Baton Rouge Parenting

TIGER Kids Study with Pennington Biomedical – Veggie Spring Rolls Recipe

April 28, 2017 by Guest Contributor

As moms, the health and wellbeing of our children is at the forefront of our minds. Balancing busy schedules with school, sports and social lives can make it hard for our kids to consistently eat healthy, exercise, perform well in school and manage the stresses of life in a healthy way.

Summer is fast approaching which means more time for fun activities. I’m also thinking about how to keep my boys healthy and happy during the hot summer months, which leads me to share about a great opportunity for our kids to become “TIGER Kids.”

Researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center are conducting a study to learn more about what motivates kids to make healthy choices. The study is called TIGER Kids and it’s a great opportunity right here in our community to contribute to knowledge that could help kids across the country. How cool is that?

Researchers are measuring things that influence how our kids perform in school, how to help them become more active and how to eat healthier. The study is also looking at body image, stress levels, family behaviors (like kids’ relationships with siblings) and other motivating factors that contribute to the choices kids make.

Beyond contributing to research that could help our kids get and stay healthy, what’s in this study for us? Kids will be compensated for participation in TIGER Kids (can earn up to $100 for participation) and they have the opportunity to become a kid scientist! They can help researchers work to discover how to help kids move more, sit less and eat healthier. You and your kids can also get great in-depth information about their health, and kids will receive two “wearables” for a week to track their physical activity.

Participating in this study is easy! You and your child will visit Pennington Biomedical a total of 3 times over a 2 year period. Interested in your child becoming a TIGER Kid? I’ve included the full study details below. To screen for the study, visit http://www.pbrc.edu/TIGERKids or call 225-763-3000.

TIGER Kids Study with Pennington Biomedical

Study Purpose

The TIGER Kids research study will evaluate ways to: increase kids’ physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior (help kids move more and sit less), encourage healthy eating, and assess other factors that may influence school performance, body image, stress and mood.

About the Study

TIGER Kids participants will attend an orientation session at Pennington Biomedical to learn about the study and receive activity tracking tools. Participants will then visit Pennington Biomedical’s Translational Research Center for Children (TReCC) twice during the study – one visit after the orientation session and one visit two years later.

TIGER Kids participants will also receive valuable health information at no cost. Each participant is eligible to receive a copy of:

their lab work; including blood sugar and cholesterol tests;
a printout of their DXA scan, which includes total body fat, total muscle mass, total lean mass and bone density readings; and
a copy of body measurement data including height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure and heart rate.

TIGER Kids participants will attend a total of 3 study visits over the course of approximately 2 years with the following procedures:

Body measurements (height, weight, and waist size)
Blood pressure
Surveys
Dietary Questions
Wear an activity monitor, GPS tracker, and respond to messages on a mobile app for 7-days

Study Qualifications

To qualify, participants in this study should be:

Be between 10 and 16 years old
Not be on a restrictive diet

Compensation

Total compensation for the completion of this study is $100.

Study Contact

Parents, are you ready to see if your child qualifies for the TIGER Kids study? Visit http://www.pbrc.edu/TIGERKids to screen online or call 225-763-3000.

Looking for a healthy family fun recipe to cook this summer? Check out these rainbow fruit and veggie spring rolls:

Veggie Spring Rolls

Makes about 24 rolls, 1 roll with dipping sauce is 110 kcals, 2g protein, 17g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 4g fat, 1g saturated fat, 2g monounsaturated fat, 1g polyunsaturated fat

2 cups shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper
1 cucumber, peeled
1 large avocado, peeled and seeded
2 mangoes, peeled and seeded
1 package of vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package
24 brown rice spring roll wraps
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup mint leaves

Veggie Spring Roll Dipping sauce

1/3 cup peanut butter or cashew butter
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 ½ Tbsp Reduced Sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp chili sauce (check ingredients for peanut allergens if necessary)
2-4 Tbsp warm water for desired consistency

Fruit Spring Rolls

Makes about 10 rolls
1 roll with vanilla yogurt is 65 kcals, 1g protein, 15g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 0g fat

