Mommy Cards

Mommy Cards are the newest and hipest way to get your contact information out there.   Take them wherever you go.  Have you ever been to the park and met a mom there... wanted to exchange phone numbers but you didn't bring your purse with you.  Put some of these in your camera case, diaper bag, purse, jacket, etc...  Next time you meet a mom or your child meets a new friend you can hand these out!  Add a special touch by adding your childs picture on them and you can even add your own so the receiver can remember who you are.  

There is so many companies that I found that makes these.  Here is what I found and the prices.

Click on the company to direct you to their sites.

 

Kodak 50 cards for $12.99 (includes picture)

Vistaprint 250 business cards for FREE (picture extra)

or

Vistaprint 25 mommycards for $5.99 (includes picture)

The Mommy Card 200 cards for $50.00 (includes picture)

Shutterfly 50 cards for $15.00 (picture extra)

MomCards 250 for $19.00 (picture extra)

Each company had very different designs.   Where the Vistaprint getting 250 free looks real nice they do only have limited designs to choose from.  Also, do you need 250 of them?  Check out the sites and see what fits you!  There is so many cute designs. 

Put Down the Controller: 15 Ideas to Get Your Child to Play Outside

As we end National No TV / Screen time week I'm looking for ideas on how to continue to reduce my children's screen time as we approach the last School bell ringing for the year and my kids beginning their lazy Summer days.

Kids are playing more video games than ever before. Whether it’s on a pricey game console or on the computer, kids as young as three years old are playing video games. Sure, some may have educational lessons, but the vast majority are for mere fun and suck away the hours on a summer day. Get your kid outside and moving with these tips to get them away from video games.

