Parenting Children

My kids are now at a age where every little tiny mark on their body warrants a bandage. This is not only annoying but time consuming, I just have to keep telling myself it is just a phase.
I don’t know how they are ever going to get out of this phase with our new Ouchies bandages!

Ouchies came about when the founder couldn’t find any cool bandages for his five year old daughter, so he made some!
Ouchies has a great line for girls, boys and a make your own bandage that comes with blank bandages and markers! How cool is that?

The girl Ouchies include cupcakes, pink camo, hearts/tic tac toe, Hawaiian dolphin and tattoo heart with wings that says “Girls Rule”.
The boy Ouchies include fire, blue/green camo, skull and cross bones, dragon and surfing wave. They are a step up from Spiderman band aids!

These bandages really stay on too, they are not like some bandages that fall off 10 minutes after you put them on.

Buy It: Ouchies are available at retailers nationwide.

Win It: Ouchies is offering one lucky Parenting Our Children reader an Ouchies Gift Pack which includes a boy pack, a girl pack and a make your own pack!
To enter, visit Ouchies website and then come back here and tell me which Ouchies bandages your kids would like best.

Additional Entries: (Please leave a separate comment for each)

1. Become a Fan of Ouchies on facebook

2. Follow me on Twitter and “Tweet” about this giveaway.

3. Grab my button and add it to your site.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.parentingourchildren.com"></p> <p><img border="0" alt="Parenting our Children" src="http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg42/TheTrendyMommySpot/Parenting_Children_Button_3.png"/></a>

4. Subscribe to this blog.

5. Add me to you Technorati favorites.

Contest will end 7/1409 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be chosen via random.org
US only!

I love Mom Central and have been working with them for over a year now. The site is filled with great articles, info and I adore their gift guides. Filled with great gift ideas or new gadgets, this is one to check out!

In honor of Father’s Day, Mom Central has just posted its favorite gifts for Dad in their new Gift Guide! From DVDs and custom steak brands to a seven-person domed tent, a digital camera and imported beer steins, there is something for every father and grandfather. And the gift ideas are organized by price, so you can browse and still stay within your budget. The gift guide can be found at: http://www.momcentral.com/giftguide/fathersday/.

Also, Mom Central is having a new giveaway every day for dads now through June 18th! Prizes include barbeque accessories, a Jeep tent built for 7 people, CDs, DVDs, books, razors, and much more. Check here for a link to the daily giveaways: http://www.momcentral.com/reviews/fathers-day-giveaways.html.

On Mom Central’s gift guide, you’re sure to find a great idea for the men in your life for Father’s Day. Or maybe you will be lucky enough to win a gift!

mom central, mom central father’s day gift guide, gift ideas for Dad, Father’s Day, dads, giveaways, parenting our children, gift guides

Everyone wants to be more environmentally friendly. In our house we try and buy local and organic, use energy star rated appliances and recycle. Now Post Its are doing there part as well. Post its recycled notes are made from recycled materials that contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer and are available in a variety of stylish colors including tropical tones and natures hues.

Post-it Super Sticky Recycled Notes

• Made with 30% post-consumer content
All Post-it® Notes are made with paper from
well-managed forests where trees are replenished.
• Perfect for vertical and hard-to-stick surfaces
• Rich nature inspired color palette—choose from vibrant Tropical
Colors or soothing Nature’s Hues
• 90 sheets per pad
• Available in 3×3, 4×4 and 4×6 inch pads; lined and unlined

3M is a company committed to sustainability. This isn’t a new initiative or a recently introduced strategy. For more than 30 years, it’s the way we’ve done business. All Post-it Notes and Easel Pads are made with paper from well-managed forests where trees are replanted. 3M’s commitment is to actively contribute to sustainable development through environmental protection, social responsibility and economic progress.

