Category Archives: Parenting

My Daughter’s 3rd Birthday was a FreshDirect House Party!

Also posted in Food and Drink, Food related, Products . by jessica on May 7, 2012

I was so excited to be able to combine a small birthday gathering for my daughter’s 3rd birthday with a FreshDirect House Party. How could anyone resist the urge of a bunch of free groceries, great FreshDirect swag for my guests AND the opportunity to do a food project bunch of three year olds.

Yup. Most people would happily take the first two and skip the third

My plan was to have most of the food ready, but to give every child the chance to decorate their own cookie.

I made Macaroni and Cheese in individual cupcake tins and cut up a bunch of veggies for dipping in Hummus. And grapes, because they are my daughter’s absolute favorite.

Mother’s Intuition #cleverhaiti #spon

Also posted in Products . by jessica on May 1, 2012

This Mother’s Day, I’m working with Clever Girls in support of Macy’s Heart of Haiti to shine a light on the “trade, not aid” program, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans struggling to rebuild their lives and support their families after the 2010 earthquake.

When I was invited to share an important mothering moment, I racked my brain for quite a while…until I realized that all I had to do was go back to the very, very beginning of my parenting journey.

June 2006.

I went to a regularly scheduled doctor’s appointment and discovered that, due to sudden onset severe preeclampsia, I was to be induced that evening…at 37 weeks.

A peek Into My Kitchen: Vacation Snacks to Pack for Small Children

Also posted in A Peek Into My Kitchen, Allergies, Baby Food, Food and Drink, Food related, Health, meatless monday . by jessica on February 27, 2012

I’m typing this post into my phone with one thumb in a hotel room in Israel with intermittent WiFi…
Traveling with kids can be tough, routines get thrown off, familiar stuff is left at home (the favorite stuffed animal or blanket of the moment almost always turns out to be the one you left behind) and, often, changes in time zone wreak havoc on sleeping patterns.
I’m a big believer in traveling with a whole bunch of medication, toys, gear and especially snacks to make the change more palatable. I promise to share my other lists at some other point, but here are some easy to throw in a suitcase foods that can be ready to appease little mouths for your actual traveling time as well as for when you get to your destination and thoughout your stay:
For plane/car/bus/train:
*Refillable water bottle per child (if you’re flying internationally, empty it before you go through security so the TSA doesn’t bug you and have stewardesses refill on the plane)
*Empty milk cup/bottle per child (good to keep your cups for milk and other beverages separate, especially when you may not be able to wash them so well)
*Applesauce or other puréed fruit pouches–some good ones are Happy Baby, Plum Organics, Earth’s Best, Revolution Foods and GoGo Squeeze. These are great for older kids as well! Freeze a couple and pop them in your bag for slushy treats en route! They also make great ice packs for…
*cut up apples, pears, grapes, carrots, clementines, cheese sticks/cubes
*frozen single serving shelled edamame
*raisins, dried apricots or other dried fruit
*fruit leather
*cereal (either in small bags or snack cups)
*crackers, pretzels, rice cakes, cookies, cereal bars, yogurt drops
*For a plane–lollipops, sucking candies gum are essential for kidlets too big to suck on a bottle or to nurse during takeoff and landing. Toddlers under 3 should probably stick to the lollipops to prevent choking scares.
*small sandwiches, mini yogurts or yogurt squeeze sticks if it’ll be meal time
Note: if you are traveling between countries, you may need to leave any leftover produce on the plane so as not to have problems with agricultural authorities (particularly when entering the US)
For the trip itself:
*more of all of the non-perishable items from above
*if your children are avid milk drinkers, you may want to pack a few boxes of shelf stable milk–particularly if you prefer organic, which isn’t always easy to find. Milk tastes different in different places, and, you may not want to jeopardize this source of protein and calcium for a picky child.

Babyccino? No No NO

Also posted in Current Affairs, Food and Drink, NY . by jessica on February 20, 2012

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that such a thing exists…and that it has a super-annoying cutesy term to go along with it.

It turns out that there are a whole bunch of cool coffee shops in Brooklyn at which the most-hipster-y of hipster parents can order a mini-decaf cappuccino or steamed milk for their little ones…so many, in fact, that the term ‘babyccino‘ was coined and can be used to order such off-the-menu craziness.

Let’s set aside the issue of giving your child actual coffee, which aside from an occasional taste of the milk foam from atop an adult’s drink is a pretty terrible idea. I actually love steamed milk. I love it even more with cinnamon or honey, and I’m sure that my kids would love sipping some in a coffee shop as well, assuming I could get them an ice-cube to go along with it.

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Liar, Liar Pants on Fire…

Also posted in Education . by jessica on February 11, 2012

OOh, boy, I feel a devils advocate coming on…

There are few things that make my head spin on it’s axis as much as coming face to face with a bold-faced liar. On the other hand, tattle-tellers also pretty much send me over the edge.

I often come face to face with this problem when I have to explain to my kids when fudging the truth is ok and when it isn’t. And then, of course, there is the sin of omission…which is sometimes the blessing of omission.

Do you have a headache yet?

Deciding when to tell the truth is hard enough for an adult, but how do you pass this information on to young children?

Do You Still Have ‘Gimmes’ Left Over from the Holiday Season?

Posted in Parenting by jessica on January 26, 2012

Particularly in a city inundated with tourists during the holiday season, it can be hard to come down from the ‘gimmes’ even after the trees have been turned into mulch and the Chanukah menorahs have been put away for next year.
Claire Haas, vice president of education for Kiddie Academy, has some suggestions to help parents find teachable moments in the midst of the holiday craziness which also hold true for the rest of the year:

1. Children can help chose outgrown clothes, old toys and books to donate to a local charity (I would add that even passing things on to siblings, cousins or friends with younger children can help children learn to re-purpose their own no longer necessary stuff for the good of someone else.)