ParentDish

Bizzyboard

Lesley Kennedy — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Family Time, Home Base

Get organized with a Bizzyboard. Credit: Bizzyboard.com

We don't know about you, but we live and die by a family calendar. If you don't already have a system that works for your busy brood, it's time to get one, and Bizzyboard is a great place to start.

This weekly planner allows you to post everyone's agenda, and, with colorful, picture magnets, even little non-readers can see a birthday, dentist appointment or trip to the museum is coming up.

The magnetic dry erase board includes 220 magnetic pictograms and has plenty of room to add to-do lists and other messages. Additional magnets sets are also available, with themes ranging from sports to holidays to school.

Get Bizzyboard, $199, at bizzyboard.com.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Summer Fun and Games: You Could Be Your Kid's Favorite Toy

Tom Henderson — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: In The News, Childcare, Toys, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Home Base, Summer Fun

Most children would do anything to have their busy parents get on the floor and play with them, especially in their early years. Credit: Getty Images

Pop quiz: What toy does your child most want to play with this summer?

It's a trick question.

"Believe it or not, you are your child's favorite play toy," family therapist, blogger and mother of two Amy Wickstrom tells ParentDish.

Wickstrom, a contributor to Working Mother, OC Family and more, also writes the blog More Than a Toy. She tells ParentDish it is important for parents to play with their children, especially during the summer when kids have more time and their hands and are crying out for parental interaction.

"Most children would do anything to have their busy parents get on the floor and play with them, especially in their early years," Wickstrom tells ParentDish. "Take 10 or 15 minutes to give them your undivided attention and interact with them and the toys they are playing with."

Need some suggestions?

"Do a family craft," Wickstrom suggests. "Run to your local craft store and pick out a craft to do with your child (such as building a bird house). Build enthusiasm for it by including your child in choosing what the craft will be, picking out the supplies together, learning about it more (for example, if doing a bird house, research different kinds of birds with your child and find out which birds visit your yard, etc.) and determining the time you will do it (simple crafts can be done in one sitting, but other crafts, such as building a model plane, could be done over several weeks during the summer)."

Some of the simplest games create the most lasting memories, she adds, such as hide-and-go-seek.

"One of my favorite memories as a child was playing kick the can and hide-and-go-seek with the other kids on my street," Wickstrom tells ParentDish. "Sadly, our age of technology often squelches a child's natural tendency to be outside and play with other children. Simple, all-time favorite childhood games are disappearing."

You can help combat that trend with a trip to the library, she says.

"Parents can take their kids to the local library to pick out a book and read it together there," she says. "Many libraries have special rooms just for children that are filled with toys and sometimes a stage with props for story time. This helps engage children in their imagination, have quality time with a parent and develop their reading skills. It also keeps them accustomed to old fashioned books instead of eBooks.

Websites such as FrugalDad.com have some other low-cost ways to build lifelong memories. Here are a few:

1. See a $1 movie. Many theaters offer summer movie programs for kids. If you're not so lucky, consider a movie day at home with a rental or streaming online video.

2. Hold Sprinkler Day. Delay your sprinklers for one day so they come on a little later in the morning. Then everyone can get in their bathing suits and jump through the sprinklers on a hot day. This also conserves water and reduces utility costs.

3. Go fly a kite. Check the 10-day forecast and look for a windy day in the coming week. Pick up a cool kite for the kids.

4. Make homemade Play-Doh. It's basically just water and flour. There are all sorts of recipes available online.

5. Build a "fort" in the living room. You remember this from when you were a kid. All it takes are some cushions and a sofa. If you want to get all fancy, you can use some large boxes and (with parental supervision, of course) some box cutters.

6. Go bowling. Bowling alleys often have special rates for families and will put out the bumpers so kids don't roll gutter balls.

7. Have a water pistol fight. Water pistols are often no more than $2. Pick up a couple and have a duel. If you want to make it a teachable moment, read up on the history and etiquette of dueling and make that part of the experience.

8. Hold Pajama Day. Stay in your pajamas all day.

9. Spend a day volunteering. There are lots of places you can volunteer and teach kids the importance of helping out. One idea might be the local Humane Society.

10. Have your kids come up with their own shirt designs, then have a custom T-shirt printing service print them up.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Heirlooms and Traditions from Marlo Thomas

the editors at MarloThomas.com — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Just for You, Family Time, Home Base

When I was growing up, my mother had this beautiful big silver punch bowl that she would use whenever there was a special event or holiday.

What about you? Has anything been past down in your family? Join the conversation and post a comment below. To contribute, sign in using your screen name from AOL, AIM, Yahoo, Facebook, or Google. If you don't have a screen name, create one now: it's fast, it's free, and it's safe!

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gloria Steinem: Can a Housewife Be a Feminist?

the editors at MarloThomas.com — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Just for You, Home Base

Writer and feminist activist Gloria Steinem addresses the question of whether a stay-at-home mom may still claim to be a feminist.

Don't miss on MarloThomas.com:

Little Moments That Made Up a Movement
Steinem describes the feminist movement as consisting of women's persistent recognition of the inequalities that exist, as well as the rights they deserve.
Watch the video

Today's Feminist Issues
Steinem singles out the key issues for present-day feminism.
Watch the video

Feminism Today
Steinem evaluates the current state of women's rights activism.
Watch the video

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Steps to Stepfamily Success

PBSParents.org — Wed, 04 May 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Adoption, Siblings, Relationships, Family Time, Home Base

Typical multi-home stepfamilies are like intact biological families in many ways. But, they differ structurally, developmentally and dynamically in many ways too.

Stepfamilies who aren't aware of these differences risk using biological family norms and expectations to guide their day-to-day lives. That's like trying to play baseball with soccer equipment and basketball rules -- guaranteed to create confusion, conflict and stress.

Learning to live well in a new family takes time. Everyone has a lot to learn, including how to cope in a new environment. One of the first things you'll want to do is to recognize some of the myths of stepfamilies. For example:

Myth #1: "I love you, and I must love your kids."
Reality: "I love you and will patiently work at respecting your kids. They and I may never love each other. If we do, it will feel different than biological parent-child love, and that's okay.

Myth #2: "Your or my ex-mate is not part of our family!"
Reality: "As long as your biological children from your previous marriage live, their other biological parent, and their new mate(s), if any, will emotionally, financially, legally and genetically influence all of your lives. Ignoring or discounting the needs and feelings of these other adults will stress everyone for years.

Myth #3: "We're just like a regular biological family."
Reality: Not really. Your new extended family and the linking of stepfamily co-parenting homes add up to loads of relatives with many major losses to mourn, and many conflicting values and customs to resolve. You are, however, normal -- a normal multi-home stepfamily.

Myth #4: "Your or my kids will never come between us."
Reality: Stepfamily adults' inability to resolve clashes over one or more step-kids, including related money issues, is the most quoted reason for a stepfamily divorce. Underneath this usually lie your own unhealed wounds.

Myth #5: "Stepparenting is pretty much like biological parenting, without the childbirth."
Reality: While stepparents' primary goals are about the same as those of biological parents, the emotional, legal and social environments of average stepparents differ in numerous ways. This usually leads to confusion, frustration, and stress, until all the stepfamily adults agree clearly on what each other's key responsibilities are.

Myth #6: "Your and/or my biological kids(s) will always live with us."
Reality: In about 30 percent of U.S. stepfamilies, one or more minor biological kids move into the home of their other biological parent at some point. The resulting emotional and financial shock waves can be extremely challenging. The key is to build realistic expectations for your new stepfamily homes, roles and relationships. If you don't, ongoing frustrations and disappointments can end up harming your marriage. Learning together what's normal in average stepfamilies -- early on -- can help considerably.

Here are a few more ideas on how to keep your new family on the right track:

1. Adopt an open learner's mind to new ways of doing things.

2. Award yourself patience, permission to mess up and learn, and strokes for the smallest triumphs.

3. Expect some people to misunderstand and to criticize your new values, goals, and plans -- or you. Realize they probably are stuck in a biological family mode of thinking. That's their issue.

4. Keep your emotional knees flexed, hold hands, and enjoy the adventure and challenge together. It's worth it!

Your relatives and friends might mistakenly expect your new household and kin to feel and act like a biological family. They also may not approve of either the prior divorce(s) or the remarriage. Yet, when well-run by confidant stepfamily adult teams (not simply couples), this modern version of an ancient family form can provide the warmth, comfort, inspiration, support, security -- and often (not always) the love -- that adults and kids long for.

What's your biggest challenge as a stepparent? How are you dealing with it?

This article was originally published on PBS Parents by Gloria Lintermans. Gloria Lintermans is the author of The Secrets to Stepfamily Success: Revolutionary Tools to create a Blended Family of Support and Respect, The Healing Power of Grief: The Journey Through Loss to Love and Laughter, and The Healing Power of Love: Transcending the Loss of a Spouse to New Love.

More From PBSParents.org:

Child Development Tracker

Expert Q&A

Activity Search

Kitchen Explorers

The Parent Show

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reading, Playing and Bonding With Children Staves Off Violence, Study Finds

Mary Beth Sammons — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: In The News, Home Base

Reading your child a book may stop them from being violent. Credit: Getty Images

Want to take extra measures to prevent your kid from growing up to be a bully? Try reading him a book or taking him to the playground for some parent-child bonding.

New evidence suggests kids who bond with their parents -- and are engaged in play, reading and other activities -- may be at less risk for violent behavior in adulthood and have higher IQs, Reuters reports.

