Today when there are so many sedentary temptations like the television and an endless variety of computer games, it’s good for parents to encourage an activity like exercise that can combat possible health problems like weight gain, heart disease and diabetes that might occur later on in their lives. And it’s never too early to begin introducing them to good habits that can last a lifetime.

Make exercise a natural and integral part of your daily routine. You can actually start when they are babies by taking them out for your run while they’re in their stroller. As your child gets older, he or she can “help” you while you pull weeds in the garden, shovel the pathway, fold laundry or do the vacuuming. Go for daily walks or jogs as a family or alternate between “mom” and “dad” physical activity outings. Plan regular outdoor activities like hiking, camping or swimming.

As toddlers and children a little older, movement comes naturally to them. Make sure that birthday and holiday gifts include an even mix of “sit down” toys such as board games, dolls, dollhouses, train tables or racing car sets and presents that encourage movement, like balls, jump ropes, rollerblades, ice skates and dancing games.

Expose them to as many group or team oriented physical activities and sports as time and budget allows. Many community centers offer quality, low-cost dance and sports programs for young children, tweens and teens. Even when they’re babies, parents can join mom/dad-and-me programs that involve swimming, other kinds of water sports or some type of dancing.

Incorporate sports and physical activities into your family’s method of rewards. When celebrating a birthday, milestone or other family occasion, plan a special trip to a paintball park, a water park or even the zoo, since there will be a lot of walking around to see all of the animals. A trip to a rock climbing wall or a day at the amusement park can be a reward for good behavior or an incentive for doing chores, keeping their room clean or getting good grades.

Making exercise a fun activity that is a part, not separate from, your lifestyle will go a long way to encouraging habits that will keep them healthy and active for all their lives.

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Post tags: active children, bouncers, child health, kid's activities, playhouses, trampolines

        

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If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be kinder to the environment, Ecotots can help. When designing a room for your child, you can select furniture that is made of eco-friendly materials by companies, like Ecotots, that adhere to environmentally conscious business practices. It’s also very contemporary in style, with spare, clean lines, yet no sharp edges. Whether you’re decorating a boy’s bedroom or a girl’s bedroom, their unisex furniture is designed with both kids and the environment in mind. 

The fun aspect about Ecotots children’s furniture products is that they are available in Fire (Red), Leaf (Green), Cocoa (Brown), and Natural colors that can be matched or mix-matched. If you have two or more children, this will allow you to create an atmosphere of fun and amusement in their rooms that will be unique to each child. 

Contemporary in style, the bed has lines and forms that tend to be simple yet chic and trendy. Its toddler bed’s distinctive design boasts a footboard that can be used as a workspace or bed bench for active kids.

You’ll need someplace to put a lamp and the treasures they need to keep close by their bed, so they can drift off to sleep. Choose either the sideboard storage unit or the Ecotots Surfin Kids Eco Friendly Boogie Board Desk. Since a toddler’s bed is generally lower to the floor than a standard twin sized bed, it makes sense to select a piece of furniture that is multi-purpose and practical, while adding functionality to the room. Don’t forget to some matching stools – pick a different color from the desk; it will add visual interest to the room.

Complete your child’s bedroom furniture design with some pretty nifty storage pieces like the Ecotots Surfin Kids Eco Friendly Beach Locker, the Ecotots Surfin Kids Big-Kahuna Bookcase or the Ecotots Surfin Kids Eco Friendly Bonsai Book Caddy. Ecotots has a great collection of storage units for kids’ knickknacks, books, and clothing.

Ecotots’ activity tables and centers, beds, coat racks and other storage solutions designed to keep your child’s room organized are with favorites with parents for several reasons: furniture pieces are made from a renewable species of birch; are 100% formaldehyde-free; and finished with non-toxic stains. They can be totally assembled in minutes without the use of tools. There’s no hardware to worry about either, making them ultra-safe for curious little fingers. 

Ecotots embraces fun colors and contemporary designs, resulting in a collection of children’s furniture that perfectly complements their inquisitiveness, creativity and sense of adventure.

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Post tags: Childrens Furniture, cocoa brown, natural colors, stools

        

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It makes me chuckle a little when people express the opinion that Christmas has become so commercialized. To my way of thinking, business does what it always has done – companies come up with new and inventive products they think people want and then they come up with new and inventive ways to get people to buy things they may or may not want or need. Yes, I admit, it annoys that the beginning of the Christmas advertising season seems to start a little earlier every year.

