Learning made easier

I recently discovered a site that would definitely get kids interested in learning about what they might consider boring in the classroom. DNA? Can't see it or feel it, they might say. But BrainPop makes it easier to understand.  According to the site, BrainPop was conceived by Dr. Avraham Kadar, MD, an immunologist and pediatrician, as a creative way to explain difficult concepts to his young patients.

With colourful and animated graphics and two rather cool characters Tim and Moby the robot presenting you the facts, your child will be hooked to clicking non-stop to discover the various sections like Science, Math, Health, Social Studies, Engineering & Tech and Arts & Music.

After watching, listening and reading, there are activities and quizzes you can take too.

What's good about this site is that it allows you to register for a free trial before you decide to subscribe. To subscribe, you can choose from the different packages available according to age groups or how you plan to use the programme - homeschool, family, media lab, or virtual school for instance.

It does not require any downloading, installation or special hardware. It is fully compatible with interactive whiteboards, learner response systems, projectors, Macs, and PCs.

You can take a tour of the child-friendly site here as well as see their full list of topics here.

For the love of noodles

My son loves noodles - be it flat rice noodles or yellow wheat noodles. However, trying to get those long wormy strands into his tiny-sized mouth is always challenging. Until recently, if we're dining at a proper restaurant (versus at a self-served food court) I would request for his noodles to be cut before they are served.

But this is no longer necessary as we're now prepared and ready for noodles of any kind. The solution: a noodle cutter set by Combi. I did not even realize that something like this exists until I stumbled upon it at an obscure baby shop near our place. It may not look like it would do a good job but it works great and we have yet to come across any type of noodles that the gadget can't snip up. Conveniently packed in a small case which fits a spoon as well, we never leave home without it nowadays as who knows what life would serve up! Check out the product here: Combi. It costs around S$6.90 at most children retail stores.

iPhone apps toddlers love

I loved my Blackberry. Very much. But recently I had to give that up for an iPhone. There are many reasons for that but one main factor that contributed to the conversion is the fact that in less than 3 weeks' my husband and I would be going on a 26-hour plane ride across continents for both work and visit with family. This means we will have to keep our 20-month old boy occupied for half of that time (considering snooze hours). Sure, we're packing Duplos, books, matchbox vehicles but we all know how fast kids that age get tired of things. So we want to be prepared - with fun and educational applications on our mobile devices.

So here are some which my son (and we) approves of:

Free:

1. Talking Tom (who doesn't have Talking Tom on their phone???) - a cat that mimics your speech in kitty pitch
2. Peekaboo Barn - lets the little one guess the animal based on the sound it makes. The free version features 4 barn animals
3. Animals 360 - we love this one! It features real life pictures of wild animals with the sound they make

For purchase:

1. Old MacDonald by Duck Duck Moose ($1.99) - interactive features to the tune of, well, Old MacDonald.
2. Wheels on the Bus by Duck Duck Moose ($1.99) - interactive fun to the tune of song of the same name
3. Dr Seuss' selected books (we have Green Eggs and Ham) - interactive with narration option. The price ranges from $2.99 - 3.99

This is what I've on my phone right now and if you know of any that you'd like to share with us, leave us a note on the comment section.

If the shoe fits...

Firstly, I must admit that this post is slightly off-focus from what our Two Skinny Moms blog is about. I'm not sharing the skinny on any particular shoes for kids or adults but I had just read a fellow mommy's latest post in her blog where she shared this video from YouTube and I thought it'd be good to share it here.

YouTube is one great source for tips, information, and other how-to and hands-on demos on various things. Of course there are millions of other less positive, unhelpful, destructive and junk in that site too but that's not for discussion here.

This video is helpful for all parents when buying shoes for their children (and themselves too!). Many a time, we end up buying shoes that are too tight or narrow thinking that a tighter fit would prevent our precious ones from tripping. Or we buy them one size larger because we think that they will grow into them very quickly and thus last longer.

Watch this and learn:

Nasal aspirations

When one has a head cold, the most challenging time of the day is at night when the stuffed up nose finds little reprieve for a decent night's sleep. This is especially frustrating for a little one who has yet to learn the skill of blowing the nose. I remember when I was a child, my mother would rub Vicks Vaporub on my philtrum (just under the nose) which ended up being a nuisance rather than an aid to my breathing as the balm would burn my skin.

However, such affairs are of the past for kids today as we now have many other options available for the same purpose. When I need some help to clear out my nasal passages, I would turn to either eucalyptus or peppermint oil. But these oils in their pure form may be too strong for little bodies. While an aspirator may be helpful when the tyke is awake, it is difficult to aspirate when he is asleep.

That's where Karvol Decongestant Capsules come in. These oil capsules have a vapor action that helps relieve blocked noses for children from 3 months old on. Click Karvol for more information. They are easy to use - simply snip the top off of the capsule and dab the content onto a handkerchief tied securely near to but out of reach of the child. What I do is I dab it onto my baby's pajama collar and onto his pillow.As it is made of a unique combination of aromatic oils including pine, cinnamon and menthol, it smells pretty good!

