Dear In-Laws, Lend a Hand

Is just a little grandparent involvement asking too much?

Dear In-Laws,

You guys are great. Really, love ya, you're marvelous people. I'm proud to call you my second mom and dad and my kids' grandparents. But I sure wish you would start acting like grandparents and get more involved with my kids!

Hubs and I were so happy to be living near you when we decided to become parents, and you were so excited too to be grandparents. Back then you talked endlessly about the joys of babysitting and future outings with the little ones. But guys, it's been five years now and those babysitting gigs and trips to the park with the kids are VERY few and far between.

It seems that almost every time we kindly ask you (with lots of notice!) to watch the kids when we receive an adults-only invite, you're always unavailable. Actually, you've never even offered to watch the kids!

And don't get me started on those Sunday stop-overs you guys are fond of...you know, the ones where you like to talk politics and golf and tell the kids, "Children should be seen and not heard" when they try and climb in your lap with their favorite story books. Come on, one reading of Fancy Nancy, or even a round of Chutes and Ladders, is not going to kill you!

I know you already raised your own kids, and I don't expect you to raise mine. But a little more involvement, playtime and OK, I'll admit it, childcare help, would be much appreciated! Especially by those two little people in my house who adore you completely.

Sincerely yours,

Your Exasperated Daughter-in-Law

Got a letter of your own you're dying to write but can't quite send? Send it to us! We'll publish it for you (totally anonymously, if you like!) and help you get that beef off your back!

Email us with the words "tuesday letters" in the subject line!

Learning Book Assistant: Teddy's Shapes & Colors

 
The Laugh & Learn Learning Book is baby's first page-turner! This assortment of two learning books features a shapes & colors book and a numbers & animals book-- a perfect set for baby's library.They’re never too young to discover the joy of books.

Organizing Your Children’s Belongings

Dr. Laura Stachel
Obstetrics & Gynecology

Even before you give birth, clothing and accessories for your baby are likely to start coming through the door. Shower gifts can provide a fetching selection of newborn attire, while bags of hand-me-down clothes from friends may outfit your child through the toddler years and beyond. Keeping everything organized can become a challenge.

At each developmental stage, you’ll be faced with the choice of what to keep, what to toss and what to give away. If you’re like me, you’ll want to hang on to just about everything that holds a memory or may someday be useful. Ten years after stashing boxes of my oldest children’s clothing and art supplies, I pulled them out for my youngest daughter. While I’m glad I have these recycled treasures and favorites, managing the large volume of material can be overwhelming.

Here are ideas to help you stay on top of kids’ stuff.

1. Purge. While this can be tough for parents who become emotionally attached to their children’s belongings, it’s wise to establish some basic guidelines. Anything that’s stained, worn out, unattractive or missing parts goes in the trash. Decent clothes that are duplicates can be passed on to friends or dropped off at a thrift store. Hand-me-downs should be sorted immediately; what’s not suitable can be rebagged for donation.

2. Create a system. Your storage system depends on how much room you have. If you’re lucky enough to have an attic or dry garage, you’ll be able to keep more. Limited space requires selectivity. Stackable clear plastic bins with lids allow you to see what’s inside, but cardboard boxes with lids also work well, as long as they are labeled as specifically as possible: Girls’ clothes, summer, sizes 2 and 3. Group clothing by the size you think it really is, no matter what the tag says.

3. Sort toys by size. Rather than tossing small cars, balls and jewelry into a large bin, group small items together in a shoe box. That way they won’t get lost on the bottom of the bin.

4. Ask for help. If you’re inundated with stuff and don’t know where to start, invite a friend to help you sift through the chaos. In turn, you could help her. It’s easier to make tough choices with someone else’s belongings. A professional organizer may be a worthwhile investment. A two-hour meeting may be all you need to set up a system that works.

5. Teach your kids to organize. It’s hard to convince kids to let go of every plastic toy they’ve ever had, but it’s a life skill they need to learn. Create a donation basket and talk to them about passing on toys and clothes to other kids who need them. Or have them help you stage a garage sale and raise money for a children’s charity. Introduce the rule that every new toy that comes into the house means an old toy gets recycled: one in, one out.

Once you’ve got your system in place, use birthdays, holidays and changes of season as opportunities to take inventory and retrieve clothes and toys out of storage. It’s frustrating to discover a never-worn outfit in a box after your child has outgrown it! Even though organization takes time and effort, it can bring you satisfaction and peace of mind.

Our parenting advice is given as suggestions only. We recommend you also consult your healthcare provider, and urge you to contact them immediately if your question is urgent or about a medical condition.

 

1-2-3 Musical Snail

This musical snail will grow with baby, offering developmental activity  

For tummy time, baby will enjoy looking in the mirror, listening to music and sounds. For sit-up play, there’s back and forth rocking motion. And when baby’s ready to crawl, the snail will lead the way, wobbling along with lively music and dancing lights!  

 

What to Look for in a Toy?

