Parenting in Loop Weekend Picks

Posted on April 17, 2016 by llpitlwp

Parenting in the Loop Weekend Picks

Welcome to a warm Sunday here in Chicago.

Our daughter and her baby made it here without any delays last weekend and are enjoying themselves and so am I. How lucky we are to have our little grandson grinning at us in person rather than on FaceTime.

The Pockit Stroller was a huge success as a must with a baby, especially when you are traveling alone. He was also super on the plane which was a huge relief.

There were so many good reads on my feed this week! It was difficult to pick just three but here goes.

Do you have to give up “your creative self” when you become a parent? Or does the creativity get woven into the the new fabric of your life.

A portrait of the artist as a young mom.

Source: Is Parenthood the Enemy of Creative Work? — The Cut

An in-depth exploration of the menstrual cycle and the difference between training bras and sports bras at this age wasn’t part of my Master Parenting Plan.

Puberty Girl visits our home frequently these days. She’s 13 years old, and she wears a bra, smears deodorant under her arms and drags a razor across her legs. She gets her period, and frequently changes her pad or knots a sweatshirt around her waist to cover up an unsightly stain.

My 5-year old daughter created Puberty Girl. The juicy details of adolescence have also captured the attention of my 7-year-old, but she has yet to create an imaginary representation of her curiosity.

This weekend read is just so interesting as it deals with a topic that so many parents dread and have difficulty with as their children get older but how young is too young for this discussion?

Source: How a social worker ended up talking to her young daughters about puberty – The Washington Post

My wishes to you all for a somewhat relaxing Sunday…the weekend is almost over. It simply goes to fast for me!

Parenting in the Loop Weekend Picks

Posted on April 8, 2016 by llpitlwp

Parenting in the Loop Weekend Picks

My daughter is traveling with her 7 month old son this week and although the Safety 1st Step and Go stroller she uses all the time is wonderful she wants to travel lighter. So I was on a mission to find her the smallest stroller with a good price point for my budget! Thanks to my favorite baby gear go to person Jamie Grayson aka “The Baby Guy NYC” I was able to locate the Pockit Stroller.

The Baby Guy NYC

Once I found out the stroller on The Baby Guy NYC, my second problem was shipping it over night. Thank you Pish Posh Baby for making it so easy to get the exact stroller delivered overnight to my daughter for her travel this weekend.

The process of finding an awesome stroller that is right for your family is often times accompanied with feelings of overwhelm. We often hear parents complain and ask:

Source: How You Can Pick Out an Awesome Stroller for Your Family – The PishPoshBaby Blog

Organization is the buzz word these days and moms look at other moms and do the inevitable comparisons. This post came through my feed and I thought it was a great one to share.

Mom-Finds-Out-Her-Baby-Named-After-Ex-Girlfriend

We all have a mom in our lives whose level of “togetherness” we secretly (or not so secretly) envy. She shows up at school drop-off looking like she was dressed by a stylist and had time for a blowout, has no problem chairing a fundraiser on a whim, and has a successful day job, too. There are two truths that this mom would love for you to know: #1 No one has it all together, even her, and #2 She’s got a few tricks up her sleeve. While we can’t tell you the last thing that caused her to melt down or lose her cool, we do know a few reasons that there seem to be more hours in her day than everyone else’s. Here’s the scoop on how to channel your most organized self:

Source: Things Organized Moms Do | POPSUGAR Moms

What is better than a weekend birthday party?

I am a big fan of Beverly Cleary books and in celebration of her 100th birthday I am featuring this post! Happy Birthday dear Beverly!

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On April 12, Beverly Cleary will be eating a slice of carrot cake in honor of her 100th birthday. While the talented author might not be going all out for the occasion, anyone can celebrate by picking up one of her beloved books that have the power to

Here’s to a nice weekend everyone!

Parenting in the Loop Weekend Pick

Posted on March 19, 2016 by llpitlwp

Parenting in the Loop Weekend Pick

Do you go away on a kid free break for long weekend and leave grandparents in charge with a list of everything they have to do while working as locum parentis? On a scale of 1-10 how do they usually score?

