Silly Bandz

Everything old is new again, and everything that was classically geeky is now tres chic. If your lil one's arms were loaded up with Silly Bandz last Summer, be prepared to do a double-take when your tot sports the latest jewelry fad. Made from real orthodontic materials, Braced-Lets ($5 each) are a combination of colored rubber bands for braces, metal brackets, and power chains. With bright color combinations and unique designs, tots are stacking the dental adornments up their arms with no end in sight.

The multicolored bangles are the brainchild of two orthodontists and one of their jewelry-designing sisters, Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost, meaning the bracelets have a bit more fashion credence than last Summer's rubber-band fad. That also may be the reason many mamas are snatching up the arm adornment for themselves as well as their tots. Are you or your kids taking part in this Summer's hot trend?

Don't say we didn't warn you. Just as Silly Bandz became the jelly bracelets of 2010, SLAPlets ($6) are set to become the slap bracelets of 2011. Yes, this Summer's sure-to-be biggest wrist fad is taking yet another page out of mama's childhood jewelry box, only this time they're made of silicone and don't hurt quite as much!

I distinctly remember my elementary school teachers banning the use of the metal bracelets that start out straight and then curl when they are "slapped" on a wrist, as we spent more time playing with them than watching the blackboard. Today, the 100 percent hypoallergenic silicone bands are quieter and are available in six colors. They come with three SLAPlinxs, or rubber bands, that can be traded, mixed, and added on to create truly unique wrist wear. You know what they say – everything old is new again, just with an added twist!

Parenthood is fun! Betty Wayne shares her daughter's discovery of Silly Bandz in The Mommy Club group.

My girl's first fad: Silly Bandz. She asked, "Mommy, what's a fad?" and I said, "It's a silly little piece of junk that everyone is obsessed with for two months and then never thinks about again." My first fad was slap bracelets so I think it's a pretty neat coincidence that hers is so similar to mine.

This is her first step into pointless but hypnotic pop-culture. Maybe I'm reading too far into this, but I see it as a major milestone!

So, what was your baby's (or relative's baby's or friend's baby's) first fad? Do you remember what yours was?

Start asking questions and sharing your advice and tips in The Mommy Club! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the LilSugar Community.

Silly Bandz are to 2010 what jelly bracelets were to the '80s. The inexpensive bendable silicone bands shaped like fish, fashions, and just about everything else are being traded in school yards across the country. There are even principals who have banned the bands because kids were getting riled up over their swaps. Themed packs of the bracelets ranging from zoo animals to western shapes and musical instruments to body parts are sold in packs of 24 for around $5 at retailers like Hallmark and Amazon. Other companies have launched competitive lines of the bracelets, some of which will sport big-name logos. In a recent report, AdAge attributed the accessories' sky rocketing popularity to a recent news event. It said:

The company got a national media boost when the young girl who got lost in the Everglades mentioned them in her "Good Morning America" interview. (One of her friends gave her a green frog band when she returned to school.)

Are your tots taking part in this hot unisex trend and stacking the bracelets up their arms or snapping them across the room?