Just read this over at Boing Boing - there is a new anthology of science fiction stories for kids called The Starry Rift. Two of my sons are big sci-fi fans so this book caught my interest.
Now that the Harry Potter series is complete, there is a summer reading void that I need to fill. The Starry Rift features authors such as Neil Gaiman, Steven Baxter, and Boing Boing’s own Cory Doctorow.
I don’t know much more about this book but it will probably make for some good summer reading. If you have read this and/or have an opinion to share - I would love to hear it!
One thing that I have realized since becoming a parent is that naptime is as important for parents as it is for babies. If baby doesn’t take a nap then baby is not the only one that will be cranky.
Unfortunately getting baby to take a nap is not always as easy as it sounds and the term “sleeping like a baby” in reference to a good night’s sleep is a misnomer.
If you are having trouble getting your baby to take a decent nap, here are some parenting tips to take into consideration:
Watch for patterns in your baby’s sleeping habits during the day. Try to put her down for a nap around the same time everyday. About a half hour before this naptime arrives, cut back on activity so baby will become drowsy and ready for a nap. Do quiet activities like reading a book, or listening to classical music. Have some quiet mommy and me time. Nurse or feed your baby if you find that it helps your child fall asleep. If your baby becomes gassy after feedings then feed the baby a bit before naptime so her tummy will have time to settle before she falls asleep.
If your baby doesn’t seem tired at naptime, put him down in his crib anyway. Some babies will play on their own for a few minutes before they fall asleep. It is wonderful if baby learns to fall asleep on his own. You want to encourage this behavior as much as possible so he does not become dependent on you to help him to fall asleep.
Not all babies have this skill though and they will cry when you put them down for a nap. Do not respond to their crying immediately. Before putting baby down for a nap make sure all of their other needs are met - they have been fed, burped, their diapers have been changed, etc. Then put them in their crib for a nap. If they cry, ignore it for a short period of time. Set a kitchen timer if you have to for 5 minutes. Many babies will fall asleep within this timeframe. If baby doesn’t stop crying then go to his room and pat his back for a quick minute - just enough to provide assurance to baby. Then leave the room for another 5 minutes. After a few tries, if this does not work, make sure that baby is indeed sleepy and in need of a nap or that there is not something else that is bothering him.
Another thing to keep in mind is the total amount of sleep that your baby is getting each day. As your baby gets older she will require less sleep. If she goes to bed very early and sleeps for a long stretch at night, she may not take long naps during the day.
Remember, on of the most important parenting tips is to treat your baby with lots of patience. His sleep patterns will change slightly from day to day. If you remain calm and flexible, your child will learn to adapt more easily.
U Go Grl Trading Cards - Building Self Confidence in Tween Girls
Trading cards have long been a staple of youth. Think about it - baseball cards, Pokemon cards, Yu Gi Oh cards, and when I was a kid - Charlie’s Angels trading cards (that really dates me!).
As you can see, there aren’t many choices aimed at girls. To fill this void, two moms - Shirley James and Chrisann Joson (you gotta love mom-preneurs) created a line of trading cards called U Go Grl Trading Cards. Aimed at the tween girl market these cards contain positive messages that empower girls with self confidence.
Each card falls into one of six categories:
Go Active - promotes an active lifestyle
Go Basic - teaches life skills that girls will use daily
Go Create - helps tween girls express their creative side
Go Figure - encourages problem solving skills
Go Mingle - deals with the social aspects of being a tween
Go Primp - talks about personal hygiene
Honestly, what is there not to like about these cards? Each one contains parenting tips in disguise!
For example, one “go mingle” card has tips for dealing with sibling situations. Written in a text message style, this card gives this advice - “If ur relationship with ur sib is stressed, try spending 1 hour 2gether doing things taht u both really enjoy. Make an agreement that during the hour u won’t argue.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Another card, this one in the “go basic” category, gives tips on interpreting a food label. Explaining how to figure out how big the serving size really is, all the way to recommending that you should “look 4 foods that have more fiber and less sugar.”
It is refreshing to see a product that sends a positive message to our daughters and empowers them with self confidence. Especially when the media makes building self esteem so difficult. It also helps that the trading cards are pretty cool and fun to collect. They sure beat those Charlie’s Angels cards of days past.
