MomTrusted on Parenting, Kids, and Early Education

New Year’s Resolution: Go Green as a Family

As 2012 comes to an end and you start brainstorming ways to improve in 2013, consider this: What if your family came together to live a greener lifestyle? Not only will many of these ideas positively impact the environment and help your family, but they’ll teach your children about the importance of the environment, eating right and keeping fit. Consider a few of these green options for a fresh start to a new year:

 

Choose two wheels over four.

Opt for your bike over your car whenever possible. Not only will you save on gas, reduce your carbon imprint and get some exercise, but biking as a family is just plain fun. If school or work is too far, you can still consider running errands on two wheels. Have really little ones? Purchase a bike with a seat on the back or a children’s bike trailer. Don’t forget helmets for everyone!

 

Garden together.

Get outside, teach your little ones some biology 101 and grow ingredients for a healthy meal in a family garden. Try letting each family member pick out his or her favorite veggie or fruit to grow. This will teach children responsibility by having at least one plant that they’re accountable for and ensure that the family garden has everyone’s favorite snack.

 

Start a compost pile.

What better way to add some fresh fertilizer to your new garden than by creating a mini compost pile of your own? You can purchase bins for your kitchen, but there are also backyard options that will help keep the mess out of your home.

 

Ask your kids to help you with recycling.

Little ones love sorting. Ask your kids to help separate paper from plastic. This is also a great time to explain the importance of being kind to the environment.

 

Lower your energy use.

Keep your home cool in the winter and warm in the summer. For each degree that you use AC to lower the temperature in your home, your average energy cost rises by 6%. Metro Family Magazine recommends using fans on low in the winter to spread warmth throughout the house. Make sure they rotate clockwise, which will pull rising heat from the ceiling and better disperse it.

 

Plant a tree.

Did you know that nearly half of our original forest habitat has been cut down in the past 60 years? We’ve all wasted our fair share of paper or secretly hoped that a new shopping mall would go up close by.  Give back to the earth a little by planting a family tree. Not only will you be bettering the environment, but you can watch the tree and your children grow together.

 

Sources:

-“Going Green as a Family.” Going Green

-“How to Help Your Family Go Green.” Wiki How

-“Tree Deforestation Statistics.” Statistic Brain

-“Practical Pointers for Going Green.” Metro Family Magazine

-Photo courtesy of Sujin Jetkasettakorn/freedigitalphotos.net

Holiday Travel: Tips for Traveling with Kids

It’s that time of year again. The best part of the holidays? Family, friends, decorations, cheer and homemade food. The worst? Traveling with children. So before you end up in a screaming match with a migraine, read MomTrusted tips for success when traveling with children:

 

Allow for extra time

By this time, you’re an old pro. You can pack bags, dress and feed the kids and pile everyone into the car faster than a snowman on skis, but allow some extra time when you’re dealing with a big trip. Maybe you realize you forgot the diapers half way to the airport. Or maybe your little one decides to dump cereal on their shirt 15 minutes before you’re supposed to jump in the car. Better early than sprinting through the airport or putting the pedal to the medal.

 

Pack healthy snacks

Airport food is incredibly overpriced and road trip food consists of grease and sugar so pack your own snacks. Try some of these and don’t forget the cooler!

• -Nuts
• -Trail mix
• -Portable fruit like bananas, grapes and apples
• -Simple sandwiches like PBJs
• -String cheese
• -Baby carrots

 

Entertainment is key

Whether you’re hitting the open road or preparing for takeoff, make sure you have enough activities to keep your children entertained for the whole trip. Here are some ideas:

• -Sing songs together.
• -Find every letter of the alphabet on license plates.
• -“I spy with my little eye…”
• -Stop by the library and rent some stories on CD or download them to your mp3 player. This is a great option for flying or   driving and will keep kids occupied for hours.
• -Whoever spots 5 green cars…or 4 stoplights…or 3 horses… first wins.

 

Potty breaks

Figure out a potty break plan. Maybe you take your daughter to the bathroom and then your husband takes your son. Whoever’s left behind watches the stuff at the airport or waits in the car. It may seem like a simple task, but when traveling with kids, never underestimate the power of a plan.

 

 

Sources:

-“Have a happy road trip.” Kiwi Magazine.

-“Eat Healthy While on Vacation.” Kiwi Magazine.

