Heartbreak Playground

English: This playground was designed to be ac...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At the playground – you know?
That’s where he saw this cutie … (music group ABC/ BBD)

Well, she was alright looking at most, but my 4-year-old was enamored with this little brown-skinned girl – easily a couple years older than him – wearing red rimmed glasses and two bobbled pony tails swinging down her back.

My son ‘flirts’ with little girls on occasion, but not often. He’s sorta bashful – but not really shy. He gathered the nerve to approach this girl, but then stood next to her awkwardly.

He muttered something about playing and she lashed out abruptly – GET AWAY FROM ME!

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Moms and Matters of the Heart

I just read an article and video on moms, stress, and heart disease on thestressedmom.com. Great information and hilarious video! You’ve got to watch the video…

“February is National Heart month. More and more women are being diagnosed with, and even dying from heart disease. Most of us know the important things to do to take care of your heart. Many of you are doing those things, like eating decently healthy, and getting some exercise (if chasing kids count). You don’t smoke, you have a few glasses of red wine a week…”

But there is a symptom that’s sneaking up on us – read the rest of the story…

Tip: My 9y.o. Son Pees in the Bed!

A 9- year- old boy kept peeing in the bed during his sleep.
He’s academically advanced, sports inclined and all-around healthy. But, he couldn’t seem to help this behavior. His mom was frustrated. She was concerned. She called the pediatrician and this is what he said:

Tell him to stand at the toilet for 30 more seconds. (What?)
He should stand at the toilet for 30 more seconds after he ‘finishes’ peeing.

“I thought it was strange when he would go pee and come back in less than 2 minutes,” his mom said. Turns out he wasn’t fully emptying his bladder. After he tried lingering at the toilet for 30 seconds, he stopped peeing in the bed.

He still pees in the bed occasionally, because sometimes he forgets.
But, the incidents have decreased dramatically.

Do you have a tip or a concern that you want to share? Email me and let me know!

Should Boys’ Grades Suffer Due to Their Behavior in School?

My son is in kindergarten. He’s smart but sometimes he has a problem staying in his seat …and standing in line …and not talking. He’s not the only one. My husband and I worked with him at home, and he’s improved. So have his ‘report card grades.’ Even though, I feel his school work performance remains the same. And I’m concerned. 

This article gives documentation to my concern. It’s extremely relative and important to read, share, and discuss. Is your son’s physical behavior at school negatively impacting his academic grade? boys in the back

The Boys at the Back by Christina Hoff Summers – NYTimes.com

Boys score as well as or better than girls on most standardized tests, yet they are far less likely to get good grades, take advanced classes or attend college. Why? A study coming out this week in The Journal of Human Resources gives an important answer….  No previous study, to my knowledge, has demonstrated that the well-known gender gap in school grades begins so early and is almost entirely attributable to differences in behavior. The researchers found that teachers rated boys as less proficient even when the boys did just as well as the girls on tests of reading, math and science. (The teachers did not know the test scores in advance.) If the teachers had not accounted for classroom behavior, the boys’ grades, like the girls’, would have matched their test scores.

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Bad Mommy Moment #974: Cavities are Contagious!

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! But it’s also the first time my oldest was treated for a CAVITY!

Oy vey! The shame! It’s a bad mommy moment that’s not even funny. But while you can’t laugh at my pain (get the Kevin Hart reference), I hope you can learn from it! Here’s where I think we went wrong: Boys Brushing Teeth

* We brush twice a day… well… for the most part. We’ve upped the consistency on that. 
* I was letting him brush by himself. (I thought he was doing a good job 😦 ) And I would follow-up most times. Now, I brush his teeth for him all the time – and I let him practice.
* I don’t buy hard candy, but I packed raisins in his lunch – almost everyday. (They are his favorite!) Yeah – he even had a piece of raisin in his mouth when he went to get the cavity filled! These have been axed from his diet and replaced with grapes. Grapes are more expensive but not as much as the bill to get that cavity filled! 

 Apparently, I’m not alone. You’ve got to read this article claiming that cavities are contagious! Crazy, right? Wrong! The dentist said my youngest is also showing signs of a potential cavity – IN THE SAME TOOTH as my oldest! Ugh – the article reads …

     “…cavities are the most common chronic childhood disease, five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever.”

Who knew? Well, YOU do, now! Check out the American Dental Association’s website for fun activity sheets for the kids and more tips.
Alright, alright, alrriiigghhtt! (again, Kevin Hart – I’m done now)…

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NFL Players Comment on Children Playing Football

The hubster and I are still deciding if our 5y.o. should play football. (He really wants to!)

First, I posted reasons why your son should/should not play football. Then I attended the NFL Health and Safety Event and learned of Heads Up Football which is teaching new techniques designed to decrease concussions and make the game safer. Then, the President announced that if he had a son – he’d be leary about him playing football (he probably didn’t know about Heads Up Football). And now, NFL players are giving their two cents – on both sides of the fence.  See what they have to say ….

  • “Football’s a great game.  It’s such a great game because it teachesBaltimore Ravens center Matt Birk tosses a foo... you about life and lessons and there’s so much to be gained by participating in football. .. just to continue to have this conversation and continue to talk about it and just do whatever we can to make it safer  whether it be through rule change or research.”-MATT BIRK, Baltimore Ravens center Continue reading →

Book Review: School Isn’t Fair

School Isn’t Fair by Patricia Baehr and illustrated by R.W. Alley is about four-year-old Edward describing all the ways he’s a victim of unfairness during his school day. I have a fondness for this book because…

– Edward’s ‘voice’ is so authentic. He sounds like a typical four-year-old. My 3 and 5 year-olds call each other silly names and whine about something not being fair – just like Edward.

– The conflicts are real. Edward is bullied. He doesn’t get his way in class. He can’t run as fast as his classmates. He can’t see the pictures during story time. And he acts out because he doesn’t know how to express his anger.

– The illustrations are nice. It always helps to have decent illustrations to convey a story.

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Book Review: Go Away Dog!

I love this book by Joan Nodset and illustrated by Paul Meisel because it mirrors an experience with my boys.  We don’t own pets so my boys are the oddball children who weren’t born with an affinity towards dogs (this is what a dog-owner once implied). go away dog

Anyway, this little boy is approached by a playful pup and he consistently shuns the dog’s affections. The dog jumps and rolls and wags and the eventually makes his way into the boys’ heart. My sons were intimidated – no FRIGHTFUL – of dogs at first.  After a few friendly encounters, they’ve learned to love them. Now my youngest says it isn’t fair that he doesn’t have one!

This is a super easy to read book with delightful pictures and a wonderful story. However, I’m wondering if it encourages kids to befriend strange dogs! You know, you have to be cautious! 🙂