Funny Poll

Every once and a while you open up a Parenting magazine and find something that is actually pretty funny. I was skimming the pages over my scrambled eggs this morning and came across a poll that was absolutely hilarious. It went a little somethin' like this.

Admit it, you've fantasized about being alone on a desert island with Sawyer (whom you can ogle again now that Lost is back for its fourth season this month).
But who would you least like to be stranded with?"

47%- The Doodlebops
28%- SpongeBob
15%- Dora the Explorer
10%- Big Bird

You HAVE to admit those choices are pretty excellent. I, personally, would probably have to be institutionalized after even a week with the Doodlebops. Deedee Doodle with her weird pink hair trying to get te sand out of her pink sequined underwear- while the blue one asks incessant questions. The loud yellow one hiding all the time, leading you to joyously believe that one of the "Others" got him. And then their singing! Well, at least at some point their Casio would run out of juice.
Other choices for who I would HATE to be stranded with would be Barney, Sir Toplan Hat, and though I kinda like the show- any of the Teletubbies. It would be pretty annoying to be hugged all the time when all you want to do is get of the damn island.
Dora, on the other hand, could be handy with her ability to find maps and things to help you maybe find your way OFF the island. And she has that magic backpack. As long as se doesn't sing- I'd be fine with it.

-SBH

Boys vs. girls

I am always amazed how differenet a boy and girl are. I have one of each and am endlessly amused by their so gender specific choices. My 4 year old, Lulu, is TOTALLY into princesses. She HAS to wear her sparkley pink “sleeping beauty” shoes every day. She spends the afternoons changing from her purple princess dress to her pink, to her blue all the while listening to the Nutcracker and dancing around. Who knew that one could actually get sick of listening to the Nutcracker? Meanwhile Oliver, 19 months, is COMPLETELY into trucks of any kind. Yesterday he saw a cement mixer while we were driving and, I swear, I thought he was going to have a heart attack he was so excited. I never bought him trucks, specifically, because I didn’t want to press the whole boy thing on him. I mean what if he ended up liking Lulu’s boas and listening to Liza Minelli? I wasn’t going to be responsible for giving him a skewed sense of self. Well, sure enough, he found Lulu’s stash of little cars and trucks and it has been love ever since. That isn’t to say he won’t still might like boas and Liza in the future….. That is all up to him.
I am always surprised that some boys aren't ALLOWED to play dress up. I mean how fun is it to put on sparkely pretend clothes? I think it mosI have seen even the most masculine of boys (As pictured....Lulu's pal and kiddysnap, Desi) indulge in a little dress up. Lets face it- black pirate outfits don't always cut it. And if a boy and a girl happen to be best freinds can't they take turns doing what the other likes? I think it promotes many things including being open minded, flexible and tolerant- which Lulu's friend, Desi, definitely is and I think it's awesome. It isn't about being masculine or feminine- it is about imaginative play.
There are many articles about the differences between the two sexes and why they act a certain way. Some think it is hard wiring, others think it is a result of how they are socialized and treated. For example, most girls will get a present of a doll or a pink something- whereas the boy will get the light blue something and a truck or train. We unconsciously reflect our views of the differences. I came across a pretty interesting article called “How Parents Raise Boys and Girls” by Adam Bryant and Erika Check, published in Newsweek in 2000. This passage I thought was a keeper.

…”Michael Lewis, professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, believes that both nature and nurture play a role in a child's development. But he noted that one study has shown that when a barrier is placed between 1-year-olds and something they want, young boys are apt to try to knock down the barrier, while girls are more likely to seek help from their mothers. "I don't want to say boys are active and girls are passive," says Lewis. "It's more that girls are active in a social sense and boys are active in an autonomous sense. Although biological reasons may account for some of these sex differences, it's very difficult to disentangle the effects of nature from nurture. Both are likely involved. We know that [people] behave differently as a result of a child's gender." Differences in behavior also tend to become magnified when children of the same gender play together in unstructured settings. Boys, for instance, often engage in higher-energy activities and show less compliance than girls, says Jeanne Brooks-Gunn of Columbia University's Teachers College.
Experts suggest that parents should be careful not to push their children too strongly into gender-typical behavior. "By giving children opportunities to participate in all kinds of activities, you're going to wind up with children who have the freedom to choose what they're good at and like doing," says Claire Etaugh, codirector of the Bradley University Center for the Study of Early Childhood."

7 Signs That Your Baby Loves You

1. Your newborn stares into your eyes — he's actually working hard to memorize your face. He doesn't understand anything else about the world, but he knows you're important.
2. Your baby thinks about you even when you're not around. Between 8 and 12 months old, he'll start to scrunch his face and look around when you leave the room — and he'll smile when you return.
3. Your toddler throws wicked tantrums. Nope, those screaming fits don't mean he's stopped loving you. He wouldn't be so hurt and angry if he didn't trust you so deeply.
4. Your toddler runs to you for comfort when he falls down or feels sad. Kids this age may not truly understand the meaning of "I love you," but their actions speak louder than words.
5. Your preschooler gives you a flower picked from the garden, a finger-painted heart, a sparkly rock, or another gift.
6. Your preschooler wants your approval. He'll start to be more cooperative around the house, and he'll look for chances to impress. "Look at me!" will become a catchphrase.
7. Your grade-schooler trusts you with secrets, like his first crush or his most embarrassing moment. You're his confidante, even if he shies away from your hugs in public.

Thanks to Babycenter.com for posting this!

-SBH

Street Smarts for Kids

An estimated 600 children die and more than 39,000 children are treated in the E.R. each year as a result of pedestrian traffic accidents. Safe Kids Worldwide suggests these rules to protect kids:
1. Don't ever allow children under age 10 to cross streets alone.
2. Show kids how to look both ways before crossing and to keep checking for cars as they proceed through an intersection.
3. Teach children to cross the street ten feet in front of a school bus and to wait for adults on the same side of the street as the school-bus stop.
4. Teach children to walk facing traffic, as far to the left as possible, when there are no sidewalks.
5. Make sure children wear reflective materials and carry a flashlight when they walk outside at dawn, at dusk, or in rainy or foggy weather.
6. Never let kids play in driveways, streets, parking lots and unfenced yards near streets.
For more information: http://www.safekids.org/

-LT

Our Little Food Critics

Here is a good little article from NY Times. Anyone else having problems getting their kid to eat other things besides pasta?

Winning Over the Kitchen’s Loudest Critics

A few years ago when some friends came over for dinner, one of the mothers arrived carrying her own pack of hot dogs. “My kids only eat Oscar Meyer hot dogs,’’ she told me.

A story in today’s New York Times highlights the fact that a child’s food preferences may be in part genetically determined. But many studies have found that genes aren’t the only factor. Often well-intentioned parents reinforce picky eating habits by giving up too soon when a child rejects a food.

Kids are born with a preference for sweet and salty items, and it’s natural for them to be averse to a food the first time they try it. The evolutionary explanation is that so-called neophobia, or fear of new things, kept our ancestors from eating exotic, poisonous berries and plants. Yet children can and do learn to like a wide variety of foods. These preferences are influenced by how frequently parents offer new foods and how they react when their children eat it — or don’t.

Persistence pays, researchers have found. In studies of 2-year-olds, fruits and cheese had to be offered five to 10 times before a child would accept them. Nutritionist Susan Roberts of Tufts University believes in the “rule of 15″ — parents must set down a food at least 15 times before a child will begin to like it.

One good piece of advice I’ve learned from nutritionists like her: remain neutral when your kid likes or rejects a food. Don’t praise them for eating something, and don’t show frustration when they don’t; don’t reward, and don’t punish. Just put the food in front of them, encourage them to eat it and clear the table when everyone is done.

The scientific support for this strategy comes from researchers at Pennsylvania State University. They studied children who were given rewards, including stickers or the chance to watch television, after they ate their vegetables or drank milk. Later, children expressed dislike for those foods, even though they had received positive reinforcement for eating them.

That doesn’t mean that parents should put broccoli on the table every day for two weeks, says Dr. Roberts. Instead, bring the rejected fare back in a few days and again in a few weeks. It may take a while, she says, but eventually kids will learn to accept the new menu items — and one day, maybe to love them, too.

-SBH