(Courtesy of Betsy)

Sorry this is late, but here's Betsy of Fluffy Windover's Diary with this week's Toddler Thursday:

I am not one of those parents who is opposed to sugar for their kids. I try to make sure Edwin eats a balanced diet, and that includes the occasional treat. If he behaves himself at dinner and makes a decent effort at eating (sometimes, a rare occurrence) he can have dessert. Dessert is usually a cookie or maybe some ice cream. He also enjoys the occasional popsicle and pudding cup. But while I am OK with sweets sometimes, there is something about giving candy to a toddler that bothers me.

Don't get me wrong-- I have no problem eating candy myself. And I remember eating gobs and gobs of Easter candy as a kid. But for some reason I'm just not comfortable with Edwin eating it quite yet. I worry about him eating too much and getting sick. So Easter posed a bit of a problem. I wanted to go the route of not putting any candy in his basket. But my husband thought that was a little harsh, and besides-- I wanted to enjoy some Easter candy myself! So I went ahead and got all the usual suspects: jelly beans, peanut putter cups, peeps, and chocolate eggs.

This was really the first time Edwin had free access to candy, and he was a fan. I relaxed and allowed him to sample some treats from his basket in the morning. Thankfully, the peeps went completely untouched. I don't think Edwin realized they were edible (are they?) Jelly beans were a big hit, but I was nervous about him choking on those, so I had to remove them after he ate a couple. The peanut butter cups were a favorite. He really liked the whole unwrapping process. We did have a problem later in the day with the candy we put in the plastic eggs for the egg hunt. There was some melting, which lead to a meltdown on Edwin's part. But mostly, his first experience with Easter candy went OK. He didn't overindulge, and since we spent Easter at my parents' house I didn't bring any candy home. (Though I wish I had, if only for myself!)
  
If you celebrated Easter, how did your toddlers do with the candy? 

Posted by Hanah Cho at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

My husband and I learned quickly that a vacation isn't really a vacation with a very active 16-month-old, who has been showing signs of the terrible twos already.

Don't get me wrong. We had a great time in Charleston, but I was ill-prepared for our first family vacation.

For starters, I under-packed -- by a lot. I didn't bring enough clothes for Jake, who had several accidents in the middle of the night that one time, I changed his pants three times.

Not only did I not bring enough clothes, I also didn't have the right stuff. Who knew you need swim diapers?

Sleep was far and few between. Jake decided that he was not going to sleep in the pack-and-play, so he ended up sleeping with us. That meant, neither one of us got much sleep since Jake moved around so much and we were both afraid of Jake falling off the bed.

Eating was also a problem. Eating out every day is not fun nor is it nutritionally ideal with a small child. Eric and I also haven't mastered how to keep Jake in the high seat and occupied. We also had to be strategic about picking restaurants to be mindful of other patrons but also comfortable enough if Jake erupted in a mini-tantrum or worst.

Any advice on family vacations?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Travel
        

Liz Atwood discusses the difficulty of maintaining a healthy diet in this week's Tween Tuesday:

Five weeks until Memorial Day. That means five weeks until it’s swimsuit season. Once again, I’ve started to diet, trying to lose those stubborn 10 pounds that I’ve been fighting for the past couple years. It’s easy to lose two or three pounds. I can even lose five with some concerted effort, but 10—that’s a challenge.

I recently read about other moms bloggers having the same struggle. Katherine Stone writes about how difficult it has been to control her weight since she turned 40. Let me tell you, sister, it is even harder when you turn 50.

Of course as we age, our metabolism slows down. But another reason, we moms know, it that our kids tempt us with all sorts of fattening foods. Recently, my boys asked me to take them for ice cream. I drove them to the local Baskin-Robbins and decided I would be good and refrain from ordering anything for myself. My 9-year-old said he was starving and ordered an Oreo sundae. He took three bites and decided he was full and wanted to take it home. I sat looking at the melting treat and asked him if I could have a spoonful. Yes, he said. But when I took a bite, he said he didn’t want to eat it anymore because he didn’t want my germs! I ended up eating the entire sundae rather than throw it out.

Last week, I took the boys for pizza. The same thing happened. The younger one said he didn’t like the pizza he ordered. I ended up eating two personal pizzas!

