Valentine's Day is just a few days away! While the first thing that springs to mind may be romantic love, Valentine's Day is a wonderful time to focus on growing your connection with your little one as well. Toddlers thrive on simple, meaningful activities that engage their senses and strengthen their bond with their parents and other caregivers. I have gathered some simple activities you can easily do with the little ones in your life, while you make some precious memories.

While it is entirely possible to celebrate and enjoy Valentine's Day as it is commonly celebrated today, my Christian and Catholic readers will appreciate a faith-based activity you can do with your little ones. Since we're on the topic of "Valentines," did you know that the Saint Valentine, a Roman clergyman from the third century, is still known for writing letters of encouragement to Christians undergoing persecution? This may explain our tradition of writing sweet cards on Valentine's Day to those we love.

If you are interested in adding this activity to your special day, talk with your child about people you know who might need some extra encouragement...perhaps a grandparent, a neighbor, residents at a local nursing home, immigrants, or mothers experiencing a difficult or unexpected pregnancy.

Write simple messages of encouragement such as "God loves you," "Praying for you," "You are a gift," or "Jesus loves you," and having your child "sign" his name to the card, with a thumbprint, first initial or first name, depending on your child's abilities. Your little ones can also decorate their Saint Valentine cards with hearts, stickers, or stamps. You and your child can then deliver the cards to the intended recipients, bringing them joy, and practicing the virtue of kindness as a family.

If you're hoping to encourage the growth of your little one's attention span; give them an opportunity to explore textures; and practice scooping and pouring; a sensory bin is a great idea. But let's be real...when you've got little ones who may still put things in their mouths, a sensory bin can be a nerve-wracking and potentially dangerous thing! If you can handle it if the littles dump everything out, here's a great idea for a (mostly) edible sensory bin: a cereal bin!

If you want to contain the mess, and you have a big enough box, put the sensory bin and the little ones in the big box. When they're done nibbling, scooping, pouring, and exploring, remove the reusable items and toss, or compost, the remains of the cereal.

Since we're on the topic of food, making heart-shaped treats together is a wonderful way to develop teamwork with your child, while teaching math skills. Valentine's Day and strawberries seem like a natural pair; how about your own home-made, heart-shaped strawberry roll-ups? Yes; please!

With only four simple ingredients, this recipe is a great one to make with your little ones. The hardest part for them will be the three to four-hour wait while the mixture dries in the oven. (Hint: fill the time with the other activities we have suggested!) Little ones can measure out and add the ingredients to the food processor, and later, they can cut out the heart-shaped roll-ups with heart cookie cutters. As always, for their safety, make sure you stay with your child throughout this activity.

Getting out with your little ones to shops or stores around this time of year is a great opportunity to communicate with your child about Valentine's Day. Hearts, flowers, and so many red objects surround and delight your child! Did you know research demonstrates that little ones who use baby sign language learn to communicate more quickly with their parents or caregivers than non-signing babies, and have reduced frustration, because they can talk about the world around and inside them?

While the word "weaning" often conjures up images of wailing babies and swollen, painful breasts, gentle, baby-led weaning is often so gradual and natural a process that mother may not even remember the exact day or even week that her little one weaned from the breast. Gradual weaning is gentler on both mother and baby. I use the term "positive weaning" to describe this style of weaning. Instead of abruptly removing a child from the breast, positive weaning is a mindset that respects the child's developmental readiness and views weaning as a process. Being "fully weaned" is a milestone and achievement, like mastering how to use the toilet, learning to ride a bike, or learning to read. Positive weaning also respects the mother's needs and bodily integrity, since the process of weaning may often be the child's first exposure to the idea that each person's body belongs to that person, and their first experience of respecting that others can, and will, say "no" to him or her on occasion. These important lessons have many benefits for the child long into the future.

