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Pics from Walk to School Day

Posted Oct 6, 2010 by Beth Gaddis

Updated Oct 6, 2010 at 11:26 AM

Thousands of students and parents from more than 3,200 schools across the country took part in International Walk to School Day today!

Belleair Elementary School in Clearwater was one of them.  In addition to encouraging kids to walk and ride their bikes to school, it also had fire trucks, police cars and other emergency vehicles on campus for the kids to explore.  Check out more photos on the City of Clearwater Facebook page.

Now in it’s 13th year, this one-day day event celebrates the benefits of using the power of your legs instead of the power of an engine to get where you need to go.  If you took part in today’s event, upload your photos to the TBOMom Facebook site!

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Routines for kids: Boring, but beneficial

Posted Sep 30, 2010 by Beth Gaddis

Updated Sep 30, 2010 at 01:21 PM

I’m a big believer in schedules.  I love to-do lists, I love knowing what’s going to happen next, and I love how my kids behave better when they’ve been told what to expect.

I interviewed a sleep expert a few weeks ago about her new book, “The Baby Sleeps Tonight: How To Get Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night By 9 Weeks (Yes, Really.)” Shari Mezrah says the key is setting a schedule and sticking to it.  That was brought home to me last night, when we took the kids Halloween costume shopping and didn’t get home until after their normal bedtime.  I skipped the baths, popped them into PJs and tried to put them down.  No doing.  Their routine was all screwed up and they wanted me to know it.

Turns out, routines are important during the day, too.

“The key to any routine is keeping the elements consistent so your child knows what the next step is and the expected outcome,” says Claire Haas, vice president of education for Kiddie Academy, a national child care and education franchisor.  “It’s also important to remember that the timing of a routine can be flexible, but the way it is done should always remain the same.”

To establish consistent routines for your child throughout the day, Haas recommends the following:

IN THE MORNING it is helpful if you can prep for your morning routine the night before. Packing up backpacks, laying out clothing and getting everyone bathed will make mornings more orderly and less hurried.

AT DINNERTIME establishing a routine can help with good eating habits, communications skills and manners. You can involve your children in preparing for dinner – have them set or clear the table or put together ingredients for a salad. Even little ones can get involved with small tasks like putting the napkins out.

As often as possible, sit at the table as a family and encourage their communications skills by each sharing the best and most challenging parts of the day. This sparks discussion and provides learning opportunities.

HOMEWORK can be a tricky routine, because most children are not eager to do homework. Knowing your child is important – are they better about doing homework right after school, or do they need a snack and some time to play and decompress after a long day at school or child care? There is no right or wrong approach, but it is important to be firm with your routine and remain consistent.

BEFORE BEDTIME it is important not to over-stimulate your child. Try to avoid any screen time or rambunctious play. Typically children from kindergarten to third grade are required to read 20 minutes a day, and bedtime is a great time for this. If you have younger children, establish bedtime as story time and read to them.

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How cool is the new Disney Store at International Plaza?

Posted Sep 29, 2010 by Beth Gaddis

Updated Sep 29, 2010 at 10:53 AM

A new kind of Disney store just opened yesterday at International Plaza in Tampa.  Want to know what it’s like? Disney fan Paul Einselen checked it out:

Overall
Overall the store was nice and had some cool elements which you expect from Disney.  There are some fine details that many will miss but those that pay attention will appreciate them.  The trees are really cool as the image can change since it is done with projectors.  In addition to that Disney has their scent boxes hidden away around the trees so they can also spray the area thus further bringing the trees to life.  The walls also seem to have lighting which will be able to change multiple times through the day but not be too flashy that it is distracting.

The Theater
The Disney Store Theater is nice area which will entertain kids for possibly a whole day.  The touchscreen is very responsive, easy for a kid to use and the playlist screen is really cool because the parents will be able to tell their kid when their selection will play.  Also when someone has a birthday it will be announced on the screen, the lights in the theater ceiling will turn multicolor, music will play in the entire store and the CM will cheer.

The Castle
The princess castle is great for little girls as they can walk in front of the mirror and wave a wand and a Disney Princess will appear.  I couldn’t get a good shot of the castle, but I did take a picture of the top to show how they have a chandelier handing over it, again paying attention to those little details.  Of course for the boys there is the Disney/Pixar Cars RIDEMAKERZ station where you can build and customize your own RC car.

Pictures from Disney

The Interactive Kiosk
I also liked playing with the interactive kiosk.  It was cool to be able to see by category all the different products as well as upcoming events.  I wish the screen was a little bigger and sometimes the gestures and swiping gave me issues (like at the main screen you just tap between the three catagories where naturally as an iPhone user I was trying to swipe), but it was impressive technology.

The Crowd
Disney also thinking ahead is great with crowd management.  When I arrived an hour and half after opening there was still a line of about 25 or so people to get into the store.  Expecting a crowd and to make the shopping experience more enjoyable Disney was limiting the number of guests into the store.  Cast members (and even suits) stood at the door to help direct people to the line and even on the line, cast members, managers and even the district manager were interacting with guests, asking kids about their favorite characters, birthdays, etc.  Once in the store it was very easy to move around, so much so they could have let the rest of the line in behind me (maybe another 20 or so guests) and I feel there still would have been room to shop.  The staff was also phenomenal, very friendly, upbeat and personable. 

Paul Einselen is an avid Disney fan.  Follow him on:
Twitter
Online Video
Radio/Podcast Show
Disney in 3D Picture Blog
Twitter DisneyAdvice Robot
YouTube

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This holiday season’s hottest toys

Posted Sep 28, 2010 by Beth Gaddis

Updated Sep 30, 2010 at 08:25 AM

We know you’re probably busy trying to get your kids to settle on a Halloween costume, but the Toy Insider is ready to move on to the holidays with its annual “Hot 20” list.

Toy trend experts (that sounds like a fun job!) put together recommendations of games, action figures and electronics that it expects to fly off the shelves during the holiday season. The Toy Insider, a holiday shopping guide, announced its picks for all age groups today.

It includes Jojo, a bunny that plays hide and seek with a “magic carrot,” Disney Princess and Me dolls and a board game that tests your knowledge of “Glee” characters.

In its fifth year, the Toy Insider will release its entire list of 96 gift recommendations in the Nov. 17 issue of “Woman’s Day,” available Nov. 2. It will also be online with even more suggestions in late October or early November at www.thetoyinsider.com.

Laurie Schacht, a mom of three and co-publisher of the Toy Insider, said price and value influenced the list this year. Nothing in the “Hot 20” is more then $60 and most items are less than $50. Reviewers also factored in how much use a child could get out of a toy.

“There’s nothing more disappointing than bringing home a toy, and five minutes later, it lives in the closet,” she said. “If you spend $5 on a toy, that’s $5 in the closet. If you spend $50, you threw $50 in the closet.”

The panel also looks for interactive toys and tossed out passive “watch me” ones, Schacht said.

That’s where technology shines. Jojo allows a toddler to play hide-and-seek by himself. Preteens and teens can jam on a paper-thin, stringless “Paper Jamz” guitar. The U-Video Camera is like a Flip but cheaper. The V. Reader is less expensive, more colorful Kindle-type story viewer kids can use before kindergarten.

Here’s the entire “Hot 20” list, broken down by age group:

For infant to 2 years:

Explore ’N Grow Musical Gear Center (Playskool)

Fly with Elmo Ride-On (Tek Nek Toys)

Hide-and-Seek Jojo Interactive Bunny (Silverlit Toys)

Little People Wheelies Stand ’N Play Rampway (Fisher-Price). Update from Sept. 30, 2010: Fisher-Price is recalling the purple and green Wheelies™ vehicles marked “Mexico” and do not have a yellow dot on the bottom that are included with the Little People Stand ‘n Play Rampway. The wheels on the purple and green Wheelies™ vehicles can come off, resulting in small parts which pose a choking hazard to young children.

For 3-5 years:

FurReal Friends Go Go, My Walkin’ Pup (Hasbro)

Hexbug Nano Habitat Set (Innovation First)

Sing-a-ma Jigs (Mattel)

Thomas & Friends: Adventures on Misty Island (Mega Bloks)

V. Reader Animated E-book System (Vtech)

Zoobles! Razoo’s Treehouse Playset (Spin Master)

For 6-8 years:

Disney Princess & Me Dolls (Jakks Pacific)

Perplexus (PlaSmart)

Scene it? Disney Magical Moments (Screenlife)

Spy Net Secret Mission Video Watch (Jakks Pacific)

Toy Story 3 Blast-Off Buzz Lightyear (Thinkway Toys)

Loopz (Mattel)

For 9 and older:

Air Hogs R/C Hawk Eye Video Camera Helicopter (Spin Master)

Glee CD Board Game (Cardinal Industries)

Paper Jamz (Wowwee)

Sharper Image U-Video Camera (MerchSource)

TBOMom blogger Courtney Pastor is always looking for story ideas.  Email her at cpastor@tampatrib.com.

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Moffitt Cancer Center is tops for working moms

Posted Sep 23, 2010 by Beth Gaddis

Updated Sep 23, 2010 at 09:43 AM

Kudos to Moffitt Cancer Center for being named one of the best companies in the country for working moms!

It’s the third year in a row the organization’s received the honor from Working Mother magazine.  The editors praised Moffitt’s diversity scholarships and backup child and elder care programs. Plus, it’s parental leave policy offers employees an additional four weeks of paid leave and job protection beyond the 12 weeks provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act, paying 100 percent of an employee’s salary.  Click here to find out more of what makes Moffitt stand out.

Click here to see profiles of all 100 companies that made the 2010 Working Mother 100 Best Companies list.

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