October 2009

  • November is International Percussion Month

    By sarajean on 10/31/09 6:33am
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    I don’t want to play, I just want to bang on the drum all day… As goofy as these lyrics are, how many of us have loved belting them out in the car—particularly on a Friday afternoon, on our way home from work?

    Every Friday, my daughter and I have a ritual to signify the beginning of the weekend. (Recently we’ve started to begin the ritual by yelling, “Let the wild rumpus start!”) We go back to Mommy’s room (where the best CD player in the house is located), put on some music (it doesn’t have to be anything specific, just whatever we feel like and that can be played loud), turn it up, and rock out!

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  • Kids and Knock-Knock Jokes

    By sarajean on 10/29/09 1:42am
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    In addition to Halloween and UNICEF Day, October 31 is National Knock-Knock Joke Day. What better day than Halloween is there to celebrate some of the silliest, most kid-pleasing forms of humor? In fact, if people ask for a trick in exchange for a treat (which they rarely do these days), share a good knock-knock joke.

    (Of course, my dad used to make me do this silly trick: I would make a hole with my pointer finger and thumb and ask the person, “Can you poke your head through this hole?” They would of course say no, and then I would say, “I can,” and stick my other pointer finger through the hole and poke myself in the head. The old ladies loved it; otherwise, it was pretty embarrassing.)

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  • Healthy Halloween Alternative Treats

    By Niki Fears on 10/28/09 10:31pm
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    Trick-or-TreatTrick-or-TreatHalloween is just around the corner and you may be rushing for some last minute treats for the weekend. If you do not want to be guilty of contributing to the sugar rush and tooth decay of a minor, there are plenty of great alternatives for Halloween treats that will not get your house rolled in toilet paper by disgruntled trick-or-treaters. Here are some quick and useful ideas for alternative healthy Halloween treats.

    Healthy Treats:

    • Consider giving some healthier alternatives to your trick-or-treaters that are not loaded with sugar such as popcorn balls or individual packs of microwaveable popcorn treats.

    • Fresh fruit is always a great and healthy snack idea to include for little trick-or-treaters.

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  • Halloween Safety Tips

    By Niki Fears on 10/27/09 10:51pm
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    halloweenhalloweenHalloween, All Hallow's Eve, Samhein, All Saints Day...whatever you call it, Halloween is that spooky time of year that many kids are waiting in anticipation for as it steadily approaches. Since it is just around the corner, this might be a a good time to consider some great ways to have fun and celebrate the festival of spooks while keeping your kids safe. To help you do that, here are some great Halloween safety tips for the whole family.


    Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips:

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  • Parents 1, Baby Einstein 0

    By sarajean on 10/25/09 5:00pm
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    If you bought a bunch of Baby Einstein videos and hoped to use them to create a genius out of your infant, I’ve got bad news for you. Not only does research indicate that little kids who watch a bunch of TV—educational or otherwise—score lower on language tests; the company itself falsified claims that their videos made kids smarter, and now has to pay for their dastardly deeds.

    According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids under two shouldn’t watch any television. The thing is, less than 10% of parents know that—and almost 50% of parents think that educational videos are good for their developing toddlers.

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  • Were You Bummed by Your Child's Sex?

    By sarajean on 10/25/09 2:16pm
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    When asked if she wants a girl or a boy, most mothers will give a maternal smile and claim, “I just want a healthy baby.” But deep down, doesn’t everyone have a preference—even just a tiny one?

    I know I did. When I became unexpectedly pregnant, I just knew I was going to have a boy. Not because I wanted one; because of the opposite. I figured, as a lifelong feminist who, after plenty of babysitting experience, had an aversion for little boys who ran amuck, broke things and invoked chaos into your home, it would simply be karma working at its best for me to get a baby boy instead of a girl.

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  • Easy Last-Minute Halloween Costumes

    By sarajean on 10/14/09 11:18pm
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    Chances are your little one already has the perfect bee, superhero or monster costume picked out. You may have already started to make it, or made a mental note to get it sometime before Halloween. After all, it’s not exactly down to the wire yet, right?

    But wait—what if you just got invited to a party at the last minute and you don’t even have half of the peace signs sewn into your daughter’s hippie costume? Not to worry; there are plenty of quick fixes that you probably already have on hand to use. Feel free to use some of these ideas, or to share your own.

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  • Halloween Safety Guide

    By sarajean on 10/14/09 11:01am
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    When asked what their favorite holiday is, most kids are either going to say Christmas or Halloween. Halloween is one of the most fun times of the year, when kids get to dress up however they want, go beg for candy, and generally have a good time.

