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| Friday, October 10, 2008 |
Once Upon a Potty Review |
Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel (the boy version) was an instrumental book in potty training our older son (OS). He was fascinated by the story. In fact, when we bought him an anatomically correct boy doll to "potty train" we even named it Joshua after the main character in the book. For a while after OS was potty trained, we continued to read the book.
One of my friends swears that the reason her daughter was potty trained was because she listened to the Potty Song on the Once Upon a Potty CD. It was like it clicked for her. Or perhaps, it was just the timing, but either way the song made it fun.
Because of that, I was interested when The Parent Bloggers Network was looking for people to review the book and CD. This is the actually the 25th anniversary edition. It was first written for the author's son and apparently he produced the CD. The book was even better than the copy we already have. Why? Because it's a board book. Still not getting it? This book spent quite a lot of the time in the bathroom with OS so I liked the idea that with our Younger Son (YS) that we can wipe down the book if need be. Gross, but a reality of parenting. Plus I just think board books are better for little hands anyway because you don't have to worry about ripped pages or paper cuts.
YS did enjoy listening to the CD. It was fun for him to read the story out loud and he did flip through the book while listening to it. He's only two though so he wasn't necessarly looking at the pages in order! He also did enjoy the song.
Once Upon a Potty is available in a boy version with the main character being named Joshua and a girl version where the main character is named Prudence. The book is also written so that parents can substitute the words for #1 and #2 as well as private parts. |
posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:10 AM
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| Monday, September 22, 2008 |
Using Jooners |
Last week I announced the I was looking for both bloggers and readers to join and review Jooners. Responses have been coming in. For the people who are willing to review Jooners, I decided to coordinate the reviews the same way I would host any other event using Jooners. I sent each of the interested people an invite to sign up for a Jooners event list. Participants were able to sign themselves up for a review slot. It went very smoothly.
I am responsible for organizing who brings snacks to my next moms group meeting. I used a Jooners snack sign up sheet to automate that. It was incredibly easy. My moms group uses a Yahoo groups list-serve. I uploaded the yahoo group to my Jooners address book, and in less than a minute it separated the group into individual addresses. Why is that important? I'll get to that in one moment. I used Event Planner to create my snack list. Originally I chose the pre-made Snack List without realizing that it was designed to enable people to take turns bringing snacks over a period of time. It would be perfect for parents taking turns bringing refreshments to little league games, for example. I needed several people to bring different snacks to a single meeting. I created a new list and entered the items I was requesting and the date for each item. I selected a single address from my Jooners address book...my moms group Yahoo group. Jooners sent the invitation to each person in the group individually. That means that each person only received an email reminder for the items that she signed up to bring. How cool is that?
I am not the only one who found it easy. I have heard positive reports from several of my readers. You do not need to sign up for a Jooners account to sign up on a list. If you are invited to participate in a list, you receive an email requesting that you click on a link for the sign-up sheet. You then type your name next to the item you are bringing. You do not need to sign up for an account to do it.
While many people are willing to create accounts of their own, they tend to be reluctant to use a system that requires others to create accounts. It's yet another login name and password to remember. However, that is not the case here. Once friends found out about that, they were pretty excited. In fact I heard from a few people that they were so impressed that they were going to go ahead and open a Jooners account after all to plan upcoming events. Did I mention again that this is a free service?
I'm still looking for reviewers and readers. Again, I will be raffling off prizes for people who participate. Please leave me a comment if you're interested. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 8:42 PM
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Ringling Brothers Review |
I remember when I went to the circus. I was 5 years old and my mother signed me up for a community field trip. I was captivated by it. I loved watching all the animals and for weeks afterwards I would pretend that I was an acrobat on a trapeeze which was in reality the monkey bar on my swing set. I also remember that there was popcorn for most of the kids. Most kids didn't include me...my parents hadn't sent me with any money, but that's a story for another day. My husband also really enjoyed going to the circus as a kid. In fact he used to see Gunther Gable Williams, who was the famous animal trainer in Ringling Brothers every other year. As such we've discussed taking the our two boys to the circus. As luck would have it, Ringling Brothers is on tour again and specifically will be in Boston Wednesday, October 8 through Monday October 13th.
The good news is that Mom Central has teamed up with Ringling Brothers. Because it's Mom Central, not only do I have some good info for you on the show, but I also have a discount code and the possibility of winning tickets for you too!
