A Child Grows To Do List

Are you a list maker? Some people love ‘em and others hate ‘em. I’m a virgo- which pretty much means I are doomed to make lists my whole life. But, I am glad- whenever I cross something off of my list- I feel soooo “together”- and I sure do need that feeling sometimes! If you aren’t a list maker, maybe the new year is the time for you to try one- and I have some cool ones I have found.

Just to prove how absurd my list-making has become, I have fine-tuned my own over the years. I designed it with 3 headings. “CALL/EMAIL, DO and GO.” If I have 10 minutes to make calls, I  look at my “CALL/EMAIL” list and just plow through them. When I need to run errands, I fold my list up, slide it into my purse and knock off the “GO” items. When something has been done, I X out the box, when I’ve started it I / through it.  The picture above is my list, and here is a downloadable version. It is in PDF format, so you can print it on any printer.

Mommytracked has some pretty fantastic “To Do” lists. They have downloadable organizers from “Eat Sheets” to “Family Organizers”- all free. I love their “Balance Sheet’, with “Work To Dos” and “Home To Dos”.

Let me know if you find one that works for you.

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Post tags: family organizers, mom list, mommytracked, party planning list, to do list

Comparison of P.S. 139 and P.S. 230 on SchoolBook

Growing up in Brooklyn I don’t ever remember my own mother researching schools – we simply went to the school that was in our neighborhood. And now? As parents, we discuss zoning, applying out of zone, G & Ts, charters, magnets- and it isn’t enough to just discuss it sometimes: you really need to research your options yourself.  Times have certainly changed and I have found myself caught up in the hoopla with the various options out there (or not out there).

So, where to begin?
There has always been the informed and deep database network of Insideschools.org, but there is a new neighbor on the block.  We recently discovered SchoolBook, a new website where parents can locate, research and compare various schools in their district and beyond. Developed by the New York Times and WNYC, SchoolBook is site where you learn more about schools in NYC as well as share news and data. As part of my search, I used SchoolBook to compare two schools in my area – P.S. 230 and P.S. 139 with some interesting results.

Using SchoolBook:
On SchoolBook, I was given a breakdown of the demographics that included the school’s enrollment numbers, performance, satisfaction and diversity, which was rated on scale between 1-9.  I saw a lot of numbers but no real comments or personal experiences. This was a complete turn-off. A school’s ranking of 4 really means nothing to me. The site also provided the average scores of standardized tests and staffing information such as student to teacher ratios, class size, whether a school was crowded and the overall level of experience of its teachers. I then used the compare tool to see how P.S. 230 ranked as compared to P.S. 139 and started to see more information about the schools based on reports from Insideschools.org where I learned that 139 “is cramped” and 230 has an “active arts program.” Good information, but not enough for me to determine where I should send my daughter. I want to read about first-hand experiences from teachers and parents. Numbers and brief descriptions about a school are not enough. SchoolBook does provide users with data such as articles about a school and/or district – but I felt that this was merely a collection of facts that anyone could pull off the web (albeit handily put together in one place).  SchoolBook is a good resource to get started – enabling parents to find out some very basic information- but it’s not comprehensive enough.

Analysis of P.S. 230 on Insideschools.org

More detailed information on InsideSchools.org.

Using InsideSchools:
Wanting to learn more about these schools, I turned to Insideschools.org to see what they could uncover. There is no comparison feature on this site so I started by searching for P.S. 230. Insideschools.org broke down the statistics like SchoolBook did but this website also provided me with a huge write-up about the school detailing everything from their special programs like multicultural art and German to the look of the school stating it is “brightly colored and brilliantly clean.” I loved reading about how the school has special events like an “annual art show, family science nights, and events held by the PTA that draws a “good crowd.” What was particularly insightful about the school was reading the active comment thread from parents. For instance, I got this insider info: “the so-called gifted program at PS 230 is a water downed version of NYC gifted programs.” I then searched for P.S. 139 and found the last review was dated from 2005! There was some information on the site from 2010 but only a sentence stating that the “Eagle program is phasing out.” As someone that is actively researching schools (like most Brooklyn parents) I had no idea what that meant and found this particular section very unhelpful, which I let Insideschools.org know via a poll they had on their website.

The School Boards parent forum

A Parents’ Forum On Schools:
All in all, I like Insideschools.org for its detailed information as well as for providing the statistical make-up of a school. SchoolBook provides an interesting comparison function but in its current form, it is just a starting point for your research.  Of course, the best way to learn more about a school is to actually visit it and to talk to other parents and teachers. In this spirit, The School Boards is a good online forum for parent discussion on NYC schools.

To see our post on even more school review sites to help you in your school-finding process, see our post here “School Review Sites to Help You.”

A Child Grows, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: comparing schools in brooklyn, inside schools, insideschools, looking for schools in Brooklyn, nyc school reviews, parents school forum, public schools in brooklyn, reviews of schools, reviews on public school in brooklyn, reviews on public schools, School Book, School resources, school reviews, the school boards

When all of us were growing up, bullying meant that someone was harassing you in the classroom, parking lot or schoolyard. Obviously, times are different now and bullying has become most prevalent in the cyber world. Cyberbullying is vicious and can have extreme consequences.

