Green Treehouse

Have you ever wondered what you should teach your baby before she jets off to kindergarten? Or ever wondered if you’re teaching her enough? At the end of the day, it’s sometimes difficult to see all that you have taught your child, especially if you can’t recall specific “teaching” moments. But believe it or not, your baby is learning more than you realize.

Teach Baby With These Five Green Treehouse Picks

To enrich your child’s education, here are five must-have books to add to your bookshelf:

1. Gund’s Touch and Feel Rattle Book. This is the perfect first book for baby.

2. Sassy Baby’s Loved Ones. The perfect photo book for introducing your new baby to special faces, like grandma’s face.

3. Baby Enstein. Whether you introduce your baby to Baby Einstein’s Chunky Board Book or to Baby Einstein’s Master Pieces Book that features classical artists, you’ll realize that teaching is a breeze–and so much fun. Baby will love reading these books over and over again.

4. What Your Preschooler Needs to Know, edited by E.D. Hirsch. Hands down a fabulous book for teaching your preschooler, with short and easy lessons ranging from environmental lessons to sing-a-long songs.

5. Healthy Child Healthy World. This book may be intended for mom and dad to help them create an environmentally sound and healthy home, but little ones will certainly learn a thing or two through observation and conversation.

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My preschooler thinks it’s time for a new car. Why? She wants a different color, preferably black or silver–apparently the colors that top her “cool car” list. Keep in mind two weeks ago she wanted an entirely different color scheme. Thank goodness she’s not yet requesting pinstripe hues. Perhaps that’s to come during her teenage years.

If rising gas prices have you thinking about a new family car color, check out Yahoo’s Top 100 Green Cars. The 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid (MSRP $24,350) with 45/40 fuel economy tops the list, followed by the 2008 Toyota Prius (MSRP $21,100) and the 2008 Mazda Tribute (MSRP $25,485).

Oh, did I mention she also wants a new booster seat to match the car? Is a new car or car seat on your preschooler’s wishlist?

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Looking for a fresh approach to handling your toddler?  Harvey Karp, M.D., creator of the Happiest Baby on the Block parenting methodology, might just offer what you seek:  solutions to toddler temper tantrums.  Curious about Dr. Karp’s approach, I picked up a copy of his Happiest Toddler on the Block DVD at my local library.  In the video, Dr. Karp works like a magician, teaching parents how to communicate with their toddlers in a way that lets the toddler (a.k.a. caveperson) know that you hear them–effectively eliminating most temper tantrums. 

Although somewhat silly in parts, the video offers key learning points and provides parents with real solutions (although perhaps slightly embarrassing at first to do in public) to dealing with frustrating toddler behavior.  I’m already having good luck trying these techniques with my toddler.  And, given that Dr. Karp’s approach has been highlighted on Dr. Phil, I’m definitely not the only one who thinks there is potential value in the Happiest Toddler approach.

Here’s a sample YouTube clip, thanks to Parents.com: 

Have you used the The Happiest Toddler on the Block approach? If so, is it working for you and your child?     

It’s that time of year.  Preschool registration.  Whether you’ve had your child on a waitlist for months (or years!) at a particular preschool or you’re just warming up to the idea of sending your child to preschool this fall, there’s a lot to think about. 

Choosing the right preschool program for your child can be tough.  I lost many hours of sleep agonizing over the “right” program for my first born, only to move right before she started the program–agony again! 

Preschools have unique philosophies (e.g., play-based, Montessori), which may or may not mesh with your own views or ideals, or even be compatible with your child’s personality.  Schools are as unique as people.  Some offer highly structured programs and orderly classrooms.  Others are chaotic at every step–from the administration to carpool pick up. 

When it comes to picking a preschool there are so many considerations it’s really easy to become overwhelmed or even discouraged, especially if you find out that you’re “late” in the application game. 

I’m not kidding.  Selecting a preschool ranks near the top of my ”most effort needed” mom projects–definitely tons more work than finding sock mates in the morning in the mad rush to get to preschool on time (and finding matching socks in my household is no easy chore).  If you’re in the preschool application boat right about now, Wondertime has a feature which is worth a read. It’s a preschool checklist, which goes over the basic things you need to think about in selecting a program for your child.

Thankfully, my firstborn’s preschool also seems like a great fit for my rising preschooler, so I get to skip a lot of the hard work this time around.  And…I just learned today that he’s been accepted into the fall preschool class.  Now, that’s icing on the cake.

What advice do you have for parents of rising preschoolers who are thinking about preschool? 

A friend asked me the other day, “so, is your preschooler into Barbie, yet?”  My gut reaction:  what on Earth do you mean by yet?  Yet assumes living in a Barbie World (thanks, Aqua) is inevitable.  First off, I don’t think the Barbie phase is inevitable.  But, back to the question.  The answer is yes.  My preschooler has just started to show interest in Barbie.

I realize the word “Barbie” alone can stir up the liveliest of debates among parents, especially moms.  Some draw the line at Barbie.  Others say, “what’s the harm?”  Still others lie somewhere in between–”maybe one or two dolls, but forget the dream house and hundreds of accessories.” 

As much as I’d like my preschooler to remain interested in her natural and simple wood Ryan’s Room dollhouse and miniature Waldorf-inspired wood people,  I can’t deny that she’s losing interest in favor of Barbie and the KidKraft line of dollhouses (which by the way, are quite dreamy) that accommodate Barbie (and like sized) dolls.  Oh, in case you’re wondering, she doesn’t watch much t.v.–and when she does, it’s commercial free.

