LilSugar

Comfortable Way For Families to Talk About Tough Topics

babysugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:00:15 -0700

There comes a point in life when a mother must broach a subject that she's not sure how to approach. Some mamas may get straight to the point and fire away while others sit and brew waiting for the perfect moment to arrive. Instead of mulling things over and making the situation uncomfortable, mom and dad can help create an open line of communication with a question box. Take an old shoebox and let the youngsters decorate it as they see fit then cut a slit in the top of it. During the week the kids and parents can toss in their questions in and the conversation will start to flow on Sunday night at dinner when the parents pull slips of paper from it to discuss. Eventually, the box can be tossed and mealtime becomes a time of free flowing discussion.

Tips For Talking to Your Young Kids About Sex

LilSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:00:52 -0800

Carrie Bradshaw didn't do me any favors. Thanks to the title of her famous movie, my daughter broached the subject of sex. As parents we know the time will come, I just didn't think it it would be so soon - at four and a half! From watching movie trailers and catching bits of playground gossip, she deduced that sex is sleeping with someone naked and kissing on the lips. In the course of of our impromptu and G-rated conversation, I realized that keeping the chat as low key and comfortable as possible opens the lines of communication.

To check out tips that will come in handy if your youngster happens to pop the question, read more.

Don't freak out. Your reaction sets the tone for future conversations.
Ask your tot what they know and where they got their information. Then go from there. There's no need to break out charts and graphs for a three-year-old.
Tell them an age-appropriate version of the truth.
Don't scare your kids by getting overly serious. RELAX!
Encourage them to come to you in the future as they have further questions and/or thoughts.

Feel free to chime in with your own tips!
Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Talks

LilSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:00:06 -0700

They say kids grow up fast, but lately I'm blown away. Last week, my art obsessed daughter told me she can't wait to get a "needle" tattoo. I knew this was coming ever since she noticed mine as I stepped out of the shower a couple years ago. With wide eyes, she blurted out, "I want one," but I talked her in to waiting until she's 25. A couple days ago, she told me she "really needs a pink wig." I thought the conversation was headed toward Halloween, but she explained that it's because she's tired of having messy hair on the mornings I'm at work and my husband attempts to style it. "That way I can just put on a wig and go out," she explained. I'm considering caving on this one so she doesn't try to dye her hair.

Yesterday, she surprised me with the latest topic - sleeping with the opposite sex. A classmate told her he slept in the same bed as his girl cousin and they had a pretend wedding and kissed on the lips. In disbelief she said, "He doesn't even know that you can't marry your cousin. And, you're only supposed sleep with your boyfriend or girlfriend and kiss them on the lips!" My daughter is four and a half, I wonder what the topics of our conversations will be at 14?

Are you ever surprised by what your child talks about?
Source

Are You a Twilight Momiac?

babysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:15:07 -0800

Mamas are taking a big bite out of the Twilight pandemonium. When the vampire tales first hit book shelves, it started a cult following. Teens and young adults gobbled them up and, apparently, so have their mothers. Young girls may be sporting the "Team Jacob" shirts or carrying the "Team Edward" water bottles, but they are not to be outshone by their older fans. On The Jay Leno Show, the adorably sweet and handsome Taylor Lautner talks about the deeply passionate moms he meets while out promoting the vampire movies. It seems security may have more concerns about mums than they do with their daughters!

Are you a Twilight momiac?

Tell Mommy: What Was Your Toughest Postpartum Moment?

babysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:05:58 -0800

An inspiration to many mothers who suffer from postpartum depression, superstar mama Brooke Shields continues to give hope to new moms through her raw and honest revelations. A spokesperson for the debilitating disease and depression, she recently spoke at the Hope for Depression Research Foundation in Manhattan where she recalled a harrowing moment in her life. She said:

I finally had a healthy beautiful baby girl and I couldn't look at her... I couldn't hold her and I couldn't sing to her and I couldn't smile at her... All I wanted to do was disappear and die... That was the week I almost did not resist driving my car straight into a wall on the side of the freeway... My baby was in the back seat and that even pissed me off because I thought she's even ruining this for me. I just wanted to drive into the wall and my friend stayed on the phone with me and made me safely get home.

It takes guts to talk about those dark moments but her story undoubtedly gives hope to many women who are having similar experiences. If you care to share, tell us what your toughest postpartum moment was.

Feeling overwhelmed by motherhood? Join our A Place to Vent group over in our LilSugar Community and share your plight with other moms who understand.

Eight Easy Ways to Get Your Tot Talking

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:00:50 -0700

At 5 and 2, my kids are two lil chatterboxes who like to talk and talk about almost any topic. As a mom, you can start having conversations with your babe once they are born. It may take them a while to answer, but be patient. The entertaining topics they bring up as they get older are well worth the wait! Check out our slideshow for eight simple ways that you can encourage your tot to use their voice on a daily basis. Source

View Slideshow ›

Toy Box: Chuga Chuga Talking Choo Choos

LilSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:00:31 -0800

All aboard! If you want one toy that will occupy your tot for hours upon hours, invest in a train table and then spruce it up with the Talking Railway Series from Learning Curve. Amazing engine recognition technology brings the world of Thomas to life with personalized greetings from Sir Topham Hatt himself.

The Great Discovery Set ($150) includes the Great Waterton Station and Morgan’s Mine, Stanley and Thomas engines, and additional train tracks. Watch your kid's eyes widen each time he hears Sir Topham Hatt call each engine by name as they pass by the station. Continue to add additional stations or Talking Railway engines to create fun combinations and endless enjoyment. Though the train system is a tad pricey, it's an investment that lasts for years and can be passed down to siblings or friends.

Texts and Tunes: How to Talk to Girls

LilSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:00:03 -0800

If your lil guy has moved on from thinking girls are icky to being a bit more interested in them, then you both may want to check out the book, How to Talk to Girls. Written by an eight-year old boy who did his research at recess during school, this book is chock full of wholesome advice for a budding ladies' man. His simple tips for getting girls include: Combing your hair and not wearing sweats. Though my personal favorite is, "Control your hyperness (cut down on the sugar if you have to)."

Even if your child is not ready to accept that girls don't have cooties, you'll get a kick out of it - and you might want to slip it over to your husband for a refresher course. I'm left wondering where this book was when I was in college, let alone elementary school. The book has already become a such a sensation the fourth-grader, Alec Greven, has been on Ellen and Fox is making a movie based on the book.

Jennie Garth Gives LilSugar the Exclusive Scoop - Part Two

babysugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:00:52 -0800

In case you missed it, Jennie Garth took some time out of her schedule to chat with LilSugar about her life as a mommy of three. She answered our four lil questions and then some. Not surprising, she shot straight from the hip and revealed that she is a down-to-earth kind of lady who is keeping a good head on her shoulders while teaching her daughters to do the same. Here are some of the questions the cute mom answered for us:

In light of all of the reality TV shows following families and your stint on Dancing With the Stars, would you ever want your children to be in the spotlight on a TV show or actors on their own show?

I hope not. I would never discourage them from what they want to do but hope that they aim a little higher. Being an actor is not a bad profession by any means but the easy way out, it seems right now, is to do a reality show so I'm hoping Luca - she wants to be an actress I think but she doesn't want to tell me - that they study and learn a craft and become really, really good at it.

Which one of your characteristics do you wish your children would inherit from you?

I can do anything. I can change the oil in the car. Honestly, if it put my mind to it, I can do anything and I hope that they have that. I don't want them to just call the repair man. I want them to try to fix something first. I hope they get a hands on, get it done, I can do anything mentality.

Have you let your kids watch your old 90210 days or the renewed show?

No, no, no. Absolutely not.

Have they seen any of your work?

They've seen a couple of things. They've seen some of my work. They watched What I Like About You sometimes, but even that one was a little too risque at times. But, they come along to a lot of the charitable things I do.

To see what the hot mama has to say about being pregnant again and how she and Peter bring the sexy back, just read more.

Speaking of, how did you get involved with Smiles Across America (SAA)?

As a mother, I sort of saw an opportunity. There's inadequate dental heath care and children are not being taught by their parents to take care of their teeth. SAA goes into schools and teaches kids how to take care of their teeth and they provide them with services.

Who is your role model in motherhood?

I really rely on my girlfriends a lot. We do it together - bounce ideas off of each other. They pick me up when I'm at my lowest point and feel like a terrible mom. We talk about stuff and it helps me to continue on. I just sometimes need a pep talk.

Were you a lover of pregnancy or were you dying to get it over with?

I loved it! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Will you do it again?

I hope so! I don't know. It depends on my husband being in town.

How do you and Peter bring the sexy back to your marriage with three kids and both of you working?

We do a lot of texting and a lot of flirting by texting and making each other laugh a lot. A good sense of humor keeps each other laughing.

How has the whole Twilight craze affected your family life? Are the girls into it? Do they have crushes on Rob?

They're younger. They don't really care that much. Plus, we really instill in them that they're not goo goo crazy over actors. We try to keep them in a realistic mode. They're a little young... but I'm crazy coo coo for vampires! But, what I do and what I teach my kids to do are two different things.

Amen to that!

Pregnancy Posse: Glam Mama-to-Be at 22.5 Weeks

LilSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:00:44 -0800

This story was submitted from member JamieUK in our The Pregancy Posse group.

It seems like my belly just kind of popped overnight. This was taken just after the Rihanna concert at 22.5 weeks.

Want to talk pregnancy with other expectant mamas? Join The Pregnancy Posse over in our LilSugar Community and share your stories, recipes and photos! If you have a post you want to see featured on LilSugar private message me here to pitch your ideas. I can't wait to hear them.