Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Making Tummy Time Magical


Tips for Introducing Tummy Time

1. Keep it short

Try and aim to have tummy time for a few minutes a day but as soon as your baby starts to get restless or tearful, pick them up and give them a cuddle. Short bursts of tummy time prevent babies from thinking they are being punished or abandoned

2. Entertain them

If you can give tummy time a purpose, it not only distracts them but it helps them to see it as a fun activity. Try using colour changing lights or finger puppets which can be moved slowly across their eye line. As their neck strength grows, you can lift the objects higher, encouraging baby to follow it.

3. Prop them up

It can be daunting for a baby who is used to looking up at everything to suddenly be left with their face flat on the floor. Try putting a rolled up blanket or small cushion under their chest with their arms either out in front or to the sides. This lifts their body for them so that they only need to bring their head up themselves.

4. Flying Baby Yoga Pose

Yoga can be a great way of creating calm between you and baby and so this move helps to make baby feel safe and encourage them to stretch themselves. Sit on a soft surface with your knees bent. Hold baby against your shins with them facing you. Hold onto their arms. Roll backwards so that your shins are parallel to the ground. Bring Make sure that baby’s head is over your knees so that it is suspended as you bring your knees toward you. Baby can see your smiling face from this position and builds their trust in you as they feel weightless.



5. Hold them high

Tummy time is about increasing neck strength but this doesn’t have to happen when lying down. Try holding baby on your shoulder (as you would when burping them) and bring their head up higher than your shoulder so that they are no longer resting their head on you. They get a great view from there and wouldn’t even associate it with tummy time.

6. Tiger in the Tree

This yoga and massage pose is fantastic for easing things such as colic but can also be very useful in strengthening neck muscles. You lay baby over one of your arms, face down and then link your fingers underneath of them so that you make a bridge for them to lay on. Their arms should be loose either side of yours and their head should come up over the crook of your arm. Young babies will let their head hang to begin with but will lift their head as soon as there is any stimulation in the room. To use this as a massage, gently knead their tummy with your uppermost hand.



7. Make sure they are ready

If your baby is tired or hungry just before tummy time, it can make them more anxious and they may make negative associations with tummy time so choose a time when they are alert, well fed and relaxed.

Saturday, 11 May 2013

Hartbeeps Brighton now Accredited by KalliKids




Kallikids has been described as the Trip Advisor for children's classes and that should be how it is used. Parents are encouraged not only to use the site to find local activities but also to update the site with their comments.
Just as you might rate a hotel through Trip Advisor when you returned from the holiday of a lifetime, so we would love you to rate a class if you come along and join us at Hartbeeps.

Log on to www.kallikids.com and search for Hartbeeps and you will see all of the feedback so far as well as information about classes including; a description, locations, times and prices. You will also see details of the parties that we offer with Hartbeeps.

Why Hartbeeps?



Specially tailored

There are three different sessions depending on the developmental stage of your baby and the activities, props and music for each session have been planned to suit your baby’s growing needs.

Repetition, rhythm and challenge

Each week we ensure that there are rhythms and routines to each session as we know that children thrive in these environments. All 3 of the sessions have routines at their core as we sing the welcome song and get children’s vestibular systems working through bouncy songs. Equally, we ensure that there is a section of each class (especially for babies from sitting upwards) where children are challenged to use their growing cognitive skills. Whether it is making a cake for a visiting puppet character or finding sea creatures hiding under the water, parents are actively engaged in their child’s learning and progression.


Staged performances

As we invite children and parents to join us in our imaginary world, we take them on a journey into magical lands full of exciting people and creatures. People entering Baby Land will see our familiar setting laid out each week and children learn to look for surprises hidden under the sunshine or amongst the grass. Parents and their children feel as though they are taking part in a mini-production each week as they are guided from one activity to the next with a reassuring narrative.


Enchanting props

Each session is themed and there are engaging props which accompany each theme. Props can include dress up items, real-life artefacts, sensory objects or lighting effects. One day you may be dressed as a duck and diving under the water to reach the rainbow shining through. Other days you may find yourself going into space with the teds wearing your astronaut’s communication headset whilst encountering alien life forms. Props are specially selected for their sensory value and it may be that the hair brush or bath sponge is the most enthralling thing a young child can be presented with.


Bespoke music

Hartbeeps has been designed by experts in the field of child development and entertainment and every track is written according to extensive research. We use a combination of age-old nursery rhymes (usually with a Hartbeeps twist) and specially written vocals to accompany activities that we take part in. For nostalgia’s sake we also include some well known theme tunes from the 80’s and 90’s for us to boogie on down to. After all, parents need to enjoy themselves too!


Passion 

Hartbeeps Brighton is run by Laura Carpenter who is a mother of one and a Primary School teacher. She became part of the Hartbeeps team purely due to the passion that she felt for the classes and what they achieved for parents and children. She feels strongly that the classes offer a fantastic opportunity for children to explore the world around them and make new discoveries and developments. She also appreciates the aspect of Hartbeeps which allows parents to relax and enjoy time with their children. Laura will be the one curled up like a sleeping bunny or following that child into the corner to show them an exciting prop. Hartbeeps is all about the passion for discovery and every child has that within them.


Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Amazing New Artwork

I'm so excited to share our new artwork by mum and illustrator Elinor Geller. It really sums up the magic of Hartbeeps.

Sunday, 28 April 2013

Welcome to Hartbeeps

Hey parents of Brighton, welcome to the enchanting world of Hartbeeps. We have been running in Brighton for just over 2 months now and we've had some fantastic parents and their babies join us on our weekly adventures. We are constantly adding to our collection of lushcious sensory props and you are sure to meet new and exciting puppet friends each week. If you have tried baby music classes and are looking for something a little bit different, Hartbeeps could be the class for you.



Hartbeeps Brighton & Worthing offers baby development classes with an emphasis on the engagement of both child and parent. Each session is written as a mini production which takes you on a journey through imaginary lands and gives opportunities for movement, role play and dress up. We use techniques such as baby signing, baby massage, puppetry, parachute games, lighting effects and baby yoga. We offer different classes aimed at the 3 key developmental stages for children - birth to sitting, sitting to walking, walking to 4 years. As we move through the developmental stages, the sessions are designed to focus on the needs and pre-occupations of a child at that stage. Young babies enjoy relaxing sessions with plenty of opportunity to hear mum's voice and to bond through massage and yoga. Children who are beginning to explore the world around them are encouraged in this activity through role play and bouncy, movement songs. As we move to the walking stage, we focus on social skills such as listening and interacting with both grown ups and other children. Parents feel that their child is taking part in a highly enjoyable activity whilst also developing key skills.