To get the discount, simply go to the Ringling Brothers website, enter your zip code, select the date and enter the code MCC. You'll receive 20% off for the cities Boston, Denver, Cleavland, Chicago, St. Louis and Auburn Hills, MI.
Here's the better part. I have two prizes to give away. I am giving away tickets for a family of four to see the circus in Boston and a prize pack which includes a DVD of the show and a program. To enter this contest, please leave your name (and email address if you don't have a Blogger profile) in my comments section. I will select a winner on Tuesday Sept. 30th using random.org. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 8:19 PM
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Mix 'n Match, Pop 'n Swap Blog Blast |
The Parent Bloggers Network is doing a blog blast on interesting outfits your children have put together sponsored by Mix 'n Match, Pop 'n Swap. With a five year old and a two year old, I've seen my share of "creative" outfits!
Today my husband and I spent a good hour going through our boys clothes while they were watching a movie. Why did it take so long? The main reason is that my older son (OS)refuses to conform. Why wear long sleeve t-shirts when it's cold out when you can wear them when it's in the 90's outside? I got comments from his preschool teacher last year "I'm concerned that OS is cold." and comments from his camp counselors this summer, "I'm concerned that OS is too warm". It's such a fine line because I want OS to be able to pick out his own outfits. He has plenty of appropriate seasonal clothes to wear. At the same time, I do like to make sure that in the colder weather there are a few t-shirts in his dresser so that he can dress in layers and that there are a few long sleeve shirts in his dresser during the summer for the same reason. This is not even taking into account the clothes that are too small that he just loves despite the fact he looks like he just stepped out of Flashdance. Of course my younger son (YS) wants to dress just like his older brother.
This afternoon my husband and I removed all the too small clothes. We also made sure to only put out a few t-shits, but only a few t-shirts just in case. This way he can feel free to create his own outfits, but at the same time there's a limit to how many times he can wear short sleeve shirts in a week particularly at the rate that I do laundry. Plus I removed all the shorts! Let's just hope he doesn't figure out that the off season clothes are stored in bins in our basement! |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 12:01 AM
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| Sunday, September 14, 2008 |
Introducing Jooners: Prizes Available |
As I wrote over on Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting, it can be hard to organize something even as apparently simple as signing up to bring someone a meal without getting a ton of emails. The last time someone in my church needed meals, I think I got about 10 emails from people hitting "reply all" so that everyone could see what they had volunteered to bring and on what date. Make no mistake here, they needed to hit "reply all" because otherwise Suzy Smith would have ended up with nine meals on July 6th.
The same challenge haunts those pulling together volunteer snack lists, coordinating carpools, and dividing up who brings what refreshments to each game, just to name a few. A company called Jooners has launched a site specifically targeted for parents (although it's really good for any group) to enable us to organize all these activities on-line. For example, let's say that I wanted to create a schedule for bloggers to review Jooners and write about it. - I would create an account using the name Alex Elliot.
- I would click on the button called "Event Planner."
- I would call the event Jooners Review Post and list the dates that I wanted bloggers to post reviews of this site.
If a blogger wanted to participate, he or she would email me or comment on this post so I could use the Jooners email capability to send an invitation to the sign-up sheet I created. The blogger would then go and sign up for an available date. The blogger would also be automatically entered in a raffle drawing for an amazon.com gift card. That's right. I'm looking for people to sign up and review Jooners.
Not a blogger or want more chances to win? If you create an account to setup your own on-line list or event and let me know about it, you will also be entered into the lottery. While people do not have to join Jooners to sign up for a list that you create, if you share the names of those who do create Jooners accounts and sign into at least one of your lists, they are also eligible for a prize. Basically, that means you don't need to be a blogger to win, and if you are a blogger you can get two chances. The last thing to let you know, is that the more people who participate, the more chances to win.
Please email me if you have any questions. I would be happy to work with my fellow New Englanders in particular to help make this useful for you. If you know me in person, and are, for example, in my moms group, book club, or playgroup, I have specific ideas for ways that it can make some of our regular activities easier.
To recap there are three different ways to participate. You can any one of the following or all three:- I'm looking for bloggers and non-bloggers to create Jooners accounts and use Jooners to create a list, organize a group of volunteers, or plan an event
- I'm looking for bloggers and non-bloggers to create Jooners accounts and sign-up for one of the lists, groups, or events someone else has created. Have the person email me so that I can verify that you signed up and participated and thus enter you in the raffle.
