The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines on car seats only yesterday, but it already created great controversy and passionate discussions all over the web. While many parents are more than happy with new regulations and going to keep their toddlers rear-faced as long as possible, others point out at extremely limited legroom which causes toddlers to bent uncomfortably in rear-facing car seat.

Second section of new guidelines on older kids has started no less buzz. Its reccomended now to keep kids in booster seat up to 12 years and/or 4 feet 9 inches height. As some readers already pointed out its almost the height of grown-up person. In addition, wouldnt it be awkward for your pre-teen in jr. high to ride in car seat?

But there’s even more to it – as we know, current U.S. law does not require a carseat for an infant in flight. Now American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants the federal government to order airlines to end the long-standing policy of allowing children under age 2 to sit on their parents’ laps, especially during takeoffs, landings and turbulence. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends that children be securely fastened in child safety seats until 4 years of age, then be secured with the airplane seat belts. This will help keep them safe during takeoff and landing, or in case of turbulence.

Hovewer heres the catch to FAA regulations – airlines are not required to allow the use of child seats, even if they are approved by FAA. That means you can spend money and time getting FAA approved car seat for flight, pay huge sum of money for your child’s own seat on the flight and still not be able to use it. We reccomend to make arrangements in advance with the airline, and get written confirmation of their approval for use of your seat on the flight.

Read more on using car seats on airplane at TravelWithYourKids.com

What is your experience with using car seats on the plane? Do you think it should be a mandatory? We would love to hear from you!

Photo courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brunoderegge/

Technorati Tags: car seats, safety

Today American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published online new guidance for child seat use. Accordingly to AAP reccomendations children should be kept in rear-facing car seat until age of two or until the maximum rear-facing height and weight is reached. The AAP also has new guidance for older kids: most should remain in a booster seat until they’re 4 feet 9 inches tall and between 8 and 12 years of age.

According to Ben Hoffman, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico and member of the AAP’s executive committee, between the age of 1 and 2, children are 50 percent less likely to be injured in a car crash if they’re in a rear-facing car seat. If you keep a child rear-facing longer, not only are crash forces spread over a much larger area (the child’s back), but movement of their head is limited, and they are contained much more inside the shell of their seat.

“Parents often look forward to transitioning from one stage to the next, but these transitions should generally be delayed until they’re necessary, when the child fully outgrows the limits for his or her current stage,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement and accompanying technical report.

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.” (Babycenter.com)

We would love to know your opinion on new AAP reccomendations. Will you keep your child in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible? Please share your thoughts!

Photo courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbybatchelder

Technorati Tags: safety

Children under the age of five are not able to grasp accurately the stuff that their parents utter. Lessons have to be converted to senses for them to be effective. Words alone cannot take you far. They try and reason according to things they see and never what they hear you say. Therefore displaying kindness to members of the family encourages them to do the same to others.

If a child sees you saying thank you every time something good is done to you or every time you receive something, they will end up adapting that trait of thankfulness. They will assist those in need.

As the child grows closer to school going age, he is more exposed and can therefore understand advanced words from the parents. It is easier to instill wisdom through word for word. It becomes easier to train them.

The child is still sensitive on moral issues though. The law of averages only dictates that one should not let his child enter those thin line circumstances where he has to go to the contrary of what he always learnt.

Kidkraft kitchen is a great venue to teach your child good table manners and healthy eating habits.

Read more about teaching your child good manners at Toddler Educational Toys Blog

Photo courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/

Technorati Tags: childrens play kitchens, educational toys, Pretend Play Kitchens

You never get a second chance to have a very first time experience with any given subject. Dressing up the positive issues in life and introducing them as entertainment, something enjoyable, will give a very good 1st impression. This leaves a lasting impression and they suddenly have a positive association with these things. Consequently, this goes for negative issues as well only in reverse. Of course frequent sense tells us that we ought to make the bad habits and activities as unattractive and unappealing as possible.

This is why, when our youngsters become toddlers parenting becomes so critical, so very important. Introducing new ideas ought to be performed in a positive light and with guidance meaning you will need to be there. Parenting actively makes you mean much more to them in such a basic way as guiding via 1st experiences. Being persistent with filling the cup is essential, simply because the most benefit can be gained during this period in life.

Making use of toys like wooden doll furniture assists children in developing their speaking skills. Preschoolers can soon put along the link between spoken and written words, a fundamental pre-reading capability, by creating their own stories whilst playing. If you want youngsters to learn swiftly and to maintain their attention even though teaching them it’s best to teach in a manner that they can interact with you.

