List of Recommended Products (learning toys)

The good thing about MomsWithAnswers is that we cover a wide range of advice that a mother may need throughout her child's life, mostly focusing on the younger years. This can also be a bad thing because with so many areas of discussion, it can be hard to narrow down the options and find exactly what you are looking for. You can use the archives to find older posts, but you can't type in a search to  find the exact article you are looking for. To ease this process, I will be continuously posting blog posts that contain an entire category of previously posted blog posts. Confused yet? Basically, it will make the search easier. For example, for this post, I will be focusing on product promotions, specifically toys- toys that we use in my house hold and would recommend to other families. These learning toys are focused on toddlers. Below, you will find a list of links that will take you to other previously posted blog posts. You will also find links to my website which also recommend certain products and go a little more into detail explaining the different aspects of certain learning toys. The toy/product name will be titled in the link so if any of them sound interesting, simply click the link and read what I had to say about that specific product! If you have used these toys/products in your own daily life, please post your own comments to let other mother's know what you think!

VTech Alphabet Train

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Table

LeapFrog Learning Baby Tad

Promoting: Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Table

If your child is anything like mine, attention span may be an issue! When you can't get your child to focus for more than 30 seconds on anything than this makes learning (and teaching) more difficult. This is why I encourage the use of learning toys that have multiple levels of engagement. This way, your child can have different focus points to grab his/her attention. One great learning toy we have in our house is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn table. This table has four different focus points including: phone, computer, piano, and book. Each of the four focus points also have different areas of interest including: colors, shapes, animals, alphabet, and numbers. All focus points also play music and light up when interacted with. The table itself has five different settings including: music, sounds, learning, Spanish, and off- meaning that each of the four focus points all have categories within these five settings. We never get tired of playing with this toy because it's like we are playing with a new toy every time! There is so much entertainment built into this toy! One of the great aspects of this table it is that it encourages your child to repeat what the table is saying. The phrasing by the table is usually one word which, again, encourages repeating by your child. For example, when my son opens the computer, it says "open" and my son repeats "open". Below, I've provided a picture of the table that we own, however, Fisher Price has many different models of this table. Each model has the same basic concept but is differentiated by it's own design. So choose the one that's right for your child!

Target-Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Table

WALMART- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

AMAZON- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

TOYS R US- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

KMART- FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN TABLE

Review of Alphabet Train

Our kids are learning every second of every day. So part of our job as parents, is making sure they are learning the right things. With kids, its never too early to start learning. Numbers, letters, colors, shapes- even a newborn can start to recognize these things when presented with them enough. The bad thing about toys though, is that often times, kids lose interest in a matter of a few weeks and then that toy is no longer relevant as a learning tool. Well, we have found a learning toy that we have used for 2 years already and will continue to do so for a few more i'm guessing! The VTech Alphabet Train Station (VTECH ALPHABET TRAIN STATION) had proven to be a learning tool for many ages. We started using this train about two years ago with my then 1 1/2 year old. At first, we mostly used it as a fine motor tool which challenged my son to get the small "letter pieces" into the slot they go it. We then began using it to identify different colors. Now that my son is 3, we have started using it as a picture identification tool, along with an alphabet recognition tool. In the mean time, the train continuously plays music and lights up at any action with the train- which keeps him interested while he's learning! This product has truly been a learning tool for my son and I believe his academic success will show its usefulness!

MomsWithAnswers

If you like my blog, you should check out my website. The basic concept is the same- helping mothers find advice that works! I've set the website up for easy navigation so it doesn't get confusing. Each page is linked back to other pages on my site so you are never actually leaving my site. While my blog typically covers smaller topics that only require a small amount of information, my website covers topics a little more extensively. Both my blog and my website can be used as supplements to each other, as they both focus on child care endeavors. I am hoping that the farther along in my blog I get, the more responses I receive from readers. I then hope to use those responses to guide my website's focus. My goal is to help mothers get the advice they need. By using feedback from readers on my blog, I can narrow down what topics seem more interesting to my readers and elaborate on such topics on my website. At this time, my blog and my website are both fairly new. Once I gain experience and a larger information base, I plan to change the format of my website. This will include easier navigation by grouping articles into categories that are easy to search for and within. Also soon to be coming to my website will be apparel with the MomsWithAnswers logo on it. T shirts for you and baby (and the rest of the family!) can be easily purchased in a few short steps. Everything is protected on my site as I only use supplemental sites that guarantee privacy and protection for my customers. If you have the time, check out the apparel and get representing! :)

http://momswithanswers.webs.com/

Staying Organizing

ParentHacksBlog posted helpful ways to stay organized with your "to do" list. This article can be found at the following link (TO-DO LIST). Read the post when you have time because I found it extremely helpful. Now, I will simply elaborate on this concept of staying organized and throw in some helpful tips that have helped me along the way. The article mentions using different colored notepads depending on which area of your "to-do" list you are working on. As an example, they said to use one color (say, yellow) for work to-do's, use a different color (say, green) for errand to-do's, and using another different color (say, pink) for home to-do's. That way, your to-do's are organized in categories. Having different categories is extremely helpful in avoiding an overload of information. Sometimes, it gets confusing to keep everything straight. The most helpful way I have found to keep me organized is to use different color highlighters (or pens) for different categories. Its the same concept as using different color notepads, but everything is kept in one place (my notebook!). That way, when I open up my notebook to see what my son has going on/needs for the week, I simply look at everything highlighted in yellow highlighter. If I need to see what I have going on/need for my schooling, I simply look at everything highlighted in blue. If I need to see what meetings/appointments I have, I simply look at everything highlighted in pink. And the list goes on. Once you get in the habit of using color coordinated organization tools, it becomes easier and easier to stay organized!

Homemade calendar advice from other moms

The nice thing about the internet is that you can find information about anything. And when you find the information you are looking for, you can share it with anyone. That means, I don't necessarily have to be an expert in all child care endeavors, to be able to share expert advice with you. Sometimes, the experts are the moms, themselves, that learn and grow on a daily basis with their kids. Kristin writes on ParentHacks Blog (PARENT HACKS- CALENDAR) about a homemade calendar she made to help her child better understand their weekly routine. Kids are extremely visual at young ages and using pictures, as Kristin does, sparks a connection in the child's brain. Using pictures to identify activities makes it easier for kids to understand, and also helps them understand the words behind the pictures. This blog was extremely helpful because she showed a picture of their own calendar as she explained the different parts. In cases like this,  it is important to know that you don't have to do everything exactly the same as where you are getting the advice. This is why I love blog posts such as the one Kristin posted on Parent Hacks Blog. She gave the important ideas behind what she was doing and then leaves room for adjustment by other parents to fit their needs. Each calendar can be different to suit your own child's needs. If you are working on numbers, make the calendar numbers a priority and pretty them up a bit. If you are working on learning the different days of the week, make the weekday-names the focus. If you are working on learning routines, use pictures as a main focus. Tailor your calendar to be helpful with whatever areas your child need help in!

Parent Hacks Blog

When recently researching other "mom blogs" I came across hundreds among hundreds of different mother's trying to share their advice with the world. At first, I viewed them as my competition. But now I see them as more of a supplement to my own blog. Their passion is helping other mothers- which is my passion as well! Searching through all these other blogs made me realize how much information is out there. If I can help others access that information then I will be fulfilling by dedication to helping other mothers in need find advice that works! I find myself visiting Parent Hacks blogs (PARENT HACKS) fairly often since I found it. Mostly because it is easy to navigate to exactly what I am looking for. Asha Dornfest created her blog to allow for searches within certain age ranges. That way, you don't spend a ton of time reading articles/blogs that are irrelevant to your own life. You simply find the age range of your own child and can search within those topics to find what you are specifically looking for. Eventually, when I have enough posts on my own blog, I plan to organize this way to provide ease of access to my readers. The only thing I do not like about the blog is that there are no personal tidbits such as family photos. I want my blog to remain relatable to my readers and plan to do so by keeping myself transparent on my blog. Sharing my sons smile with the world is a pleasure of mine!

5 ways to get your picky eater to eat!

1. Offer two different textures of food. This will stimulate your child's oral sensors with every bite. First try offering some sort of puree, such as yogurt or applesauce. Follow with a more solid food, such as crackers or fruit. Offering the puree first and then the solid will awaken your child's senses when the solid food enters their mouth. Sensors on the tongue and all around the mouth will awaken and be stimulates which will allow your child to feel the food inside their mouth easier. Switch what you offer your child every bite (starting with puree, then solid, then puree, then solid, etc).
2. Offer different temperatures of food. This will also stimulate your child's oral senses and encourage swallowing. When a child feels the different temperatures in their mouth, it stimulates/excites their mouth. Try offering a cold puree, such as yogurt, and follow with something warm, such as noodles. This will encourage your child to take another bite because they won't know what to expect (cold or warm!). 
3.  Offer different levels of flavor. Most children are stimulated by stronger, bolder flavors. It's as easy as adding cinnamon to applesauce! Sometimes the child is not stimulated by bland flavors and therefore has no encouragement to eat what is being offered. The extra flavor adds excitement to the child's meal and encourages swallowing. Another way to add flavor is to add pepper (only a small amount) to dishes such as pasta. The lift in flavor will excite your child and serve as encouragement.
4.  Count your child's bites out loud as you go. This serves many purposes. First, it serves as a distraction for your picky eater. Your child gets focused on counting instead of focusing on refusing bites. It also serves as reinforcement. Your child should get excited when you get to count the next number because they took their bite! Counting should also be used as a milestone marker. Aim to increase the "bite count" every few days and eventually your child will be eating entire meals!
5.  Reinforcement is key. Get your child excited about eating by offering bubbles (or something of interest) after they take their bite. Eventually, the reinforcement will be the yummy food they get to eat but to start off they need a little encouragement. Start by offering the reinforcement (ie bubbles) after every bite. Then as the days go on, offer the reinforcement only after 3 bites are taken. Then only after 5 bites, as so on. Eventually the reinforcement won't be needed at all!