Researchers in Kingston, Jamaica, studied 129 toddlers who were having growth-related issues for two years. One group of kids was given nutritional supplements; a second engaged in mother-child play and interaction; a third group received both; and a fourth group had no intervention. Turns out, the nutrition made no changes, but kids who played and bonded with their moms were less likely to engage in fights, according to the news service.

"The most exciting finding this time was the reduction in violent behavior, because that's something we haven't shown before," Dr. Susan Walker, lead researcher and a professor at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, tells Reuters. The study was published in Pediatrics.

The study included a weekly visit from a woman who taught the mothers how to play with their toddlers and engage them in everyday activities, and who also left toys and books each week.

As in previous follow-ups, Walker found that children who received the stimulation from their mother had higher IQs. In this study of the participants at age 22, there was a six-point difference between those who had received the interaction and those who did not.

"It's a substantial improvement for something that took place in early childhood," Walker tells Reuters.

Children who were stimulated were also 65 percent less likely to be involved in fights and violent crime as adults, and they performed better in math and reading tests.

Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Australian Company Offers Housewife Insurance

Tom Henderson — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: In The News, Home Base

Million Dollar Woman started covering homemakers for dislocations, sprains, torn muscles and falls suffered while cooking, cleaning, shopping and other chores. Credit: Getty Images

Remember the time Lucy Ricardo found herself locked in her own meat freezer or when she was attacked by a giant loaf of bread in her kitchen?

She could have used housewife insurance.

Unfortunately, no such thing existed when "I Love Lucy" aired in the 1950s. Now she could get up to $900 a week for up 13 weeks when one of her zany schemes went awry.

Of course, she'd still have a lotta 'splainig to do.

Then again, the folks at Million Dollar Woman would no doubt be sympathetic. There's just one catch: Lucy and Ricky would have to move to Australia. The plan isn't available in the United States.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports beginning this week, the company began covering homemakers for dislocations, sprains, torn muscles and falls suffered while cooking, cleaning, shopping and other chores.

Million Dollar Woman's CEO Lynette Argent tells the Herald the plan was developed after company execs noticed a gap in the insurance market for women, particularly homemakers, who have dependents who depend on them.

She adds insurance companies traditionally support the main breadwinners, usually men, failing to recognize the importance of unpaid work of homemakers.

"The life insurance industry has really been developed for men," Argent tells the Herald. "It was all about the breadwinner leaving some money for the little woman or the good wife and it's never really developed beyond that. Mums do an enormous amount of work but they were unable to get any insurance that would cover them for their unpaid work.

"We will be able to offer them that."

Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Operation Shower Honors Military Moms-to-Be With Caring and Compassion

Mary Beth Sammons — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Just for You, Family Time, Home Base

Operation Shower has hosted baby showers for more than 500 military moms. Courtesy of Operation Shower

When Nora Robles' son Rafael was 5 days old, she was invited to attend a baby shower in her honor -- and that of 37 other military moms and moms-to-be.

A week later, her Navy husband was deployed overseas on the USS Boxer. Now, she is home alone in San Diego, Calif., with two young sons.

That's why Robles says she is especially grateful for the mega baby shower and the outpouring of gifts that included car seats, diapers and gift boxes filled with baby supplies, clothing, toys, books and much more.

"We are so grateful for everything and the support," Robles, who named her new baby after her husband, Rafael Chavar, tells ParentDish.

The shower, held in January at Torrey Pines Golf Course and sponsored by Operation Shower, a St. Louis-based nonprofit, was co-sponsored by the PGA Tours Farmers Insurance Open and the March of Dimes.

"Having a baby can be challenging, but can be an even greater (challenge) when your husband is deployed overseas by the U.S. military," Courtney Faith Vera, a mom of two and deployment readiness group leader for the California Army National Guard in Lake Elsinore, Calif., tells ParentDish.

Vera, whose husband is a California Army National Guard Commander, helped coordinate the Torrey Pines event and was the featured speaker.

"Programs like this that support families and moms are very significant because so many military families move so often and live far away from friends and families and have little support," Vera says. "It adds a whole other layer of stress to having a baby and that can lead to a higher risk for complications."

Operation Shower was founded in 2007 by LeAnn Morrissey, a former attorney who stepped off the legal track when her daughter Keilan was born eight years ago. At the time, she tells ParentDish, she wanted to find some way to help the troops.

"My uncle was overseas and I felt I needed to do something to support him," she tells ParentDish. "I kept asking my uncle 'is there anything I can do to help you; is there anything you need?' He asked me to send cards to the wives of four of his troops who were expecting babies."

But Morrissey says she wanted to more than send a card.

"So, some friends and family members and I created 'Showers in a Box' for these women, filling them with little things like baby supplies, but (also) with pampering items for them like nail kits and bath items, something to make them feel special, too. The response we heard from the moms and the men was amazing."

