Down the Rabbit Hole

This is a question I had in mind because one of my friends mentioned that she is no longer supporting Taking Cara Babies, a company that provides sleep training support and guidance for parents. The wee one did not sleep train as I believe that his frequent wake-ups during the night when he was younger were developmentally normal. Instead, I read Pamela Douglas'  The Discontented Little Baby Book  (which, I believe, focuses on holistically supporting mothers enjoy their babies during the most difficult stages of infancy; not just with maternal sleep deprivation). The woman behind Taking Cara Babies, Cara Dumaplin, is known for devising a very effective sleep training program that has been lauded by a lot of people (including Biboy and Barbara). My friend used to follow Cara's account on Instagram and probably has purchased one of Cara's programs, though I'm not sure. Her issue began when Cara's donations to former US President Donald Trump's campaign fund becam

Parenting books and social media accounts provide advice and suggestions on how to help one's baby reach developmental physical and mental milestones on time. Provide ample amount of tummy time to reduce torticollis and to help strengthen muscles needed to roll and to crawl. Point things out to the baby and mention what they are to help the baby develop his/her vocabulary. Let the baby play with wooden toys to enhance creativity and imagination in open play. It is a great joy to see a child tick off each developmental milestone, whether parents follow the advice of baby experts or if they decide to let the baby develop those skills on his/her own pace, provided the right environment to develop the targeted skills. But what these parenting books and social media accounts do NOT mention is the grief that comes with saying good-bye to the previous stage. The last toothless grin. The last night in the swaddle. The last day of being on one's back all day. The last spit-up.

  Photo taken by Anna On a warm winter afternoon (and by warm, I mean 61 ºF/ 16 ºC), Anna and I brought my son to Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. I'm very happy that we went here because I've always wanted to visit (but never had a chance before, thanks to COVID-19 ). The park is impressive! It's one of the bigger urban parks I have visited (the biggest, so far, is the Presidio of San Francisco  at 1500 acres). We intended to stroll along the easy path, just going around the pond. However, we quickly changed course when we discovered that there's a lake we could explore (and we did). While Anna and I enjoyed the view of the lake and the sounds of the wildlife, though, my son was more interested in staring at his stroller canopy than at the ducks floating on the lake.  Following the path around the lake After touring part of the lake, we headed to the Gardens at Heather Farms. It actually is a non-profit organisation that runs a garden that is accessible (and free) to

Disclaimer: Infantino sent me this product to evaluate.   My thoughts and opinions about the product have not been influenced by Infantino or by its affiliates in any way. --- Aside from the 3 Stage Above & Beyond Tummy Time Mat , Infantino also sent me the 5-in1 Epic Developmental Learning Gym. I was very surprised that the company sent me this because I was only expecting one product. Excited, I unboxed it as soon as I found some free time (the wee one was napping). Out of the box came a tropics-themed play mat, two bendy poles (one is rigid and has loops for toys; the other one is soft and can be used to attach anything with velcro on it), five high-contrast cards (one side has shapes, the other side has animal headshots), a teether, a sloth wrist rattle, an elephant doll, and four activity "stations". The four activity stations are an electronic piano with crinkly flaps, fabric for sticking velcro on, a pillow, and a bag with plastic links. I was impressed. I couldn&#

  Disclaimer:  I have received this item from Infantino to facilitate my review.   My thoughts and opinions about the product have not been influenced by Infantino or by its affiliates in any way. --- I was excited to receive the 3 Stage Above & Beyond Tummy Time Mat by Infantino because the playmat looks good in photos and my son can definitely benefit from spending more time on the floor. The first activity mat I ever bought him was also by Infantino, the Deluxe Twist and Fold Activity Gym; he definitely enjoyed playing with that and so I was sure that he'd enjoy the tummy time mat as well. When I opened the box and unfolded the contents, I was wowed by the design. The tummy time mat and its accessories definitely follow the underwater theme. The activity toys include a starfish-shaped bag that contains plastic rings, an octopus rattle, a fish-shaped teether, and a pillow. Behind the seashell, there's a mirror too. The mat itself has several fish and whales swimming near