Archive for the 'Parenting' Category
Car Seat ID Giveaway!
If you know me, you know I am a huge advocate of child safety. Having children is a full time job and their safety is a major concern of parents the world over. While performing searches for ‘autism safety products’ I found a very special site.
My Precious Kid sells high quality safety products for all children, not just kids in the Autism Spectrum. In fact, their page for Autism appropriate products was put together by a mother of an autistic child who had browsed their product line.
I spoke with Kay Green, one of the owners, yesterday. Even though the company is located in the Pacific Northwest which is 3 hours behind my time zone, she promptly responded! How cool is that? Speaks volumes about their customer service, I think.
So, shortly I will be reviewing a child locator. While you are waiting for that review, why not join in on this giveaway?
How it works:
My Precious Kid will be giving away 5 Car Seat ID tags to 5 Family Resource readers. This is perfect for parents, grandparents, and friends who have expecting friends. To earn an entry, visit My Precious Kid, browse their products, then come back and post your favorite safety product and why in a comment on this post.
Want to earn extra entries?
1 extra entry- Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. Post your Twitter ID here or follow Family Resource on Twitter so I can verify your tweet.
1 extra entry- Link to this giveaway on a message board or forum then post the link here so I can verify.
2 extra entries- Blog about this giveaway on your blog and link to this post.
I will be verifying all entries, so please don’t forget to post the links in your comment!
Winners will be chosen February, Friday the 13th. Who says Friday the 13th has to be unlucky?
Posted in Child Safety | No Comments »
Travel Safety For Kids and Teens
If you plan to let your children travel with a friend or family member this holiday season, there are a few things you should do to prepare for the trip. It may come as a surprise, but there are parents who do not take proper precautions when sending their children off for a special trip. Do not be one of them!
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Posted in Holidays, Parenting, Personal Safety | 1 Comment »
Laundry Tips: Save Money and Clothing.
How often do you wash clothes? Laundry is a huge ‘money sucker’ and I am not just talking about the energy costs. The more often you wash something, the more wear it gets. It isn’t just having clothes on that ruins them, it is the detergent and drying action. Yes, even line drying can add wear and tear.
Fading, missing buttons, zippers that won’t zip, and ruined decorations. Yikes! All of this just from washing alone.
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Posted in Clothing, Daily Living | No Comments »
Top Toys For Tots, Christmas 2008
It is almost Thanksgiving, but the media has been saturated with Christmas marketing. This year the onslaught has been a little earlier, probably due to the state of the economy. If the retailers advertise longer, they stand to possibly break even this year. Or so it would seem.
Here are my top picks for young children this Christmas. Look for more post on top gifts according to age, coming soon.
Fisher-Price Elmo Live
Elmo is always poplar with the littlest ones. Red, fuzzy, friendly, and so curious, what’s not to love?
Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Waterproof Digital Camera
Kids love taking pictures. This tough camera is perfect for any kid who is tough on toys. As a mom of small ones, I can verify this toy will save your camera and make your little one happy.
Little Tikes Giddyup N’ Go Pony
No barn? No problem! This guy doesn’t eat, clomp up your hardwood floor, or leave behind little ‘presents’.
Playskool Kota My Triceratops Dinosaur
Much like the Little Tikes pony, this guy doesn’t leave you a pile of dino poo to clean. That is a plus in any era, Jurassic or not.
KidKraft Large Play Kitchen
A wonderful, sturdy kitchen. The appliances are separate, unlike many play kitchens on the market in this price range. Colorful and nicely sized.
Posted in Activities, Parenting, Relationships, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Publice Service Murder?
Last night I was watching Criminal Minds. Something one of the characters said struck me pretty hard. I haven’t been able to get this out of my mind. This is a subject I feel very strongly on, but I want to know what you think.
In the show, a young boy had been murdered some twenty years before. A child predator had sexually assaulted him, then stabbed him repeatedly. Later, the same pedophile was making advances towards another boy who grew up to be one of the FBI agents. The Agent had vague memories of the situation. His parents had covered up the entire incident and the Agent had blocked much from his mind.
It turned out that the Agent’s mother had found out about the predator making moves on her child and informed the father of the murdered boy. This all happened about a year after thee unsolved murder. She pointed out the predator, who had also been seen with the murdered boy not long before he had been killed. The boy’s father beat the pedophile to death with a baseball bat.
This ‘crime’ had remained unsolved because no one noticed that the predator disappeared. He had a history of exposing himself to young children and the police in not one, but two states did not readily pursue the case of his murder, even when they found a bit of evidence that would have led straight to his killer. One of the characters, a police officer, asked the FBI Agents if they really wanted to pursue and prosecute someone who had performed a ‘Public Service Murder’.
