Persevering Momma

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The Perfect Secret Santa Gift For An Infant In Your Life

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The Great Pretenders sponsored this great Secret Santa gift idea for our Holiday Gift Guide this year. 

My family is very large and we have a very close-knit extended family.  As the years have progressed we realized that our families could not afford the price or the time of everyone getting a present and opening them all at our holiday celebrations.  It just takes too much time to hand out and open all of those presents.  That is why we have moved to Secret Santa drawings.  Now that there is a third generation we now have three separate drawings.  We draw for my parents generation, my generation, and finally my son’s generation.  The past few years I have struggled to come up with a unique present for the babies in the family, but not this year!  I have found the perfect Secret Santa gift for infants!

The Perfect Secret Santa Gift – Mieya & Alvin

meiya-alvin-secret-santa-gift

I have struggled to find the perfect gift because I did not want to steal the thunder from Santa or their parents by buying something that they might have gotten for their children.  I also had the issue of coming up with some thing that meets the budget that we are given for the presents.  The value of the gift was chosen so that none of the kids felt like they were not getting as nice of a present.  It was also set so that as a family we did not feel like we were spending a ton of money on everyone’s gifts.

During my research I came across The Great Pretenders and fell in love.  Thankfully they decided that they would love to work with me for our Holiday Gift Guide this year because I am in LOVE.  I requested the Mini Alvin the Elephant Gift Set to sample and review because I love elephants.  This gift set is so cute because it comes with a little Alvin toy, as well as a storybook to read with your child.  I am one who loves books that have stuffed animals that go along with them.  The reason I love them so much is because it gives the child a link to the story and gives them something to hold and play with during the story.

Alvin is great for Raiden because he has a soft body that is easy for him to hold as well as a nice rubber head that is perfect for my teething little boy.

Do you have an infant that would love to get this as a Secret Santa Gift?

Let’s Talk About Car Seat Safety

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Let’s pause for a moment and talk about car seat safety.  It is child passenger week and I wanted to share some information with you all about carseat safety because it is ever changing and we can never be too safe with our children.

Storks know how to keep kids safe. Do you? Visit safercar.gov/therightseat to know for sure that your child is in the right seat for their age and size. #STORKS #TheRightSeat. During Child Passenger Safety Week, will you help us spread awareness about the importance of having “the right seat” and “the right fit”?

car seat safety
For most of us, grabbing our gear and running out the door and hoping in the car is an everyday occurrence. Maybe you are headed to work, a play date, or on vacation – but we spend a lot of times in our cars. When we have little ones, we put them in their car seat and buckle them up without a second thought to whether or not they are in the right seat. We trust that they are safe – and we go on our way.

Did you know that every 33 seconds a child under 13 is involved in a car crash in the United States?

Car seats, if used correctly, can dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury. But over half of car seats are misused in a way that could reduce their effectiveness and 1 in 3 children killed in car crashes are completely unrestrained at the time of the crash.

Can you imagine? Thinking that your child is in the right car seat, only to find out that they aren’t!

So what do you choose? Infant, convertible, or booster seat? Finding the right car seat and installing it correctly is no easy task. Then there’s the question of when to transition your child to another type of car seat.

Car Seat Safety Tips:

  • Find a car seat that fits your child. As children grow, how they sit in your car will change. Make sure the car seat you purchase is designed to fit your child’s current size and age.
  • Not all car seats fit in all vehicles so test the car seat you plan to buy to make sure it fits well in your vehicle.
  • Before putting your child in a car seat, read the manufacturer’s instructions so you know how your car seat works.
  • All-in-One car seats offer you the advantage of using the same seat for the following positions: rear-facing, forward-facing with harness, then booster. These seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
  • Remember, the best car seat is the one that fits your child properly, is easy to use, and fits in your vehicle correctly. The information here can help you choose the right seat for your child. Keep in mind that:

car seat safety

 

  1. Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.
  2. Children ages 1-3 should be kept rear-facing as long as possible.
  3. Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
  4. Be certain you’ve installed your car seat correctly by having it checked at an inspection station or by a certified child passenger safety technician. Bring the Car Seat Instructions AND the Vehicle Owner’s Manual with you to a seat check appointment!

car seat safety
Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old. Many times deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. By working with the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) we hope to get out a message that will educate parents and caregivers about the importance of selecting the right seat for their child’s age and size, and to remind them that car seats, booster seats and seat belts offer the best protection for children in crashes and help save lives.

Get this message out to your friends and family!