Kathleen Alfano, Ph.D.
Director of Child Research at Fisher-Price®

Children love to be creative and use their imaginations.Toys provide an opportunity for them to do just that, and play an important role in enriching children's lives. By giving children opportunities to be creative, you help develop their self-confidence and a sense of pride in their resourcefulness and accomplishments. Oftentimes, it's a simple toy that provides a broad range of play value (and sometimes, it's the box the toy came in!).

For example, the Fisher-Price® Rock-a-Stack® has so many possibilities for fun and creative uses, as well as for much developmental learning. Besides the obvious skills of stacking and eye-hand coordination it encourages, some of the other things children can learn are colors (identification), sizes (bigger, smaller and biggest, smallest), placement (top, bottom, middle, next, over, under, between), numbers (how many, counting), and sequencing (which comes next). In addition, it can be used for fun and imaginative games and activities, such as ring-toss, rolling and chasing and catching them—even wearing the rings as bracelets or balancing them on your head! And, last but not least, it provides many opportunities for language development (learning words, making the connections and talking about the above, and much more). Millions of children all around the world have enjoyed playing with the Rock-a-Stack since 1960, and it's still a very popular toy today…no wonder why!

Of course, it's important that toys are kept clean and in good repair. If you treat children's belongings with respect, they will learn to share this respect and learn that their own things are important. Also, make a point of taking broken toys out of the toy box until they are fixed. However, homemade toys need to be monitored very closely because of potential safety hazards—they do not undergo the stringent safety evaluation that manufactured toys do.

Here are some suggestions for stocking the essential toy box:

Toys that encourage children to imitate real life:
It's important to have toys that encourage children to use their imaginations and develop their creativity and social skills. Playsets with miniature figures, kitchen toys, tea sets, medical kits, pretend telephones—they all help children learn about the world around them by bringing it to their level. Having an interesting selection of dress-up clothes is essential for the same reason. I still recall the fun I had playing dress-up with my mother's high-heeled shoes and jewelry, her old hats and purses and fancy dresses—I even used old curtains, wrapping them around me as ballroom gowns!

Toys that inspire problem solving:
Toys like shape sorters, stacking toys and puzzles help children develop the concentration and problem-solving skills they'll need when they go to school and throughout their adult lives.

Toys that invite creativity:
Children love to use paints, crayons and paper. Play dough is great for exercising children's imaginations and helping their manual dexterity, and you can even make it yourself. Building blocks are essential, too—children love to play with blocks, they encourage creativity as well as logical thinking.

Balls:
Playing with balls of all sizes helps children improve their coordination. Ball games are also great for social interaction, helping children to learn about winning and losing and how to take turns.

Musical toys:
Children love to sing along with, dance to and control the music, and so a durable, child-appropriate CD or tape player and a variety of children's music are highly recommended. Songs with actions are particularly important—they improve coordination, stimulate the memory and are social, too.

Books:
Children should have access to as many books as possible. Even if they just pretend to read, they are still exercising their imaginations and their pre-reading skills. Like toys, books should always be kept in good condition so children learn to respect them.

Here is a checklist for you to use when looking for a good toy:

A good toy…

• is safe and durable.
• is fun to use.
• is interesting to the child.
• stimulates creativity and imagination.
• encourages inquisitiveness and resourcefulness.
• is a tool for learning.
• is challenging, yet not frustrating.
• invites repeated use.
• involves child interaction.
• addresses developing needs and emerging skills.

Rock-a-Stack:

Baby can sort and stack the rings, then bat at the base to watch it rock back and forth. Bright colors & shiny reflections add to the fun!

• Stimulates the senses
• Develops motor skills
• Encourages cognitive abilities

Our parenting advice is given as suggestions only. We recommend you also consult your healthcare provider, and urge you to contact them immediately if your question is urgent or about a medical condition.

Trouble in Veggie Land??

Try to work more veggies into your kid's diet? Here are a few kid-friendly strategies!

• Offer him a colorful variety of vegetables. Expose him to as many different tastes and textures as possible. But if he claims to hate 'em all, try to win him over by serving veggies that kids like best—corn, peas, carrots, beans and sweet potatoes are all hits.
  
  
• Serve fruits and vegetables in different ways: raw, steamed, or even sprinkled with a little bit of cheese, or herbs and spices.
  
  
• Your preschooler may prefer raw veggies to cooked ones. Lots of vegetables take on a stronger, slightly bitter taste when they're cooked—something that we all know turns young children off!
  
  
• Serve your child veggies and dip (yogurt, hummus, black or white bean dip and guacamole tend to fare well with kids). Your child will be far more likely to chomp through that plate of veggies if she's got dip to dunk 'em in! Bonus: the good fats in the dip will help her body to absorb the vitamin A and beta carotene in the veggies.
  
  
• When planning meals, try to focus on fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin A (carrots, spinach, cantaloupe and apricots) and vitamin C (tomatoes, green peppers, oranges and strawberries). Fruits and veggies are major sources of these two must-have vitamins.
  