1 mango
5 strawberries
2 kiwis
6 pineapple chunks
5 romaine lettuce leaves
10 Brown rice spring roll wraps
½ cup mint leaves
½ cup Vanilla yogurt for dipping

Directions

Slice fruit or veggies into skinny strips and tear herbs into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan or kettle and set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare the veggie spring roll dipping sauce by combining all ingredients together. Thin with warm water to achieve desired consistency.
Add the hot water to a large bowl and submerge one rice paper to soften for about 5-10 seconds.
Transfer rice paper to a flat, slightly wet surface and add desired fruit, veggies, and herbs. Fold the bottom of the rice paper up over the fillings, then gently roll over once, fold in the sides to seal, and continue rolling until completely sealed.
Repeat process until all toppings are used.
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to a couple days, though best when fresh.

Want more healthy recipes? Check out the Pennington Biomedical metabolic kitchen website! www.pbrc.edu/kitchen

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Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

October 13, 2016 by Dr. Mindy Calandro

You know the feeling. The sign posted on the door of daycare announcing the current illness that is floating around. Oh the dreaded sign! “We want to inform you that cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease have been diagnosed here at the center.” GREAT! There are likely two questions that are running through your head: 1) So what are we going to do when our child comes down with this latest illness? and 2) What exactly is Hand, Foot and Mouth disease? Well, that first question is one that I have struggled with many times in my own household, and unfortunately, I can’t help you answer, but that second question…I CAN help with that one!

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Hand, foot and mouth (HFM) disease is a very common viral illness in children, particularly those under 5 years of age. Older children, teens and even adults can get Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, but it is much less common as most people have had HFM by that time and therefore have natural immunity to these viruses. This illness is typically seen in the late summer to fall, but especially here in Louisiana with our mild climate, I will see cases of HFM year round. The virus is spread through contact with droplets of someone who is infected, so it is spread by sneezing and coughing as well as the saliva that children “share” with each other on toys. It is not uncommon to see mini “epidemics” of HFM that spread through daycare centers or other child care facilities. The incubation period for HFM is 3-6 days, so I generally tell parents to be on the lookout for signs of HFM for about 1 week after “the sign” is posted at daycare.

What are the symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

As with any other virus, each child may present differently, but most children will start out with fever. In the next few days, children will often develop the classic rash that really can be anywhere on the body but, as the name suggests, most commonly is seen on the hands, feet, and around and in the mouth. The rash looks like small blisters or ant bites, and you will find these spots on the palms and soles of the feet (there are not a lot of illnesses that will cause a rash on the palms and soles but HFM is one of them).

Especially in infants and toddlers, I will almost always see the rash in the diaper area and on the backs of the thighs as well. If you look inside the mouth, you may see ulcers on the inside of the lips or tongue as well as in the back of the throat. These blister lesions will typically continue to pop up over the first 3-5 days of the illness. After that time the rash will slowly begin to fade, and parents may even notice peeling of the skin where the blisters were located in the coming week. Finally, some children will have changes to their fingernails or toenails about 4-6 weeks after hand, foot, and mouth disease, and it may appear like the nail is “splitting” horizontally and coming off. No worries…there is a new nail under there!

Since HMF is caused by a virus, antibiotics will not make the illness or the rash go away. The mainstay of care for HFM is making sure children are drinking lots of liquids and using acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with fever. Sometimes the throat can be so painful for children that they will not want to drink liquids, and then the concern is that they could be become dehydrated. When it comes to liquids to offer, I often say that when kiddos are sick, they can have free reign of the liquids…so that means juice, milk, popsicles, Slurpees or even ice cream. Just something that has liquid form to it! If your child is refusing to take liquids, make sure and call your pediatrician as there are some occasions where a special mouthwash can be used to help with the pain. As far as the rash goes, most children are not bothered by the rash. It doesn’t hurt or itch typically and may only cause mild discomfort when walking for those children that have their little feet covered in blisters.

