There is a commercial on TV for our cable provider that irritates me to no end.  It starts with a toddler watching a favorite character on  a television show, then the toddler moves into the car and watches the same character on a screen in the car, then the toddler goes into the mall to meet this character and then flips out when he sees him in person.  He starts crying in fear, his mom comforts him, and the way she gets him to calm down is by wheeling him out of the mall in a stroller while he watches the character on a portable handheld screen.  At the end of the show, the spokesperson says something about how the digital age is coming.

If the “digital age” means my young kids are constantly plugged into electronics and getting freaked out about the real world around them then I really would rather not be a part of the digital age, thank you very much.

I know a lot of parents are up in arms about the amount of television their kids watch, but with video games and other electronic devises being marketed to babies nowadays I wonder if people realize that video games are in the same boat as television.  Both promote inactivity (with the exception of certain video games that are designed to get kids moving) and free play that utilizes imagination.

At a recent play date my preschool daughter stumbled upon her friend’s game system and had so much fun with it that she stopped socializing with everyone and retreated to a corner to play the games until I made her go play with her friends.  My son – who is not yet at an age when he should be playing video games – was right there next to her, staring wide-eyed at the screen and not interacting with anyone.

Don’t get me wrong; I see the potential benefits of having my kids glued to the screen whenever they wanted to, whether they’re watching TV or playing video games.  I would probably get a lot more done during the day and there would probably be a lot less bickering too.  I also imagine that both my kids could learn a lot if they watched the right shows and played educational games.  What about the downside? I think the cons outweigh the pros.  I want my kids to be active and I want them to know how to entertain themselves.  I want them to use their imagination and I want to interact with them instead of relying on games or shows to keep them engaged.

This doesn’t mean my kids don’t watch any TV at all, and we do have a Leapster.  On the other hand, I closely monitor how much they watch/play and make sure that I’m engaging them in other interesting things too.  I just don’t want my kids to turn into little digitally-reliant children who would rather play a video game than notice the world around them.

I can’t believe that our baby is about to hit the six-month mark. Half a year has really whizzed by! Here are some fun ways to play and learn with your 6-9 month old. Between the ages of 6-9 months, babies become more alert and mobile. They will enjoy playing with toys that they can push, pull, shake, rattle and roll.

This is a particularly important time to talk to baby; you can teach her some basic animal sounds,. Say, “What does a dog say? Woof!”, and your baby will likely respond by making or attempting to make, the same sound. Remember to repeat the sounds after baby makes them-babies love repetition!

Build baby’s motor skills by showing him how to stack and unstack blocks or plastic nesting cups.

Hold soft objects such as stuffed animals or balled-up socks in the air. You can say, “Up so high!”, then drop each object, one by one into a plastic container or basket, and say “Down so low!”. Watch to see if your baby picks up the objects and drops them into the container again.

At around seven months old, baby will start to recognize her own name when it is spoken. You can have a conversation with her using two toy phones. Speak into one phone, mimicking someone familiar to baby; this can be grandma, daddy, or even a fun character like Elmo. Repeat baby’s name often while she “listens” to you through the other phone. Pause often to let her respond to you. She’ll get a kick out of your voice if you exaggerate sounds and facial expressions.

Finally, you can teach baby about the concept of object permanence, which refers to the fact that things still exist even when out of sight. Use two large plastic cups. Place an object under each one; for example, a blue ball under one and a red block under the other. Encourage baby to lift or knock over one of the cups. Show surprise when he does, by exclaiming, “Look what you just found!”. Pick up his discovered object and talk about its name, color, shape, etc. After baby has picked up both cups, see if he tries to cover the objects with them again.

Using these toys, props and your imagination, you can come up with more fun ways to play with your 6-9 month old.

I don’t generally make a lot of time to go outside for myself. Between keeping the house in order and meeting all my writing deadlines I just naturally seem to stay inside most of the time. It isn’t that I don’t like going outside – quite to the contrary, I like it a lot – but sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

I know kids are supposed to get outside a lot for fresh air and for exercise, so I really try to make sure the kids get outside every day. Whether it’s a romp in the backyard or a trip to the park, I do what I can to get them outside. I want my kids to appreciate nature and to love going outside, and maybe they will grow up to crave the outdoors a little more than I do.

I remember playing outside quite a bit as a child, but I lived in an area of the country where the weather was pleasant for most of the year. Now we live in a part of the country where it is either really hot or really cold with maybe two weeks of truly pleasant weather in between throughout the whole year. That means we have to take a lot of precautions before heading outside so that nobody gets frostbite or heatstroke (depending on the season). I think this sometimes deters me from getting the kids outside. After all, it’s easier to sit in an air conditioned house than it is to slather sunscreen on everyone and pack up a bunch of ice water and sand toys for the park.

Then again, I know what the better option is for my kids, and that’s why I keep heading to the park despite my desire to stay in an air conditioned home.

For the past three years, my days were my own. My boys were in school all day. Now, I find myself with a new baby for the first time in eight years?and as if that weren?t enough, his big brothers are home for summer vacation.

Just a couple of months ago I was able to carve out time for writing, working out, meeting friends or my sisters for lunch, taking leisurely trips to the grocery store, working on projects around the house, and more. And suddenly, I have an infant to tend to all day again. Besides feeding, burping, changing, rocking and holding him, I?m learning all over again just what to do with a new baby.