  
• If your child is an extreme veggie hater, you can sneak vegetables into foods he already likes. Try puréeing vegetables and adding them to spaghetti sauces, soups or stews; adding chopped spinach, mushroom or green pepper to omelets; making veggie lasagna, pizza with all vegetable toppings or chapatti wrap packed with vegetables; increasing the vegetable content of ol' family favorites like shepherd's pie or tuna casserole; or throwing together a batch of carrot or pumpkin bread or zucchini bread or muffins. Or even make carrot dosa, tomato dosa, etc... The list is endless you just need to be a little creative & sneaky!
  
• If all else fails, bump up his servings of fruit. Fruit can help replace some of the nutrients he's missing on the veggie end.

Lights and Sounds Table
 

Loaded with fun for baby. Spin the large roller ball to hear a fun tune or sound effect. Lights dance from the colorful table top as the music plays. Baby can flip the pages of the flip book or slide the door back and forth to hear a silly sound. Spin the dial pond to hear a fun click!

Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension Pregnancy Exercise

Get your arms ready to tote baby around 24/7 with this triceps exercise.

You Need

• You
• Comfy clothing
• Dumbbells: 5-8 lbs weigths
• A stability ball 

How to do it ?

Sit on a stability ball and hold a dumbbell overhead with one arm; keep arms straight and elbows forward.

Bend elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head to the base of neck.
Pause.
Return.
Do 2-3 sets of 15 repetitions, resting for 30-45 seconds between sets.
Switch arms and repeat.

Don't arch your back as you lift the weight. Use other hand to support the working arm as shown. No ball? Use a chair. 

Provided by Beverley Caen

Author of Sane Fitness Preggers

Cradle Swing Glider

The 4 Way Cradle Swing n Glider offers Moms many different motions to soothe baby.
• Great value—two products in one!
• Choice of four different motions to suit baby.
• Plug-in option saves money on batteries!

Happy Feet

One of your baby's favorite toys is his feet! They're soft and wiggly, and close at hand. And they feel funny when they're touched! Have fun with Happy Feet as you combine nursery rhymes with toe touching.

Materials

• Soft blanket
• Words to songs and nursery rhymes
• Your fingers and your baby's toes

Instructions

• Choose a favorite nursery rhyme that can be played with your baby's feet and toes.
• Lay your baby on a soft blanket and kneel beside him so you can reach his feet.
• Play one of the following Happy Feet games:

  This Little Piggy

  This little piggy went to market, (wiggle the big toe)
  This little piggy stayed home, (wiggle the second toe)
  This little piggy had roast beef, (wiggle the third toe)
  This little piggy had none, (wiggle the fourth toe)
  And this little piggy cried, "Wee, wee, wee!" all the way home! (wiggle the baby toe)
  

  Gobble Gobble

  Wee wiggle, (wiggle baby toe)
  Two tickle, (wiggle next toe)
  Three giggle, (wiggle next toe)
  Four sniggle, (wiggle next toe)
  Five-gobble! (pretend to gobble up your baby's foot)
  

  Pitty Pat Pony

  Pitty pat pony, (pat the soles of your baby's feet)
  Look at her toes. (hold baby's feet and wiggle them)
  Here a nail, there a nail, (poke the bottom of baby's feet)
  Gid-up and go! (pat the soles of your baby's feet again)

Safety

Don't tickle your baby too much. As you probably know from personal experience, excessive tickling becomes uncomfortable.

Healthy Care Booster Seat

The Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster seat is a portable, folding booster seat that keeps baby's feeding surface clean and sanitized. Three height adjustments allow for a custom fit to any table. It comes with a removable feeding tray, that can be placed in the dishwasher.

Baby Massage

Your baby begins to respond to touch immediately after birth. The first welcome your baby receives is the tactile comfort of your touch as you hold him. Provide your baby with a Baby Massage so he can delight in the pleasure of your soothing hands.

Learning Skills

• Body awareness
• Enhanced sense of touch
• Social interaction

Materials

• Blanket or towel
• Baby lotion

Instructions

• Spread a blanket or a towel on a soft carpet.
• Place your naked baby on the blanket, on his tummy.
• Pour a little baby oil into your hands and rub your hands together to warm up the oil.
• Gently massage your baby from his neck to his shoulders, down his arms to his hands, down his back to his buttocks, down his legs, and to his feet. Use a gentle touch, not too firm and not too light.
• Turn your baby over on his back and repeat, using more oil.

Safety

Use a soft touch so you don’t cause any rug burns! Be sure your baby isn’t allergic to the oils or lotions you use. Avoid touching your baby’s face so the oils don’t get into your baby’s eyes.

Watch this space for more....

2-in-1 Projection Mobile

This is a projection mobile with a canopy that brings the light show closer to baby. A delicate canopy hangs overhead of baby with four plush characters attached to it. The mobile attaches to the crib with our new, improved mechanism and comes with a remote control.