LilSugar

Are Parents Discriminating Against Differently Abled TV Host?

LilSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:00:31 -0800

A number of British parents are upset over a BBC children's channel, CBeebies, whose host is differently abled. Cerrie Burnell's right arm ends just below her elbow. Parents have complained to the network that she is causing their tots to have nightmares. The BBC is standing by their host, saying that while children may be inquisitive about her appearance, it is the parents who may need to modify their thinking.

I am appalled by the parents' behavior, are you?

Lil Find: Bitty Braille

LilSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:00:51 -0800

Sign language has gained popularity among parents of non-deaf tots as a way to communicate with their lil ones prior to their being able to speak. It is also a great way to teach older kids about children with special needs. Introduce them to another form of communication for kids with different abilities with Bitty Braille t-shirts and onesies. The shirts (starting at $26) feature words or names in studs and their translation in hand-embroidered cursive writing. Choose from more than half-a-dozen words such as "cutie," "happy" or "buddy" or go for one with your lil learner's name for a personalized version that will help introduce the world of Braille. A portion of the sale of each shirt is donated to the American Foundation for the Blind, the national nonprofit organization that employed Helen Keller.

Did Your Lil One Receive Early Intervention Services?

LilSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:00:15 -0800

We all get excited about our children's accomplishments - from the first time they rolled over to the first time they uttered a real word - but for some mothers these bragging rights are more monumental if their lil one had a delay of some sort.

According to the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, approximately 300,000 infants and toddlers received some sort of Early Intervention in 2006 and that number is only expected to rise in coming years. Early Intervention is the federally mandated, state-run program that provides services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy to tots that are experiencing delays. Though program rules vary from state to state, the programs are usually tailored for tots under the age of three, with the hope being that the services will address the delays before the toddler reaches school.

Does (or did) your child take part in these programs?

Source

Wee Are the World: Kids Being Kids

babysugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:00:43 -0700

Having a child with special needs can be challenging. Being a child with special needs is likely harder. When their peers run outside for recess or jump off a diving board, some tots with cerebral palsy or debilitating conditions find themselves watching from afar.

It's not so in Loganville, Georgia. The residents of the small Atlanta suburb built a special rubberized field in 2004 that allows special needs children, including those in wheelchairs, to scoot around from base to base. The games only last two innings, but it's all these athletes need to make them feel a part of things. Their healthy able–bodied peers aid and cheer them on as they round the bases. This is one situation where everybody wins - no matter what the score is!

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!

Toys"R"Us Guide For Differently-abled Kids

LilSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:00:19 -0800

Shopping for kids that aren't yours can be challenging, but many people find it particularly difficult to find an appropriate present for children with special needs. As a gift giver you want to tailor toys and goodies to the kid's situation without always having to ask their parents the best items to buy. Toys"R"Us partnered with the National Lekotek Center to offer its shoppers in this situation a lil help with its toy guide for differently-abled kids.

The 55-page booklet that is available, free of charge, at the toy store has a toy selection guide with icons to show which items promote development in the following areas: auditory, language, visual, tactile, gross motor, fine motor, social skills, self-esteem, creativity, and thinking. Customers can also access the information online.

Keep Those Wee Teeth Healthy This Halloween

babysugar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:00:03 -0700

Sure kids adore the costume aspect of Halloween but the number one reason why wee ones look forward to the ghoulish holiday? The hunt for candy. Chocolate bars, candy corn, and bags of Skittles can make a youngster hopelessly in love with sugar but leave their pearly whites in pain. Thanks to Dr. Sherri Worth, a dentist to the stars and mother of three, we have some helpful tips to offer parents on how to protect those tiny chompers and combat cavities.

Rinse and Repeat: So simple…RINSE right after the candy fest. Toss the kids some water bottles and have them drink up while watching that scary movie before bed. Getting the initial sugar rinsed out before the candy has time to settle on to the surface of the tooth is key.
Do It For Them: I always brush and floss my kids’ teeth the night before Halloween. I tell them that there are so many “sugar bugs” on Halloween that I need to get them out.

To see the rest of her pointers, just read more.

Tool Time: Buy them a new toothbrush and let them use it the first time on Halloween night. They will spend more time on their teeth because it is new and special.
Keep It in the Kitchen: No candy after the teeth are brushed at night – we all know they love to keep their candy with them (taking it to bed) – keep it in the kitchen.
Fill ‘Em Up!: Have a good healthy dinner before trick-or-treating, so that they will not have a dinner of candy.

Do you have any tips to share for keeping young teeth healthy? Share them in The Mommy Club over in our LilSugar Community! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Boy With Cerebral Palsy May Be Forced to Give Up His Pony

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:00:04 -0800

A three-year-old born with cerebral palsy was gifted a miniature pony from his grandfather. A form of equestrian therapy, Sam Spliteri's daily rides help him with simple tasks like feeding himself and improving his speech. Though he has ridden his pet that lives at his home since he was a baby, the town of Caledon recently received a complaint from a neighbor.

Since the property is not zoned for livestock, the family may be forced to give up the pony and the child would have to say good-bye to his best friend. Sam has seizures so it is almost impossible for him to commute to other horseback riding facilities.

Operation Top Knot: Cheers to Military Mamas

babysugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:30:17 -0700

Every mother needs a helping hand every now and then. As a woman with two healthy children, a doting husband, a nanny and a gaggle of girlfriends to support me, it's tough to complain about the overwhelming demands of motherhood, but still, I do. Try being an expectant military wife whose husband is deployed. While some ladies sit at home fretting about the nursery decor, she sits up at night praying for his safe return. For many, the dilemma of the day is, "Which stroller should I buy?" Somewhere on a military base, the soldier's wife debates on who will help her through labor as her beloved flies a fighter jet continents away.

Thankfully, there are groups of generous people who take the time to honor the wives of soldiers (or the enlisted ladies themselves) and their impending arrival into motherhood. A project of nonprofit Soldiers' Angels, Operation Top Knot threw a baby shower for 32 pregnant military ladies in Las Vegas. They received handmade baby gifts of blankets, hats, and booties and celebrated the special occasion with cake, chocolate, games and of course, each other. If you want to volunteer for the cause, click here.

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Introducing Naleigh Kelley to the World!

babysugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:35:17 -0700

Dr. Addison Montgomery may be needed back on the set with all of these new babies! It was not even a week ago when Katherine Heigl announced her adoption plans to the world on Ellen. The Grey's Anatomy star said she always knew she would adopt since she was raised with an adopted sister. The 10-month-old girl is named after Katherine's mother, Nancy and her sister, Margaret Leigh. Combined they are planning on calling the sweet girl Naleigh. The actress also divulged that the wee lass is a special-needs baby, which apparently helped her move the process along quicker than normal. Congratulations to the Kelley family!

To see a picture of the new mom and her baby together, read more.