LilSugar

Will You Buy Jerry O'Connell's Book on Parenting?

babysugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:30 -0700

If you didn't love him as Vern in Stand by Me or as Cush in Jerry McGuire, now might be the time when Jerry O'Connell wins your heart. The father of twins Dolly and Charlie has been a stay-at-home dad while his leggy wife, Rebecca Romijn, has been hard at work on her new sitcom Eastwick. In his downtime, the actor turned author and penned a book titled, "Cry, Feed, (Make Love to Wife), Burp." According to Galley Cat:

Jerry will describe life as a very 21st century father in a land of celebrity, the sterile California suburbs, and two-for-one diaper changing - everything from the moment he was told it was time for him to be a father, through the trials and tribulations of conception and childbirth, to the joys and disasters and joys again of staying home to raise two new babies.

I'm intrigued. It could be the perfect shower gift for an expectant papa! Would you buy a copy?

Talking About Sex and Body Parts at an Early Age

LilSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:52 -0700

When a baby boy discovers his penis, parents like to joke that he takes after dad. Unlike past generations, lots of today's moms and pops received sex education and talk openly about the subject without blushing. Many families use the correct names for body parts and initiate conversations with their kids at an early age.

The American Academy of Pediatrics just released a report about children's sexual behaviors, listing those that are age appropriate. According to the guide, it is completely normal for children between two and six to do any of the following on an infrequent basis:

Touch/masturbate genitals in public or private
Look at or touching a peer's or new sibling's genitals
Show genitals to peers
Stand or sit too close to someone
Try to see peers or adults naked

If you want to chat with your children about sex and their bodies, consider some of the following texts.

Would You Take Parenting Advice From Alec Baldwin?

LilSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

As parents we all make mistakes, but are you willing to learn from someone else's? Alec Baldwin thinks so. The famed actor who became infamous for an abrasive voicemail he left his daughter, Ireland, in 2007, is now considering penning a parenting book. In an interview with Playboy magazine, Baldwin discussed the notorious message, how he and the child repaired their relationship and why moms and dads need to take a long look at how they parent. Alec said:

It will be ironic for some people, but I’m going to write a parenting book. We’re at, not a crisis, but an awful place right now in terms of parenting. People are raising their children with the belief that we need to be friends with our children. Kids have too much power and call too many of the shots, telling their parents what they will and won’t do.

The actor is not the first adult to question current child rearing philosophies, but do you consider him an authority on the subject?

Would You Buy a Parenting Book From a Real Housewife?

LilSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:00:12 -0800

When the Really Scary Housewives of New York City aired last Spring, most of you were appalled by the women's parenting skills. The series' final episode, in which one of social climber Alex McCord's sons threw a shrieking temper tantrum in the middle of a dinner party while his parents sat idly by, brought out the claws with several of you, suggesting that the family needed to spend more time at home teaching social skills and less time gallivanting about town. We've now heard that Alex, and her husband Simon, are co-writing a parenting book based on their experiences with their own tots.

Given what you have seen of the McCord family on TV, would you consider purchasing their tome?

Source

Lil Links: Why Some Parenting Books Collect Dust

LilSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:00:28 -0700

Parenting books you can't live without - The Poop
What are you telling your kids about the economy? - Parent Dish
Travis Barker can't wait to hold his kids again - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Suri Cruise and her mama share a smile - Celebrity Baby Blog
Pregnancy acne that just won't quit, even three years later - Alpha Mom
Vaccine tracker helps mom keep tabs on her tots' shots - The Bump
When kids aren't what mom and dad had in mind - Cookie
What's the best baby carrier - Inhabitots

Tell Mommy: What Was Your Favorite Parenting Book?

babysugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:00:32 -0700

For their first child, many parents read a plethora of pregnancy and infant books to arm themselves with all the necessary tools of raising babe. While it's important to know about swaddling, breastfeeding, and all of those other topics touched upon in those texts, the learning curve only steepens as the child ages. As the baby grows, so does your library. To help parents navigate their way through temper tantrums, napless days, finicky eating and other typical toddler behaviors, countless authors with varying views have penned their ideas in hopes of throwing a bone to perplexed parents.

Which book helped you wade through the torrential toddler waters?

The Happiest Toddler on the Block ($16)	What to Expect the Toddler Years ($12)
The No-Cry Discipline Solution: Gentle Ways to Encourage Good Behavior Without Whining, Tantrums, and Tears ($12)	Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers ($10)
Toddler 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for your Toddler ($2)	The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers ($10)

Product Reviews Group: Joolz One Grand Stroller

Lil Community — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:05 -0800

This comes from user meganmckenzie in our Product Reviews group.

This isn't exactly a product review, but more of a request for one! Has anyone seen, touched, or used this product? I absolutely love some of the features that I have read about, but I fear purchasing a stroller that I haven't seen. There isn't much information out there about this stroller. Anyone out there have a good review of the Joolz One Grand - or any of the Joolz strollers, for that matter?

Share your favorite books, products, toys and trends with other parents. Join our Product Reviews group over in the LilSugar Community!

Lil Links: Ava and Richie Sambora Step Out For a New Moon

babysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:38 -0800

Papa Richie takes Ava out for a New Moon - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Adriana Lima and Marko Jaric welcome daughter Valentina - Celebrity Baby Blog
Get the original artwork from your favorite children's book - Cool Mom Picks
10 tips for a greener Thanksgiving - CafeMom
Airbrushed baby photos spark controversy - ParentDish
Beware the hidden dangers of online video games - MomLogic
A tribute to Costco disposable diapers - The Poop
Holiday card trends for 2009 - Stroller Traffic
8 discipline mistakes parents make - Parenting

Mom-Me Time: Pick Up a Copy of The Help

babysugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:30:49 -0800

If mama's got a few minutes to herself and is looking for something that will take her mind to another world, she needs not look further than this gold and purple hardback book. The Help ($12) is a quick read that will steal her attention and her affection and leave her wanting more. Kathryn Stockett's first novel, the book about the relationships between mothers and the women that help them (nannies in particular) will have mommy laughing out loud, tearing up in the eyes, dog-earring pages with special passages and thinking about how she relates to some of the closest people in her life.

Just pages into the lengthy text and I was hooked. Unlike any book I've read in recent times, the characters in these pages immediately come to life and fully color the imagination. You can picture their hair, dream up their clothes and hear their voices like they're sitting on the bus right next to you. While they may be fictional muses, I wish I could meet them, thank them, reprimand them and have a tall glass of sweetened iced tea with them. Though the book is set back in the early '60s, some of the conversations and lessons are timeless. For the rest of my review, read more.

Centered around the lives of three caretakers, the hired "help" who tend to high society's children may occasionally be called "mama" as they often forge a closer bond with the child than his own mother. And while some women may have their best friends to rely on, the housekeeper frequently knows and cares more than her "best" friends -the phrase "dirty laundry" having a double meaning when it comes to life behind closed doors. In the end, it is a story about women taking extraordinary measures to right some wrongs, even if it means risking it all. Of all the lessons to be learned from this rich novel, the golden rule speaks loudest - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Maybe that's why she wrapped it in a glowing cover.

Before this goes to the theaters, which it surely will, buy it, read it and gift it to everyone you know. It will not disappoint.

Share your favorite books, products, toys and trends with other parents. Join our Product Reviews group over in the LilSugar community!

Tips For Getting Your Child to Open Up About School

LilSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:30 -0800

Afternoons in many preschoolers' households often sound like this:

Mom: "What did you do in school today?"
Child: "I don't remember."
Mom: "What books did the teachers read?"
Child: Silence and a blank stare.

Though many schools provide parents with a preview of the week's activities – or a wrap-up at the end of the week – trying to get your lil one to open up to you about what they did on a particular day can be compared to pulling teeth.

To get the conversation started, try these tips at the end of the next school day.

Don't ask, just tell. Rather than pepper your lil one with questions about her day, tell her about something new or different that you did today. Present it in a way that she can relate to so that she can share about her day, too.
Shake up the routine. Don't ask the same questions in the same order every day. Rotate the questions you ask and how they are presented.
Make it funny. Try telling them about their day by substituting out-of-place details at key points. This should get them talking about what really happened.

To see the rest of our suggestions, read more.

Move beyond yes and no. Questions that simply require a yes or no answer are not going to spark a conversation. Asking about their favorite part of their day or who they sat next to for snack may start a discussion rather than a dead end.
Remove distractions. If your lil one has been in school all day and is now home with his favorite toys, he is more likely to play with his toys than speak. Try to hold the conversation in a space where he won't be distracted.

Do you have any tried-and-true tricks to get your wee ones talking?