But if Christmas has evolved into being all about the gifts and how much each one costs, perhaps we should hold advertising responsible and not blame the holiday for something it didn’t do. After all, Christmas is us: it’s a celebration of our religious beliefs; it’s a holiday we take part in irregardless of what we personally believe because it’s an integral part of the cultural fabric of our country; it’s a day off from work. Whatever the holiday means to each one of us personally, it’s up to each individual to decide how they will enjoy the holiday season, and that includes how much to spend.

There’s no denying that advertising intensifies around holidays like St. Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And especially around this time of year, the ads for all kinds of new games, activities and toys are aimed directly at children. That does concern me, since their little minds are like sponges and they eagerly take in everything around them. I’ve been lucky with my daughter Louisa: after a trip to Toys R Us when she was four she kept asking me to explain how toys can be us since toys aren’t people. To this day, she questions everything she sees in an advertisement that doesn’t make sense to her. Of my two children destined to buy a brand name product just because they’ve seen it on TV, my son Bobby is more likely to be influenced by ads than my daughter.

The experts warn us that while commercialism can affect children at an early age, its negative side effects, including materialism, unrealistic expectations and destructive financial management, might not manifest themselves until later in life. If commercialism during the holidays (and year-round) concerns you, there are ways to combat its overpowering influence.

• Limit TV watching to a specific amount of time per day.
• Until they are five, restrict their TV time to programming for children that doesn’t include advertising. If the local station or cable company in your area doesn’t offer this alternative, borrow or rent kids’ movies and TV programs from the library or your favorite DVD rental place and let your children watch these instead.
• Set the example. Break the habit of buying things: check first to see if it can be repaired, repurposed or recycled. Instead of buying more decorations for the trees, make them (spending crafts time with your kids is the pay-off). Rather than decorating the front door or the dining table with a store-bought wreath or centerpiece, design and make your own.
• Buy toys for your children that don’t need updates, add-ons, etc. Giving them toys like a jump rope, a rocking horse, drawing materials like a coloring book or a pad of paper and chalk/water colors/crayons or a dollhouse will help them discover their creativity and develop their imaginations.
• Encourage and promote activities that don’t require any money, such as walk to a nearby playground or park; sidewalk games like hopscotch; an impromptu family picnic.

Lisa, mom of a son (5) and a daughter (11)

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Post tags: children, christmas, rocking horse

        

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Just like something your kids like to eat, if they enjoy doing puzzles, don’t tell them that it’s good for them! Encouraging young children to play with puzzles is a great way to help your child grow and develop. Benefits of doing puzzles include, increasing organizational skills, hand-eye coordination and attention to detail. Unknown to them, they will be developing problem solving skills, as well. All sorts of good educational and developmental things are happening as kids put a puzzle together: they are learning to observe; they must process the information; and they are analyzing how to make something “chaotic” into a whole picture. And besides, it’s just plain fun.

For children to reap the benefits of puzzle-solving, ensure that the puzzle is age-appropriate. Buying puzzles that are geared to their specific developmental level eliminates potential frustration. If they get frustrated, the fun element will disappear very quickly and your child may be reluctant to try another one.

Buy at least three or four puzzles: in the event they really like it, you’ll be able to give them a new one right away. You don’t want them to get bored with the activity, which might happen if they have to do the same puzzle over and over.

For first-time puzzle users, consider doing the puzzle together. Give your son or daughter tips on how to put the puzzle together, like finding the corner and straight-edges pieces first.

Particularly for a toddler, but applicable of course to older children as well, jigsaw puzzles develop hand-eye coordination as they decide what piece goes where. It also aids in the recognition of shapes and colors. The process of deciding where to place each piece and differentiating between puzzle pieces of varying colors and shapes increases you’re child’s reasoning skills too.

Naturally they are adding to their knowledge of the world round them when they are putting together a jigsaw puzzle about animals, the alphabet, outer space or the ocean. Knowledge they “discover” for themselves through activities such as playing with jigsaw puzzles often lasts longer than knowledge acquired by more formal methods such as memorization.