Personally, I never experienced problems when we left our kids with my mom so this type of tongue in cheek letter would not have been necessary but assuming my family was an exception as a grandparent myself now I never want too be the recipient of such a missive,

Let me know what you think?

Have a nice weekend!

Spring is almost here ,

Dear Granny, Grampy, Nana and Pop Pop:

Thank you sooo much for taking care of the kids next week so the husband and I can go away for the first time in years. I know I’m just supposed to be appreciative, so let me tell you a little something that I would appreciate.

I would appreciate coming back to the same kids we left behind. See, in the past when we’ve left them with you for just one evening, we came back and literally couldn’t tell where their buttholes were because both kids had turned into the most gigantic assholes I’ve ever seen. I know you think that taking care of your grandchildren is your chance to relive your glory days, but these are not your kids. These are our kids. And if they act more a-holey than usual when we return, then going on vacation has actually made life more stressful, which means I just paid a shitload of money for my life to get worse.

Source: 10 Things Grandparents Shouldn’t Do When Grandchildren Visit Scary Mommy

Weekend Pick from Parenting in the Loop

Posted on March 12, 2016 by llpitlwp

Weekend Pick from Parenting in the Loop

Hello Saturday!

I am glad you are here so we can catch up with each other in our family. We are lucky to have FaceTime to see those of us who are faraway and dear to us. This grandmother never imagined a handheld smart phone that could connect my love ones so easily.

My family growing up either lived in the same apartment building, or very distant like the Japan, Europe and the Philippines. The distant family I only saw once a year when they visited NY. We did not talk on the phone but we once connected with my brother on a HAM radio.

Now what does this Parenting in the Loop have to do with family and weekends. Well, how many parents and grandparents are going to be doing homework and projects with their kids and grandkids this today?

Does it make you feel good when you spend time with your kids and grandkids doing ‘their’ school work on the weekend.

A fascinating article points out there are better uses of time than homework in elementary school and I would definitely agree.

What would you do if your child did not have homework? Would you be creative and do something fun with the family?

Would love to hear your ideas!

Happy Weekend!

What works better than traditional homework at the elementary level is simply reading at home. This can mean parents reading aloud to children as well as children reading. The key is to make sure it’s joyous. If a child doesn’t want to practice her reading skills after a long school day, let her listen instead. Any other projects that come home should be optional and occasional. If the assignment does not promote greater love of school and interest in learning, then it has no place in an elementary school-aged child’s day. Elementary school kids deserve a ban on homework. This can be achieved at the family, classroom or school level. Families can opt out, teachers can set a culture of no homework (or rare, optional homework), and schools can take time to read the research and rekindle joy in learning. Homework has no place in a young child’s life. With no academic benefit, there are simply better uses for after-school hours.

Source: Homework is wrecking our kids: The research is clear, let’s ban elementary homework – Salon.com

Baby Development at 6 Months

Posted on March 9, 2016 by llpitlwp

Baby Development at 6 Months

Can you believe that 6 months has gone by since your baby was born? In some ways of course in other ways the changes in him can make you wonder were did the time go since he was just in a swaddle?

Baby development is slowly happening each and every day right in front of you. It is not dramatic but it is subtle and so much fun to see these new abilities and changes.

At six months he is becoming more physically active and more social. What have you noticed?

Here are some highlights of baby development at 6 months of age.

Rolling over and rolling around when you are trying to change his diaper and not staying put any longer when you lay him on his play mat on the floor. His muscles are developing and he is holding his head up better and perhaps he is even sitting up.
Now that he looking around more he is also becoming more social. He will even flirt with you and crave your attention as he also begins to develop stranger anxiety. His crave for your attention is making him engage in behaviors and crying that he knows will alert you to him. It is now time to give him some positive feedback when he does positive things which just about always at this point because the time will come when some of his attention getting behaviors will not be so cute and endearing.
Foods- When you begin to give your baby some solid foods on the recommendation of your doctor don’t be surprised when his stools change and become more stinky depending upon what he is eating. If he does get constipated try to give him some baby strained fruit and veggies to help him out as firm stools can be really uncomfortable for him.