Each pack of trading cards contains 8 cards and either one specialty shimmer card or sticker or tattoo card. You can collect 24 Grls in each category to unlock a pass code. Then you can log in to ugogrl.com to for exclusive games, activities and more.
Visit the U Go Grl website for more information and find out where to buy these awesome cards. And stayed tuned here at Parenting Tips at NeenMachine.com for a giveaway where you can enter win one box of 20 packs of U Go Grl Trading cards.
Spring break is here this week and somehow I missed the boat on this one. It kind of creeped up on me - so needless to say - I don’t have much by way of plans. Once you have a family, a lazy, unplanned vacation becomes a thing of the past.
Nothing is worse and more stressful than a houseful of bored kids. Don’t you just cringe when you hear “Mom, what can I do now? - I’m bored.” Especially when there are only about 500 things on my own to-do list. I would love to hear your parenting tips on managing bored kids - that don’t include tv, Playstation etc.
Anyhow, the point of all this - is that summer is around the corner. And if I don’t get moving then spring break will just repeat itself. Family beach vacations are a fantastic way to keep kids of all ages busy and parents seem to enjoy them too. Maybe I am dreaming a bit too much about sun and surf right now.
The problem is that when it comes to planning family beach vacations, I tend to revisit the same destinations that we have been to before. I am not one for adventurous. So tell me, what places have you found that awesome for family beach vacations? Details, please! Do share your parenting tips!
Think Blocks by Think Works, Think and Thrive - Blocks That Build a Child’s Mind
I recently had the opportunity to try out an innovative new product - Think Blocks. This is not your ordinary set of children’s building blocks but rather a toy designed to encourage conceptual thinking and build a child’s mind.
Here is a picture of a set of Think Blocks if you haven’t yet seen them:
According to the Think and Thrive website Think Blocks develop thinking skills in the followning areas:
ThinkBlocks are designed to teach four essentially important thinking skills: (1) contrasting between similarities and opposites or “distinction making”; (2) understanding part-whole structures or “systems thinking”; (3) recognizing interactions, associations, and cause and effect or “relational thinking”, and; (4) learning to see things from different points-of-view or “perspective taking”.
There are several unique features of Think Blocks that are found on other toys.
Smaller blocks nest inside larger ones.
Each block is magnetic.
Blocks can be written on with dry erase marker.
One side of the large and medium blocks is reflective (has a mirror type sticker)
Magnetic tiles enhance the flexibility and scenario creation.
The central concept is that the smaller blocks easily nest inside the bigger ones. Thus you can explore relationships between just about anything. The large block can be a fores, the medium blocks can be plants and animals that are found in the forest, and the smallest blocks can be the food that plants and animals need. This short video shows how ecosystems can be learned with Think Blocks:
The possibilities for learning are not only for children and home. Businesses and organizations can also benefit by this visual form of learning. Presentations can be enhanced when concepts are shown, rather than just read.
Schools are another organization that will find Think Blocks to be a useful learning tool. I shared the Think Blocks with my son’s second grade teacher. She felt the blocks would bring a subject to life especially when working with small groups of children or even with special education requirements. She also mentioned that Think Blocks would be an excellent tool in a homeschooling environment.
As a parent, I like the Think Blocks and all that they have to offer. My older children used them to help conceptualize homework assignments that they were having difficulty with. The following video from the Think and Thrive website shows how Think Blocks can be used to teach basic multiplication and division concepts:
My younger children enjoyed playing with the Think Blocks and using them for grouping and creating imaginitive story lines.
If there is a downside, it would be that initially the play is very adult driven. The Think and Thrive website has a lot of video tutorials showcasing the different ways in which these children’s building blocks can be used to stimulate thought. But parents need to get involved and provide ideas and patterns. As the children become accustomed to using the blocks they will begin to take over and come up with their own ideas.
The Think and Thrive site states that the Think Blocks are appropriate for ages 4 to adult - but I found the smallest blocks to be tiny enough to pose a choking hazard to babies and children that still put items in their mouths. Just a little something to watch out for.
More information about Think Blocks, children’s building blocks for the mind, can be found at the Think and Thrive website.
Just read this over at Boing Boing - there is a new anthology of science fiction stories for kids called The Starry Rift
. Two of my sons are big sci-fi fans so this book caught my interest.
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