Each One Is Different!

After I had my first child I thought I had everything figured out about this parenting gig.  I thought that it would be no problem to have a second child as I have learned so much with my first….how different could a second child really be?  Don’t all children do the same things and act the same way?  THEN, I had my second child, who granted was a boy and not a girl like my first child.  But, having gender differences was to be expected.

What I didn’t expect was the complete and total opposite distinctions in both children from all aspects of their personality.  My daughter would eat anything I put in front of her.  My son won’t touch any food unless it’s caked in sugar.  My daughter takes over an hour to settle into bed and fall asleep.  My son falls asleep as soon as his head hits his pillow.  My daughter is super artistic and creative.  My son is a sports jock through and through.

When it comes down to the more emotional differences my daughter is stubborn as….well….as me :-)   My son is the true meaning of the saying “water off a ducks back”.  My daughter is independent and only rarely really needs a snuggle and hug from mommy.  Whereas my son holds my hand whenever possible and showers me with kisses….even when his friends are watching!

Both children have such great attributes and both have some challenging attributes.  I could never have guessed that either would turn out the way they have and each personality would be so thought provoking to handle.

One trait that both my children share is their love of singing.  It’s rare that I can get them to sing together anymore but I do want to share this video of them singing a couple of years ago…..I’m a bit bias but I think it’s very cute!

Kinder® Surprise® Pink and Kinder Canada understand that each child is unique.  In order to celebrate our children Kinder Canada will hosting an exclusive Facebook contest. With the contest already started, you will be able to participate simply by becoming a friend of Kinder Canada and telling Kinder Canada what makes YOUR child so unique! You could be lucky enough to scoop up one of three $250 VISA gift cards!  You can also check out their new fun toy collection for girls and boysFor more contest details follow this link and good luck!  www.facebook.com/KinderCanada

“Disclosure: I’m part of the KINDER® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

Don’t Call Me Mr. Mom

Welcome writer Michael Robertson as this week’s guest blogger. Thanks to Amy at Toddler Trunk for letting us reprint this post written for the Toddler Trunk blog about the language we use to describe dads who are primary caregivers.

As a writer, I have to believe that words are powerful. So, when people call me “Mr. Mom” or invite me to “mommy and me” groups, those words create shockwaves through our world (with after-tremors of “I don’t belong here”). We will always struggle to make child-rearing a calling that men feel comfortable to answer, or women feel comfortable to ignore, when we use gender exclusive terms to refer to things that any parent can participate in.

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Big Jobs

I’ve dreamed of being a father for a long time and a lot of my career choices, in hindsight, helped me train for my new role (I was a teacher in my early twenties before taking a job as a private chef in Europe for a Dutch family with two small children). I’m also no stranger to being in the minority. I was one of only three male teachers in a department of 25. And when I resigned as a writer for a multi-national yoga-wear company, to stay at home with my daughter, the ratio was about the same.

Even so, I was unprepared for the inherent sexism I’ve encountered being at home with my daughter. I was especially surprised by how little the language around the role of caregiver has developed and how these words still paint parenting as a role for women only. ‘Maternal’ is the most common way to describe someone who’s good with children (by contrast, the business world adopted the term ‘Chairperson’ in 1971).

How’s It Going?

It’s a big change for me, going from being the primary breadwinner to being the primary caregiver. And it’s only natural that friends want to know how things are going (for the record, it’s going great) but they have difficulty finding the right words to ask.

For most new moms, the question goes something like, “How’s it going being a mom?” And that’s a perfectly valid question because, for a lot of moms, the transition from office to home coincides with becoming a mom. But being a dad, for me, is old news. People asked me, “How’s it going being a dad?” a year ago.

So, now I get asked, “How’s it going being Mr. Mom?” (One family member even asked me how I was enjoying being the wife. Last time I checked, I still had all my bits.) No-one would dare call my wife “Mrs. Dad” because she’s the breadwinner and takes the trash out but, despite the increasing number of men in my neighbourhood who look after children during the week, child-rearing is still indelibly linked in people’s mind to being a women because of the words we use.

