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Interesting Birthday Party Ideas on a Budget

FAM, kids By February 1, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , 9 Comments

If you’re tired of keeping up with the Joneses, tossing all of those paper plates, and goody bags filled with sugary snacks and useless stuff, read on.  We like sustainability, budget-friendliness, unique ideas, and healthy parties – for mind, body, and the environment.  So we asked our community for some interesting birthday party ideas that have been a smash hit in their house. In the meantime, try these ideas on your kids and you’ll be the talk of the town…

Interesting Birthday Party Ideas on a Budget

1. The Telus World of Science offers new, exciting and unique birthday party packages for children of all ages. Pre-booked parties include a zany Science World host, exploration time in the many galleries and exhibits and a decorated private party room. Themed packages include a Preschool Package, Science Surprise Package, Insects Package and Chemistry Package. There’s limited space so be sure to book early. Visit their website for more information on the great parties Science World has to offer!

2.  Green Planet Parties supplies compostable dishes (that look stylish enough for a wedding).  Also check their cloth goody bags, reusable, sewn ‘Happy Birthday’ banners, and personalized endangered animal necklaces for the kids.  Order online, and look like a hero – both for the cool factor, and also for saving the environment.

3.  Get those kids active with a party at Jump Gymnastics.  The tots leave with balloons, get a fab lesson in tumbling, and the cake can be gobbled up while sitting on colourful stools in the party room.

4.  Dora bags are fun and all, but why not grab a reusable shopping bag (the Vancouver Aquarium has great ones) to stash the gifts?

5.  Know any interesting university students or professors?  Hire one for an hour to add spice to the party.  The marine biology major could talk about crabs at your beach bash, or the bug or dinosaur guy could do their thing.  (Think Ross on Friends – wouldn’t you like to have him at your party?)

6. Plant a garden with the kids from the party, give seeds as favours, and treat the parents to a talk from a landscape designer.

7.  Use frames as your giveaway, and do an art party.  Frame the little Picassos at the end, and other parents will be so thrilled to have a hang-able piece of art!

8.  Homeworks Etc. has great hooks that are ‘in the raw’.  You can paint them at the party, take them home, and voila – a great place for your bathrobe!

9.  Instead of gifts, hold a Giving Party.  Ask for some money and split the total between your child and a charity.  This will stimulate conversation about why little Aidan doesn’t have a wrapped present, and get them discussing the tigers.  Green Planet Parties has some great wording on their website with how to ask for the donations.

See also our One Year Old Birthday Party article.

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Tips for Teaching Kids to Read

FAM, kids By January 9, 2012 Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment

Reading to your babies and kids is one of those important things like brushing teeth and eating veggies that can sometimes slip by the wayside (or can give your mother-in-law fodder for more unwanted advice).  UrbanMommies loves books (make sure you check our Get Reading section regularly), so we asked a child reading specialist for some helpful tips on making sure your kids are well versed (so to speak) in reading.

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Invisalign Teen

FAM, grow, kids, LIVE By January 5, 2012 Tags: , , , , , No Comments

I went to a swanky Gastown dinner sponsored by Invisalign Teen.  Having never had braces and with toddlers, I had no idea what advances there have been in dentistry.  Wow.  Headgear?  No.  Ugly metal train-track things that get bits of food stuck and leave a teenager date-less?  Nope.  Invisalign are hard see-through cases – trays that you can pop in and out of your mouth that gently maneuver the teeth info proper formation.  The biggest benefit in my view relates to self-esteem for teens and adults requiring braces.  (Not to mention few diet or sports restrictions.)  I won’t go into the amount of therapy I needed after having acne as a teenager, but I was certainly affected by not feeling attractive.  Ridiculous but true – especially during the teenage years.  Anything that can help teens through this stage of life is such a blessing.  A tad more expensive than traditional braces, but they certainly get our vote.  Oh – and Moms can certainly benefit too.

www.invisilign.com

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Aromatherapy and your children

FAM, kids By November 24, 2011 Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments

Babies just love aromatherapy.  Imagine hearing the soft gentle sounds of a baby becoming calm again while lavender essential oil wafts through the air, or the feeling of a baby that just comes out of the bath all relaxed and ready to get into their pj’s to snuggle down for a sleep with the aroma of sweet orange and chamomile on their skin. Aromatherapy is a loving and wonderful way to introduce your children to the wonders of alternative health care and smells.