    But accidents can always happen. Aside from every parent’s fear of contaminated candy—and this fear is usually not warranted, by the way; as long as your candy is wrapped it should be okay—there are plenty of dangers on Halloween night. From car accidents to missing kids, a night of fun can quickly become a nightmare if you’re not prepared. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your Halloween a night of fun—and safety.

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  • German-American History Month

    By sarajean on 10/14/09 10:30am
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    German heritage runs deep in my family. My husband’s ancestry is largely German, and my great-grandparents from my father’s side are from Germany. Both my husband and I have German surnames as well. You’d think that with this much history, our daughter would be more well versed in her heritage; but the truth is that the only thing I’ve mentioned to her on the subject is, “Stop walking like that—people frown on Germans who goosestep!”

    Seriously, though, she’s only three, so it’s not like she needs a complete history lesson; but to be honest, we really don’t know that much about our heritage. Neither of us speak German, we’ve never been to Germany, and when we both wrinkle our noses at sauerkraut my dad is always shocked.

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  • National Chemistry Week

    By sarajean on 10/13/09 3:56pm
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    The purpose of National Chemistry Week is to help schools, businesses and entire communities recognize the importance of chemistry to the quality of human life. The American Chemical Society, which sponsors the event, has more information, including how to participate, at their website.

    There are plenty of ways to celebrate chemistry, however. As I was telling a fellow writer, I hated chemistry in school. It was dry and boring, with plenty of bookwork and limited experimentation. The same went for physics. When people asked me about science I would usually wrinkle my nose and murmur how I hated it—no matter that it had been a favorite subject up until my high school days.

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  • Would You Put a TV in Your Kid's Room?

    By sarajean on 10/11/09 8:33pm
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    This is NOT the TV your kid wants in his room.This is NOT the TV your kid wants in his room.

    This morning when my daughter woke me up before the crack of dawn, though still partly asleep I knew one of us was going to have to get up with her. If she gets up at midnight, I know I can usually get her back to sleep—but any time past four and we’re likely just going to play Hi Ho Cherry-O for a couple of hours before the rooster crows.

    A fleeting thought passed through my head as I lay there mumbling incoherently in my pillow (some rubbish I don’t even remember; probably half-hearted plea bargaining with my husband to get up with her): what if she had a TV in her room? Then I could just put Nick Jr. on for her and catch a few more Z’s and…

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  • What's the Most Embarrassing Thing You've Done as a Parent?

    By sarajean on 10/5/09 10:28am
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    My dad used to get a kick out of embarrassing me when I was growing up—embarrassing all three of his daughters, actually, was one of his favorite hobbies. He’s a fantastic dad, always has been—but if he’s got a chance to fart during a school event, do a Cheech & Chong or Ernest impersonation, or bang on the dashboard of his truck like he’s wildly playing along with an AC/DC song, he will totally do it.

    I made a vow to never embarrass my daughter like my dad did—if not to help keep her face non-beet-red, then to simply satisfy my own need to keep a low profile. That said, I’m sure I’ve done plenty of things that have embarrassed her already—from checking her diaper in front of people when a sinister smell is afloat to randomly wiping her nose or covering her with kisses, also in public.

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  • A Great Book for Sexist, Superstitious and Outdated Homeschoolers!

    By sarajean on 10/5/09 9:56am
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    Don’t get me wrong: I fully support homeschooling. I have successfully homeschooled a relative through her last few years of school, and I think it’s one of the best things you can do for your kids if you can fit it into your life and your goal is to produce healthy, happy well-rounded kids. I am currently researching into the best homeschooling methods, literature, curricula and other information for my own daughter—which is how I came across this book.

    Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles is a poster book for the rule, “Never judge a book by its cover.” If you did (like me), you would think, “Wow, this looks like an info-packed book that’s going to be super helpful in making an informed decision!” It’s actually quite the opposite.

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  • The Benefits of Puzzles

    By sarajean on 10/5/09 9:25am
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    With a preschooler’s birthday on the horizon (such as the case in my home this month), you might be struggling to find the perfect gift. There are millions of toys on the market—but which ones will provide both educational benefits as well as enjoyment?

    A puzzle is a great choice if that’s the sort of gift you’re after. Not only do they provide many educational (and other) benefits for children; they also provide hours of fun for both children and their families. Puzzles can be a solitary or group activity, which means they can provide valuable family bonding time—as well as some quiet individual time while Mom or Dad is trying to get a few things done.

    Plus, by selecting a puzzle based on the child’s interests—from cats to cars, characters or even homemade puzzles with personal photos—you can also give a vey personalized gift that he or she will truly enjoy.

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