Firstly I want to say a huge thank to Rookley Country Park for hosting a fabulous Easter Baby and Tot Fayre, where I had a stall and met some fabulous new little signers and I cant wait to see them all on the upcoming courses. It was so much fun at the baby and tot fayre and it was fabulous to meet lots of other island businesses, and thank you to everyone who came along, I cant wait to do it again next year.

On another note for you all I have some very exciting news……. Baby Signing Mummy Isle of Wight is coming to Sandown and Shanklin Childrens centres!!! Initially as a free one off taster session but if enough of you would like it then they will facilitate a full six week course, so what could be better? Come along with your little ones on either Tuesday 24th april to Shanklin Children’s Centre  for 10.15 or Monday 1st May to Sandown Children’s Centre for 10.15 and join in the fun of baby signing.

Also if Newport is a better area for you then come along on  19th April to a free taster session at JR’s Newport Industrial Estate at 11am and have some fun finding out about baby signing and Baby Signing Mummy.

More areas are adding to my list everyday but if you would like to see something in your area or are interesed in booking a private course where i come to your home please contact me at laura@babysigningmummy.com or on 07703510780.

If you would like to join a full six week course then please contact me asap as I have a couple of spaces left in my next class starting Wednesday 25th april at Broadway Centre Sandown.

I’m so excited to be spreading my baby signing wings and adventuring into new places and I cant wait to meet with all of you, so if you have any questions please give a me a call, and please visit me on our specific Facebook Page  or feel free to “Tweet Me”  to keep updated on new dates and news!

Finally before I sign off if you would like to recieve my free email newsletter please contact me laura@babysigningmummy.com to register.

Here are two very important dates for your Diary. Come along to my Baby Signing Mummy event to have a taste and insight into what is on offer in my Baby Signing Classes for you and your little one/s.

Baby Signing Mummy Walsall be at Mothercare in Walsall, Crown Wharf shopping complex on Thursday 26th April 6pm – 8pm. 

Baby Signing Mummy Walsall will be at Collingwood Community Centre on Saturday 2rd June 2012 10am – 2pm, This is a Family Fun Day so lots to do and see.

Look forward to meeting you all and booking you on my courses once you see what are the benefits of attending my classes.

Take care and hope to welcome you on board x

Marketing Baby Signing Mummy in Walsall has been fun…meeting lots of fabulous parents on the way! Parents who are keen to make Baby Signing Mummy big in the West Midlands! A Big thank you to ‘Mothercare’ who are letting me come into their stores and promoting my classes and hopefully courses will be fully booked shortly…It’s Just the start got to keep the ball rolling…Come and book your place now by getting in touch with me at parm@babysigningmummy.com or calling me on 07849582499

Lets have fun signing!

I’m Parm your Baby Signing Mummy for the West Midlands. It’s great to be part of the growing Baby signing Mummy family where all the teachers are very bubbly and and so passionate about their jobs.  I must also thank the parents and babies that are also part of the Baby Signing Mummy Family and a Warm Welcome to those of you that are thinking of joining us too.

I started signing with my little daughter at home and I was amazed at the benefits we experienced in this whole new method of communication.  My passionfor signing just grew and grew from then on and here I am today a Baby Signing Mummy practitioner….in a job that I love too!

I am bringing classes of Baby Sign Language to you in the West Midlands starting this April 2012 (details to follow).  Why not come along with your little one and learn this whole new language. The benefits are endless…Its even more rewarding when your little one signs their first Sign.  My little princess signed ‘Mummy’ and it made me melt!!!

Come along and join your local class have fun signing and watch the benefits flow for yourselves…see you soon x

Get in contact with me to book your place by emailing me at  parm@babysigningmummy.com

We now run a course at Ventnor Community Early Years Preschool and had our first baby sign once we left! So exciting!! What better sign to learn first than mummy, so I cannot wait to go back this week with her beautiful certificate.

Also I need to say a massive congratulations to Charlotte from Bedazzled Parties who graduated in the Baby Signing Mummy Method and ….. (*drum roll*) is now running Baby Signing Mummy parties and already has a booking! This is such an amazing partnership for Baby Signing Mummy and I’m really looking forward to our future.

But this is just the start for Baby Signing Mummy IOW, I am running a private course for a lovely lady and her twin boys which is so exciting. SO if you are interested in hosting a course from the comfort of your own home feel free to book in, what could be easier? I bring all the skills, equipment and training all you need is a little enthusiasm to learn somehing new with your little ones.

If running a course from home is not the way forward for you then keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook Page Baby Signing Mummy Isle of Wight where I will be announcing dates this week for a course being run at the end of the month in Sandown but due to popular demand I am looking into other areas on the island. If you want to book on to the course or would like one in your area contact me on 07703510780 or email me at laura@babysigningmummy.com.