Interesting facts about recycling Post-It Notes:

* All Post-it® Notes can be recycled. Any recycler that accepts mixed paper can remove the adhesive—making the Note 100% recyclable!
* Your Post-it® Note may have been used before! Paper can be recycled five to seven times before the fibers become unusable for creating new paper
* Recycled paper can be used to make all kinds of unexpected products, including globes, masking tape, lamp shades and car insulation.
These are super sticky and perfect for homework projects, notes for a lunchbox or grocery lists! Want to try them out for yourself?

You get a chance to win a set of recycled notes!
For your first entry, go to the Post-it website, and tell me another product you would like to try! Come back and tell me in a comment.

Leave a comment for every extra entry.
Giveaway ends June 16 2009 at midnight EST.
Open to US residents only.

Post-Its, Post-Its Recycled Notes, giveaway, contests

Thank you everyone for entering the Mother’s Day Book giveaway! The three winners from random.org are: #44 Crystal P, #46 Lianna and #29 Wanda.
You should all be receiving an email shortly.

I still have two contests running that end today so if you didn’t win these great books you can enter to win a set of 2 BioGreen BPA free bottles or a $237.50 organic Natura crib/toddler bedding set!

Hurry they end today!
Check back to Parenting Children and Reviewing Baby Gear evey day for more great reviews, giveaways and tips!

I need a vacation.
Really, what Mom doesn’t need a getaway, a chance to take care of herself before others? It is no secret my family has had a rough year and a half. My husband lost his job when I was 5 months pregnant with our third child and with it went his company car, and our helath insurance. We almost lost everything we owned.

Instead we decided to move to a new state, four hours away from all of our family and friends so he could start a new job in a new industry. Hopefully it will all work out in the end, but it has been a struggle. I stayed In NJ with our three kids for 6 months while my husband worked in another state. I was alone and the sole caregiver. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.

Money is tight for most everyone, I understand that.
A vacation away fro a couple of days with my friends sounds like heaven to me. In the six + years I have been a Mom I have never been away from my kids, never spent more than a couple of hours for dinner, away from them besides when I was in the hospital giving birth.
I think it is time. I think I deserve it.
Do I deserve it more than any other hardworking Mom out there acting as chef, carpooler, maid and nurse?
I think we all deserve a vacation, time with our friends once in awhile. My best friends, have been my friends since high school and we all have kids and husbands and are busy with our lives, it would be great to go away together, relax and just be friends and not moms.

This post brought to you by ME for Uptake as entry into their awesome spa getaway contest!

spa getaway, friends, being a mom, moms

I did sleep train my baby at 10 weeks old. We got the hang of it and did great. Now that he is thirteen months old we have to start all over again. He is dealing with extreme separation anxiety and is very clingy and hard to put to sleep. I don’t want to make the mistake of having him depend on us to fall asleep. I know too many parents that still have to rock, nurse or drive their children around in cars so they will fall asleep. But the question is “how do you sleep train a child?”

The goal is to have your child fall asleep by herself in her crib, but how you get to that point is up to you. You can start out by putting your child to bed and checking on them every once in awhile. Better yet, you can use your baby monitor to watch your baby. If your baby cries go in a reassure him that you are there, but don’t pick him up. Rub his back, comfort without holding and rocking him to sleep. Reassure them and leave again. I know it is hard and you just want the crying to stop, but I promise you are comforting and teaching them to soothe themselves at the same time. Within three to five nights, you’re bound to see a dramatic improvement in the bedtime routine.

OR you can go an alternative route: for three nights, you can sit next to the crib until your baby falls asleep, then three nights across the room, then in the doorway, and then in the hallway.

When you check on your baby, it’s better do it consistently, rather than waiting until they really start crying. If the baby cries in the night, respond to it. In two weeks you will have a baby that can fall asleep on their own.

infants, sleep training, bedtime, bedtime routines, parenting, kids, toddlers, putting baby to bed, bedtime, bedtime routine

When we told the children we had to move from New Jersey to New Hampshire because that is where my husband had a job waiting for him, they were not thrilled. The first thing they asked us is if we can take their play set. They both cried when we said we could not take the swingeset with us, but we told them we would get a new one as soon as we can.