Learn to Write Toys – This type of toy will assist develop handwriting skills. This has spirited animations and with a massive LCD screen. The child can practice writing lowercase and uppercase letters. Conjointly, letter identification will be developed with spelling abilities.

Make-believe play helps youngsters construct their thinking skills. They will use essential cognitive abilities, with logic, to make your mind up who plays what component or how to construct a pretend fort. Make-believe play with others can teach a child self restraint also acceptable behavior. Like employing a block to signify food while cooking on Kidkraft kitchen, advanced abstract thinking abilities can begin to develop as they discover to use one thing to symbolize something else.

Read more on Chindren Development and Behavior at Child Development Forum

Photo courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rykneethling/

Technorati Tags: childrens play kitchens, educational toys, wooden educational toys

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days, making it very hard to teach a child how he or she should eat healthy.  The cheapest and easiest foods are those that are normally the least healthy.  If you give your child the choice between healthy food and junk food, you normally won’t like the results.

Study shows that kids develop eating habits comparable to those of their parents. Poor eating habits and craving for sugar snacks and fatty foods may develop if parents fail to direct the decision making process. You can’t anticipate a child to want to eat broccoli if chips are provided, or drink milk or orange juice when parents are drinking sodas. Parents can make eating a pleasure for the entire family by helping create positive attitudes about food that will lead to a lifetime of good health.

This food guide pyramid, provided by Child Development Forum, shows how to select a balanced diet and how to teach your child to make wise options:

Calorie level 1,600(Quite a few ladies and older adults)

2,200(Youngsters, teen girls, active women and most men)

2,800(Teen boys and active men)
Bread Group Servings 6(Many ladies and older adults)

9(Children, teen girls, active women and most men)

11(Teen boys and active men)
Vegetable Group Serving 3(Many ladies and older adults)

4(Youngsters, teen girls, active ladies and most men)

5(Teen boys and active men)

Fruit Group Servings 2(Several ladies and older adults)

3(Children, teen girls, active ladies and most men)

4(Teen boys and active men)
Milk Group serving 2-3(Quite a few women and older adults)

2-three(Youngsters, teen girls, active ladies and most men)

2-3(Teen boys and active men)
Meat Group Servings 2, for a total of 5 ounces (Numerous women and older adults)

2, for a total of 6 ounces (Youngsters, teen girls, active women and most men)

3 for a total of 7 ounces(Teen boys and active men)
Total Fat (grams) 53(Numerous ladies and older adults)

73(Kids, teen girls, active women and most men)

93((Teen boys and active men)
These are the calorie levels if you select low fat.lean foods from the 5 significant food groups and use foods from the fats, oils, and sweets group sparingly. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, teenagers, and young adults to age 24 need three servings. A balanced diet consists of food from every of the following food groups:

1. Grains (bread, cereal, rice, and pasta);

2. Fruit (fresh, dried, or unsweetened canned);

three. Vegetables (raw or lightly cooked);

4. Meat (meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs, and nuts); and

5. Dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese).

There are several ways to make your kids eat healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to be fun as well.  This isn’t always an easy task, because kids normally don’t like foods that are good for them.  It can however, be done with a bit of creativity, for example use Play Food Sets to explain food groups or cook pretend healthy meal at Kidkraft kitchen while playing with your little one. Hopefully, doing this will help your child develop a love of healthy foods for the rest of their lives.

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marge__napier/

Technorati Tags: childrens play kitchens, educational toys, kids play food set

Toys undoubtedly play a big part in a child’s life. Therefore, it makes sense to give the best toys to a child. However you don’t want to buy your child a toy that isn’t safe or that he isn’t going to play with. More important than that, you don’t want to buy a toy that is not safe and could be dangerous to your children’s health even threat their life.

Although KidKraft Kitchen is one of the safest toys, it’s your duty as a parent to instruct your child and make sure small play food and utensils will not be confused with the real things.

Here are some tips in regards to play food from well-known expert in safety area ConsumerReports.org:

If you have a play kitchen, be sure the play food is age-appropriate. Play food is often designed for children over age 3. It can look very realistic, and toddlers may try to eat some. Be sure you are giving your younger child play food that is large and can’t be accidentally swallowed. If you have a child older than 3 who sticks everything in his mouth, the food is enticing, or you worry about accidental ingestion, you may want to stick to the large play food for your older child as well.

Keep play in the play kitchen or play area. Be sure your child knows that the knives and forks in her play kitchen and the plastic pots, pans, and kettles on her play stove are pretend. Play kitchens are not recommended for children younger than 3. Real utensils and pots and pans should always be off-limits, because you don’t want your child to reach for your real ones and risk a burn or other injury one day.