That has really gotten to me. Though I do not feel we have a right to act as a god and choose who lives or dies, when a crime of this nature has been committed, is it really a crime? Removing from the population a predator such as a pedophile, child molester, child murderer, or any serial killer…should we ardently chase down a suspect? Should a father or mother who kills someone who hurt their child in a manner that will scar the child for life or take away their young life, be prosecuted. In this instance, hypothetically let’s say the parent knows without a doubt who the perpetrator is. There is no doubt whatsoever.
Is it wrong? Is there such a thing as Public Service Murder? Please, offer your thoughts.
Posted in Activities, Exercise, Exercise, Health, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Outdoors, Stress Management, Uncategorized, Weight Management | No Comments »
Boot Camp (Sleeping Part 2)
You’ve got this sleeping thing mastered and your tot is practically sleeping through the night. Believe it or not he probably is because “sleeping through the night” according to pediatricians is six straight hours. But just when you think it’s safe to relax your sweet baby turns into a toddler.
Toddlers don’t want to sleep. They want to explore their world and not miss a thing. However now that they aren’t sleeping all throughout the day, they need sleep now more than ever. Luckily for you toddlers and preschoolers thrive on routine. But it’s up to you to be strong and keep up the steady bedtime routine even if they try to cajole, scream, or whine their way out of it.
Here are some great bedtime routine tips to keep your child in healthy sleep habits.
Don’t over do it. In order for the routine to be effective and trigger the time to go to sleep response in your child you have to be prepared to do it every night. If your bedtime routine takes hours is that something you’re always going to be able to do? Keep it short and sweet. Fifteen to twenty minutes is sufficient enough time from pj’s to bed to get your child ready to hit the pillow. Two books before bed and a song once their tucked in is plenty.
Early to bed. Toddlers need twelve to fourteen hours of sleep a day and Preschoolers need eleven to thirteen so it’s important they get their nighttime rest. If your child isn’t getting at least ten hours at night it can make for a fussy, whiny, unpleasant day. For this age group it’s best to set the bedtime between 7 - 8pm. This way even if they fight sleep they still have enough nighttime hours to recharge their batteries.
Stay firm. Children are amazingly clever and they will do anything possible to delay the inevitable bedtime. Nip this behavior in the bud by only allowing one delay tactic after you’ve tucked them in. Otherwise they will work this tactic to death. The best way to deal with that is to give the child something tangible. I made a free pass for Three-feet-of-fun and when he gives it to me for a drink or he forgot a stuffed animal or something then he’s done.
It can be completely adorable the reasons children come up with to get out of bed. Even if it tickles your funny bone you need to be stern and follow the routine. They don’t know how important it is that they get their sleep — but you do.
Posted in Activities, Child Development, Child Education, School and Learning, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Basic Training (Sleep Part 1)
Babies can sleep anywhere up to eighteen hours a day. Sounds marvelous, doesn’t it? Sure. Until you find out that they only sleep in two to three hour bursts. This is especially draining on new parents. The best advice to give new parents is, “Sleep when the baby sleeps.”
While sage advice, it isn’t always possible. There are bills to pay, laundry to wash, housework to be done, so here are some helpful ways to get the little tot to sleep in longer stretches at night so you can catch up on some much needed ZzZz’s. These are also the basic training steps in teaching your baby how to sleep through the night.
Sleepy not sleeping. It’s tremendously important to put your baby to bed when he is drowsy but not asleep. You want to start encouraging good sleeping habits while their young, makes it much easier later on. The baby needs to learn to fall asleep on his own. If you put the baby to sleep and then lay him down, when he wakes in the night (other than hunger) he’s going to need and expect you to put him back to sleep — and they do wake up missing you.
Stimulations. Treat bedtime like its serious business. When laying your child down, do it with very little fanfare. No extra coddling, talking, cooing, nothing to stimulate your child into think its playtime. Same goes for night wake ups. When you go into the room for night feedings or emergency diaper changes don’t talk to your child or make eye contact. Just do what needs to be done with expedience and precision. You have to teach your baby that night time is for sleeping and if you engage your child you’re sending mixed signals.
Nightlights. Babies don’t know the difference between a light and the sun. So, you want to make sure that you keep the babies room as dark as possible at night so they can learn. I recommend a low wattage nightlight that leaves enough light to see by but not enough to be disturbing. It’s imperative that when the child wakes in the night that you don’t turn on extra lights. That keys the child into thinking its daytime which equals playtime.
