Vlog Series: Tips from Our House to Yours
My Tip: Toddlers and Chores: I discuss why and how we use our Chore Chart for our 2.5 year old.
Some of you may have noticed my vlogging section on my sidebar. About two weeks ago, I decided to give vlogging a try using my digital camera and posted my first vlog. While my topics are good (and the editing later or is kind of sexy thanks to the example set by Ms. CutieBootyCakes), the quality of the videos are not. The colors are off in the second one and it’s dark, and in the first my head was almost chopped of. Well, thanks to the people over at NewBaby.com, I will soon be the proud owner of a FLIP video camera. At any rate, my new series is up and running right here on kristinabrooke.org, and also on my vlog hosted by Newbaby.com. I will be posting to this series once a week, but I am also starting another one which I will talk about when my FLIP camera arrives. That one will also be once a week. So check them out!
Previous topic: Stop Hallowween Treat Insanity (Viddler | Newbaby.com)
Parent Reviewers Blog Tour: My Mommy’s Tote
Like many other parents, I am constantly looking for playthings for my daughter that will keep her occupied for more than 5 minutes. More importantly, I am always looking for toys that will interest her more than my own. It’s not easy, so when I was asked to review the My Mommy’s Tote interactive, life-saving board book, I practically begged to be included on this Tour. You see, my daughter LOVES my pocketbook. She loves to carry it, swing it, empty it, and claim all the contents of it as her own.
My Mommy’s Tote is a purse-shaped board book with cardboard keys attached to its fabric handles. Its pages are filled with everything from a cell phone, to a clock, to a really cool laptop and more. And nestled deep within the the pages is a dry-erase board and marker for the times that my daughter feels like “DWARING.” The tote also has a maze to solve and blurbs to remind Mom just why it is so cool to be a Mommy.
When I received the tote in the mail, I wanted my daughter to be surprised when she saw it- I wanted to see if she would be interested. As she slept for the night, I read through it and decided to leave it on the table for her to see in the morning. And see it she did. She loved it so much that for the first day all she did was sit with it on her lap and “WEAD.”
Not only does the book allow her to feel like a big girl, there is so much in there for parents to use as learning tools. Most of the contents of the tote are clearly labled and brightly colored for identification. Don’t forget, the Tote… Continue reading
She Gets Stickies
Now that I am working from home, I want to ensure that my daughter learns responsibility and is not just running willy-nilly around the house. So, when I read Simple Mom’s post about chores for preschoolers, we decided to make a chart for our 29 month old. Our chart is not much different from the one that Simple Mom offers here for download. The only difference is that we begin our week on Sunday and our pictures are a little different. Here is a picture of ours:
We have been using the chart for three days and it is great. We wake up at around 8:00 am every morning (or almost every morning) and SWHS must help us make her bed. We go into the kitchen to get breakfast and then she helps unload the silverware (minus the knives). This is her favorite part of the day I think. She has always loved to help and she wants to please us so badly. More importantly, however, is that skills-wise, she was ready for these tasks. She mimics us and when I allowed her to help with the silverware a few weeks ago, she was so excited. It is important to build on that excitement so that children learn that the everyday mundane things (like cleaning, cooking, making one’s bed) can be fun and rewarding.
And speaking of rewards, my daughter loves stickers (she calls them stickies). She realized pretty quickly that she would get a sticky every time she completed a chore. We did not explain that to her. We just started doing it- after every two task, we would allow her to choose a sticker and then we would show her where to put it on her chart. After only three days she knows where most… Continue reading
The First Ever Mom on the Rise/Kristina Reviews Giveaway
Hey, wanna win a copy of your very own Mia-Reading: The Bugaboo Bugs? All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me why you love reading and I will then randomly choose a winner and KUTOKA will send you a copy of this game free of charge.
You are allowed 1 entry only, however, if you post a link to this contest on your blog AND a link to the review below you will be eligible for 2 more entries. Good Luck and Have Fun!!!! Contest ends June 11, 2008.