"Oh, I'm much too busy for a playgroup."

I have had, on occasion, people tell me, with varying degrees of disdain, how they are "much too busy" for a playgroup.  "Oh, we've been so busy with organized activities..."

I'm here to make a case for making a playgroup your priority, not your back-burner, maybe-we'll-bother activity.  First off, let me say, I'm really glad you enjoy Gymboree, My Gym, Little Gym, Kindermusic, Music Together, swim class, art class, and the others too numerous to name.  I hope your child ADORES them and you consider them money very, very well spent.  Please take a stack of Joy Troupe business cards with you so you can hand them out after you talk about how AMAZING your playgroup is.  I'm not saying you shouldn't want to do these things with your child- just that you shouldn't decide to bail on playgroup in favor of them.

Why do I think you need a playgroup, when you could enjoy the ease and simplicity of signing up for a class every day of the week and knowing where you'll be on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from here on out?

1. The money.  Thought I'd beat around the bush a little before I got to that one, didn't you?  But really, for $75, $100, or $200 for a five, six, seven, or ten week session, be conservative and figure you are shelling out $390 annually per activity.  Now figure you do just two or three activities with your kiddo, and suddenly we're talking real money here.  What could you do with $1,170 this year?  Pay off a credit card? Buy a used car? Save for college? Host five years' worth of playdates at your own home?

2.  The friendships.  When you sign up for a session of a class, the other folks in that class are based on who else was quick enough with their check book to get in.  Or, when times are tight, who can afford to take the class with you.  Sure, you might not click with everyone who comes to playgroup, but you might not click with everyone in art class, either.  And I've seen first hand that the friendships you make with people you see at least once a week can be a huge boon, especially to those who do not have nearby family on whom to depend.  I have made friends I could call for emergency help at any hour of the day or night, and whom I trust with my home, my child, and anything else I could think of.  I've been seeing these mamas every week for going on three years now.  Can you build a relationship that strong that in a 6 week session?

3.  The value of unstructured play.  The fact that many playdates don't have a scripted agenda means that when you spot a "teaching moment" for your child, you can take advantage of it without disrupting the class.  Help your kid with his negotiating skills, show her a bug, show him how we nicely pat the dog, or just enjoy listening to her giggle- it's all cool, because that is the order of the day.  Yep, there is no denying they learn a lot in class, but the plain fact is that they learn the most from spending time doing fun stuff with you. 

4. Strength in numbers.  As a group we can accomplish so much more than one mama on her own.  This year alone we've raised nearly $5,000 to help the March of Dimes save babies.  And we had a ton of fun along the way!  As a group, we've also played Santa Claus, fed the homeless, helped build a playground, published not one but two cookbooks, and reached out to any number of individual mamas in need of support with meals, babysitting, and love.  Do you have time to be a great parent and do all that- just you, by yourself?

5. The Friendships.  It bears repeating, so yes, it's #2 and #5.  Your child will benefit so much from seeing the same children over and over again over the long term.  There is no joy equal to seeing your kid's face light up when you can say "yes, all your friends are coming," and he knows just who you mean.  And what, in this life, have you found that isn't more fun when you share it with good friends who laugh at your jokes (even if you make them in a form of proto-English understood only by one-year-olds), smile when they see you, and are sad when you have to leave?

6.  The memories.  We all know that little kids don't remember much of their early life long term.  If you don't believe me, think back to when you were one.  No?  Okay, then, two.  How many memories stand out? Just a handful, right?  Of course there's no knowing which memories will stand out in your child's mind, but the more time you spend together, the better chance that they'll be happy memories of the priceless time you've spent together.

7.  Last, but not least:  Half of life is showing up.  The folks who show up the most often get the most out of playgroup.  It's just simple math.  Each time you show up is a chance to make a new friend, to share something special, or for your child to perfect sharing, listening, or playing well with others.  Even more, every time you and your kids come to play, it's a chance to laugh and have fun.  If you don't come, we don't know you.  And if we don't know you, we can't be your friends.

