I am convinced that the one of the most important education that I can give my baby bean is foreign language education. So I did some research and found a French Mommy and Me class near our house.  See you there!

Alliance Française de Los Angeles
French cultural and language center

10390 Santa Monica Boulevard,  Suite #120
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-652-0306

Classes they offer are:

1. Bebe Musique (newborn to 2 year old)
2. Mommy & Me / Petit a Petit (1 to 2 years old)
3. French Preschool (3 to 5 years old)
4. Mini-Groups (3 to 5 years old)
5. French for American Children (7 to 10 year old)

For pricing and class schedule, visit Alliance Française website.

I was watching Modern Family on my DVR and saw Mitchell and Cameron trying to Ferberize Lily. It made me laugh since I am like Cameron, a “mother bear” who can’t stay outside the room while my little one cries.

A month ago, all my family got together for the New Years and my cousin who has a year old brought her baby who has been Ferberized. They had a strict sleep schedule, and when it was time for the little one to take a nap or sleep she would just bring him upstairs lay him on the crib and he would toss and turn for a little while but would fall asleep on his own. That NEVER happens to me. I have to either walk around singing to my little one, or she needs to nurse before she can fall asleep. I am sick as a dog from a cold and my 14 months old woke me up 4 times last night to nurse.  When I woke up this morning I started thinking should I have sleep trained my baby??

On babycenter Ferber method is described as:

Ferber says you can teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep when he’s physically and emotionally ready, usually sometime between 4 and 6 months of age. He recommends following a warm, loving bedtime routine and then putting your baby in bed awake and leaving him (even if he cries) for gradually longer periods of time. Putting a child to bed awake, says Ferber, is crucial to successfully teaching him to go to sleep on his own.

Parents are instructed to pat and comfort their baby after each predetermined period of time, but not to pick up or feed their baby. This routine is called “progressive waiting.” The suggested waiting time, which Ferber charts in his book, is based on how comfortable you are with the technique, how many days you’ve been using it, and how many times you’ve already checked on your child that night.

After a few days to a week of gradually increasing the waiting time, the theory goes, most babies learn to fall asleep on their own, having discovered that crying earns nothing more than a brief check from you.

There are several other methods of sleep training your baby as well.

If you are interested in the topic here are some books you might want to read.
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth
The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Child’s Sleep
The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby

Sunshine Music, which offers music classes and Spanish music class for children up to age 7 has updated winter enrollment information available. Registration closes on January 24th so if you are thinking of enrolling your little one head over to their website available at Sunshinemusic.org.

On their website, you can learn more about their program, view their schedule, and sign up for demo classes! They offer classes in various locations throughout Los Angeles, so you will be able to find a class near you.

OTB concentrates on activities that enhance brain development and learning through multi-sensory stimuli. Focus is set on cognitive development, combined concepts, right brain/ left brain exercises and reached through uniquely designed activities which foster attachment and bonding.

This program is for children 8 weeks to 5 years old

They are located at:

22011 Avenue San Luis, Woodland Hills, CA 91364

(818) 348-PLAY

In my on going concern of protecting my bean from all possible harm, I realized that even with all my planning and provisioning, I would not be able to cover every inevitable harmful scenario. The result of this mental exercise, I need to learn infant CPR.

RED CROSS

I start my search with The American Red Cross. The American Red Cross offers an online course

Child/Infant CPR

Time allowed for course: 14 days

This web-based course teaches American Red Cross CPR for children (ages 1-12) and infants (under age 1). Students will learn how to recognize and respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies. This course may take up to 3 hours. To earn CPR certification, students must pass the online test and then attend a skill session to perform and review skills.

CPR certification is valid for 1 year.

Course fee: $40.00 USD

They also offer standard courses

CPR Training Course

This 4 hour course provides individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for breathing and cardiac emergencies for adults.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the three emergency action steps to follow in an emergency.CPR Class
• Learn the four life-threatening conditions for which you should check
• Recognize the signals of a heart attack.
• Learn the cardiac chain of survival for a victim of cardiac arrest.
• Learn the precautions for using and AED.
• Demonstrate how to use basic precautions when caring for victims of breathing and cardiac emergencies.
• Demonstrate how to check an unconscious adult.
• Demonstrate how to care for a conscious and an unconscious choking adult.
• Demonstrate how to give CPR to an adult.
• Demonstrate how to use an AED for an adult in cardiac arrest.

