Comic Relief
Just linking to this post, Seeking an activity the whole family can enjoy, preferably with a George Clooney tie-in, for no other reason than I thought it was hysterical in the kind of way that only parents can appreciate.
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![]() Thursday, March 18, 2010Comic ReliefJust linking to this post, Seeking an activity the whole family can enjoy, preferably with a George Clooney tie-in, for no other reason than I thought it was hysterical in the kind of way that only parents can appreciate. -- News Mom
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Labels: Family/Parenting, Media Wednesday, March 17, 2010A St. Patty's Day LunchThis morning my 3-year old very convincingly announced that she was wearing her pink gingerbread outfit to daycare today - St. Patrick's Day. "Look, Mom, this little candy twist has a stripe of green on it." Who can argue with that? Plus, I had to admire her conviction. So as I read my Facebook friends' comments today about making traditional Irish recipes (save my sister who is making Italian meatballs), I am enjoying a delicious St. Patty's Day lunch of grilled cheddar and "green" avocado sandwich. Taking a cue from my daughter, "Look, this little bit of my sandwich has a bit of green in it." It sure is delicious. Here's how I made it: 2 slices of sliced bakery sourdough bread 1/2 avocado 1 1/2 slices of English Cheddar cheese Spreadable butter Mush avocado on a slice of bread. Add cheese slices and top with 2nd slice of bread. Butter both sides. Pop in the toaster oven (or on a skillet). When one side browns, flip and repeat. Yum! --Cooking Mom
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Labels: Recipes, Seasons and Holidays FourDon't you wish you could go to work dressed like a ladybug just because you felt like it...without worrying that your co-workers would wonder if you really had finally lost it? -- Commuter Mom
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Labels: Creativity, Fashion Monday, March 15, 2010Lawn CareAt a recent visit to my parent’s house, I noticed that my mom had these cups and this book . When asked if she bought EVERYTHING suggested on the Mom to Mom blog, her response was “If it’s good!” Well Mom, this is something good. I’ve been trying to convince my parents to stop using chemical pesticides on their lawn for a while now. Perhaps I’ll have to move in with my Canadian grandparents to make my point. --Green Mom
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Labels: Going Green, Health and Wellness Friday, March 12, 2010Binoculars: More Crafts Using Recycled ObjectsMy three-year-old is in a playgroup and the other day, we hosted the group at our house. This falls into the category of things that I think everyone does but the moms at the playgroup (my friends) all voted this as something blog-worthy (because they thought I was a genius – ha ha) so here you go… I kid you not, at the playgroup, the kids were actually fighting over these crazy handmade binoculars. Of all the toys in our house this was the must-have, so if you have anyone going on a bird-watching trip or a safari, you better make these quickly. You will need:
--Crafty Mom
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Thursday, March 11, 2010Thank You Grocery Store ChefThank you. Thank you for this delicious "like homemade" chicken pot pie. Thank you for always having something quick and easy I can pick up on my way home for work. Thank you for helping me get dinner on the table by 6:30 despite walking in the door at 6:15. Thank you for giving me an extra 15 minutes to play "princess" rather than scrub pans. Thank you to all the other working moms and dads who have been saved by your culinary skills. I appreciate you. Sincerely, Cooking Mom
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Labels: Family/Parenting, Recipes, Work/Life Balance Wednesday, March 10, 2010Hey Baby, What Brings You to this Bar?Matt Gross, and his daughter Sasha, like a good bar -- and not just in Brooklyn. Here they visit one in San Francisco, California.
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Tuesday, March 9, 2010Brace YourselfThere’s no generic guidebook for parenting a special needs child, no one-size fits all formula for getting accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans. Because at the end of the day, combinations of challenges vary and the impact on children and their families is as unique as the kids themselves. So you try to keep your head afloat as you navigate the doctors’ appointments, the school systems, the medications. (Case in point, last week I triple-booked my daughter for three different appointments at three different doctors offices in three different towns. And I used to pride myself on how organized I was!)