Diaper Rash

My son often gets terrible diaper rashes. He has extremely sensitive skin and breaks out from multiple sources such as sunscreen, laundry detergent, lotion, and the like. So when he gets a diaper rash I am always worried if the ointment I use will make it better or just make it worse. Looking in the baby isle at the store can sometimes be overwhelming for they have multiple creams that do multiple different things. We've tried it all. We've used the multiple kinds of desitin, vaseline, Butt Paste, and many others out there. We've tried any brand imaginable. Eventually, I came up with a concoction of my own- and it works great! If you think about it, there are creams that protect (vaseline), creams that moisturize (Eucerin), creams that heal (Desitin), along with many others. So what I thought was, "Doesn't my son need all of that-protection, moisturization, and healing?" The obvious answer is yes. First, we started out using Vaseline (protection), Eucerin (moisture), and Desitin (healing). We switched every diaper changed and used them in consecutive order (one after the other). This seemed to work but it also seemed to take a few days to do its job. Then I thought, "Doesn't he need protection, moisture, and healing at the same time?" So I mixed up a batch of our own diaper cream which was equal parts Vaseline, Eucerin, and Desitin. It works great! Within a few hours my sons diaper rash diminished before my very eyes. This is the fastest acting diaper rash cream we have ever used. So now I sharing my secret with other mothers! Try it out! Moms With Answers-You Get What Works!

Propionic Acidemia

When your baby is first born, they undergo a "newborn screening" which checks for hundreds of possible problems that could exists in your child's little helpless body. Four days after returning home from the hospital with my new baby boy, I received the most terrifying telephone call. It was my sons pediatrician who was putting me in contact with a geneticist in Chicago (3 hours away from where we lived). The geneticist informed me that my son had abnormal results from the newborn screening and needed immediate attention. We packed our bags and drove the 3 hours, only to spend 2 weeks in the hospital. During this 2 weeks, we came to find out that my son has Propionic Acidemia. My guess is that you've never even heard of it because only 1 in 100,000 people have this metabolic condition. It is a lifelong struggle with protein. Basically, my sons body does not break down protein the right way. If too much protein is consumed, my son goes into what is called a metabolic crisis and his body shuts down. It was the scariest 2 weeks of my life. After dealing with this condition for almost 4 years now, I find myself, and my son, much more adapted to dealing with the daily stress it causes. We've figured out ways to maintain a healthy and normal life and will continue to do so. The first few months were the hardest, and sometimes I wish I had someone to ask advice from when times got tough. Now, I can be that someone for someone else. I can give helpful advice to other mothers who are dealing with the trials of this condition. I can help them through those times that are difficult! To find out more about Propionic Acidemia, please visit the PA foundation site at the following link. (PA FOUNDATION)

About Jessica Roberts

When I had my son almost four years ago, I had tons of people giving me advice. Advice about what I should have been doing then and also after my baby came. This advice came from everyone- including those random people touching my belly at the grocery store! Over the years, I've learned that the most helpful advice came from those who had used the advice themselves. These were the people that could tell me every little detail about what I needed to know. And even more helpful than those people were those that had done it multiple times! I'm good with my one little guy (Max), but I definitely have to give it up to people with more than one! My sister has three kids of here own and I find myself calling her daily for advice and quick fix-its. I come from a big family and luckily I have lots of help from them, but I realize that my family is not the same as everyone's. Not everyone has a sister that they can call up at any time and ask baby questions. Which is why i wanted to create a site for moms to give other moms advice- advice that actually works! I was 21 when i had my son and if I didn't have my family, I don't know what crazy advice I would have ended up following. Sometimes moms just need each other! I'm a mother above anything else. I'm also a student, full-time employee, family member, among many other roles. I strive to make a difference in the world, and if I can do that by giving other women motherly advice that I have found useful, then I think I will succeed. Please feel free to contact me with any questions and/or comments.