Fun Summer Activities for Your Kids

Summer time, summer time.

Summer as a season has its own advantages and people and families are excited about this time of the year. Everybody has a plan to accomplish and if you have a family, you certainly have plans of going somewhere or doing something with your family this summer time.

Traveling in summer time is one of the most popular activities and kids love it. There are numerous locations that you can travel to and visit. Some prefer to take a break from the heat of their environment and travel to cold places and spend summer there and some prefer to travel from their cold environment to warmer places. No matter what place you and your family choose to spend your summer time in, you need to consider taking the right measures for your travel. One great factor that you might want to consider is to travel light. No matter what sort of transportation you are using to reach your destination, traveling light can be a great advantage on your part. You will be able to carry your load everywhere you go. Make sure to choose the right items based on the environment that you and your family traveling to. Consider choosing the right spot so your kid or kids can enjoy a lot of activities such as swimming in the sea and skiing in cold mountains.

Aside from traveling and other sorts of activity to entertain your kids, kid’s summer activities can take place in your own house such as planting a garden. However, in some places, the weather can make it challenging to plant a garden so plant a garden with respect to your environment. Here are some plants you might want to consider growing: potato, tomato, cucumber, peas, carrot, turnip, sunflower, squash and etc. To learn about how to plant these plants in your backyard and what sort of environment is suitable for each plant, you can always conduct your research online.

Other kids’ activities that you might want to consider are watching any sports game or movies since these can be quite entertaining and fun. A car race can really keep them frozen in their chairs. Baseball games can make your kid jump in his chair from excitement and a sci-fi movie can help their imagination grow. For your child, anything can be entertaining as long as you provide enough guidance during the activities. One of the main things that kids love about these activities is the snack that you provide them with. So as long as you provide a tasty snack, you can expect that they will be on their good behavior and enjoy the activity at hand.

Aside from entertainment in summer time, reading a book can be a great activity to be introduced to your kid. So many parents tend to forget the joys of reading when they were young. However, if you just take the time to remember your own childhood, you might recall how somebody would read some stories for you while you would take a look at the pictures in the book and you will feel like you’re in a new different world. To lean more about kids’ activities this summer, you can surf the net for more ideas.

Working Moms, Are Your Children Eating Healthy?

Parenting is one of the greatest tasks that you will have to face in your lifetime. The task of being a mother is so demanding and consuming that for most women, it becomes their main career. However, if you are one of the many women who are trying to balance your job with being a mom then these new findings may interest you. A British study showed that a working mom can actually create an unhealthy environment for her children. According to the case studies, children who have full-time moms who stay at home are healthier than those whose mothers are working. This health discrepancy between children became most evident in the aspect of nutrition.

The fact is kids love to eat without giving any thought to nutrition. You’re not likely to see an eight-year-old choosing spinach over ice cream any day soon. When the mom is not around to provide food guidance then the child will simply devour anything he pleases—soft drinks loaded with sugar, bags of potato chips, candy bars, etc. Needless to say, unhealthy diet or food in the early ages can threaten the health of the child in future. And it’s not just the diet of the child that suffers. Lack of exercise is also rampant among kids who have working moms. They tend to use the computer and watch TV for longer periods of time. Unsurprisingly, they also spend less time walking to school.

It’s also not a surprise that working mothers have less time to spend with their children. Most of their days are dedicated to their jobs and we all know how tiresome working everyday can be. If you’re a working mom then you probably get home every day wanting nothing better than to take a few hours to rest. And the time you take to rest further subtracts from the time you spend with your child.

According to studies, almost more than half of the female population in the United States and United Kingdom join the work force shortly after giving birth. This study about working moms and kids’ nutrition is probably igniting an understandable outcry from working mothers everywhere. After all, with the current economic crisis, unemployment for men has grown more than it has for women. Because of this, many moms have no option left but to look and apply for a job in order to ensure the financial stability of their families. Unfortunately, there are many cases when the health of the family is overlooked.

So what can working moms do in order to maintain their job while maintaining the health of their kids? Organizing your time would be a great idea. No matter how tired you are when you get home, set aside an hour every day to spend time with your kids and be sure to teach them the importance of a healthy diet. If you don’t have time to prepare dinner, order take-out from a restaurant that serves healthy food. Enjoying outdoor exercises like a walk in the park or biking are also great ways to spend some quality time with your kids while ensuring exercise for everyone. If you have money to spare then hiring a maid would also be a great option. Be sure to train the maid to follow a healthy diet program when cooking for your kids. If you have other ideas how busy mommies can squeeze in healthy eating for their kids then be sure to share your thoughts!

