A Camp Director’s Equipment
by Carolyn on 8/08/10 | 0 Comment(s)
I take my job as mommy pretty seriously so I like to go with the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared!” When my kids were young, I was always overpacking the diaper bag. Now with a few years of experience under my belt, these are the things I consider essentials on our daily mommy day [...]
Pregnant? Brooklyn Moms Tell All
by Karen on 7/22/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Are you pregnant or a new parent? There’s a lot to think about: birth options: a doula, midwife, which hospital, postpartum doulas, products, daycare, nannies (how to find them), best pediatricians, lactation consultants and more. Argh- it’s enough to create a minor panic attack.
So, that’s where we come in. I, Chana from babybites Brooklyn and [...]
How to start a babysitting co-op
by Karen on 7/07/10 | 7 Comment(s)
You might have heard about babysitting cooperatives only recently, but they have actually been around since the 1970’s. Back then, groups of parents figured out that babysitting co-ops were beneficial: a parent would babysit for another family’s child and, in return, they could also get a free night of babysitting from any of the families [...]
EWG’s List of 9 tips to reduce environmentally-induced cancer
by Karen on 6/28/10 | 0 Comment(s)
The Environmental Working Group sent out an email this morning that I thought was really important to relay to you all:
You may have heard that the President’s Cancer Panel issued a landmark report last month suggesting that public health officials have “grossly underestimated” the extent of environmentally-induced cancer among the 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with [...]
Tribeca Pediatrics announces Tribeca Parenting
by Karen on 6/17/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Back in May we wrote about one of our favorite parenting resources, Realbirth,, closing. We got wind that a new entity called Tribeca Parenting was going to open up with some of the former Realbirth teachers. This week we got an email from Tribeca Pediatrics about the launch of Tribeca Parenting. Good luck and great [...]
Self-run parent camp: how to make it work for all of you
by Karen on 6/10/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Parent Camp by Alice Kaltman
Ah, the lazy days of summer. No more teachers, no more books. No more lunches to pack, no more mad dash to get to pre-school or grade school on time to avoid those teachers’ dirty looks.
At first it feels great to have a more relaxed schedule, to revel in the break [...]
Pumping: when, how and why
by Karen on 5/12/10 | 0 Comment(s)
I remember when my sister first pulled out her backpack-style breastpump, strapped on her bustier and the pump cups and turned the machine on- all while she was giving me some sisterly advice. To her, it was like nothing was going on…to me, it was like: Woah! what are all those tubes and how is [...]
How much sleep should my child be getting?
by Karen on 5/03/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Here I am again. Up late, exhausted and at wit’s end. I put Willow down to sleep only to find her sitting up in her crib still an hour later. Birch insists on coming down for a “second dinner”- and, while I admit I enjoy his company while I clean the kitchen, I know these [...]
iphones, blackberries? Why the parent in you should put them down
by Karen on 4/28/10 | 4 Comment(s)
Staying Present in the Era of Distraction. Turn Off and Tune In
by Alice Kaltman
When I get sullen, rejecting glares from my teenage daughter while my younger parent friends get unreserved affection and boundless enthusiasm from their toddlers I turn a little green with envy.
But I don’t always envy today’s younger generation of parents. I especially [...]
I Love You No Matter What
by Karen on 4/01/10 | 6 Comment(s)
The other night I left Birch and Willow for 2 hours with a new babysitter. When I returned the babysitter told me that Birch had hit Willow three times. Three times! I was surprised to hear this. Yes, he used to take swipes at Willow, but he hadn’t done that in a month. We [...]
How to help your kid have healthy self esteem
by Karen on 3/25/10 | 0 Comment(s)
How to help your kid have healthy self esteem by Donna Fish
What parent doesn’t want their kid to feel good about themselves? You know that commercial with the little kid batting the ball saying: “I am the best hitter in the world!” or , “I am the best pitcher in the world!”, with the [...]
Chubby Babies: too fat?
by Jill on 3/23/10 | 0 Comment(s)
In spite of today’s story in the New York Times science section, “Baby Fat May Not Be So Cute After All,” I still think chubby babies are cute…and right on target. But Roni Rabin reports that we should be actively concerned with obesity in our children from, and even before, day one. “More and more [...]
Spotted: BoCoCa this weekend
by Karen on 3/22/10 | 3 Comment(s)
Boerum Park cool
This is the debut of “Spotted!”, a weekly photo digest that features kids’ and parents’ style in one neighborhood of Brooklyn. Editorial comments are mainly the photographer’s, Justine Cooper, but I stuck my 2 cents in too!
Viv, JJ Byrne Park: knows how to style a headband and black sneaks
(L) Will, JJ Byrne Park: [...]
Babies in Bars: The debate roars on
by Karen on 3/02/10 | 2 Comment(s)
This debate comes up every month or so- whether it is on a blog, parenting forum like Brooklynian or a parenting list serve. Read all of the 1127 comments (as of 10:21 pm tonight) from the CNN article about Brooklyn bars and babies and you will find a lot of mean-spirited and vitriolic comments. Sigh…so [...]
The winning books that might make your Reading List
by Karen on 2/23/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Last October I was sent the above pictured 5 books with the request that I read and evaluate all of them within 2. 5 months as a judge for the Books for a Better Life Awards. You can imagine that my holidays weren’t spent going to many holiday parties, but curled up on the couch, [...]
My favorite “To Do” Lists
by Karen on 2/16/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Are you a list maker? Lists are a great way to stay organized, feel accomplishment and make your crazy life feel structured. So, if you aren’t a list maker, maybe this is the time for you to try one- and I have some cool ones for you here.
I am a virgo- which I think pretty [...]
Playdates that go badly- new babies, toddlers and dogs
by Karen on 2/08/10 | 0 Comment(s)
I read and am grateful for all the parenting listserves that I am on in Brooklyn. You can hear advice, ask questions and even buy and sell kids’ items. On one of the yahoo listserves, a parent asked about aggression in toddlers. As a mother of a young baby, she wanted to know if a [...]
Is Overparenting “over”?
by Karen on 11/23/09 | 0 Comment(s)
There is a really good article in Time Magazine about overparenting. Is helicopter parenting “over”?
“And so there is now a new revolution under way, one aimed at rolling back the almost comical overprotectiveness and overinvestment of moms and dads. The insurgency goes by many names — slow parenting, simplicity parenting, free-range parenting — but the [...]
How To Help Siblings Get Along
by Karen on 11/11/09 | 0 Comment(s)
Alice Kaltman, one of our Experts in parent coaching, gave a successful talk this last Saturday about siblings and how they interact. She agreed to give us some of the text for the blog. Her next talk is on December 5th, on “Raising Only Children”- – hear how how it is possible to [...]