Technorati Tags: childrens play kitchens, Pretend Play Kitchens, wooden play kitchens

School is often a challenging location for a large number of youngsters. There is quite a lot about bullies and cliques and striving to fit in throughout perhaps the most tumultuous periods in our lives. For many kids, school is considered substantially more challenging due to educational issues. Each and every boy or girl learns in a different way, and many kids will need unique educating strategies or alternative options to assist them to gain knowledge.

That is where educational toys may come to the rescue for your child. When used with a youngster who hasn’t completely lost hope in themselves, educational toys can help a child to gain confidence in their abilities. Educational toys and materials provide children with alternative ways to learn, by presenting material in various ways. Toys offer children a hands-on experience they may not receive at school and allow parents to work one-on-one with their child in a relaxed and personal setting. Some toys present information through touch, sight, and even sound at the same time, allowing children to gain information through their preferred method of learning.

Here’s some ideas from Kids & Baby Educational Toys Blog on toys parents can use to help their child leap down the path of success:

• A colorful abacus may help a child struggling with math and numbers. An abacus gives a student a concrete way to look at adding and subtracting numbers and may help the child better understand math concepts.
• Wooden blocks with colors, letters and numbers assist preschool children in learning basic academic skills in a fun way, while puzzles may help to develop and define motor skills.
• Books with colorful pictures and fun stories encourage a love of learning and reading for all ages. The benefits of parents reading to their child and with their child are undeniable.

And, of course, you can help you little ones to exercise their imaginations with KidKraft Kitchen – one of the great investments into your childs development.

Technorati Tags: Pretend Play Kitchens, wooden educational toys, wooden play kitchen

When you first assign chores for kids, it will certainly be more work for you parents than if you were completing the tasks yourself. Having a 2 or 3 year old helping out with the laundry definitely has a tendency to slow you down! However assigning children household chores is one of the best ways to build self-esteem and a feeling of competence. Regular chores establish helpful habits and good attitudes about work. Having chores also teaches valuable lessons about life and creates an understanding that there are jobs that must be done to run a household. Children who grow up perceiving chores as a normal part of life will find the flow into adulthood much easier than those without responsibility will.

Here are some tips from A-Better-Child.org for getting started with assigning chores for kids:

Break it down - When teaching chores, parents should break each one down into small parts. For example, instead of telling a child to clean his bedroom and leaving it at that, parents should list all of the things that make up the chore of cleaning the bedroom, for example, changing the sheets, picking up toys and putting them away, dusting the dresser, and vacuuming. Parents should then show their children how to do each part of the chore correctly.

Don’t do it yourself - Parents should not do their children’s work for them. If parents get frustrated and give in and do their children’s chores, children learn a number of things. First of all, children learn that their parents don’t mean what they say and will not follow through. Secondly, children learn that if they hold out long enough someone will do their chores for them. Parents should simply apply consequences until their children comply.

Don’t redo the chore -Re-doing a job is the quickest way to lose help. Just keep in mind that you need to explain the job more clearly next time, or maybe he’s not ready yet. If you absolutely can’t stand it, use it as a teaching opportunity to show your child how you would like the job done or take care of it when you are certain the child won’t catch you.

Don’t hover – When the cat’s tail is getting caught in the vacuum—jump in. However, try to allow your child the chance to do it on his own.

Let them enjoy – Children need to enjoy the sense of accomplishment that goes along with completing a task. This sense of satisfaction and feeling that they are contributing to the family is going to keep them working with you as they get older. Research shows feelings of satisfaction and contribution are much greater motivators than pay, praise or punishment!

Make it easy – If your child is to set the table, can he reach the dishes? Are the dishes breakable? Be sure the child can do the job with ease, according to size and developmental stage.

Make it Age Appropriate – “The level of expected chores should be appropriate to the child’s skill and ability. But even for very young children, helping around the house allows a child to feel like a vital part of the family.

Make the job important -Children feel rewarded by work that is seen as “needed.” Let your child know how much his effort has helped the family. Even little tasks help out.

Pretend play is a great way to start teaching your toddler doing chores. With help of play kitchen you can teach how to clear table, unload utensils from dishwasher, wash plastic dishes at sink, fix bowl of cereal etc. If handled correctly, chores for kids should really help your household to run more smoothly. In time, it will also help your children to learn responsibility and will prepare them to successfully take care of themselves once they are living on their own. Give it a try and watch your workload begin to lighten!

