Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Kids 4-8 years old

November 10, 2008 · Posted in Recommended Shopping · 1 Comment

I know, I know…IT’S TOO EARLY TO BE THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! Yet, most of us are. I know I am. I want to find the perfect gifts for my two little boys. I can’t wait to see the excitement in their eyes on Christmas morning when they open the gift(s) they always wanted.

Like many Americans, we are on a tighter budget this year, so we are looking for great gifts at reasonable prices. We are thinking long and hard about our choices. Will they truly be interested in this item, enough to make the price worth paying? Can we see them using it for more than a few months? Is it age appropriate?

With these concerns in mind, we have made a top 10 list for Christmas gift ideas for children between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. Of course, use your own judgement with regards to how your own kids will understand and be able to use these suggestions.

Mouse Trap Game is a great gift to help enhance a child’s coordination and thinking skills. Our boys LOVE this game.
Why Don’t Eyelashes Grow Book…I don’t know about your kids, but my kids never stop asking questions. A large percentage of the time I cannot even answer the questions, so what better way to find the explanations than this great book. It is both educational and fun!
Monopoly Junior is another great board game that teaches more than just FUN! It’s simplistic design is great for kids just learning to count, add and subtract. My kids actually learned about money as well.
Marble Mania Genius is really cool and one of our favorite picks for this Christmas. This is a great way to bring the little architect out of your child.
Ultimate LEGO Building Set is yet another way to encourage strategy; and the whole family can build together. The designs are endless!
ScienceWiz Chemistry Experiments Kit is a winner! My 5-yr old is constantly begging for his own science kit, so after much research, this kit is the perfect addition to his desire to learn about science.
Leapfrog Leapster Learning Game System gets very high ratings in my book. I know my son would be thrilled with this game, and it is a learning hand-held game system to boot! The best of both worlds.
IlluStory Make Your Own Story has to be one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time. Your child actually writes and illustrates their own story, including the cover and biography, then sends it back to the company to be made into a hardcover book for keepsake. What a fantastic idea!
Melissa & Doug Underwater Floor Puzzle will be a GREAT addition to my 4-yr old son’s collection. He is obsessed with Melissa & Doug puzzles. We have collected 6 versions so far. They range from easy to very difficult and he loves them all…some are educational as well, such as his favorite, The Human Anatomy.
Planet Heroes Action Figure Gift Set is sure to please my 4-yr old as well. He LOVES Planet Heroes and Ace is his favorite. It’s nice to find action heroes that are not depicted as violent and don’t come with dangerous weapons attached.

I hope you’ve found this to be helpful in your Christmas shopping quest. For more shopping ideas, visit Amazon.com Toys & Games…they carry almost everything! Be sure to take advantage of their super saver shipping.

And, if you haven’t heard of this yet, Amazon.com now offers Frustration Free Shopping! I am certain that you can related to the hour long struggle trying to get those little metal twisties undone, as if you were trying to get into Fort Knox. Well, now they offer frustration-free packaging for your convenience! Great news.

Take care!

raelynn @ Kidz Comfort

Tags: Christmas toys, Kids, shopping

Take Back Your Parenting Power Today!

October 27, 2008 · Posted in Tense Toddler Solutions · 3 Comments

Is this your family?

We have a great interview for you today! We were fortunate enough to interview Parent Coach, Susan Epstein. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Parent Coach and has so much to offer parents.

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself, both personally and professionally.

A: I graduated from Clark University in Worcester, MA in 1980, where I earned a B.A. degree in Sociology and Spanish with a minor in Psychology. I worked for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children until moving to California in 1984, where I pursued my M.S.W. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Social Welfare. I am a certified Brief Strategic Family Therapist and trained with the Family Therapy Institute, at the University of Miami. I completed training in 2003 with the internationally accredited Coaches Training Institute. Bilingual in English/Spanish, has enabled me to work with different cultures throughout my career.

Q: How did you become interested in this profession?

A: I had worked as a clinical social worker since 1980. It bothered me that our training was focused on client’s pathologies rather than on their strengths. I felt that there had to be a better more positive way to help families help themselves without splitting everyone up and seeing them in therapy. In 2002, I hired my own life coach to see what that would be like. The experience was eye opening and life changing. Coaching seemed like a great fit. I was able to take what I knew and had studied and transfer it into a career that helps parents move forward and immediately feel successful.

Q: Is there some one that inspired you to do what you do?

A: My inspiration comes from many people who I have worked with over the years. Some were teachers, mentors and even clients. From the age of 16, when I read my first “self help books” Born to Win and I’m Okay You’re Okay. I knew that psychology was my field.

Q: When and why did you start your Parenting Powers Blog?

A: I started Parenting Powers in March 2007. I had been parent coaching and had a local private practice. I wanted to reach a wider audience and help parents through my writing, speaking and teaching.

Q: What is it that you have to share with other Parents?

A: You are trying too hard. Parents use way too much energy, too many words, too many mixed messages. Simplify, simplify, simplify!

Q: Can you give us an idea of the types of topics that you cover in your blog?

A: Respect, How to Parent Calmly, How to Motivate kids to cooperate, Homework issues, Divorce, Death and other losses and much more.

Q: How can interested people learn more about you and your work?

A: Go to http://parentingpowers.com/ and sign up for my free special report, How to Take Back Your Parenting Power.

You can also take a look at my books, dvds and audio cds by clicking HERE.

Tags: Behavior Issues, Behavior modification, children, Family, Kids, Parenting

Kidz Heat & Cool Pack uses for all natural first aid

October 10, 2008 · Posted in Kids Health and Safety · Comment

All Natural Cherry Pit Packs

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Kidz Heat & Cool Pack has been one of our most successful products. What a nice alternative to ice packs and other booboo aids. They offer natural pain relief for kids and adults alike. They are filled with cherry pits which are uniquely able to retain and slowly release either heat or cold. They safely sooth aches and pains. Because these Kidz Heat & Cool Packs are filled with cherry pits, they conform to the area of the body that is being treated. Just read one of our Kidz Heat & Cool Pack reviews HERE.

We had made these Kidz Heat & Cool Packs for our own two boys, just like we had first made our exclusive Bed Bumper for Big Kids for our own boys prior to ever considering making a business out of it. The creation of these great, all natural cherry pit packs was spurred by sleep time leg cramps that our boys always had after a long and active day. We began to realize how useful they were for many other things.

They are reusable…that is always a fantastic feature. They have many first aid uses. Here are just a few of them:

Bumps, bangs and bruises
Muscular pains
Cramps
Headaches
Leg aches (often referred to as growing pains)
Earaches
Colic in babies

Yes, they even offer relief to babies who may be experiencing colic. By placing a warmed Kidz Heat & Cool Pack on their bellies for just a few minutes, they are often soothed back into calmness.

These Kidz Heat & Cool Packs have so many great features that it makes it very easy to want to buy one (or MORE!) They are lightweight and filled with 100% natural cherry pits. They have no added chemicals and, like all our products, they are made in the USA! They can be machine washed and dried, making cleaning the Kidz Heat & Cool Packs very simple.

Visit our site today to check out the large variety of themes to choose from. Our kids love them and we know yours will too. Shop Today.

raelynn @ Kidz Comfort

Tags: baby, boo boos, first aid for kids, Kids, Kids Health and Safety, natural first aid, natural pain relief, toddler first aid