LilSugar

What Do You Know About Baby Talk?

LilSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:08 -0800

No doubt about it, moms and dads can hardly wait to hear their babe's first words. While there are some great things you can do to encourage language development in babies, the main thing most tots need is a little time. Before stressing about your little one's speech (or lack thereof) take this quiz to see how well you know baby talk.

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10 Ways to Encourage Babies to Develop Language Skills

LilSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:00:21 -0700

Was your lil one born with the gift to gab? It may seem that way in the early months when a child babbles away incessantly, even if no one can quite make out what they are saying. Soon after birth babies begin picking up on the words and sounds they hear, and from the early stage, their language development skills are growing. Parents and caregivers can encourage these skills by speaking directly to their children and using words and phrases that babies understand. Check out our 10 tips for aiding the development of language in tots.

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Tell Mommy: What Was Your Child's First Word?

LilSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:00:12 -0700

"Dada" often comes out of the mouths of babes before "Mama," but for every child whose first word is "mommy" or "daddy," it seems there's another tot that picks a random one like "truck" or "ravioli." Both my daughter and son's first words were "Hi," which leads me to believe that they will be incredibly friendly people, or just that my husband and I use the greeting all too often. As parents we eagerly await the thoughts that spill out our children's mouths. What was your child's first word?

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Do You Know Kid Lingo?

babysugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:00:40 -0700

When I had my first boyfriend, we used to say we were "going together." Sometimes my mom inquires about my friends and asks, "Are they still going together?" I blush at her choice of words. Take this test and see how well you know your current kiddie jargon.
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Sippy Cups Can Lead to Speech Issues

LilSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:00:51 -0800

Sippy cups save mothers from mopping up spills and allow tots a bit of freedom to roam with their beverages, but now the convenient cups have been linked to speech delays in children.

According to a recent WebMD article, sucking on the sipper's stiff spouts may lead to lisps and slurred speech. To see how to solve the problem, read more. Sandra Holtzman, a speech pathologist said:

If a child goes from the breast or the bottle to a sippy cup, they tend to drink it as if it were a bottle. They lie back or tip their neck in the usual manner, so it's almost like drinking a bottle. They have a hard object or spout with various shapes depending on the type of cup, and their bodies are tipped back. This hard object or spout misplaces the tongue and pushes the teeth out as the thumb can.

For parents looking for a solution, experts suggest switching out sippy cups with those with straws.

LilSugar Community: Poo, the Great Equalizer

Lil Community — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:30:17 -0700

This post was submitted by Tiffany Carboni in The Mommy Club group over in the LilSugar Community.
Matty was a woman of many distinguished titles. After graduating high school as an honors student, she went on to complete her master’s degree a semester ahead of schedule. She was her class valedictorian and made a brilliant speech that was revered by her esteemed professors and mentors.

Her career accomplishments were astounding. By the age of 25, she climbed up to a management position at a prestigious tech firm and became the company’s director by age 29. She and her husband were invited to every party on the circuit. She was a household name in her industry and everyone tried to woo her to competing companies offering her ungodly amounts of money. Her net worth at the age of 32 was mind-blowing, but she was missing something from her life-a family.

When she got pregnant, her company’s CEO smiled politely and congratulated her. He knew. Her work friends rejoiced for her happiness but with an undeniable undertone of glumness. They knew. Her jealous colleagues smiled with spiteful delight. They knew.

For the next few months, Matty tried to convince everyone that nothing would change after she returned from maternity leave. She was convinced of it herself. Even on the day her water broke, during an important client meeting, Matty hurriedly waddled out the door apologizing for the wet leather seat but assuring everyone that she’d be back in six weeks ready to go with the project.

She had no idea what the next 48 hours, let alone the next few years, would hold for her. The answer she found out was a whole lot of poo. To finish this post, click here.

Talk about motherly things on your mind at The Mommy Club group over in the LilSugar Community.

How Often Does Your Family Dance?

babysugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:00:52 -0700

Just dance! If you want your child to be engaged play some funky music. A new study to be published in the next issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that babies respond to both the rhythm and tempo of music more so than speech.

Through their evaluation of 120 tots between the ages of five months and two years, researchers found that wee ones have a natural relationship with music – moving their arms, heads, legs, and feet to the beat, rather than the melody. The findings also concluded that when tykes could move their body in concert with the music's beat, they were more likely to smile. Scientists are still unsure of the reasoning behind the human connection to music, but we're wondering how often your family hits the dance floor?

Sandra Bullock Recognizes All Mothers in Oscar Acceptance

LilSugar — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:14:10 -0800

In an emotional Oscar acceptance for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side, Sandra Bullock recognized all mothers and her own in a touching speech. She said:

"I would like to thank what this film was about for me, which are the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from. Those moms and parents never get thanked. I, in particular, failed to thank one so if I can take this moment to thank Helga B. for not letting me ride in the car with boys until I was 18 because she was right and I would have done what she said I was going to do. For making me practice every day when I got home - piano, ballet whatever it is I wanted to be. She said to be an artist you had to practice every day and for reminding her daughters that there is no race, no religion, no class system, no color, nothing, no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else. We are all deserving of love, so to that trailblazer who allowed me to have that and this and this. I thank you so much."

What did you think of her words?

Jeff Bridges Has It All, Is That Possible For a Working Woman?

LilSugar — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:45:02 -0800

In a kind tribute to Jeff Bridges, who won the Oscar for best actor for his role in Crazy Heart, former costar Michelle Pfeiffer said that watching the actor play with his three towheaded daughters during breaks in filming taught her that having it all was possible. Then, in a grateful acceptance speech, Jeff thanked his parents for teaching him their craft, his wife Sue, and his "beautiful family" - girls Isabelle, Jessie, and Hayley - making it evident that he does have it all. Do you think a woman can too?

Parents Try to Stop Obama's Speech From Airing in Schools

LilSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:17:35 -0700

Do we send our children to school to learn or monitor what they learn? Parents throughout the country are objecting to many public schools' decisions to broadcast President Obama's speech next week. The Commander-in-Chief's address which will be made directly to students at a high school in Virginia, is scheduled to be streamed live on the White House website. Many schools across the nation also plan to air it in their classrooms.

According to the White House, the speech will emphasize "the importance of education and hard work in school, both to the individual and to the nation." But groups of parents, including some in Texas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina, and Utah, are accusing the government, and their school districts, of forcing the Democrats' agenda on their children by not reviewing the speech prior to presenting it. Do you think these parents are overreacting?