My little grandson seems to be right on target with his baby development, he is wowing us with his little baby nuances and new abilities. Although he does not yet sit up fully on his own his head is well controlled and his is exploring his environment every chance he gets. Safety has become more important with regard to his new love of rolling around whenever and wherever possible.

He also has tasted some yummy foods. Organic foods are preferred by mom and dad but it is not easy to always find them in the baby food aisle a their local grocer. So grandma gave baby and parents a present a baby food processor, the Baby Brezza Food Maker, which should thrill everyone with it simplicity of use and clean-up with the bonus of preparing really healthy delicious food and one that was not available when this grandma was a young mom. I also order baby food online, delivered right to their door.

I can’t wait to see what happens during the next month of my little grandson’s life!

Source: Your 6-month-old’s development: Week 1 | BabyCenter

Early development and Baby Sign Language- 7 Positives

Posted on March 8, 2016 by llpitlwp

Baby Sign Language – 7 Positive Reasons to Teach Sign

Six months has just gone by and baby’s understanding of spoken language along with her motor skills develop much faster than talking and speaking words.

Baby is waving and pointing around 9 months to 1 year. So it seems to be the optimum time to teach signing to baby as a way for him to express herself. It may actually cutdown on TANTRUMS from frustration.

If anything can minimize frustration both yours and baby’s, to me, it is worth it. Hungry (putting your fingers to your lips) is a great first word to begin teaching. Full is another word that is helpful rather than little one throwing her bottle or dish to the floor. Cleaning up the floor is no fun!

Baby Sign Language to the rescue!

Source: Your 6-month-old’s development: Week 2 |

BabyCenter

Early Communication– signing can begin as early and 9 months and first words at 12 months. (Sara Bingham of WeeHands and “The Baby Signing Book”)
Larger vocabularies
Few tantrums- because now your little one can make some of his needs and wants known, less crying and less whining.
Increased confidence – watch his facial expressions when he makes himself known.
Greater interest in books-reading and signing simple books makes it a more enjoyable experience for your child. Think “Itsy Bitsy, Spider”.
They are smarter – “According to research at UC Davis, babies who sign have a 12-point higher IQ than those who don’t. Experts surmise that signing stimulates the language centers in the brain”.
Better mom baby bonding with baby sign language – this is my favorite, what could be more motivating? “In one study by the University of Hertfordshire, mothers who signed with their babies were more tuned into all of their baby’s nonverbal cues — signed or not — and also more likely to see their baby as having a mind of their own rather than just a lump of Silly Putty for a brain. All of which is bound to bring you and baby even closer and make your already-solid-as-oak relationship ever stronger”.

Weekend Picks from Parenting in the Loop

Posted on March 4, 2016 by llpitlwp

Weekend Picks from Parenting in the Loop

Weekend travel is so common and we are so blessed when we can enjoy a getaway from the day to day! So as we prepare for yet another travel adventure I cannot help but react to this event on an airplane.

This story just affected me to my core when I read it after it popped up on my personal Facebook page. Our family too, deals with anaphylactic food allergies and we travel and have traveled pretty much without any serious events especially any life threatening situations. That being said, I am so sad that there seems to be such a horrible lack of compassion for adults and children, who have disabilities which to me can even be a food allergy as it does curtail one’s ability to enjoy certain activities due to environmental factors.

Empathy and compassion accompanied with knowledge and understanding from his fellow fliers would have perhaps not broken the spirit of 7 year-old little Giovanni, who was on a trip with his terminally ill father, a trip that was probably the last one they would ever take together. Can you even imagine how Giovanni felt when he heard a plane full of adults clapping as he left the flight that was supposed to take him home with his family and as he watched one of the attendants smirk at his mother as she told his mom, they should probably drive.

A seven year old little boy now has to remember that adults were happy to see him abandoned to the airport, stranded with his deathly ill dad and his mom at a time when he himself was covered in hives, scratching all over.

I cannot help but think how it could be that people are so inappropriately reactive and insensitive to another person’s problem. Maybe it was a ‘herd’ reaction but that really is not an excuse for being so out of touch with those in such proximity.

What if someone was having a heart attack. Would the ‘herd’ have responded in the same way?

What if it was you or a family member that needed medical attention just before take-off?