Aromatherapy and your children

Essential oils are composed of tiny little molecules that based on their composition tell us how they act on the body and mind. There is practically an aromatherapy recipe for any physical or emotional state. Below are a variety of ways to use the oils, as well as some simple everyday recipes and ideas on how to use the oils for your babies and children.

Some of the more common ways for using essential oils are;

  • Baths – add 1-3 drops of oil into the bath for children.  Add the oils after you have filled the tub to the desired amount and make sure you swish the oils and water together first before baby gets in.
  • Massage – add 1-3 drops of essential oil to 2 ounces of carrier or massage oil/cream.
  • Spritzer – add a total of 6-10 drops of essential oil to a 4 ounce bottle of water.
  • Vaporizer – add 4 drops of essential oil to most vaporizers or use a scent ball in the child’s room with the same amount of drops.
  • Diffuser – add 3-5 drops of essential oil into the diffuser for the size of an average child’s room.
  • Inhalation – for older children, (usually around 5 years) have them put their head over top of a bowl filled with hot water and 1-3 drops of essential oils to breath in the oils directly.  If you can get them to hold a towel over their heads that is even better, add the oils after you have added the water and have them to breathe in as soon as possible for best results.

Fun Aromatherapy Activities with children

  • To reduce hyper times and increase relaxation, create a spritzer with 5 drops of lavender, 4 drops of orange, and 3 drops of chamomile. Gently spray the oils over the top of your child’s head before naps or nighttime sleeps, or spray the room or car where you are spending most of your time.
  • For children over 1 year to help them sleep, you can add one drop of essential oil to their pillow or favorite stuffy that they go to bed with. Note this may stain your pillow case. A nice chamomile bath, 1 drop up to 2 years old, 2 drops up to 4 years old and 3 drops up to 8 years old will help baby sleep well.
  • If your child is getting a cold you can create a cold chest rub by adding 3 drops of eucalyptus, 2 drops of tea tree oil and one drop of lemon into 2 ounces of carrier oil or natural cream.  Massage the cream into their whole body, or for a quicker application, apply the rub on their chest, lower back and to the bottom of their feet.  Put their socks on to keep let the rub absorb into their feet.
  • When your child is around anyone with a virus or starts to shows signs of flu put thyme oil on the bottom of their feet. Add 1 drop for babies up to 2 years, 2 drops from 2-4 and after that 3 drops up till 8 years old.  Put the drops of thyme oil into a 2 ounce bottle of carrier oil or natural cream and apply strictly to the bottom of their feet and to wipe your hands off you can rub it along the lower part of your child’s back.

Young children are still building their immune system and we can help them by using essential oils in their everyday life.  Not only will essential oils help with your children’s immune systems but they can help with just their overall disposition, helping to keep them healthy, balanced, calm and relaxed through their growing and learning years.

Deborah Drummond Baker has been using and sharing the benefits of aromatherapy with her family and two children for over 15 years. She has extensive experience and certification in the alternative health field and has helped many mothers and fathers to use the essential oils in many ways with their children.Her first aroma baby is almost 14 years old and can attest to the wonders that aromatherapy has had for her. Deborah’s 3 year old is following in his big sisters footsteps of being taught the natural way to play with and benefit from the oils.

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4 Simple Steps to Getting Dad to Help with the Kids

FAM, kids By November 16, 2011 Tags: , 1 Comment

So, you’re walking through the door after a long day at work and you find the house is a mess, the kids are hungry and running wild, and your husband is cheerfully ignoring it all. You want to throw the game console or computer or whatever it is that distracts him from your children out the window; you know that it’s vitally important that a father spend more time with his kids—not to mention that you could use some help! How do you encourage your significant other to start pulling his own weight at home with the kids, for the benefit of all, without seeming like a complete nag?