Finally as if this wasnt enough after Easter I will be holding a Baby Signing Mummy taster session at Sandown/Shanklin Childrens Centre, I will post more information on this nearer the time.

Baby Signing Mummy keeps me busy but it’s only one part of my day, I have two beautiful boys who constantly keep me on my toes and I just love how running my own business means I can spend more time with them. I would love to hear what makes your day worthwhile and any thoughts you have on this weeks blog.

Now I love baby signing and I’ll sing and sign along with Clara at every opportunity, but how dare we deprive all you other local Mummies and babies from being able to join in the fun!

So, in the past couple of weeks, I’ve put my marketing hat on and I have been speaking to toddler groups and lots of local Mummies to get the Baby Signing Mummy ball rolling and set up those all important classes.

I’ve really enjoyed getting feedback from you all; I’m pleased to learn that there are many of you out there who already use baby signing with your little ones and want to learn more. There are also many of you who have never done any baby signing and want to start!

I’m sure all of us here at Baby Signing Mummy would love to hear your stories and experiences of baby signing and if you are keen to start or want to do more, leave us a comment and let us know where you would like us to come and teach!

I’m pleased to say that the good news for those Mummies in the North East Hampshire region is that I will be starting a 6 week course at Little Saplings Children’s Centre in Hartley Wintney from 16th April. I am also in the process of setting up further classes after Easter in Crondall and Fleet. If you are interested in joining me at any of these or want to talk to me about setting up a class, please contact me at sarah@babysigningmummy.com and I will forward you the booking forms.

I am thrilled to say that the Little Saplings Children’s Centre course already has 2 confirmed bookings so please do not delay in getting in touch!

It is going to be a very exciting year for Baby Signing Mummy North East Hampshire and I can’t wait to meet you all in class very soon!

What makes this even stranger is that at lunch time today as the Baby Signing Mummy Team went out for lunch, it started to SNOW! Eeeeek I hear you cry!

Anyway, deciding to ignore that tiny fact I am going to introduce the Sign of the Month as Spring. Another beautifully illustrated Signing STARS character by Kev Brett the sign for March is Spring!

Right hand starts as a fist hidden behind your left hand, your right hand shoots up into an open hand, whilst you make the sign say the word “Spring” – the idea is to show new things shooting up from the ground, like flowers, plants, trees.

Remember any attempt at a sign by your little one should be celebrated and meet with lots of praise, there is no need to correct their sign as they are likely to adapt it whilst they get used to using their hands to sign.

So where did it start, well actually it started at home with my little one, we were waving our hands around trying to ask him whether he had finished his food; we kept saying ‘all gone?’  but he wasn’t really understanding, until one day he copied the flailing hand movements we had made and after much smiles – we had a sign that we all understood!  Ok so it may not have been an official sign in any sign language, but it worked for us!

The next step many mums, dads and other relatives will relate to – Mr Tumble, watching him with Legs (our first born) and his subsequent little sister Mouse, he brought more signs into our life!  I loved the communication before they could even talk, it helped at nappy time, meal time and bedtime! It took away some stress and helped their relationship too, Legs loves teaching Mouse new signs!

I have seen the benefits of sign in action for babies, children with special needs and hearing children! It is another form of communication, it breaks a language barrier and sometimes is just as simple as helping break down some shyness, my son used to sign ‘I love you’ to me when I dropped him at nursery instead of shouting it!

So when and where did it turn into a passion?

Twitter, well that is where I met Louise, founder of Baby Signing Mummy, we hit it off quickly and she has a passion like no other for what she does – it is hard not to get swept along in the excitement, especially when you are already half way there anyway! In 2011 I was trained in the Baby Signing Mummy Method and my love for Baby Signing grew to a point where I knew it would be a part of my life!

So where am I now with Baby Signing? Well I still use it with Legs and Mouse – even though they turn 4 and 2 next month, we love being able to communicate in a noisy environment or a deathly quiet one!  I currently work full time as a family worker, and I use it in my work, I use Baby Signing for actions in singing groups, for chatting to babies (in and out of groups) and for talking to children who don’t really want to talk!

I am also very happy to be involved with the training at Baby Signing Mummy – I mean who wouldn’t want to spread the word about what they love and start others on the journey too!

So that is a little insight into the start of my journey, always happy to chat Baby Signing, so if you want any info, are in Nottingham and want to learn or just have questions, please get in touch!

In the last year so much has changed for my family and I, not only did we see the new addition of our special little man, but it also has seen the end of my career within a high school as a cover supervisor and the start of a fabulous new journey within Baby Signing Mummy. I have learnt so much this year about myself and my capabilities and what I want for my family and our future.