I hope that Giovanni’s physical recovery was uneventful and that emotionally he can put this ugly experience behind him as he enjoys his time with his Dad, who suffers from cancer. I also hope his Dad knows that his son probably will have other experiences during his life related to his allergies and that Giovanni will reflect back on this one as the event that helped him understand and have empathy for those that also have allergies and disabilities. Perhaps Giovanni was concerned even more about his sick Dad than himself as he departed his flight. Kids at seven can be very alarmed when adults around them are sick.

When 7-year-old Giovanni began to break out in hives shortly after boarding a plane in Bellingham, WA, with his parents, the family had no idea that their painful ordeal was just beginning. “He began to get very itchy and he was scratching all over,” the boy’s mom, Christina Fabian, told THV11 News. “So we informed the flight attendant, who informed us that there’s dogs on every flight and just smirked . . . which minimized his experience for me.” The allergic reaction delayed takeoff, and eventually, the family was told that they’d have to deboard. “We understood,” Fabian said. “They helped us off the plane, but as we gathered our stuff the people toward the back of the plane clapped.”

Source: Passengers Applaud as Boy With Allergies Is Forced Off Plane | POPSUGAR Moms

So this weekend, I am going to try to be extra sensitive to those around me, even if they are strangers, even if they are delaying me or annoying me for whatever reason. I am as impatient as everyone else these days and I have my moments where I just don’t want to deal with life’s inconveniences.

Although I cannot change anyone, it is possible for me to at least improve my own efforts to express empathy and understanding one day, or even one weekend at a time.

Weekend Pics from Parenting in the Loop

Posted on February 19, 2016 by llpitlwp

Weekend Pics from Parenting in the Loop

Spices of Life

I am really into decluttering. But I find it a totally frustrating experience at best. Devoting any of my precious hard earned time on any given Saturday or Sunday is definitely not something I relish.

Do you feel the same way?

OR…

Are you already super organized?

Are you a weekend warrior and love projects like these?

I loved this post in the New York Times. Both of these women and their approaches appeal to me. So I am already stuck, when it comes to organizing my kitchen space.

Two Cooks, Two Kitchens, Two Organizing Plans

Do different cooks need different approaches to organizing the kitchen?

I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the need for a kitchen makeover. Margaux Laskey, my partner in the Kids Cook column, was having similar thoughts. Although we’re both working parents who love to cook, we’re in different places in our lives: She’s the mother of a baby and a preschooler, while my kids are older (9, 10, 11 and 14). Her kitchen is small, mine is the big country version. Did we also need different approaches to a kitchen clean-out?

On one hand I don’t think I could stand to have everything out of my cabinets and exposed so it would be hard for me to choose the first plan. On the other hand I like the outcome even if it took almost 10 days to achieve.

The second approach is more appealing because there seems to be a more immediate gratification in having one part of my kitchen organized even if it is just the spice cabinet.

Neither one of these is a weekend project for me.

Over the years I have tried decluttering and one of the things I simplified was my wardrobe. That was about 15 years ago and at this point it is in severe need of a revisit.

Our house has been the home at any given time for 4 generations of our family and we have only lived here for 20 or so years. There are many things that evoke memories of times and people gone by. It is not so easy to “dispose” of these memory charged things. It feels like I am actually throwing away my past even though I know that it not true.

I love the fact that I can take photos of the things before I give them away and those photos can be store readily stored on my computer literally forever. I know my mother would not want me to be a slave to saving her things unless it was something that brought me true joy when I wore it or looked at it. I have to keep this in mind.

I can truly tell you I will not be decluttering this weekend since I prefer to procrastinate.

What will you be doing?

Donna’s Day for Childhood Cancer

Posted on February 16, 2016 by llpitlwp

Donna’s Day for Childhood Cancer

The thing that my instructor made sure we all understood as pediatric nursing students was this ONE fact…

Children are not little adults especially when they are sick.

We must treat them differently.

I have never forgotten this

It is why I support

St. Baldrick’s

and

Donna’s Day

St Baldrick’s raises money to fund research for Kids Cancer!

Research that is key to curing kids cancer.

Treatments for kids should be specialized for kids. Just imagine if this were the case, 30% more kids would survive.

