While weight loss, paying off debt, saving money, and quitting bad habits may top the chart of popular New Year’s Resolutions, don’t forget about the possibilities that pertain to the realm of parenting as you think up your own list of resolutions.  For example, maybe it’s the year to finally read those parenting books that have been gathering dust on the bookshelf.  Maybe it’s time to make a plan to organize the toy room once and for all.  Or perhaps it’s time to put an official start date on consistent parenting–including consistent positive encouragement and discipline.

Whatever resolutions you choose, make them realistic.  Realistic resolutions carry the greatest chance of success.  The far majority of resolutions fail (somewhere around 35 percent are abandoned by the end of January), so it’s important to dream up achievable resolutions.  So, instead of resolving to “never yell again at my children,” resolve to work on communicating more effectively, learning to become more patient with your children, or taking a time out of your own when you’re tired.

Here are five additional tips for keeping your resolutions:

1.  Don’t expect miracles.  Change takes time.  Be patient.

2.  If you get off track, don’t give up.  If you happen to be one of the people who wake up at the end of January and realize that you’ve already abandoned your resolution, jump back on the resolution bandwagon. 

3.  Break your resolution into manageable, smaller goals.

4.  Find others who share the same resolution, such as an exercise partner or support group.  Enlist your family for support.

5.  Strategize.  Map out your resolution and plan accordingly to achieve your goal.  Don’t forget to reward yourself along the way!

Good luck with your resolutions!         

If you’re grasping for last minute ways to ring in the New Year with your family, here are 10 fun and memorable ideas you and your children are sure to love:

1.  Think local.  Check out your local newspaper (or online version) for family events and entertainment listings, like family-friendly First Night celebrations.

2.  Get active.  Grab your sneakers and head off to a New Year’s Eve running/walking race.  New Year’s Eve (and New Year’s Day) races are popular across the country.  Many offer same day registration and kid friendly courses.

3.  Plan a last-minute party.  Consider a ”kids only” party at noon.  Even if the guest list is limited to your own family members, it’s sure to be a lot of fun!

4.  Get artsy.  Pull out the paper, crayons, and paint.  Create party hats and New Year’s Eve decorations with your children.  Plaster the decorations throughout your house.

5.  Celebrate early.  Dig up a video clip of last year’s ”ball drop” or New Year’s Eve celebration (you’re sure to find an online clip) and play it for your kids sometime before their regular bedtime.  An early celebration means no tired children the next day!

6.  Preserve the past.  Create a time capsule or memory box with your children.  A time capsule or memory box could be as simple as a shoebox.  Put notes, photos, or objects from the past year into the box.  Store it until next New Year’s Eve–and then pull it out for a good time!

7.   Bake.  Cook something sweet or special together, like New Year’s Eve cupcakes and let your children decorate them!

8.  Stay up.  Challenge your children to stay up until midnight.  Plan a midnight celebration–maybe include a special snack or favorite beverage.

9.  Play games.  Make New Year’s Eve a game night.  Pull out the family favorites and laugh the night away.

10.  Dress up.  Encourage everyone to ”dress up” in costumes or fancy clothes and ring in the New Year in style.  The perfect occasion for playing with mom’s “grown-up” make-up, jewelry or shoes!

How do you plan to ring in the New Year?  What are your favorite last-minute family-friendly New Year’s Eve ideas?   

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has recently issued a warning that families never place infants to sleep on air mattresses or other soft surfaces, including water beds. 

According to CPSC, air mattresses or other soft surfaces, pose suffocation risks for infants, and “Even properly inflated air mattresses are usually too soft for infants to maintain a clear airway. Air leaks and under-inflation also contribute to incidents.”

To review the CPSC warning and recommendations, click here.

I’m looking forward to ringing in the New Year.  Besides the excitement and promise the New Year brings, it also brings closure to hectic holiday travel–which means the return of the regular bedtime routine. 

When away from home, the bedtime routine my children have come to know usually goes out the window.  That includes “bedtime” itself.  What typically happens is that I get so wrapped up in family/friend activities and entertainment that I lose track of time.  I also see my children having such a fun time playing with their relatives and friends that I hate to put an end to those evenings of holiday fun.  I confess, it’s also a lot easier to completely let go of bedtime routines while on the road, especially when it means a hiatus from bedtime struggles.  

I admit, though, we all fare much better when we observe regular bedtime routines.  Happier children.  More patient parents.  Fewer temper tantrums.  After a few difficult days (the repercussions of late bedtimes), I’m starting to rethink bedtime on the road. 

I’ve discovered that experts and parents alike often suggest that sticking with regular bedtime routines while travelling can help preserve family harmony on the road, especially when travelling with toddlers.