Here we are months later, springtime in NH and no play set yet. We can’t afford to buy one yet but we are researching them and we want something that will entertain our 6 year old twins as well as our 1 year old baby. When I saw this post on Dad Blogs, I think I have found the play set I want to get for my kids.
Kid’s Creations have quality redwood playsets for kids. They seem very well made and safe for children which is the most important thing to look for in a swing set of any kind. Plus they have 100% satisfaction guarantee, a 30-day money-back guarantee and a LIFETIME warranty! I also love that you can design your very own swingset with what you want and need.

I know my kids loved their playset and spent hours out there playing with it. I do feel bad we do not have the money now to get them one, the weather is just starting to get nice and they are spending more time outside. When we are able to get them one though, I know they will love it.

play sets, swing sets, outdoor fun, kids, children, parenting, parenting children, springtime, swingsets for kids

When I was very young my mother worked part time in retail. One night she came home and warned us to be very careful on escalators. That night she had seen a boy get his sneaker caught in the teeth of the escalator and it took a very long time to free him and his poor toes and he was hurt pretty badly.
I am still aware of that story as I teach my children how to use the escalator.

Apparently if you wear the popular shoe Crocs, your chance of getting your shoe caught in the escalator is elevated. In the past couple of years “shoe entrapments” have happened all over the world. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said escalator accidents caused more than 10,000 injuries last year, but there is very few records of specific shoe problems. Now some subway stations and some stores are warning you to be careful on escalators if you are wearing soft sole shoes.

In recent statements, the Crocs company claimed that “Crocs shoes are completely safe,” and went on to point out that escalators that have not received proper care and maintenance pose a risk to their riders.
It is not just Crocs some imitation Crocs type shoes ahve bene involved in accidents as well.

Have you heard of these escalator/shoe problems before? My daughter loves Crocs so I will still let her wear them wherever we go, but I will be sure to take the elevator!

escalator injuries, crocs, dangerous kid’s shoes, kid’s shoes, children’s safety, escalators, parenting, kids

The five winners of My Little Red Book are:

Billie
Jessica C.
Erin
emilie and
Amanda

Congratulations ladies and look for an email from me!
Keep reading Parenting Children and Reviewing Baby Gear for more great reviews, giveaways and articles!

I am sure you all have heard the stories of Rihanna getting beat up by her boyfriend Chris Brown. I am sure some of you have even seen the photos to prove this wasn’t a little slap she was given- this was a beat down. Now the reports are that Rhianna and Chris Brown are “reconciling” in Florida at Sean Comb’s house.
I cannot fathom going back to an abuser, even though I know statistically it happens all the time- but what do we tell our teenage daughters?
How do we explain that it is literally a one strike rule?

Rihanna and Chris Brown have a huge fan base and teenagers love them. They look up to them, they see things that go on in star’s lives and think they want to have that life, they want what they have. We know that teenage dating abuse is common already, is Rhianna sending the message that it is okay to stay?

Sixty-nine percent of teens who had sex by age 14 reported some type of abuse in a relationship, with slightly more than one-third saying they had been physically abused, according to the survey, conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited. One in five 13- or 14-year-olds in relationships say they know friends who have been “struck in anger” by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Sixty-two percent have friends who have been called stupid, worthless or ugly by their dates.

We need to teach our daughters that they are not worthless, and they should never be treated like they are- by anyone, with our actions in addition to our words. We need to tell our sons, as well as our daughters, it is not okay to hit anyone and that name calling IS abuse. We need to not let our children see us be hit- or abused in anyway.
We as mothers, as women, need to end the cycle of abuse.
We need to tell then that Rihanna made the wrong decision and she will regret it someday.