I try to resist eating my kids leftovers, but when the food has hardly been touched, I have a hard time throwing it out. But if I’m ever going to lose those 10 pounds, I know I must get used to the idea of passing on the food the kids have left.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Teens
        

Betsy of Fluffy Windover's Diary discusses the importance of enjoying the outdoors with your toddler in this week's Toddler Thursday:

Like most toddlers, Edwin loves being outside. And now that the weather is finally warming up, we are moving a lot of our activities outdoors. Here are some ideas to get out there and enjoy the weather with your little one, before the Baltimore humidity strikes!

Have a picnic in your own backyard. Edwin is rarely interested in lunch, but when offered the option of dining al fresco, suddenly he’s ravenously hungry.

Take your craft projects outside. The driveway or front porch is a perfect place to spread out and paint something. It’s so much easier to relax when you know you can literally hose down the mess afterward.

Make a tree rubbing. Use the side of a large crayon and a piece of thin paper to make a rubbing of bark on a tree. But don’t stop there—see how many different patterns your child can make on the paper using different things he finds outside.

Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Give your toddler a bucket and head into the woods. Have him look for specific things like pine cones, small sticks, leaves, and stones. (Edwin likes to collect leaves and small stones to paint when we get home.)

Garden. Getting your yard and garden cleaned up in the spring can seem impossible when you are minding a toddler, but even small children can get to work pulling weeds and digging in the dirt. Edwin loves to “help” us in the yard. We give him a trowel and a spot where he can dig and he’s happy as a clam.

Puddle-jump. Even during a spring shower, you can still enjoy outside time. Edwin loves to splash in puddles, so sometimes if it’s raining we’ll put on rubber boots and head out with an umbrella to find puddles to splash in.

Play hopscotch. Ah, a simple game from a simpler time. I haven’t tried this with Edwin yet, but I suspect even a kid his age would have fun with a modified version. What toddler doesn’t love to jump (and throw a pebble)?

Make a water table. As you may know, water is very big with the toddler set. Fill up a bucket or small kiddie pool with a little water, add some toys and cups and your toddler will be occupied for a good half hour. (Just enough time for you to fix the parts of the garden he just dug up.)

Enjoy the spring!

Posted by Hanah Cho at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

Liz Atwood discusses when to have "the talk" with your daughters in this week's Tween Tuesday. Have you had the talk with your daughter? That’s the question Kotex is asking on its website, which offers advice to moms on how to talk to their daughters about menstruation. The site then links to Kotex’s new line of products U by Kotex Tween—feminine products designed for smaller bodies and packaged in a glimmering box. At first I was surprised when I read about this in the New York Times. As the mother of boys, I wasn’t aware that girls today are starting their periods as young as 8. And a sparkly box for feminine products? Who ever thought having a period could be glamorous? But after giving it some thought, it makes sense to design feminine hygiene products for young girls. While tweens may have started their periods, their bodies aren’t yet grown. A glittery box might not relieve the anxiety that comes with the start of menstruation, but an honest conversation with mom probably will. Among the site’s advice to moms:

1. Pick a specific day to have the talk. 2. Prepare for your daughter’s questions by reading up. 3. Plan a celebration, such as a girls’ day out. 4. Tell her about your own experiences and let her know you’re available to talk about hers.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Teens
        

Courtesy of Babble.com 

Every time I think of family road trips, I think of the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, where just about everything goes wrong. (It's also my husband's absolute favorite movie.)

Growing up, my family went on a lot of road trips to Niagara Falls, Cape Cod and other Northeast states. One road trip to Florida to visit Disney World never happened because the car broke down in Georgia. My sister and my cousins spent our time at a swimming pool at a random motel.

As an adult, I've avoided long car rides, but I've become more open to the idea now that I have a young child. So my family is heading to South Carolina next week to sightsee and catch a few minor league games along the way.

Please send in your best road trip memories -- the good and the bad. See you when I get back.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Travel
        

Betsy of Fluffy Windover's Diary discusses sleep arrangements when her newest baby arrives in this week's Toddler Thursday:

Our house is small (I’m pretty sure the listing said “cozy bungalow”, though it should have said “really tiny house”.) We have three bedrooms, but because of office/guestroom needs, our children will be sharing a room eventually. Turns out we are having another boy, so hopefully that makes things a little easier. I don’t imagine this would happen until the new baby is a year old or so; I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting a young infant in with a toddler. We’re planning to have the new baby stay in our room for most of the first year (not ideal, but Edwin was in our room for about 10 months and everyone survived [sort of]).