1. Go for a nature walk. Kids seldom know much about nature, outside of the basics they learn in science class. Take your kids to explore the outdoors by taking them on a nature walk. Don’t worry if there’s no national park nearby, you can go down a trail at your local park or in the neighborhood and spot bits of nature as they turn up. Check out birds and collect neat leaves and flowers along the way. It teaches kids to appreciate and respect nature and gets them in tune with the great outdoors.
2. Share old school games with your kids. Today’s typical six year old may not know what Red Rover is. It’s too bad since the game is a blast! Share old school games with your kids that will make them want to get outside and start Red Rover games with their friends and neighbors. This is a great game to play at a kid’s birthday party too, since there are usually plenty of kids around
3. Hit the beach. Appreciating nature comes with seeing the many parts of it. Showing your kids the beach will expose them to the sun and sand and you can incorporate a few lessons on erosion if the crowd is interested. Of course, if your kids are swimming the day away in the water, that’s fine too. Collect seashells and walk along the shore spotting crabs along the way.
4. Go to the park. This one seems basic, but once upon a time, the park was where most families spent their weekends. Now we tend to spend the weekends running errands or at the modern day park, the mall (insert shudder here). Take your kids to the park and let them do what they want. This is a great place to let them run wild because it gives them an opportunity to interact with other kids and play on things they may not have a chance to play with otherwise, like the jungle gym or see-saw.
5. Visit a public pool. If your kids don’t regularly get an opportunity to swim, taking them to a public pool one or two weekends a month during the summer will shake up their outdoor routine. Playing in the background can grow tedious, even for the creative bunch who love the outdoors, so get your kids in the pool swimming. Most public pools are free, so pack a lunch and go early and stay late.
6. Go camping. This one is a little tricky because depending on where you live and whether or not you own a vehicle, it becomes more or less accessible. If you can go camping with your kids, take them! You’ll appreciate seeing them in new territory (and vice-versa) and it makes for a great bonding experience. Don’t forget to pack the camera, so you can take photos of the family fishing or swimming in the lake.
7. Play baseball. Gather up a few kids from around the neighborhood (or invite school friends or cousins) and set up a game of baseball at a local diamond. It’s fun, cheap and many kids will want to play again and again. This one isn’t exclusively for kids either. Teams can be comprised of both adults and kids for a fun dynamic.
8. Start a garden. This is one surefire way to get kids outside, day after day. Starting a small garden will teach kids responsibility and how to get friendly with nature. Your kids will watch their plant or fruit or vegetable grow and appreciate the process and hands-on activity that requires time in the sun, almost daily.
9. Go for a hike. It’s similar to a nature walk, but instead of spotting things along the way, you’re more just enjoying the scenery as a whole. Kids can get some fresh air and take a look at what the outdoors, besides their backyard, look like. Hiking is an affordable trip if you live near a park with sizeable trails and small hills that kids can climb to the top of to appreciate the view.
10. Play catch. No park or major yard is required! Find an empty parking lot and play catch for hours with your kid or a group of kids. Baseball gloves for kids are usually affordable at sporting good stores and can be had for even less during the off-season. Plus, the glove will come in handy when you set up that game of baseball.
11. Take photos of your neighborhood. You’ll be surprised at how careful a kid is when trusted with a digital camera. We aren’t saying to hand over your $600 DSLR, but letting your kid toy with an affordable digital camera will make them see their neighborhood in a new light. It’s a great way to teach them about shadows, lighting and proportion. Hand the camera over and let them take photos. Then head home, upload them and pick out the memorable places you’re accustomed to seeing daily.
12. Watch the clouds. This is a free, simple activity that younger kids will enjoy. On a warm day, head outside with a few snacks and watch the clouds dance by. Point out funny shapes that remind you of things and watch how the sun changes as the clouds make their way. In this setting, kids will usually organically start playing games of tag and running around, so be prepared to stay outside awhile
13. Go stargazing. This can be at a park or in your own backyard. Set out a blanket and gaze away on a starry night. Use a constellation book to guide you through the stars you’re seeing or download Google Sky for a tour of the sky from your very own backyard. It’s a free activity that will open your kids to the world of astronomy and make them look up at night in a while new way.
14. Shoot some hoops. Even young kids will enjoy yelling, “Brick!” as their parents attempt to make a basket. This is a fun way for any number of friends or family to get outside and start playing and working up a sweat. Plus, as long as you can see your kids, it’s a game they can go at alone without worrying about anyone getting hurt.
15. Go bird watching. To do this, you can spot birds at random or take along a book to see if you see any of the birds on your journey. This works best if you’re in a park or wooded area where birds tend to gather. Bird watching is a fun family activity that many children take to because it gives them a closer look at nature than checking out plants and flowers.

Video games are tons of fun, but for youngsters, playing time should be limited to a couple of hours a week. If you show your child some fun ideas for getting outside and playing, they’ll be more apt to put down the video game controller and have some fun in the sun.

DIY Portable Homework Station

By Trisha

After the school bell rings and your car turns into the “kid taxi,” going from one activity to the next, it often means dinner and homework on the go. To simplify the homework on the go and your children saying, “I need a pencil. I need a ruler,” create a do-it-yourself (DIY) on-the-go homework station to ride along with you as you travel from one activity to the next.
 
Click here  For my complete DIY portable homework station box instructions SC Johnson

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

Get Your Kids Outside and WIN Scott Naturals Kit

 The Sun is beginning to peek out a day here and there in the Northwest which means it's time for the kids to "Be-OutThere"  - head out side and play.

The National Wildlife Federation has even created a "Be Out There" activity finder to give us some great daily tips on getting our kids playing back outside.

Today's activity focuses on Bird watching:

How much fun can you fit into an hour? With Activity Finder, you can quickly filter through a wide range of bird-themed activity ideas to help your family connect with nature. Sort the ideas by child’s age, time available, cost, and other filters to find the activities that will most interest you and your family. Use activity finder to get the most out of your time to play outdoors, watch wildlife, and discover the wonder of nature.

Click here to check out the "Be Out There" activity finder.

In Addition TheMotherhood is also partnering with the NWF for a program called B Kind 2 Earth Day, and there are a lot of great ideas for getting outdoors with your kids on their  Facebook page Click here to LIKE them now and check out these great ideas.