Just Call Me…

I’ve been playing around with words to try to find something that fits. For a while, I told people I was on SaDadical. It made them laugh (great for dispelling any awkwardness) but I stopped because it implies that I’ll go back to my “real job” at some stage. I tried for a while to resurrect the term “Home Maker”. I like its gender-neutral clarity and that it goes beyond children. Plus, I don’t have to stick “stay-at-home” in front of it. But at the end of the day (and sometimes in the middle of the night) I’m a dad, a father, a parent. Just call me that. It doesn’t really matter if I do it from home, at work, on weekdays or weekends. And whatever you do, don’t call me Mr. Mom.

Michael Robertson

e4e4a22af0498a1e8078712f4c60e0faI used to write about food, travel and yoga. Now I spend my time being a monster, dancer or jungle gym. During naptime, I read picture books and write some too. AKA @reasonableguy

Not so high, please!

It’s absolutely normal for both new moms and new dads to lack experience and confidence with newborns. However, in a typical family Dad will be back at work after a week or two paternity break while Mom is thrown in at the deep end with an intensive, hands-on Baby 101 training course. While you may not go as far as calling yourself an ‘expert’, within a few weeks you will be well on the way to establishing your methods and routines, and through pure exposure you’re learning to anticipate Baby’s needs. Add doting grandmothers and aunties into the mix and a new dad can often feel as if he’s being pushed aside and not given a proper chance to bond with his baby.

images (3)It’s important for new parents to find that happy medium and share parenting. It is true that Mom is programmed by Mother Nature to take care of the baby and Dad is not; he’s just not tuned in to the baby channel 24/7 like you are, but while the nurturing instinct will always be with you, the desire to do everything for the baby will wane as the hormones settle down. It works better for everyone if Dad has been given a chance to bond with Baby early on, learned how to take care of Baby’s needs and built an awareness of what goes on in Baby World.

  • Short periods of letting Dad go solo from the early days are a good way to start. You get a break; Dad gets bonding time and deals with anything that crops up in that period without prompting. It should help you to realize you’re not the only capable one and to chill out a bit.
  • Later, do the same thing for longer periods. Don’t treat Dad like a babysitter or limit the solo stints to Baby’s nap times. Let him cover a whole day to see how challenging it is. We can all be much more appreciative of each other if we understand the other’s world.
  • Be careful to let Dad do as he thinks when he’s dealing with Baby. Don’t hover over his shoulder and immediately criticize his methods—your way may not be the best. Back off, bite your lip, and you’ll find you both have different parenting strengths. Okay, so Dad definitely isn’t going to be any good at breastfeeding, but where do his strengths lie? My guess is his specialties would be gas- and sleep-related tasks like burping the baby and getting him off to sleep. Sure, it’s hard to stop yourself from just marching in and taking over, but if you do it gives Dad the excuse to claim that he doesn’t know how or that you do it better. An older baby will soon learn Mommy usually does a particular task and kick up a fuss when Daddy tries to do it instead.
  • If you can’t tune out, go out. Busy yourself so you’re not worrying about what is going on at home.

dad-father-throw-baby-child-airIn a recent interview Jennifer Lopez admitted that as a mom of twins she worries too much – women in general worry too much. We need a man’s gung-ho approach to level the playing field of parenting. We can’t expect to agree on every aspect of parenting, but we each have our own strengths and weaknesses and we should embrace the differences.

It won’t stop our hearts jumping into our mouths when that airplane ride Dad is giving Junior reaches new dizzying heights. Not so high, please!

This coming weekend we’ll be celebrating all the Dads out there as it’s Father’s Day. With Sears Days in full swing from June 13th it’s the perfect chance to pick up a special something to say ‘Thanks Dad, for everything you do’….even if it’s not the way I would do it ;-) If you spend $50 in a Sears store or online at Sears.ca between June 13-16 or June 21-23, you’ll get $10 back in Sears Bucks to spend on your next purchase between June 24-27. See in store for more details!