The volunteer-run organization was born.

"I realized as a mom, myself, what it must feel like if you are about to give birth and your husband was oversees and decided it was a need we wanted to fill," she says. "But then add to that all the stresses of having your husband not there -- that must make moms-to-be and new moms so stressed."

In the last four years, Operation Shower has hosted baby showers for more than 500 military moms in groups ranging in size from 10 to more than 100, and in states from California and Texas to Illinois and Missouri to Mississippi and Florida.

The organization has expanded the "Shower in a Box," concept, sending "individual showers" to military moms, and has held 13 unit-wide mega baby bashes on military bases across the country for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard, Morrissey says.

The celebration makes a big difference in the lives of military moms-to-be, Vera says. And the baby essentials -- wipes, diapers and formula -- "let the moms know that at least the essentials have been taken care of and they have one less thing to worry about."

At the Torrey Pines Operation Shower event, all 38 moms were given car seats.

"That was humbling and exciting to watch, as so many of the moms had tears when they received them," Vera says.

Giving thanks to military families is the ultimate mission of Operation Shower, Morrissey adds.

"We're all grateful for what soldiers and other military are doing for all of us," she tells ParentDish. "We believe that there is no greater way (to show them that) than by throwing a party and celebrating and supporting them at this very special time in their lives."

Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Childrenfreude: Why I Take Pleasure in Other Parents' Pain - and You Should, Too!

David Valdes Greenwood — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Gay Parenting, Opinions, Home Base

My daughter, Diva, and I were at a friend's house for a playdate and Rose, her buddy, was in fine form. Just before we got there, Rose's mom had given her one explicit instruction: Stay out of the hair care products in the bathroom, which Rose had been treating like playthings.

Naturally, Rose disappeared with Diva the instant we arrived, returning moments later to show that they had frozen their tresses into sticky Aquanet sculptures. This set the tone for a day which included explicit disobedience, tantrum-throwing, a bold-face lie or two and weeping when criticized for any of the above.

I have to admit my immediate reaction was this: Oh, thank God! My daughter's not the only one! Indeed, the whole thing warmed my heart with what I'll call childrenfreude: the secret pleasure of watching bad kids happen to good parents.

Let me be clear: I'm not usually one who gloats in the face of another's pain. Yes, if a real jerk gets his comeuppance, I might feel a little twinge of satisfaction. And, if a politician who has made hay decrying the existence of my family is caught with his pants literally down, I'll think he deserves all the mockery he gets. Yet, even then, I feel badly for his poor family, forced to endure his shame, as well.

On this playdate, I truly sympathized with Rose's mom, who was clearly stunned by her daughter's behavior. Like any other kid, Rose can be willful and grumpy by spells, but most of the time she listens to her parents, does her part to help with her two younger sisters and is a joy to be around. This saucy, downright confrontational Rose was new, partly the product of a weekend spent with older cousins whose independence she wanted to mimic.

But her actions also reflected her age: Between 5 and 6, a lot of kids end up questioning why it is that they have to follow so many seemingly arbitrary rules on command.

Seeing my friend confront this exaggerated version of her daughter was encouraging to me because I'd lately witnessed so many similar scenes in my own house. Diva -- a girl mostly good about sharing her toys, playing with others and listening to her dads -- has been going through spells of behavior that can only be described as bratty.

She'll look us in the eyes and say, "I won't ever do that. You can't make me." She's gotten eye-rolling down to a science and has added little raspberry sounds of disgust to the routine. Some days, the shrieking chorus to every song is "Bad Papa!" or "Bad Daddy!" It's maddening enough at home; when such stunts happen in public, I worry my head might explode.

I admit, as a gay dad, there's an added pressure to these moments. Because my family configuration is so rare, and so many people are happy to use our existence as proof of their beliefs (for good or ill), every public success or failure takes on added meaning. And no one -- gay or straight -- likes to parent under a microscope.

That's why I couldn't stop smiling at Rose's house. It's not that I didn't feel my friend's pain, but that I understood it so exactly. And, as the parent whose child was not acting up in the moment, I could better see Rose's behaviors for what they were: irritating and obviously crafted to get a response, but completely transient.

From my safe remove, I could see that these meltdowns weren't the end of the world -- they just felt that way to the mom who had to endure them.

I think we parents all need to witness each other's worst days just to get through our own. For me, it's not really so much pleasure as relief in knowing that no matter what insane-making thing my child does, I'm not the first to live through it.

In future playdates between Rose and Diva, there will be ample opportunities for Diva to show off her she-demon side. And when Rose's mom can't help but laugh, I promise not to hold it against her.

David Valdes Greenwood has written about marriage and parenting for the Boston Globe and in his first book "Homo Domesticus: Notes from a Same-Sex Marriage." The author of three nonfiction books and the creator of the blog "Diva Has Two Daddies," he also finds time to be a kindergarten room parent and Barbie pretend play expert. Read his blog on Red Room.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Picky Eaters? The Sneaky Chef Offers Tips to Get Your Kids to Try Healthy Foods

Julie Z. Rosenberg — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nutrition: Health, Mealtime, Nutrition: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Nutrition: Big Kids, Home Base

Mac N Cheese Muffins from The Sneaky Chef. Credit: Photograph (C) Jerry Errico

As The Sneaky Chef, Missy Chase Lapine has spent years perfecting hundreds of recipes for foods kids love -- only sneakily fortified with hidden superfoods such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, wheat germ and more.

The trick is to add the superfoods invisibly. Lapine urges you to try these Sneaky Chef tips to get your picky eaters to eat healthy meals:

1. Don't plead, beg, threaten or bribe. This will only result in a power struggle. The less you show them that you care about what they are eating, the more likely they are to try the healthy foods you secretly want them to eat.
2. Shh! Don't tell them it's healthy! Defying some sort of logic, when children know something is good for them, they think it can't possibly taste good, even if it really does.
3. Hide healthy foods in kids' favorite meals. Puree cauliflower and zucchini and mix them into the cheese sauce for mac 'n' cheese, or puree yams and carrots and mix them into tomato sauce served over pasta.
4. Borrow smart packaging concepts from the food manufacturers. Let kids make up a funny new name for a vegetable or serve veggies on a skewer, in an ice cream cone or on toothpicks with fun dips. Make eating a new vegetable an adventure by serving a whole artichoke and allowing kids to peel the leaves and scrape the flesh against their teeth. Serve fresh green peas in the shell and let your children pick the sweet peas out of the pod, or cut open a fresh pomegranate and let them pick out each juicy seed. Hint: always serve the new vegetable alone, with no competition from a favorite, less healthy food, and serve it to kids when they are hungriest.

RECIPE: The Sneaky Chef's Mac N Cheese Muffins with Hidden Orange Puree

A handy lunch box alternative for kids who are tired of sandwiches or just won't eat them, The Sneaky Chef mac 'n' cheese formula is tried and true. This version becomes a hand-held meal that can be popped into kids' lunch boxes. No fork is needed -- eat them just like a muffin. (For some reason, children prefer to give up flatware whenever they can, to eat with their hands.) Kids don't mind them cold, so make ahead and freeze, then take them out and put into the fridge the night before.

Makes 8 muffins

4 large eggs
1 cup Orange Puree (see make-ahead recipe below)
2 cups low-fat shredded cheese
2 cups cooked macaroni
Salt and pepper to taste

Below are two ways to cook the muffins:

Oven-baked method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with oil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and Orange Puree. Mix in the macaroni and ¾ cup of the cheese. Divide the mixture evenly among the 8 muffin cups. Top each with about 1 tablespoon of cheese and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Microwave method: Line 8 microwave-safe ramekins or custard cups with paper muffin liners. Lightly spray liners with oil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and Orange Puree. Mix in the macaroni and ¾ cup of the cheese. Divide the mixture evenly among the 8 lined ramekins. Top each with about 1 tablespoon of cheese and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The Sneaky Chef Orange Puree

The following make-ahead recipe blends excellently in pizza, pasta and cheese sauces, bringing a big nutritional boost to meals that usually aren't thought of as health foods.

1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and rough chopped
3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
2 to 3 tablespoons water

In a medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water. Boil 20 minutes until tender. (Thoroughly cook carrots or they'll leave telltale nuggets -- a gigantic no-no for The Sneaky Chef). Drain vegetables. Puree on high in food processor with 2 tablespoons water, until completely smooth. Use the rest of the water to make a smooth puree.

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze in ¼ cup portions in plastic containers.

Missy Chase Lapine is the author of "Sneaky Fitness: Fun, Foolproof Ways to Slip Fitness Into Your Child's Everyday Life."

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Getting Kids to Dig Gardening

Ellen Rooney Martin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activities: Big Kids, Activities: Tweens, Activities: Teens, Home Base

Let kids help with planting. Credit: Getty Images

You don't have to hire a baby-sitter when you head out this spring to plant -- little ones can help your garden grow.

You're ready to dig into gardening as a family as soon as your child understands dirt is not for eating, Sarah Pounders, education specialist for the National Gardening Association, tells ParentDish. She knows from experience: Her toddler helps her out in her own Houston garden.

Herbs grown in containers are a great way to introduce your child to the pleasures of the garden because they grow fast and offer all kinds of scents and colors to pique your child's curiosity. Be creative with containers -- anything from an old shoe to a wagon can hold plants as long as there are drainage holes for water at the bottom, Pounders says.

Mint is a hearty herb that grows easily and has a child-pleasing scent when picked. Remember, children like to touch plants, so don't expect a perfect garden. You might even want to plant your child's garden off to the side from your main gardening area because young hands like to pull plants out of holes, sometimes a little too early.

Pounders says her carrots never made it to the table because her daughter pulled them out too early when she saw the tops turn orange.

If you want to really dig in the dirt, consider planting seeds or young plants in rows. Planting seeds is fun, but spacing them far enough apart can be hard with tiny seeds. Try cucumber, beans and sunflowers -- all have big seeds that your child can easily plant.

Pounders suggests a variety of options for kid-friendly gardens:

Pizza garden: Plant tomatoes, basil and parsley.
Rainbow garden: Plant a wide variety of colors.
Soup garden: Grow different root vegetables for the soup pot.
ABC garden: Pick a plant that begins with a letter from the alphabet.
Sunflower house: Plant sunflowers in a square to grow your own play house.

"You can't help but be successful when you plant lettuce or marigolds," Greg Stack, author of the University of Illinois Extension program's "My First Garden," tells ParentDish. "Maybe you can grow your future salad."

He recommends giving children different seed catalogs and letting them cut out pictures of what they want to grow. Then, you can order the seeds or go to a plant store to pick out your first plants.

Gardening teaches discipline to your children while they wait for the plants to grow, water them, stake them and even weed them, Stack says.

"It's just like having a pet, but you don't have to walk it," he says.

Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cyber Clean Electronics Cleaner

Honey Berk — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Home Base

Clean those hard-to-reach areas while killing germs this flu season. Credit: The Container Store

We must have missed the news a few years ago when it was announced that computer keyboards can be dirtier than public toilets. But now that we know, we're completely disgusted (and totally typing with two fingers right now).

Enter Cyber Clean, an innovative lump of gel that pulls dirt and dust from between the tiniest crevices in your electronic devices, while also killing bacteria. Non-toxic and barely scented, the gel is reusable and can be used on cell phones, laptops, remote controls and tons of other devices.

You can also use it to clean surfaces in public places, including light switches, ATM keypads, elevator buttons or doorknobs -- after all, you can never be too careful during flu season.

On sale now at The Container Store for $3.99.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Non-Toxic Antibacterial Cleaners Take the Worry Out of Clean

Honey Berk — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Going Green, Health, Home Base

Germs, be gone! Credit: Method

Before we had kids, we didn't spend much time thinking about germs. But now ... Let's face it, kids are germ-y. So, we admit to being a little obsessed with germs these days.

But here's the thing: Most of the commercial antibacterial and disinfectant cleaners out there are chock full of chemicals we can't even pronounce, let alone want around our kids. But, thanks to the good folks at Method, we no longer have to choose between sanitary and safe.

The new Method ANTIBAC line of cleaning products combine sweet-smelling essential oils and tough cleaning power, in a disinfectant formula that kills 99.9 percent of nasty household germs, including influenza A, staphylococcus aureus, salmonella enterica and E coli.

Available in a bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner and all purpose cleaning disinfecting wipes, each version smells great. But, what's even better is the peace of mind they leave behind.

Available at Method and retail stores for $3.99.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

8-Year-Old Painting Prodigy Racks Up $250K in Art Sales

Mary Beth Sammons — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Adoption, Divorce & Custody, Relatives, Gay Parenting, Amazing Kids, Twins, Triplets, Multiples, Empty Nest, Expert Advice: Home Base, Home Base

Proving that it's never too early to carve out a career niche, an 8-year-old painting prodigy is making big bucks selling her canvasses to grownups.

Autumn de Forest took a break from third grade this morning to fly across the country and appear on "Today" with her mom and dad and her colorful -- and increasingly pricey -- collection of paintings in tow.

Her work, which draws comparisons to artistic masters including Picasso, Warhol, Dali and Matisse, has been sold by the dozens at auction for a total of about $250,000. The highest price paid for one of her paintings is $25,000. It's called "People Are Strange," inspired by The Doors song of the same name, according to "Today."

The Las Vegas grade school student was 4 years old when she brought home an art project from preschool: a watercolor she called "Elephant," she tells Matt Lauer. Mom and Dad say her depiction of the animal was abstract with pronounced brushstrokes that they found very deliberate and "startlingly artistic."

"At first we did think it was a fluke," says Autumn's mother, Katherine, who appeared on "Today" with her daughter. "We were scratching our head and thought it was an anomaly and interesting."

But, when Autumn was 5, her masterpiece moment came when she traded in her kitchen table canvas for big-sized plywood in the garage.

"I turned away," says her dad, Doug, on "Today." "And what seemed like a few moments later, I turned back, and I swear to you it was as if [abstract expressionist painter] Mark Rothko had done some kind of mid-century masterpiece. Certainly, it was simple and abstract, but profound in its simplicity. It was just kind of a wonderful moment."

So, the proud parents bought her canvasses and supplies "to see what would happen," Doug says.

Autumn, who turns 9 this month, has never taken formal instruction, although her parents believe she would benefit from it and would like her to start, they say on the show. So far, her work is the result of pure intuition, imagination and inspiration. She painted "The Messenger," depicting a fetus attached to its umbilical cord, after going to an exhibition with her mother at age 5, and becoming fascinated with a display of a pregnant woman.

Though her parents are in creative fields, neither is a visual artist. Doug is a musician, Katherine an actress. There are, however, several accomplished and collected painters in Doug's family: Lockwood de Forest (1850-1932), George de Forest (1855-1941) and Roy de Forest (1930-2007), who was part of California's "funk art" movement, the family says on "Today."

Despite her success, Autumn is modest about her talent and isn't squandering her earnings, which the family is saving for college.

"I love my paintings, but I'm not the bragger of my paintings," she tells Lauer. "If someone is going to pay a huge amount of money to buy my painting and if they know I'm going to spend it to buy a bunch of Barbie dolls, they know you're going to waste your money on something not important. But people know the money is going into my education, maybe even art school."

These days, she says painting is a daily ritual.

"I do it every day," Autumn says. "I try to do as much as I can ... I do my best."

But it looks like Autumn has some male competition on the painting prodigy front from across the pond. Kieron Williamson, 8, has been called a mini-Monet by the British press. The Norfolk, England, youth's deft brush strokes, like those of a seasoned artist, have been hailed for their likeness to the French impressionist.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Who Counts As Family? Some Americans Rank Same-Sex Partners Lower Than the Dog

Mary Beth Sammons — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Adoption, Divorce & Custody, Relatives, Gay Parenting, In The News, Twins, Triplets, Multiples, Empty Nest, Expert Advice: Home Base, Home Base

Erick Sosa, left, and Mark Kibby enjoy a day of fun with their sons, Cole and Parker Sosa-Kibby. Credit: Dave Ouano Photography

Despite a growing acceptance of gay and lesbian couples, 30 percent of Americans still think pets rank higher than a gay partner as a family member.

Unmarried same-sex couples with children, as well as married gay and lesbian couples with kids, are quickly gaining acceptance as families by Americans, according to a recent study. But, when children are not involved, same-sex married partners rank lower than the family dog in the 'who is family, who is not' category.

"There's been an increasing receptiveness to include same-sex couples in people's definitions of family," study co-author Brian Powell tells ParentDish. A sociology professor at Indiana University in Bloomington, his findings are reported in his new book, "Counted Out: Same-Sex Relations and Americans' Definitions of Family," published this month by the Russell Sage Foundation.

"But, it comes down to the fact that people believe that only if there is a child, there is a family," he says. "A child connotes permanence, and we discovered that even if a family breaks up, we still consider them a family when there is a child."

Between 2003 and 2010, three surveys conducted by Powell's team showed a significant shift toward counting same-sex couples with children as family -- from 54 percent of respondents in 2003 to 68 percent in 2010. In all, more than 2,300 people were surveyed. Powell links the changing attitudes to a 10 percent rise between 2003 and 2010 in the share of survey respondents who reported having a gay friend or relative.

In their most recent 2010 telephone survey of 830 people, Americans were almost equally divided on same-sex marriage.

"I don't think people are ready to embrace it, but people are ready to accept it," Powell says.

In 2006, when asked if gay couples and pets count as family, 30 percent said pets count but not gay couples. In the 2010 survey, 83 percent of the respondents said they perceived unmarried heterosexual couples with children as a family; 40 percent extended that recognition to unmarried straight couples without children.

But Powell is quick to point out the disparity in what is defined as "family," which evolves around the legality of a marriage license, religious views and/or taking care of a child.

"I like to use the pun, 'this should give us paws,' but fact that gay couples are given less status than pets should be something we should think strongly about," he says.

Powell compares the positive shift in the view of same-sex families to the gradual acceptance of interracial marriage in the 1960s.

"People are definitely expanding their definition of what is family," he says.

Erik Sosa, a Kenosha, Wisc. stay-at-home dad who parents two young boys with his partner Mark Kibby, says he's seen a positive change in the way people perceive the couple in the last three years since they adopted the boys, both now 4.

"When we first moved in, it took the neighbors a little while to accept us as family," says Sosa, who is called "Papa" by the boys and is not married to Kibby, who is called "Daddy."

The couple moved to the suburban town when they adopted Cole and Parker Sosa-Kibby from Guatamala when the boys were 5 months old.

"What is really interesting to me is how much people see the commonalities in what I do and the other housewives on the block are doing every day," Sosa says. "Basically, we all have the same struggles as parents and all of us believe that the children come first and we come second. Families aren't about sex, they're about parenting and the definition is revolving to mean people who love each other and want to create a life together. "

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Failure to Stay Launched: Boomerang Kids Moving Back Home

Mary Beth Sammons — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Empty Nest, Research Reveals: Teens, Expert Advice: Teens, Home Base

Finally launched: After returning home to her parent's roost, Andrea Melendez finally moved out when she got married. Pictured here with her husband, Ricardo, and son, Ricardo too! Credit: Courtesy of Andrea Melendez

You just unloaded the SUV, assembled the futon complete with zebra-print sheets and kissed your youngest goodbye as you dropped her off at college, but your mind is already racing with visions of all the ways her now unoccupied bedroom at home could be transformed.

An exercise room, a home office, maybe a guest room? Don't reach for the Pottery Barn catalog and vino to celebrate your newfound "home alone" lifestyle just yet. There's a good chance your 20- or 30-something "older" child could be returning to the nest.

Multi-generational households -- demographic jargon for "Guess what, Mom? I'm coming home ... For good" -- are on the rise. Suddenly, Junior's not just mooching your food and lugging his laundry home on weekends, but you're the real-life Kathy Bates folding your 24-year-old's workout clothes and making his bed, ala the plot of "Failure to Launch."

Only, there's nothing romantic about this real-life comedic twist. And, bummer, Matthew McConaughey is missing from this picture.

Continue reading Failure to Stay Launched: Boomerang Kids Moving Back Home

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Slanket: What is it?

Amanda Younger — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:54:00 EST

Filed under: Just for You, Home Base

The Slanket was created by University of Maine alum Gary Clegg. Trying to shield his arms from the harsh northern winters while still having the ability to flip channels on his television, Clegg incorporated the sleeves of a shirt or sweater with the warm of a blanket. The Slanket features oversized sleeves attached to a large, machine-washable blanket.

The Slanket comes in a variety of colors and patterns ranging from Alaskan blue to a Safari print. There are also several types of Slankets for customers to choose from including a Slanket for children as well as a Slanket for two. Clegg's product has emerged as a rival to another sleeved blanket called the Snuggie.

Learn more about winter fitness on AOL Health.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Winnie-the-Pooh's Back, But Who Invited The Otter?

Tom Henderson — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:16:00 EST

Filed under: In The News, Books for Kids, New In Pop Culture, Home Base

The Winnie-the-Pooh sequel, "Return to the Hundred Acre Wood," has been met with criticism. Credit: Amazon.com

What's with the otter?

After 81 years, we finally learn what happens to Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet and the rest of the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood. And curiously, there's an otter involved.

Some Pooh purists are not at all amused by first officially sanctioned sequel to A.A. Milne's classic children's tales, "Return to the Hundred Acre Wood." Characters have been added to the pantheon before, most notably a gopher with a speech impediment. But that was for the Disney cartoons.

Milne's original work has always been considered sacrosanct. Now The New York Times reports not everyone is happy with the sequel published this month.

Continue reading Winnie-the-Pooh's Back, But Who Invited The Otter?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Grandparent Polls: The Results Are In

Julia Halewicz — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Relatives, Celeb Parents, Relationships, Family Time, Home Base

You may only have one or two grandparents in your life, but nationwide, they are 70 million strong. Since Grandparents Day is around the corner -- Sunday, September 13 -- we wanted to know how you felt about your elders. Scroll down to see the results.

Got something to add about the grandparents in your life? Let us know by adding your voice to the Comments.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

After-School Program Cancellations Pose Problems for Parents

Brett Singer — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:36:00 EST

Filed under: In The News, Home Base

When after-care closes, parents are left scrambling. Credit: wireful, Flickr

The back-to-school season is a joy for working parents. But many are facing the nightmare of cancelled after-school child care.

This has led to a boom market for baby sitters, since many households with two working parents are unable to care for their offspring immediately after the school day ends, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The cost difference is significant. The Journal estimates that after-school programs generally cost parents between $3 and $4 per hour, whereas hiring a baby sitter can run as high as $15 an hour. Some parents are pooling their resources to create "share-care," which costs approximately $5 an hour, according Genevieve Thiers of SitterCity.com.

These cuts create more than just logistical problems. They can lead to workers being forced to cut their schedules and therefore earn less money. One woman described in the Journal said that she would probably need to stop taking classes on weekends in order to find the money to hire a baby sitter. She had been taking those classes in order to get a higher paying job.

Some are concerned that the country will see an increase in "self-care" or what used to be called latchkey kids. Laws vary from state to state, but child-care specialists generally believe that children younger than 10 should not be home alone, according to the Journal. But with no options for affordable after-school child care, many parents will be forced to do just that.

Have you been affected by after school program cuts? What are you doing about it?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments