Work at Home Mom says Talk. Read. Sing.®

If I had to describe my mom in three words, I would say she likes to talk; she likes to read, and she loves to sing.  As a bonus, I would add that she is hardworking.  We have a lot of things in common, but most notably, we both love to work and start endeavors with our children right by our side. Why, am I bringing this up? Well, because I would like share with you an awesome resource for California parents of young children.  It’s the Talk. Read. Sing.® campaign by  First 5 California. Getting ready to share this information, made me think about my childhood and how I spent most of my days by my moms side while she worked.

Growing up, my siblings and I spent after school hours at my mom’s beauty salon.  As you can imagine, there was a lot of talking going on, and more often than not,  I was invited to participate in the lively conversations. There were countless magazines and during her breaks,  both my  mom and I would grab one and read side by side. Now, let’s not forget about the singing part! My mom always wanted to be a professional singer. She has a great voice, and we were often the audience to her ballads and an even cool rap song that she wrote! However, my favorite will always be the Spanish children’s song “Pimpón” that she would sing to me as a little girl. Pimpón es un muñeco con manos de cartón…

 A picture of a picture

My mom with little education and limited resources unknowingly got me to the place where I am today. I’m a work at home mom because of my mom. I’m lucky to live in a time with a lot of resources for parents of all walks of life so that I don’t have to sacrifice one part of my life for the other. First 5 California, is an excellent resource for information, support and activities for newborns, babies, toddlers and preschoolers.  The site features an Activity Center with fun things that parents can do with their kids right from home to help stimulate the mind!

Ji organizing her book by categories.

The resources on the  site are perfect for me ( they have fun videos and downloads too)  because during  days when I’m working with my toddler right by my side; I  want to keep doing everything possible to keep stimulating her mind.  First 5 California says that a child’s brain is more than 80% developed by age 3, and it’s crazy to think that these first years are when billions of neurons connect inside the brain!

Working from home has allowed me to think outside the box and look for simple things that nurture both her brain and our mommy and daughter relationship.

–I read my blogs posts and outgoing emails out loud and ask for her opinion. This strategy leads to curious toddler and mommy conversations.
–I make up and sing a lunch song- It’s lunch time, and we are going to eat- sopita, lechita y tortillita! la. la. la! repeat!
–Dance Party Break- I  grab Ji, put on some funky tunes and get to exercising. This activity is one of her favorites and “mommy dance” is now part of her daily vocabulary.

Ji may not want to follow in our footsteps, but I know that talking, reading and singing to her will help develop her mind and lead her to a successful life.   I encourage you to visit First Five Learning Center  to learn more about the many ways you can stimulate your children’s minds.

Work at home mom in training.

I’d  also love to hear your childhood learning stories!

P.S  I just read this blog post to Ji and she approves 😉

-Ruby