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Post tags: children, cool puzzles, educational toys, games for children, puzzle

        

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Taking young children along on a shopping excursion can be a major musical production number at the best of times, but when trying to get your holiday shopping done, it might seem you’re doing more damage control than buying presents. Especially if your children are under the age of seven, department stores decked out for Christmas, complete with a constant soundtrack of Christmas carols and songs, can feel like big fun inviting playgrounds. For this reason, some parents of young children block out a number of hours to do their Christmas shopping and hire a babysitter or “volunteer” a grandparent to watch the kids while they are at the mall. If this isn’t an option, there are some simple coping devices and planning strategies that you can use to make shopping around Christmastime easier on you and your children. 

Decide what you want to accomplish and let your child or children know in advance. For example, particularly if you have a lot of people to buy presents for, you might want to divide you Christmas list and shop for only three to four people at a time. 

Check your local listings for shopping malls that offer drop-off services like activity play areas or storytimes. These drop-off services are generally supervised by certified caregivers. 

Limit the shopping trip to a specific amount of time. Make a decision before leaving the house how long it will last. 

Map out where you have to go in advance. Limiting the number of stores and geographical areas you have to go will save you traveling time, gas money and having to keep putting them in and getting them out of the car. 

Their attention spans are shorter than yours. Don’t forget to take along a diaper bag or tote bag filled with a small selection of toys, a baggie of animal crackers or other types of snacks and a sippy cup with water, one for each child. Having them eat a little something at regular intervals and keeping them hydrated not only gives them something to do, it can also help ward off tantrums and bouts of crankiness. 

Plan a time to recharge your batteries and give your feet a rest. A hot beverage and a bite to eat will help you tolerate the crowds better and deal with any kid-related issues that come up.

 Give them a “stick” and a carrot. Before the proposed jaunt to the mall, tell them that if they don’t behave, there will be consequences. Outline the punishment for bad behavior up front. However, if there are no tantrums or other miscellaneous episodes, they will be treated to a trip to the ice cream store or supper at a favorite hamburger place. 

Christmas shopping can be a stressful time even without the kids along. Make the time spent at the mall a fun adventure, worthwhile for both you and your children.

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Post tags: children toys, christmas gifts, christmas shopping, kids shopping, shopping

        

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If they go to bed right away without an argument, it’s a trick! – they reappear just as you’ve poured yourself a cup of tea or you are about to settle down with a favorite TV show. But most of the time, you have to fend off pleas for “just ten more minutes” or simply a stubborn “No!” that is a clear indicator of the battle yet to come. It’s not just a question of getting them into bed, either; once they are there, it seems to take them a long time to actually fall asleep. While it might seem like an impossible dream, you can implement some strategies that will make bedtime easy on them but easier on your.

Bedtime isn’t Negotiable

It’s an irrefutable law of nature that children need sleep in order to function at school and enjoy playing and exploring the world around them. In order to do that, kids need to go to bed. Set a time that is reasonable and make it known to your child or children.

To establish a nightly routine, it’s best to stick to the agreed-upon time. Outline exceptions to the rule and special circumstances, such as weekends, a birthday that falls on a week night, etc. before attempting any new bedtime routine. Otherwise you’ll end up making exceptions every night, defeating the purpose of an establish routine.

For older children, you may want to discuss it with them and get their input as part of the decision-making process. If you have more than two children, you might want to give each child his or her own bedtime so that you can concentrate on one child’s needs at a time.

Prepare for Bedtime as soon as They Get Home

Since they’ll have to get up in the morning and do it all over again, they will need to prepare for the next day.

Set a time that everything needs to be done by. For example, if bedtime is 8 o’clock, stipulate that homework must be in the backpack along with everything they will need for the following day, including their sports equipment or ballet shoes.

Make it clear that if bedtime is at 8, then they should be in bed – not just getting ready for bed.

Let your child know what the ground rules are exactly, such as once in bed, there’s no getting out of bed (unless of course, it’s an emergency).

Make Bedtime Interesting or Rewarding

Sum up the day for your children, pointing out their accomplishments and praising them for getting ready for bed on time and remembering to brush their teeth.

Wind the day down. Going to straight from playing to having to put jammies on might be a difficult adjustment for some children to make. My daughter loves to read, so in our house, her bedtime is 8:30 but she gets to read for half an hour before the light must be turned out.

Encourage them to follow the evening routine for a certain length of time by rewarding them with a special activity like a concert, a movie they want to see or a trip to the park.

