Archive: Parents

Mom Trusted Reports put all of the information in your hands

The devastating fire at a Texas daycare that resulted in the death of children happened two years ago. Jessica Tata, who left the children unattended when she made a trip to Target, was found guilty of murder just last year. A thorough inspection of Tata’s safety standards and background may have prevented this tragedy.

At Mom Trusted, we recently launched our newest feature in an effort to place more information in parents’ hands. A Mom Trusted Report informs parents of potential compliance issues at childcare centers and daycares that they may be considering.

A detailed Mom Trusted Report includes:

• – An overall Mom Trusted score that allows parents to quickly compare child care centers
• – The total number of violations, inspections and their compliance results
• – A detailed summary of violations including the violated code and why the care center did not meet standards
• – Health and safety checks involving criminal records, employee records, CPR, first aid and transportation records
• – Accreditation and credentials like those from the Better Business Bureau and state child care agencies
• – Mom Trusted Reports even scans the internet to pull in any good or bad reviews, articles and filings around the selected child care center

Mom Trusted Reports places more information in the hand of parents searching for a safe daycare center for their children.

Get your Mom Trusted Report now!

Sources:

-“Woman convicted of murder in Texas daycare fire that killed four children” Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/13/us-usa-crime-daycare-idUSBRE8AC14220121113

Beat the Heat: 5 Ways to Stay Cool this Summer

Looking for a way to stay cool this summer, even with little ones running around? Mom Trusted put together a list of ideas for how to beat the heat and they’re ways that the kids will love:

1. Squirt Guns

Invest in a few squirt guns and let your kids go wild. You don’t need to drop the big bucks on the super deluxe toys either. Head to your local dollar store or thrift shop and see if they have any squirt guns.

2. Cool Ice Cubes

Buy a few ice cube trays with fun shapes. Fill and freeze them. Then fill up a kiddie pool in the yard and plop them in. Let your children splash around in the pool and play with the fun shapes.

3. Make Use of the Shade

Don’t have AC? In that case, it’s extra important to take some down time so your kids don’t get overheated. Set up quieter activities in the shade. Try coloring, fun books or finger painting. This way they can settle down and regroup while a breeze cools them down.

4. Freeze Juice Boxes

Stick a pack of juice boxes or Capri Sun in the freezer. Take them out about an hour before you want to eat them. Then, have the kids help smash them, breaking up the big, frozen chunks. When they’re nice and crushed, cut off the tops, grab a spoon and you have your very own slushies!

5. Ice Chalk

Make a batch of ice chalk! Mix half-part water with half-park corn starch and pour the goo into a regular popsicle mold. Then, mix a different color of tempura paint into each section. Freeze and be sure to explain that these aren’t the edible popsicles that your children are probably used to! The ice chalk will help the kids stay cool, colorful and creative this summer.

Sources:

-“Frozen Popsicle Chalk” Reading Confetti: http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/05/frozen-popsicle-chalk.html

-“How to Keep Kids Cool in the Summer” eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how_2050040_keep-kids-cool-summer.html

-Photo courtesy of hyena reality/freegitalphotos.net

Fun Fourth of July Activities for Kids

Looking for fun Fourth of July activities for kids? Look no farther. Mom Trusted knows that, while ooing and ahhing at fireworks is a blast, you’ve got a whole day to fill before hand. We’re here to help you plan your day. That’s why we’ve put together this creativity-packed list of fun Fourth of July activities for kids:

Giant Tic-Tac-Toe

Buy a painter’s drop cloth and use red or blue colored duct-tape to create a tic-tac-toe board on it. Then, either make or buy red and blue colored beanbag sacks. Make by sewing three sides of two 5-inch by 5-inch pieces of fabric. Then fill with uncooked beans and sew up the final edge. Kids can spend all afternoon playing their new, life-sized tic-tac-toe game.

Finger paint a flag

Invest in a giant piece of white poster board. Then, set up camp outside with some red and blue finger paint. Have your children craft their own version of the American flag. Creative and patriotic!

Have a watermelon-spitting contest

Kids are always fans of this summertime game. Buy a couple big watermelons with plenty of big, black seeds. Then take turns seeing who can spit them the farthest. Little ones aren’t usually encouraged to spit out their food so this game is a fun way to break the rules a bit.

Get out the glow sticks

Leave the dangerous fireworks to the adults. Remember, even sparklers can burn little fingers. Instead, break out the glow sticks when the sun goes down. Purchase packs of bracelets, necklaces and wands in a wide variety of colors. Snap them to get them glowing and let the kids go wild.

