Posts from — February 2008

Don’t you wish there was a place you could take your kids where they could play, take classes, you can enjoy a good meal and get spa services done all at the same time? Sounds like Fantasy Island? This place is real, I went there and wished it was next door to my house. It is the Tree House Social Club in Los Angeles, started by 2 moms (of course), Jeannine Chanin and Tricia Leigh Fisher. The giant space has a tree house in the middle with dining tables to one side and class rooms and additional play areas on the other side. There is a manicure pedicure room, a private spa room for massages and facials, video game room, art room and a room for dance and music classes. [Read more →]

In many bilingual families, parents make a conscience effort to teach their babes both languages. If one parent is proficient in one language and the other in another, it is normal for each one to talk to their tot solely in that tongue.

I try to chat in Spanish with my babe, but I’m not as diligent as I’d like to be. Luckily, her nanny is teaching it to her every day. And, at this age, she is soaking words up like a sponge.

Just the other day we were on a walk and she looked up at me and said, “Mano!” A little puzzled, I thought to myself, “Mano?” Then it hit me, “Hand! That means hand in Spanish!” So I reached down and her tiny palm met mine and off we went.

In Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, I came across an interesting piece on baby talk.Most parents are curious about how their child measures up to the developmental milestones and physical growth charts.

While some parents brag about their tot’s precocious behavior, others secretly worry about their lagging babe, especially if the lil one isn’t talking much.

To learn what these parents can do about it, [Read more →]

By Heather Moors Johnson

Infant-development experts believe that the first years of a child’s life are a prime time for learning. And you don’t need classical music, language tapes, or fancy flash cards to stimulate your baby or toddler’s brain. Her best learning tool is you. Talk, sing, read, and laugh together — it’s this kind of everyday interaction that matters most. But sometimes it may be hard to think of new ways to stimulate your little one (especially after you’ve been up all night soothing her cries). Our 50 fun — and scientific — activities will inspire you.

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Let’s face it: Raising a 1-year-old is a constant challenge. Your child is old enough to start doing things on his own. But a lot of what he wants to do is dangerous, messy, hurtful, or downright maddening. And he’s really not old enough to know better. The truth is, kids this age aren’t being willfully defiant — they simply need to hear a command numerous times before it sinks in. But you can also use these difficult moments as an opportunity to teach and discipline him.

Discipline? At this age? Yes, that’s right. While it’s much too early to start taking away privileges, this is the perfect time to lay the foundation for better behavior. “Your toddler is constantly testing what’s acceptable and what’s not,” says Cheryl Erwin, coauthor of Positive Discipline: The First Three Years. “By setting basic rules and following through, you’re helping him learn.” The key is to use the right discipline method. Check out these smart ways to correct four common toddler transgressions.

By Jennifer Sembler

How do you find time for romance when you barely have time to brush your teeth? Here are 10 sweet, unexpected, totally doable ideas for squeezing a little you’re-so-hot-when-you-burp-the-baby intimacy into every day. Try them on your guy — and see how little things can make all the difference.

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Too bad when baby pops out, the waistline doesn’t snap back to pre-pregnacy shape. For others, Yummie Tummies are here to help. Started by Heather Thomson who worked for J. Lo, Sean, and Beyonce Knowles the designing mother of two created Yummie Tummies .Fighting the battle of the bulge after two children, the entrepreneurial mother began sewing the nifty torso tighteners in her NYC apartment. Before she knew it, she had a hit.

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Children of perfect parents (if there were such a thing!) would still need to go through the developmental phase your son is going through. Ideal children do NOT always agree with their parents. Ideal parenting does not prevent the “Terrible Twos” — it helps children navigate them.Although children are each born with a unique personality, their early experiences are profoundly influenced by their physical states and by their environments (primarily their parents). Thus, early on, your son’s desires tended to be either responses to physical needs (he was hungry and wanted to eat, he was sleepy and wanted to sleep, or he had a soiled diaper and wanted you to change it) or reflections of your desires. He wanted things that made you happy, that engaged your attention. When you smiled, he smiled. When you became tense, he became emotionally agitated. Through that first year a wonderful dance between parent and child developed as your son mirrored your moods. Because his moods were usually in synch with yours, he seemed like a “good boy.”

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NEW YORK - More than ever, it pays to be pregnant in Hollywood. Jennifer Lopez, about to give birth to twins, is reportedly the latest A-lister to strike a deal worth millions for exclusive photos of her children. [Read more →]

Today my auntie took me and my mommy out to eat at Chuy’s Restaurant by Westheimer and Kirby. I liked my food it was great i just love going out.