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Labels: Family/Parenting, Special Needs Monday, March 8, 2010Bubble Painting
I love to experiment with new painting projects with my daughter. I recently went to a paint-your-own pottery studio and got to try bubble painting. So much fun! They set me up with a small plastic cup filled with a mixture of paint and water and a straw. Just like making bubbles with your milk, you blow into the paint mixture and it begins to bubble over. Once you get a good pile of bubbles you just touch your pottery to the bubbles and let them pop. I made the coolest picture frame for my daughter's room!
--Commuter Mom
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Labels: Creativity Friday, March 5, 2010How to Avoid Helicopter ParentingThere's been a lot written these days about "helicopter parenting" -- parents who hover over their children so closely and so long that their children never learn important life skills. Helicopter parents lodge roommate complaints for their college-aged kids, negotiate their children's salaries at their first real jobs, and simply can't let go. But none of the articles felt as valuable and instructional for me, as the parent of a 3-year-old, as Bella English's recent column in the Boston Globe. She reminds us about the simple life skills our parents taught us, and how we have no one to blame but ourselves when our kids, as young adults, don't know the basics of self-sufficiency. But, in her masterful fashion, English does it in the gentlest of ways. It inspired me to make a list of some of the life skills I never appreciated when I was learning them, but now value fully and need to make an effort to pass on to my own daughter. Here are just a few:
-- News Mom
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Labels: Family/Parenting Thursday, March 4, 2010Family Organization SystemI am constantly struggling with the best way to organize family stuff. Invitations, gift certificates, reminders from school and of course, exceptional artwork and spelling tests. Some things just can't be out of sight. With limited magnetic surfaces and a desire to keep my kitchen from looking clutter-free, I have yet to find the best solution. But I saw this via Little Green Notebook and I think I may give it a try next weekend. If anyone has any other ideas that have worked for their family, I would love to hear them. --Crafty Mom
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Labels: Creativity, Family/Parenting, Routine/Ritual Wednesday, March 3, 2010Crib Notes: Make MoviesDo you have a ton of digital photos that you never do anything with? Mark your calendar every six months to set aside time to make a digital slide show, movie, etc... with your photos. Most photo software comes with the built-in tools to do it yourself. You don’t need to buy anything special. By doing it twice a year, you’re not committing to more than you can fit into your schedule, but it’s also frequent enough that you won’t forget the “who, what, where” details you’ll want for captions.
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Labels: Crib Notes, Media Tuesday, March 2, 2010Audio Books for KidsMy daughter got a CD player (which she loves) for her birthday a few months ago. Since then, I have been on the hunt for great books on CD. Along the way, I have learned a few things. So, here is a list of what I have learned to look for in an audio book:
--Commuter Mom
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Labels: Language Development and Literacy, Media, Other Monday, March 1, 2010Pearly WhitesI was just made aware of a new requirement my state’s child care governing board has passed that states that any child care center or preschool setting that has children who stay more than 4 hours a day and who eat a meal there must brush their teeth at the center. The article states that inspections will be done by state officials to ensure the center or school is in compliance. What I would like the article to explain are the logistics. For instance, in my center, there is a bathroom with a sink between the two toddler classrooms and each classroom has a sink in it. However, there are no shelves or cabinets. Where does the state suggest the children keep their toothbrushes and tooth paste? Sure, they all have cubbies but if the other kids are like mine, they’ll be distracted by the brushes and want to play dentist all day. Also, if there are two teachers and 9 children who all eat lunch then need a diaper change and a nap at the same time, will the state pay for an extra teacher per classroom to stand by and help the children brush their teeth? What about the older infants that have teeth but are not in classrooms with child sized sinks? We were offered the opportunity to decline tooth brushing…which we did. Hopefully my son's teeth don't look like this forever. --Green Mom
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Labels: Child Care Insights and Issues, Family/Parenting, Health and Wellness Friday, February 26, 2010Easy Salt Dough Project for KidsWe made these cute Valentines for my daughter’s first grade class. I found them on the long thread blog. And while I’m at it, if you’re not checking both the long thread and Skip to my Lou regularly when you are looking for good kid crafts, you should be. Bookmark them now.