Here are some activities that your new baby will most likely enjoy:

1. Turn on some music and dance with him; he?ll love the sounds and movement
2. Read to him; although an infant might not understand the words in Good Night Moon, he?ll love the sound and rhythm of your voice and notice the colors on the pages while you hold him close
3. Stimulate his sense of vision: When baby is about two months old, you can hold him and while holding a toy in your hand, move it slowly from side to side. He will be able to track it with his eyes!
4. Stimulate his sense of touch: Gather some fabrics with interesting textures and/or some flower petals or soft leaves. Tickle baby?s toes or rub his arm and hand with the different textures. He will enjoy the different sensations.
5. Hold baby in front of a mirror and teach him self-recognition. Babies love to look at faces. Tell him: ?I see you! There?s Jack!? or ?Do you see Mommy?? Make different facial expressions for him to see; babies love to see these changes. Although he won?t understand you, it?s always stimulating to baby when you speak to him. Tell him that you?re smiling because you?re happy, etc.

Use your imagination to come up with more ways to stimulate and mesmerize your baby. So many things will interest this new little person who?s seeing the world for the very first time!

Every new mom knows that it is important for a child’s toy to multi-task. It must be safe, stimulating, interesting, mind expanding and attention holding to name a few of these tasks. It is also important for A child to be introduced to the right toy at the right time as toys that are too simple will bore a baby and toys that are too complex can frustrate them. Here is a few tips I have compiled for new moms to help when shopping and picking toys that will be just right for your little one.

The most important factor in choosing a toy for your little one is knowing your child’s personality and likes and dislikes. Because babies can not communicate verbally, often times it can be a little difficult for a new mom to determine a baby’s mood. This takes a little practice and each child is different, but you find after spending some quality time with them and observing them in different situations this becomes second nature. When giving a new toy to a child don’t be disappointed if you don’t get an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, a baby may need to see a toy a number of times before they begin warming up to it. Also it’s good not to present too many toys or simulation at once as it may overwhelm and confuse your child.

Another good thing to do is to check the age recommended on the toy. Most baby companies will put the recommended age that the toy is targeted for on the box or labeling as well as simple instruction on how to get the best value from the toy. You can also check the internet and the companies sites for more information and support. Before buying an expensive item it is good practice to check online to see if there has been a safety recall for it. Sometimes companies release toys before realizing that there may be a health hazard involved, and it is always good to keep a close eye on your child whenever anything new is introduced to watch for allergic reactions or any other sorts of dangers.

Set an example for your child. As you may know or begin to notice, the first lessons a baby learns are learned by observing and imitating you. Everything from the way that you move your mouth when speaking and eating to the way you react to something he or she does. If a baby sees you dancing or swaying to the music, after too long your baby will want to be swaying and dancing along with you! If your baby is very young start slowly and show the child how the toy works a few times, and then follow with helping them to do the same action. Even if your child is not able to play with the toy by themselves, it will give them an example of how it should be played with and encourage them to practice reaching for it themselves.

Actively encourage and reward your child with smiles, kisses and touch for correctly imitating you and for putting their best effort in. Never discourage or yell at a child for not being able to do something, every movement is a learned action and it may take some time before they can reach their toy-centered goals. Also give your child some solo-time with the toy to help them practice the skill without immediate supervision, but make sure that if your child is becoming frustrated that you move on to a new activity or area of play to prevent them from being discouraged and getting upset.

Bright colors and varied textures are also very good for a baby’s development. These multi-colored and interesting toys help the baby to focus on small details and further set up a catalog in their minds of different sorts of patterns and textures. Very young children may not recognize their toys immediately but over time a child will begin to recognize and show ownership and want for a familiar entertaining toy. If your child has become particularly attached to a toy it is sometimes a good idea to either buy another one in case it is lost, or to buy a toy that is similar in a different color or style. The child will enjoy a similar toy because it is a familiar action but at the same time a different change from the usual.

In the long run, only you know best. Keep in mind that every child is different and the act of child-raising is not a perfect science. Be attentive to your child and their actions and soon you will find that play time is both you and her favorite time of the day. Children learn through playing, so help your child to expand their horizons and take time to play play play! You’ll be happy you did!

So we’ve finally gotten all of our Christmas decorations packed away and managed to stuff the last of our used wrapping paper and gift boxes into the recycle bin. But there’s no time to relax, because no sooner has the holiday season ended than birthday season has arrived. My son turns 4 in two weeks, followed by our daughter’s first just two weeks after that.

My to-do list is still packed, but looks a little different: swap baking Christmas cookies for ordering birthday cake; buy gift bags adorned with construction trucks or flowers, instead of Santa or snowmen; and send out birthday invites instead of Christmas cards.

The one constant on both lists is buying gifts for the kids, which is always tricky business when they’ve already gotten loads of stuff over the holidays. We tend to be low-key on gift buying for the birthdays (and store extra gifts from grandparents to break out during the summer) but the question of what to buy is even more complicated this year. I’ve noticed a very interesting thing with the Christmas loot: My son is playing with my baby daughter’s Little People playhouse, while she is checking out his police car and Screaming Monkey. My husband and I worked hard this year to get our daughter some more “girly” things, just so she’d have something that wasn’t a hand-me-down from her brother in which construction trucks, trains or cars didn’t figure prominently. Guess we didn’t have to worry about that after all. And because he’s “big brother” he likes to play with everything that belongs to our daughter, maybe because it reinforces that he’s “in charge.” Maybe we’ll get them a joint birthday gift of a toy dump truck filled with stuffed animals and dolls, and then they’re both happy.

Is there a “battle of the sexes” when it comes to your playroom, or are a lot of your toys gender-free?