No matter how they are fed, newborns benefit from infant massage as they transition from womb to world. For a young child, touch is as vital to life as milk. Infants who regularly receive infant massage cry less, develop faster, and have fewer discomforts. Infant massage is a wonderful way to encourage your baby's health and well-being while bonding with your child.

For many children, their special time as the "baby of the family" will come to an end when a new sibling arrives. The uncertainty of how their child will handle this transition is often a source of considerable worry for parents during pregnancy. Often in books or shows on this topic, the older sibling is portrayed as jealous and the parents or grandparents as only interested in the new baby, and in my opinion, these negative depictions plant seeds of worry and pessimism in the older sibling that may contribute to a long-term "sibling rivalry."

During the typical challenges of pregnancy, and especially if complications arise during the pregnancy or birth, it is best to talk with your child in an age-appropriate way about what is happening to mommy or baby and how they can help, even if in very simple ways, like, "Please bring Mommy a glass of water." When the child does these precious acts of service, praise the child, letting him or her know what a great big brother or sister he / she already is. Empathy, gentleness, education, and encouragement will go a long way toward helping the young child to embrace this new role that, God willing, will last a lifetime.

It was such a joy to have a dear young mom and her sweet first baby, Emma, in a recent Sign, Say, and Play baby sign language series. Here are the mother's thoughts about St. Croix Birth & Parenting's Baby Signs classes!

Q: What reasons did you have for wanting to learn Baby Signs (R) with your baby?
​A: We wanted a way to communicate with Emma before she was able to do so by speaking so we could better respond to her needs and help her to feel empowered and connected. 

Q: Do you think Emma enjoyed the classes themselves? If so, how could you tell?
​A: Yes! Watching on the iPad for 45 minutes was beyond her so young, but she definitely engaged happily each time, and she really seemed to enjoy playing pretend dressing her Teddy—all smiles and excited sounds!

Q: Did you ever see Emma use Baby Signs in her daily life? If so, what signs did she use?
​A: She is not signing yet, but she seems to watch our hands when we do. 

Q: Can you think of a time it helped you or other family members to use signs with Emma?
​A: We use them as much as we can, especially “all done” and “more,” which I think has really helped us with feeding but also when we have to change activities or redirect her to say we are “all done”! Emma always smiles when we sign “dog”! We definitely think they will help as her capacity to comprehend the signs and then to use them grows!

Q: Is there anything you would say to parents or caregivers about using baby signs with babies?
​A: It is fun, functional, and building strong connections between my baby and me and in her brain as she already develops her neural pathways for language before she can ever speak. 

Q: Would you recommend SCBP Baby Signs (R) classes?
​A: I already have to several moms!

Thanks so much for this wonderful feedback!

Parents are often the ones who take baby sign language classes so they can communicate with their baby before baby can talk. But learning baby sign language is helpful for anyone who spends significant time with a baby, including siblings, grandparents, daycare workers, babysitters, and other caregivers! Earlier this year, Emilie, a nanny, asked her employer if she could take the Sign, Say, and Play online Baby Signs (R) Class with her nanny charge, Emma. I asked Emilie about her experience using baby sign language with Emma.

SCBP: What reasons did you have for wanting to learn Baby Signs with your nanny baby?
Emilie:  I wanted to learn baby sign language with Emma because I knew how much it would help us communicate with each other. I have used sign language in the past in my family growing up and I was interested in trying it as a caregiver.

SCBP: What age was Emma when you began to take classes with her?
Emilie: ​Emma was seven and a half months old when we took our first class.

SCBP: Did you ever see Emma use Baby Signs in her daily life? What signs did she use?
Emilie: ​Yes! Emma loved to use baby signs as she grew older. Her favorite signs were "Dog", "More", "All Done", "Book", and "Fish"!

SCBP: Is there anything you would say to parents or caregivers about using baby signs with babies?
Emilie: Using baby signs is a great way to give your little one a way to communicate early on in life. When their vocabulary is bigger than just "cry" and "smile", it will surprise you how much easier it is to care for them! You can simply give them what they tell you that they want, most of the time.