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Post tags: going to bed on time, kids sleeping habits, kids sleeping properly, Parents sleeping habits, Sleeping habits

        

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Largely due to how many princesses there are out there, the princess theme is a very popular one for a young girl’s bedroom. And because it is such a popular theme, there are many princess-related products available, from furniture to wallpaper to murals. How little or how much is entirely up to you. Even if you’re on a limited budget, as most of us are, you can accomplish a lot with a little planning ahead and some creative thinking. Think shiny…think curvy and frilly…think pink…and you’re on your way to designing the ideal, royally approved bedroom for your own little princess.

Color Palettes

The first thing to decide is what you would like to do with the walls:

• Paint
• Paint and wallpaper
• Wallpaper
• Mural on one or all four walls

It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. If copyrighted Disney and other movie character murals are not in your budget, select more generic murals that feature castles, sand castles, knights and medieval themes. 

If a mural doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of other ways to get princess approved walls. Paint one wall creating a diamond pattern using deep pink or royal blue and metallic silver paint. Paper or paint the remaining walls in a pastel rose, white or pearl gray shade. Other popular colors are sage green, turquoise and mauve. 

Princess Furniture

The ultimate princess bed has to be, hands down, the canopy bed, with a four poster bed as runner-up. Historically speaking, the canopy bed was traditionally the bed of kings, so choosing one for your little princess is totally in keeping with our royal theme. Throw in a little Cinderella into the mix and you’ve got a winning combination.

A princess must have a place to store her vast wealth and her many treasures. This delightful furniture piece has the functionality of a door chest with the charm of a traditional armoire. Clear-paneled doors have the added advantage of letting her easily see what’s stored inside, making access more convenient. Glass knobs, twist-rope molding and embossed floral accents makes this storage cupboard princess worthy.

Another place for treasures, a storage bench that provides the perfect place to sit and read or play will be a welcome addition in a princess-themed child’s bedroom.

Princess Bedding

You don’t have to just stick to princess sheets or bedding sets depicting Sleeping Beauty or Beauty from the tale of Beauty and the Beast. Select bedding in solid colors or with patterns that match the colors you have chosen for the walls. Make the bed really regal with accent pillows in different shapes and materials, especially anything type of material that is soft and satiny.

Setting the stage for your little princess to sleep, play and explore in a castle fortress that is entirely her own is easy to do with just the right amount of creativity, imagination and star dust.

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Post tags: accent pillows, canopy bed, child's bedroom

        

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Many parents include pets as part of the family because they believe that there are many benefits to raising kids and pets together. Learning to take care of and being responsible for another creature teaches valuable lessons that last a lifetime, such as compassion, respect, self-esteem, self-reliance and social skills. It has also been noted that having a pet in the home also encourages physical activity and enhances parent-child involvement.

If pets are already part of the household when a child arrives on the scene, the child grows up being accustomed to having an animal around. But what if you have young children in a home that has never had a pet? When is a good time to get one, and what kind of pet should a first-time pet family buy? There are really no definitive answers, but there some general guidelines that you can consider in order to keep you and your children safe.

When getting a pet for your child or children for the first time, start off easy. Choose a type of standard family pet like a cat, dog, goldfish or hamster and save the more exotic ones for when they are older. Do your homework – not all dogs and cats are created equal: some breeds are more people-friendly than others. If you’ve decided that you prefer a dog over a cat, you may also want to take size into consideration and select a small to medium sized animal.

Instruct your children how to behave around pets, including all the basics like how to pick them up, no pulling tails, no bopping noses, etc. Also impress upon them that their pet at home knows them but other animals they encounter for the first time do not, and they should be careful and respectful around pets and animals that are strange or unknown to them.

Until they are old enough or you are comfortable with leaving them alone, playtime should be supervised.

Encourage and enforce proper hygiene. Food bowls are for pets, plates are for people. The litter box is for the cat and is off limits for young children. Teach children responsible for cleaning up after pets to always wash their hands afterwards. Accidents will happen: if your child does get scratched or bitten, treat it as soon as possible.

Younger children will not be able to accept full responsibility for the pet’s care and well being. Make it clear what you expect them to do and what you are willing to do when looking after Fido or Fifi.

Many veterinarians and experienced pet owners advise not to give a pet like a dog or cat to a child as a Christmas present. Christmas is a busy and exciting time when many households have friends and family visiting. Pick a “down time” in your family’s schedule to bring a new pet into the home, when there will be plenty of time to train the pet and to help your children establish new routines.