Saturday we were inundated with visitors for Leo, who knew a one year old had so many friends :), and finally sunday, a day of rest, saw a wonderful day out for the family thanks to the beautiful sunshine.

I love my weekends with my family nad now being part of BSM i look forward to my week of work to . This week is quite possibly one of the most exciting weeks for me as I am about to start running a course at, Ventnor Community Early Years Pre School, and teach Bedazzled Parties the wonders of Baby Signing Mummy – a partnership I have been looking forward to so much.

As well as this I expect a few more family visits and possibly another trip back to the doctors as my two year old has tonsilitis and it doesnt look to want to go away. All this said I wouldnt change my week for the world being a busy mum is what I love.

I hope you all have exciting weeks planned, I would love to hear about  them so please comment or pop over to my Baby Signing Mummy Isle of Wight facebook page and leave me a post.

lots of love

Laura

We drove up from Hampshire and parked in the spacious Excel car park, paying just £10 for the entire day.

As soon as we got there, Clara needed her lunch and the Tommee Tippee feeding area didn’t disappoint. Lots of Tripp Trapp chairs available for baby, plenty of microwaves and bottle warmers and free Plum fruit pouches and bread sticks. I’m still breastfeeding Clara and it was quiet enough for me to go ahead and feed without her getting distracted. The baby changing area was equally impressive, with free nappies and wipes and beautifully clean changing bays.

So what was there to see?

I was slightly concerned that we might be disappointed with the exhibitors, being that Clara is 11 months old now. I guess I always assumed most exhibitors at a baby show would be aiming at the new baby market, but I needn’t have worried. For those with very young babies or little ones on the way, there was certainly a fantastic choice of everything you would expect: cots, baby slings, feeding equipment, bedding, newborn/young baby clothes, pushchairs and prams. The list is endless…

Happily for us though there was also a wealth of goodies for older babies and Clara has been well and truly spoilt.

One of our best buys of the day was a beautiful pinafore dress and top by Green Nippers (50% off and free Green & Black’s choccies!). Green Nippers makes stunning organic, ethical and eczema friendly baby and children’s clothes and also had some lovely sleepsuits/rompers for younger babies.

On the clothing front, we also came home with a gorgeous pinafore and jacket by Bamboo Baby London, each priced at a hugely discounted £10. This company makes gorgeously soft bamboo and organic cotton clothing for babies and children 0-7 years.

We also loved Pink Diva Embroidery. Pink Diva makes funny slogan embroidered bibs and vests. They are beautiful quality and Daddy decided Clara needed one saying “Daddy says I can’t date until I’m 30″. Most appropriate! I believe the company also gives you the option of creating your own customised bibs.

There were also some completely new products which I liked so much that I had to get Daddy to buy Clara. One was from Mamascarf, which makes a wonderful breastfeeding scarf – well worth a look. Mamascarf has now ventured into the baby sleeping bag market. The new Babasac is a 2-in-1 multi tog baby sleeping bag, so it can be used all year round. I wanted a new sleeping bag for Clara to fit her from 18 months onwards and this one goes all the way up to 36 months. We travel regularly with Clara and to have a sleeping bag which works for all climates is simply fantastic.

The other great discovery for us was the sleek looking YBike Pewi, a ride-on walking aid for babies from 9 months. We were really impressed with this baby bike and its older version, a balance bike for 2′s and over (your little ones will LOVE it). Clara seemed happy on the Pewi as it was easy for her to hold on to, it didn’t topple and I think she will grow with it, so it won’t be a fly by night purchase.

A trip to The Baby Show wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the show stage and all I can say is thank goodness for Baby Ballet’s musical showcase. Two hours in and Clara was beginning to get restless. The Baby Ballet performance grabbed her attention, got her bouncing, clapping and dancing and to be fair to her, a break from the exhibitors area. Clara was mesmorised by Twinkle the Bear and I was enchanted by Baby Ballet’s beautiful baby dancewear! Just wait ’til you see it!

The show stage also had guests dealing with topics such as successful breastfeeding, baby first aid and Annabel Karmel advised on nutrition during pregnancy and the myths and truths of feeding your little ones.

All in all, our day was a busy one, but very enjoyable. Initially I was going up to the show without Clara – I thought it would be too hectic for her. The Baby Show has got it sorted for the perfect family day out and I needn’t have worried. There is a great mix of spacious chillout areas, fantastic facilities and plenty of room for browsing the exhibitors with your baby on board. Daddy also seemed to enjoy himself!

If you have time this weekend, I would thoroughly recommend a visit.