kids

The Spoiled Mama has a few great products from pregnancy lotions and oils to postpartum lotions and even organic breastfeeding and nursing lotion. They are all phthalate free, paraben free, no artificial colors, no synthetic fragances, no harsh sulfactants or petroleum derivatives. More than half of the ingredients are organic. The mom should take care of herself right from the beginning!
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In the Bay Area, some parents are signing kids as young as three up for personal training sessions at the gym. (Maybe that’s what this kid did.) Though we can all agree that exercise is a good thing, is having kids work out just like their parents a bit much?

It’s probably no surprise that these kids classes cost a pretty penny too — $75 an hour for one-on-one sessions. But the motivations vary on the parent. Some are willing to pay any amount to make sure their child doesn’t become overweight; others are interested in giving their child a head start on competitive team sports. Sometimes it’s even just to boost a child’s self-esteem. One erroneous motive is the belief that exercise indoors is safer than playing outside.

While I’m a bit skeptical about getting kids to the gym at such a young age, it’s hard to poo-poo the idea of nurturing a habit of exercise early on. Especially now that gym programs are being cut at schools and obesity rates are rising drastically, doesn’t it make sense to do everything possible to keep our kids healthy?

Would you sign your toddler up for personal training?

From Babble. Photo by eyeliam.

1,500 push-ups in 40 minutes. Insane! Future Olympian right there.

Although it does seem a little cruel to make a kid work out that much at such a young age. He should be watching Dora instead.

Smories is a site of kids aged 3 to 8 reading original children’s stories. These kids are very articulate (and very British), and if this doesn’t melt your heart, it might mean you don’t have one.

Here’s one we liked called “The Astonishing Tale of Floating Emma” by Helen Brain.

So adorable!!

When you’re behind the wheel, your full attention needs to be on the road, and staying aware of other drivers is critical to road safety. I’m pretty convinced that talking on a cell phone while driving is incredibly dangerous, since it takes away your focus from the road. But could kids be just as distracting to drivers?

Think about: when you’re talking to your kids or trying to keep them in their seats, you’re just as distracted, if not more distracted, than talking on a cell phone. Sierra at Strollerderby has a firm “No Talking To Mommy” rule while driving.

“Trying to talk to my kid in the backseat feels dangerous to me for the same reason talking on the phone does,” she writes. “I’m moving the focus of my attention away from the road in front of me. My eyes are still facing the street, and my hands are on the wheel. But my brain is somewhere else.”

So obviously, the solution is to ban kids from cars. (Just kidding.)

How do you deal with rowdy kids in the backseat?

See the article at Strollerderby. Photo by clappstar.

Do you remember the days before kids when you would be at the store or some other public place where someone would have a tantrum throwing toddler and you’d happily criticize (in your mind) how the parent was handling the child? Aww, sweet ignorance, how I miss you.

Fast forward of course a few years later and there you are with one child melting down while the other happily grabs an apple off the shelf, which of course knocks down an entire stack of apples.

I’m one of those moms that tries to find a balance between sticking to whatever the normal punishment and reaction at home would be (consistency is always important when dealing with kids) with the fact that we are in fact out in public. Not that I want to skip on consistency, but the truth is that sometimes I’m just lazy.
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Are your kids picky eaters? Do they not appreciate the fine meal you’ve prepared? (I know Tony has struggled with this.) Modern Mom has some great tips on how to wean your kids off grilled cheese and chicken fingers. Here’s some good advice:

Congratulate your child even for one bite of a new food. This is a big deal for picky eaters! Remind them that it may take a couple bites to notice the great flavor of a food if they say they do not like it at first. Be a good role model: You can’t expect to raise a child who has a healthy diet if you do not follow one yourself. Children learn by imitating! Don’t punish your child for not eating a new food; it takes some children longer to get used to trying new things. And eating should be pleasurable for all!

Especially with child obesity being a big topic of concern lately, making sure your kids eat healthy — even if it’s something they don’t want to eat — is important for parents. Also check out “9 Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables.”

How do you get your kids to eat food they don’t want to eat?

More at Modern Mom. Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography.

Also, WHY IS HE FILMING WHILE HE IS DRIVING? Safety foul! Via BuzzFeed.

Getting kids out of bed can be a pain, but even more difficult is when they’re the ones waking you up. Hey, parents deserve to sleep in some days. ParentsAsk pinged Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers, for tips on how to get kids to stay asleep just a little longer. Here’s a quick summary of Elizabeth’s advice:

• Dim the lights. Street lights or house lights can cause a light sleeper to wake up early.
• Prepare for nature’s calls. Give your child less liquid before he/she goes to bed to prevent waking up early to use the bathroom.
• Prevent morning hunger. Give your child a low-sugar, high-carb snack before bed.
• Change a habit. Gradually adjust his/her night and nap schedule.
• Fix a misaligned nap routine.

See the whole thing at ParentsAsk. Photo by adwriter.

Dreamworks Animation’s latest CGI feature, How to Train Your Dragon, took in a whopping $43.3 million this past weekend. Obviously, kids want to see this movie (and dragging their parents to it). Critics seem to like it, but with all of the monsters and aerial fight sequences, how kid friendly is the film?

Erika Milvy, Babble’s cinematic appropriateness guru, says it’s totally OK for kids. She writes, “Fire-breathing dragons, medieval projectile weaponry and dragon dive-bombing provide edge-of-seat suspense. But don’t worry — the action sequences are well-balanced with funny and touching scenes from the emotional life of 11-year-old Hiccup.”

Erika also has some nice things to say about the film’s message, comparing the movie to other movies about the bond between children and animals like Black Beauty and Free Willy. (What, no mention of Sean Connery’s Dragonheart?? Just kidding.)

Review at Babble. Trailer after the jump!
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