🌏 Life in Korea | Living with My American Husband 🌏 Language: 🇰🇷 KR | 🇺🇸 EN We’re a Korean–American couple who got married in Korea May 2024 . We decided to hold only a Korean ceremony, while celebrating separately with our U.S. family with a nice dinner and photos later. Because of that, the entire process followed Korean wedding customs , which felt quite foreign to my husband. It was my first time, too, but I at least had some idea of what to expect from my friends and family. He, on the other hand, had never been exposed to how that process works in Korea — so everything felt new. For anyone preparing a wedding with an American or otherwise-foreign spouse unfamiliar with Korean wedding culture , I’m sharing our full wedding timeline and practical tips by stage based on our real experience.
[Raising Happy, Confident Kids] Infant Caregiver Training (Days 3 and 4) Summary & Review — Play Class Recap
Two out of the four days in the babysitter (infant–toddler caregiver) training were play classes.
We learned how to play with children, what kinds of books to read, which songs to sing with matching hand motions,
and what simple games we can enjoy together. It was fascinating—like, “Wow, we actually learn this too!”
Thinking back, I often wondered, “What should we play?” whenever I spent time with my nephew.
If I had known these ideas earlier, I could have played with him better when he was younger.
In this post, I’m going to summarize what I learned during the two play-focused days of this course.
For children’s vocabulary growth, lots of reading is essential.
It’s best to help them build a habit of careful, attentive reading before starting elementary school.
Even if they’re very young, it’s important to expose them often to accurate pronunciation, letters, and rich language.
Especially when reading to a child, read slowly and clearly rather than quickly.
[How to Improve Vocabulary in Infants & Toddlers]
Make eye contact and “talk with” the baby—even a newborn.
Increase language exposure through conversations, reading, and singing.
💡 Tip:
When explaining (for example) “the sky,” don’t just say “It’s the sky.”
Try vivid descriptions like “a bright, bold blue sky” or
“a deep blue sky that looks like it's filled with flying blue fairies.”
[How to Read Aloud]
Make frequent eye contact while reading.
Read clearly in a conversational tone.
Read the beginning and ending slowly to leave room for imagination and afterglow.
Avoid picture books that trigger fear or anxiety.
Differentiate voices for the characters.
2. Choosing Books
From about 3 months, babies begin distinguishing colors; by around age 3, they can clearly tell colors apart.
At this stage, illustrations in books become especially important.
After age 3, imagination develops explosively, so it’s good to show many picture books that are lively and spark imagination.
[Recommended Illustrations by Age]
Under age 3: simple drawings with primary colors
Age 3 and up: lively artwork that stimulates imagination
[Recommended Picture-Book Authors]
Hee-na Baek
An author with a warm gaze that sparks the imagination of 3–4-year-olds.
Illustrates her own stories.
Books by Hee-na Baek
Anthony Browne
An author who writes primarily for children ages 7–8; he also writes and illustrates his own stories.
Books by Anthony Browne
[Recommended Picture Book] Sandcastle and Dragon: the course instructor used this book as an example to emphasize how powerful illustrations can be—sometimes even more than the story itself.
Recommended book: Sandcastle and Dragon
[Tips for Choosing Books]
Favor award winners (look for a gold seal on the cover).
Choose based on the child’s interests (e.g., if they love dinosaurs, pick dinosaur books).
The younger the child, the better bold, primary-colored illustrations work.
[Key Point]
When choosing books, start with ones that are slightly easier than the child’s age level. If they show interest, gradually increase the difficulty.
[Note: How long should we read with our child?] The course instructor actually recommends continuing a family reading circle even into adulthood.
Reading together becomes a lifelong thread for conversation and learning.
3. Recommended Songs & Fingerplays
These are songs and fingerplays that are great to sing and do with kids.
I couldn’t film the instructor’s demonstrations, but I found YouTube links with similar content.
① “Noeul (Sunset)” — a children’s song with lyrics which paint the scenery like a picture
② “The Spider Climbs Up the Line” (Korean Itsy Bitsy Spider)
③ “Alligator/Crocodile Gang”
④ “Knees and Clap”
4. Crafts & Play Class
① Frog-Making Craft
A simple craft using a frog template provided by the instructor.
Children color and decorate it themselves, which helps develop fine-motor skills and concentration.