Length: Approximately 4 hours

Certificate Validity: 1 year

If you would like to schedule CPR training for a group of people of 10 or more at your site, please call (310) 445-2688 or see more information at Workplace Safety

If you need to take a CPR class for yourself, American Red Cross has community classes available. Please call 1-800-627-7000 to get course schedules and to register.

Here’s a map of all the Red Cross locations:

Okay, I lied, those locations above are not all. There is a Santa Monica Red Cross office as well. They offer CPR classes for free. Here is a list of their offerings:

32411: Adult CPR with AED

32410: Adult CPR with First Aid

32407: Adult, Infant, & Child CPR with First Aid

32415: Adult/AED, Infant, & Child CPR

32800: CPR for the Professional Rescuer

First Aid

3210: Infant & Child CPR

32302: Infant and Child CPR with First Aid

Waterpark Lifeguarding Instructor

YMCA

The Los Angeles YMCA offers a ton of courses in a variety of subjects. They also offer a variety of CPR classes. My local YMCA, the Westside Family YMCA offers the following courses:

Community CPR with AED and First-Aid Classes

Sign up and be CPR and First-Aid certified, for you never know when the world might call upon you to be a hero! CPR and First-Aid Certification classes are offered on the following Saturdays from 10:00am – 2:00pm: March 28, 2009 May 30, 2009 June 27, 2009 July 25, 2009 August 29, 2009 September 19, 2009 CPR w/ AED & First Aid Class Fees Facility Members: $55.00 General Public: $70.00

In addition, the Santa Monica CPR Training Center also looks like a great resource.

They offer the following:

We offer the following CPR classes:

BLS for Healthcare Providers       $60.00

Heartsaver AED (includes CPR) $55.00

Heartsaver CPR                          $50.00

Family and Friends CPR               $40.00

BLS Skills Test (call for appointment) $65.00

Please call about First Aid classes.

I also found some other online resources:

The University of Washington has some online help, illustrations of proper application of infant CPR and a video.

UCLA also offers some CPR courses, however I didn’t see anything specific on Infant CPR.

onlinebabycpr.com also offers a free course

Couple of weeks ago I inherited a bag full of clothes from a co-worker. In the bag, I found a baby sign language book. I heard about teaching your baby sign language while I was pregnant and intended to visit the subject but I totally forgot about it as soon as baby arrived. I started reading the book and now I am totally excited at the thought of communicating with my baby sprout way before she can finally call me mommy.

The book I found was Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers. The book got me excited on the subject but I was not too happy with the layout of the book. Hand signs are listed in alphabetical order in the back of the book, so it is difficult to look up the basic signs that I need as I am trying to teach my little one.

I looked around for more books on the subject and found that Baby Signing 1-2-3: The Easy-to-Use Illustrated Guide for Every Stage and Every Age was organized much better. If you are looking to communicate with your little one, you might want to check it out.

In order to be more effective I think posting a print-out of basic signs around the house is a great idea.

Nursery University- Whoa, I just saw this review. My wife and I have just started looking for preschools- literally today was our firsts interview- and this is scary in a way. I mean i knew that there was a lot of competition around schools, but this just seems like it is not about the child in any way, this is all about the parents and their career advancement.

Getty museum in Los Angeles holds family activities; story telling, art workshops, and many others.

Family Activities

May 16, 2009
Family Art Stops / Enfoque Artístico
Weekends through May 17, 2009
2 pm, 2:30 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Center

Get up close and personal with a single work of art at this half-hour, hands-on gallery experience geared for families with children ages 5 and up. Ofrecida en español a 2:30 p.m. Sign up at the Museum Information Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Learn more about this event

May 17, 2009
Family Storytelling: Carnival, Cops, and a Mystery!
Sunday May 17, 2009
11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Center

Join storyteller Makinto as he uncovers an imaginary plot in James Ensor’s colossal painting Christ’s Entry into Brussels in 1889. Sign up at the Museum Information Desk the day of the program.