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Post tags: indoor pet safety, kids and pets, kids safety with pets, pet care, pet screen doors

        

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Today I chose a fall/Thanksgiving theme for our cookie baking session: there are pumpkins, three differently shaped leaves, apples, squashes, two turkeys, a horn of plenty and a scarecrow. I love baking with my kids, my son five, and my daughter 11. Well, actually I love watching my kids while they’re in the kitchen baking with me. It’s such an adventure! And while they’re having fun and laughing and generally being kids, they are so focused on the task at hand; their expressions a little bit serious as they concentrate on choosing just the right cookie cutter. 

This is a very important decision: my son especially examines each one carefully, turning it over and over several times before going onto the next one and going through the entire selection process all over again. Since the beginning of our baking adventure, I have reminded them that because there is only one scarecrow, they must share. My daughter is just as serious, but in a different way. She’s not so concerned with picking the right cookie cutter as she is, once she has it in her hands, with placing it vigilantly in the exact center of the piece of dough.

She was four when we purchased the kitchen set for her. I’m amazed that she still plays with it. But when she wants to do some baking in the kitchen with me, and I’m in the middle of something else, or we have to be somewhere before the cookies would be done, she goes off to play in her own kitchen. After my son came along and he grew old enough to follow his sister around, he insisted on playing with her in the kitchen. It’s well stocked with pots, pans and dishes, a coffee maker and even a blender. When she’s in the mood, she even teaches her little brother how to bake the way mom does.

I am terrified of the time when my daughter won’t want to join my son and me for a baking session in the kitchen; when baking with her mom will be boring, not cool or just plain dumb. But for today, I laugh with her as she attentively blobs too much orange icing onto a pumpkin sugar cookie.

Lisa, mom of a son (5) and a daughter (11)

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Post tags: cooking with kids, dishes, kids kitchen safety, kids safety, kitchen, pans, pots

        

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Mid October is when homework hassles seem to start. September, the school year is still new enough that there is not enough homework for kids to whine about and it is still a unique enough experience that it’s fun (for younger children). But now the whining and excuses have begun.
My son is in kindergarten, so homework is fun. We snuggle each evening on the couch with the TV off and “read’ a book together. Once in a while, he brings home pictures or stories that he has made and needs to explain to me. This is also when we go through his backpack so that I get all of the newsletters and important papers from him.  I make a pile of anything that needs to be filled out. This is my homework. (He thinks it’s funny that I call it that.)

My daughter has started grade six. Now that she’s attending middle school, all of a sudden homework has become a major issue. We have a deal that when she comes home she empties her backpack and gives me all notes, newsletters and forms. (More homework for me.) I make sure to put them in my pile right away. She goes to her room and practices her band instrument for 15 – 30 minutes and then she does some homework that does not include the computer. Our family computer desk is in the living room, so while my son and I do his homework, she does her computer homework.

When everything is done, I do my homework. All of the forms and permission slips are filled out. All of the checks are written and everything is put in the correct backpack for the next morning. Doesn’t this sound wonderful and idyllic? This is my plan. I think it works properly about once a month.

Or it did until we had a family meeting. When I asked my daughter why she didn’t like doing homework in her room, she complained that she had outgrown her desk. Then she pointed out that I was just as bad at not filling out forms, etc.  She was right (makes me remember how nice it was before she talked). It was time for some changes.

We bought her the desk of her choosing, brought it home and assembled it. Then I went to the office supply store and the local bargain store. In the colors of her choosing, I bought desk organizers for her room. Then I bought some of my own for the living room desk. I also made sure to buy labels, fun colored folders, stickers, envelopes and everything else I could find.

The result is she decorated and organized her desk how she liked it. Half girly/half goth – she is caught between styles right now, but black and pink go together nicely. Then I organized the computer/living room desk .Now forms go into a folder right away and I can fill them out easily with everything I need right there.

Imagine my surprise, within a week she was doing her homework in her room. The living room looks nice, instead of a disaster area, and we have had no calls or notes from the school about late assignments or paperwork. It has worked out so well that I am thinking that maybe I will get the rest of her room organized, or maybe her dad’s area. Nah! That’s too much to imagine even for me.

Lisa, mom of a son (5) and a daughter (11)

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Post tags: backpack, kids computer desks, kids homework, kids room chairs, kids work desk

        

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