-“10 Noise-Free Road Trip Games for Kids.” How Stuff Works.

-Photo courtesy of magerymajestic/freedigitalphotos.net

Kids Apps: Ads, Upsells, and Privacy

 
With more than 700,000 apps in Apple’s app store, it can be hard to decide which apps are suitable for your child to use. Here are some aspects to consider before allowing children and teens to download new apps.
 
Educational value
Some games are educational, but most apps aren’t designed to teach new skills. It’s important to make a decision about how educational you want your child’s experience to be before handing over the phone.
 
In-app Advertisements
Most free apps make money through advertisements, but services such as AdMob and iAd don’t offer creators any control over the ads displayed. Because ad content isn’t chosen by the developers, unrelated (and even adult) content can show up in apps aimed at a younger audience. For younger children, the best option is to avoid ad-supported apps entirely by upgrading to a paid version or simply using a different app.
 
Paid Content
Speaking of upgrades, what about apps that constantly alert kids and ask them to buy paid content? SpongeBob Diner Dash was removed from the Apple App Store earlier this week after complaints from parents about the game’s promotional notifications. Thankfully, app descriptions are typically up-front about what paid upgrades are available.
 
Privacy
Major newspapers around the country have reported on privacy holes in popular mobile apps. Earlier this month, the FTC called the lack of transparency from app creators “disappointing”. According to the FTC, mobile apps intended for children have been found to track phone numbers, contact list, call logs, and even track the location of the device.
 
For those of us with older children, mobile privacy remains an issue, and the solution isn’t always clear. Even games that don’t require the user’s physical location, such as Angry Birds, frequently track them for marketing reasons. The Wall Street Journal published a report on some of the most popular apps, and found that even simple dictionary apps can transmit location to third parties.
 
Solutions
Apple’s built-in restrictions offer only the most basic options, and require that you remember a password to make changes. If you forget this password, the device must be wiped and everything set up from scratch. AppCertain offers a better solution. AppCertain created a free service that helps parents monitor which apps get installed on a family’s iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. It takes seconds to create an account and install the security profile on the devices you want to monitor. After following these simple steps, AppCertain will send you an email within 24 hours every time a new app is downloaded. This email will have descriptions of the apps being installed, plus extra information like:
Educational content
Whether the app tracks location
Does the app display advertisements?
How much the app costs
 
AppCertain is working on innovative ways for you to manage your family’s mobile devices. Simple instructions on signing up for free app monitoring service are available here.
 
Griffin Boyce of AppCertain is an expert on privacy and anonymity, and has been interviewed by The Washington Post and CNET on these topics. He is also an app developer.

Mommy Math: Time Management

Have you ever been buried in chores, work and scrambling for sleep, wondering if all other moms are in the same boat? Well here’s your chance to compare your time management to other moms across the country. The following data was pulled by the U.S. Department of Labor for households where the youngest child is under 6 years old and portrays the daily activities of a married mom.

 

 

Source:

“Charts from the American Time Use Survey.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. <http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/>

Want to Give Your Single Mom Friends the Perfect Christmas Present?

 

If you’re a parent with a partner, you may marvel at your single mom friends from time to time throughout the year and wonder how they manage to juggle it all.  She may appear to have it all, and she probably doesn’t need any more lotion or candles, but I bet there are a few things on her list she is reluctant to ask for this Christmas.

Of course, much of this is true for single dads too.

 

Be a Good Elf

Young children can’t just head off to the mall to go Christmas shopping, but they will really feel proud if mommy unwraps something special from them on Christmas morning.  You’re going shopping anyway… why not have a chat with mom and volunteer to bring the kids so they can buy something for her?  She can give you a good idea of how to guide them and provide their shopping money, and it will be a real treat for her to be genuinely surprised by their gifts.

If she’s a single mom because of a breakup with the children’s father, she probably doesn’t enjoy shopping for their Christmas present for him, so that’s another way friends can step in and be helpful.

 

Think Outside the Box

It’s just plain fun to wrap up a lovely gift to hand someone, but some of the best gifts don’t lend themselves to being wrapped.  You can’t actually create a few more hours in the day for your friend, but you can do the next best thing by helping her mow down that to-do list of things she hates doing.   Is she annoyed by DIY jobs around the house she lacks the time, confidence or skills to do?  How about a gift certificate from a local handyman?  You can probably arrange not to specify the exact job to be done if you are concerned she will take offence.  Everyone could use a few hours of skilled work fixing things around the house!  If she doesn’t exactly love gardening, a gift certificate from a local landscaper to come and give the yard a good spring cleaning in a few months so it will be ready for the kids to enjoy might be just the thing.  She’ll be reminded of your thoughtfulness long after Christmas.  You can also make your own coupon good for an evening of you babysitting the kids.

 

Wrapping It Up

If you do want a more traditional gift of the easy to wrap variety, think about what will suit her busy life.  A book of short stories is better than a long, complicated novel if she rarely has time to sit down and relax.   A cookbook of quick and simple recipes might get more use than one full of ideas that involve hours of preparation.  And if you’ve been a good elf and asked what she’d like from her children, you already have some good ideas.

 

Aishwarya Vohra is a part-time writer and a full-time home maker. She has written in other places like this Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat Review. She has interest in all things creative, whether it is unique house decoration ideas or creating art from trash.

Teaching Toys for Tots

As technology advances, teaching toddlers gets more engaging, hands-on and involved. What we learned with an old-fashioned pencil and paper, our children are learning on computers. While kids beginning elementary school often come to mind when we think of educational technology for children, toys for even the youngest munchkins have caught up with the 21^st century. Check out some of the highest-rated techy toys for babies and tots:

 

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Letters Mailbox

For babies 6-36 months

Price: $30

Highlights:

• The mailbox’s flag uses songs and phrases to help babies learn opposites.
• The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Letters Mailbox features more than 20 songs for your baby to sing along to.
• Let’s face it- the goofy mailbox calendar is just plain cute. Who can resist that grin?

 

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Boppin’ Activity Bugs

For babies 6 months+

Price: $15

Highlights:

• Babies push, slide and turn the toy’s brightly colored bugs to learn basic motor skills.
• The different bugs keep little fingers busy and different noises keep little ears engaged.
• The varied textures help babies differentiate bugs and motions, making movement learning a breeze.

 

Letter Factory Phonics

For ages:2+

Price: $20

Highlights:

• The Letter Factory Phonics teaches sounds and letters through songs to build early literary skills.
• It’s both portable and durable, ideal for toddlers on the go.
• It’s sounds are repetitive enough to teach tots, but not so repetitious that the songs get stuck in your head for hours.

 

LeapFrog My Own Leaptop

For ages 2+

Price: $25

Highlights:

• This imitation computer teaches the alphabet, music, animals and computer literacy through the laptop-like model.
• It connects to the internet and comes with eight different email messages that can be personalized.
• Make your child a custom playlist by downloading songs of your choice to the LeapFrog Leaptop.

Safety Tips for Santa This Year

With over 2 million dangerous toys and children’s products recalled in 2012, Santa should be careful to put safety first this holiday season. When shopping for toys for your children, here are some safety tips to keep in mind:

 

Avoid toys with small parts.

For the obvious reason: small pieces mean choking hazards. Little hands like to put little pieces in little mouths so if your child is under 3 years old, stick to the big stuff.

 

Babies and balloons don’t mix.

Balloons pop or deflate, and create immediate dangers. When swallowed, deflated balloons can be deadly. Even while still inflated, balloons pose as suffocation risks. This safety tip isn’t just for tots; children under 8 should steer clear of balloons.

 

Avoid magnetic forces and lead.

Over the years, toy manufactures have raised the bar on eliminating lead from children’s products. This year, only one toy (a Morphobot action figure) was recalled due to high lead levels.

 

However, magnets are rising in both popularity and risk. High-powered magnets can cling together after swallowed, creating pinching at any point throughout the digestive track.

 

Wheels and helmets go together like peanut butter and jelly.

If you’re thinking about buying your little one a scooter, bike or skateboard this year, remember the most important accessory: a helmet. No one takes more bumps and falls than a kid on wheels so remember to protect their noggin.

 

But the caution can’t end after the toys are under the tree so keep the following in mind:

 

Small toy parts aren’t the only choking hazards.

Gift-wrapping can include bows, beads and plastic pieces. These pose as both choking and suffocation risks so keep a close eye on the kids, especially while they’re ripping open their presents.

 

Make sure the presents stay with the right receivers.

Remember how much you wanted to play with your big sister’s stuff? Even after the cleanup has happened, make sure that older children keep their gifts away from younger siblings and cousins.