Sources:

-“Go for the Glory” Parents.com: http://www.parents.com/parents-magazine/tic-tac-toe-toss/

-“July Fourth Extravaganza” Parents.com: http://www.parents.com/parents-magazine/pin-to-win-july-fourth-extravaganza/#page=1

-“Fourth of July Kids’ Activities” Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/359178/fourth-july-kids-activities

-Photo courtesy of bulldogza/freedigitalphotos.net

Help Kids PLAY Their Way to a Healthier Lifestyle

When kids think eating right, they cringe at brussel sprouts and broccoli, but the Eat to Win game makes learning about a healthy lifestyle fun. Not only does the engaging game help parents and childcare centers teach about the major food groups, but it also stresses the importance of staying active. This gives children the right tools to lead a healthy life for years to come.
 

Teaching little ones the importance of eating right and exercising regularly is more important than ever before. Childhood obesity has doubled in the last 30 years, affecting over one third of children in the U.S, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Eat to Win makes teaching these life lessons fun!
 

Eat to Win was created by a concerned mom whose own child struggled with weight issues. The games were made to encourage nutrition and exercise for kids of all ages.
 

They’re also a ton of fun! Daycare director Chris Bicknell was shocked to find how the games captured her children’s attention. “I was able to keep 18 children all under the age of four’s attention while using the Eat to Win Flashcards,” said Bicknell. “Our center absolutely LOVES these products!”
 

At Mom Trusted, we want to get behind the health train so we’re offering our care and education providers a special deal:

Order now and save 20% on your Eat to Win games!

Just enter the discount code before you checkout.

Code: MomTrusted

Ant and Worm Activities for Kids

Mom Trusted put together a few fun ideas for critter-crazy children. These will help them expand their scientific knowledge and have a great time. Here are some bug activities for kids. Some are educational and others are even tasty:

Invest in an ant farm. Your kids will have fun for hours watching the ants dig mazes.

Eat dirt for dessert! Make some chocolate pudding, following the instructions on the box, and pour it into small, plastic cups. Then crumble chocolate cookies on top of the pudding. Stick a few gummy worms in each cup. You can even add green coconut shavings (dyed using a few drops of food coloring) for grass if you want to get extra fancy.

Make a worm hotel. All you need is a big glass or plastic jar and some worms. Fill the jar with dirt, stick a few worms in and watch them wiggle through it. Note: the worms will be happiest if you alternate dirt and sand every few inches. Make sure to return them to their natural habitat after a few days.

Make compost in your own backyard. Gather veggie kitchen scrapes, some leaves or cut grass and place in a large pale with a lid. When it starts to decompose into dirt, add a few worms to help the process along.

Feed the ants and watch how much they can carry. Be sure to do this activity far away from your home! Grab some lunch leftovers and take them out to a field with a few ant hills. Drop the food in large chunks and watch as tiny ants come to take away pieces many times their size.

Sources:

-“Bugs and insect activities for kids” Pinterest

-“Creepy crawly activities for kids who love bugs” education.com

-Photo courtesy of antpkr/freedigitalphotos.net

Teaching Kids About Flowers and Plants

In the final days of spring, it’s the perfect time to start teaching kids about flowers and plants. Here are a few tips that Mom Trusted put together to make the learning process easier and more fun:

Grow a flower

Decorate a simple pot with paint. Try stamping colorful handprints all over it. Then, plant easy to grow flowers in it. Try daisies, since they’re such a hearty flower.

Sprout a bean

Have your kids help you place a bean in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. Then, place in light and wait for them to sprout.

Plant a vegetable garden

Plant seeds to a veggie garden. Try out tomatoes, potatoes, peas, beans and carrots. Watch as they grow and munch on them when they’re ready! Nothing tastes better than homegrown veggies.

Sort seeds

Sort different flower and plant seeds. Use simple ones like pumpkin, sunflower and tulip bulbs.

Visit a florist

Take a fieldtrip to a local florist. Look at all the different kinds of plants and flowers and buy a bouquet so that you can give each little one a flower to hang onto.

Smell the roses

Blindfold your kids and have them take turns smelling different types of flowers. Older children can also turn it into a guessing game and try to name the flowers they’re smelling.

Sources:

-“How to teach your child about flowers” Yahoo! Voices

-“Interactive plant biology: a kid’s guide to the life cycle of a flower” Pro Flowers

-“Teaching children with flowers” BorBer

-Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net

Mommy Math: Reading and Singing to Children

While most experts agree that reading to children improves literacy and language skills later on in life, new studies show that singing also has a positive impact on children’s learning. MomTrusted put together this infographic on reading and singing to children. Check out how many parents read, tell stories and sing to their children of different ages: