by Prof. David Elkind
A year ago last fall, I was asked by the Hasbro Toy Company to consider being a spokesperson for their line of early childhood toys. Hasbro recently bought Playskol, a well established, and well regarded, maker of playthings for young children. Before accepting, I had a meeting with the manager of the division, and with some of the designers and creators, at their offices in Pawtucket Rhode Island. I was particularly interested in seeing their current crop of toys.
At this time of year, the farmers’ markets are filled with all different varieties of winter squash. Most of them have a buttery, silky quality, but not spaghetti squash. After you bake it, you take a fork and scrape it out into what looks just like spaghetti. I made this recipe for a bunch of kids and they all yelled “spaghetti!” when they saw it.
Want a hip, cool name for your baby? Check out the latest names in Hollywood. You may have a bit of trouble finding personalized pencils at the dollar store, though…
The Girls…
Harlow (Nicole Ritchie & Joel Madden)
Nahla (Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry)
Stella (Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott)
Honor (Jessica Alba & Cash Warren)
We can’t think of any activity more perfect than starting a great family nature tradition. Teach your young future stewards of the planet how to engage with their environment, take home pine cones for crafts, and get fresh air and exercise while learning the names of bugs, plants and flowers. These are memories of childhood that they will smile about for years to come. (and it may get you some future help with yardwork!)
Ever head to the dollar store and think you’ve hit the jackpot? A whole bag of plastic toys for only 20 bucks! Woo hoo! But, sadly, these toys may just not be safe. Many items that have been banned in the US and Europe are allowed to be sold in Canada. Huh? That’s pretty strange. What should you do? Who can you trust?
There are a few special indulgences in childhood.. the sterling rattle, the christening outfit, wooden heirloom toys. We think that every child should play, and dressing up is a fabulous pastime that stimulates the imagination, the senses and the emotions. Of course, dressing up is even better when your attire is crafted of organic flax cotton in a stunning, muted palette. Wovenplay’s designs (exclusive to Enfant Terrible) tranform children into cowgirls, moths and ballerinas with the loveliest fabrics and hand-screened images. Shown: The Lion Cape.
See also our article on activities you can do at home with kids. Have fun making memories!
A Larger Vocabulary
When a baby’s brain develops the area that understands visual information develops sooner than the area that understands auditory information, so a younger baby may be able to understand what they see earlier than they can understand what they hear. Adding the visual component, the sign, to the auditory component, your spoken words, may help babies to understand more. This may improve their receptive language abilities.
Aaah, the French. They certainly know children. And we’re slowly catching on. Sophie the giraffe has arrived to a few more stores. A childhood friend since 1961 in France, this rubber teether is painted with non-toxic paint and is finally more widely available in Canada. (the word was already out for Hollywood celebs like Kate Hudson and Debra Messing). Perfect for tiny hands, and a must-have for it-moms everywhere. Under 20 bucks.
by Elizabeth Nider
Being a fitness instructor for over 7 years, I was eager to get right back into fitness after my son was born in March 2007. One and a half weeks postpartum I decided to go for a run. Boy was that a mistake. I learned firsthand why The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) recommends that women wait 2-4 weeks after a vaginal delivery and 6 weeks after a caesarian before beginning an exercise routine. Childbirth is a beautiful time, but with it comes a much needed recovery, not to mention sleepless nights and feelings of loneliness and even desperation.
Get your lil’ rascal out of trouble and into an apron! This funky blue/brown apron embroidered with ‘I’m the Boss’ and a cool dinosaur motif on the front pocket is sure to keep your tyke mess-free while having fun in the kitchen. Great for arts and crafts plus gardening too! available at Lavish and Lime.