These are the beginning steps to helping train your child on how to sleep through the night. And while you might not get through the night just yet, you’ll be amazed what a solid four to five hours will do for you.
Posted in Activities, Character Development, Child Development, Child Education, School and Learning, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Finding a Preschool (Part 2)
Now you’re ready to move on to actually finding a school. You’ve weighed the different philosophies and decided on the one or couple that would best work for you and your child. The next step is doing the research — is there one of those schools in your area?
Word of Mouth. The best way to find good schools is by asking around. Ask your friends and family if they know of any schools in the area that are reputable. Strike up conversations with parents at parks or at the library to ask where their children go and if they’d recommend it. A personal reference is much better than an ad in a phone book.
Expert Help. The Childcare Aware hot line 800-424-2246 is an excellent resource to find schools in your area. They can give you the local numbers for childcare referral agencies and they can give you the skinny on great schools in your area. You can also get a list of accredited preschools in the area and while that doesn’t necessarily guarantee those schools will be a good fit for you it’s a good place to start looking.
Phone book. This is a last resort resource. The Yellow Pages don’t screen preschools anyone who buys ad space can put their school in the book. It’s an excellent starting point if you need it but remember you must do your homework.
Any school you decide on needs a closer look before you enroll your child. Make sure you not only interview the director over the phone but you go down and visit the school during school hours to get a feel for how the school truly is.
Questions to ask over the phone:
1.) Fees. If it’s a private preschool it will have some
2.) Hours. A school is no good if you need an 8 am to 5 pm and they’re only open til noon.
3.) Student to teacher ratio (7 students to 1 teacher is the ideal for ages 3 and 4)
4.) What holidays or weeks are they closed
5.) Their discipline philosophy
6.) Nutrition. Do they supply the food? Do you? Are there things you couldn’t send in a lunch? Things of that nature
7.) Lists of the daily activities
If you like what you hear then you want to schedule time to visit. You’ll want to meet the director and the staff. See the facilities, the play area, examples of the daily activities, and see if the kids generally seem to be having a good time.
Things to keep an eye out for while visiting:
1.) Is it a clean and safe environment
2.) Do the teachers seem happy with their jobs
3.) Do the kids seem happy with their teachers
4.) Is the equipment outside taking care of and safe
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and poke your nose around their facility. This is a place your child is going to spend a lot of time in when you aren’t around to make sure their safe. You can never be too careful choosing a school — do your homework.
Posted in Child Safety, Safety, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Nightmare Leg Cramps
There’s nothing much worse than being yanked out of a pleasant night’s sleep by pain and nothing does that better than getting cramps in your calves. You know them, and you lay there whimpering as you try to work them out so you can go back to sleep. The cramp is a result of all the muscles contracting in the back of your lower leg and you swear it’s got to be something more severe than a simple cramp by the pain level alone. Don’t panic. They really are just a cramp and rarely indicative of something more severe. These kinds of cramps most commonly occur when you’re falling asleep or as you’re waking up in the morning.
There are several causes of leg cramps which include:
-Alcohol abuse
-Lowered potassium levels
-Muscle overexertion
-Sitting for long periods of time.
-Diabetes
-Dehydration
-Pregnancy
-Medication induced — albuteral, niacin, diuretics, and some mental health medications.
-Neuromuscular disorders — such as Parkinson’s disease.
Some tips to help you in the dead of night when the cramps strike:
-Flex your foot while straightening your leg out which stretches out the calf muscles — hard to do but very effective.
-Try and rub out the cramp — I find that this coupled with flexing really works it out quickly.
-Take a hot bath — not my favorite choice it’s the middle of the night and I just want to get back to sleep.
-Apply cold pack to the calf — also requires getting up.
There are preventative measures you can take to avoid the cramps all together:
-Drink plenty of fluids — water counts, soda doesn’t.
-Stretch your legs out before going to bed.
-Make sure you get plenty of potassium in your diet.
Some foods that are extra rich in potassium at least 300 mg or more per serving:
-Bananas
-Papaya
-Raisins
-Artichoke
-Broccoli
-Canned Kidney Beans
-Baked Potato w/ skin
-Tomato
-Brazil Nuts
-Hamburger
-Roasted Peanuts w/ skin
-Canned Salmon
Posted in Allergies, Child Safety, Health, Health Care, Safety, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
The Royal Flush of Potty Training
We have mastered potty training, finally. Three-feet-of-fun is three and a half years old and is now a champion underoo wearer. He didn’t have much of a choice, he’d outgrown public changing tables and I was tired of changing diapers. It had nothing to do with the baleful stares I used to get from the parents of potty trained angels. You know, the perfect little darlings that have been potty trained since birth with no trouble whatsoever. Okay, so I’m being sarcastic, they were more like 3 months old. Nonetheless, it was really tiring to have, “He’s how old?” asked of me again and again when I would need to change his diaper like I was some horrible mother that was too lazy to teach him the ins and outs of the joys of using the toilet.
