2008 Election Results

Our newly elected president, Barack Obama, represents a giant step for America. Obama will bring about hope and change to the people of America. This is a great thing. The greatest thing that it makes me think of is the huge progress this country has made on the issue of racism. Now that we have our first minority as president, I think all of can let out a big sigh of relief. Good things will come from this although there is always the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that there will be some sort of backlash. But all that aside, I really think that having a black president will be a great thing for our children too. Our children need to learn that we should not treat people differently because of their color and that anyone, regardless of color can achieve anything in America.

In California, it looks like prop 8 will pass and same-sex marriages will be banned. This is a sensitive issue and supporters say they want to preserve the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. Although these days, it looks like families come in all shapes and sizes. However it comes out, it's very interesting to me that both presidential candidates supported prop 8. Although Obama supports gay-rights, he clearly did not support gay marriage. That is strange to me, but I guess that's politics. Poll results also showed that a majority of black voters supported the ban, while other ethnic groups were pretty much split. I don't know what to make of that. In any case, one man and one woman is what the voters have decided for California, but I'm pretty sure that this is NOT the last we will hear on this issue...

Au Pairs

Au Pairs have been somewhat of a joke here in America, but if you think about it, the concept is still a pretty good one. In today's society, both parents are often working full time, leaving children to be cared for by crowded childcare facilities. Au Pairs are there at all times of the day, helping out whenever. If an unexpected event arises, they have you covered. Au Pairs are also often from other countries, so your children get exposed to different cultures and languages. Au Pair services can still be found, be sure to screen them thoroughly ;)

This halloween, be safe and smart

Planning on going trick or treating this halloween with your kids? Sounds like fun! To maximize your family time fun, be sure you're also safe... that means knowing where you are taking your kids to get tricks and treats. One thing I will recommend that you do is check out this website (for califonria only): http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov it's a sensitive subject I know, knowing the s-e-x offenders that live in your neighborhood, but as a parent myself I won't regret doing my homework to keep my kids safe. Have a fun and safe halloween!

The Wiggles

The Wiggles is great children's show that airs on the Disney channel. Normally, I don't really like Disney shows very much (and that is still true for the most part), but this show is pretty good. There's lots of singing and lots of dancing, and little kids will find it very entertaining. The 4 main characters are awesome and they all speak with an Australian(?) accent. They even teach kids other languages like Mandarin, which I think is great. One thing I will say about Disney channel is that there aren't any commercials, except for when they promote their own stuff, which is kinda like a commercial.

Check out the widget I made for them at the bottom of the page!

It's time to eat!

Eating time is always an adventure with kids, especially after they learn how to start walking. Once they know how to walk, it seems their attention span shortens or their willingness to sit still diminishes. This is creates a dilemma for parents because you want your children to learn good values like sitting down at the table for meals. But if you child simply won't sit still, do you chase them around wherever they go and feed them? or do you stop and wait until they are willing to sit down and eat? for busy parents (and most of us are), we don't have time to wait and we want our kids to eat, so we end up chasing. But I wonder if this actually instills bad habits for our children?

Shui Guo Bing Qi Lin!

Shui Guo Bing Qi Lin (aka Fruity Pie) is the name of Chinese television show that airs on KTSF (San Francisco Bay Area channel 8) every weekday morning at 8am. It's a great children's program that's in Mandarin chinese. The host, Fruity Grandma, tells stories, sings songs, dances, teaches children about things, and of course serves yummy ice cream to the children (who are little bananas). For my daughter it's great exposure to the Chinese language and she enjoys all of the singing and dancing. I kinda like watching it too, and I can learn Mandarin while she watches! Growing up in America, it's great to know a second language... whether you are chinese or not, your kids will love this show!

水果冰淇淋 actually translates to Fruit Ice Cream... wonder where they got "Pie" from?

More Fun with Yo Gabba Gabba!