New Mom Gift Idea – Timi and Leslie Diaper Bags

How can we resist the style of this adorable Timi and Leslie overnight diaper bag?

Made of quality leather, this fabulous diaper bag is loaded with accessories, all sporting a tasteful circus animal theme. Packed inside, you’ll discover a plethora of baby essentials including an insulated bottle tote, a detachable shoulder strap and a whole bunch of fobs to attach your keys too. Also, there’s a changing pad, a diaper mat, a wrist bag, a medicine case and a baby wipes bag. Other features that we like are the waterproof lining and the zip up bottom that opens up a big space to store baby clothes.

A celebrity favorite, this little number has been spotted sported by Kelly Ripa, Faith Hill, Cindy Crawford and many more.

We snagged ours from Baby Oliver Boutique for a bargain $85.95

Top 10 Popular Twins Baby Names in 2008

Choosing your baby’s name is not picnic. But choosing twins babies’ names is even more daunting.

A child’s name can be so significant in their identity, their personality, their popularity, etc.

With twins, it’s even more difficult. Do you name them similar names to celebrate the fact that they are twins or do you name them completely different names to underline their individuality? Well, the answers to these questions are completely subjective. But here is a list from the Social Security Administration on the Top Twins Baby Names for 2008. Now you can get a glimpse of what other people are doing.

Rank	Names	Number
1	Jacob, Joshua	69
2	Daniel, David	59
3	Jayden, Jordan	56
4	Ethan, Evan	50
5	Taylor, Tyler	43
6	Gabriella, Isabella	42
7	Isaac, Isaiah	40
8	Madison, Morgan	38
9	Elijah, Isaiah	36
10	Ella, Emma	35

Are Your Children TV Addicts?

Some days I wish my daughter WOULD WATCH TV all day!!! Does that make me a bad mother???? I try to FORCE her to watch TV – but no luck??? Am I the only one who has a child who won’t watch tv??? Even when I absolutely need her to?  I should be embarrassed to admit this but if you knew my daughter, you would understand. She epitomizes the energizer bunny.  She just doesn’t ever stop.  Most days I cant even cook her breakfast without witnessing the terror attacks on our cat with the laundry hamper (she traps the cat underneath it like a cage and tries to be “nice”),  the stampede on our 13 year old pitbull (Most days she tries to see how long she can stand on the poor dog while she flips around on the swivel chair–thank god our dog is docile), the destruction of every piece of furniture and wall in the house and soooo much more!!! She is out of control.

I feel like I have to pick my battles most days. If I dont, I end up SCREAMING at her all day and my vocabulary consitsts of  — NO, dont do that. DOnt do this! Stop it!!! Im warning You!!! Come here!!! NO NO NO!!! We dont eat crayons!!! NO NO NO, we dont take off our diapers!!! And so on and so on!!!

There are times I BEG her to watch TV!!! Just for 30 minutes! Doesn’t work! Go figure!

Anyway, this new study by the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, indicates that television may reduce speech in the home and, in turn, could hinder a young child’s language development.

Researchers at attached a small, business-card-size devices to 329 children from 2 months to 4 years old on random days each month during a two-year period to capture everything a child heard and said. They found that while the average adult speaks about 1,000 words an hour, that number goes down by 25 percent to 50 percent when a television set is on.

“This builds a pretty strong argument that television delays language development,” said Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “And the effects of learning words is not just about language development but also cognitive development.”

Christakis suggests eliminating TV for children under 2 years and limiting television time to two hours a day for older kids. He also said parents should keep the television off during meals, avoid using TV as a reward, keep TV out of the bedrooms and turn off the tube when a chosen program ends.

Now, this is coming from just one mother of a two year old, but I have not noticed any delay in her speech development from watching TV. In fact, I’ve noticed she picks up new words and songs. She can even sing her ABC’s now, count to 10 and sing the Barney Song. She knows a lot of other songs also that we didn’t teach her that she picked up from the Sprout channel – The Happy Birthday Song, Twinkle Twinkle and a bunch more! And she is 22 months old. She knows a lot of colors and other things they include in the shows and when we play together, her Dad an I reinforce those things as well. We read books, sing songs, count to 10, do puzzles, and pretend play but COME ON — how much of that can you do in a day???