Then we painted them with acrylic paint and strung them on the twine. We did use acrylic paint and I think I’ve said this before but will repeat – acrylic paint is non-toxic but it is not washable in any way whatsoever. --Crafty Mom
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Labels: Creativity, Recipes, Seasons and Holidays Thursday, February 25, 2010The Snack TrapWhen my daughter was little, the snack trap was a handy contraption that allowed me to put organic, healthy treats in a bowl preventing Annie’s Bunnies from hopping all around the backseat of my car. Now that she is a preschooler the “snack trap” has a whole new definition. I recently read this article in the NY Times, Snack Time Never Ends, which asks and discusses the question – do our children snack too much? For someone who was on the “grazing” side of the best way to eat battle (3 meals per day or graze all day), it’s hard for me to admit that I have fallen into the snack trap described in the article. However, I found myself relating to the parents in the article. One parent mentions the “routine effect” by always allowing a snack after gymnastics class. Yup – done that. In fact, her ski lessons end with the whole group enjoying cookies and juice. As soon as the 2nd lesson, she started talking about cookies before the class was even half over. The funny thing is that she’ll ski for another hour after that snack so I give in. Plus, who doesn’t love a sweet treat after skiing? I indulge all the time. Another parent of two children admits to using snacks “to stave off tantrums, of course.” Yup – me again. Intuitively, I know that when my daughter doesn’t have a late-afternoon snack in the car ride home from daycare, she eats her dinner. She’ll even try her vegetables. But that whining and begging – I’ve been at work all day and would rather have a happy, peaceful drive. The nutritionist in the article says, “Parents who give in too many times may find that snacks are the culinary equivalent of letting your 2-year-old sleep in your bed.” You know what? My two-year old never slept in my bed. She might snack too much but at least I get a good night sleep. We, as parents, have to pick our battles. Mine is to allow the snacking but I’m going to be better about having healthier snacks on hand rather than sugar-loaded sweets. --Cooking Mom
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Labels: Child Care Insights and Issues, Family/Parenting, Health and Wellness Wednesday, February 24, 2010Choking Hazards: Hot Dogs and MoreThe American Academy of Pediatrics has recently come out with a recommendation that, to prevent choking, hot dogs should come with a warning label. The recommendation has received both praise and ridicule. Hot dogs, after all, are as American as baseball and apple pie, and a hot dog just isn't a hot dog if you tinker with it. On the other hand, hot dogs couldn't be a more perfect choking hazard for young children if they tried. And, of course, they are many children's favorite food. I think tips about cutting a hot dog lengthwise for young children makes sense, but I think all the brouhaha over hot dogs, while perhaps warranted, neglects the fact that at least a child choking on a hot dog is amenable to the Heimlich maneuver while many other choking hazards are much harder to dislodge. I know this in part because my daughter tends to choke easily, but never on a hot dog, grape or candy. She tends to choke on things like soft lettuce leaves, cooked spinach, non-crispy bacon, and peanut butter -- slippery, sticky and slimey foods that can pose an even more dangerous hazard because they can't be dislodged by normal means. I found this blog entry on US News & World Reports' Web site to be an excellent reference for all parents about all sorts of choking hazards.
