Tip of the Week: A Great Find!

It can't possibly be time to start holiday shopping. I feel like we just finished summer, and already the stores are bombarding us with holiday fare!
In this year's slow economy, you may be able to pick up some nice gifts for your family at more reasonable prices and in unlikely places.

At CVS this week, I found a playhouse tent and tunnel for $19.99. I remember spending close to $100 for the set we gave our daughter. Lucky
for us, at age 7 she still plays with it. And for $19.99, who can resist a gift that's guaranteed to make your child happy?

Tip of the Week: When "No" Means "No"

I saw this article about saying "no" to our children on The Parent Report recently and thought it was so good, I wanted to share it with you! Here's an excerpt of the article.

"'There are 3 alternatives I use so that I don't have to say 'no' so often, so that when I do say 'no' my children will know that I mean it. The first alternative to a question like 'Mom, can I have a cookie?' is 'yes, later'. The child is already to fight a 'no', and it's harder to fight a 'yes, later'. The second alternative to a question such as 'Mom can I go to a friend's house?' could be 'give me a minute.' There's nothing wrong with asking for a moment to develop your own case. The third alternative which is great for teens and a question like 'Mom, can I have the car keys?' is 'convince me'.'
By choosing our 'no's' carefully Coloroso says we're then able to save them for those really important questions."

For the whole article, click here.

Tip of the Week: Pumpkin Decorating With Your Little Pumpkin

You'd love to include your toddler in your Halloween pumpkin carving, but how? Traditional pumpkin carving involves knives and sharp tools! Baby-proof your Halloween tradition by asking your child to pull out the gooey pumpkin insides. Yes, this will be messy, so be sure to put him or her in play clothes and have plenty of wipes handy.

Next, buy markers that work well on the surface of a pumpkin and allow your child to doodle or draw a face. There are also a number of kits you can purchase with foamies shaped like eyes, mouths and noses. A toddler can easily apply these with a little adult assistance. Finally, at the grocery store you can find a variety of seasonal gourds that can be used to decorate your pumpkin. Simply stick them on a toothpick and help your child assemble his very own jack-'o-lantern. Happy decorating!

Tip of the Week: Protecting Your Baby from H1N1

If you're a new mother, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you should take the following steps to prevent exposing your child to swine flu:
- Wash hands frequently and always cover your mouth with your elbow when sneezing or coughing. If you're already ill, consider wearing a face mask around your baby.
- If you are breastfeeding, don’t stop. Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight disease.
- It is safe to breastfeed even if you are taking medicine prescribed to treat the H1N1 virus.
- If your baby's sick, continue to breastfeed as often as possible. Hydration is important when a child is ill, and there is no better fluid than breast milk.
- If your child is too ill to breastfeed, consider using a syringe or eye dropper.

Tip of the Week: Fabulous Fall

Although summer is my favorite season, I do enjoy the beauty of fall foliage and a family trip to the pumpkin patch. My favorites are Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch in Hampshire, IL, and Sonny Acres in West Chicago. I never let an October pass me by without visiting both of these wonderful pumpkin patches. For more autumn fun and a twist on the classic pumpkin patch outing, visit a local apple farm to pick your own apples. Click here for a complete list of Illinois pumpkin patches, apple farms and Christmas tree farms!

Tip of the Week: Choices

I had always been opposed to school uniforms -- that is, until my daughter became obsessed with purple and wearing anything that sparkled. Getting dressed in the morning became a battle. My friend had it even worse. Her son would wear only his Spider-Man costume! He insisted on wearing it everywhere (even to swimming lessons) until she finally gave up, and he grew out of it.

Now, with the start of the new school year, I am actually looking forward to the simplicity of these school uniforms. Of course, as parents, we don't want to squash our children's self-expression, but it's not all right to wear shorts in the middle of winter!

For me, school uniforms have made life easier. If your school doesn't use them, however, do your children and yourself a favor by giving them clear choices. I suggest narrowing the scope: Pull out two different outfits and tell them, "You can wear this or this. Which one would you like to wear today?"

When you offer your child a choice, whether it be about clothing or food, you're giving him or her a sense of power, therefore defusing the power struggle. I also recommend picking out and talking about outfits the night before. That way if you're running late in the morning, you won't have to worry about your child spending extra time deciding on clothes!

Offering children choices works well for many of the different interactions that you have with them, and everyone will be happier because of it!

Tip of the Week: BPA-free... to what degree?

With everything you hear and read lately about the endocrine-disrupting
chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), many parents, including myself, have decided to
avoid it at all costs. I was surprised to find out recently that one of my
family's favorite eco-friendly water bottle brands, SIGG, may not be 100%
BPA-free after all!

My daughter's SIGG water bottle goes everywhere with her; it's cute and
convenient. Now the company has announced that its water bottle liners made
before August 2008 contain traces of BPA. The company has done comprehensive
testing and says there's "absolutely no migration or leaching of BPA or any
other substance from the protective inner liner."

If you'd like to know whether your SIGG bottles contain an old liner or the
new "EcoCare" liner that's 100% BPA-free, check the color. The old liner has
a shiny copper finish, and the new liner is a pale yellow. Keep in mind that
although production with the old liner stopped in August 2008, many are
still in stores. For more information, visit http://mysigg.com/liner.

Now that you have all the facts, take a look under the lid of your family's
water bottles and see if SIGG's announcement affects you, too!