Childcare, parenting

Back by popular demand: The body

15 March 2010

St. Peter’s Healthcare Services and News Channel 13 will bring life-sized replicas of the ear and heart and other parts of the human body to Colonie Center next month through its Journey Through the Body presentation. This free two-day event is designed to teach kids about the body as well as ways to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Highlights include the brain, careers in health care, preventing tooth decay, the digestive system, the ear, the heart, kidney, lungs and infectious disease control. The Journey begins at noon Friday, April 16, and runs until 9 that night. It reopens Saturday, April 17, at 10 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. Bob Kovachick and Benita Zahn will do a live broadcast at 5 p.m. on the 16th.

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Posted in 2010, 30, Activities, Health, K, Object, Service, healthy, kid, kids, lifestyle, news, parentingComments (0)

What nostalgia toy did you have to buy for your kid?

15 March 2010

Image via Wikipedia I heard a commercial on ESPN radio today for the Slinky . For real. They’re spending money advertising the Slinky. Maybe it’s just to remind people that they still make them because I think nostalgia probably sells quite a few. As I’ve said multiple times on this blog, I’m determined to buy my kids an Easy-Bake oven some day, not because I played with one as a kid, but because my parents refused to get me one. Of course, I always loved cooking and was using our stove by the time I was in third grade, so it probably would have been silly to buy me a toy oven that bakes via lightbulb. Still I wanted one. And Andrew and Matilda will have theirs (if I can still buy those lightbulbs in New York). Anyway, what toy did you buy for your kids out of nostalgia?

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Posted in 2010, 30, Cooking, Humor, K, Object, child, childcare, kid, kids, love, money, parents, playComments (0)

Guilderland Public Library hosts Baby Palooza

15 March 2010

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr Baby Palooza, the Guilderland Public Library ’ s first-ever fair focused exclusively on the needs, wants and comforts of new and soon-to-be parents will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (March 20) in the library’s Helderberg Room. The event is free. Parents of newborns have many questions about their new roles. The library along with local and community organizations are putting together this event to give workshops, presentations, and demonstrations about services new parents need. It’s a one-stop source for information on everything related to meeting the need of mothers during pregnancy and post-pregnancy, for babies at birth, child care for infants, and much more. Among the Baby Palooza workshops are: Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga – Ages: 6-weeks to Nearly Crawling. Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes contain dozens of unique yoga postures designed to support baby’s development. No yoga experience required. Kim’s Signing Solutions Storytime – Learn how sign language can help minimize baby’s crying and temper tantrums, reduce their frustrations (and yours), and help you communicate with your child — and them with you — before they can speak. Baby Massage (newborn to noncrawler) – Find out how to provide loving massage strokes to your baby from the very beginning. This demonstration is designed for babies of all abilities including those with special needs. Prenatal Yoga –This class will introduce expectant mothers to the many ways in which yoga can enrich the journey through pregnancy. Class will include a sequence of gentle yoga poses and will end with guided relaxation. Yoga experience not necessary. Protecting Your Family from Household Hazards – The Outreach Health Educator for Community Cradle will provide a presentation on exposure to ecological and environmental hazards that your family should be aware of. Ask the Lactation Consultant – An IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) will answer your questions about breastfeeding, including where to find breastfeeding help … How often to feed your baby … How to tell if your baby is getting enough milk … How to get enough sleep … What foods to avoid. Ounce of Prevention – Price Chopper has been working to locate the best resources to help families create healthy meals and healthy relationships with food for their children. They have been working with local communities on resources to assist with preventing pediatric obesity, and are proud to bring some wonderful resources to Baby Palooza about the Ounce of Prevention program. These workshops have limited attendance. Tickets to these events will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. Exhibitors include: Ask the Pharmacist, Bellevue Woman’s Center, Capital District Child Care Coordinating Council, Certified Prenatal Yoga Instruction, Community Cradle, Honest Weight Food Co-op, Seton Health Childbirth Center, Kim’s Signing Solutions Storytime, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), Sling Babies and The Terrace at Beverwyck Josalyn Wilder, one of the youth services librarians there, has been awarded an American Libraries Association’s Books for Babies grant, which, with the help of the Friends of the Library, will allow the library to distribute 200 Books for Babies kits to new parents at the Baby Palooza. The Guilderland Public Library is one of only 20 libraries nationwide to be awarded this year’s grant from Nordstrom and ALTAFF, the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, a division of the American Library Association. For information on this free program, contact the Youth Services Department of the Library at 456-2400, (ext.

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Posted in 2010, 30, Activities, Babies, Childbirth, Families, Health, K, Object, Pregnancy, Preschoolers, Race, Service, baby, birth, book, books, child, child care, childcare, children, events, family, foundation, friends, frustration, healthy, help, men, mother, obesity, organization, pH, parents, photos, prenatal, preschool, relationships, roles, school, sleep, weight, work, yogaComments (0)

True Mom Confessions: Are you smarter than a fifth-grader?

15 March 2010

Er, I don't know that empire. I’m always asking my daughter about her homework: does she have a test coming up? What is she studying right now? Usually, I recognize what she’s working on, remember learning it myself, help if I’m needed. But I was quiet a few weeks ago when she told me she was working on a report about some figure from the Islamic Empire for global history. I had never heard the name — or at least didn’t remember it. So I was glad when she didn’t ask me any questions about him. I just raised a knowing eyebrow and tried to look wise. It’s not the first time I’ve been baffled by my kid’s homework. I fell behind in math somewhere around order of operations. And I’m glad no one’s asking me for any Old English translations. How about you? For this week’s True Mom Confessions we want to know the first of your kids’ homework assignments that stumped you — and made you feel a little stupid.

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Posted in 2010, 30, General, Homework, K, Object, True Mom Confessions, help, kid, kids, men, parenting, workComments (0)

Teens cause $200,000 in damage to unoccupied home

15 March 2010

And the home these kids trashed wasn’t just some vacant erroding house, it was a luxury home in North Greenbush. According to the Times Union story , police say 84 kids are expected to face charges.

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