• Stimulating multi textured can be frozen for extra soothing comfort
• Bumpy texture soothes baby’s gums
• Non-toxic and 100% medical grade silicone

(RaZ-Berry Silicone Teether Via Amazon.Com)

   

Here are two more things to keep out of the mouth of babes; It’s My Binky novelty pacifiers basically fall apart, and Bright Starts Ring Rattles antennae detach - both (obviously) pose choke hazards. We are victim to the pacifier recall, just a sucker for personalized products, I guess (pun intended, chalk it up to dad humor).

Specifically, the Bright Starts soft toy rattle is a bee with a yellow head, ring-shaped green body, blue/green wings and purple/red antennas. Model number 8534 and date code PA8 are printed on a sewn-in label on the bee’s head.

It’s My Binky pacifiers are personalize pacifiers and have “Japlo” imprinted on the front of the pacifier shield at the bottom, center. The pacifiers were sold in blue, white and pink with various words or designs printed on the button of the pacifier. Contact It’s My Binky toll-free at (888) 689-9444 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday PT or visit ItsMyBinky.Com or e-mail Danielle Riiber at Danielle@itsmybinky.com

For additional information, contact Kids II toll-free at (877) 325-7056 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit KidsII.Com.

So check the floor of your minivan, or rummage through your diaper bag for any of these baby items and send them back to their respective companies for a free replacement.

Sited Links:
Kids II Recalls Infant Rattles Due to Choking Hazard
It’s MY Binky Recalls Personalized Pacifiers Due to Choking Hazard

   

P’kolino was previously only available at specialty boutiques and home decor showrooms, but as of this past weekend, they will be available at Babies R’Us throughout the country. They will be carrying the following P’kolino products; Silly Soft Seating, Little Reader, NEW! P’kolino Children’s Desk [*shown above], NEW! Little One’s Table and Chairs, NEW! P’kolino Toddler Bed.

P’kolino is dedicated to developing items that improve the play spaces at home, which means designing products that have a playful style children are drawn to (and parents can appreciate) and smart functionality to support their developmental needs.

Pretty clever stuff.

(P’kolino Vis a Vis Babies R’us)

   

Every year, THE FRESH AIR FUND gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities. Whether it’s a two-week trip to the country to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities.

In 1877, the Reverend Willard Parsons, minister of a small rural parish in Sherman, Pennsylvania, asked members of his congregation to provide country vacations as volunteer host families for children from New York City tenements. This was the beginning of The Fresh Air Fund tradition.” ~ Fresh Air Fund

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. In 2007, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York.

The end of July is growing closer and they still have 200 children who need to be placed with host families for this August. Unless all prospective host families are screened and vetted by the end of July these 200 children may miss out on an invaluable experience. Consider hosting a child or help get the word out. They are looking for families who want to extend an invitation to a 9-12 year old, they really need more families who want older children and boys.

Email Angie (angie[at]freshair.org) and she’ll speed you through the process or, you call her at (800) 367.0003 (212.897.8900).

   

I want to share with you a few nuggets of wisdom I have stumbled upon in the last few years. This list goes out to all those guys getting ready to have your first;

1. Know Your Priorities - this is a friendly reminder to myself actually, because it is all too easy for daily duties to take over your life and to lose track of what is really important. I cannot say how important it is to allot quality time with your wife, with each of your kids and most importantly for yourself.
   • Spend Time With Your Kid - chances are you work full time, that means more than half your life is dedicated to earning that paycheck. What I try to do is spend a second in the driveway, when I get home at the end of the day and jot down some notes (work related stuff) so I don’t forget and once I enter the house, I have left work behind me and I can be there for my wife and my kids.
   • Take Your Wife On A Date - Since we’ve been married we always have a date night (usually Friday night). Sometimes it’s just a trip to a store and sometimes it’s a bigger affair but it allows us to connect and that is priceless. Things get mighty busy when kids become part of the mix, date night is just an opportunity to have some quality time.
   • Keep In Touch With Friends And Family - a lot of us lose touch when baby becomes part of the mix. There is a positive impact on your family and kids, when you show them (through practice) the importance of maintaining solid friendships.
2. Lead By Example - Sometimes that means admitting you’re wrong or simply saying “sorry” and sometimes that means telling them you don’t know all the answers. You are the one that is going to imbue your children with life’s basic lessons, and set them on the path to being good moral adults (at least that’s the goal).
3. Spoil Them With Love, Not Things - there is very little for kids to gain from showering them with stuff and a tremendous amount to be gained by raising kids who feel they are loved (boys just as much as girls!) confident and assured. An interesting byproduct of all this positive attention is scientific fact; statistically they will be less likely to be obese, less likely to smoke and abuse substances in general and less inclined to criminal activity.
4. Allow Yourself To Be A Better Man And A Better Dad - If you want to raise truly exceptional kids, allow yourself to become a better person. It is that simple. Most of us parent as we were parented, not really thinking there is another way to do it, but there is. When our youngest was born, my wife and I decided to take a parenting workshop. We quickly found out that this workshop was primarily for parents with “real” kid problems. My wife and I sat there for two days with our jaws open, rubbernecking from one difficult parent situation to another. The teacher was great. She offered up some great parenting tools along with her own heartfelt stories about how well intended parents can find themselves in dire straits with their kids. The biggest thing we figured out is that we are going to go to these workshops again to remind us of some of the techniques taught in these classes.
5. Read to Them - yes it is important to read to them. It sparks their imagination. It helps them develop language. It creates an unforgettable bond between you and your child, enough said.
6. Do Not Hit Your Kid - Don’t spank them. Do not cuff them, shove them, shake them or otherwise cause them physical harm. Don’t verbally abuse them, just don’t do it. It may seem to be an effective temporary fix for a given situation but it is very damaging long term. It makes no difference whatsoever if you were spanked as a kid. Recent scientific studies show kids who are physically and/or verbally abused will be more inclined to have anger and anxiety issues, low self-esteem, eating disorders and sexual problems as adults. Learn to discipline with love. All children need guidance and limitations, not with corporal punishment, rather by setting reasonable limits and supporting positive behavior.
7. Teach Them To Be Responsible For Their Own Actions - as I see it, the goal of the parent in many ways is to prepare your kids for life, so that when they leave the nest they can go out into the world and be a positive addition to society, pursue their interests and cope with life’s curve balls. Yes, you want to teach them about what’s good and bad but also that their actions have repercussions that affect people (good, bad or otherwise). Provide guidance so when they leave the nest they are able to make their own decisions.
8. Learn To Listen And You Will Be Heard - being an active listener is a skill. We all need to be reminded of this on a daily basis. When your wife or kids are talking to you you need to quiet your mind, be patient and let them have their word. If you can do this the prize (with time) is they may do the same and that is a wonderful thing.
9. Read a Parenting Book - it is a huge myth that parenting is not a learned thing. We all stumble into it (well-intended, of course) not knowing that there teams of specialists out there and that there are some helpful tools that may make the whole experience a little easier or at least a bit more affective. Granted, you may not agree with every author out there, but the important thing is it will help you figure out what is important to you and your wife, perhaps trigger some important discussions and maybe learn a trick or two along the way.
10. When They’re Whining They Are Trying to Communicate - I always try and imagine I am an oceanographer trying to decipher the subtle differences of dolphins or whales or something. It doesn’t usually help much, it’s still annoying. The whining cuts through most like aluminum foil between the teeth, but remember, it is usually a tired and/or powerless plea to be heard. Little kids feel powerless a lot and when they’re whining they are simply trying to be heard. Listen to the message and get beyond the delivery.

Sited Links:
Natural Child | Ten Reasons Not to Hit Your Kids
Science Daily | Spanking Kids Increases Risk of…
Medical News Today | Spanking Your Child Raises Risk of Aggression…
Medical News Today | Children Who Have An Active Father Have Fewer…
Fatherhood.Org | The Father Factor
Fatherhood Institute | Costs and Benefits of Active Fatherhood

Related Links:
BabyZone.Com | From Dude to Dad; Parenting Classes for Dad
National Fatherhood Initiative | 10 Ways to be a Better Dad

   

The topic of fatherhood has been all over the news recently with people buzzing about Obama’s recent fatherhood speech in Chicago where he stated, “What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child. It’s the courage to raise one.” These are strong words, to say the least.

Evidently, the Ad Council in conjunction with a number of government sponsored offices and organizations are using this buzz as an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance and the positive impact of active fathering.

• An estimated 24 million children (34%) live absent their biological father.
• Nearly 20 million children (27 percent) live in single-parent homes.
• Children who live absent their biological fathers are, on average, at least two to three times more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents.
• Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers. [Source: Ad Council]

While I am not surprised at the statistics in the first two bullet points, I find the other two points a bit vague since it is implied that these children (without their biological fathers) don’t have an active male role-model in their life. There are enough cases where children are being fathered by an uncle, grandfather, or other family member or friend. Regardless, the point has been made that children benefit greatly from having a positive father figure in their life.

Sited Links:
Fatherhood Involvement - Cheerleader
Fatherhood Involvement - Super Soaker

Related Links:
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Family Assistance
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

   

Scholastic’s Parent Child Magazine’s 2007 TOP PICKS FOR TOYS PROMOTING LEARNING AND CREATIVITY featured our very own super cute mini MUNNY Mobile! Just like the original, you can draw, paint, use ketchup, or anything you can think of to decorate MUNNY.

Mini MUNNY fits into the 8-inch long car with real rolling wheels and comes blind packaged with 4 mystery accessories to deck out MUNNY’s ride. Also inside, a giant roadmap by iLovedust to color, treasure, eat off of or just plain enjoy!

(Via KidRobot.Com)

   

It is said that an estimated 500 billion to one trillion plastic shopping bags a year are used worldwide with some other sources putting estimates much higher (250 trillion+). Regardless, that’s a whole lot of bags that end up in landfill. The average plastic bag takes over a thousand years to degrade. So if you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint and be a little responsible about your trash, what is the best solution in this case?

There is no easy answer but there are a few options out there that can ease things a little bit. My wife and I have purchased a few re-usable cloth shopping bags to cut down the number of plastic bags we use when shopping throughout the week. Having a few of these cloth bags can have a profound affect on your personal consumption of plastic shopping bags. We use it not only at the grocery store, but at Target, at the GAP, hell, my wife uses it at Sephora. Think about it. Why would you need a plastic shopping bag for something you can put in you pocket, or purse or, heaven forbid - just carry in your hand (*gasp*) to the car.

Now when we get home, we have been used to re-using the plastic bags to either clean up after our dog on her daily walks or to line the smaller trash bins throughout the house. Now we use a few pages of the newspaper on the dog’s walks and use brown paper bags to line the small trash bins.

That still leaves a problem that I have always struggled with; what about all those large trash bags you purchase? There are biodegradable ones. Check the links below. The prices for these have been slowly dropping. Perhaps materials are coming down in price; perhaps demand is growing.

SITED LINKS:
Reusable Cloth Grocery Totes
Reusable Organic Shopping Bag
BioSmart | Biodegradable Trash Bags
ReusableBags.Com

RELATED LINKS:
How Stuff Works | How Recycling Works
How Stuff Works | How Landfills Work