Now for the last remaining question that every parent asks, “When can my child go back to daycare/school?” and the answer might surprise you. Once your child is fever free for 24 hours and tolerating liquids well, they can return to school. Unlike chicken pox, the hand, foot, and mouth disease rash itself is not contagious! The only time I would recommend keeping kids out of daycare in regards to the rash is if they have many open sores that they are itching as these could easily become superinfected with bacteria (this is not very common with HFM whereas with chicken pox, superinfections of the skin are much more common). The virus that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease can be shed through respiratory droplets for 1 week after the illness and can be shed in the stool for several weeks following symptoms, so by no means are children kept out of daycare or school for this period of time. This is again one of those times where you hope your daycare is doing a good job of wiping down toys, washing hands, and practicing very good diaper changing hygiene!

For those of you who have been “lucky” enough to experience Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease already, you may say, “Wait a minute! My daycare told me that she couldn’t return until the blisters were crusted/gone.” Well, as I said above, fever free for 24 hours is the main criteria for return to daycare or school, but child care facilities are able to set their own return policies when it comes to infectious diseases like hand, foot, and mouth disease, so in many cases, their policy will be the “law of the land.”

So if the next dreaded sign on the door at daycare reads “Hand, foot and mouth disease,” take a deep breath as you are now armed and ready to deal with this unpleasant but all too common illness of childhood. And as with any illness, if you have specific questions or concerns about your child, please make sure and give your pediatrician a call…it’s what we are here for!

“Ask the Experts” is a series on Baton Rouge Moms where local experts share their thoughts, opinions and answer questions relating to health, wellness, parenting and living in Baton Rouge.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this site is to share BRM moms’ experiences with food, fitness, health and life as well as opinions from some of our local experts. This content is for informational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice. When it comes to your health or the health of your child, please be sure to contact your physician.

Cox Connect2Compete – getting more families online.

September 12, 2016 by Tiany Davis

Today’s kids are considered digital natives, they are growing up surrounded by and immersed in digital media. As a homeschool mom, not a day {or an hour} goes by that we do not turn to Google to get quick answers on just about any topic or question. The world’s encyclopedia is as weightless, free and instantly accessible as Wikipedia. Using the internet, you can learn a new language or delve into the depths of metaphysics with just a click of a mouse. The Web has unlocked the keys to a worldwide virtual school, a plethora of information and connectivity. Our boys use the internet to access their lessons, research and watch tutorials on just about anything they want to learn how to do. In much the same way, students are increasingly using the internet to keep up with homework assignments, to do research for school, and to connect with teachers and classmates.

Teachers are using digital tools in the classroom more and more to improve learning, assign online homework, post grades and email parents about student progress or needs. In today’s digital world, home internet connection is a necessity.

It’s hard to imagine living without the luxury of high speed internet, it’s something many of us take for granted. Unfortunately, too many are under-connected; an estimated one in three Louisiana residents does not have access at home. Students who don’t have internet at home struggle to keep up. Especially now, after the recent floods, I would imagine that many more children will go un-connected.

Having internet access at home is essential in helping students connect and succeed in the classroom and beyond. Living without internet access makes it hard for children to explore topics and ideas that interest them personally — what I, as a homeschool mom, call interest-driven learning. It’s easy to see that living without internet access can cause major learning gaps for children. Cox is working to alleviate this struggle.

Cox Connect2Compete Baton Rouge

Cox understands this new reality and works in the communities they serve to provide affordable internet and devices to low-income students and their families. Cox is striving to narrow the digital divide with Connect2Compete, a discounted Internet service available to qualifying households in our area.

There are many families in our area who want internet access but can’t afford the equipment or can’t afford the monthly fees. If you or someone you know is eligible for Connect2Compete, you need only apply online at www.connect2compete.org/Cox or call 855-222-3252 and get connected!

Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated BRM via a cash payment, gift, or giveaway. Opinions expressed herein are that of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the sponsor.

What can moms do to help their children at a time like this?

August 23, 2016 by Guest Contributor

Throughout the area, families are dealing with enormous challenges and the stress levels that come along with them. In my role as psychosocial lead for Save the Children, I’m spending time at the shelters working to help families who have no other place to go. The moms I talked to today were worried about so many things that the first thing I wanted to do for them was help them find ways to cope.

