Posts filed under ‘Articles for Parents & Grandparents’
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8 Ways to Keep the Happy in Your Holidays by Melissa
8 Ways to Keep the Happy in Your Holidays
by Melissa for grandparents.com
No one can deny that the meaning of the holidays can easily get lost during this frenetic time of year. All year, it feels as if we are moving ever faster to keep pace with technology and the daily changes in the world around us. Yet that pace only becomes magnified at the holidays. Parents are increasingly worried about “delivering the goods” by bringing home that must-have toy and not disappointing their children. Black Friday sales begin ever earlier (10 pm on the once-sacred Thanksgiving Day), with many deals leaked to generate mass consumerism.
I have to ask, “Isn’t there something missing?”
Thankfully, children’s joy emanates from the simplest pleasures, which is the antithesis of the commercial aspects of the season. The holidays are meant to be full of miracles, hope, and tradition. Those were the principles on which they began, and are the basis of the stories told generation after generation. Yet in the minds of many, the season has become more synonymous with traffic jams, endless searches for parking, and hordes of pushing and shoving shoppers. Saddest of all, parents are not feeling joy, but tremendous stress at the thought of disappointing children on that special day. This makes what should be a magical time into a competitive, aggravating experience. And that is NOT what the holidays are supposed to be about!
| More from Melissa: The best thing you can do for your grandkids |
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For the children’s sake, it is imperative that we parents and grandparents set a good example and instill in them the meaning of the season. Done correctly, this WILL bring cheer to all! And the best news is that implementing these traditions costs little, and is a cinch to execute. All it takes is targeting the basics, and focusing on the simple aspects of celebrations that are most meaningful.Here are a few of my favorite holiday activities to do with children:
- Play holiday-themed music in the car and at home. Print out lyrics and get EVERYONE to sing along! This always puts us in the holiday spirit.
- Fill the house with homemade decorations. All children love to do arts and crafts, and what better theme than the holidays? Paper snowflakes, seasonal cutouts, and paper chains are a few of our favorites and make the house look festive and special.
- Make holiday-themed food. Kids LOVE baking, and devouring their concoctions. And sugar cookies have no religious denomination! They can be cut in any shape and size, and decorated in various colors to be enjoyed by all.
- Make homemade gifts. Request that everyone in the family give one gift that is handmade and truly from the heart. This can include a drawing, a photo in a hand-decorated frame, a poem or story, a scrapbook, or any other homemade creation or inspiration.
- Make holiday cards. Share suggestions as a group, and create a special family message, poem, joke, or quote for the season. Then decorate each card with personal flair. Cards are the perfect way to spread joy to family and friends — especially those who live far away!
- Create an evening focused on your family’s culture. Eat traditional holiday foods, read holiday stories, and play traditional games. This will become something children look forward to year after year.
- Turn off the lights, and enjoy the glow of candles or tree lights. Go around the group and ask everyone to detail what they like most about the holiday, and to state their wish for the season.
- Give the gift of giving! Have the children go through their entire toy inventory and designate a pile to give away to those in need. Plus: Ask each child to choose one NEW gift to give to a less-fortunate family. Go with the children yourself to help drop off their gifts, and then volunteer with them, wrapping gifts or serving at a soup kitchen. The more children give to others, the less focused they will be on what they receive.
The holiday memories children will carry with them longest will be those of family togetherness, tradition, and giving to others. The holidays should be a reminder to us all that family matters and that we care about each other — with that group extending to all of humanity and those who are less fortunate. That human connection is much more powerful than material gifts, and will endure well past the season.
Terrific Twenty Holiday Gifts for 2011
Press Release:
Melissa & Doug Unveils its Top 20 Holiday Gifts for Children
2011 lineup features intelligent, imaginative toys designed to inspire and educate young minds
WILTON, Conn., Oct. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The creative minds at Melissa & Doug have released their list of must-have products for the 2011 holiday season, including a broad range of timeless toys with unique imaginative flair.
Melissa & Doug’s Terrific Twenty Holiday Gifts for 2011
Company co-creator Melissa Bernstein says:
“Our strong holiday collection is in keeping with our signature approach: staying in touch with the way children naturally play, listening to their parents’ concerns and advice, and designing every toy we make to inspire a world of imagination. Our goal is always to spur the creativity of children, and this year’s lineup of holiday toys includes plenty of inspiration!”
Our Top-20 List includes toys for every age group!
6 MONTHS+
Caterpillar Gear Toy ($9.99)
Turn the gears slowly and watch each interlocking segment move the next, or see how fast your child can make the caterpillar “crawl” on the wooden base. This rainbow-colored gear toy is hands-on fun at any speed. With their bulky, notched shape, the colorful gears are easy for children to fit onto the color-coordinated pegs . . . then rotate, remove, and rearrange!
18 MONTHS+
Snowman Stacker ($12.99)
A classic childhood toy gets a touch of holiday magic in our wooden Stacking Snowman. Designed with a solid-wood rocking base for safety, it features eight wooden pieces and comes complete with a wintry scarf and hat.
AGES 2+
Butterflies and Bowling Balls
Your children will love exploring shapes, colors and sequencing with the Stack and Sort Butterfly ($14.99). Each wing holds bright colors, chunky wooden shapes, and lots of opportunities for sorting and stacking fun!
For a more physical pursuit, your kids will have fun to “spare” playing with the Happy Giddy Bowling Set ($19.99). This brightly colored plastic bowling set includes six bowling pins, a mini bowling ball, and a handy bowling bag with durable fabric handles for easy travel.
AGES 3+
Limitless Imagination and Learning!
Children will be fascinated by Sort & Snap Color Match ($19.99). This clever color-matching activity board is great for color recognition, sorting, and beginning math skills, and it even has 3-D picture suggestions.
When it’s time to get playtime really rolling, wheel out Melissa & Doug’s Low Loader ($19.99), a sturdy wooden truck that can haul the included steamroller and bulldozer, and Wooden Farm Train ($19.99), perfect for transporting a new cow or carting milk, fruit, and vegetable crates to the market.
Town Blocks Wooden Play Set ($29.99) introduces children to a whole community with sturdy wooden play pieces and endless pretend-play opportunities. Doorbell House ($29.99) sets kids’ sights closer to home with an engaging play set full of locks and keys, ringing bells, and four play people.
Broaden their palates with the Bake & Decorate Cupcake Set ($19.99) or Felt Food Sandwich Set ($19.99). Both include lots of free-form play-food fun, plus activity ideas that will have kids learning effortlessly while they play. Add another scoop of fun with the Scoop & Stack Ice Cream Cone Playset ($29.99)!
Melissa & Doug’s Grocery Cart ($69.99) is a miniature version of the real thing, so kids can collect the ingredients they need to get creative in the kitchen. The two-sided Deluxe Floor-Standing Wooden Easel ($79.99) is the perfect “studio” for budding artists.
Our Giraffe Giant Stuffed Animal ($99.99) is a four-foot-tall gentle giant that will bring the wild world to your children’s fingertips!
AGES 3–6
Trunki ($39.99)
Available in six adorable colors, this innovative ride-on suitcase is perfect for sleepovers, vacations, storing toys, summer camp, and much more. Trunki can serve as luggage, riding toy, and travel companion and sports a pull-along strap, carry handles, secure catches, and integrated wheels.
AGES 4+
Make-a-Face Sticker Pad ($4.99)
Twenty faces and five sticker sheets (with more than 250 stickers!) make it easy to put your best face forward. This collection of facial features and styling accessories is the perfect activity set for the little artist in your home.
AGES 6+
Flipping Out and Sticking On
Flip-to-Win Hangman ($12.99) is the classic word game with a twist, complete with an erasable white game board, self-storing dry-erase marker and eraser.
Butterfly Treasure Box Peel & Press Sticker by Numbers ($14.99) encourages children to keep their fingers moving and young minds engaged. With sticker gems and a number key, kids will have everything they need to turn this craft project into a glittering jewel box!
AGES 8+
U.S.A. License Plate Game ($19.99)
Add excitement to car travel with this sturdy, reusable classic travel game. Children will learn the names and locations of all 50 states, identify them by their license plates, or help plot their trip by flipping the states along their route.
About Melissa & Doug:
Since Melissa and Doug started their toy company 23 years ago in the garage of the home where Doug grew up, the company has become one of the most trusted names in preschool toys. Through its unique distribution network of nearly 15,000 retailers and presence in 80 countries worldwide, Melissa & Doug has created nearly 2,000 proprietary products spanning virtually every category of children’s play. “We started the business to make incredible products that enrich children’s lives, and we treat our customers like members of our family,” Melissa says. “We also listen to parents—I talk with a lot of them!—to address needs in the marketplace and create products that can be trusted.”
Why Costumes Are Good for Kids by Melissa
Why Costumes Are Good for Kids
Our expert encourages the thrill of dress-up
by Melissa
The anticipation of Halloween generates excitement in children unrivaled by virtually any other holiday. The ability to truly take part in the holiday and choose exactly how they will be dressed gives children a tremendous sense of power and investment in the day. But the ultimate thrill comes in actually putting on their costume and displaying it to the world!
There is nothing more enthralling for a child than pretending to be someone or something he is not, and concealing the truth of who he really is from the outside world.
Let’s be honest, that’s a lot of fun for adults, too! What a wonderful opportunity to escape and explore the world from the perspective of someone else for a brief period of time. That makes Halloween a favorite of both young and old. Yet although Halloween is the only day of the year when children and adults everywhere are given official license to dress up, it shouldn’t be! At Melissa & Doug, we believe that role-play is a crucial, year-round activity and shouldn’t be put removed and placed into a closet on November 1!
Role-play is a critical form of pretend play, and a crucial aspect of early childhood development. It is also one of the best ways to help a child to develop an understanding of the world. When children are given the opportunity to choose a character they wish to portray, they are given the ability to explore the areas they are most interested in.
Dressing up helps children (and adults) get rid of their fears and inhibitions, and be free to “act out” something they may not be comfortable expressing on a daily basis. Children develop social awareness and self-confidence and are more open to exploring themselves and expressing pent-up thoughts or ideas. Role-play offers an excuse to let go of one’s inhibitions and be free. Such free, unstructured creative play offers tremendous benefits developmentally. It builds strong imaginations and fertile, innovative minds!
Melissa
The best costumes are those which truly transport children to another place where they can begin to believe or act as the character they’re portraying actually would. In everyday life there are rules of conduct, and people may be viewed as odd if they go around town acting like wild animals, witches, or superheroes. But under the umbrella of make-believe, such behavior is not only desired but embraced! Testing the personas of different characters is a great way to teach children about different roles and their various behaviors. A pirate can talk with an accent; a police officer can speak with authority; and a chef can devise tantalizing recipes for an enthusiastic audience. Role-playing involves improvisation, having an awareness of how different characters act and portraying their characteristics and emotions!
The best aspect of pretend play is that it is completely universal. All children love to dress up. I have never met a child who hasn’t enjoyed being someone else, if only for a brief period. Usually the struggle is in getting the child to remove the costume and assume his prior persona.
You can easily incorporate dress-up and pretend play into your time with the kids. You can work with them to create a special dress-up or pretend play closet or chest in your home that they can explore whenever they visit. Accessories such as jewelry, makeup, wigs, and hats add to the fun. Role-play is a sure-fire, guaranteed recipe for a wonderful day. The grandchildren will anticipate every visit, and never want to leave!
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Best Toddler Parenting Advice from Our Fans
We Asked You to Give Us Your Best Toddler Parenting Advice and You Came Through with Some Great Comments!
One common theme was patience:
- Just breathe!
- Count to 10 first. And laugh a lot!
- Parenting a toddler is the hardest thing I’ve ever done! I’m learning to have more patience than ever before, to learn to not sweat the small stuff, to laugh more, play more, have more fun and to smother them with love, hugs and kisses, and most importantly, to make them feel and know they are loved – every day!
- Patience, patience and more patience!
Another common theme was love, hugs & kisses:
- You can never love a child too much. Hug,kiss, and snuggle as much as you want to
- My advice is to listen, encourage, love unconditionally, and be their BEST cheerleader in life!!
- Teach by example and always let them know they are loved.
- Hug it out!! A hug makes everything better – both the good and the bad.
Another common theme was to have fun:
- That tutus and pajama pants CAN be an outfit! Enjoy the fun times and take pics!
- Let them wear a costume anywhere/anytime they want.
- Socks don’t have to match.
- Choose to cherish the best parts of each day – the memories of pretend tea parties and snuggling at bedtime are far more important than the tears.
Some advice offered perspective:
- They will only be babies for such a short time! No matter how tough it is, remember that before you know it they will be off to college, so leave the dinner dishes, leave the laundry and go cuddle with your little one, dance around the house together, read an extra bed time story, give them one more hug and kiss and even one more cookie before bed:) and most of all LOVE them!
- Write down the cute things they say and do. Kids grow up way too fast, and sometimes small things that make us love our kids more easily get lost or forgotten in the daily hectic shuffle of toddler parenting.
- Take pictures often. They grow fast!
- This too shall pass
- It all comes out in the wash!!!
Some were just outright funny, but true!
- Baking cookies always makes the day better.
- Enjoy every minute – and put up safety gates
- Cowboy boots look great with shorts…even if you don’t think so.
We had the philosophical:
- Children learn what they live….
- Choose your battles wisely!
The practical:
- Never go anywhere without baby wipes…….they clean EVERYTHING.
…And the serious:
- It’s ok for mommas to cry sometimes too
Thank you all for your contributions! You can see the complete list of your Best Toddler Parenting Advice on our Facebook Fan Page
Read Melissa’s Expert Advice Column At Grandparents.com
We Are Proud To Announce that Melissa Bernstein, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Melissa & Doug, Is Now An Expert Advice Columnist For Grandparents.com!
Melissa Bernstein, Co-founder & Co-CEO Melissa & Doug
We’ve been asked innumerable times if Melissa is a real person and we’re happy to report that YES she is real! In fact, Melissa is the creative force behind the development of nearly 2,000 toys for Melissa & Doug. She’s married to Doug, who is also real, and she is a Mom to her own personal “test market” of 6 children ages 3 to 17!