Here are three additional tips for making bedtime on the road easier:

1.  Travel prepared.  Bring familiar bedtime/naptime comforts, like favorite stuffed animals or security blankets.

2.  Take a bed.  Bring along the travel crib, Snuggle Nest, or child travel bed.  For travel bed ideas, check out Graco’s Travel Bed or the absolutely adorable KidCo PeaPod travel bed.  Comfortable and well-rested kids make happy ones.      

3.  Avoid overstimulation.  Build breaks and downtime into your travel schedule, including naps or quiet time.

 Tell us, do your children keep a regular bedtime routine while on the road?  If so, what advice do you have for other parents looking to do the same?    

EeBoo, the company which makes Tot Tower toys, has announced a voluntary recall of Tot Tower toy blocks.

The recall involves Tot Tower toy blocks purchased since January of 2003. 

According to the company, “There have been reports of isolated incidents of sheets of plastic film laminate being peeled off Tot Tower blocks,” and “this could present a choking risk to small children.” 

No injuries have been reported. 

For more information about the recall, check out eeBoo’s news release.

Wishing you and yours a happy and safe holiday!  May the joy of this holiday live on through the memories you create with your loved ones. 

Go on, grab the camera and snap away–oh, of course, may you find the camera with a charged battery and a spacious memory card (or film) when you reach for it to capture those important moments!  At least that’s what I’m hoping to find come the time–but with kids, you never know what surprises will come your way, especially when it comes to electronics like cameras!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Eve is upon us.  If your day entails last-minute Christmas shopping, e-cards (or e-certificates) make perfect gifts.  E-cards get high marks for convenience, too–instead of dealing with traffic today, sit back and relax in front of your computer, and discover the easy way to check off those final names on your gift giving list.

It wasn’t until sometime after my second child was born that it dawned on me that children love textures, especially rubbing their fingers against soft, silky, or smooth fabrics.  Initially, I thought my kids’ interest in playing with certain fabrics was unique.  But, then I discovered plush toys with attached mini blankets and products similar to “Taggies,” Cuddle Cover Blankets, and HubbaCub Security Blankets on the market.  These products are specifically designed to offer infant and toddler tactile comfort–think cozy and chic security blankets!

Security blankets make great gifts for young children.  Perfect for the baby-to-be, infant, or toddler.  Besides providing companionship and calming fussy children, security blanket products are typically designed to retain “mom’s scent”–giving children added comfort when mom is away.

When I stumble across my kids’ security blankets, I have such beautiful memories of them snuggling with their blankets.  Security blankets are the ultimate keepsakes–the rare treasures that I plan to hold onto forever–at least until my children have children of their own.

Does your child have a security blanket?  If so, do you think it has positively impacted your child’s development?

I confess, I rarely think about the smoke detectors in my home–actually, I probably only think about them when my cooking sets them off!  But two recent events have me thinking about them today:  a friend’s scare with a chimney fire and a visit to the pediatrician, who said that she urges parents to change smoke detector batteries each year on their child’s birthday (a date that is sure to be remembered).

Besides making sure that your household is equipped with functioning smoke detectors (with fresh batteries), the U.S. Fire Administration reminds people (with or without children living in the household) to:

          * Plan escape plans and practice them

          * Teach everyone in your family when and how to call for help (i.e. emergency numbers)

          * Keep a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it

          * Install carbon monoxide detectors (note:  you may be able to buy smoke/carbon monoxide combo units). 

For additional fire safety tips and resources, check out the U.S. Fire Administration’s Web Site. 

For a great selection of child home safety products, including stove guards, stove knob covers, and fireplace guards, pop on over to baby-Wise.com.  When it comes to child safety, peace of mind is priceless.

Peas?  No.  Green beans? No way.  Broccoli?  Definitely not.  Spinach?  You must be kidding!

Does this sound like a familiar theme in your household?  Some experts (including mom experts!) claim that it’s not unusual for young kids to refuse vegetables from time to time (or even for lengthy stages) during early childhood. 

I’m now experiencing veggie refusal with my toddler–who once seemed to love everything from asparagus to zucchini.  A friend recently reported that her six year old ”one day” miraculously emerged from a lengthy stage of picky eating– ”deciding” to eat veggies after years of veggie battles.

One way to help solve picky eating or to stem bouts of veggie refusal is to expose your child to a variety of vegetables (and foods generally, including fruit) early on.  Some parents find a teething feeder is a helpful way to introduce vegetables to young children, especially since they reduce choking risks.

Don’t despair if your child doesn’t take to eating veggies right away.  It may take 10-15 times of exposure before your child comes to like–or even try–what you put before her!