When Three-feet was 18 months old, my husband and I couldn’t go to the bathroom without him following us in and wanting to flush the toilet. So being the avid baby advice reader, and having read when a child shows interest in bathroom pastimes, go out and get a potty chair to start acclimating them to the idea, I ran out and got him a potty chair. I’d done my homework and had made sure it had a splash guard (you mom’s of boys out there know what I’m talking about) and that it had a comfy seat.
Three-feet was overjoyed at the prospect of having his own big boy potty. He would sit on it for hours, fully dressed of course, and read books, sing songs, and keep us company while we were using the facilities. I thought well he’s going to be a dream. I’d read that boys were harder to train and I thought well obviously not my little overachiever. Then, when I was going to start trying to get him to use it, he suddenly hated it. Looking at the seat, made him cry, let alone trying to sit him on it. I didn’t even bother. He wasn’t even two yet and I figured it was a phase.
That phase lasted a year and a half. When he passed two I tried every trick in the book to convince him to do it. I’d try to bribe him with: stickers, M&M’s, inexpensive dollar store toys — nothing worked. I didn’t want potty training to be a battle and everything I read said it was better to wait for the child to be ready. If some expert said it, then following it doesn’t make me a bad parent, just saying.
When he turned three, was too long for the changing tables, and still refused to go in anything but a diaper, I was at my wits end. I tried switching to pull-ups because then he could actually feel that he was wet, more so than in diapers anyway. He still didn’t care. Then one day, we were at the library for story time, I was complaining to a friend whose daughter is five months younger than Three-feet who had been potty trained forever about how Three-feet refuses to even participate. She told me how she did it. The answer was so wickedly simple that I can’t even believe it’s not written in any expert book I’ve ever read.
So now, in the spirit of a Pay It Forward, I’m going to share this knowledge with you for no charge whatsoever. Isn’t that nice of me?
It’s mind blowing. Are you ready for it?
Just put your child in regular underwear and let them go potty in it.
Yes, that’s it. It’s as simple as that and it totally works.
Obviously, you have to be prepared for messes and all the laundry that’ll entail. You’ll also need to buy several pairs of “big boy or girl” underwear because in the beginning you’re going to go through them. I recommend letting the child pick out which kind they want so they’ll have more reason to want to wear them.
Here’s why I think it works. Diapers and Pull-ups are designed to pull the moisture away from the child’s skin to help avoid diaper rash and other uncomfortable ailments. Even the so-called training pants that turn cold or the ones that the pictures disappear when they’ve gone still doesn’t let the kid “enjoy” the full pleasure of being soaked through when they’ve gone to the bathroom. Three-feet absolutely hated being wet. Hated it.
The first day I put him in underwear, I didn’t bug him about going at all. He picked out which pair of “big boy” underwear he wanted to wear. I explained to him that he was a big boy now and that he wasn’t going to wear diapers anymore. I told him he needed to tell Mommy when he had to go potty and we’d go. Three-feet is a strong-willed child and I knew the more I harassed him about going the more he was going to dig in his feet about not going. I didn’t want the war. I figured he’d learn soon enough. When he did potty in his underwear I would calmly explain to him that he should tell me he has to go, this method can’t use yelling — you’re basically setting them up to learn by error and it isn’t fair to punish for that.
In less than a week, he’d figured out he didn’t like to go potty in his underwear. Being the precocious kid he is, he begged and cried for his diapers back. So that’s when I instituted the potty awards system. We went out and bought a bunch of stickers. I let him pick out all sorts of different kinds and then every time we had a successful potty trip he’d get to pick out a sticker and put it on his shirt. He’d be so proud of everyone he’d received that he’d count them and tell anyone who would listen why he had them. (Just remember to peel them off the clothes before you wash and dry. I learned that the hard way.)
I’m not saying we don’t have an occasional accident, he’s three and a half so, naturally, he gets so involved in playing he tries to hold it as long as possible and sometimes he doesn’t make it to the toilet but all in all the whole process worked like a dream.
Posted in Child Education, Potty Training, Uncategorized | No Comments »