Karvol is retailed at most major pharmacies at around S$9 and they come in a box of 12 capsules.

A fun way to drink milk

If you find it troublesome to cater to the differing tastebuds your kids have for milk, you might want to try a different way of pleasing your milk guzzlers by using Sipahh milk flavoring straws. Rather than having to stock up on cartons of various flavored milk such as chocolate for kid no.1, strawberry for kid no.2 and plain for kid no.3, or having to buy chocolate or other flavored syrups to mix with milk, these milk flavoring straws might just be your savior.

Sipahh milk flavoring straws were invented by a man named Peter Baron and was first sold in Australia in 2005. The straw is filled with flavored beads, called UniBeads. According to the Sipahh website, "as the milk is sipped through Sipahh, the UniBeads dissolve and turn boring white milk into a healthy snack that everyone can enjoy".

The website also lists the flavors that are available (they vary by country):

Chocolate
Choc Mint
Choc Honeycomb
Strawberry
Cookies & Cream
Honeycomb
Banana
Choc Banana
Toffee Apple
Vanilla
Caramel

Check out the website here for more details and on how to use the straw.

The skinny:

1. Convenience - you need to only stock up on just one flavor i.e. plain milk, be it full cream, skim, low fat, goat's milk or milk alternatives like soy. No need to buy sticky flavored syrups or powders that you need to mix or stir into milk. Less worry on expiry dates, wastage of unfinished milk.  Easier to stock up on straws that take up less space and don't require refrigeration.

2. Handy - each box contains 10 individually-wrapped straws. They can be easily packed into your bag or picnic basket when you're on the go.

3. No wastage - each straw is good for one portion of milk (200-250ml) your child usually drinks.

4. Relatively safe - each straw contains no preservatives, less than ½ teaspoon of sugar and is gluten free. It is suitable for vegetarians and also "helps deliver the goodness of milk including protein, calcium and riboflavin" according to the website. However, like all man-made products, its ingredients have added flavor (non-artificial), color (natural) and sweetener.

5. Pricing - reasonable

6. Choice - too many flavors to choose from, especially if the country you live in offers a wider range.

7. Hygienic and green - each straw is individually wrapped and good for one use only. They are recyclable. Each Sipahh is manufactured according to strict quality standards and under HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point) conditions. Sipahh is also FDA (Food & Drug Administration) safety compliant in the USA.

8. Best used with cold or room temperature milk.

9. Fun - it's quite a novelty at first for your kids to drink milk using these straws. My daughter who usually drinks a portion of less than 200 ml of milk had actually asked me for a top-up when she noticed there were still some undissolved UniBeads left in the straw after finishing about 150ml of milk. They might also be eager to drink more milk simply because they want to try out the different flavors. My daughter likes the chocolate and strawberry but not the banana or caramel.

Check out their FAQs here.

Finally, if you're like me, wondering why on earth this product is strangely named Sipahh, it's just simply this:

"Simply dip into cold milk, Sip, and say Ahh!"

On the road with Ergo

Most if not all baby experts would recommend that we wear our babies as much as possible from the moment they are born. There are many good and practical reasons to wear your baby - check out Babywearing International for more information.

We started carrying our son in a carrier soon after he got home from the hospital. Our first carrier was the Evenflo Snugli. This was a reasonable-priced alternative to the more popular Baby Bjorn. Our baby started out facing in and when he was old enough around 3 months, he put him in facing out. The first time he faced out, he was so thrilled that he kicked his legs furiously when we took him out for a walk! The Snugli carrier worked well for us the first few months but when our son's weight started to progress around about the fifth month, having him in the carrier for more than 10 minutes would strain our shoulders so much that it hurts. Besides, the Snugli has a weight limit - for babies up to 26 lbs. (Note that my son was nowhere near 26 lbs and his weight was already killing my shoulders!)

Hence we went on a quest for a carrier that is more back and shoulders friendly. After sifting through reviews online we decided on the ErgoBaby. And we loved it from the first moment we used it!

Here's the skinny:

The weight limit of the ErgoBaby carrier is a whopping 40 lbs (18 kgs). This means, our son can easily fit in that thing till he's 2 or older. Great way to calm him down after a bout of activity outside. Our son now weighs almost 24 lbs and it's still very easy to carry him around. No strain or sore whatsoever on our shoulders. This carrier works extremely well for us as it is challenging to use the stroller at a lot of places around Singapore.

Other than carrying the baby in the front, you can also piggy-back baby or carry her on the side. Check it out here at ErgoBaby. Our son loves to be carried in the back! Great help when we're at the grocery store where it's crowded and busy. Little tot's hands are free to explore and touch the fruits and vegetables on sale but he is not able to sip around freely on his own.

