 minutes, you'll have a cornbread that is tasting so fine.

RESPECT DUE TO DADS WHO DO

A BLOOMING BABY DADA'S REPLY BY EMERSON

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO? I am the head of my household. I am the disciplinarian. I am the provider. I am the chef. I am the snack supplier. I am the spiritual teacher. I am the protector. I am the amusement park.

Emerson enjoying Dad's Day on June 20 with his two Blooming Babies- Joel and Analeah.

Born to Bloom Blooming Baby Jamaica was established in 2015 with a key interest in creating events that will connect parents who have young children to the right resources- products, services and information. We are recommitting to this objective, so look out and keep your ears open as we bring to you- Born to Bloom Webinars!

Home-schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information wishes to advise our stakeholders that the Independent Schools’ Unit in the Ministry has the responsibility for the registration, approval and regulation of Home-Schools in Jamaica. Home-schools are governed by the Education Act, 1965, and the Independent Schools’ Regulation 1973.

Due to the current effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there exists a growing demand to establish home-schools, which forms part of the paradigm shift and an alternative to the public education system. Homeschooling involves parent/s or guardian/s taking on the task of educating his/her/their children in the familiar controlled setting of the home.

The home-school system allows children to work at their own pace, in which teaching and learning is facilitated by parents, family member or a trained tutor at the expense of the parent/guardian. Parents and guardians who choose to home-school their children, must take full responsibility to ensure that their children are educated in a safe and conducive learning environment, guided by the standards provided by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

Parents/ Guardians desirous of establishing Home-Schools must make contact with Dr Euphemia BurkeRobinson in the Independent Schools’ Unit via email at isu@moey.gov.jm. (source: moey.gov.jm)

Have you home-schooled?

Please share with us your home-schooling stories via email at bloomingbabyja@gmail.com. We'd love to include them in our next magazine issue this October.

Blooming Baby Jamaica Magazine Created to share relevant content with our parent readers. Your contributions are welcomed. Please feel free to share your advertisements, baby and family photos with us.

Thanks a bunch for your support!

WWW.BLOOMINGBABYJAMAICA.COM 876-831-0796 BLOOMINGBABYJA@GMAIL.COM