Hi, I’m Tim Sisarich and just recently I went in search for a couple of sets of cowboy guns for my four-year old boys.

You know, the kind with the wide belt and twin holsters.

I hadn’t gone out of my way not to buy them buy guns up to this point.

Nor do I really have any staunch view of the dangers of boys and guns ... it's just sort of the way it turned out.

So I popped into the local toyshop to discover that the only guns they sold were strange looking space lasers, with flashy buttons, lights and sounds.

They didn’t even look like guns!

To my surprise, they inform me that they don’t stock those sorts of guns ... Nor did any of the other 6 toy stores I went to.

Can you believe that? ... read more >>

Being the great water sports people that we are, we decided to make sure that Pyper learnt to swim and could “hold her own” in the water so to speak!!!
Therefore we enrolled her in swimming, this became something very important especially when in NZ and Australia lots of children die as a result of being around water no matter in what capacity. Also little ones love water, so as a precursor to taking to taking her to the pools she learnt two valuable lessons which where – Dad is going to get me completely wet and it’s a matter of time until I go to learn properly since Dad taught himself to swim and not very well, so don’t learn from him. ... read more >>

It's the head bobbing back and forth. Or is it the hands waving uncontrollably? Or is it the heavy steps? Or is it the smile? Or is it the drool? Or is it the wonder in his eyes? Or is it the intent on his face?

There really is something incredibly special and fun about watching a toddler run. Do it sometime. Just watch him or her run around. JD goes from room to room, chasing me or my wife, running away from me playing monster, or going to the door when the doorbell rings.

Sometimes he'll run down the hallway and stop before reaching the living room and peek around the corner to see what's there.

Sometimes he'll run into the room, smile and screech, turn around and run the other way.

Sometimes he'll run full force into my crotch, forehead and fists first.

He trips, falls, and gets back up. A great adventure is finding a ramp that he can run up, turn around, then run back down, repeat. Over and over. ... read more >>

Summer is a great time for going to the movies. But don’t just drop your kids off and hope they’ll make the right choice when they get inside the theater. Go with them. Steer your kids to movies that are fun and uplifting, instead of scary or violent. Talk to your kids about the content of this summer’s movies.

To ensure the best experience possible, fathers need to know which flicks their families should go see and which should be avoided.

For some great websites to help you screen and determine which movies will best bring you and your kids together, click here.

Posted with permission from www.allprodad.com

Did you know that honey is potentially lethal for babies of up to 12 months? This week there was a story on the German news wire (DPA) about the various problems of giving honey to babies. "Babies up to 12 months should not eat honey as it could contain certain bacteria that release "Botulinumtoxin", a neurotoxin which can lead to severe food poisoning", according to Antje Gahl who works for the German Nutrition Society.

Gahl was keen to stress that there is no need to panic but that parents should check baby food that may contain honey. To be on the safe said she suggested to avoid honey as a food for babies altogether. Gahl said that honey was safe to eat for toddlers from about 1 year onwards as their digestive system is fully developed and can neutralise the toxins. ... read more >>

There is so much worry about child abuse today, that many people are afraid to give their children the loving care they need, for fear of being accused of abuse. A certain amount of sexual play is common in preschool children, and it is easy to confuse a child’s normal sexual behaviour with signs of possible sexual abuse.
Most well adjusted children will customarily pass through several stages of sexual interest and play.

Small babies may discover that touching their genitals can feel good, and can be comforting. As far as they are concerned, it is rather like sucking their thumb or rubbing their nose - they won’t attach any other meaning to these actions. Baby boys may have erect penises when nappies are removed.

Many two-year-olds will show an interest in the way boys and girls urinate, and in the physical differences between the sexes. ... read more >>

The human brain is particularly susceptible to the effects of poor nutrition during the early years of development, and most preschool diets are either average or impoverished.[1]

Young brains need many nutrients for learning. Food additives and Deficiencies in some nutrients have been linked to ADD and ADHD.

Some guidelines that can help are:
No Soft Drinks - At least till the age of 5, and then only as an occasional treat. Replace Soft drinks with Water, Natural Fruit Juices (Without corn Syrup or Fructose Sweeteners), and Low fat Milk.
Limit Potato Chips, Donuts, Pop-Tarts, and Cookies. These should be a treat and healthier alternatives like whole grain pretzels or baked chips, fruits like bananas, sliced apples, grapes, and watermelon are ideal snack choices. ... read more >>

The other day, the most amazing thing happened. Noah stopped breast feeding by himself. It happened from one day to another - he suddenly just looked at mum's breasts and started playing with them (there's my boy) rather than sucking. He simply wasn't interested anymore - this also resolved many other things as we found out a few days later.

The first thing that changed after our little champ stopped breast feeding was that he went from having a poo every few days to 3 a day. This was actually a great change for us as we've been worried about his bowel motions for a while. It's all changed now and he fills his nappy regularly. Obviously it is hard to say whether this is a result of the weaning or a result of him eating more solids. Either way it's a great result. ... read more >>

My daughters, all of two and three years old, think it's the height of comedy to walk up to me, point at my face, and insult me. Really. I'm getting insulted by pre-schoolers, and I blame Bill Cosby.

The girls like to watch Little Bill, a cartoon that Bill Cosby created (and, coincidentally, my cousin Shauna animated for. Shauna was the talent behind those beautiful pictures of Clara and her toy trains last year.) In one particular episode, a new kid who likes to toss around insults comes to Little Bill's school. He walks up to Little Bill and says, "You're a peanut-head!" As an objective observer, I'd have to agree that Little Bill's head is shaped just like a peanut, but that's neither here nor there. Little Bill gets his feelings hurt and his dad shows him how to deal with mean kids. ... read more >>

Gill Connell has been involved in education in New Zealand for almost 30 years. She is a primary trained teacher (TTC. ATCL) and very experienced in early childhood.

She is presently working as a consultant in her own educational business where she regularly runs professional development courses and in-service workshops for early childhood and primary teachers, parents and caregivers talking about the importance of movement and learning. She is the NZ teacher trainer for Perceptual Motor Programming – a movement programme many schools in New Zealand are implementing.
She is also invited to speak on a regular basis at Colleges of Educations, Kindergarten Associations, SPELD, Parent Centres and many other organizations, throughout New Zealand, in the Pacific Islands and recently in Europe. ... read more >>