- I'm looking for bloggers to write a review of your experience using Jooners
To participate, either leave a comment on this post with a way for me to email you, or email me at alexelliot (at sign) flexibleparenting.com.
Please let me know if you have any questions. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 8:07 PM
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Noodleboro Review |
As the mother of a five year old, I'm always working on my son's manners. I want my older son (OS) to be polite not only because it's important, but because my two year copies everything that he does, right down to impolite language. I was intrigued when Mom Central announced that they were looking for bloggers to review Hasbro Noodleboro.
The idea behind the game is that you and your kids pretend to be on a picnic. The game comes with a plastic picnic basket, picnic item tokens, and a picnic blanket game board. Each player picks a color (if there are only two of you, each player picks two colors). The players need to collect all of the picnic items in their color. In the basket are circular chips that correspond with the foods on the boards. When it's the players turn, he politely asks if he can take a token from the basket. You need to reply that they may. They then say "thank you". If the token matches one of the items that they are collecting, they put it down on the matching space on the board. If not, they can place it on the center of the board and take another discarded token. Whoever collects the items to complete their picnic first wins. If a player continuously forgets his manners, the other players can ask him to return the token to the picnic basket and to try again the next turn.
My kids seemed to enjoy it. It's a pretty easy game with lots of opportunities to practice manners. My kids were quick to point out if I forgot to say "you're welcome" to them. Even my two year old was able to participate in this game. He did need gentle reminders to leave his tokens alone, and he also needed guidance deciding whether to keep a token or discard it. He had fun, though, which is what matters.
The game also came with a book and a CD called a Very Pleasing Picnic. The book tells the story of an impolite little girl named Rachel. Rachel and a group of kids have a picnic. The other kids are all very polite. Rachel decides that she would like to be an ant because ants don't have to say please and thank you so she waves her magic wand and become an ant. Rachel discovers that being an ant is not all that she hoped it would be, and she transforms back into a polite little girl. My kids enjoyed this story. The back of the books has tips for parents and the words to some of the songs on the CD. The CD also has some manners reminders, songs and an audio version of the story. It makes a chiming sound whenever the kids need to turn the page although my son listened to it without the book. In fact, they listened to it several times. Whenever the CD came on, multiple encores were requested. They particularly liked the story and the Please and Thank You & The Crabby Grabby Ant Song. That song also made my husband chuckle. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 3:18 PM
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| Wednesday, September 10, 2008 |
Ready for the Day and Ready for Bed |
Honestly what parent hasn't struggled at some point with morning or bedtime rituals? In our house we sometimes struggle with both. Hence I'm always on the lookout for kids books about going to bed. Maybe my kids will subconsciously get the message. I hadn't heard of a book about kids getting ready for the day, so I was intrigued when the Parent Bloggers Network looked for bloggers to review Ready for Bed A Tale of Cleaning Up, Tucking In, and Hardly Any Complaining and Ready for the Day A Tale of Teamwork and Toast, and Hardly Any Foot-Dragging both by Stacey R. Kaye. They are published by Free Spirit Publications which specializes in books that promote social and emotional well being.
I was expecting to read traditional story books for kids, with some sort of cutesy story about kids putting on pjs and getting all warm and cozy as they jump into bed at night and some sort of cutesy story about kids jumping out of bed and looking forward to a bright sunny day in the morning. These stories have far more depth. Not only do they provide a story line about the struggle between following ritual and doing what they are told, but they offer parenting examples about how to positively steer children through these transitions.
When my older son first decided to exert his own independence or in layman's terms, have temper tantrums, I was surprised how much easier it was to redirect him when I offered him two choices. Of course I got this advice from friends. Too many choices would overwhelm him, but two gave him (and me for that matter) a sense of control. This approach to parenting always seems easier said than done, which is why I enjoy seeing real world examples that remind me how I can personally follow this approach in real life. That's exactly what both of these books do. For example when Marco doesn't want to get ready for bed, his mother offers him a choice between swimming like a fish or flying like an airplane to get to bed. Similarly the dad offers Maya the choice of a shirt and shorts or a daisy dress when she doesn't want to get dressed.