What do you think of this relationship?

abusive relationships, teens, tweens, teen dating, abusive teenage relationships, Rihanna, Chris Brown, parenting, parenting teenagers, parenting teens, ending teenage abuse, teenage dating abuse

Wondering what else you can do to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your family or make it more special for your children? Looking for something cheap or free to do to celebrate with your kids?
You can make it more then just a Hallmark holiday. Here are some ideas for some Valentine’s fun for everyone:

-Wear all red or pink. Dress everyone in head to toe in the colors of love.

-Eat only red foods! Spaghetti and sauce, tomatoes, red velvet cake, apples, tomato soup, pomegranates, red peppers with dip, shirley temples and champagne with grenadine, etc

-Write love notes on napkins. Write little notes about how much you love your child or your spouse and send them off to school or work with them, or put them around the dinner table.

-Eat by candlelight. You can have a nice special dinner with your whole family, not just your husband.

-Eat only finger foods. Tea sandwiches, crudite, mini quiche, shrimp cocktail or mini burgers. Melt some chocolate for dessert and have everyone dip in their favorite fruits like strawberries, pineapple or grapes, marshmallows, graham crackers or even their fingers in!

-Make rice krispie treats for your kids but use strawberry marshmallows instead of plain ones, so they will be pink!

-Give everyone Valentines tattoos.

What ever you do, know that just being with yoru child and interacting with him is what is special about this day.

Happy Valentines Day!

Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day crafts, indoor fun, indoor activities for kids, parenting, children, parenting children, kids, Valentines

When I was pregnant my second time around, I really wanted a VBAC. Given the risks of a VBAC, I decided with my doctor to proceed with a vaginal birth only if I went into labor on my own before 40 weeks, otherwise i would have another C-section. Of course, I did not go into labor and had my second C-section.
Now there is a new Canadian study out that says measuring the thickness of the uterine scar from a cesarean delivery can help physicians predict which women may safely try to have a vaginal delivery.

The issue is that repeat cesarean deliveries is risky because the delivery of a baby by C-section has been linked to higher rates of complications for both the mother and the baby. Although the C-section rates have been climbing in the United States and everywhere else. In 2006, about a third of births were by cesarean, with 1.3 million cesarean births and almost 3 million vaginal deliveries!

The thicker the scar is, the stronger the scar is, and the smaller the chance of rupture,” said Dr. Emmanuel Bujold, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Laval in Quebec, Canada. The measurement of the scar would be done by ultrasound, which worries me because there is a much room for error in any ultrasound.
The other risk factors in uterine rupture are having your labor induced and going past forty weeks in your pregnancy.

pregnancy, VBAC, cesarean, cesarean deliveries, risks for VBAC, childbirth, going into labor, uterine scars

Hearing about all the fires lately has made me worry. Every year I hear about at least one local family that has lost everything. There is definitely an increased risk of fire during the holidays. Decorations that are all over the house, candles around the house, dry Christmas trees with lights on them, lights on trees and bushes outside, ect.
According to the US Fire administration, there are about 47,000 household fires during the holiday season each year!

I was excited to learn about the new Be Fire Smart program and website put out by Liberty Mutual.
At www.BeFireSmart.com you will have access to information on preventing fires, creating a fire escape plan, how to talk about fire safety with children and much more.
The site is easy to navigate and offers sections for parents, teachers and even has games and print outs for children.

Inform yourself how to stay safe this holiday season and beyond! Teach your children the facts about fire safety, holiday fire hazards and how to keep him or her safe at home and away from home.

[tags[ Liberty Mutual, Be Fire Smart program, children, Christmas lights, fire hazards, holiday safety, keeping kids safe, fire risks, parenting, parenting children [/tags]

Here is a complete listing of all the Christmas specials on television from today until Christmas day:

December 12

Frosty the Snowman – CBS, 8 p.m.
Frosty Returns – CBS, 8:30 p.m.
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas – ABC Family, 8 p.m.
December 13
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas – ABC Family, 8 p.m.
The Little Drummer Boy - ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
Jack Frost - ABC Family, 1:00 p.m.
Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July - ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland - ABC Family, 4:30 p.m.
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year - ABC Family, 5:00 p.m.
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town - ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
Olive, the Other Reindeer - Cartoon Network, 6:00 p.m.
The Year without a Santa Claus - ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
It’s A Wonderful Life – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas - ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.