Disclosure: I am part of the Sears The Baby’s Room Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Thanks Dad, for everything you do!

Missing an arm from their bloody lightsaber duel, Luke reels as Vader delivers his powerful final blow: “No, I am your Father.” It’s one of the most memorable father/son movie moments. It’s up there alongside one of my personal favourites: Gil trying to comfort his son and deal with his own interfering, overbearing father in Parenthood when Kevin loses his retainer. And who can forget, sniff, the heart wrenching scene from Lion King where a worried, guilty Simba tries to rouse, sniff, Musafa who’s lying trampled at the bottom of the ravine. Sob. There’s Kramer Vs Kramer, The Pursuit of Happyness, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Back to the Future – all great family movies with a focus on a variety of father and son relationships.

download (2)And of course, although they spend most of the movie apart there’s no mistaking the strong father/son bond between the overprotective Marlin and his adventurous son in Finding Nemo. As worried Marlin stresses about the dropoff, Nemo almost inaudibly mutters ‘I hate you’ before darting off into big trouble. It’s a poignant father/son interaction all Dads can relate to.

Next weekend, it is of course the day we celebrate all those father/son and father/daughter relationships – it’s Father’s Day! To mark the occasion Disney Junior has a great line up of programming to say ‘Thanks Dad, for everything you do’ starting with the station premier of Finding Nemo. So settle down with the family on Saturday, June 15th at 6pm ET to enjoy this great family movie (commercial-free!) and then on Father’s Day the little ones will be thrilled to see specially themed episodes of all their favourite shows.

What Dad wouldn’t like to receive a big Father’s Day bonus of a brand new family car? That’s exactly what might happen if you enter Disney Junior’s latest competition to win a 2013 Toyota Prius v! You can enter now at DisneyJunior.ca but if you watch Disney Junior weekdays in June between 5-7pm ET and spot the Toyota Prius v and bonus code you can earn up to 100 bonus entries!

Disney-Junior-Prius-V

Disclosure:  I’m part of the Disney Junior Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Valuing our Clothes

We all know the importance of the three Rs: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. Paper, plastic, glass bottles, cans, juice boxes, foil, food waste – it’s good to see the continued growth of the list of items that get taken away for recycling instead of adding to general refuse that ends up in the landfill. One more way we can save money and help the environment is to focus on clothes recycling. It is estimated that extending the average life of clothes by just three months of active use would lead to a 5-10% reduction in each of the carbon, water and waste footprints.

k4812960Did you know the average household owns around $6,000 worth of clothes and around 30% of clothing sitting in our wardrobes has not been worn for at least a year. I have no idea what my clothes are worth, however the second statistic is not a surprise to me. How many times have I pulled items out of my wardrobe, thought to myself “I’ll never wear that again…will I?” and put it back – ‘just in case’? Just in case it comes back into fashion. Just in case I slim down enough to look good in it again. Just in case I need office wear again one day.

With kids on the scene the amount of clothing that passes through our hands becomes quite amazing. Kids grow fast! It’s quite common for a baby to wear an outfit only once before it’s outgrown. And pants that fit my eight year old last week are suddenly swinging two inches above her ankles. Kids are also good at wearing clothes out – breaking through the knees of pants and staining shirts: grass, Ribena, spaghetti sauce and chocolate ice cream have been the downfall of many of my kids’ clothes.

When I do occasionally have a wardrobe purge I’ll typically take them to one of the local charity shops, however at least 50% of the kids’ clothes aren’t good enough quality to hand on to friends or donate to charity. Currently more than 30% of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill, yet there are uses for these textiles when their life as clothing has come to an end. Textiles that are worn out or in unsaleable condition can be left in special textile banks at recycling centres. The fabrics are shredded before being reprocessed into wiping cloths, felts and other non-clothing items such as industrial quality “blankets” which protect equipment whilst being transported.

We can all think about how we buy, use and dispose of our clothing to make financial savings and help the environment:

Reduce

  • Buy clothes that are designed to last longer.
  • Buy second-hand clothes.
  • Look for new ways to wear existing clothing.