Please help me out here.  What’s the going age for Barbie?  When does life in plastic begin?  When does it end? 

Really, it’s never too early to learn a language.  I know.  My little ones are hooked on learning Spanish.  Sure, Dora the Explorer or Diego probably have a little bit to do with it–at least with getting them interested in the language in the first place.

Seriously, though, when sports and activities sign-ups roll around, my kids *beg* for Spanish classes.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s a great thing, especially since studies suggest that the child brain is incredibly receptive to learning a foreign language. 

Language classes are a great way to help a child acquire a second language.  But classes aren’t the only ticket to picking up another language. 

Here are five ways to help your child learn a language: 

1.  Play language CDs–even music in the language.  Play the CDs in the car.  Around the house.  Play them during pregnancy.  Play them during infancy.  The sooner you start, the better. 

2.  Find learning aids.  There are so many products on the market today designed to help language acquisition.  Flashcards.  Games.  CDs.  DVDs.  Podcasts. Talking Toys. 

3.  Label your house in the foreign language.  Label the refrigerator.  Label your furniture.  Label your children’s toys.  Make reference to these items in the language and watch your child’s vocabulary grow.

4.  Have fun!  When learning is fun, your child will only crave more.         

5.  Of course, total immersion is probably the fastest–and maybe even the best–way to pick up a second language.  But not many of us can simply pack up and move to another country!

Does your child speak more than one language?  If so, at what age did they start learning the language, and how did you go about teaching your child the language?

Maybe it’s because the cups are just so darn cute.  Maybe it’s because they make kids feel so grown up.  Reasoning aside, kids simply love tea parties.

I vividly remember one of my first childhood tea parties.  I sat at a plastic pint-sized table surrounded by my stuffed animal friends–come to think of it, that was a pretty ugly table.  It would probably pass for “retro chic” today, given the big gaudy flowers displayed all over it. Table and all, I remember those tea parties.

My preschooler really digs tea parties now.  She loves her tea set, especially when I fill the tiny serving pitcher with chocolate milk.  She absolutely loves to fill (and refill) her own cup. 

Tea parties unleash her imagination.  I love hearing my preschooler engage in full conversations with her imaginary friends, stuffed animals, and dolls.  I can only hope she looks back on her childhood and remembers her tea parties, like I do mine.  Maybe she’ll even remember her table–minus the flowers.

Want to encourage your child’s imagination through a tea party?  Here are five simple things you can do to make a tea party super special.

1.  Invite a friend to the party.  Tea parties are even more special when a ”real” friend joins in the fun.  Even if that friend is mommy or daddy.

2.  Give your child her own special tea set.  While ordinary dishes will do, there is nothing quite like a miniature child-sized set.

3.  Dress up.  Encourage your child to dress up for tea!  What a perfect occasion to wear dress-up clothes, costume jewelry, fun scarves or mommy’s heels (okay, maybe the not-too-high ones).

4.  Get fancy.  For a “formal” tea party, make tea time invitations with your child and send them to guests (bonus feature:  what child doesn’t love to send and receive mail?).

5.  Serve treats.  Tea parties are fun with imaginary tea and snacks, but even better with the real thing.  Consider chocolate milk or another special drink as a “tea” substitute.  Consider mini cupcakes or mini cookies as a snack.

Most importantly, don’t forget the camera!  You’ll definitely want to preserve those tea party moments!

Does your little one like tea parties?  What have you done to make them even more memorable for your child?   

My preschooler learned a new word at school.  Mean.  I had hoped she wouldn’t come to know the definition of the word so soon.  But now that she understands the meaning, her use of the word ”mean” is growing in frequency. 

I’m starting to think bringing home lice would have been better. 

At first, a boy in the class was mean.  Then a visiting child was mean.  Another child was said to be mean because she didn’t want to play.  Now my preschooler says her sibling is mean.  For taking her first choice crayon color.  For eating the last piece of candy (even though she ate much more than her fair share).  For doing something first, like getting to the bathroom sink when it’s time to brush teeth. 

There’s no doubt, addressing ”mean” behavior and ensuring a safe, healthy environment takes top priority on the parenting scale, but what happens when “mean” descriptor is overused?  And why are kids mean in the first place?

My gut instinct tells me that the word is popular with my preschooler because it’s a new word–a new concept.  She finally has a label to attach to a particular behavior.  I’m also guessing that she’s attaching the word to behaviors for which she doesn’t yet know of other descriptors or doesn’t yet fully understand emotionally–like jealousy. 

But, I also venture to guess that she’s hearing the word a lot at school.  Maybe, too much.  I’ve even heard the word mentioned in conversation by two mothers.  It was also used by two of my child’s playmates, on separate play dates. 

So, why are kids mean in the first place?  One theory is that kids model the behavior they see at home.  Other theories include lack of discipline or setting of boundaries, exposure to violence, including on television, and absent or disinterested parents or adult figures.

There are plenty of terrific resources out there to help steer children away from “mean” behavior–and toward healthy emotional expression, including books like 1-2-3 Magic or Supernanny, online parenting courses, podcasts, and community education programs.  Some schools even offer parenting classes or awareness seminars on unwanted behaviors, like bullying.

Parental involvement can go a long way toward stemming aggressive behavior.  That saying that it’s about ”quality of time” spent with kids holds true.  Even time or cash strapped parents can make amazing contributions to a child’s development.  Taking time to do projects or activities with a child–playing a game, going for a walk, baking dinner together, talking, or reading a book–has the potential to transform mean kids into loving ones, and maybe even make for less “mean” talk at home.