Archive for August, 2008

Before a baby can sit up properly, feeding him can be a slumping affair, with Mama and Daddy hovering over a baby lounger with a bowlful of cereal. It sure seems like baby would eat more efficiently in an upright position, but he’s not ready for a high chair yet.

The solution: Prince Lionheart’s BebePOD Plus, a comfy upright baby chair with a sweet attached tray that makes feeding a cinch. Remove the tray if baby just wants to sit, or snap it on to catch drools or present an array of tiny items for baby’s early self-feeding experiments. Equipped with two removable placemats in sweet fruit designs that match the color of the chair, the chair is a snap to keep clean. And with an attachable toy included, you may even be able to make a phone call while Baby’s ensconced.

Available at princelionheart.com.

Michael Phelps isn’t the only one who had a victorious summer. QT with your kids helped the whole family get on track for the season ahead. With the help of some well-placed advice, you (finally!) got them to:

Love broccoli

Buckle up

Clean their rooms

Swim with caution

Wear sunscreen

Get a good night’s sleep

Say “gracias”

Take the lead

And let us not forget about the Dara Torres-inspired supermoms. Summer was your time to shine as you were able to:

Lose the baby weight

Make a smooth transition

Find 20 minutes for yourself

Get back to work

All in all, a gold medal summer.

The art always ends up on their clothes instead of the paper, so why not make it intentional?

Ralph Lauren’s logo has recently graced the Olympics and the US Open, so why not emblazon your kid with the Paint Your Polo Kit. A signature white shirt comes with brightly colored paints, brushes and stamps to create your own one-of-a-kind. The proceeds go the Pink Pony Fund benefiting Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Pediatric Art Program, so you won’t feel guilty stocking up for birthday parties, too.

And maybe you’ve got the next great American designer on your hands.

Available at ralphlauren.com.

When packing for that trip to the hospital to deliver your baby, Santa-like, you make a list and check it twice. Nightgown that buttons down the front for nursing? Check. Soothing music? Check. Your own bed pillow? Check.

One more thing to throw in that bag: Ms. & Mrs. Labor and Delivery Survival Kit, a passel of incredibly useful objects packed into a cute little tote that can double as a travel diaper carrier once the baby is actually out. Zip the kit open to find lip balm, a head band, slipper socks, a stopwatch, a calling card, and other essentials.

Happy pushing!

Available at msandmrs.com.

Although Gossip Girl is your biggest guilty pleasure, it also represents one of your biggest fears — that your kids could end up like those bed-hopping, text-happy teens.

Diane E. Levin, Ph.D., and Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D. (of award-winning Killing Us Softly) are the authors of So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood And What Parents Can Do To Protect Their Kids. Below are their tips for managing media in your family and counteracting inappropriate messages about sex in today’s 24/7 media world.

Logo a No-Go: Make your house as unmedia and unlogo-focused as possible.

Get Unplugged: Avoid electronic toys linked to marketing. No televisions or computers in kids’ bedrooms.

Be Realistic: It’s not practical to protect kids from all forms of media all the time, so moderate their media interaction. Limit screen time — this teaches kids to self-regulate. Remember, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for kids under the age of 2.

Just Deal: If you and your child see a movie trailer that’s far more sexually charged than the PG film you’re about to see, talk about it. Ask her why she liked the trailer. Tell her that just because there’s, say, a pretty girl in the movie, doesn’t mean it’s age-appropriate.

Stay Connected: Communicate with your kids. You want them to feel it’s helpful to talk to you, especially as they get older. So, if your darling Madison sees a nail polish commercial and mentions that her BFF is allowed to paint her tootsies, have a give-and-take conversation about it. Include, “It’s fun to put on nail polish, but we don’t do it in our house yet.”

Play the Field: Encourage open-ended play — dolls, blocks, art supplies, dress-up, storytelling — because it promotes imagination, socialization and problem solving. Keep in mind that online communities such as Club Penguin and Webkinz can be isolating and are about virtual lives instead of real world experience.

Gender Bender: Expose kids to a broad range of activities and try to avoid stereotypes. Teach kids that boys and girls can be friends, not just boyfriend and girlfriend.

Available online at amazon.com.

Your friends have shared their must-haves, and the salesperson at your local megastore gave you a checklist. Still, with all the choices out there you have no idea where to begin when it comes to buying baby gear.

Look no further: Giggle’s new Guide to Baby Gear gives the 411 on everything you need for a newborn, infant and toddler, from carriers and cribs to sun protection and smoke detectors. Written by founder Ali Wing, the guidebook offers the easy-to-follow and fun-to-read advice that’s made this hip baby shop a favorite resource.

The choice is yours.

Available at giggle.com.

With the Democratic National Convention in full gear, you want to get your kid in the appropriate blue-state attire.

Nothing says “yes we can” like Black Wagon’s “Golden Rule” Barack Obama tee. Even though they’re too young to rock the vote, little politicos can show their support for the dems in Denver.

Coming soon, in time for the RNC: McCain blankies.

Available at blackwagon.com.

A few years back, long-necked kitty cat graphics were everywhere: T-shirts, bumper stickers, wall decals. Then the cats fell out of favor and there were suddenly birds everywhere, screened on bags, skirts, and onesies. Now it’s the owls’ turn, and you’ll see more and more of them turning up as baby toys, or appliqued onto little-girl skirts.

Whether you dig the owl trend or not, you have to admit that Ittikid’s Wisest Owl Mobile is a pretty nifty-looking focus object. What baby could fail to be mesmerized by the somber, even a touch disapproving, owl eyes and the black/white/primary color mix? Watch them swing and glower…no sir, I’m not going to scream myself to sleep, not with those angry owls watching me.

Available at ittikids.com.

When it comes to parenting, you’re more of the old-school “do it or else” variety.

Even so, Tooth Tunes (gently) encourages kids to keep brushing without resorting to bribery or begging. The Junior design is suited for little hands and teeth, and plays one minute of a preschool-appropriate song from say, The Lion King or Jungle Book (older kids will dig tunes from High School Musical and Hannah Montana).

And once again, you will have won the battle.

Available at hasbrotoyshop.com.

Danish architect Arne Jacobsen designed his famous Egg Chair in 1958, and ever since it’s been ripped off by designers who want a little of that space-age cool. But so far no one’s deigned to design a miniaturized model for kids. Until they do, we’ll make do with IKEA’s PS LÖMSK swivel chair, made of plastic and canvas instead of velvet and lucite, but that’s no reason not to love it.

The high points: the chair swivels all the way around, 360 degrees, and is equipped with a canvas pull-down shade that provides the child with privacy yet is translucent enough to let in light — no fears of being trapped in the dark in this chair. The PS LÖMSK comes in red with an orange shade or blue with a white shade, and either one make an excellent space pod, personal playhouse, or mini hidey-hole.

Available at ikea.com.