I started by really listening to them and acknowledging all the fears and emotions they are dealing with. That went a long way. If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, please try to find someone who can do the same for you. And if you can’t, try writing down your feelings, taking a walk, or using other strategies that have worked for you at other stressful times in your life.

Self-care is so important. One of the moms I spoke with today had a young baby and her husband had just been abandoned them after a fight. He had taken the few belongings they had salvaged with him, so the first thing we did was help her find a change of clothes for herself and her child. But then we talked through her other challenges and what she could do to feel calmer and more equipped to start taking them on one at a time.

I connected this lovely woman with some other moms and they quickly offered each other emotional support. Together we discussed how the stress they were feeling as moms could easily transfer to their children. They realized it wasn’t selfish at all to look after themselves, and how important it is for their little ones.

Certainly this is a scary and uncertain time for many children. They look to their parents and caregivers for guidance and reassurance, but sometimes we aren’t sure of the best way to manage. Here are basic ideas I hope can help.

10 Tips to Help Kids Cope with Disasters

Limit TV time. Watching television reports on disasters can overwhelm younger children who may not understand an event is being replayed and instead think the disaster is happening over and over again. Overexposure to coverage of the events affects teenagers and adults as well.
Listen to your children carefully. Emotional stress results in part when a child cannot give meaning to dangerous experiences. Begin a dialog to help them gain a basic understanding that is appropriate for their age and responds to their underlying concerns.
Give children reassurance. Let them know that if any emergency or crisis should occur, your primary concern will be their safety. Make sure they know they are being protected.
Be alert for significant changes. Be aware of changes in sleeping patterns, eating habits,
concentration, wide emotional swings or frequent physical complaints without apparent illness. They will likely subside within a short time but if prolonged, we encourage you to seek professional support and counseling.
Expect the unexpected. As children develop, their intellectual, physical and emotional capacities change. Younger children will depend largely on their parents to interpret events, while older children and teenagers will get information from a variety of sources that may not be as reliable. While teenagers seem to have more adult capacities to recover, they still need extra love, understanding and support to process these events.
Give your children extra time and attention. They need your close, personal involvement to comprehend that they are safe and secure. Talk, play and listen to them. Find time to engage in special activities for children of all ages.
Be a model for your child. Your child will learn how to deal with these events by seeing how you deal with them. Base the amount of self-disclosure on the age and developmental level of each of your children. Explain your feelings but remember to do so calmly.
Watch your own behavior. Make a point of showing sensitivity toward those impacted by the disaster. This is an opportunity to teach your children that we all need to help each other.
Help your children return to normal activities. Children almost always benefit from activity,
goal orientation and sociability. Ensure that your child’s school environment is also returning to normal patterns and not spending great amounts of time discussing the crisis.
Encourage your child to do volunteer work. Helping others can give your child a sense of control, security and empathy. In the midst of crisis, adolescents and youth can emerge as active agents of positive change.

We are sharing these tips with parents in the shelters when they bring their kids to our child-friendly spaces. It’s wonderful to see the children play, smile and have fun again, but we all know there is so much more work to be done to help these children and their families bounce back.

If you’d like to support our response and recovery work, please consider donating at www.SavetheChildren.org/Gulf-Floods.

Thank you!

Anjana Dayal de Prewitt

I am hungry.

August 7, 2016 by Guest Contributor

I am hungry.

Not in a figurative sense. Not hungry for a new pair of shoes or hungry to achieve a new milestone in my career.

I am literally hungry. My stomach feels empty more than it feels full these days and my fridge and pantry are so bare it seems that they are taunting me each time I open them to inspect their contents. I save all non-meal food items for my kids because even though I am nursing a baby and need the nutrients, I can’t stand to hear the tiny voices of my children every time they go to the cupboard only to discover there’s nothing there to eat.

food-insecurity-Baton-Rouge

I hope that they don’t remember this. I pray that, instead, they remember the laughter we have shared as I try to distract them from their desire for food. I hope that they forget the tears that fill my eyes at the thought of their tummies growling, but remember the smile on my face as we have dance parties in the living room to Taylor Swift.