December 14
Elf – USA, 3:00 p.m.

December 15
Rudolph & the Island of Misfit Toys - ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
Elf – USA, 7:00 p.m.
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
A Christmas Carol – AMC, 8:00 p.m. and 12:45 a.m.
Prancer – AMC, 10:15 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.

December 16
Mickey’s Christmas Carol - ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
A Charlie Brown Christmas – ABC, 8 p.m.

December 17
A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Cartoon Network, 8:00 p.m.

December 18
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey - ABC Family, 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Christmas in Washington – TNT, 8 and 11 p.m.

December 19
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas - ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
The Santa Clause 2 - ABC Family, 8:00 and 10 p.m.

December 20
A Very Brady Christmas - ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
The Bells of St. Mary’s – TCM, 2:30 p.m.
Scrooge – TCM, 6:00 p.m.
Elf – CBS, 8:00 p.m.

December 21
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year - ABC Family, 7:30 a.m.
Rudolph & the Island of Misfit Toys - ABC Family, 8:30 a.m.
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town - ABC Family, 10:00 a.m.
The Year without a Santa Claus - ABC Family, 11:00 a.m.
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas - ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
Olive, the Other Reindeer - Cartoon Network, 4:30 p.m.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Cartoon Network, 8:30 p.m.

December 22
The Polar Express - ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
Shrek the Halls – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
Greatest Holiday Moments: Hilarious Home Video Countdown – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
The Polar Express - ABC Family, 8:30 p.m.

December 23
Scrooge – TCM, 12:30 p.m.
White Christmas - ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
The 10th Annual A Home for the Holidays with Faith Hill – CBS, 8:00 p.m.
White Christmas - ABC Family, 9:00 p.m.

December 24
A Christmas Carol – TCM, 6:15 a.m.
Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July - ABC Family, 1:00 p.m.
Frosty’s Winder Wonderland - ABC Family, 3:00 p.m.
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year - ABC Family, 4:00 p.m.
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town - ABC Family, 5:00 p.m.
The Year without a Santa Claus - ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
The Santa Clause 3 Marathon - Starz Kids & Family, 6:00 p.m.
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas - ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Cartoon Network, 7:00 p.m.
Miracle on 34th Street - HBO Family, 7:00 p.m.
It’s A Wonderful Life – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey- ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
A Christmas Story – TBS, marathon begins at 8 p.m.

December 25
A Christmas Story TBS, marathon continues
Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade - ABC
White Christmas - ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.

Christmas, Kid’s tv shows, Christmas specials, christmas TV, parenting, holiday shows, holiday movies

Here in New Jersey it is very cold and we already went through one round of sniffles and small colds. I am trying to keep at least the baby’s toys clean and I gotta tell ya, it is not easy. I am now in the process of winterizing the kid’s rooms (hey if you can winterize your car, why can’t you winterize your house?) and get them ready for the long winter months.

I use a humidifier in all of the bedrooms. Sleeping with all the windows closed and the heat on all day and night makes my skin dry and my kid’s. Baby’s airways get dryer than adults, so keeping a humidifier or vaporizer on all the time the baby is in their room is a good idea. I like cool mist vaporizers as opposed to warm mist so small children do not get steam burns. Make sure to clean out whichever you use, according to the manufacturers instructions, so your baby breathes clean air.

Children with allergies get more colds so you can use a HEPA air purifier or clean those sheets and stuffed animals regularly. You can freeze your stuffed animals in a plastic bag to kill any dust mites and then wash well.
Vacuum well and often with a HEPA vacuum cleaner.

What do you do to keep your children’s rooms healthy in the winter months?

babies, kids, parenting, parenting children, colds, flu, keeping kids healthy, cold and flu season, nursery, infants, health, healthy kids