SCBP: Would you recommend SCBP Baby Signs classes?
Emilie: I would definitely recommend SCBP Baby Signs Classes. They are a fun and easy way to learn a great way of communicating with your little one.

SCBP: Thank you, Emilie, for taking the time to answer these questions about your baby sign language experience!
Emilie: I am always happy to help out! And it was so fun to take the classes.

Sign, Say, & Play class series: six fun online classes for little ones 6-24 months old covering the main topics that you need to know to communicate with baby, including mealtime, bedtime, bath time, pets, getting dressed, and playtime

Rumble Tumble Tummy Time class series: four fun online classes for babies 2-6 months old that use signs, song, toys, and games to make tummy time fun!

Featured Freebie class: SCBP offers FREE theme-based baby sign language classes every month for children from birth to age 6! View and sign up for this month's Featured Freebie class here.

Baby Signs Too: a website with a directory of certified Baby Signs (R) instructors from around the world and lots of baby signs resources for sale, too!

August was a busy month for SCBP! The month got rolling with the August 4 session of the Catholic Nursing Mothers' Group, a group co-sponsored by the Catholic Nursing Mothers' League. We discussed "Comfort Nursing." We welcomed nine mothers and their children to this online session.

The next day, August 5, I talked about "The Works of Mercy and Perinatal Loss" at Peace House right here in Stillwater, Minnesota. I was blessed to spend a lovely evening with several of the members of the Catholic Worker movement, who help women and mothers and their children in need of transitional housing, support, and life coaching. I was able to share with the group about our affiliated ministry, Tiny Treasures Perinatal Support. Team Tiny Treasures ships clothing and care packages to families facing or experiencing perinatal loss. It was an honor to discuss how this ministry is a way to "clothe the naked," "comfort the mourning" and "bury the dead".

The following day, August 6, my daughter, Emilie, joined me at the 12th Annual Memorial Walk for Halos of the St. Croix Valley, in New Richmond, Wisconsin. It was an honor to provide support (and demonstrate the resources our affiliated ministry, Tiny Treasures,  provides) for the individuals and families who came out to walk to support this wonderful organization that support grieving parents and families.

In mid-August, BeeBo Bear and I had the joy of providing the August Featured Freebie Class, "A, B, C, Sign with Me," online for several mothers and their children. In this class, we had a blast learning all of the manual alphabet signs, while signing songs, and reading the classic alphabet book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

Some of these mothers and kids told their friends about the fun they had in the class and just a week later, BeeBo Bear and I repeated the August Featured Freebie Class, "Under the Sea" Baby Signs Class for a larger group of mamas and littles. In this online class, designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2-5 years old, we created an octopus, sang songs, and told a story to help little ones grow in the virtue of self-control.

I had the opportunity to answer questions and answers about Bonding with Baby yesterday at the free online SuperMoms-in-Training Summit. It was a great experience! Since the actual recording is reserved for summit participants, here's a recap of what I discussed.

To bond with baby (as well as older children!) I suggest new parents look into attachment parenting (AP). I would argue that AP is simply instinctive parenting that has been practiced since the beginning of the human race, but it has been promoted in recent decades by Dr. William Sears and his wife, Martha Sears, RN. In their book, Attachment Parenting,* the Searses promote the "Seven B's" of AP:

• Birth Bonding
• Breastfeeding
• Babywearing
• Bed Sharing
• Belief in the signal value of Baby's Cries
• Beware of Baby Trainers (practices that might reduce your responsiveness to your baby)
• Balance and Boundaries

In my Summit Q & A, I discussed a little bit about each of these practices. One reason I encourage mothers to work toward a natural, unmedicated birth without routine interventions is because such a birth usually provides the best conditions for normal breastfeeding, and breastfeeding is an important factor in bonding. Another important part of Birth Bonding is skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby -- and also dad and baby! And skin-to-skin is something you can do with your baby anytime, not just at birth.