What FUN ideas do you have to get our kids to " Be Out There" and play in the great outdoors?

This month 24/7 MOMS has also joined together with Scott Naturals with some great  giveaways:


# 1 WIN: In honor of Earth Month, the Scott Naturals brand is challenging Americans to take an easy green step by testing out its line of hybrid paper products for four weeks – and to enter the brand’s ‘Take the 4-Week Test Drive’ sweepstakes for a chance at winning a new 2011 Ford Fusion hybrid sedan.

Starting April 4 and running through September 30, consumers can pledge to “test drive” Scott Naturals bath tissue, paper towels, flushable moist wipes and napkins by visiting www.scottbrand.com/naturals/. Scott Naturals is the world’s first line of hybrid paper products*, combining the green benefits of recycled material with the quality people want.

 TO ENTER to win a new 2011 Ford Fusion hybrid sedan:

• Go To:  http://www.ScottBrand.com/4WeekTestDrive 

• For every unique click on the above link, Scott will donate $1 to the NWF, with up to $25,000. After you have signed up for the test drive, you can head over to http://www.scottbrand.com/community/savings/scott for some fabulous coupons for their participating products.

# 2 WIN: Each week 24/7 MOMS and Scott Brand will be giving away ONE Scott Naturals Kit here on 24/7 MOMS (bath tissue, paper towel, flushable moist wipes, napkins

Enter right here for week #2 Giveaway for your chance to win:

1.  Become a 24/7 MOMS Subscriber Enter your email address below then leave  a comment that you subscribed along with your email address.

2. If you are already a subscriber just leave a comment that you are a subscriber along with your email address. 

Get Extra entries for each of the following:

• join 24/7 MOMS facebook
• follow us on twitter 
• Click on  http://www.ScottBrand.com/4WeekTestDrive  For every unique click to this link, Scott will donate $1 to the NWF, with up to $25,00

US entries only and one entry per person. Winner will be chosen on April 23, 2011.

Enter your email address:


Delivered by

***Disclosure – This post is sponsored by Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Screen Time Charts - Print For Free

 Celebrating the No Screen time week is helpful to my goal of wanting to reduce the amount of screen time my children have each day.  So, as we enter back into screen time I want to have a system as to how much my kids can have, when they can have  it and maybe even ways they can earn it.

In my search for ideas I came across this screen time chart you can print for Free.

Print this screen time chart to keep track of your child's time on the computer, TV and video games.  Print the companion screen time disks on sticker paper so the kids can help keep track too. 

Click here to print your free chart.

Click here to print the companion Screen time disks to use with the screen time chart.

National Turn Off the TV Week - 10 Ideas For Family Fun

The Novotny family is accepting the challenge once again this year , will you join us? For National Turn off the TV week beginning today April 18th  2011. We are going to unplug the talking boxes in our home and use our time to enjoy a variety of other things as a family.

National Turn off the TV week is an annual campaign to get us to reclaim those lost hours watching talking boxes and take that time to connect with our families, engage in our communities and do things we seem to never have time for.

MOM TIP: Make a plan for the week by creating a list of what you will do each day. Make it Fun. We created a list to help you get started.


10 Alternative TV ideas:

1. Family Game night - Choose a game the entire family can participate in, maybe it's a week long game of monopoly that you play for a set amount of time each night or that game your child received at Christmas you still haven't played.

2. Something New - Make a list of things you would like to learn or would like to teach your children. This can be anything from learning a new card game, crochet, to how to download music to your IPod or teaching your child to tie their shoes.

3. Family Read aloud - Children of all ages love to be read to. Check out a chapter book from the library or grab one off your book shelf that you have been wanting to read to your children and begin a nightly reading time together.

4. Creative Fun - From scrap booking to crafty creations allow the creative side of your family to shine as you do family projects or allow your kids time to just create with left over craft supplies.