I know that there are times in our complicated lives when it seems like the investment of time required to make a playgroup successful for you and your child can seem more daunting than laying out your family's hard earned cash for a class.  Because, yes, it is an investment- you have to keep showing up over and over even if maybe your kid hasn't got the hang of not pushing and grabbing, even when it means you have to dress your toddler AND your baby to get them out the door before the park date is over, and when you maybe feel left out because it seems that everyone knows each other except you.  And sometimes it rains and you have to explain to your kid that you aren't going to the park today after all, and you'd rather do anything than see them disappointed.  My point is that in the end, the dividends on a playgroup are going to be so, so much higher that it's completely worth it to find or build a group that "clicks" for you. 

If you've been attending larger events for a while and have found a smaller group of folks who want to meet regularly, then you have completed the quest for the Holy Grail of playgroups.  Commit to a regular get-together with those folks (and ask a group leader to set up a sub-group calendar for you), and then keep joining us for our outings, story times, and Meet & Greet activities so you can keep expanding your network.  Because you never know when you might need a helping hand, be it to help end premature birth or just to watch your kid for an hour so you can, Please Lord, get a pedi because you can't reach your pregnant feet any more.

And if YOU have put playgroup on a "back burner," then it's time to move it up.  Check the calendar today and choose three things that you and your child will attend in the next week or two.  We'll be looking for you!

March for Babies: We did it and... we almost did it!

We lucked out and the rain cleared just in time for our Alexandria walk this past weekend.  So our March for Babies is marched.  Done.  In the bag!  Or rather, almost in the bag!

We have so far raised $4,730 to help save babies, which is just beyond fabulous.  But I have even better news!  We can keep on raising money through June 30, 2010 for this year's march!  Look for more details soon.

In the mean time, please enjoy my Walk Day photos. 

Keep up the good work!

Just a quick "go team!"  We have, as of this moment, raised $4,601 to help save babies! 

View our team page here.

I hope to see you at the Alexandria walk this weekend!  Please wear red or white if you don't have a March for Babies T-shirt, and look for the Joy Troupe banner so you can pick up a "Team Joy" badge and say hello!

A word about our goal:  We will keep fund raising until the absolute deadline in June, but wouldn't it feel good to show up on walk day knowing we'd met our goal?  If you've been meaning to donate, or know someone who has, here's a gentle reminder to do so.  Every dollar counts, and even the smallest gift will help us reach our goal!

Words, and more words: BIlingual Education Resources

In my search for information on how to introduce a second language to preschoolers, I found a lot of crappy advertising sites. Here is a compilation of the good resources I found... hope you find them useful!

Juegos y Canciones
http://www.juegosycanciones.com/

Tips for Teaching Spanish, French or German in Preschool
http://languagestudy.suite101.com/article.cfm/foreign_language_circle_time

eHow article on how to teach Spanish in Preschool
http://www.ehow.com/how_5166259_teach-spanish-preschool.html

Spanish Songs for children
http://www.bookslibros.com/SpanishForNinos.htm

Free downloads like vocabulary coloring pages, flash cards (I'd use them in matching games, etc.)

Spanish http://abcteach.com/directory/languages/spanish/
French http://abcteach.com/directory/languages/french/

Basic ESL lesson plan:
http://www.teach-esl-to-kids.com/baby-esl-lesson-plan.html

Reading is Fundamental has both languages available and reads to them and signs songs in spanish:
http://www.rif.org/kids/leadingtoreading/es/leadingtoreading.htm

I've been searching UTube for good bilingual songs - here's what I've found so far!

Sing A Lingo - Hola Amigos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQSJxtbZgxs

Boca Beth Counts to 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdlFk8KPK8I

Boca Beth Greeting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1T7yGhDVec

Head and shoulders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daDl2ZLrZsw

http://www.primeraescuela.com

Lots of free printables and activity ideas.

http://www.biculturalfamily.org

http://www.languagelizard.com/

http://www.spanglishbaby.com

With thanks to loramichelle and thejfamily08.