[Materials]
Frog template
colored paper or white drawing paper (mermaid paper recommended)
black board marker (thicker lines look bold and pretty)
awl
scissors
glue
Scotch tape
round-head fasteners
Frog template cut out with scissors
Halpin brad round-head fasteners (insert into paper, then spread the long prongs sideways to secure)
[Steps]
The parent or supervising adult should do steps 1-7.
① Print and cut out the frog template.
② Trace the cut template onto colored paper (or white drawing paper) with a board marker. Make the outline thick for a prettier look.
③ Cut out the traced frog, leaving a neat border.
④ Use a glue cap (etc.) to draw and cut two round eyes (for the frog’s eyes).
⑤ Use an awl to poke small holes at the marked dots on the template.
⑥ Arrange body–tail–front legs–hind legs in order and secure each joint with a Halpin brad.
Front/back view secured with Halpin brads
⑦ Glue on the eyes and draw the pupils.
⑧ Let children color or add stickers to create their very own frog.
Body attached with a tadpole tail
Hind legs attached
Tail tucked in—frog complete!
Frog squad group photo
② Towel Bunny
With just one towel, you can make a cute bunny plush.
It’s simple but kids love it.
My towel bunny
[Materials]
Pretty towel
rubber band
[How to Make]
③ Towel Bowling Pins
[Materials]
7 towels
rubber bands
[How to Make]
[How to Play]
① Roll seven towels into cylinders using the “hotel towel fold” and secure tightly with rubber bands.
② Stand six of them up in a triangle like bowling pins.
③ Roll the remaining one as the bowling ball to knock down the pins.
[Point]
When playing with a child, it helps to “slightly” let them win.
Make it a “play together” game rather than a contest—kids enjoy it much more. 😄
④ Gonggidol Curling
This game helps children build focus, control, and spatial sense at the same time.
[Materials]
Target board printout
Gonggidol (alternatively, you can use Go stones)
Target Board
Gonggidol
[How to Play]
① Attach the target board to a long table or set it on the floor and set a start line.
② Mark the stones or separate them by color to distinguish teams.
③ From the start line, flick your stone to land it on the target. The closer to the center, the higher the score.
[Reference Video]
5. Reflections
When I walked into the classroom on the first day, everyone except me was around my mother’s age.
Most were there to become babysitters or to learn how to help care for their grandkids.
The instructor also said it was quite refreshing to see a pregnant student. 😅
I was a bit taken aback, but in the end, the course was truly satisfying.
I’m almost 9 months pregnant, and my due date is next week—but honestly, I hadn’t prepared much.
Infant–toddler development, stages of brain growth, how to prepare first foods, emergency responses—
these might be familiar to experienced parents, but for me everything was new and helpful.
What stuck with me the most was the language development section.
I’ve always wondered what our child—born to an American dad and a Korean mom—would perceive as a mother tongue,
and how we could help them learn English and Korean together.
Through this training, I learned that balanced exposure to English and Korean before 6 months
helps babies naturally accept both as mother tongues. That was a huge takeaway.
Another striking point: “Play is something you learn, too.”
I’m used to making eye contact and chatting, but to spend a whole day together,
simple conversation isn’t enough. Singing songs, doing fingerplays, and playing easy games
provide much richer stimulation—I really felt that for the first time.
The word “fingerplay” itself was new to me.
After I got home and searched on YouTube, I found so many fingerplay videos to do with children.
I’d assumed it was all improvised on the spot, but there’s actually a wealth of know-how and structure.
I think practicing some fingerplays before the baby arrives will really help.
I'm not actually planning to get a job as a babysitter (although it is a possibility - who knows?), but I’m still proud to have earned the completion certificate and taken the licensing exam.
I received the certificate on the last day of class, and we took the exam in the final session.
If there are no issues, the license should arrive by mail next week or the week after.
I’ll add a photo at the bottom of this post once it arrives.
Four days of six-hour classes just two weeks before delivery might sound intense, but I’m so glad I did it!
If you’re an expectant mom who feels up to it during maternity leave, I highly recommend taking this course. 💛
Certificate of Completion — Infant & Toddler Caregiver Training
This post is part of the Life Project on Today 1 Step.
I record small moments, lessons learned, and experiments in living true to myself—
from hobbies and family to growth and the inner journey—slowly but consistently.
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