meta-dad

Unique Father’s Day gift ideas from a Dad

Strangely, I see Father’s Day as a distinctly ‘grown up’ holiday. Sure, it is a great photo ‘op for the kids to pile on the bed and watch him drink that bad coffee they made and eat the best darn burnt toast he’s ever experienced, but for adults -especially those who are parents themselves- it is a chance to meditate on the dads in their life, and by dad, I mean the guy who was there for them, the guy who helped shape who they are today. Family tends to be complicated so I realize More »

5 Things to make your tike preschool ready

Our oldest is a few short months away from graduating preschool, I want to share with you some important things to be aware of as your toddler becomes preschool ready. Their are many school philosophies and options out there, public, cooperative and private, and from Steiner to Piaget and Waldorf to Montessori, and with each option are their own expectations for incoming kids, hopefully this list transcends these philosophies and highlights the basic needs.

• Gross Motor Skills Development – basic play skills, climbing stairs, playing with rider toys (tricycles and such) as well as push toys (includes strollers, shopping carts, et al.) will help them keep up during play time. If your kid doesn’t like to swing on swings, or climb the jungle gym it is not a deal breaker, you may see them break those fears trying to keep up with their friends when they go to preschool (and if not, it’s still okay).
• Fine Motor Skills Development – basic skills holding and cutting with safety scissors, chalk and crayons is a good start, dealing with closures of clothing (ie. zippers, snaps, buttons, etc.) will all keep them ahead of the curve. Playing with puzzles, legos and other building blocks are fun ways to build these skills.
• Language Development – of course teachers have realistic expectations on what is capable for their age group but putting an emphasis on helping the kids express their immediate needs (rather than the dreaded grunting, screaming and pointing us parents are used to dealing with) will put them ahead of the curve. Don’t worry so much about their grammar or pronunciation. Bonus points earned for the occasional “please” and “thank you,” but then again that’s true for any age group.
• Social and Emotional Development - again, teachers understand that there may be the expected issues with “sharing” and “playing well” with others but there is a wealth of social cues to be gained by having your toddler experience other “class” environments leading up to preschool. A good example of this are the type of story time classes at your local library, kids yoga classes, and mommy and me classes that may be offered in your area, as well as basic play dates with local kids.
• Potty Trained – depending on where they go and when the start preschool this may be mandatory or it may be a bonus. As you may know most toddlers between the age of 2-3 years old (depending on your kid’s development) will be prime for being training. When touring various preschools find out what their policy is on potty training.

These items came from a couple conversations with various preschool teachers and educators, so consider this an inside perspective of what will ultimately help your kid adapt to their new environment.

Whether you are a first time parent or not, we all have our own expectations and understanding of where our kids should be developmentally, but it is helpful to know what your kid’s school expects of them as well. Use this list as a springboard to ask your local preschool what they expect from incoming kids.

Sited and Related Links:
Wikipedia | Philosophy of Education
Family Education | Your Preschooler: The Social Observer

This Week in the World of Parenting

The Washington Post wrote a poignant little article about strategies for Job Hunters who are parents. It discusses the challenges of your income offset by the escalating cost of childcare.

Science Daily pointed out that one-in-eight educational programs for kids is not of high-quality, it makes some eye opening observations. Meanwhile, the mainstream media industry seem to be sparking up the annual argument whether television in general is melting our children’s’ brains. Reuter’s sources claim that too much TV, web and video raises children’s’ odds for smoking and obesity while sources of the Detroit Free Press tries to take a more moderate stance arguing there are positive (or not so harmful) aspect to moderate amounts of education-based programs for children.

I find bits of truth in both articles and they both raise valid questions about each side of the fence, which will give my wife and I something to ponder when we are enjoying that third cup of coffee at the kitchen counter (at 8am) while the boys are plunked in front of Sesame Street for a few minutes while we catch our breath.

A Inland Empire local newspaper, The Press-Enterprise, did some investigating for toxic/unsafe toys that are on the shelves this holiday season. I will try to mention as many of these types of reports as possible. They named these toys; Silly Fish Squirters(Toysmith), Pony Land Scented Pony Pet (JA-RU Inc.), Red Plastic Super Car (Four Seasons General Merchandise) and I would like to add a warning for any toy made by OKK Trading (they’ve had numerous recalls this year alone).

As a side note, sign-up for the Wii Holiday Giveaway! It’s pretty straight-forward, we teamed up with Noobie to offer a chance to win one of these hot consoles retailing for $250. Contest ends on December 12th and no, you’re email address is not redistributed or sold to third-party vendors.

Leg Warmers for the Baby- A Natural Fit

With our second child (boy) we discovered the many benefits of leg warmers for the tots. Sure they look cute but they are also a significant “parent hack” as listed below;

• Makes diaper changing a breeze
• Perfect for airing out diaper rashes when the child needs nakedy butt time
• Promotes independence while potty training
• Keep legs warm; great with carriers & strollers
• Protect soft knees from harsh surfaces
• Allows barefoot walking to help your baby develop balance
• Light-weight sun protection
• Great protection against bugs, i.e. mosquitoes
• Toddlers will love them for playing dress-up
• Extends wear of childrens clothing (knees and elbows)
• Arm warmers for all! (Road Bikers, Kids, Adults, etc.)
• Soothing for eczema and other skin conditions
• Wear over bandages to keep child from removing
• Provides compression for ice or heating pack
• Wear over a cast to protect & individualize outer layer
• Wear under a hospital gown to keep arms/legs warm

Listed below are a number of online shops that have a decent selection and reasonable prices. Leg & arm warmers have caught on as a baby accessory in the recent past so you can find them in mainstream stores as well, but with a limited selection of styles and colors.

Related Sites;
Paisley Monkey (Organic Leg Warmers & Arm Warmers)
Baby Snazz (Great Selection)
BabyLegs.Com [*Photos above courtesy of BabyLegs.Com]
Jaminga.Com (Unique selection, a bit more in price)

Save Your Family Thousands of Dollars

Without really thinking about we throw away our hard earned money on things that are by-in-large minor conveniences – coffee, bottled water, cigarettes, etc. Here’s the breakdown based on recent reports of the top ten biggest daily expenses.

• Coffee – Average price for brewed coffee is $1.38 a cup. Considering the U.S. average consumption is 3.2 cups a day, we’ll assume one of those cups is purchased on the go. There are 260 weekdays a year – that’s $358.80 a year on a modest Starbucks routine.*BTW – Women indicated that having a cup of coffee was their way of relaxing whereas a cup of “joe” for the guys, was inspiration to get the job done.
• Cigarettes – Current national average are hovering around $4.54. In NYC they are as high as $8 a pack on the street. Pack-a-day smokers fork over $1,660-$2920 a year! Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236-$416 annually.
• Alcohol - Depending on your “poison” and the mark-up of your favorite “watering hole” be-it the local Sports Bar or the VIP Room, we can set an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to around $3,650 annually and you can figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar which is a whooping $7,300 a year annually for celebrating the spirits.
• Bottled Water – A very common vice for soccer moms, kids and dads on the go. A average bottled water costs about $1 at the convenience store. One bottle of water per day costs $365 annually – never mind the negative impact on the environment with all those plastic bottles. Buy yourself a reusable water bottle (preferably a non-toxic kind) and fill it up with filtered water at home or at work. Actually you could add a positive offset to this line item – recycle your other bottles at the end of the week. At a nickel a pop, and that starts adding up quickly!
• Manicures – Surveys found that the average cost of a manicure is about $20. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,040 per year. And if you indulge in a Mani’ and a Pedi’ expect an annual set-back of $1,560.
• Car Washes – It is common to get a basic wash once a week here in LA primarily because of all the pollution (sediment) that’s about $12 per car or $14 for a SUV — that’s $676 a year. The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.
• Weekday Lunches Out – $7-9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out between $1,820-$2,350 annually.
• Vending Machines Snacks – The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and that’s another $260 per year.
• Interest charges on Credit Card - According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost More »

Top Ten States for Kids Well-Being

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 19th annual 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released on June, is a national and state-by-state profile of the well-being of America’s children that ranks states on 10 key measures and provides data on the economic, health, education, and social conditions of America’s children and families. Where does your state stack up among the nation? Does it have the best educated kids? Or the healthiest?

At a glance it is clear that the best ranking states for education, health and economic measures are New Hampshire, Minnesota and Massachusetts. Some of the lowest scoring states, across the board are Mississippi (poverty, reading), Louisiana (overall) and New Mexico (overall).

Highlighted is a small selection of the data sets available (to see additional data follow the link below), focusing on the measures for 8th graders state-by-state since that is mid-stream for school-aged children.

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Math Level;

• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• North Dakota & Vermont (tied)
• Kansas
• South Dakota
• Montana, New Hampshire, & Pennsylvania (tied)
• Colorado, Maryland, Virginia & Wisconsin (tied for 11th place)

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Reading Level;

• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Jersey & Montana (tied)
• Maine, Minnesota & New Hampshire (tied)
• Ohio, Pennsylvania & Iowa (tied)

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Science Level;

• North Dakota
• Montana
• New Hampshire, South Dakota & Vermont (tied)
• Minnesota & Wisconsin (tied)
• Wyoming
• Idaho
• Ohio, Michigan, Virginia & Colorado (tied for 11th place)

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Writing Level;

• New Jersey
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Colorado & Maine (tied)
• Illinois
• Florida & Pennsylvania (tied) More »