5. Kitchen Time - Create a meal together or teach your kids to bake some yummy treats.

6. Volunteer - Choose a Church or Community project that your family can serve together in .

7. Exercise - This is a great time to start a daily /nightly habit of exercising. Start with 20 minutes and add 10 minutes each night to your routine.

8. Plant a Garden - Now is the time to get out and clean up your garden and flower beds. Begin planting so you will have plenty of fresh veggies come summer.

9. Start or finish a project - Begin or finish a project that you have been putting off due to lack of time.

10. Audio Fun - Before the television was invented families sat around a big radio and used their imaginations to picture the fun and adventurous stories that were told over the radio. Why not listen to a book on tape or Cd with your children and allow their imagination to picture what is taking place in the story.


What will you do with your newly reclaimed hours in your day?

Kids Can Earn up to 5 FREE books from Scholastic!

FREE BOOKS: Scholastic and Kumon have partnered to encourage the development of reading and math skills for children.   Your child can complete reading and math activity sheets and earn up to 5 FREE books from Scholastic!   Click here to begin earning now

"5 Tips on Easy Ways To Go Green at Home, Work and Play" and WIN Eco Prizes From Scott Naturals

Yesterday my youngest asked me when is Earth day which was a great reminder to me that it is officially Earth Month and time we as a family think about additional ways we can go GREEN.  So, I have joined forces with Scott Naturals Brand for the next four weeks to share with you more ideas on Going Green as a family and offering TWO Eco friendly Giveaways.(see below).
This week we have "5 Tips on Easy Ways To Go Green at Home, Work and Play"

1. Eco-friendly Shopping

Plastic takes 1,000 years to decompose and paper bags use 14 million trees a year. Instead, an easy eco-friendly tip is to use cloth grocery bags.

2.   Buy Products In Bulk

Purchasing your everyday products in bulk saves in multiple ways. You spend less time driving back and forth to the store, using less fuel to get there. Plus, it cuts down on packaging significantly.  

3.  Lunches on the GO

Use lunch boxes instead of paper bags and plastic containers for sandwiches that can be reused instead of plastic bags.

4. Go Cloth 

Give up one paper napkin a day, and you’ll save a billion pounds of paper waste in landfills a year. Use cloth napkins instead

5. Buy reusable bottles

to take with you on the go, now you can refill it from a tap and avoid buying bottled water. Stainless steel is a good choice, because you don't have to worry about the potentially toxic chemicals from the plastic bottles.

This month 24/7 MOMS has also joined together with Scott Naturals with TWO giveaways:

# 1 WIN: In honor of Earth Month, the Scott Naturals brand is challenging Americans to take an easy green step by testing out its line of hybrid paper products for four weeks – and to enter the brand’s ‘Take the 4-Week Test Drive’ sweepstakes for a chance at winning a new 2011 Ford Fusion hybrid sedan.

Starting April 4 and running through September 30, consumers can pledge to “test drive” Scott Naturals bath tissue, paper towels, flushable moist wipes and napkins by visiting www.scottbrand.com/naturals/. Scott Naturals is the world’s first line of hybrid paper products*, combining the green benefits of recycled material with the quality people want.

 TO ENTER to win a new 2011 Ford Fusion hybrid sedan:

• Go To:  http://www.ScottBrand.com/4WeekTestDrive 

• For every unique click on the above link, Scott will donate $1 to the NWF, with up to $25,000. After you have signed up for the test drive, you can head over to http://www.scottbrand.com/community/savings/scott for some fabulous coupons for their participating products.

# 2 WIN: Each week 24/7 MOMS and Scott Brand will be giving away ONE Scott Naturals Kit here on 24/7 MOMS (bath tissue, paper towel, flushable moist wipes, napkins

Enter right here at 24/7 MOMS for your chance to win:

1.  Become a 24/7 MOMS Subscriber Enter your email address below then leave  a comment that you subscribed along with your email address.