In addition to providing me with new ways to present choices and new ideas for what choices I may offer, the books helped me focus on realistic parental responses that validate a child's feelings. There aren't any fairies or cuddly bunnies in these books. Instead, each book has a parent and a child interacting to go through a couple of daily rituals.
In the front of both books is a page that describes how words in the books are color coded to make it easy to identify phrases that validate feelings, offer choices or give encouragement. In addition, there are a few pages in the back of each book for the parents explaining how preschoolers process feelings and offering advice on supporting children through positive parenting. I liked that the characters in these books were African American, and I liked that they paired off a mother and son and a father and daughter.
The first time we offered to read these books, the kids did turn them down, and they protested when we put our feet down. They wanted to choose their typical books about bunnies and puppies. However, after listening to one story, both boys were excited to hear the second, and each one of them chose one of the books to take to bed. They were both a hit. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 11:16 PM
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| Tuesday, September 9, 2008 |
V-Motion Active Learning System Review |
My kids are 5 and 2 so we've just hit the age where my older one is becoming more and more interested in computer and video games. When The Parent Bloggers Network said they were looking for people to review the V-Motion Active Learning System, I was pretty excited because it's marketed for kids ages 3-7.
The system comes with a game box, the Action Mania Smartridge, and a joystick that can be used by one or two players. The Smartridge is compatible with all V-tech systems, as are the Smartridges from other systems. Since my son is a lefty, I was pleased to see that the joystick can be flipped for either hand. The system plugs right into your TV. There is also a V-link which is a thumb drive that you attach to your computer to download bonus games and scores from the V-tech website.
When I first plugged in the system, I was a little skeptical that my son would be able to fully "get" the games. They seemed to move a little too fast, at least when I was playing them. The V-Motion works with a wireless motion activated joystick meaning that the more I was moving around, the faster the characters moved on the screen.
I had my five-and-a-week-year old son come play the games with me. At first I had him sit on my lap, and we manipulated the joystick together. Because the joystick and the buttons are very large, not only are they easy for little hands, but there was enough room for both of us to use them at the same time. After giving both games a test play, I let him try it on his own. Sure enough it was no problem. I had been concerned for the Backyard Adventures game. The object of it is to collect the missing letter from the word as you drive a car through the backyard. When I was playing it, the car was zooming very fast and I barely had a chance to read the choice of letters before I was past them. However, when my 5 year old played it by himself, he was able to slow the car so that he could pick the appropriate letter.
My son also liked the game where you have to balance the person on the ball. At first the person went really slowly, but as he got more and more into it, it becamse easier for him to play it.
The hardest game for him involved bobsledding. That game shows a sequence of numbers and requires the player to choose the missing number while bobsledding. While my son was able to say the missing number out loud, he was not coordinated enough to actually get the missing number. Am I surprised by this? Not really. Like it or not, many people argue that video games can improve fine motor skills, which my son sometimes needs to work on. I suspect that it won't be long before he has mastered that. Initially the balancing ball was hard for him, and he was able to figure that out on his own. The bobsledding game was my husband's favorite.
The only issue I had with this system was that it was hard to hook up with Tivo. In fact, we ended up abandoning ship and connecting it to our small TV upstairs that doesn't have Tivo (or any TV reception) where it worked fine.
Overall though, I was happy with this product. In addition to getting the kids up and moving, the games were educational and focused on math, spelling, music and problem solving. I liked the way the machine was designed for little hands. From the large buttons on the system itself, to the large Smartridge and the large, simple animations on the game itself, I thought it was well-suited for kids. The games were visually appealing, including things like passing stars or healthy pieces of food like potatoes (that would be announced) that you could grab for points without being overwhelming or too fast paced like other video games. It was definitely designed for younger kids. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 6:25 PM
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| Tuesday, August 26, 2008 |
Sleep is for the Weak Review |
Part of the allure of the blogosphere for moms is that they can read posts from other moms in the same stage of life or who have commonalities with the reader. The blogosphere isn't for everyone though. The thought of reading essays on the computer is not appealing to some people. That's why I was so interested in purchasing the book Sleep is For the Weak by blogger Rita Arens from Surrender, Dorothy and reviewing it for the Parent Bloggers Network. Rita put together a collection of essays from none other than bloggers.
I like this book for a variety of reasons. First of all, it's very easy to read. It's broken down into humerous categories like Never Sleeping Again or Personal Growth Blows which each have about 6 pieces in them. The essays are all different lengths with some as short as a paragraph and the longest just being a few pages. The idea is to be able to read each one whenever you can fit in the time, and since moms of young kids don't tend to have a lot of time, they're written accordingly.
