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Archive for the 'Reviews' Category
How Hip Are You?
I’ll file this under “what will they think of next?”
I’m sure most of us have iPods these day (who doesn’t?). Honestly, if I hadn’t been given one, I probably wouldn’t myself, I still call it my “walkman”. How sad is that?
But, how hip are your babies?? Do you have the new iCrib? That’s right, now you can upload all of your baby’s favorite tunes and play them right there in the crib! Our kids are most likely never going to know what life was like without all of this tech. Yes, it’s great in many ways, but I’m sure some of us would really miss that cute mobile that plays lousy music (but usually works to get the kids to sleep!).
If you’re interested, here’s a brief review of the new device that just hooks up to the crib with a space for your own iPod.
Just beware when the kid gets old enough to figure the thing out and starts blasting Van Halen in the middle of the night 
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Toys Vs. Love
According to this very scientific article, the kids really need none of it. What they do need is the time and love you put in to participate in activities with them. Really does make sense. But I’m sure this won’t slow down the toymakers any, they’re raking it in!
When it comes to toys vs. love, love wins every time.
Forget the latest toys — All kids really need is love
Authors say public policy should focus on helping children have good experiences in their earliest years
BY AMY ADAMSProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
With flashy toys, expensive classes and music compilations all promising to make your child smarter, it’s hard to sort out the best way to help your child’s brain thrive. A new policy paper helps put those worries to rest. The gist of the paper is this: What kids need is a secure relationship with adults who adore them.
“It’s all about playing with your child,” said Eric Knudsen, PhD, the Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor in the School of Medicine, succinctly summing up a paper in the June 27 advance online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A child’s eventual ability to learn calculus or a second language, he explained, starts with the neurons that are shaped by positive interactions with nurturing adults.
Kids and their Parents Diets
Announcements, Food, Children's Health, Parenting • 
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I will have to admit here that I think this had some effect on me as a kid, well, more like as a teenager. I remember wanting to try all of my moms diets, and even participating sometimes. Needless to say, I was always a pretty scrawny kid, that didn’t last and I think the whole body image thing can start affecting us at a very young age.
Not that I would ever blame my mother, I’m sure she was doing what she thought was best for me at the time, as always.
ALBANY, N.Y. - Mom’s dieting habits can have a bad influence on the children. Some research indicates youngsters learn attitudes about dieting through observation. For some youngsters, that might mean an unhealthy fixation on body image, experts warn.
“It’s like trying on Mom’s high heels. They’re trying on their diets, too,” said Carolyn Costin, spokeswoman for the National Eating Disorder Association.
As obesity rates climb among children, health officials are warning parents about the dangers of junk food and lack of exercise. Yet few speak about parents who meticulously count every calorie that crosses their lips.
Car Seat Safety
Who knew there was a whole week dedicated to kids and car safety? Not me, that’s for sure. Of course, it was back in February, but that doesn’t mean the message isn’t still important for all parents. Especially one’s like me, I didn’t even know what a booster seat was!
Car Safety for Kids
Keeping children in booster seats reduces crash injuries.
By Karin Bilich
Feb. 15, 2006 — It’s Child Passenger Safety Week, and Safe Kids Worldwide wants all parents to know that booster seats save lives. They’re essential for positioning seatbelts correctly on a child’s body. Children should sit in a booster seat until they’re about 4 feet, 9 inches tall and 80 to 100 pounds — usually between ages 8 and 12. However, only 73 percent of 4- to 7-year-olds ride in boosters, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
More School Food In the News
This is kind of a follow up to the previous article posted regarding school lunches. This article reports that most states fail at providing healthy food for their students. They did not include the actual meals for the students, but something tells me that wouldn’t have helped at all.
At some point, parents are going to have to play a more active role in what their kids are eating at school.
Believe it or not, Kentucky leads the nation with the healthiest vending machines! We should all take note.
By BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nearly half of all states received a failing grade in a school foods report card issued Tuesday by a nonprofit group that evaluated school nutrition policies.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, based in Washington, D.C., gave an F to 23 states and a D to eight others after evaluating school policies regarding foods and beverages sold in campus vending machines, school stores and school fundraisers.
The evaluation excluded school meal programs.
The nation’s highest grade, an A-, was awarded to Kentucky, where school vending machines are filled with bottled water and dried fruit instead of soda and snack cakes.