2. If you are already a subscriber just leave a comment that you are a subscriber along with your email address. 

Extra entries for each:

• join 24/7 MOMS facebook
• follow us on twitter

US entries only and one entry per person. Winner will be chosen on April 23, 2011.

Enter your email address:


Delivered by

***Disclosure – This post is sponsored by Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Celebrations that change a negative to a positive

Last week while setting the table  I placed the "You are special" plate on the kitchen table where child #4 sits each night for dinner.  No-one knew what we were celebrating it wasn't his birthday,  he did not receive any awards this week at boy scouts,  no school papers, report cards or progress reports had came home in his back pack and he did not just perform some sort of heroic act.  So, why the "You Are Special " plate?

It all begin about a year ago when we realized our puzzle boy was entering the 5th grade - still years behind his peers academically, socially and emotionally. Yet he was about to begin his last year of elementary school, 12 months away from entering  Middle School. You remember that place don't you?  where suddenly you no longer say "let's play after school",  you now have to say "let's hang out", you no longer carry a lunch pail you have to carry brown paper bags, you leave behind the LEGOs, action figures and match box cars in exchange for iPODS and cell phones. ah, yes Middle School.

This realization hit us with questioning was our son ready to face the Middle School world, would he find success there, would he fit in, would he survive?  With the many challenges our puzzle boy has faced along his elementary journey we began to evaluate the what if's - what if we held him back, what if we gave him one more year to mature, one more year to improve his academics, one more year to build a stronger support of friends while in elementary school, what if we didn't push him ahead just because that is what is expected?

Moving from our what if's to making a request to our school to hold our son back in the 5th grade became a reality for us and we gathered together with the team of teachers and administrators that make these decisions in our local school. After sharing our concerns and reasons, they then took a few weeks to evaluate our request and this week the letter arrived - Yes our request was granted and our son will return to the 5th grade come fall 2011 - He will be given the opportunity to grow academically, emotionally and socially one more year before he wonders the halls of Middle School.

By now you might have guessed what we celebrated that night or maybe you are wondering why a family would celebrate this decision in their child's life.  In the Novotny  home we have learned to celebrate each child's accomplishments, highs, successes and events individually and this week we decided to celebrate that our son was ACCEPTED to remain at his local elementary school.  Maybe to others it might not seem like something to celebrate but we believe that is where a difference can be made in the out come.  Celebrating this news in our home gave our son the confidence that this was a positive decision for his school journey.

By creating a celebration we took what may have been a negative situation to most and turned it into a positive moment for our child - with siblings cheering him on to returning for another year of elementary school.

Frugal Spring Vacation Ideas

It’s Spring Break season and our kids will be ready to party kid style with a fun and relaxing week. So, if you didn’t already book your flights to Hawaii fear no more we have some frugal ideas for you. 

Let me first warn you to NOT book every moment of your kids spring break with activities  allow them to sleep in a bit, relax and do noting but play. Remember your school vacation days that seemed full of endless hours of playing with no schedules?

Save money this Spring vacation by creating your  own home to be  Spring vacation getaway with a little preparation and planning.  When vacationing at home you don’t have to pack, you get to sleep in your own bed, and enjoy your own time schedule.

A few Spring break planning tips:

-       Plan SIMPLE meals that are easy to prepare

-       Designate field trip days and stay home days

-       Get your kids involved in the planning

-       Search for coupons for both activities and dinning

Here are some ideas 24/7 MOMS gathered for both at home and on the road locally that is.

Family Field Trip Fun:

Zoos and more:

Head out to your nearby museums, zoos, galleries, factories, historical sites and other tourist attractions.  Many museums and zoos offer free days. Be frugal and find out what these times are and plan accordingly.

Park Hopping :

Map out local parks you have been wanting to visit both in your local city and nearby cities. Spend the day hopping from park to park then vote at the end  of the day for the best park.

Take a hike:

Seek out simple hikes and trails that your family can enjoy together – don’t forget a day pack filled with snacks and liquids.

Out to Lunch : 

My kids love the treat of eating out.  Lunch time menus tend to be less expensive so why not eat a late lunch and get in on the less expensive prices.

Story Time and Other Library Activities:

Many public libraries offer spring break events , such as story times and “meet the authors, etc. Visit the web sites of your local libraries for time and locations of activities.

Volunteering with Your Kids:

Teach your kids to give back to your community, church, local schools etc. by seeking out ways you can volunteer together from serving at a mission to asking to pick-up and do yard work at your local school, helping at church etc.

At HOME Fun:

Cooking/ Baking:

Kids love to create in the kitchen so have a morning or afternoon of baking and cooking lessons for you kids - create a new recipe they have not had prior or create their favorite recipe.  You could even include taking them shopping for the supplies.

Movie DAY Time:

Have a day time movie event -  you could create a fun at home MOVIE experience with neighbor kids . Rent movies, or better yet, borrow DVDs from the local libraries, then watch the films. Prepare popcorn and  drinks to serve during movie time. You could even create a movie snack bar with candy, treats , pizza , popcorn.

Game Day:

Pull out  the board games and puzzles that are filling the closets. Invite over a few school friends or neighbors and have a game marathon. Serve treats or a meal

Scavenger Hunt:

Create clues and have your kids go in search of a prize. This could be an indoor or out door hunt.  Search Google for hunt ideas.

Craft Day:

Do your kids have unused craft kits or supplies – get them out and get ready for a day of crafting – even cans of playdo make for a fun afternoon of creating.

Spring Cleaning:

Recruit your kids to help with Spring cleaning Offer to pay the kids to help you clean out and get organized Or give them a reward.

Already Paid :
What do you already belong to or have memberships  to?  YMCA, Zoo,  Netflix…..what about gift cards and coupons - inventory your resources and use them during Spring break

Do Nothing:

If your kids generally have a lot of scheduled activities after school, then offer them a week of doing nothing. having a week to relax together would be a fun change and could re energize your kids.

AS we always say here on 24/7 MOMS "Keep it simple and make every moment count."

What fun simple frugal ideas do you have?

Image: Sujin Jetkasettakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Count My Beanz

It’s National Literacy Month, and there’s no better time than NOW to teach your kids about money.  No preschooler is going to sit through Finance 101, so a brand new website helps parents teach young kids about money in a unique and fun way.  CountMyBeanz.com helps kids grasp an early concept of money with a fun, kid-friendly currency called Beanz. Beanz are earned as positive reinforcement for an array of good doings- a kind deed, good behavior, a job well done, etc.  Parents can add in another layer of learning by teaching saving and donating.

 

Here’s how it works: Each child has a Beanz Spending and a Beanz Savings account, along with access to a community Donation account.  Beanz can be added, redeemed (“cashed-in”) or donated. Redeeming is done by subtracting Beanz from the child’s account which triggers the option for the parent to have a custom Beanz Reward Card mailed to their child (and what child doesn’t LOVE getting mail!).  The optional Reward Card ($5) announces their reward, which parents determine and supply (a special toy, slumber party, staying up late for movie night, a trip to the zoo).  What’s more, $1 from the sale of every Beanz Reward Card is donated to K.I.D.S. (Kids In Distressed Situations).

www.CountMyBeanz.com

Ready to be inspired as a MOM?  I have joined in with many other parenting and family experts to be part of the online Parenting Summit.

The Parenting Summit is a free online event featuring video messages from several leading parenting and family experts, each sharing 5-20 minute recorded video messages with tips and advice on becoming a more effective parent.

During the event, videos are offered on-demand so that you can access them at your leisure and watch what you can... when you can. Register Now it's FREE and you can join in (attend) when it is convenient for you.

Free Registration be clicking here.  And be sure to watch my 10 ways to do less and accomplish more tips just for moms

New Booster Seat Guidelines - Tweens in Boosters?

Over the years of raising my kids I have encountered several Car seat law changes and have driven my mom mobile  for the past 21 years with some sort of child restraint seat in it .  Just when I thought my youngest  child Nate-no was possibly going to exit the booster seat  the AAP decides to give us parents some new advice on buckling up our kiddos - will we listen ?  will we follow the advice they give us?  of course I will how difficult is it to have him continue to ride around town in a safe seat?  besides Nate-no loves his booster seat it is his reserved seat in our car he never has to battle with his siblings for his seat.


What are your thoughts on this hot topic ?

Below is a policy appearing in the April issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

For Release: Monday, March 21 , 2011 12:01 am (ET)

New advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will change the way many parents buckle up their children for a drive.

In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The previous policy, from 2002, advised that it is safest for infants and toddlers to ride rear-facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum. As a result, many parents turned the seat to face the front of the car when their child celebrated his or her first birthday.

“Parents often look forward to transitioning from one stage to the next, but these transitions should generally be delayed until they’re necessary, when the child fully outgrows the limits for his or her current stage,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement and accompanying technical report.

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.”

While the rate of deaths in motor vehicle crashes in children under age 16 has decreased substantially – dropping 45 percent between 1997 and 2009 – it is still the leading cause of death for children ages 4 and older. Counting children and teens up to age 21, there are more than 5,000 deaths each year. Fatalities are just the tip of the iceberg; for every fatality, roughly 18 children are hospitalized and more than 400 are injured seriously enough to require medical treatment.

New research has found children are safer in rear-facing car seats. A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing.

“The ‘age 2’ recommendation is not a deadline, but rather a guideline to help parents decide when to make the transition,” Dr. Durbin said. “Smaller children will benefit from remaining rear-facing longer, while other children may reach the maximum height or weight before 2 years of age.”

Children should transition from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat with a harness, until they reach the maximum weight or height for that seat. Then a booster will make sure the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder belt fit properly. The shoulder belt should lie across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not near the neck or face. The lap belt should fit low and snug on the hips and upper thighs, not across the belly. Most children will need a booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years old.

Children should ride in the rear of a vehicle until they are 13 years old.

Although the Federal Aviation Administration permits children under age 2 to ride on an adult’s lap on an airplane, they are best protected by riding in an age- and size-appropriate restraint.

“Children should ride properly restrained on every trip in every type of transportation, on the road or in the air,” Dr. Durbin said.

 AAP guideline changes include:

* Children should ride rear-facing to age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. (The old policy from 2002 cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum for when to turn a seat around.)

* Children should use a booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years old.

* Children should ride in the rear of a vehicle until they are 13 years old.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Special Spring Break Ideas

Spring break offers the last extended break for children before summer begins. This year, think about different ways to celebrate this time off from school with a special trip, vacation or family planned activity that will elicit smiles from the little ones – big or small.

· Visit the Relatives
For families that live a long distance away from other family members, spring break can allow for a surprise visit outside of standard holidays and get-togethers. This spring, consider surprising your family with a special visit from the grand kids, nieces or nephews and bring everyone together again. During road trips, you and the kids can spot license plates from other states and try to name the capital of each plate’s state. You can also play funny storytelling games where you start the first sentence of the story, your child has to make up the next part of the story and then the next person in the car takes a turn and so on. Soon you will have a wacky hodgepodge of a story that everyone improvised together.


· Frugal Family Fun
You don’t have to spend a lot to have fun with the kids during spring break this year. Try staying in and creating a life-sized self-portrait. Visit your local crafts store and purchase a giant piece of paper that is as tall as your son or daughter. You can even try using butcher paper from your deli, which could work also. Once you have your paper, lay it on the ground at home and have your child lie on it while you trace his or her entire body on the paper. Once you have the basic form, your child can go to town decorating it and drawing whatever he or she wants on the form. When your child is finished, take a picture of the self-portrait with the artist standing next to it.