Technorati Tags: childrens play kitchen, educational toys, pretend-play toys

The fact that learning to cooperate is essential doesn’t mean that it’s easy. The mundane struggle to get your child to share a toy or put his coat on is part of his experimentation with what is and isn’t acceptable and his search for a balance between being a part of the group while still maintaining his sense of identity. Before the age of 3, most children aren’t able to engage in truly collaborative activities. Getting preschoolers to share and play together can be tricky too. Teachers know that the key is to set up activities that give each child a distinct role while also requiring kids to help one another. Below are helpful tips from Scholastic experts:

1. Science Lab. Ask children to solve a simple scientific study, such as which of a bunch of household items is heaviest or which float in water. One child can record predictions, another can put things on a scale, while a third can organize the items according to the results.
2. Tricycle Wash. Instead of a car wash, kids can run a trike/bike/wagon wash for the neighborhood. Each can take turns playing different roles, such as ticket/money-taker, washer, polisher, and salesperson. They can also work together on signs and banners promoting the event.
3. Buddy Tracings. Lay down a large sheet of paper and have each child take a turn lying on it while a friend traces his outline. Then they can color in each outline together and see the magic two people can create — literally.
4. Strike Up the Band. Hand out tambourines, toy guitars, bongos — whatever you have around — and encourage kids to form a musical group. Have them sing for you after they practice a little and enjoy the sound of cooperation (even if the sound it produces is cacophony).
5. Make-believe Scenes. When kids enter a pretend world and take on roles, such as playing house, they learn to work together both to create that world and what is within it. Playing with wooden play kitchen will not only help individual imaginations, but show each child that her own imaginative powers are boosted by another’s.
6. Relay and Three-legged Races. These simple physical activities require each child to trust and rely on one another for the team’s success. Blob tag is another great collaborative game.

Technorati Tags: children's toys, Pretend Play Kitchens, wooden educational toys

Very often toys with buttons, levers, lights, music, etc are marketed as “developmental” because the toy has so many different functions. “What are the educational benefits of sounds, lights and music?” – curious parents would ask themselves while choosing new toy. And believe it or not, proper answer would be “NONE“.

Unfortunately, music/lights toys often have effect opposite to developmental for the child. The more a toy does, the less your child has to do. If your child can sit and watch the toy “perform”, then it is likely more entertaining than educational. In addition, these toys can be confusing to a child who is learning cause-and-effect. If a toy randomly starts playing music, or it is unclear which button made the lights start flashing, then your child is not learning which of his actions (the cause) produced the lights and music (the effect). In short, the most useful toys are those that require the most action on the part of a young child. The more children have to use their minds and bodies to make something work, the more they learn.

Below are some ideas from ZeroToThree Blog for choosing toys that will grow with your child, challenge her, and nurture her overall development (her thinking, physical, language and social-emotional skills):

• Select toys that encourage exploration and problem-solving. Play gives children the chance to practice new skills over and over again. Toys that give kids a chance to figure something out on their own—or with a little coaching—build their logical thinking skills and help them become persistent problem-solvers. They also help children develop spatial relations skills (understanding how things fit together), hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills (using the small muscles in the hands and fingers).

Examples: Puzzles, shape-sorters, blocks, nesting blocks or cups, art materials like clay, paint, crayons or play-dough

• Look for toys that spark your child’s imagination. During your child’s third year, her creativity is really taking off as she is now able to take on the role of someone else (like a king) and imagine that something (like a block) is actually something else (like a piece of cake). Look for toys that your child can use as he develops and acts out stories. Pretend play toys, such as KidKraft kitchens, help to build language and literacy skills, problem-solving skills, and the ability to sequence (put events in a logical order).

Examples: Dress-up clothing, blocks, toy food and plastic plates, action figures, stuffed animals and dolls, trains and trucks, toddler-friendly dollhouses, toy tools, and “real-life” accessories such as a wrapping paper tube “fire hose” for your little fire fighter. The all-purpose large cardboard box is always a big hit for toddlers and is free.

• Seek out toys that encourage your child to be active. Toddlers are doing all kinds of physical tricks as they are stronger and more confident with their bodies. Your job is to be an appreciative audience for your little one’s newest playground achievement! Look for toys that help your child practice current physical skills and develop new ones.

Examples: Balls of different shapes and sizes, tricycles or three-wheeled scooters (with appropriate protective gear), plastic bowling sets, child-size basketball hoop, pull-toys (e.g., toys that your child can pull on a string), wagon to fill and pull, gardening tools to dig and rake with, moving boxes (open at both ends) to make tunnels to crawl through

Technorati Tags: developmental toys, educational toys, expert advice, Pretend Play Kitchens