The pieces in this book are also very honest and sometimes funny. It's easy to identify with the topics. State of Grace by Jenny Lauckfrankly describes how hard it is to work at home with kids. Nicole Richie Has Nothing On Me by Rita Arens describes what is what like to be pregnant and then a mother after having an eating disorder as a young adult. The Dinner Party by Joanna Polyn is a humorous story written from her daughter's point of view about the time she "relieved herself" is the middle of a dinner party.
I heard at BlogHer that Rita came up with this idea after asking her favorite bloggers to sign copies of their favorite blog posts that she had printed. The idea of an anthology of favorite blog posts was then born. Again, the new parents may be not be interested in the blogosphere for a variety of reasons, most significantly because they may not understand it. This book though is a way to curl up on a fluffy chair or frankly on the floor of your kids' room when they just have to have you there to fall asleep and be able to identify with other moms. It would make a great baby shower gift.
Of course I did buy a copy of Sleep is for the Weak at BlogHer, and I had it autographed. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 11:18 PM
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| Wednesday, August 20, 2008 |
Review of Daniel X |
I really enjoying reading, and I love to try new books. I can't fall asleep at night unless I read first. My husband and I sincerely hope that both of our boys develop the same love of reading that we have. However, I have learned from talking with other moms of boys, that it can be hard to find books that are interesting to boys. When I think back to my junior high years, Sweet Valley High was the rage. The girls in my class couldn't get enough of them. That's where our allowances went. I don't remember the boys showing any interest whatsoever in reading them. With all that in mind, I happy to see that Mom Central and Mother Talk teamed up to have bloggers review James Patterson and Michael Ledwidges' The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. Being a fan of James Patterson's adult books myself, I was happy to read more of his work.
Lest you think this is an adult book, let me explain. This is the first book in a science fiction series written for readers of all ages. It even has its own Wikipedia entry. As Patterson said in a NY Times article, he is writing books for younger readers to encourage kids to enjoy reading. He wanted a book that would captivate kids. He is the father of a ten year old boy.
To give a brief background, Daniel X is about a boy who is alien hunter. After his parents are killed by an alien, he sets off to rid the world of aliens. He has a number of powers that allow him to do things like create people from past memories and change form.
This book is very creative. Daniel's powers alone make him very unique. Unlike other superheros, he doesn't have just one super power. Throughout the book, new powers keep appearing. I think this alone will keep kids and adults alike entertained.
The book also uses "fun" language. For example, I think kids would appreciate the very frequent appearance of the word "wack-a-doo". As I was reading some of the descriptions I could picture a kid squealing "Eww! Gross!" with delight; lots of talk about eyeballs and brains. This is definitely written to keep the kids wanting to read further. Charles Dickens it's not, but that's not its purpose. Its purpose is to get kids to enjoy to read.
When I first started reading the book, it reminded me a little of Harry Potter, particularly because Daniel's parents were murdered when he was just a tyke. However, I don't think that's a bad thing. Tons of kids (and many adults including me) love Harry Potter! Because those books explored danger and had magic and lots of fun things to provoke kids' imaginations, they Harry Potter series made for great reading. I believe Daniel X would appeal for the same reason. After the initial introduction, the book steered away from Harry Potter-like tones, but it continued to demonstrate exploring power and danger for someone who looks just like the kid next door.
What I liked best about the book was its potential to generate a lot of good conversation between parents and kids. Because it could be fun for people of all ages, it would be a fun subject for a family discussion or a family read-aloud. I also appreciated the fact that the book was broken into short chapters, which makes it more accessible for kids, particularly if they are taking turns reading it out loud. I'm not usually big on science fiction. Frankly I read it because I was curious what was out there for my sons. However, I really enjoyed it. To order this book check it out on amazon.com . For additional info, check out the publisher's website and of course the book website. |
| posted by Alex Elliot @ 8:09 AM
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| Name: | Alex Elliot |
| Home: | MA, United States |
| About Me: | Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 5 year old and a 2 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe. |
| See my complete profile |
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Thanks for writing about Jooners. I recently discovered I'm the class mom (I volunteered a while ago and only found out now that they had picked me!) so this will come in handy for organizing activities and volunteer stuff.