I was lucky enough to work with The SITS Girls and Graco this past weekend on a launch event at Babies R Us in Union Square. I was assisting for this event, so it was an added bonus to also have Graco Brand Specialist Denise on hand who was able to walk me through the many unique features of the Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40.
Because they have made their newest car seat not only versatile, but easy to use, she was able to walk me through some of the finer points in no time. I was then able to dazzle a few bloggers and moms-to-be who wandered by for the event with my knowledge.
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Mr P turned 5 this past week and it was an exciting time for our entire family. This little boy has been talking about his birthday and Christmas since Christmas 2011. The thought of cake, icing and toys has most little children buzzing. It has been a big year for him with all the moving, starting at a new preschool and just recently new kindergarten and going from being an only child to a big brother.He’s taken it all in stride and Mr BAM and I had to keep our urge under control to spoil him rotten for being so wonderful and accepting of all the change along the way. Normally his birthdays are pretty moderate affair, for instance this year their was no school on his birthday (no school on Yom Kippur in New York) so it was hard to organize a party while others were fasting.
It’s never too early to introduce the concept of being thankful to a child, so though Mr P got all the regular birthday trimmings – including a Toy Story cake! I also tried to share some concepts with him to make his birthday not just about receiving, but also about giving and being thankful.
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My sweet sweet first born turns 5 today! Happy Birthday Preston! His Toy Story collection is multiplying.
How do you help your child(ren) feel comfortable with a new sitter, daycare, or childcare provider? What are some things you can do to make the transition easier for your child(ren)?
Ghada: I’ve changed daycare with my nearly 5 year old 3 times now and each time it gets a little easier as he gets a little older. But the one thing that I have found to work best is if you can slowly transition your kids in. On the first day go with them for an hour, then the second day go for an hour and then leave them for an hour etc…See what works best for you. Of course, I found I only needed to do this when he was 2 and 3. His first daycare experience when he was 1, I thought he’d never settle – some days he cried, some days he didn’t but it gets better, even if it is only slowly.When he switched to a new place when he was 4, I stayed for 15 minutes and then left. The first 3 days or so, he was a bit standoffish from the others and had a little cry, but with age his coping mechanisms have gotten better and he adjusts quicker. I’m a bit queasy thinking about him starting kindergarten in a couple os weeks but I know it will be fine.
Also, make sure to ask the teachers for their help or thoughts on what you should be doing (like not sneaking away, always make sure to say ‘bye’ and tell them you’ll be back for them soon). Teachers are your beast allies 
Ashley: My son is 16 months and headed to day care for the first time this week! He’s always been watched by a relative, nanny, or SAHM. I look forward to reading what the other moms have to say about this topic. We visited last week and I let him play there for a bit while I chatted with the provider.
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Have you made a conscious effort to capture your baby’s firsts (steps, laughs, etc…)? If you have/do, how do you do so? It is definitely tough to keep on top of, especially with multiple kids. Let’s hear what these mamas have to say
Ashley: I totally planned on doing one! I had one growing up and it was to take it out and look at it every so often. However, I’ve been horrible about putting anything together. Luckily for my son’s first birthday, my sister (who knows me too well) gave us a baby book she had started for him since she know I hadn’t gotten around to it. I’m so glad she did! However, I’ve been bad about updating it 
Emily: I’m horrible about this, too. I purchased something that was called “All About Me” – it was the size of a recipe card box and contained index cards that you were supposed to fill out for various milestones. I’m embarrassed to say that I never used it. All of my son’s milestones are written in my planner. I recently discovered Project Life, and plan to make one for his first three years. I hope to stay more on top of it going forward.
I also have a letter sized tote box that contains folders with all of the art projects that we do. That makes me feel a little better about slacking in the “baby book” department.
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Our eldest (monkey #1) turns 5 at the end of September, which means at the start of this school year he starts kindergarten! I can’t believe that he will officially start school. Deciding on where he should attend kindergarten has been a huge decision, but now that we are finally settled on where he will go, it is time to get him prepared for this exciting new time in his life.
While at preschool this year, he used to wear a uniform that we purchased in store at Cookies Kids. That was our first experience with the Kid’s Department store and we couldn’t believe just how much selection they had in the lines of kids fashion and school uniforms. So I was truly lucky to have been able to interview one of the son’s of the founders of Cookies Kids. It was easy to purchase his yellow shirt, tie and green pants. He was able to wear them everyday with free dress on Fridays. I have to admit, I really liked the whole uniform thing. No worrying what to wear in the morning, no arguments over clothes, wrinkle free uniform without the need to iron, and you have to admit, he looks pretty smart
So now that he is off to public school we have to deal with choosing clothes every day, no uniforms here. In between him growing like a weed and wearing a uniform for the past several months, we are in desperate need of a wardrobe update. I had a look at his clothes, and sure enough he’s outgrown most of his fall/winter clothes from last year. I bagged up his ill fitting shirts and sweaters and donated them down at the local bin.
I decided to shop online at CookiesKids.com for at least one outfit to get him excited about starting at his new school in a couple of weeks. The great part is that Cookies Kids actually has sets under each of the different age groups. Think of it as a built-in stylist for your child, with matching pants and shirt sets most for either $15 or $25. I chose the last one on the row – jeans and a matching hoodie for $14.99. If you’d like to see what others are buying for Back to School from CookiesKids.com, follow the conversation on Twitter using #CookiesKids.
I also decided that he needs a new pair of shoes to fit his personality – fancy sneakers that he could easily dress up or down for daily wear and that should be able to withstand his fast pace. This was probably the hardest to choose, at their is truly a cool selection of name brand sneakers for boys. I narrowed it down to high tops, since he already has traditional sneakers, and then chose a darker pair of Filas.
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