Interact with ‘Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs’

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Lorraine

We don’t normally review products ourselves here at The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms, mainly because we just don’t have time and because most of the products we like to introduce to our readers are out of the age range of our own kids who are growing up so fast it takes our breath away.

But when we got the offer to review the new Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs interactive e-books from CCI Entertainment and Padworx Studions, I thought: Easy. I’ll leave it up to my kids. And this is what I got:

Bowser (4): ‘It’s great’

Pickle (7): ‘It’s good for little kids like Lewis, but a bit too easy for me.’

And try as hard as I might I couldn’t get any further useful comments out of them. So I guess I’ll have to pad the review myself after all otherwise it’s going to be very short and not very informative.

Today sees the launch in the Apple app store of the first in a series of interactive e-books based on the hugely popular TV show for preschoolers ‘Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs’. They are targeted towards preschoolers just beginning to read. This first story in the series titled ‘Uh Oh’ is the one we tried out.

Like most little ones Bowser loves getting his sticky fingers on the iPad. So I didn’t need to ask twice to come and ‘read a book’ with me. You have the choice of ‘Read Along, ‘Read Myself’ and ‘Read to Me’. We tried out all options, several times each – you know how long it takes kids to get bored of the same story.  It put me in the mind of a flap book or pop up book – the kind with the tabs you pull and something happens on the page. Kids love them, but a few too enthusiastic tugs and the moving parts don’t last long. On the interactive e-book your kids only have to tap the screen to get the pictures to move, the next part of the story narrated or the page to turn.

I have to ‘fess up and admit we don’t watch Harry in our house – just one of those programs that managed to bypass us when we were in Canada. Although according to Pickle it’s shown here in the UK on Milkshake TV. In a way I think this makes for a less biased review as it’s based on the quality of the story/app rather than the lure of the character – you certainly don’t have to be a fan of the show to enjoy the ebook.

I would never give up a good old-fashioned book myself (Kindle, pah!) or for my kids, but these are a fun alternative. There were a few giggles when Bowser and I first tried it out and he has asked to ‘play’ again several times. He does refer to it as a game rather than a book, but I think over time he would pay more attention to the words of the story being highlighted…I suspect he’s learning without realising. And isn’t that the best way to learn?!

We have a great Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs giveaway. One lucky reader will get a promo code for a free download of the interactive ebook from iTunes, plus an exciting Harry merchandise pack of books and DVDs.

To enter the giveaway, tell us in a comment below the name of one of Harry’s dinosaur buddies.

For bonus entries:

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

  • Giveaway is open to residents of Canada and USA
  • Winner will be drawn at random
  • Giveaway closes February 13th, 2012

Filed under: Parenting | Tagged: , , , , , | 17 Comments »

The Repercussions of Thumb Sucking

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Guests

Welcome this week’s guest blogger Andrea Van Ness, mompreneur and founder of Thumbuddy To Love™

Teeth malformations:
According to the American Dental Association, prolonged thumb-sucking can cause a child to develop dental problems. Thumb-sucking can cause a child’s teeth to become improperly aligned (malocclusion) or push the teeth outward, sometimes malforming the roof (upper palate) of the mouth. Malocclusion usually corrects itself when the child stops thumb-sucking. But the longer thumb-sucking continues, the more likely it is that orthodontic treatment will be needed to correct any resulting dental problems.

Although thumb sucking is a normal habit in infants, it causes serious teeth problems if it continues long after the eruption of permanent teeth. The problem gets more serious if it continues after the age of four or five.

Speech problems and other problems:
A child may also develop speech problems, including mispronouncing Ts and Ds, lisping, and thrusting out the tongue when talking.

Other undesirable effects can include problems with jaw movements, narrowing of the cheek bones due to the contractions of the cheek muscles, ulcerations beneath the tongue, and root resorption. More commonly, the thumb may develop calluses or an irritant eczema, and the digit itself may become deformed.

Germs spreading:
Another reason you want your child to break the thumb sucking habit sooner than later is that is easy to spread germs on a wet thumb or finger. With the onset of flu season and other bacteria living in our world, it is good to keep hands washed and dry. Thumb sucking can easily spread germs from counters and floors or any surface the child has touched with their thumb/finger and then put to their mouth.

Try and keep your child’s thumb as dry as possible so as to lessen the chances of infections or other bad bacteria. Talk to your child how germs are spread and how thumb sucking can spread germs. With the flu season approaching and swine flu getting lots of attention, stopping thumb sucking can be a good thing and may lessen the spread of germs through stopping the thumb sucking habit.

Social challenges:
According to Steven Parker, Barry S. Zuckerman, and Marilyn Augustyn who wrote Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: A Handbook for Primary Care, “thumb sucking can contribute to impaired parental and peer relationships. It is often viewed as immature and socially undesirable. Parents and peers may criticize, tease, or punish a child for engaging in thumb sucking. These reactions may in turn, adversely affect a child’s self esteem.”