Obviously, if you left your child in front of the TV all day and didnt interact with him/her at all, OBVIOUSLY, that would impair social skills and cognitive development. They learn from copying others around them and speech is best learned through real human interaction.

Have you ever tried to learn to speak another language through DVD’s and books??? Not so good right??? But what if you moved to that country and actually interacted with the natives??? Language skills and fluency jumped through the roof, right?? You pick up the meanings of sooo many more words and expression simply through observing and communicating with a human being. Things like that you can’t pick up from TV, a book or a class.  However, they can reinforce what you’ve learned through repetition and further practice on your own.

Children are the same way. They learn from actual real life communications with their parents and TV, books, etc. can reinforce that k nowledge. Leave them in front of the TV all day and you only get half the recipe.

I am not sure how these researchers came to the conclusion that children should not watch ANY TV at all.  In my humble opinion, everything in moderation can be useful, healthy and even further your child’s development.  But don’t take my word for it. I’m no certified scientist or child development researcher.

What do you do during the day with your children?? What kind of activies do you participate in? Do you let them watch TV??

The Mom Song (you already know the words!)

In honor of all you stay at home moms we had to share this hilarious ( or obnoxious video – you decide) about all the things we say (1000 times) in a day!
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A War on Pregnancy: Just Say No

By the last month of my last pregnancy I was out of my mind. I could NOT WAIT to return to my slim self. I was all about it – I would wear mini skirts, I was going to love doing 1000 crunches a day, I would look at my size 4 friends with envy at their cute clothes, the swiftness at which they could move, the sexy shoes and I was SOOO over being pregnant. I was ready to perform my own c-section most days. I wanted out of pregnancy-ville and I was going to bring sexy back. I …WAS…DONE.

And I was. I worked out, I got the new clothes, the smaller waist….I was back. Then I see one of my friend’s that is pregnant and I want to be pregnant again. I HATED being pregnant. What is it though about seeing a pregnant woman that makes you forget that fact and instead think “Hey I want to do that to!?!?” All of sudden I am blinded by how great it is NOT to have to suck in your stomach for pictures, and the allure of flowing shirts with empire waists, and I begin to hallucinate about how much I loved being pregnant. I start to think things like…It wasn’t so bad. (Yes, it was.) I loved being pregnant sometimes (no, I didn’t..EVER), It was fun watching my belly grow (I was horrified).

And the main problem is, a lot like most drug addicts I am by the wrong people. I am running with the wrong crowd. The pregnant crowd. As discussed my friends are now reproducing at an alarming  rate. Seriously, I am at the point that when someone calls me and says the words “Guess what?” I just have the auto reply of “Your pregnant.” Some of my friends have 3, 4 chidlren yet they go to a baby shower and I get the “I want another one….just one more” call.

I need to remind myself that these pregnancies create HUMAN BEINGS  – babies are not meant to be collected and traded like a sticker collection or beanie babies. After the pregnancy there is actually a BABY to take care of which we all know is fine and dandy (because of course one look at baby shoes and all logic is COMPLETELY GONE) but that BABY turns into a CHILD. And a CHILD needs to be feed, and educated, and it costs a million trillion dollars. And it is going to be a lot like the three other “models” I already have now.

In the 80s we launched a “War on Drugs”. We need to bring the war back but realize this drug is more powerful than crack, more tempting than heroine: Pregnancy is really an epidemic; It is the worst drug us suburban moms have seen since Ritalian. We need to stop hanging out with the wrong crowd ,(you know the pregnant people) and put down the ovulation sticks.

Step away from the preggos and Just say no.

Coach : It’s not meant to be wallpaper

There are some upper end brands we all know just by glancing seeing a single letter. The special “G” for Gucci, the for Fendi, the LV pattern for Louis etc. – these are all excellent examples of marketing done well. I have an item (or two) from these designers, I am not opposed to overpaying for a letter to be on something – I too am not above knowing I am getting totally ripped off and wanting the item anyway. I get it, I promise. We have all accepted that when you want to show people you’ve got some cash, you sport a letter or a symbol. Fine. But please ladies, please, these things are not meant to be body wrap or wall paper. Today as I rolled into my daughter’s ballet school I was nearly blinded by the letter C coming at me. One of the fellow mothers there looked like one of those trippy wall art things where if you stare at the series of random dots long enough they become a picture of something in 3D. Well I stared and stared but all I got was dizzy, and a sudden hatred for Coach. Listen, a wallet, a bag, a scarf, some loafers with a little “C” here or there – fantastic. Chic. Luxury. Discretely upper class. ALL FOUR OF THEM AT ONCE – trying waaaay to hard. Honestly her outfit was the fashion equivalent of pulling out her income statement. I didn’t say anything – we all know I am a total wimp in real life – but I really WANTED to say – “PLEASE STOP ABUSING THE ONE LETTER OF THE ALPHABET LADY, there are 25 other letters in the alphabet, and plenty of designers for each. Instead, I told her……. I loved her shoes.

248 Months Pregnant

I met someone today that is pregnant with a 4 1/2 year old. Okay well not quite but sometimes I think people really need to cut the cord. Today, at Avery’s swim class we were discussing the best nursery schools in the area and where we needed to send our future rocket scientists. (Of course because we all know the right nursery school is CRUCIAL to getting into Harvard Business School….sigh) Anyway, one mother (Bless her soul) turns to me and says, she is so nervous about sending her kid in the fall because she is yet to leave him. I thought she meant her two year old that was on her lap. Um….no…she was referring to her nearly 5 year old son. I nearly fell off my chair. Don’t get my wrong – my husband and I are not jetting off to any tropical islands and leaving our kids with the au pair, but for God’s sakes are you serious!? This kid is almost 5 years old and the mother hasn’t even left him for two hours!?? What?!! As I tried to swallow my (horror, confusion, disdain, etc.) for this weird clinginess, I began to ask some questions. I was like “Wow really, he hasn’t started school?” and she said (OMG GET THIS!!!) “Well he would have loved to but I just wasn’t ready yet…I mean I gave up my career to be home with him, so if I am going to be home he is too.” Okay, where do I begin with how scary this mentality is!?

I mean, really. You are punishing your kid because you decided to be a stay at home mom?! What kind of mother holds back her child in any capacity because it is best for their emotional needs? And I wonder how long does this rule stay in place? I mean when he is 17 will he be allowed to go out or is only allowed on dates when mommy can come? ou think I am kidding but could you imagine being this woman’s daughter in law. Scary.

All I could think of, as she went on and on about she knows she is going to cry her eyes out the first day of preschool (you know when he is 9 years old ), is the long road this poor little boy has ahead of him. Hasn’t she heard of the butterfly…you know if you love something let it go blah blah blah ?  Please, if I ever start pulling crap like this with my children, I want you to slap me. There is a reason why  kids are supposed to hang on to your ankles and not the other way around. It is pretty hard for a 35 lb kid to drag a 140 lb women…literally, and figuratively.

Mommy Boards: Not for the Average (Mama) Bear

Okay granted it may be confusing that these people intimidate me like they do but come on, let’s face it this blog is about laughing at myself. And frankly, it is all about HILARIOUS. It is written almost as a diary, and some gossip between us girlfriends. Hell, add a little face time, a few martinis and some Forever 21 clothing and this blog is a night out. But in searching for some basic recall information on a plastic peice of crap I bought for my child, I came accross these Mommy Board things. Am I a horrible mother becuase I would rather go for a pap smear that take and post pictures of my kids missing teeth or a “to do list for my weekend” or a “Max Funny”? I mean there are post counts next to members names and some of these people have some SERIOUS time on their hands. I mean 25,703 posts about your kids potty training tips, clothing sizes, and little “funny stories”?? (Note to self: Find these women, capitalize on their time and energy, take over the world.) So of course, I realize there is nothing wrong with them (Um there are a lot more of THEM then there are of me, so I have to be the loser here right?) and I am seeing this as my own shortcomings. What does any Type A yuppie mother with something to prove to herself (and the Mommy gods) do? I joined. I came up with a clever little name, I even used the letters of my kids names to be all cute (MOM POINTS!!). I was going to be like these women who were ALL ABOUT THE KIDS, I was in it, I tried to post and….NOTHING. Seriously, nothing. (I know right!? Here I have so much to say what happened?) I couldn’t do it. I felt like posting on that board was the proverbial taking pictures out of your wallet in a store and going “SEE?! SEE HOW CUTE MY KIDS ARE/WHAT A GREAT MOM I AM?” So I am sad to say friends, Mama2AMCT will be reserving her visits for the next time she buys more toxic toys for her kids….(I do love that recall section!)