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Labels: Health and Wellness, Media Tuesday, February 23, 2010Can I Point Something Out?My friend emailed me a point chart she created to help her daughter get going in the morning. I checked it out to see if there was anything that might work for my morning mayhem, but alas it seems my friend’s struggles are different from mine. Two hours later, she called to tell me the chart backfired – her daughter was so upset about it that she threw a huge tantrum and made the chart into a paper airplane. --Modern Mom
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Labels: Discipline, Family/Parenting Monday, February 22, 2010Traveling with a 4 Year OldWe recently went to MS for the weekend to celebrate my grandmother’s 90th birthday. On our way home, we ran into weather related flight delays – our 10 hour trip, door to door, turned into 17+ hours – we pulled into our driveway at 2:00 a.m.…with a 4 year old and no suitcase. My daughter is a pretty seasoned traveler, but she had been up extremely late the night before for the birthday party and after two meltdowns an hour after we arrived at the small (and I mean tiny) regional airport, I was worried we were in for a very long day. I was very pleasantly surprised. Believe me, I’m not particularly eager to spend another 9 hours in an airport with one gift shop, one restaurant, and one coffee shop (that sold us a moldy bagel), but it was kind of nice spending the day together – and she certainly brought some levity to the day. Here’s why it wasn’t so bad:
--Commuter Mom
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Labels: Children and Travel, Family/Parenting Friday, February 19, 2010Best Hot Chocolate Ever![]() Last night, I had the best cup of hot cocoa ever. It was served to me in a little blue tea cup and was made from an empty tin of Dutch cocoa and milk from a sippy cup. In fact it was so delicious, I cried after I finished it. My son, who has developmental delays, has struggled with pretend play. He usually chooses toys that play music and are easy to use—he loved everything my 7 month old got for Christmas. He does pretend to talk on the phone at times, but only with an actual phone or the remote. But last night, as my husband and I were reading both boys stories and catching up on the day, my son got up, walked over to his kitchen set and fixed me a cup of cocoa. I watched him take the cup, add the cocoa from the tin and add milk from his sippy cup. He then proudly walked over and said “Here Mama”. The thing is, I’m not sure that he’s ever actually seen anyone make cocoa. Having a child with special needs is a struggle some times, but when something like this happens, it makes all of the work totally worth it. --Green Mom
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Thursday, February 18, 2010Crib Notes: Healthy Snacks
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Labels: Crib Notes, Going Green, Health and Wellness, School Wednesday, February 17, 2010Tragedy at the Vancouver Winter OlympicsI love the Olympics. I love the pomp and the ceremony, and I can spend hours watching sports I know nothing about and athletes whose names are completely unfamiliar to me, so long as it’s under the auspices of those rings. And to top it off, my mother hails from Canada, giving these Vancouver games a little something extra for me to celebrate. So I was really looking forward to getting my 3-year-old daughter to watch a little bit of the opening ceremonies with me, that is until I saw the news flash that Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili had died that day during a training run. I know that some day my daughter will be able to understand and process tragic events in her own way, but, not knowing how Kumaritashvili’s death would be addressed during the opening ceremonies, I decided this was one of those times to be a protective mother, and we spent our evening with play-dough instead of turning on the TV. As it turns out, it was a good decision. The Olympic Committee and opening ceremonies producers did a masterful and respectful job paying tribute to the luger while maintaining the requisite excitement of the games. But NBC, in its pre-ceremony coverage showed the actual crash itself, something virtually all viewers, and parents in particular, were probably completely unprepared for. NBC has taken flak for airing that footage several times before making the decision to pull it completely. For the record, I recorded the ceremonies on our DVR and played select segments for my daughter to see the next day. She was completely disinterested in the skaters (despite the fact that she’s learning to skate herself), was somewhat intrigued by the bear in lights, and was completely mesmerized by Nikki Yanofsky’s performance of O Canada. Go figure. --News Mom
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Labels: Media, Social and Emotional Development
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We are a group of colleagues, friends and working mothers who wanted to find a way to share our experiences as parents with others and to seek the advice of those who have encountered and successfully overcome some of the ordinary and not-so-ordinary challenges of working motherhood. Among ourselves we have 10 children: boys and girls, babies through school-agers, children who are adopted and not-adopted, have special needs and those who don’t, and each of whom is precious in their own right.
As professionals, our experiences range from child care to politics, writing to retail. In the interest of full disclosure, we all work for Bright Horizons, and some of us are beneficiaries of the company’s child care services. But this blog is meant to provide a community of support and discussion for all working mothers (fathers welcome too!), and you need no affiliation with Bright Horizons to be a part of the conversation.
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