I've decided that I really like Yo Gabba Gabba! It's just a fun and silly show that's great for kids and entertaining for adults that are young at heart. My favorite part is the music and dancing... this is where they really rock! The costumes are also awesome! My favorite character is Brobee, the shaggy green thing. Second would be the Cyclops, Muno. And of course, the host, DJ Lance Rock, is the best! Who's your favorite character??? Leave me a comment :)

To honor Yo Gabba Gabba, I've built a widget out of one their Flash files... find it at the bottom of the site.

Yo Gabba Gabba the DVD!!!

Yo Gabba Gabba is pretty much the most awesome-ist children's program that I've seen in a while... but if you're wanting to see episodes on Nick Jr, well good luck, because it's like, never on. But never fear, the DVD is coming out soon! In fact, I think you can order a copy of it today!

http://shop.nickjr.com/sm-yo-gabba-gabba-dancey-dance-bunch-dvd--pi-3188001.html

Kids and Bullies

Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. My 9 month old gets bullied by a one-year old. It's hard to tell if the bullying happens consciously or not... who can fathom what goes on in the mind of a one-year old??? Perhaps it is a way to get attention, maybe it's jealousy or maybe they think it's fun. But let's not focus too much on the bully here... that's playing to their their game. What's more important is how children respond to the bully, isn't it? Being a push-over is somewhat expected, especially, if the bully is someone new, or if the child has never been bullied before. It's a new experience and you don't really know how to respond. But if it's chronic, be prepared for some retaliation or at the least some resistance. If bullying goes on and the bullied child always gets the short end of the stick, parents step in!



photo credit

Griz's Family Activity Pick of the Month

The new California Academy of Science is opening this weekend and there is FREE admission on Saturday, Sept 27th, 2008. This is a great place to bring the family and you can't beat "free"! Looking at some of the pictures from the website, it should be amazing... I can't wait to check it out... if any of you do make it out, be sure to take pictures and share your experiences here!

Website: http://www.calacademy.org/events/openingweekend/

Baby's First Boyfriend/Girlfriend

You've probably heard it millions of times, when your child is playing with other children, the grown-ups say things like, "oh how, cute... they're like boyfriend and girlfriend"... or something to that extent. While it might sound fun and innocent, let's think about how those kind of comments can be negative. Not saying that this is always true, but young children that can actually understand what grown-ups are saying might suddenly feel embarrassed or maybe feel like you're making fun of them. This can lead to kids not willing to play with other kids of opposite gender for fear of being teased. So be careful of what you say in jest, especially when it can be harmful to a young child's social development or self-esteem.

New Parent? Here's some must have products

baby bjorn

great for little ones that don't know how to crawl or walk, you can carry them around and still use your hands for other things. also great for putting baby to sleep. saves your arms!

boppy

again, a great arm saver. while breast feeding or putting baby to sleep, you place this on your lap and gives your arms a rest. because you're sitting, you can also take a quick nap!

bundle me

for those cold days, transporting around in a stroller you'll want to keep baby warm. bundling baby in layers of clothes doesn't work well because they won't fit in the straps! Also, when you go indoors from the cold, baby isn't still wearing too many layers.

Baby Snacks

When a baby gets fussy, sometimes the perfect solution is a baby snack. There are plenty of snacks out there on the market, but I like asian snacks the best. Not to biased or anything, I just think that the ones that I find in your regular supermarket tend to be hard and chewy. making it difficult for little babies to eat. So the ones I particulary like are the Japanese kind that are shaped like a long wafer or the chinese ones that are like little balls. both are rice based I think and "melt" in the baby's mouth so it doesn't require a lot of chewing and prevents choking. I think they taste better too because I've actually had them! Look for it in your local asian market ;)

Doing Art with Kids

Children love art, it let's them explore, use their imagination, and be creative. Doing art is also a great way for kids to express themselves. Introduce kids to art early, and remember it has nothing to do with being talented. Art is fun and they should have fun doing it!

Fun at Studio Grow

Studio grow is this awesome place in Berkeley where you can take your kids to play. They have a huge space with lots of fun activities. My baby goes there all the time and it's great. She meets lots of other kids and has a blast. I think playtime is important for young children. It really helps them... well, grow!

Studio Grow: Visit their site http://www.studiogrow.com/

The Pacifier Delimma

like the picture above? I got it from http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2653720666_e0d5f5bf5c.jpg

Pacifiers are a great tool to calm a fussy child, but at some point they have to stop using it... you can't use it forever! I mean, a kid that's in preschool and above should definitely not be using it, right? But you see it all the time. So what do you do? It becomes so habitual after a while. The answer I suggest is, stop them before it becomes a habit.

Does your baby sleep through the night?

It's the question parents get asked the most. It's also the questions parents ask the most of other parents! Wonder why? Because kids don't sleep through the night and parents always wonder why and when will they ever sleep through the night. Parents never get enough sleep because their baby wakes up at all hours of the night. It's crazy, I know.

Sippy Cups - Good or Bad?

Sippy cups are a great way to acquaint babies to drinking from a cup, but the one thing parents need to be super careful of is the materials that the cups are made from. As a general rule of thumb, plastics are not a good idea. Metal cups are better because they have less chemicals. The other thing is the mouthpiece for sippy cups. These are designed for the baby's mouth, but they are super difficult to keep clean. Make sure you wash these well because liquids like milk and such can clog them and bacteria can grow in there. Take the time to soak these parts and clean them well.

Being Famous and Being Pregnant

Being pregnant is really super hard, but being pregnant and being famous??? Wow, I really sympathize with Jessica Alba, being a hot hollywood actress like that. She must have soooooo many people trying to hound her, take pictures and such. She's probably stressed out. And what does that mean for the health of the baby? It can't be good. But I guess it could be worse.

Dirty Diapers!

It's every parent's worst fear... dirty diapers! They're smelly, dirty, and messy. Fortunately, modern technology has given us disposable diapers, but there are many choices when it comes to the diaper department. There are cloth diapers, for instance, and if wshing poop-stained diapers sounds terrible, don't fret, there are plenty of diaper services at your disposal (har har)... Even with diaper wipes, you've got scented, unscented, thick, ultra thick, etc. It's enough to drive a parent mad. Then what about diaper rash? Diaper rash creams are effective, but sometimes, just good old baby powder will help ease the irritation. You'll probably end up spending a lot of money on diaper products so choose wisely!

Water play!

Whether it's the bath tub or backyard swimming pools, kids like to play with water. If your child doesn't like water, it's okay too... If they freak out, it's just because they don't know what's going on, it's a new experience to them. There are a few ways you can help:

• demonstrate on yourself. splash water on yourself, or jump into the pool first and show them it's okay.


• splash small amounts on them to show them it's okay.


• mix in other things, like a toy or beach ball.

If you have any other cool suggestions, leave us a comment!

Play time!

Play time is a wonderful opportunity for your kids to learn. Take your kids out often, like to a playground, and let them play with other kids, get dirty, and get some fresh air. Some kids will naturally want to start playing with other kids. Other kids like to just watch how other kids play together. Either way, it's all good! Don't pressure kids to play especially if the playground or the playmates are new to them. Ease into it and let them explore!

Kids and animals

It's no secret, kids love animals. It's part of their natural curiosity. And hey, even grown-ups love animals too! If you have pets, you know what I'm talking about. But it's important to remember that animals are animals, they don't follow human rules no matter how well trained they are. So that means as a parent you need to keep an eye on them. Make sure if your pet interacts with your kids that you clean up afterwards. Wash hands frequently because you don't want any of those nasty germs. Also if your pets make a mess, make sure your kids know not to play with it. You know what I'm talking about ;)

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For further reading on this topic click these links.



Click here for more animal safety tipe for kids.


Safety tips for kids and pets.

A day at the Petting Zoo

The family that eats together...

Kids love to eat. Even though they might put up a fuss... it's all about how you go about it. Meal times are a great way for kids to learn about all kinds of things. You'll love seeing how your child learns and grows just by eating. So next time you set up breakfast for the kids, take some time to enjoy it. Don't just rush through it like it's a chore. The family that eats together stays together!


Click here for some ideas on healthy foods.