I don’t even know how we got here. It all happened so fast, when just months ago the thought of going without food seemed like something that could never happen to me. We work hard, we love Jesus and we serve Him to the best of our abilities. It’s crazy how one decision made even with the best of intentions can alter the course of your life in ways you never imagined. It’s eye-opening the compassion you can express for others when you are walking through a situation you could’ve never thought you’d find yourself in.

Lately, when we do get to buy groceries, it’s only the bare necessities. I hate that I fuss at the kids the minute they run to the pantry or to the fridge for a snack because they want to sample all the food they haven’t seen in days, but I know the sooner they eat it, the sooner it’s gone. And when it’s gone, I have to hear them cry about their hunger, and it kills me.

How do you explain rations to small children? How do you tell them “If you eat this now, you will be hungry later?” How do you live with yourself as a mother when you’re digging sugar soaked fruit out of a donated can from the food pantry to feed it to your children for lunch and they beg for more but it’s all you have?

I try to thank the Lord for His provision. I try to smile while I shop at the store while I furiously calculate every penny we are spending and simultaneously determine if we will be able to keep our water running once I buy these items. I try not to cry when a friend orders us a pizza for dinner because she knows otherwise we would not have anything to eat.

Hungry in Baton Rouge

I try not to hate politicians who say that people like me should be drug tested when we are already living in overwhelming grief and humiliation. I try not to be offended by fellow church members and Christians who want to withhold government programs that we need just to survive. I try not to resent my husband- who works tirelessly and without complaint, often three jobs at once- for us being in this position.

I try to understand what it’s like for other moms who never get a reprieve from this reality. I try to imagine what it’s like for families who don’t have electricity or comfortable beds or adequate shelter. I try not to get angry at those who have excessive amounts of money but want to hold on to it for dear life, because they somehow deserve it more than I do. More than my kids do.

I try to keep it together and to put on a happy face for those around me, but most of all for my kids. The hunger pangs screaming from within my hollow stomach burn so strong that they turn me into a person I don’t like, a mother I don’t recognize. I try so hard to be what they need me to be, but…

I am hungry.

The above is written anonymously by a fellow Baton Rouge mom, a mom living in our community, this mom could be anyone’s neighbor. Hunger is everywhere: It’s in every community, it can also be invisible. Some 47 million Americans live in poverty. All told, 17.5 million households and 16 million children—one out of every five—struggle with hunger. Visit the Baton Rouge Food Bank to learn how you can help those hungry in our community.

Pokémon Go, explained – what parents need to know.

July 12, 2016 by Tiany Davis

By now you’ve surely heard about the new Pokémon GO app that has thousands of people glued to their phones as they capture Pokémon monsters in a battle to “Catch ‘Em All”. The Pokémon Go app is currently the top downloaded free app, and the top grossing app, in both the Apple and Android stores. (The app does have optional in-app purchases)

Just days after the Pokémon GO app launched in the US, hundreds of Pokefans are joining forces outdoors to find their favorite pocket monsters throughout their neighborhoods and cities, including Baton Rouge! The app’s use of GPS and internet services turns the whole world into a Pokémon region map. Parents are thrilled to see kids getting off the couch and out the door for adventure on foot, on bikes and via the family car. However, this game is not just for kids, families are enjoying the fun together and many adults are reliving their childhood love of Pokémon.

Once the app is downloaded, players can customize their Pokemon trainer name. Through the phone’s camera, the cute characters are animated into your real surroundings, with players swiping vertically to catch them. The interface on their phone will show person walking on a Google Maps-type layout through the phone’s GPS.

How to play Pokémon GO

The maps show surrounding landmarks such as statues, lakes, parks and train stations which represent pokestops. The aim of the game is to capture new monsters with a display at the bottom of the player’s phone showing which monster species are near and how far away they are. They can pop up anywhere and it’s your job to catch them.

You’ve found a Pokémon! Now what? When the game enters capture mode, you’ll see a wild Pokémon juxtaposed into real life through your phone’s camera. You’ve got Pokéballs to throw at it, and there’s a colored ring circling the Pokémon’s body.

The color of the ring when catching Pokémon tells you how hard it is to capture said Pokémon.
Green = Easy
Yellow = Moderate
Red = Difficult

The more difficult the Pokémon is to catch, the less likely it is to be caught simply by throwing a Pokéball at it. However, there are special Pokéballs you’ll earn as your Trainer levels up.

If you happen to see rustling leaves on the map, it’s is an indication that a wild Pokémon is nearby! You can get a good idea of what kind of Pokémon it is based on the menu in the lower right of the main screen.

“Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore cities and towns around where you live and even around the globe to capture as many Pokémon as you can. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon. Once you’ve encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone’s touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away! Also look for PokéStops located at interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments, where you can collect more Poké Balls and other items.” The Pokemon Company

When you reach level five you can join teams, battle in gyms, and begin the real game. You can learn about the more advanced options of play here.

The Pokemon Company

Pokémon GO Plus

A portable device called the Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even while they’re not looking at their smartphones. The device connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device. Look forward to the launch of the Pokémon GO Plus accessory in late July 2016.

The Downside to Pokémon GO

The game allows you to create either a Pokémon account or to use your Google account. Tons of websites allow you to use your Google account for credentials instead of creating a separate login. But here’s the problem, unlike other apps and websites that only grab permissions for a few things, Pokémon GO is given full access to your Google account–and it takes it without permission. We recommend setting up a Google account just for sign ups such as this.

“Pokémon GO” is a battery hog, especially when you go on a long walk and want to make sure the app is searching for Pokémon the whole time. Luckily, there’s a really handy “battery saver” mode that will help you get a lot more mileage off a single charge.” Go here for full instructions.

Pokémon GO Safety Tips:

Tell your kids about stranger-danger. The way that the game is designed can bring people together in the real world as they search for Pokemon in common areas called gyms and pokestops.
Set limits on where your kids can go.
Look up, and pay attention to your surroundings! A number of people – both kids and adults – have been so engrossed while staring at their phones and following a map, that they’ve walked right into the street, into objects and even had car accidents! Do not play and drive!!
Play in pairs or groups or make it a family adventure.
If a Pokémon is a water species, like a ‘magicarp’ or ‘squirtle’, they will likely be found in locations where there is real water around. Be sure to talk with kids and teens about being safe.
Heed the warnings that the game gives you every time you log in

Take a family Pokémon Go adventure and enjoy a sense of imagination and wonder that most other games do not offer. Enjoy your surroundings through a different lens and find local treasures you didn’t know existed. Pokémon Go gives you the opportunity to explore the beauty around you while catching some Pokémon along the way.

Sources: businessinsider.com, howtogeek.com

5 Simple Tips to Encourage Young Readers

March 10, 2016 by Taresa Sneed

It’s simple really, reading is fun! Reading is learning, and as the age old saying goes, it’s fundamental! I’ve loved reading since I was a kid, and I still do. It’s just that these days I’m reading Goodnight Moon, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Guess How Much I love You (to name a few). There’s something fun about beans leading to a beanstalk in the sky where a giant lives. There’s magic in reading, and adventure. I know how much reading helped shape my imagination, expand my vocabulary, and teach me other interesting facts, so I’m hoping to carry those things over to help my children gain a love for reading too!

I admit, I was one of those moms who read to her babies while they were in the womb. It was a regular thing. Before Landen was born I had a whole collection of books for him (that I’m now reading with his baby sister). Once born, I read to him several times a day and he always seemed to be tuned right in. But what really changed things is the My Superdad, or “daddy book” as Landen would call it. I had this book made for Trey’s first Father’s Day. I thought it would be awesome to have a hard cover book with his dad’s picture on every page with a cape on like a real superhero. It was perfect! He LOVED it. His dad was in a book, eating pizza with a gorilla, flying through the sky, and taming a crocodile. What kid wouldn’t enjoy that??? Landen was 10 months at the time and is 3 now, and it’s still highly requested to read at night before bed.

He loves books all on his own now. We made a reading nook in his room, and he can reach the shelves and pick which books he wants to read. He has his own library card and uses it to check out books and movies at the local library. We’ve done the summer reading program from the library for the past 2 summers and currently working on 1,000 books before Kindergarten (also a program through EBRPL).