MFB Auction #5: Custom Rag Quilt

View the Auction and Bid Now!

Joy Makin' Mama Jennifer Bristow is donating her time and the work of her hands to bring you a custom made baby or toddler quilt. You will select the color and pattern of the fabric in your quilt, as well as whether you want the color blocks to be arranged in a pattern or randomly. This special keepsake will not only look beautiful in your baby's room, the easy care instructions mean this hand-made all natural item can be snuggled and loved for years to come. It will effortlessly transition from a soft place to lie down and play with toys to a treasured bedtime lovey.

***You would normally pay $100 or more for one of these special quilts, which are available EXCLUSIVELY by word of mouth!***

Rag quilts are versatile and trendy. They can be
modern or old fashioned. Each quilt can be customized to fit your
decor. By using a simple "X" stitch on a sandwiched square of two sided
material with organic cotton batting in between, the quilt is
transformed into a everyday, casual blanket. Easy care
instructions...just wash in cold water on gentle cycle and tumble dry
low. It is a "wash and go" kind of quilt. Typical baby quilt measures: 40"x24"

toddler size quilt - 45"x34"

The dimensions are approximate since it is a handmade quilt.

As always, 100% of the net proceeds from this auction will benefit the Joy Makin' Mamas March for Babies Team.

MFB Auction #4: Professional Photography Services

This package normally retails for $750. Bids start at just $150! Thank you to Sarah Kaupp Photography for helping us save babies!

Bid Now!

Joy Troupe Birthday Party Package: SOLD!

Thank you to Steven K. for helping us SAVE BABIES! Steven won this auction with just one bid. He got a fabulous deal, and the babies are richer by $65.76 after eBay and PayPal took their cuts!

In other March for Babies news, we are still the number 2 team for fundraising behind Dogtopia of Alexandria, but we are closing in! Let's harness a little competitive spirit and use it to SAVE BABIES! We can bump Dogtopia out of the number 1 spot this week if we try! Keep up the good work!

PSST: Look for the next auction later today! Be sure to pass the word about these auctions to family and friends- we are giving eBay a cut so they can be open to anyone who'd like to bid!

Make your own preschool Weather Board

I remember doing a weather activity in school as a small child where we selected the picture that matched the day's weather and put it on the board.  A quick search for one revealed that you can purchase them, but nice ones can be pricey!  Being the thrifty mama I am, I decided to make one.

I started with a nifty little Freecycle item, but if you are not fortunate enough to find one of these, don't worry!

I have created 5 day and 7 day printable charts. Just print and use adhesive velcro dots instead of the magnetic tape I used on the backs of my weather symbols. You may prefer to print this at 11x17. In which case, you should be able to get this done for you at a copy center for less than $2. As for durability, I'm known for laminating everything that doesn't run faster than I do. If you don't have a laminator or this is too big for yours, my husband favors a sheet of foam core board and a can of spray adhesive- this makes a sturdy, lightweight poster that you can hang on the wall with more velcro dots. The kids may rip it down, but it goes right back up. Even if they fold, spindle, and mutilate it occasionally, chances are you can just glue down a new printout of the chart and be good as new.

Here is the PDF of the weather symbols. If you print four copies, you'll have eight of each symbol, so you'll have enough for the week and one to get lost. Unless you want to go "Eight Days a Week," but that's a story for another day.

I printed the symbols, cut them out, laminated them, and applied magnetic tape to the back of each one. Then I stored them in a small basket under my weekly weather board and each "school" day during circle time I allow the children to pick out the "right" magnet and put it on the board.

If you are not doing home preschool, you could make this part of the getting dressed routine at home. I remember doing this activity in Kindergarden and loving it!