· Go Local
If a big trip isn’t in the cards this spring break, try something local. Consider taking your children to the premier of the newest movie they are dying to see. It will cost a little more than a normal matinee, but they will feel special when they know they have seen the film before anyone else and will likely want to brag about it. Doing this lets you show your child you understand their world, makes you feel like a rock-star mom and gives you the chance to share the movie details with friends who might be considering a film outing for their own family.

Anna from Kumon shared these fun ideas.

My Hour Of Frustration

Today as I once again had my day interrupted at 11:00am for an hour of what I considered frustrating - I began to realize how much of a privilege it really was to have my day interrupted with the daily duty of driving to the next city over to pick up my puzzle boy from one school to then drive him back to our city and drop him off at the second school he attends each day.

As I was driving and thinking to myself or maybe even talking out loud about the fact that each day I have this interruption right in the middle of my brain thinking time, right in the middle of my task doing time, right in the middle of MY time and how totally frustrating it is - then it hit me as to how quickly the years are flying by. It only seems like yesterday that our puzzle boy was 4 and we were sitting in the first of many school meetings discussing his academic future and now he is 11 and our journey has had more bumps and curves in the road then we had planned it to be. At times the journey has been full of frustrations yet our puzzle boy has been an amazing part of our family to grow, stretch and challenge us as a family.

Today, I realized my time in the car with him as we travel to and from his schools is valuable, it is time I can never gain back, it is time that I have his undivided attention all to myself, it is time that one day will no longer be, it is time that I need to not be frustrated but be thankful that I have the time to be his personal driver, that I have time to be available for him, that I have the time to be interrupted.

As moms we are often overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, and even ready to toss our arms up but for just a moment think abut how quickly the days and years are going by and how quickly the things that frustrate us will soon become part of our past child rearing days, how soon they will grow up and how soon we might even miss these frustrating days.

So, moms like I did today take a minute and think about how quickly the days and years are going by and be thankful for the even the frustrating times.

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. -- Charles R. Swindoll

FREE Online Parenting Summit

Ready to be inspired as a MOM?  I have joined in with many other parenting and family experts to be part of the online Parenting Summit.

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4 Ways to Get Your Child Interested in Technology

by: Jessica Thompson

It’s 2011, and technology is everywhere you look—the internet, GPS technology, smart phones and so much more have all become a huge part of our everyday lives. As parents, it’s our job to help children safely navigate this vast world of technology. But how can we encourage them to use technology in a constructive, educational and/or creative way?

· Create a Website. One reason teachers often include a visual component (such as a poster or diorama) when assigning a big project is because they understand that the creative aspect makes learning a lot more enjoyable. Having your child create a website about something they’ve researched has the same effect: it gives them an opportunity to take something they’ve learned and present it in a creative, visually-appealing way. There are sites that will allow you to build a website for free—but if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of website building, basic HTML code is easy to learn and all you need to experiment with it is a program like Notepad!

· Start Blogging. Blogs are a great outlet for creative expression, and they can be focused on virtually any topic. Unlike a traditional journal, blogs are easy to share with friends and relatives, and doing so provides a great opportunity for kids to receive feedback. (What blogger doesn’t love comments?) For those concerned about privacy, most free blogging services allow you to keep your blog hidden so that it won’t appear in Google or other search engines, meaning that it can only be accessed by those who have the link.

· Educational Video Games. Educational games have been around for a long time. In recent years, however, the “edutainment” market has exploded as educators and developers alike have recognized the great potential of learning that is both interactive and fun. There are plenty of educational games that are backed by research, so why not give it a try?

· Photography. Most of us have used a digital camera, but did you know that there are cheap digital cameras out there designed specifically for kids? The cool thing is that many of these cameras come with software that allows kids to edit the photos, so they can get some experience with computer software as well.

Of course, there are many ways to help our children become proficient with technology. What are some of yours?

Jessica Thompson is a former language arts teacher who currently works for Mentor Interactive, a company that develops educational video games for children. When she's not working or spending time with her family, Jessica enjoys reading, writing, experimental cooking, and playing with the latest technological gadgets. Her husband and two beautiful daughters are her life!