  • Twitter – Many parents do not realize their child is in the wrong car seat. Visit Safercar.gov/TheRightSeat and make sure your child is riding safely. #therightseat.
  • Facebook – Storks know how to keep kids safe. Do you? Visit safercar.gov/therightseat to know for sure that your child is in the right seat for their age and size. #STORKS #TheRightSeat

Design a Room for Your Child They Will Enjoy Until They Turn 18

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You will need to put a lot of thought into designing a room for your children. Many parents give into their child’s requests to use bright pink wallpaper or Buzz Lightyear furniture. This layout may appeal to your child now but they will quickly outgrow it. You probably don’t have the budget or time to keep redesigning their room. It is a better idea to come up with a timeless design that they will be content with until they are ready to move to college.

 

ella-new-room
ella-new-room (Photo credit: JeremyOK)

 

Talking With Your Child

 

Young children can be very picky about what types of designs they want. Some children will say that they want a room made of ice cream. Obviously, you may not be able to cater to their dreams.

 

You need to have a frank discussion with your child and tell them what they can realistically expect. They may be a little disappointed that they can’t have a room with Ninja Turtle wallpaper or lollipops protruding from the chandeliers. However, you can still come up with a layout that they will be happy with and appreciate as they get older.

 

 

 

Striking a Compromise between Child and Adult Color Preferences

 

A 2001 study from the University of Geneva found that children’s color preferences change over time. Your five-year old may want a room filled with vibrant bright colors. However, they may feel that those colors are too tacky when they get older. You need to keep this in mind and make sure that you don’t use colors that are geared too much towards a young child.

 

Colouring pencils Français : Crayons de couleu...
Coloring pencils (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

At the same time, you do need to remember that you are designing the room for a child. You don’t want to use some really conservative colors that a child will easily get bored with. Here are some colors and combinations that tend to work well for children’s rooms:

 

  • Lavender
  • Red and green
  • Red, white and blue
  • Mellow yellow

 

These tend to be colors that children will be content with as they get older.

 

 

 

Make Sure that Childish Patterns are Changeable

 

Pandas and Bamboo Forest Vinyl Wall Decal for ...
(Photo credit: Wickerfurniture)

 

There is nothing wrong with letting your children express themselves. For example, many children want to have their name painted on their room or have a single picture of a character they are fond of. You can easily use find some monogram wall decals that you can remove later. This is a lot easier than having to repaint an entire room.

 

You can find other creative ways to appeal to your child’s specific tastes without spending too much money up front. Instead of buying your child a Buzz Lightyear sofa, you may want to buy them a cover for it.  Sofa covers are a lot easier to replace.

 

 

 

Focus on Calming Design

 

The way that you design your child’s room can have a significant impact on their emotions. You will want to have a room that is free of chaos and makes them feel as relaxed as possible. There are a couple of things that you should do.

 

First of all, you should make sure that the room is a symmetric as possible. This tends to be easiest if their bed is in the center. However, you can use some extra furniture on the other side of the room to create the necessary balance.

 

You will also want to make sure the room has just the right amount of energy. Children need some stimulation, but they are already filled with energy. Try to create a room with only two to three patterns in it. This will keep them from feeling overstimulated with the design.

 

How did you design a room for your child?

 

About the author: Kalen is a lifestyle, parenting and finance writer.

 

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Free Online Job Chart Plus Incetives For Children

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My Job Chart is the free, easy to use, online chore chart and reward system for organizing and motivating your kids to learn first hand how to Save, Share and Spend.  This is a great little tool to help teach your child the benefits of hard work giving them great benefits.  This is a great way for your children to learn finances at a young age.

You can create logins for each of your children that they can access online or download apps for their mobile phones or tablets.  One great benefit is that your child can login and earn points every day just for doing their chores.  These points can be used for a variety of different things.  You children can save them to purchase an item from the digital Amazon store on My Job Chart’s website.  Another option is that they can donate their points to worth while charities and you can start teaching them the benefits of helping each other.

Go check My Job Chart out.  Sign up is free and your children will love the benefits of doing their chores with the help of this program.

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Parents Speak Up About Mobile Phones for Kids

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parents speak up

Parents speak up about their feelings on children and mobile phones.  Parents have a lot of questions about giving kids smartphones, so Zact decided to take a pulse on what parents are thinking. Over 1,000 participants were asked an assortment of questions relating to how they felt about their children and smartphones.  The team at Zact then compiled their findings so you can see what’s top of mind for parents when it comes to mobile phones.

Their service is the perfect solution for parents, with built in patented parental controls that are easy to use and flexibility in plans to ensure you only pay for what you need. In their study they found that there is an expected growth of 69% by 2017 for children between the ages of 12-17 years old.

Another 75% of parents are worried that their children can browse the internet too freely on their mobile devices, but with Zact they won’t have to worry about such things.  If you are looking to buy a cellphone for your child be sure to check out Zact today!

parents speak up

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