by admin | Aug 19, 2015 | Blog
The lazy summer days are over. Although it can be hard to get back into the rhythm of school, going back just got a little easier. I’ve gathered some of my favorite back-to-school lists to help make it a smooth transition. Back-to-School Must Haves for 2015 10 Back-to-School Organizing Essentials 5 Back-to-School Shopping Mistakes That Will Cost You Money What Your Kid’s Back-to-School List Should Say (But Won’t) For help unplugging the kids from technology once school starts check out our previous post. Featured image: Bond Brand Loyalty Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Best wishes to all the kids starting the school year. Let’s make it a great one! Don’t forget to share 🙂 WiFi Baby is a top rated wireless network-based monitor and nanny cam that keeps you connected to your child on iPhone, iPad or Android. Anywhere. Visit our Homepage! Get to know us! How WiFi Baby Was Born. Ready to buy? Visit our...
by admin | Aug 11, 2015 | Blog
As mentioned in our Children and Social Media post, social media usage is one of the most common activities of today’s children and adolescents and even for adults it has become part of our daily lives. With this, parents need to teach their children to have a healthy relationship with technology and social media. Kids do what they see their parents do, therefore, the best way to help children balance real-life and online-life is to set a great example. No technology before bed: Research on sleep has shown that the type of light coming through a cell phone, computer or iPad makes sleep more difficult. Avoid looking into that type of light at least 30 minutes to one of hour before bed. Encourage your kids to read paper books before sleeping. This is also a great rule for parents. Adequate sleep helps with frustration and poor mood. No technology during meals: This is a lot easier said than done since most of us tend to have our phone glued to our hand. It seems like we cannot be separated from our cell phone even during a family meal. There is little to no conversation between people/families which really affects how people interact. Meals are a great time for families to come together and have face-to-face verbal and emotional interactions No excuses should be made to have technology during meals. No hand-held phone use while driving: Parents are safety role models. Not only does cell phone use cause accidents while driving, but you are essentially giving your children permission to text, email, and call when they drive. You’ll set a...
by admin | Jul 31, 2015 | Blog
Social media usage is one of the most common activities of today’s children and adolescents. Even for adults it has become part of our daily lives and some of us cannot go a day without being connected. Social media is defined as any website that allows social interaction such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, blogs, and gaming sites and virtual words such as Club Penguin, and the Sims. Over the last few years, more children and adolescents have become part of the growing social media community. Because of this, it is very important for parents to know what social media platforms their children visit since not all of them are healthy environments. Although children and adolescents are at risk for cyberbullying, “Facebook depression”, sexting, and exposure to inappropriate content, social media provides a socialization and communication platform among other benefits. So before you stop your child from using social media altogether or, on the other hand, allow them to access social media without restriction, take a look at the good and the bad. The Good Social media allows children to develop social and communication skills that can be used offline by staying connected with family and friends, making new friends, and exchanging ideas. According to the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, social media offers adolescents the following benefits: • Opportunities for community engagement through raising money for charity and volunteering for local events, including political and philanthropic events • Enhancement of individual and collective creativity through development and sharing of artistic and musical endeavors • Growth of ideas from the creation of blogs, podcasts, videos, and...
by admin | Jul 29, 2015 | Blog
Parker never. Stops. Talking. My ears are physically wounded by her voice. They cower at the mere sight of her. They literally flinch when my eyes, all panic-filled, tell them she’s headed toward me. My mind tells them it’s going to be okay, this time will be better, this time she won’t hurl her misguided and unfounded, nonsensical string of words at me. Wrong. I’ve decided she’s the 4-year-old equivalent of all of my ex-boyfriends combined. She’s like, the worst boyfriend EVER. She’s super needy, but super finicky; cat-like in her adeptness at finicky. She’s all over me 90% of the time. Forcing me to give her upside-down Spiderman kisses every time I leave her presence (even in public- she’s a PDA lover). She makes me watch what she wants to watch or she whines until I give in. She tells me I’m beautiful, but criticizes my cooking. And this never-shutting-up-thing she has going on is seriously going to do me in- at least my sanity will be done in. I’ve decided I need to talk with her about this; the never-shutting-up-thing will be the battle I’m going to fight. I need to explain to her that this isn’t a humane way to live. Her voice, once thought of as so sweet and sugary, now pains my every ounce of being. So I mustered up the courage to have “the talk” with her and when I finally did, this is how it went: “Parker, we need to talk.” She doesn’t know to loathe that statement yet. “Okay Mom just one segund (second) can I tell you one more thing first, Mom when...
by admin | Jul 23, 2015 | Blog
From the moment children are born, their health becomes one of the highest priorities for parents. From the smallest sneeze to the knee scrapes, parents are always careful not to miss any signs of illness. Parents are always on top of their children’s physical health but how many parents have taken the time to ask themselves if they’re raising mentally healthy children? According to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “An estimated 21 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S. meet the diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder..” but “only 20 percent of these children receive treatment.” In between homework, play dates and after school activities, it is sometimes difficult for parents to be able to identify emotional issues. A lot of the time, children’s emotions get overlooked as we tend to pay more attention to how they’re behaving than how they’re feeling. By being aware of our children’s psychological state and keeping in mind the following recommendations by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), kids can grow into an emotionally healthy adult. Do your best to provide a safe home and community for your child, as well as nutritious meals, regular health check-ups, immunizations, and exercise. Be aware of stages in child development so you don’t expect too much or too little from your child. Encourage your child to express his or her feelings; respect those feelings. Let your child know that everyone experiences pain, fear, anger, and anxiety. Try to learn the source of these feelings. Help your child express anger positively, without resorting to violence. Promote mutual respect and trust. Keep...
by admin | Jul 21, 2015 | Blog
The following is part of a new series called The Chronicles of Mommia from our guest blogger SonnyGirl. Enjoy! Christmas is officially ruined. Yes, it’s only July, but still… Since this past November my nearly-four year old, Parker, has been relentlessly playing Christmas songs and her 19-month-old brother, Axl, is loving every minute of it. Every time we get in the car Parker screams out, “CHRISTMAS SONGS, MOMMY!!!!” I try to dissuade this, but usually to no avail. When they were in the womb I started indoctrinating them with “cool” music. We weren’t gonna be that family that listened to “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or sang the Barney theme song; oh no, we were gonna jam to Tegan and Sara, Joy Division, any song off G & R’s Greatest Hits album. But now “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” is stuck in my head for days on end. How did this happen? Where did I go wrong? Maybe I proclaimed my love of Christmas-time too enthusiastically. I do (did) love it, though! The lights, the trees, the coffees, the mixed drinks, the shopping, the movies, the mixed drinks and, of course, the music. It’s the greatest 30 days (plus or minus) of my life. At least, it was. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” isn’t fun in July, it’s aggravating. Pulling up to a stop light with the windows rolled down and my kids singing “Jingle Bell Rock” with Alvin and the Chipmunks doesn’t have the same cool-factor as it would have, had we been singing any song by Muse or MGMT. My kids are… dorks. And they’ve pulled me into dorkdom with...