It seems to me like it could get complicated with naps, differing bedtimes, etc, but I’m sure families do it all the time. I’d like to know your experience – did your toddler and younger child share a room? How did bedtimes/nap schedules work out? Did your toddler enjoy the company, or feel resentful for the intrusion?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

In this J. Crew marketing feature, executive Jenna Lyons is shown painting the toes of her son. And that apparently has caused a controversy among commentators and parents, who are accusing the retailer of contributing to a culture that encourages gender identity confusion, according to Fox News.  

“This is a dramatic example of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity,” psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow wrote in a FoxNews.com Health column about the ad.

Media Research Center’s Erin Brown agreed, calling the ad “blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children.”

“Not only is Beckett likely to change his favorite color as early as tomorrow, Jenna's indulgence (or encouragement) could make life hard for the boy in the future,” Brown wrote in an opinion piece Friday.  "J.CREW, known for its tasteful and modest clothing, apparently does not mind exploiting Beckett behind the facade of liberal, transgendered identity politics.”

I'm going to leave the politics alone. But their arguments about gender identity is too simplistic for my taste. I don't know anything about transgender identity issues but I'm going to go out on a limb and say allowing a boy to paint his nails or toes is nothing more, nothing less.

Should girls not play with cars and other action figures because that's what boys do? Who decides what's acceptable?

Is this getting overblown? Would you let your boy paint his nails?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Parenting in general
        

Liz Atwood discusses finding appropriate vacation spots for her boys in this week's Tween Tuesday:

My sons are almost five years apart in age and when we’re talking about kids that can be a big difference. The older brother has always been a step ahead in his interests and privileges, and the younger is often trying to emulate and play catch up. These days they enjoy playing basketball and video games together, and as they grow older I’m sure they’ll find even more common interests.

But recently this age difference has played a big part in a disagreement over where to go on the family vacation. The 9-year-old, who loves watching TV programs on the Nickelodeon channel, is lobbying to go to Orlando and stay in the Nickelodeon Hotel. His dream vacation is to splash in a water park, play video games in the hotel room, and get green slime poured on his head.

The 14-year-old, meanwhile, wants to go to Los Angeles and see Beverly Hills, check out the homes of his favorite movie stars, visit museums and eat in fine (and expensive) restaurants.

I’ve been trying to forge a compromise. I suppose we could split the country down the middle and take a vacation in, say, Kansas, but I’m not sure that will satisfy anyone. I’ve suggested we visit Orlando this year and Los Angeles next, but then I hear I’m playing favorites.  I’ve urged them to come up with a place we all could enjoy, but so far, we’re at an impasse that makes the Democratic and Republican budget negotiations seem easy.

Any suggestions?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Teens
        

My younger sister had the first of three children when she was 23!

I was in my early 30s when I had Jake. And since my husband and I want more children, I could be well into my late 30s and early 40s when I am lucky enough to conceive again. Which means I'll be in my 50s by the time high school graduation rolls around.

In contrast, my sister will only be 40 when her oldest son goes off to college and only a few years older than that when the rest of her children leave the nest.

E. and I were married for almost five years before we felt ready to have kids for a myriad of reasons: financial stability, lifestyle, career, etc. In general, women are waiting longer to have children as demographic trends have shown in the last decade.

Occasionally, I have wondered why we waited to have children especially given the (mostly) joys of parenthood.

Would I be a different kind of parent if I had kids when I was in my mid- to late-20s? What do you think?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Parenting in general
        

Betsy of Fluffy Windover's Diary discusses doctor visits in this week's Toddler Thursday:

As I mentioned in my last post, Edwin had a difficult visit at the pediatrician. He didn’t want to go (what kid does?) and on the way over he kept saying, “Maybe the doctor’s is locked.” He refused to let go of me to get on the scale or to be measured. Eventually I had to hold him and stand on the scale, and then weigh myself to get his weight. As I was struggling to calm him down and convince him to do what he had to, the nurse just stood there and did nothing. Maybe it was my imagination, but she seemed slightly annoyed. Now, I realize that this is my son and I should be able to get him to do what he’s supposed to do. But it’s not every day that I have to get his weight and height when he is scared and in a strange place. On the other hand, it IS every day that this nurse has to get kids’ weights and heights when they’re scared and in a strange place. So it surprised me that she didn’t seem to have a good rapport with kids.

Compare this to our first visit to the dentist. I was worried, given Edwin’s history, that it would be a challenge. But he LOVED it, thanks to the hygienist. I have never seen my son pay such rapt attention to someone. She knew just what she was doing. She had him wrapped around her finger; he looked at her like she was pure magic. She knew all the tricks to get Edwin’s attention and get him to happily jump into that chair and open his mouth (which he did). The next day he received a Snoopy card in the mail from her which said, “Great job, buddy!” When I told him who it was from, his eyes got so wide and his smile so big, it was like he had just seen Santa Claus.

I left the pediatrician’s office feeling like a failure, like I should have been able to convince Edwin to buck up and get down to business. I followed all the advice of how to calm a child’s fear of the doctor, and Edwin was still terrified and wouldn’t let go of me (he eventually calmed down—the actual pediatrician is very good with kids and Edwin was giggling in no time.) I think it may have been the nurse’s chilly demeanor that made him so nervous. After visiting the dentist I realized that people who work in pediatric medical offices ought to have the skills to put children at ease about seeing the doctor. After all, this is something they do every day, while most parents only do it a few times a year. Is it me, or does it seem unusual to encounter a nurse at a pediatrician’s office who seems to have no toddler-calming skills?

(If you’re looking for a pediatric dentist, email me at betsy.bartow@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to give you the office info. The dentist himself is great, too.)

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

Parents on average give themselves a B- when it comes to serving as financial role models for their children, according to a new survey by Baltimore's T. Rowe Price Group.

More than a third of parents gave themselves a C or lower for instilling saving and spending habits.

The survey, which polled 1,008 moms and dads of children ages 8 to 14, also found that:

-- 86 percent of parents feel they should have primary responsibility for teaching financial literacy to their children.

-- Parents give themselves a B grade for their personal knowledge about money.

-- Only 28 percent of parents say they are very prepared to discuss basic financial information such as setting goals, saving, spending and diversification.

-- Parents say it's easier to discuss drugs and alcohol with their kids than family finances.

Here are some tips from Price's Stuart Ritter, a financial planner and a father of three:

Take advantage of everyday teachable moments – such as going grocery shopping, opening the household bills or planning a family vacation – to reinforce financial lessons and make them more memorable.

Help your kids set specific savings goals – both short- and long-term – to provide real-life incentives and make the general advice to “save” more concrete. This will also better equip them to make smarter spending decisions.

Emphasize prioritization and focus on tying spending decisions back to the goals when your kids want something else. This can be a better approach than simply saying “no” and helps put the decisions in a context they will understand while making it easier to discuss the trade-offs.

Have open communications about the financial choices the family has to make and be careful about how you react to money issues. While you don’t need to reveal all financial details such as exact household income, it’s important to let kids know that the topic of money is not taboo and is open for discussion.

Make money conversations fun – which will better engage your kids and avoid the eye rolls that tend to accompany these types of discussions.

Have you had money conversations with your child? When did you first begin talking about money issues?

Take this poll:

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Parenting in general
        

Liz Atwood discusses ways children can send encouragement to victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in this week's Tween Tuesday:

It’s been nearly a month since the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. My first thought was that Japan has the resources and manpower would be able to handle it. But as the weeks have dragged on, I’m reminded that human suffering is not contained within national borders. As Hurricane Katrina showed the United States, even those who live in wealthy countries can be devastated by natural disaster. The events in Japan have claimed more than 10,000 lives. Many, including many children, have been left homeless. More than 6,000 schools were damaged.
A few days ago, my friend and former Sun colleague Chiaki Kawajiri, told me of an easy way we can send messages to the children who were affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. We also can send words of encouragement to the rescue workers who still labor valiantly to bring the crisis under control.

Here’s what you can do:
First, you can go to
http://tohokujishin.wordpress.com/how-to-write-a-message-to-the-japanese-people/
and read how to write comments

then go to
http://tohokujishin.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/thinking-of-you/
to leave a message for earthquake victims.

You can also go to
http://tohokujishin.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/thank-you-for-your-help/
to leave a message for rescue workers.

Chiaki is also organizing an effort to send pictures to the children of Japan. She writes:
“If there are children who would like to draw pictures (regular copy
paper size 8.5 by 11 in) to comfort and encourage children of Japan, we
would be grateful. Please scan/photograph each image as many as you like, then email me at
hopeforjapanesechildren@gmail.com as soon as possible.”
I wanted to pass this along in case your children or their classes would like to help.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Teens