Re-use

  • Pass on, exchange or share unwanted clothes with friends and family.
  • Sell good quality clothing online.
  • Donate to charity via high street shops, textile banks or school collections.

Recycle

  • Leave worn or unwearable clothing in the special textile banks at recycling centres.

And if you need me I’ll be clearing out those ‘just in case’ items ;-)

Oh, How Things Have Changed!

The-Babys-RoomMy children are only ages 6 and 9 years old, but when I recently stepped into the Sears Baby’s Room to check out their exciting one year anniversary sale I was stunned by all that had changed since I was shopping for baby stuff in their younger days.

The way that the new Sears Baby’s Room is set up is very cool yet efficient all at the same time.  They have staged actual baby rooms that include everything you would need (crib, dresser, change table, lamps, mobiles, bedding, etc).  They have also categorized each room according to price point, so depending on your budget you can choose what your babies nursery is going to look like.  They even have a great program that gives you a fully complete turnkey baby’s room set up. You choose the configuration and they deliver and setup. With the arrival of a new little bundle being a very hectic time this is a great feature that  every expectant parent needs.  Sears will come into your home and set up the entire nursery just the way you want it.  Talk about Hassle Free!

neutral coloursAnother aspect of the Sears Baby’s Room that I liked was that a large portion of the collections in bedding, car seats and strollers all come in neutral colors.  Fancy patterns are sometimes fun and come and go with style but I like this option because if you plan to have more than one child you can cascade items much easier. I had my daughter first and then had my son and because I was so taken with having a girl first I bought everything in pink….which didn’t go over very well with my son…or more specifically…his Dad :-) .  Buying everything right out of the gate in neutral colors is my recommended approach as it so much easier for hand-me-downs!  Shhh don’t tell the retailers our little secret.

Speaking of shared secrets, I have an interesting tidbit that I learned from Amanda, one of the Store Managers of Sears Langley.  Through her daily interactions with parents to be, she has noticed that more and more new moms are not finding out the gender of their babies. Interesting as I think back 6 or 7 years ago when I was pregnant, the majority of women were finding out. In fact the 3D Ultra Sounds were all the rage. I wonder if the manufacturers have twigged onto this trend too and that could be why more and more neutral colors for products are prevelant…. regardless of its accuracy it sure makes a good conspiracy theory.

As you can imagine, spring is a very busy time for the Sears Baby’s Room and they have planned their stock accordingly.  They have a ton of fun new items that are perfect for your new cooing family addition.  Everything from the big ticket items like cribs, strollers and car seats down to the smaller items like receiving blankets, bottles and bath toys.  There is something for everyone there.

So, if you are currently looking to register  on the Sears Gift Registry for your upcoming baby shower or if you need to buy some things for your child Sears is having a huge One Year Anniversary Sale and are offering 20% off.  Check them out at Sears.ca to take advantage of the sale.

Happy Shopping!

Disclosure: I am part of the Sears The Baby’s Room Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Best Little Laugh

In my humble opinion, the early days with a new baby aren’t that much fun. They take, take, take and don’t give much back beyond copious bodily excretions; it can feel like a lot of hard work and little reward. When your baby gives that first smile at around six weeks it’s like his personality has arrived, what a relief! Then that first laugh, usually around three to four months of age – it’s intoxicating. It may be an urban myth, but I read that when a mother hears her baby laugh the area of the brain that lights up on a scan is the same one that lights up if a person was taking heroin – quite believable.

According to research ‘Kids laugh about 400 times a day, while adults laugh on average only 15 times a day’. Little kids don’t have to be told to laugh; they don’t have to think about whether to laugh; they aren’t busy false laughing or nervous laughing. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if we adults could laugh as naturally as our kids? Laughter is social and contagious, a good work out and has no known side effects, unless you count laughing until you cry or pee your pants (or split your sides or laugh your head off – quite serious). In fact, research indicates that laughter is indeed the best medicine. Laughter can help to lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, reduce food cravings, and trigger the release of endorphins, thus increasing your ability to withstand pain. And of course it’s good for your mental health. An all round feel good miracle drug! I’m sure most of us worried and harried moms could do with a daily dose of that.

Babies laugh at the silliest things – funny sounds and when they’re surprised. You must have seen the youtube video of the baby dissolving into hysterical bursts of laughter as her dad tore paper. We have a video of Pickle at about 6 months old laughing hysterically as her sock was pulled off and replaced and pulled off and replaced…And baby Bowser, who was not always the happiest baby, was always cheered up by his big sister putting on some entertainment.

To mark the launch of their new Laugh & Learn site, Fisher-Price are hosting a Best Little Laugh contest where we can all celebrate those first smiles, giggles and whole-hearted belly laughs!

If you upload your memorable Best Little Laugh photo or video you’ll be in with a chance to win a Fisher-Price prize pack including:

      • The all new Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car
      • A Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy
      • A $100 gas card

There will be one winner every week until July 15th.

And don’t forget to pop along to the new Laugh & Learn site where your little ones can meet the Laugh & Learn characters, enjoy fun apps and games and you can learn about new Fisher-Price products, discounts and contests.

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Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Blogger Campaign with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Win a LoBo baby bouncer from BabaBing!

Generally, when a baby arrives any hopes you had of a trendy living space leave. Our fairly roomy two bedroom apartment seemed to shrink measurably when Pickle arrived and every spare piece of floor was suddenly taken over by baby paraphernalia. It was all necessary kit, but some was cute while some was …not so stylish.

It’s refreshing to find baby gear that’s easy on the eye as well as practical and fit for purpose. This LoBo bouncer from BabaBing! is just that: a sleek, modern design that will blend beautifully into your family home. You can reverse the seat cushion to match your mood or your decor, bright & fresh lime or warm & rich chocolate. And when the inevitable happens you’ll be pleased to know all the fabric is removable and machine washable.

Lobo citrus

There’s a supportive head-hugger for infants and a toy bar with exclusive BabaBing! soft toys ‘Boo’ and ‘Belly’. The smooth and fluid bounce will gently soothe and calm your baby and the adjustable, supportive harness opens fully to allow quick, no fuss entry and exit. The LoBo bouncer is distributed in Canada by Oyaco and retails for $87.95.

Oyaco Logo Blue Small

Based in Calgary, OYACO is known across Canada as a discriminating distributor of unique, safe and high quality baby, toddler and pregnancy products. Oyaco ships its 30 product lines to over 600 retail and online stores across the country and is the exclusive distributor of the Bubble brand in Canada.

OYACO are offering our readers the chance to win one of these fabulous BabaBing! LoBo bouncers. To enter, simply pop to the OYACO site and tell us in a comment below another of the brands OYACO distributes in Canada.

Once you have completed this mandatory entry you may do the following for bonus entries:

Please be sure to leave a separate comment below for each of your bonus entries.

  • Giveaway is open to Canada only
  • Winner will be drawn at random
  • Giveaway closes June 11th, 2013

Father’s Day Gift Ideas….it’s never too early!

Happy Father's DayAfter canvassing a number of new dads we found that the guys are looking for a variety of items this Father’s Day. We grouped the items into 4 top categories to give you some ideas:

The first category is, no surprise,…..electronics – There are many different electronics that would please dad this Father’s Day. There is the iPad, Mac Book and the coveted iPhone. My husband works for TELUS and he loves his iPhone which is popular for music and applications….plus Dad can keep in touch with mom while he’s working to check in on the new little bambino (with facetime or skype).  Also with regulations prohibiting talking on your cell phone while driving there are a number of different hands free accessories you can buy so that dad can check in at home while on the road…..without breaking any laws.

The second category is recreation and sports (what guy doesn’t love the outdoors) - New Dads need time to get out of the house as well as mom. A gift certificate for Zip Treking in Whistler would be fun to do with a buddy. You could go as far as to rent a Harley Davidson motorbike for a day if you have a hubby that likes the open road – something that will get his adventure juices flowing. Golf Father's DayOr treat dad to a day at the golf course such as the beautiful Loch March Golf & Country Club. He can enjoy a round of golf, lunch on the outdoor patio or in the clubhouse and spend some time in the golf pro shop buying himself a new pair of golf shoes or a new driver.  Pure luxury for dad.

The third category is relaxation (yes, there are guys out there that love the spa….they won’t admit it….but, they do.)
Surprise them with a men’s pedicure or a facial treatment, or get them a gift certificate for a couples massage….it’s always better with two and you get some relaxing time in as well!

The fourth category is for specialty items that are unique - The saying goes….all women love shoes….and men love their cufflinks. Get Dad a personalized pair that has pictures of your new little one or a family picture on it. Another great gift is a wine club of the month membership. Dad will receive 2 bottles of fabulous wine each month delivered right to their doorstep. Google wine club’s that deliver in your area. Summer’s coming so why not get dad a new pair of designer shades.

Finally, if you have other young children in the house, why not warm dad’s heart with a homemade card or breakfast in bed……that’s a great way to start Father’s Day off right.

Monsters or the dentist – which is most scary?

Mike and SullyThe thought of monsters hiding under the bed can be scary for children, and so can the thought of going to the dentist! Thanks to the lovable Sully & Mike from Monsters Inc and the soon to be released Monsters University we all know monsters can be fun, but what about trips to the dentist?

These tips from America’s ToothFairy will help make dental visits a fun experience for children!

It’s fear of the unknown which can have a negative impact on a child’s feelings toward their dental visits. Ensuring that your child is familiar with the dental practice and the people that are going to help them keep their smile healthy will ease their fears and make the dental visit go smoothly.

  • Visit the dentist with your child prior to their first appointment. Help your child understand what to expect on their visit by taking a tour of the practice and asking the dental assistant or dental hygienist to explain what will be done and demonstrate how each instrument will be used. Not only will this help ease your child’s fears, but it also creates a wonderful learning opportunity!
  • For slightly order children, bring them along to observe your routine dental cleaning and exam. This will allow them to ask questions, see how each instrument will be used, eliminate potential fears by observing your experience and help them understand the importance of practicing good oral health behaviors.(Contact your dental office prior to your appointment to advise them that your child will be with you.)
  • Regular dental visits will enable your child to develop a sense of familiarity and comfort with the dental team and practice as well provide vital preventive care necessary for a healthy smile.
  • Reinforcing concepts such as daily brushing and flossing, by posting a calendar and rewarding your child a gold star or sticker for every day of excellent oral care. Help get your child excited about their next dental visit by bringing the calendar with you to show the dentist.
  • Allow your child to bring their favorite toy or blanket with them on their dental visit to give them an added sense of security and comfort.
  • Reading can have a soothing and calming effect on your child. Bring their favorite book to read to them during their dental appointment.
  • Let your child wear a costume on their dental visit. This special treat can help them view going to the dentist as a fun activity.

Be positive about going to the dentist. Avoid grumbling about your own dental appointments and help your child understand that going to the dentist helps them keep their smiles healthy. After all, the ToothFairy likes to collect healthy teeth!

Don’t forget to let your little ones sign up for America’s ToothFairy Kids Club. Members receive quarterly fun, educational activities, tips and personalized letters from the ToothFairy!

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Crest & Oral-B Pro-Health Stages are sponsoring this great giveaway of kids’ oral healthcare products. These products featuring the fun-loving monsters from the upcoming movie, Monsters University will be available in your local Walmart next week. Simply leave a comment below for a chance to win:

  • monsters inc toothpaste and brush stars2 Crest Pro-Health Stages Monsters, Inc. Toothpastes (4.2 oz. ea.) and
  • 2 Oral-B Stages Monsters, Inc. Toothbrushes

Once you’ve completed this mandatory comment entry you can do the following for bonus entries:

Please be sure to leave a separate comment below for each of your bonus entries.

    • Giveaway is open to the USA only
    • Winner will be drawn at random
    • Giveaway closes May 31st, 2013
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