The Art, Joys and Education of Playdates
My older son has recently started drop-off playdates. It hasn't caused much of a complaint on either of our parts--he gets to explore another basement or back yard, or is completely distracted with a guest who would love to play hide and seek for an hour straight. And I get an hour or two free from the whinings of “Mooom… play with me” when, really, I’d much rather fold laundry than play Candyland for the eighth time that week.
Of course, my younger son isn't loving it so much. Trying to keep up, he finds the simpler hiding spots and is always found right away (what 2-year-old doesn't giggle when he hides?) The best of the friends are the ones that include him. It makes it easier all around. And when we’re lucky, he feels like it’s really his playdate, too. Before long, Carson’s friend is suddenly Wesley’s friend.
I've been impressed with the variety of playdates we've had. Some moms, like me, simply say "go! play!" Others prepare smorgasbord of activities. Others would rather pop in a movie or two for the kids.
And its the variety about playdates that I love so much. He'll come home from Joey's house having sampled hummus and pitas, grapefruit or a tuna salad. He'll tell me all about Cam's collection of bugs and Aaron's amazing super slide. Last week, Carson came home with a jar of sandart—something I never thought of as a playdate activity before. Here, they often play superkids--wearing capes and shooting off rockets to save the day or playing superhero hide and seek. No matter what they do, they're having fun. They'll collectively use their minds to explore things neither child has explored in the past. Or they'll introduce personal favorites. The kids learn to work with each other. To listen to differing opinions and interest. To take turns.
I find I’m refereeing less squabbles and, as I pull myself away from the job of entertainer, I’m noticing a sense of independence that I wasn’t so sure existed in my 4 year old.
How have playdates changed your experiences with your children? Tell us what you’ve learned and share your playdate activities.
May 05, 2008
I need Wii therapy
Someone needs to smack me over the head. Hard. I seriously can not stop playing our Wii. It started innocently enough: A few months ago, I bought a Wii for the family. Friends had brought theirs over and after one night of playing, we were all hooked.
Since then, we've been playing various games. I discovered the whole GameStop/used games thing (you have 7 days to "test" out a used game and bring it back if you don't like it) and have found some great games that the kids, hubby and I love. At first it was great because it was a fun family activity. Nate (4) and hubby would play each other in tennis once in awhile. Then we got a Diego game and Nate started getting comfortable with the remote. We have various Mario and Spiderman games now, and we recently bought the latest Mario Kart Wheel game (the remote goes into a "wheel" and you drive).
And here's the thing - Nate loves to watch us play. So lately he's been asking me to play while he watches and I kind of like it! I have fun and he's always shouting out words of encouragement "you go, Mom!" (seriously) Or, "great one, Mom!" Even Cole (18 months) enjoys it - he makes excited noises when we turn the Wii on.
The latter of which was probably the wake up call I needed. Okay, is it really normal (and healthy) for my 18 month old to clap and get so excited over a game system turning on?
I'm definitely aware that we have to tone it down a little. It's a fun thing that we all love and bond over, but there's definitely a fine line between having a little fun and becoming a couch potato playing too many games. So when does it get to be too much? Am I a bad Mom for introducing my kids to a game system they otherwise would have known nothing about?
April 29, 2008
Qualities of Great Websites for Children
I love the internet. You can find a wealth of information with a few keystrokes and a couple clicks but not all the stuff out there is great. Actually, very little of it even qualifies as good. And when we are trying to find great sites for our children, it can be even more difficult.
So what criteria should you, as a tech savvy parent, use to determine the quality of websites?
When evaluating websites, I look for sites that are easy to navigate. This means that the initial page has a user friendly layout. The first page fits on the computer screen and no scrolling is needed to view the entire content. The page is designed so that links to other pages are easy to find. The site doesn’t need to be complicated with moving images, lots of graphics or tons of text. Simple is better.
A site must have age appropriate content. For a preschooler who is just beginning to read, there shouldn’t be an overwhelming amount of text that they will need to read in order to navigate the site. Activities and games should be just right for the child and not too difficult.
There should be few or no ads on sites for children. With an abundance of ads, children are often enticed by the images such as fast food restaurants logos, favorite television characters, and toys. Children click on the familiar out of curiosity that will lead them away from their game and on to another site. When this occurs, it is nearly impossible for a young child to navigate back to the original website. Not only is the child lost in cyberspace but often ad content can be questionable for young children. In a frenzy of clicking to try to return to the original website, it only takes a few more clicks for a child to accidentally get to inappropriate web content.
I receive many recommendations of websites to review. Friends, fellow bloggers, and moms love to share sites and I’m happy to look at them. But just like I would never buy a car without taking it for a test drive, I would never recommend a site without looking at it first. Always review websites before letting your children use them. Make sure the content is appropriate and the site is age appropriate. Also, make sure the site actually exists. Sometimes URLs can be taken over by other sites of questionable content.
What criteria do you use when selecting websites for your children? Feel free to leave a comment!
Leticia is a former first grade teacher with a background in early childhood education and classroom technology integration. On her website, Tech Savvy Mama, Leticia writes about technology products and websites that work for kids based on her experience with her own two children.
April 28, 2008
Do you have a topic you feel passionately about?
We're still looking for columnists on this new Articles section of ours. Drop us a line at articles@mommieswithstyle.com if you either consider yourself an expert on one of these subjects, have a lot to say or have something else not listed here that you'd love to blog about here.
Some of the categories we're looking for articles for includes:
Decor
Green Living
Education
Finances
Health
Recipes
Special Needs
Travel
April 24, 2008
There's more coming here
Hey Mommies - welcome to our new section. There's more coming here, I promise! We have a ton of really cool guest columnists lined up to start populating this page. (Plus some of your favorites from way back when will be returning!)
This second blog is a work in progress for us. If you have column ideas, article ideas or just general feedback, don't be shy! Leave us a comment and we'll go from there.
April 09, 2008
What's your child's education worth?
Lately I've been consumed with thinking about school for my boys. School as in private school versus public school, and in the case of the latter, which town's public school near us is the best.
I had the best of both worlds with my public high school experience: with 92 kids in my graduating class and one of the top rated high schools in the country, I might as well have attended private school.
But that was a small town in Connecticut, and here in the western 'burbs of Philadelphia, you'd be hard pressed to find a school of the same size and caliber.
My husband gets offended because the town we live in is where he went to high school, yet ranked as only a "semi-decent" school. He turned out just fine. Yet two towns away is one of the top public schools in the nation.
Which leaves us where. Do we move? Of course the houses in the "top ranked" town are small and run-down in our price range. We can stay here, or we can shell out more money for less of a house. And if we don't do that, are we cheating our kids from the best education possible? Am I crappy parent for wanting a better house in a not-as-good school system when I could live in a hovel in a better system for my boys?
It's a dilemma. And a lot of pressure, one that's only become stronger as my oldest gets closer to entering Kindergarten. What do you all think? Do you feel this crazy school-related stress that I do?
Here's a link to the latest Best (public) High School rankings from US News & World Report.
January 10, 2008
Peppermint Coffee
This just sounded yum to me. Had to share.
1 part DeKuyper Peppermint Schnapps
1 part Starbucks Cream Liqueur
5 parts hot coffee
Serve in an Irish coffee mug and top with whipped cream.
This recipe and more fun drinks can be found on 4cocktails.com.
January 03, 2008
Where there is a will, there's a way
A will is one of the most important documents you can prepare to protect your heirs. Establishing a sound plan of distribution of assets to insure the safe and appropriate upbringing of your children and other dependents is critical.
Many people overlook this simple document laboring under the misapprehension that they aren't going to die. Who wants to think about dying? The unfortunate fact is that we all do, and none of us control the moment when it happens.
A will is a document in which you instruct your executor as to the disposition of your assets. The executor is the individual/or corporation responsible to you, your heirs, and the probate court, for doing the things that you have set out in your will.