Treatment:
Usually, treatment can be done at home and includes parents setting rules and providing distractions. It may be helpful to limit the times and places that your child is allowed to suck his or her thumb and to put away blankets or other item your child associates with thumb-sucking. Offering praise and rewards for not thumb-sucking may also help your child break the habit.

Parents usually start to worry too early, about how to stop thumb sucking habit of their children. It is advised that you do not try to make a child to stop thumb sucking before the age of three (unless you notice a problem to teeth due to vigorous thumb sucking) because it might have the opposite results. Here are some tips:

  • Keep the child’s hands occupied with a toy, puzzle or other activity.
  • Carefully remove your child’s thumb from his or her mouth during sleep.  
  • Give the example of his friends that have managed to stop thumb sucking.  
  • Don’t put the child in a state of anxiety or fear. If the child has any emotional problems, or is under stress and needs comforting, you may need to resolve those issues first before your child can successfully stop thumb-sucking.  
  • Talk about the ‘bad’ germs that are on our hands and how the child puts them in his or her mouth while thumb sucking.  
  • Avoid punishing or shaming the child.  
  • Reward the child for not thumb sucking for a progressively increasing time period.  
  • Ask the advice of a pediatric dentist. He will explain to your kid what will happen to the teeth if the child does not stop sucking its thumb.
  • Introduce Thumbuddy To Love® to your child

Thumbuddy To Love® addresses all of the above issues:

1. Thumbuddy To Love keeps a child occupied.
2. Thumbuddy can be worn to bed so it encourages them not to suck.
3. Thumbuddy To Love teaches the importance of stopping thumb sucking and growing up to be a big girl or boy.
4. Thumbuddy To Love is a positive teaching tool for parents, teachers and children.
5. Thumbuddy To Love lessons the anxiety by making it fun to stop.
6. Thumbuddy To Love books give the example of friends and heroes who have stopped.
7. Thumbuddy To Love avoids shaming or punishing a child by not using thumb guards or thumb polish which has chemicals in it.
8. Thumbuddy To Love rewards a child with a success calendar in the back of the book and keeps them motivated and positive so that they can quit.
9. Thumbuddy To Love is recommended by Dentists and Pediatricians.
10. Thumbuddy To Love received the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award. You can order Thumbuddy To Love at thumbuddytolove.com or on Amazon.

Andrea Van Ness

Andrea Wulfing Van Ness founded Thumbuddy To Love™ in Boulder, Colorado because she noticed the lack of positive teaching tools to help stop thumb sucking without the use of thumb guards or awful tasting nail polish (Malava Stop) which is full of chemicals. She wanted to help kids with their thumb sucking problem before they have to get braces to save their teeth.

 

We have a Thumbuddy set to give away to one lucky reader. Your choice of Fireman Fred, Ballerina Sue or The Binky Fairy (for pacifier suckers) thumb puppet and illustrated story book with a success chart to help stop thumb sucking. To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us your thoughts on the Thumbuddies.

For bonus entries:

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

  • Giveaway is open to US and Canada
  • Winner will be drawn at random
  • Winner can choose one of the Thumbuddy crew: Fireman Fred, Ballerina Sue or The Binky Fairy
  • Giveaway closes February 10th, 2012

Filed under: Parenting | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 12 Comments »

Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha & Mudbud Meet Babi & Cammy

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Guests

Treasure Buddies giveawayIf your kids love the Air Buddies crew they’ll be super excited to hear that Disney’s irresistible talking puppies are back on Jan 31st in an all-new movie that takes them halfway across the world to the ruins of ancient Egypt. With the help of some exotic new friends, this epic adventure Treasure Buddies is pure Buddy fun. Following in the pawsteps of Air Buddies, Space Buddies and Snow Buddies, Treasure Buddies is the pups’ 6th action-packed adventure.

This latest story is told from the perspective of the Buddies’ newest friend, a mischievous Egyptian monkey named Babi. In a race against a devious cat, the Buddies and their new friends, Babi and a baby camel called Cammy, must avoid booby traps, solve puzzles and explore a mysterious tomb – all in search of the greatest treasure known to animalkind: the lost necklace of Cleocatra.

We’ve got 3 Treasure Buddies Combo Packs (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)RRP $32.99 to give away courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Canada.

To enter, simply tell us in a comment below the name of one of the Buddies crew.

For bonus entries:

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

  • Giveaway is open to Canadian residents only (excluding Quebec)
  • 3 winners will be drawn at random
  • Giveaway closes Friday February 3rd, 2012

Filed under: Parenting | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 123 Comments »

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