That is a reason alone to search for specific treatments for kids. If it were a child of yours, you would want those treatments.
When a kid gets cancer, it may be in the white blood cells, in the nervous system, in the brain or bones, in the lymphatic system, muscles or kidneys.

It happens to be that, (ALL), Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.

In the 1950s, almost all kids diagnosed with cancer died.

Because of research,

today about 90% of kids with the most common type of cancer will live. But for many other types, progress has been limited, and for some kids there is still little hope for a cure.

In the early 70’s as a student nurse, I took care of Jeffrey, a little boy with ALL. He was hospitalized at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC.

Jeffrey received state of the art treatment for ALL in 1971, which was chemotherapy. Despite treatment at one of the finest pediatric centers Jeffrey died at age four, leaving his dad, mom and younger sister brokenhearted.

Today, I can’t help but think as I write this post, little Jeffrey would have survived with a long term remission or even a cure. I am hopeful that we can provide remissions and cures for other kids’ cancers. I would like to see no more kids die like sweet little Donna and Jeffrey.

There are very specific differences between adult and kids cancer:

Adult cancers can be diagnosed early where kids cancers have already spread by the time diagnosis is made.

Some cancers never strike after the age of 5.

Other cancers occur most often in teenagers.

There are over a dozen types of childhood cancers and countless subtypes.

About 60% of all funding for drug development in adult cancers comes from pharmaceutical companies.

For kids? Almost none, because childhood cancer drugs are not profitable.

Sad but true, it is about profits!

Donna’s Day 2016

In Chicago we’re having a St. Baldrick’s Event to raise money to fund research in hopes that one day no child will have to fight cancer.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity that funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.

You can be involved by donating, signing up to be a participant, fundraising, volunteering, and attending.

Join us on the event day to celebrate Donna’s spirit, meet Mary Tyler Mom and family, and gather with others who have been truly touched by their little girl’s story. We look forward to your participation this year.

Won’t you join us?

A St. Baldrick’s Event

Source: Donna’s Good Things at Candlelite Chicago | A St. Baldrick’s Event

Weekend Pics from Parenting in the Loop

Posted on February 6, 2016 by llpitlwp

Weekend Pics from Parenting in the Loop

Welcome back!

Do you play catch up on the weekend? This weeks pics are short and sweet to read while you take a much needed break from the weekday routines.

Baths…are they really necessary every day for kids? What is the routine in your house? Do you wash your child’s hair every time they shower or take a bath? I never really thought about this too much but it must be a topic of discussion so here are some guidelines.

My grandmother told me that back in the day Saturday night was bath night and their tubs were in the kitchen because they had to heat their own bath water on the stove. That was tenement living in NYC in the early 1900’s.

Contrary to popular belief, babies don’t need daily baths, according to Laura Jana, MD, spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It’s not until they begin crawling around in sandboxes and other places, and start eating solid foods, that they get dirty enough to merit a full-body wash. “Bathing is really necessary only to clean your child off when she gets dirty,” pediatrician David Gellar, MD, told BabyCenter.

Source: Do Kids Really Need a Bath Every Day? The Great Debate

How do you promote creativity in your children and grandchildren? This week I read that kids are better off with lots of arts and crafts in their play space than a bunch of toys. I would not argue with that except there are definitely toys that creative while being fun. I am thinking about STEM ‘toys’ in particular robots like Dash and Dot, and Legos. How does your weekend stack up when it comes to creativity?

Re “How to Raise a Creative Child” (Sunday Review, Jan. 31): What Adam Grant says about the relationship between freedom and creativity is so true. But now I fear that the tiger moms and dads will decide that they can mass-produce creative children merely by cutting back on rules and letting their children follow their hearts. I would argue that the sources of creativity are deeper than that: Creative children tend to have creative parents who encourage and value creativity in their offspring.

Source: On Freeing a Child to Be Creative – The New York Times

This is a great short article about kids and money and the effects of managing it even at an early age and keeping the conversations about spending alive as the years go on. A very worthwhile read even for adults who have money/materialism issues.

Children are ever-changing beings, but when it comes to money and materialism, too many parents think that their older offspring are not malleable at all.

Here are the 6 Steps: