Eating their fruits and veggies

There is some controversy surrounding the release of Deceptively Delicious, a cookbook by Seinfield's wife.

Some of is is because there is another book called The Sneaky Chef that some feel she plagiarized.

She suggests pureeing fruits and vegetables into foods that you do not have to fight your children to eat or drink in order to get them the nutrition whether they like it or not. Examples include pureeing sweet potatos into hot cocoa to make it creamier and more of a healthy treat.

What do you think? Should children be deceived into eating healthful foods by hiding fruits and vegetables in starchy, high-sugar dishes? What happens when they grow up and think those foods are healthy and do not understand just how many servings of fruits and vegetables go into a healthy diet? Is "by any means necessary" jusitifiable in this case?

How do you celebrate Halloween?

Many parents, usually for religious reasons, do not celebrate Halloween.

Others like to dress up, but I do not allow their children to wear "scary" costumes, or have cemeteries set up on their front lawns. They go with more of a "harvest" theme.

Other families are religious but go all-out with the gory decorations.

What do YOU do?

Bumbo Baby Seat Recall

Click the link below to read more about the Bumbo Baby Seat recall. Apparently a few babies have fallen over in the seat and suffered head fractures.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21472055/?GT1=10450

Free E-Cards for Baby's Milestones

Evenflo has e-cards to commemorate your baby's milestones, like sitting up and getting the first tooth. Requires free registration with Evenflo.com

http://www.evenflo.com/Homepage/eCards/tabid/218/Default.aspx

Playing with Potatos

You can buy two children all the "developmentally appropriate" toys in the world, plan learning activities, and they will giddily entertain themselves for an hour with a raw potato.

Easy recycling with HP - Blog Action Day!

So, here's the idea: Today is Blog Action Day, and the theme this year is the environment.

There is a free and easy way for your family to recycle ink cartridges from your printers, as well as several other office-related items. Let's reduce the "e-waste" we are creating.

What am I suggesting?

Easy, no-stress way to recycle printer ink cartridges, through Hewlett Packard. To order postage-paid envelopes, go to HP’s Planet Partners auto-form at

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/recycle/index.html

and select the first box (unless you are interested on recycling hardware, mercury lamps, or cell phones, in which case you can follow those links instead.) Follow the prompts to order your non-returnable at this link:

https://h30248.www3.hp.com/recycle/supplies/ink_page1.asp?__cc=us

It is really simple and at no cost to the consumer. Each envelope holds up to three cartridges. Once you have signed up, envelopes are sent at regular intervals, so you do not have to repeatedly request them and then wait with your used-up cartridges taking up space in your desk.

HP also offers up several other ways for families to get involved in recycling other computer trash and cast-offs.

http://h71036.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/505112-0-0-225-121.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN#4

Can you think of other easy ways for a family to get involved in reducing waste, such as Nike's sneaker recycling program?

Encourage your teen writers

Do you have a teenager who shows a gift for language or a talent for the written word? Unfortunately, many contests and publications are restricted to those who are 18+.

I found several links for teen writers, at the link below. Have not had the chance to explore them all, but here you go:

http://www.bettendorflibrary.com/teen/writers.htm

Halloween costumes for only $7.50!

Kidsstuff.com is having a 25% off sale on their entire stock of Halloween costumes. On top of that, they have a few Halloween costumes on sale for only $7.50 each. Even with shipping, that's a steal.

Carve a pumpkin, win a prize from Snapfish

Fun family activity idea!

Carve a pumpkin with a wild animal design using their free stencils, then upload your photos to Snapfish for a chance to win prizes from Snapfish, HP & World Wildlife Fund.

http://www.snapfish.com/halloweenideas/otsc=YES/otsi=2007_10_fishfood

Ask A Toddler How To Throw A Tantrum

Received this video as part of the recent e-newsletter of Mommies Magazine. (Link for Mommies Magazine provided at left.)

It is a video of a toddler telling us the ideal elements to include in a tantrum.

Tell us what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLKukwm9ODo

Halloween Kids Craft Ideas: Craft Stick and Craft Spoon Mummies

Family Fun has a really easy idea for a Halloween craft that is super-adaptable to the materials you have available. I think it would be appropriate for elementary students, or even for some light-hearted college kids.

I do not have craft spoons on hand, but I think that if children are just told to wrap more fabric around the head, they will. I also do not have googly eyes, but that is nothing a sharpie or a dab of fabric glue can't fix.

I also have no muslin on hand, but I do have old white t-shirts and a torn-up pillow case that should provide plenty of fabric.

A ghastly green fabric would be well-suited to this craft, as well.

If your chosen fabric is not not frayed to your liking, put it in a lingerie bag and run it through a light cycle on your washing machine and then through the dryer.

These very well may end up in goodie bags for my daughter's class by the end of the month.

Hope they bring fun to your family!

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11863&CMP=NL_Wkdr

Homework for parents that affects my CHILD's grade??

I think the idea of getting parents involved in school is a good idea. Have the child interview his father about what he thinks of the Franz Kafka piece. And the child write a paper. I AM involved, incredibly involved, in supplementing my child's education. I would be involved by saying, "What are you reading? Oh...what did you think? Why do you think that? Would you like to hear what I think?" That is how my brothers and I got into deep discussions about things like religion, history, even sleep disorders, and ways in which classical music is or is not related to modern rap.

To assume that a parent is not involved in the child's education just because they do not have the the ability to do literary analysis is a little uppity, isn't it?

It assumes that everyone has access to a computer. In theory, they do, but what of the disabled mother without a car who can not get to the public library? Or the father working two or three blue-collar jobs to support the kids because the mom died and he can't get to the hardware store to fix the hole in the wall, let alone to a computer?

What about the "have-nots?" We could not afford a computer back then. I did not own one until I bought one second-hand for $200 when I was 21 years old. I was scared of MS Word still. My mother still is. I type and format her resume. She still will not make purchases on the Internet, and barely uses or understands e-mail. I taught her how to do an Internet search less than 2 years ago.

My father had a sixth grade education. I wrote my own notes for school, and he signed them, with the home phone number, so teachers could call (which they usually did at the beginning of every year) to confirm that he was aware of the notes. At my high school, they were more sensitive and understanding about it than at the elitist middle school I had attended. Why?

Because their was a multicultural population. And the highest number of homes with parental illiteracy and/or without computers are those of racial and ethnic minorities. And those teachers were extremely understanding when I said, "He has me write everything for him. He can't spell or read very well." Most would just nod and accept the note when I was at that school.

Yet that high school has consistently been ranked one of the top 100 in the nation. Some of us had not lived with parents since age 13, 14, or 15. There were emancipated students.

My father worked 12 to 16 hours a day at manual labor. And MY grade would have suffered in this school in New York when (not if, when) he didn't weigh in on Franz Kafka, et al? MY grade??

Do you know what my dad would have said? "Franz Kafka? Who the he** is that? Frank Kahfa? What? I'm going to bed. I have to be up in 4 hours." And he had worked for years to support our family. He was involved in my education by making sure my report card looked good and giving me money at the end of each term to go shopping. He was involved by giving me a curfew, and not letting me accept calls after a certain time, and not allowing me to talk on the phone to more than three people a night for more than fifteen minutes at a stretch. I thought he was awful for it for years, but he was teaching me self-discipline, which makes all the difference in college. He was preparing me for some of the basics of adult life -- commitment, finding balance. THAT was his job as a parent. It was not his job to be on par with me intellectually. He was not called to be a scholar or a scribe. He was called to be a father, a husband, a laborer.

Many kids at my high school were fortunate to have lunch every day. A computer at home was still (and is still) a luxury and a novelty in many racio-ethnic circles. Because of finances.

I went to a magnet high school. Many of our assignments were very high brow because we were being groomed, many of us, for Ivy League education. I was reading above my parents' heads by third grade. But no one ever assumed that my parents' education was on par with my own. Or that our parents had the same resources for learning disabilities, or even choices between picking berries or manual labor or a waitressing job or a chicken coop, by 12 years old.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/education/04homework.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1191772889-MPlMV7v3r+XO75BbypPLsQ&oref=slogin

College students are targeted for credit card companies

You know, it's not just at/around schools either. It's at job fairs. It's at sporting events. College students are not understanding that they're getting hard inquiries on their credit reports and putting a big "I'm irresponsible with money" flag on their credit, which will haunt them long after college graduation. All for a free t-shirt!

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/CreditCardSmarts/ConfessionsOfACreditCardPusher.aspx?GT1=10521

Does anyone have a college credit card debt nightmare they are willing to share? How do you feel about the (sneaky?) marketing tactics of credit card companies when it comes to newly launched young adults?

Easy Halloween Craft Idea for Kids - Glitter glue spider web window clings

Supplies:

white glue (will not work with glue sticks; not sure on gel glue)
glitter
waxed paper

Instructions:

On the waxy side of the wax paper, allow child to "draw" a spider web of his or her own design. Then he or she sprinkles glitter over the web. Allow to dry. Depending on the amount of glue used, the web may take as much as 72 hours to dry. Peel off of the paper carefully and affix to mirrors or windows (on the shady side of the house!)

Peel off. What does not come off will wash off with dishsoap and warm water. (Tip: Ivory cleans glass to a streak-free shine!)

For a variation, you could also use several containers of white glue (come on, it's 2 for $1!) and dye them with food coloring, and have a rainbow of spider webs. I have not actually tried this idea - it just now popped into my head - so I can not give an idea of the cleanup with the food coloring.

Natural Diaper Rash Remedies

My son is recovering from a severe diaper rash that hit hard and fast about a month ago. They are still not entirely sure of its origin, although staph is considered a possible culprit.

The doc prescribed a cream to help, but she also suggested that we use cornstarch instead of baby powder to prevent diaper rash from recurring in the future, and to treat the pinpoint rash bumps when they do appear. Which they might, since he seems to have sensitive skin.

Fortunately, I already knew about cornstarch. It was what I used on my daughter, since most baby powder contains talc, which coats the lungs if inhaled.

The aging hippie doc was surprised to hear my S.O. say I already did that. It was a shining mommy moment.

The OTC creams specifically designed for diaper rash never worked for my daughter, although many other people have been incredibly satisfied with their chosen brand of baby bottom cream.

My other favorite bumpy baby bottom preventives and treatments are:

olive oil
petroleum jelly
air
non-alcohol baby wipes (homemade, or if purchased, usually true of “sensitive skin” wipes)

Nothing clears up a diaper rash faster than exposing it to the curing effects of open air. And nothing prevents it better than changing diapers as soon as they are wet or soiled. (Sometimes, as in our son's case, some freak thing occurs and not even frequent changing makes a diff).

Also, an interesting fact: most diaper rash, the regular, pinpoint kind (not the raw, purple, bleeding kind, which requires prompt medical attention), is caused by yeast that has been sitting on the skin in a moist environment. A woman’s yeast infection cream, applied like diaper rash ointment, clears up the problem in 2-3 days, if not a matter of hours.

Untreated, a regular diaper rash (the tiny pink dots) will run its course anywhere from a matter of days to about three weeks.

Are there any diaper rash treatments or tips or ways of preventing it that I have missed? Please share!

Redbook Hot Mamas Contest

In February 2007, I made it into Redbook's Hot Mamas Hall of Fame.

Many thanks to those who voted for me all five rounds in order to get me there! There must have been a lot of you, because when you Google Redbook Hot Mamas, February 2007 is the second listing. It's the first on msn and altavista.

Just thought that was a neat little self-esteem boosting tidbit to share, even if it is old news, especially in the cyber-world. If you visit Redbook, nominate yourself or another Hot Mama you know. C'mon, you deserve it!

Off to wrap up this semester of Spanish 1. So I can be an educated mama.

February 2007 Hot Mamas:
http://www.redbookmag.com/love/hot/hm-hall-of-fame/

My Hot Mamas entry, direct link:
http://www.redbookmag.com/love/hot/hot-mamas-hof2

Happy Baby Killing Day, Love, Columbus

Perhaps, as a Native American myself, I get a wee bit touchy on Columbus Day. My family never celebrated it. I remember, even as a young child, hearing the whisperings and grumblings of the family every October. By fourth grade, I was a grumbler myself. What, pray tell, are we celebrating on Columbus Day? A greedy, violent, baby-killer's bumping into Cuba? Celebrating Columbus Day is akin to celebrating Hitler Day.

I have included a link to a video about the true history of Columbus, for your perusal.

What are we teaching our children to value when we celebrate a person like Columbus?

http://www.youtube.com/v/2wm0EvTk8o4

Ragu's Back-To-School Sweepstakes

Through November 15, 2007, Ragu is having a back-to-school sweepstakes. Prizes include kitchen gadgets and a grand prize of a coaching session with a family nutritionist.

http://www.ragu.com/school_sweepstakes.asp

Can a turtle breathe with its butt?

Most of us have been subjected to forwarded e-mails. In general, I delete them unopened, but I opened one once that contained the little tidbit that turtles can breathe through their butts.

Soon after, my daughter and I were out with the friend of mine who had sent the e-mail in question, and she was playing with a turtle finger puppet that only sticks its head out when you insert a long-enough finger into the area under its tail. Said construction did not occur to me to be slightly obscene at the time of purchase.

"Careful," he warned. "That turtle might need to breathe." Then he relayed the information to my confused and incredulous four-year-old.

A hesitant search of the Internet revealed this fact: There is, in fact, a species of turtle with this incredible adaptation of its anatomy. Apparently dragonfly nymphs and sea cucumbers can do it too!

Although there are certain humans who seem to have the special talent to speak out of this part of their anatomy, only aquatic creatures that sometimes need to intake oxygen underwater without the use of lungs possess the ability to intake and/or expel air through their nether regions.

Yes, Virginia, some turtles do breathe with their butts.

The Right Age for a Sleepover

My daughter was invited to her first sleepover next weekend. I have midterms, so it is impossible for me to spend the night with her. To tell the truth, the thought of spending 3 o'clock on a Saturday to sometime Sunday morning with a gaggle of six-year-old girls makes my spine ache.

It also caused a fearful tightening in my chest. Is six a little young for overnights? I am sure some of this depends on how well you know the host parents (we have only met once) and on your child's individual level of independence.

My daughter is capable of spending a night away from home. She has to do just that every other weekend. But sleepovers are a different situation entirely.

In your opinion, what is the "right" age for overnights? When did your children start attending sleepovers, or when will you allow them to start attending sleepovers? Are the "rules" different for boys and girls? Should they be?

Should children have cell phones?

I admit it. I am a bit of a techno-phobe. I am a "digital immigrant." I migrated to the wild world of the Web. Unlike my child, I was not born to it. In fact, at the moment, I do not have an active cell phone. I tried, I really did, but right now, it serves as an overpriced alarm clock.

On one hand, it seems like conspicuous consumption for a child to have a cell phone. On the other, a five-year-old was just abducted from her front yard in our neighborhood, then sexually assaulted -- in a quiet burb that seems to shout "American Dream."


Could one of the cell phones designed especially for children have helped in a case like this?

Would one of the new Amber watches have sufficed?


Also, it would certainly be handy for my ex-husband to call my child directly so he would resume daily contact with her, or so she could call him with just the push of a button. He would rather pay for half of the cost of a phone and half the monthly service bill than risk hearing my voice on so much as the answering machine.

I have included the URL for an article on msn.com about the issue of cell phones for kids.

What do you think? Should children have cell phones? How young is too young?

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Departments/Elementary/?article=WhentogetCellPhone&gt1=10488

One Step Ahead and Leaps and Bounds

One Step Ahead offers a wide range of innovative children’s and infants products at reasonable prices. There are also several products that they distribute exclusively. For the 3 and above set, you can purchase from their Leaps and Bounds catalog. And here’s another deal…when you order products from both catalogs, you still only pay one shipping charge.

The current deal is that you can save $10 on orders of $75 or more IF your order includes a Halloween costume.

I do not know if the coupon code is still good, and I doubt offers can be combined, but when I checked about three weeks ago, you could receive 10% off a purchase of $50 or more by entering the coupon code FABSAVE at checkout with online purchases only. It's old news, but I'm including it anyway. Couldn't hurt. Might help.

Babies R Us has a great deal on shoes for toddlers

Babies R Us is offering their entire stock of Koala Kids corduroy shoes at 2 pair for $12, in toddler sizes 2 to 6. Some sizes are available up to size 8. Available through October 14.

These shoes are a Babies R Us exclusive, and the deal is only available in-store. These are solid shoes in a broad variety of designs that are age-appropriate in style and free of cartoon images. (Yay!) They come with choices of Velcro, shoelaces, and zippered closures. These normally retail for around $9 per pair, so it is like buying two pair of shoes and getting one free.

Weigh in on the Child Harness Trend

Most child harnesses just seem cruel. Visually, they are one step above walking a Chihuahua . Now that I have two young children instead of just one, child harnesses seem safe and practical, especially the Blue Ridge Grow With Me Purse or Backpack with Harness.

The over-the-shoulder toddler-sized purse in two-tone pink sports white concentric circles and a flower on the flap. The backpack looks sporty in orange, blue, and lime green, and features a mesh sippy-cup holder with elastic grip.

The waist tether, which comes in pink and blue, respectively, is removable and adjustable.

The Grow With Me Harness is available in the current Babies R Us catalog for just $14.95. (Although the catalog indicates this item is available online, I have been unable to locate it on the website). For no more than the cost of a regular shoulder and chest harness, you can keep track of young children at the mall or the fair without trapping them in strollers (and possibly forgo a diaper bag, if you pack just a diaper and wipes).

My daughter wants the harness at Target that looks like a puppy ($9.99). She said that since I will not allow her to have a dog, I can take her and her brother for walks on their new leashes. "It will be just like walking puppies!" They also have a bear. The fair just came through our town, and I hear tell of a monkey harness for the same price at Wal-Mart that appears to be all the rage.

And yes, I have a humor piece on Imperfect Parent.com, which you can link to at left, called "Stick a Fork In It," which includes my tongue-in-cheek impression of the child harness trend. Shameless plug over...

Child harnesses...hip and happenin' or heinous?

Boundaries and Privacy in Step-Families

My daughter (who was five at the time) is a product of attachment parenting and sharing a one-bedroom apartment with a single mom. Now that we share a home with my boyfriend and his son, the idea of a bedroom’s being private space is coming slowly to her.

Recently, I was occupied with her little brother (pseudo-sibling? brother-to-be?), so she went to tell his dad that she was hungry. My boyfriend had just started removing pajama pants and his boxers when she popped open our bedroom door and chirped, “I want a wiener!”

Naturally, he was horrified. He is an introvert by nature, and should he ever Google this post, I am in hot water. Boiling in a cauldron, perhaps.

(Beware the witchy references...I am reading The Witches, by Roald Dahl, to my daughter, in honor of Halloween and Banned Books Month. A chapter a night fills a first grader with fright!)

Naturally, I laughed until I nearly peed. Then we had a talk about knocking. I also try to remember to knock before entering her room, as well. Hey, fair is fair.

What seemed completely unfair to her was that the son of my S.O. (heretofore used instead of "significant other") was in the bedroom with his father. I decided to K.I.S.S. --Keep It Simple, Stupid. I figured elaborating or sugar-coating would be ineffective.

"Why does G get to be in there with him?" She asked. **insert pout here**

"Because," I said, "He has a penis."

What do you think? Was I too blunt? How do you handle issues of privacy and boundaries? Should the approach vary for different age groups? Should this issue be handled differently in mixed families than in biological families?