Mom, Do I look Fat?
by Karen on 7/29/10 | 2 Comment(s)
“Mom, Do I look Fat?” by Donna Fish
Anyone out there deal with this one yet? (I am writing today for those with girls in that 8 – 13, 14 year old range.)
If you have trained yourself to stop saying: “Do I look fat in this?” out loud, particularly in front of your daughter, hoping to [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Whip your body into shape & help your kids academically this summer
by Karen on 6/16/10 | 2 Comment(s)
If you’re anything like I am, I need some major help getting my body in shape after having babies: both physically and nutritionally. One of our new Directory Listings can do just that. Michelle Hobgood, the owner of Fusion Fitness & Wellness, offers quite a few ways to get started: Ultimate Body Boot Camp, Mamas [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
5 Cool Tech Tools for Organizing
by Karen on 10/21/09 | 0 Comment(s)
5 cool tools to ramp up productivity!
by Amanda Wiss
Though improving productivity is often about little tweaks rather than a single magic bullet, there are many resources that help corral the chaos of life.
Five tools I love:
1. Ready to take your “to do list” virtual? Check out Remember The Milk – a free online to [...]
When Can A Baby Sleep Though the Night?
by Karen on 10/05/09 | 0 Comment(s)
Dr. Gilgoff, our blog pediatrician, tackles the “sleep issue” for us: when is it okay to sleep train? Should we sleep train? If so, what are the best methods? We sleep trained Birch at 10 months and Willow at 9 months. I still feel badly that we ended up having to put Willow through [...]
How To Find A Moms Group
by Karen on 9/10/09 | 0 Comment(s)
I went to a “New Mom’s Group” today that meets in the park in my neighborhood. Today there were so many babies, and a lot of interesting women who were all sharing this same experience together: having a baby. Sometimes you go and you connect with only one other mom, and sometimes it is a [...]
New Parents Group for South Brooklyn
by Karen on 6/24/09 | 2 Comment(s)
Hey! There’s another new Yahoo Group that started for Southern Brooklyn parents…..now, this means for those that live in South Brooklyn- not Brooklynites from the South of the U.S.!
Here is their description and URL.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbrooklynparents
“Southern Brooklyn Parents” is…
“A group for parents and expecting parents who live in South Brooklyn (Marine Park, Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, [...]
Advice For Pregnant Women (and not so pregnant ones)
by Karen on 6/23/09 | 0 Comment(s)
Since I am going to speak to expectant parents tonight, (through Babybites.com) being pregnant has been on my mind. I remember how exciting and unnerving the whole experience was. It was the first time I didn’t know my body. As I write this, I am sitting in my workout clothes with no actual plan [...]
Father’s Day Ode
by Karen on 6/19/09 | 1 Comment(s)
I am SO excited for Soho Parenting! They have a new blog with the brilliant title of ParenTalk. They are cross-posting from their blog to ours, but they also have additional content that is original. As you know, Soho Parenting is smart, practical, insightful and just, darn good. Here is a Father’s Day Ode that [...]
How To Organize A Pantry
by Karen on 6/12/09 | 5 Comment(s)
Full disclosure: I had tried reordering it myself three times, my sister once, a babysitter once and my husband….hmm…never! So, we decided it was more time-effective to hire Amanda to do it for us. I LOVE to open my pantry now, though I still hate to cook!
10 Steps to Clearing the Clutter from your Pantry
by [...]
Blog Expert’s New Brooklyn Office and 30 minute Coaching
by Karen on 6/08/09 | 0 Comment(s)
Ahh, doesn’t this look relaxing? A moment on the couch? This blog’s Expert, Alice Kaltman, has bought a new couch for you! That is, a new couch for her new Brooklyn office in Boerum Hill. (Otherwise she is in her downtown Manhattan office). She can help you with: Transition to Parenthood Coaching, Parent Coaching, Family [...]
Is Child-Centered Parenting Over?
by Karen on 6/08/09 | 1 Comment(s)
Do you see people signing up for less classes, being less concerned with doing every possible thing they can for their babies and children? Is there is a trend towards “slow parenting”? Some think it has to do with our economic climate, others think that child-centered parenting is just over. And, it’s about time, they [...]
The K5- a New York Elementary School Site
by Karen on 6/03/09 | 0 Comment(s)
I got an email from a teacher at PS 3 in the West Village. Otis Kriegel has created a website called The K5 that, for the most part, is made up of 1.5-5 minute videos aimed to help parents of elementary school age children (grades K-5).
I chose one of the videos I really like: how [...]
Can You Get Kids To Do What You Want?
by Karen on 5/27/09 | 0 Comment(s)
My deepest apologies to Alice Kaltman for letting this post out of the bag early last week! I mistakenly sent it to some subscribers over the weekend….I guess I was relaxing too much. It is worth taking both a first and second read at any rate- it is an EXCELLENT article.
The Dream Team: Advanced Preparation [...]
Kindergarten: Where Is The Play?
by Karen on 5/21/09 | 1 Comment(s)
“It’s not irresponsible to infuse play into the lives of our families. It’s just the opposite; it’s the training ground for responsible adulthood….. Play gives you the ability to be more flexible and adaptable and resilient, all of which enables you to handle an unexpected world better.”
This sounds like common sense, right? These quotes are [...]
Is It Okay That My Kid Talks To Himself?
by Karen on 5/20/09 | 0 Comment(s)
So, I admit I do these dips into neurotic musings that something is wrong with my kids. The neurosis of the month seems to be Birch’s talking to himself. Anyone else wondering if this is normal?
I found lots of research about this. In one sentence, “Children’s private speech is better than harmless: it’s positively [...]
How To Answer When Your Child Asks “Why?”
by Karen on 5/19/09 | 2 Comment(s)
My friend G and I were rolling our eyes the other day as both of our kids delightedly asked us “why” with every move we made. “Why do we have to go?” “Why do I need shoes?” “Why can’t I stay here?” The “why” period is enough to make even the most patient parent insane. [...]
A Fresh Start For Mother’s Day
by Karen on 5/11/09 | 3 Comment(s)
How was your Mother’s Day? I’m curious to know what some of you did….
I was all game to go to the Affordable Art Fair for Mother’s Day and then I backed out the night before. You know what I did instead? I slept in. However, just in the middle of diving into a nice [...]
Nominated for Best Local Blog on ParentsConnect
by Karen on 5/10/09 | 5 Comment(s)
First- Happy Mother’s Day to everyone. I hope you have the very best Mother’s Day!
Whopeeeee! I have been nominated by Nickelodeon’s Parentsconnect.com for Best Local Blog for Brooklyn. I feel like I am in the running for Homecoming Queen (which of course I never was). So, hoping to win something in my lifetime, I am [...]
A Child Grows Event Picks
by Karen on 4/23/09 | 1 Comment(s)
The benefit of putting this Picks list together every week is that I get a sneak peek at upcoming events and it gets me thinking about what we are going to do this weekend (other than lying around in PJs- which is always my favorite). This weekend, I plan on seeing Nursery University, a [...]