More than anything, I love the little time that I get to spend with Landen and Ava when we’re reading. I love that even though Landen interrupts me and asks a ton of questions before I get through each page, he’s enjoying listening to me. I love that he’s learning, and I love that it’s something that both of my children will remember us doing together. It’s never too early or too late to develop a love for adventure through reading with your kids. Here are some of the ways we’ve done that with ours.

5 Simple Tips to Encourage Young Readers

1. Develop a routine at night that includes a bedtime story.
2. Attend story time at your local library.
3. Sign up for Summer reading programs at your local library.
4. Attend story time at Barnes and Noble
5. Let them pick the books that they want to read (because they love feeling like they’re in charge).

Happy Reading!

Kiddle: the so-called Google for kids

February 28, 2016 by Tiany Davis

Our children are considered “digital natives,” they have been born into and are being raised in the digital world. Today’s kids are using technology for communication, education and fun. Kids can also easily gain access to parts of the tech world that may be dangerous or simply inappropriate.

Kiddle the so-called Google for kids

A new website called Kiddle.co has launched promising a child-friendly search engine for kids browsing the internet, however many seem to be confused as a number of news outlets have reported the search engine site is an official Google spin-off looking to cater to young internet users. Kiddle has no association with Google – and does not claim to. It uses a Google Custom Search bar embedded within the website much like Safe Search kids. If you don’t want to set your own computers search engine to Safe Mode, Kiddle is a great alternative for “safer” browsing.

What is Kiddle and how does it work?

Certain content is filtered and a number of explicit terms and celebrities are blocked. According to the Kiddle About page…

If your child does search for something that the site deems inappropriate, the child will receive a message, “Oops, looks like your query contained some bad words. Please try again!” You can also add words to the Kiddle keyword block form and add sites to the site blocking form.

As with anything, Kiddle is not 100% safe and most of what Kiddle does can be accomplished with your computer and Google settings. However, Kiddle is a start and a move in the right direction.

Have frequent and ongoing discussions about online safety.

Talk to your children often and early about the dangers of technology and appropriate behavior online. The answer is smart parenting and open communication. Knowledge is power, if parents are informed, the use of technology will be a much safer experience for all. Unfortunately, we have a very long way to go when it comes to safety in our digital world. While we can’t keep our children 100% safe from the evils of technology, there are resources and tools to help us protect our tech savvy kids. Learn the best way to keep kids safe here.

Kiddle Search Engine Is The Google For Kids

It’s OK to Be the Weird Mom

February 28, 2016 by Melanie Murr

Mommy judgement. Mommy guilt. These are constant topics in magazines and blogs aimed at mothers and they need to be. So many moms, myself included, need daily reminders that we are all doing ok and there’s nothing to feel guilty about.

One of the hardest lessons for me to learn as a mom is the advice we have been told over and over since we were children ourselves – be yourself. It seems so simple, but it’s harder than many realize. Whether you’re a single mom, married mom, older mom, younger mom, working mom, stay at home mom, there is always some ideal we formulate that we never seem to attain. We are often convinced we are inadequate, a failure, clueless, different, weird. We are an embarrassment to little Johnny who is going to move across the country as soon as he graduates from high school, only call at Christmas, and write about how his mother screwed him up in his memoirs.

Some of the judgement we feel is completely fabricated in our own imagination. Sometimes it is all too real. But there are more important consequences of denying your own voice than condescending side eyes when you bring Walmart cupcakes to the bake sale. Not being authentic and true to yourself robs you of your joy and deprives your children of the gift of knowing who you really are.

As someone who has struggled with depression, I know there is no faster way down that path than by denying your own needs and desires. Once the perfect 2.5 kids and a dog life I always wanted fell apart, I was lost. I was torn apart with guilt for not being able to give my kids the perfect life. I stopped listening to my own voice and tried to live up to the expectations of others, sometimes real, sometimes imagined. I tried desperately to shove myself into a mold I didn’t fit in. I was an expert level player of the comparison game. My perfectionism paralyzed me with fear.