Research suggests that Breastfeeding is an important factor in mother-baby bonding. It's important to add that breastfeeding doesn't guarantee bonding, and other feeding choices certainly don't prevent bonding! However, breastfeeding releases bonding hormones in baby and mother, and is known as an important factor in bonding.

There was a question about what can be done to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy. Make sure to get a lactation consultant lined up before you have a need! If needed, it is much easier to make a call for help to someone with whom you have already established a relationship than cold calling in what might feel like a very emergent situation. A second suggestion I have is to make sure you take a good breastfeeding preparation class!

The third B is Babywearing. Babies who are "worn" (carried in a sling or infant carrier) cry less and are perceived as "easier" / happier babies. This can make bonding easier. In addition to babywearing, I also recommend Infant Massage! Infant massage is a wonderful way to promote your baby's physical and emotional health while growing in your bond.

I spoke the longest about the fourth B: Bed Sharing because many have concerns about bedsharing safety. It is important to follow safe bed sharing guidelines! If bedsharing isn't something that you are interested in doing, it can be beneficial to sleep close to baby, for example, with baby in a "sidecar" arrangement or with bassinette in your room.

I add Baby Sign language to the fifth B: Belief in the signal value of a Baby's Cries. The parent or caregiver recognizes that babies want to communicate their needs and it is our job to observe our babies and learn what their signals mean. Baby Sign language facilitates this process by giving babies a way to communicate their needs, thoughts, and emotions before they are able to speak!

Similar to the Bedsharing B, I recognize that "Beware of Baby Trainers" is one of the more controversial AP practices. To make this less confrontational, I like to explain this one as avoiding those practices that force you to be less responsive to your baby. For example, there are some methods that are designed to "train" a baby not to cry...ever. This is the kind of practice that should be avoided if you want to practice AP, because it interferes with the previous B: recognizing the signal value of a baby's cries. (This B does not mean using gentle methods of weaning or helping your toddler learn to sleep through the night at an appropriate age. Of course all children should wean from the breast and sleep through the night!)

The final B, which in my opinion is the most important, is Balance and Boundaries. Parents who gravitate to AP tend to be (like me haha) Type A perfectionists. It is important to be gentle with yourself and make sure your own needs are met: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. AP can be intense and it is something that requires a lot of energy and commitment for the long-haul. You absolutely need to meet your own needs to be a long-term AP parent. You matter! And your baby does, too! Blessings to you and your baby.

Help your baby's tummy time take off with the Airplane Game! No equipment needed.

In Up, Up, and Away! (Tummy Time Activity Video #4) you will learn:

• A traditional game to help make tummy time fun
• Alternative positions for the airplane game
• A great way dads and other significant people can play with baby during tummy time

This video is intended for educational purposes only. Please consult with your baby's doctor or medical care provider for specific advice about the care of your baby.

Rock your baby's tummy time by using a large ball!

Rock 'n' Roll Your Baby (Tummy Time Activity Video #3) explains how to:

• Use a large exercise / stability / birth / yoga ball to add some variety to your baby's tummy time routine
• Wear your baby as a means to cut down the time baby spends on his or her back
• Combine babywearing and gentle bouncing on the ball to soothe your baby

This video is intended for educational purposes only. Please consult your baby's doctor or medical care provider for specific advice about the care of your baby. Always follow any baby carrier's instructions for safe babywearing and ensure baby's airway is straight so they can breathe freely.

Use safe mirror play to make tummy time more enjoyable for your baby! 

Who's that Baby in the Mirror? (Rumble Tumble Tummy Time Activity Video #2) explains how to:

• Use mirror play to meet your baby's tummy time goals
• Support your baby's visual tracking and social skills
• Use brief periods of tummy time to get some much needed Me Time!