Phonics Lab Demo
The GeoSafari Phonics Lab is a great way to learn the English language. Kids can work independently to learn the alphabet, sounds and 3 letter words.
Uberstix
We just love the Uberstix construction toys and their newest offering will be available soon. Checkout the Uberstix Monorail which will be available in November. First saw the prototype in NYC at Toy Fair this past winter and loved it. Now the kit will finally be here and you can construct your own monorail at home. Includes powered engine and car designed to go up to 30-degree grades.
Uberstix sets are great because you can combine a variety of recycled materials to build something new. If you have other construction sets such as Knex, Lego and Erector then with Uberstix you can put them all together.
Jishaku Strategy Game
Hematite is a fun magnetic form of iron oxide. Jishaku is a fun strategy game using a 3 x 5 grid of hematite stones. The goal is to place your stones in the grid without attracting other stones. Sounds easy, but it’s not! This great strategy game has won the National Parenting Seal of Approval, iParenting media award, Mr. Dad seal of approval and lots of great recognition. Jishaku makes a great travel game.
Ants!
We get a lot of questions about ant farms, so would like to answer some of the most common questions:
Q: Can I order ants with the farm and have them arrive at the same time
A: No, unfortunately, you can’t as the ants are shipped completely separately and must be ordered with the coupon enclosed in the farm.
Q: Where do I get ants
A: If you purchased a kit from us, a coupon was enclosed. If you need to order more ants or don’t have a coupon you can order online at http://www9.mailordercentral.com/unclemilton/products.asp?dept=1001 It’s also a lot of fun for kids to collect ants from outside, just be sure that they are big enough so they don’t escape!
Q: Where do I get a queen ant
A: Federal regulations prohibit selling queen ants, so only worker ants are available
Q: What kind of ants are they
A: The ants from Uncle Milton (the ant farms) are harvester ants
Q: How long will the ants live
A: They should live between 1 and 3 months depending on care
Q: What do ants eat
A: be sure to give them enough water and once a week a tiny bit of bread, dead bugs or fruit
FunSlides Carpet Skates
Carpet Skates are a great indoor skating toy. Enjoy sliding across the floor, dancing and just plain goofing off. If you have a large basement or playroom, these are for you! Buy Carpet Skates online at http://www.newhorizontoys.com/carpet-fun-slides.html
Mother’s Day Poem
Your mother is always with you…
She’s the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street.
she’s the smell of bleach
in your freshly laundered socks.
she’s the cool hand on your brow
when you’re not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She’s crystallized in every tear drop.
she’s the place you came from,
your first home…
She’s the map you follow
with every step that you take.
she’s your first love
and your first heartbreak…
and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space…
Not even death…
will ever separate you
from your mother…
You carry her inside of you..
~Author Unknown
Communication Tips for Better Relationships with Your Children
Here are some ideas on how to have deeper communication with your children. Thanks to my daughter’s school for including these in their latest newsletter and making them available for us to share!
- Set aside everything when you are talking to them. Multi-tasking is necessary to get everything done in the house, but when you are talking with your children set aside all of that (the to-do list, laundry, meal planning, scheduling, etc….). Be in the moment 100%. Your children deserve no less.
- Discover the need driving their behavior. Instead of being frustrated by their behavior, have compassion. Ask them questions “What do you need?” or “How can I help?”. Respond by giving them what they need. However, your job is to eventually help them understand what they need and discover ways to meet their own needs.
- Allow your child to feel what she feels. Feelings are neither right nor wrong, they just are. However, this doesn’t mean you have to agree with her! We shut down communication when we try to take away or deny our child’s feelings.
- Empathize with your child. Take time to hear the feelings behind the words. Think about how might you be feeling if you were your child. Feed it back to them using phrases like: “It sounds like…” or “It looks like…”
We all long for more meaningful relationships in our lives. It is our job to teach our children how to create them.