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Encouraging Your Child to Read More

FAM, kids By November 1, 2011 Tags: , , , No Comments

I remember when I was a little girl, my grandparents would bring me books every week. My grandmother was a teacher, and I lived with them for long periods of time. During the summers, Nanny would bring home piles of books, and I would work my way through them. I remember sitting outside under the redbud tree and reading all afternoon, and I had such a rich and vivid internal life. I still played with other kids and got into trouble, but books were my first love. It helped make me who and what I am: a very literate person who knows a lot of stuff. I also think that by reading so many types of literature that I gained a lot of perspective, and didn’t develop so many of the ignorant prejudices that dog our kids.

If you want a child who has a great imagination, whose intelligence is stimulated, who has a real perspective on the world, encourage them to read! Studies show that a child that reads more does better in school, and they tend to succeed more in life. How do you encourage a child to read? It’s simpler than you may think.

  • Be an example. Your kids won’t read if you they don’t see you reading. Make sure they know you enjoy reading; keep books around the house, and talk about them with your partner, or with them.
  • Before you see a movie made from a book, read the book to or with them. They’ll see HOW much better the book always is, compared to the movie.
  • Read WITH them, not always to them, once they get older. I have read all the Harry Potter, Eragon, Chronicles of Narnia, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and others with my daughter. At first, I read, but now that she’s older, we take turns reading pages or entire chapters. This really encourages reading and other skills, such as public speaking (even though it’s just you) and how to read dramatically.
  • Start early. I read to my kids before they were born, and then I had a steady supply of good books from my childhood ready for them (Dr. Seuss, Where the Wild Things Are, Richard Scarry’s books, etc.). Once they’re older, let them pick them out. Make a trip to the bookstore or library a fun trip.
  • Get involved with reading in your community: book clubs, storytime at the library or local bookstore, etc. Volunteer at the library or bookmobile.
  • Start encouraging them to think about what they’re reading by asking questions about the books. Ask them to explain the plot, or what they like/dislike about the main character. How would they have done things differently? What was their favorite part? Little kids can draw pictures. Older kids can be encouraged to write their own “fan fiction”, which can continue the story in their own words, or cover things they don’t think the author covered sufficiently. You might end up with your own little author!
  • Treat books well. Make sure they have their own shelf, that they don’t get thrown around and abused. If kids treat books with respect, they’ll respect reading more.
  • Be diverse. Just because your daughter is a girl, it doesn’t mean she only needs to read romances! Encourage all kids to read fantasy, sci-fi, biographies, etc. Also, encourage the classics that they may not get at school, and explain the things they don’t understand.
  • It may sound like a bummer, but during summer months and holidays, try out a reading quota. Make sure they can pick some of the books, but you get to pick the others. There is a reason schools used to assign summer reading lists: it keeps the brain from turning to mush between sessions! It doesn’t have to be a chore.
  • If your kid gets carsick when they read, let them listen to audiobooks. Otherwise, get them an e-reader, or an e-reader app for their mobile. You’re never going to get rid of this form of reading, it’s here to stay, so you might as well go with the flow. Reading on an e-reader is better than no reading at all, right?

 

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One Year Old Birthday Party

One Year Old Birthday Party

FAM, kids By October 19, 2011 Tags: , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

The One Year Old Birthday Party is a celebration not only for your child, but for your family.  The milestone of making it through he first year is huge, and a mother and father should take the time to celebrate themselves as much as their child.  Many parents skip a formal party altogether, and have a family dinner or quiet evening with their child.  Some are so overwhelmed by the last twelve months that a party seems out of the question.  Whatever you decide, we suggest that you do something to mark the occasion for yourselves.  Lighting a candle, doing a special yoga pose or a walk in the woods can be enough.  If parties are you thing… here are the UrbanMommies One Year Old Birthday Party ideas.

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How to Defuse Sibling Rivalry

How to Defuse Sibling Rivalry

FAM, kids By October 2, 2011 Tags: , 1 Comment

“He took my toy!”

“She pulled my hair!”

“I hate the baby! Can you please put her back?”

The cries echo through your home, each syllable grating on your nerves. At first, you try to be sweetly reasonable…but as the fighting, bickering, and whining continues and actually escalates, you not only get more shrill and unreasonable in your replies, you start seriously wondering WHY you had more than one child in the first place. If you’re dealing with an older child and a newborn addition to the family, it can be heartbreaking: they loved the baby when he or she was in your tummy and right after you brought the little bundle home. Now, once the older child has started realizing their “mommy time” has been effectively reduced, the green-eyed monster of jealously rears its ugly head.