Learn more about Family Storytelling

May 23, 2009
Art Adventures for Families
Weekends May 23 – September 6, 2009
2 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Center

Our one-hour tours for children (ages 5 and up) and adults to enjoy together feature a fun, activity-filled visit to the galleries. Space is limited. Sign up at the Museum Information Desk beginning at 1:30 p.m. the day of the program.

Learn more about this event

May 26, 2009
Family Art Stops
Tuesdays – Fridays May 26 – September 4, 2009
2 pm, 2:30 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Center

Get up close and personal with a single work of art at this half-hour, hands-on gallery experience geared for families with children ages 5 and up. Sign up at the Museum Information Desk beginning 30 minutes before the program.

May 30, 2009
Family Drawing Hour: Put Your Best Face Forward!
Saturday May 30, 2009
3:30 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Center

Join us for an up-close look at faces in the Getty collection, then try your hand at making an expressive portrait of your own! Space is limited. Sign up at the Museum Information Desk beginning at 3 p.m. the day of the program.

Learn more about this event

May 31, 2009
Family Storytelling: The Three Gifts of Fortune
Sunday May 31, 2009
11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Center

Hear Angela Lloyd tell a unique story of luck and fortune inspired by Dosso Dossi’s painting Allegory of Fortune. Sign up at the Museum Information Desk the day of the program.

Learn more about Family Storytelling

July 5, 2009
Family Art Lab: Fabulous Festivities
Weekends July 5 – August 2, 2009
11 am – 3:30 pm
Family Room Patio, Getty Center

Join your children in an outdoor, drop-in workshop designed to exercise the imagination. Visit the galleries and then make your own work of art inspired by what you see! Ofrecida en español.

Learn more about this event

August 8, 2009
Family Art Lab: Rain or Shine? Weather in Art
Weekends August 8 – September 6, 2009
11 am – 3:30 pm
Family Room Patio, Getty Center

Join your children in an outdoor, drop-in workshop designed to exercise the imagination. Compare two paintings—one calm, one stormyÑ—and create a dramatic 3-D diorama that showcases your own interpretations of the calm and the storm. Ofrecida en español.

Saturdays and Sundays, August 8–September 6

Learn more about this event

August 15, 2009
Garden Concerts for Kids: Recess Monkeys
Weekends August 15 – August 16, 2009
4 pm – 6 pm
Central Garden, Getty Center

Striking a balance between goofy and cerebral, Recess Monkey calls on its audience to evolve along with them. From their original hit Math Vitamin to class-inspired songs like Messy Monday, the trio performs fun tunes about the many topics of a child’s day, from putting on your socks to the troubles with homework.

Learn more about this event

August 22, 2009
Garden Concerts for Kids: Trout Fishing in America
Weekends August 22 – August 23, 2009
4 pm – 6 pm
Central Garden, Getty Center

The acoustic duo Trout Fishing in America harbors the uncanny ability to create a full-bodied ensemble sound, using only guitar and bass. The long-standing musical partnership of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet bring their infectious mix of folk/pop and family music, with influences of reggae, Latin, blues, jazz and classical music to the Garden Concerts for Kids series.

Learn more about this event

August 29, 2009
Garden Concerts for Kids: Justin Roberts
Weekends August 29 – August 30, 2009
4 pm – 6 pm
Central Garden, Getty Center

As one of the “all-stars” of the indie family music scene, Justin Roberts and his bandmates—The Not Ready for Naptime Players—dish out intelligent and whimsically rocking music for kids and their parents. This summer’s Garden Concerts for Kids series closes with jumping and dancing in the kiddie mosh pit found at nearly every Justin Roberts concert.

Learn more about this event

Lakeshore store sells products ranging from Furniture, Toys and Learning materials (such as book and CDs) for infants to 6th graders. It is also a great place to get supplies for birthday parties. They have an online catalog where you can browse through all their products. They are also a locally started business, with locations all across town.

Closest one to us is Culver City:

8888 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034

310-559-9630
Fax 310-559-1684

Monday-Friday: 9:00-7:00
Saturday: 9:00-6:00
Sunday: 11:00-5:00

Don’t miss out the great opportunity for winter swim lessons. Registration begins December 3rd, 2008. 

For further inquiries, please call 310.458.8700