It’s OK to Be the Weird Mom

Then I woke up one day and wondered why I felt so empty and miserable. It has been a long journey, but my path back to happiness has centered around accepting my quirky, weird, wonderful, authentic self and learning to listen to my own voice. Once I committed to doing that, it is like a light turned on with my life, especially as a mother. I see it in my kids and it is a wonderful feeling knowing I am a better mom because I have embraced my own, authentic values.

But perhaps the most important thing about giving our children the gift of authenticity is by doing so, we give our children permission to also be their true selves. Whether it’s embracing their own quirks, or the courage to pursue a talent, our kids will always shine brightest when they are true to themselves. As mothers we can help bring that light out into the world by being brave enough to do the same.

The Truth in Step-Parenting

February 22, 2016 by Whitney Andrus

Deciding to spend the rest of my life as my husband’s wife was not the easiest decision I’ve made. Being a wife was scary, being a step-mom was scarier. On top of the normal fears that come with marriage, I constantly questioned whether or not I could be a parent. I did what every new parent does, I jumped in with both feet. I researched till I was frozen in fear, then I went out and did it my own way. I busted my butt a lot and stood with pride other times.

Step-parenting comes with a set of blessings and obstacles and unless I am overly positive it seems like I’m not allowed to speak about it, not publicly. There is a truth in step-parenting; it’s a tightrope you never quite learn to walk. It comes with unspoken rules and regulations. Those rules and regulations are constantly changing.

For one, you have to find a way to be a parent, without being a parent. My sole job as a step-parent is to be a bonus parent. When a kid has two parents they adore, what does bonus parent even mean?

Then I must remember that I wasn’t there for years before I met her dad. I will never forget the first time my step-daughter said, “You don’t get it, Dad does, he’s been there.” Shot. To. The. Heart. I realized at that moment, I am the one that walked in and changed the rules. I often don’t know whether to feel pride or guilt about this.

Not to mention, you will get used to the rules and then you will change them with a biological child of your own. It is something I can’t explain, but I struggle with ~~daily~~ hourly. Where’s the balance of the pride in the creation of a tiny human and the nurturing and empathy for the child who looks at you as a constant reminder that mommy and daddy are not married.

Lets not forget, your step-child has been around longer than you have. There are families to build relationships with, lots of families. When I chose to become a wife I also auditioned for the title step-mom, it went like this: Meet a boy. Fall in love with boy. Juggle balls. Spin plates. Illustrate homework skills and leftover dinner magic. Marry Boy. Honeymoon. Have another child. These auditions didn’t just happen for my husband, they happened for my step-daughter’s mom, her grandparents and a slew of others. It is an exhausting ride, but one that I am a better person for (and pretty thankful I got the starring role as step-mom).

I wouldn’t change any of this, but I should be able to talk about it. I see mom blogs, and we laugh, cry and celebrate motherhood, but very rarely do I see the step-parenting side discussed. Noticing this, I reached out to a few friends who are step-parents themselves. Do you know what the main complaint was?

It wasn’t that it was hard. It wasn’t a complaint about anyone else in the family. It wasn’t about the step-child. It was a simple complaint, “I feel like I am alone in all this, and I am not allowed to talk about it.” You see we can all complain and celebrate motherhood, it’s come to be an art form of mom-bloggers the world over. The existence of this in step-parenting is scarce.

I want that to change. I got with a couple friends, we talked, we chatted. We decided, let’s do it, let’s create a venue for step-parents to unite. So we are starting small, with just a forum. Moving forward with demand to get-together and the elusive play dates with the kids, because let’s face it, being a step-kid is hard work. There needs to exist a place where we step-parents can figure things out together. We shouldn’t feel alone watching from the sidelines; let’s cheer and carry on like mad people from the side-lines. Enter Step-Parenting in the Red Stick.

Our hope is that we can start a safe place for growth as parents, as step-parents, as people. A forum where we can learn from each others trials an triumphs. A place we can laugh about the little things that make us, us. If you are a step-parent in Baton Rouge or the surrounding area, we invite you to join the forum here.