The ErgoBaby Sport that we got is made of lightweight cotton material unlike many other carriers and this is greatly appreciated in the hot and humid weather condition where we are. When our son is finally tired and needs a nap, the carrier comes with a sleep hood that you use over the sleepy head as he naps restfully against his mommy or daddy's body.

For more tips on what to look for in a baby carrier, check out the babywearing website. Meanwhile, we are glad that ours will serve still serve us for a while.

My First Question and Answer Book

Some children's reference or general knowledge books tend to be too wordy, over-intense in terms of the content, and crowded with small print with boring pictures and layout.

When I found this book two years ago for my then five-year-old daughter, I was quite surprised and pleased as it is very colorful with lots of white space, yet containing attractive and descriptive pictures. Most of all, it is easy to read with simple yet adequate facts for pre-school or elementary school kids to understand.

Although it's quite thick (512 pages), the book is properly organised with 18 categories. Each category has its own table of contents, with an additional general index at the back. Every question is answered in two pages with short paragraphs, and sidebar facts and trivia.



It also contains activity boxes that encourage the child to think and probe further.



Subjects covered in this book: space, planet Earth, oceans, weather, science, inventions, your body, dinosaurs, bugs, reptiles and amphibians, birds, mammals, ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, Vikings, knights and castles, pirates and finally explorers.

This book is published by Miles Kelly Publishing (ISBN 978-1-84236-914-2).

Music for all in the family

Many of us have probably heard of the Mozart effect where it is believed that listening to classical music would boost the intelligence of your baby. While researchers may have debunked it recently, one cannot deny that music definitely has some kind of effect on the little ones. That is why many of us hum, sing or play the lullabies to our cherubs at bedtime. In a separate study in New York, however, it was found that music boosts memory retrieval in young infants (this was reported in an issue of The America Association of Pediatrics’s newsletter).

Regardless of the benefits listening to certain kinds of music, my husband and I both decided before our son was born that we want to expose him to a diverse genres of music – especially the ones that we love which covers a pretty broad range between husband and me. After all, who would inherit all our CD collection if not him, our singleton? But playing a White Stripe CD to a 2-month old baby would seem rather inappropriate. Besides we would not want to deprive him of the silliness of three escaping blind mice or Old MacDonald and his farm. But we want to heed the warning that one day demands will be made for a same song to be played over and over again. So, is there a way to compromise between a toddler’s wants and his parents’ tolerance for the same song the 100^th time?

Then, we found a series of jazz CD's which claims to have songs for kids which won't drive parents crazy when they are played for the 20 millionth time - Jazz for Kids. What it is is jazzy renditions of fun and silly kiddie songs. We ordered one from the series, Jazz for Kids: Sing, Clap, Wiggle and Shake, and WE loved it! Our son first heard it when he was 3-month old and he still loves it today after a year. His all-time favorites from the album are Old McDonald (Ella Fitzgerald) and Ain't nobody here but us chickens (Louis Jordan). I personally love it, too, being a diehard jazz lover. We subsequently got a few other similar ones including Nicky’s Jazz for Kids and Miss Ella’s Playhouse.

If jazz if not your cup of tea - never mind - they also have Motown for Kids and Johnny Cash for Kids (if you’re into Country music). The next one on our list to purchase is Barenaked Ladies’ Snacktime.

For a sample of how some of these albums sound, go to Amazon.com, search for the album by name and listen to the one minute clip of all songs on the album. Good fun – for the kids and you. Enjoy!

Good for guts

A little over a month ago, my then 15-month old son had a bad case of gastroenteritis. After spending two days at the hospital, he was allowed to go home armed with some antibiotics. However, our pediatrician (as much as we like him, we wished he's not a man of so few words!), failed to warn us that the little guy's gut will take weeks to fully recover from the infection and that we should continue to give him probiotics supplement even though his runs have stopped. Soon the damage caused by our cherub's infection resulted in his temporary lactose intolerance and yeast infection. To make things worse, a mere ten days later, he had another bout of diarrhea. The probiotics that we have been giving him did not seem to help much.

Then, I was let in on a secret by a fellow mom who is a nurse (I later discovered that this was really a public secret as many parents already knew about this. So this post is for the benefit of those who, like me, have somehow missed that boat!) The secret was a highly effective and beneficial strain of probiotics called Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) found in a product called LactoGG. Click here to the site. Though slightly more expensive than other OTC probiotics, I have found that the relief it brings to my little boy's gut (and mine, from the anxiety of parenting a sick child!) far outweighs the extra cost.

A day after we started the little guy on it, his condition began to improve and by the second day, his yeast infection was gone and his runs got more infrequent. Soon, he was back to his normal self. Informed now that it takes a while for his gut to heal completely, we plan to continue to give him a capsule of LactoGG a day by adding it into his yogurt at snack time. It has been a while since I last rave about anything this way but I would recommend LactoGG even as a regular supplement. Great thing about it is that it works for adults, too.

We found it at a neighborhood pharmacy retailing around S$68 for a box of 30 capsules: