We Play Baby Care

Our camera is broken, but our imaginations are working just fine here at Jammies School.  And, much of that imagination centers around something that is very real in our household: Baby Care!

While Mama-Educator is still trying to get the hang of how to care for baby, while attending to home, school and sundry other responsibilities, Luke and Nina do so with ease -- at least with their  own "babies". 

Witness some snippets from last month:

Both kids would love to feed Jack if only they could.  Since they can't, they often abscond with Boppies and My Brest Friends to play Mama and Papa to dollies.  Here's Nina gleefully nursing"Gemma" - a dollie she re-named when we realized we were having a boy (and the name of the child she says she is going to have when she is big!)

Now, to save Luke some future embarrassment, I won't post nursing photos.  But, I will admit that I had a chat I never thought I would with our four year old boy - all about anatomy and why boys cannot nurse babies.  And, I will say that Luke (even if he still sometimes plays at nursing) was happy to become "The Burper" for all the kids' dollies, including "Gianna".  (When a neighbor gave the kids bizarre Mickeys, they named them "Luke" and "Gianna".)

Luke and Nina don't just play at nursing and burping their "babies" though.  Regularly, they abscond with diapers, rifle through closets and pillage tucked away toys in order to keep their kids dry, clothed and entertained.  They also make them special "rooms" and "houses" for them and ensure their safety in "buckle seats" for imaginary trips to  Papa's.  Here, they were doing both:

And, yes, that is the real baby Jack in the middle there, happily sleeping while big brother and sister built a house around him and then "took him to Papa's".  (And, most certainly, Mama directed Luke and Nina to keep Baby Jack safe even as I let their imaginations lead the construction and play.)

However, sometimes imaginary trips just won't due.  So, Luke and Nina take their kids for stroller rides around our cul de sac and, when going further afield, make slings to carry them in.

 Here they are going off to the playground with Mama and Baby Jack right behind them.  Oh what fun "Gianna" and "Luke" had that day hiking through the woods with us to the playground and doing all the things our "real baby" (Jack) cannot do yet, such as whizzing down the slides and getting pushed on the swings.

Playing (and honestly working at) at baby care is an everyday adventure around here!  How about at your home?


This post is being shared at Childhood 101.  Check out all the fun We Play links there!