So how do you defuse sibling rivalry?!

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Favouritism

Favouritism: Are You Guilty…And What To Do About It

FAM, kids By September 15, 2011 Tags: , , , No Comments

Have you ever looked at your children and realized that you have a “favourite”? It’s a sobering moment. As parents, we’re not supposed to have favourites…right? We love our kids equally. Favouritism is ugly and can cause major resentment and family problems…but it’s real. Thousands of families deal with it every day.

I realized I had a favorite a little while back, and I have been battling it ever since. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t love that child more than my others. What it’s about with me is that my “favorite” has two things going for him: he’s the only one who looks anything like me, including my brown eyes (all my other kids have their dad’s baby blues); and…well, he’s also, hands-down, the best behaved and has the sweetest temperament of all my beautiful offspring. He’s one of those kids everyone loves effortlessly. He’s biddable and smart and funny and helpful…and he’s liberal with his “Mommy, you’re so beautiful” compliments and such. It’s hard not to favor him, especially when his brothers and sister are often the antithesis of helpful and biddable in terms of their behavior.

I especially have problems with my eldest son, whose dyslexia, ADHD and general assertive personality; he gets into trouble a lot, often without even trying. He’s so smart he is always looking for things to do, and when he does this, trouble finds him. See the potential for trouble here? Many families have the same problem: they have a black sheep and a golden child.

I know I also let the “favorite” get away with more than the others. I know I’m not as hard on him, and I give him more leeway and more privileges at times. I also know it’s not healthy for the other kids, and so totally unfair. So I undertook to rectify this problem, and here is what I found was effective in leveling the playing field of favoritism.

1. Acknowledge the Problem. In order to deal with something, you have to acknowledge there’s a problem in the first place. Start examining your behavior. When your kids complain you’re being unfair, listen to them instead of dismissing them—maybe they’re right! Watch yourself.

2. Stop and Think Before Speaking and Acting. This is a good rule of thumb in general for life; it’ll keep you out of trouble in other areas, too! Perhaps your “black sheep” child did something great, but you’re still irritated about him or her messing up before that, so you’re about the dismiss the good thing. STOP!! Forget the past: concentrate on the present, and give the child the acknowledgement they deserve. Before you dismiss your “golden child’s” misbehavior based on his/her past good deeds, STOP!! They need to learn consequences for their behavior, too. Try to be as fair as possible.

3. Realize Where Bad Behavior Could Be Coming From. Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Bad breath is better than no breath at all?” It’s a true one: many kids “act out” or misbehave because they’re seeking attention of some kind—any kind! Pre-empt this kind of behavior by giving them attention, love, and time before you’re forced into a position to punish.

4. Spend time with the kids individually. Do something with each one alone, where you can appreciate them, instead of against the backdrop of the larger family dynamic.

5. Write Things Down. This may sound hokey, but it is invaluable. Write a letter to someone, anyone, talking about your “problem child”, but not about their negatives: emphasize the great things. Extol their virtues. You don’t have to mail the letter, but pour out your heart. Re-awaken the love and approval.

6. Apologize. If you catch yourself exercising favoritism, stop and apologize. No one should be above apologizing when they’re wrong about something. Allow your kids to see you’re fallible and also that you’re mature enough to acknowledge when you’re wrong.

This is by no means a perfect solution, but they are some practical steps you can take to break the habit of favoritism. Do yourself and your kids a favor and address the issue today, before it causes irreparable harm in your family.

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Getting Kids to Do Their Homework

FAM, kids By September 15, 2011 Tags: , , , , , No Comments

Ah, school is back in session…and the homework should be getting into full swing. It’s the bane of every student’s existence, as well as every mom’s…The battle to get the kids to do their homework is an eternal one. You know they need to do it as early as possible, because the more tired a child is, the harder it is for them to think properly. They want to put it off as long as possible, because, well, because homework sucks. What’s the compromise? Here are some tips to winning the homework battle.

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