Next Monday we all might get some inside help.  Join big media wonders like Facebook, Microsoft, MTV, NY Times and NY Institutions and child advocates to learn about cyber bullying and how to combat it.

Details:

Cyber Bullying Summit 2011
Monday, July 18th
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Times Center
242 West 41st Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
Manhattan
If you would like to RSVP to the summit, please click here. You can also share this event with friends on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=213979951956411.
Please note that space at The Times Center is limited. If you have any  questions about the event, feel free to contact Nick Rolf in the Council’s Community Outreach Unit at (212) 442-5765 or nrolf@council.nyc.gov.

Here’s the lowdown: Sponsored by The New York Times Company, this event will bring together widely renowned leaders in technology and Internet safety. Facebook, Microsoft, MTV and other social media outlets will be available at the summit to speak to parents about what they can do to protect their children from cyber bullying and encourage responsible online behavior.

Counselors, child advocates, and representatives from the NYC Department of Education, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and the NYC District Attorney’s Office will also be at the summit, as will cyber bullying and cyber safety expert, Parry Aftab, founder of Wired Safety.com and creator of CyberBullying.org.

A Child Grows, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: advice for, cyber bullying, cyber bullying summit 2011, cyberbullying.org, new york times summit, nyc cyber bullying summit, where to get help

This shows you how the preview panel works- it's totally easy

Okay, this has got to be one of the most fun things to do for your kids for the holidays, and you don’t have to leave your home and it takes about 8 minutes. Sound good? Read on…..

Santa Claus is now online, and available to send a personalized message to your kids. Just head to the Portable North Pole, load some photos up of your children, write in some details and voila! Santa looks in “his book” at your kids’ photos, reminds them to do some behaviour you have been egging them to do all year (like be kind to their brother), mentions a gift they have been asking for, and reminds them to be good. It’s adorable, fun and priceless…and it’s all for free!

Here is a screenshot from the actual video- this is Santa's "book"- adorable, huh?

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Post tags: online, personalized message, portable north pole, santa, santa claus message, santa talking, santa video, send child a message from santa

When we did our survey a few weeks ago, so many of said you missed our Daily Calendar: “i miss the calendar you used to have at the top. whenever i was stuck on what to do i’d check it and often found something i hadn’t thought of”

So, I brought it back-but hopefully, better and complete.  Every day organizations are adding their workshops, story times, singalongs, movie nights, farmers’ markets and more. That’s the best part for me: people can add their OWN events. Hooray! The new calendar is on the blog under the Calendar Tab.

If you have something to add, feel free to contact me and I will give you a username and password to add events. (If anyone has interest in adding the library programs- please do- it’s almost impossible to get the library to do it!)

To see events: roll your mouse over a day or click the day. We have tons for you to see and more coming each day.

I will still do a roundup of weekend events on every Friday- but check our Calendar and Music Listings to see all the options. (Don’t worry, I’ll remind you!)

A Child Grows, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: brooklyn, calendar, daily event, demo class, play space, sing a long, singalong, storytime

The problem: Living in Brooklyn is, of course, great, there’s so much to see and do: so much so that we all find ourselves inundated with friends and family wanting to visit us! The trouble is that hosting friends or family in our homes is often not an option and hotels and other short-term accommodations can be out of budget.

The solution: Eliot and his wife Meki, new parents, and Prospect Heights residents for 10 years, often faced this dilemma.  As world travelers they’d already discovered the benefits of home exchange, but with so many visitors they needed something that was more flexible than the usual “direct swap”. They formed an unofficial collective of 4 families who traveled a lot and who also had many guests visiting them.

“It was really simple, if any of the families were away on vacation and their home was unoccupied, that family would offer their space up to any of the other families who may have guests visiting in the same time frame.  Whoever needed the extra space would get to keep their privacy in their own homes, while offering their guests a comfortable, temporary place of their own, and all for free!  The only payment was reciprocation from all families involved.  It’s really was a win win for everyone and everyone was happy!”, Eliot explains.

Eliot and his wife Meki decided to make the collective “official” and created GuestVessel.

How it works: Members earn credit for letting other pre-screened members stay in their property (whole apt or private spare room), which they can redeem at any member’s home, not just the person that stayed at theirs. As safety and community are key to this, GuestVessel verifies all properties and conduct a criminal background check on all members. It also works if you want to use your credit for your next vacation.  It can be hard to be in a hotel room with children, so being in a real home, where you can have separate bedrooms- can make your vacation go more smoothly.

After launching in June 2010 the membership and properties across the US is growing steadily.  They will be launching internationally by the end of September, so you can get your overseas friends to join too and use their tokens!

Membership is currently free, as they build a base of properties across the world. The good news is you can join now and start visiting for free!

SPECIAL OFFER – After joining, mention “A Child Grows in Brooklyn” to support@guestvessel.com and they’ll credit your account with an additional 4 tokens, totaling 10 nights free accommodation. PLUS the 1st 20 people that join mentioning “A Child Grows in Brooklyn” will get lifetime memberships for free! Whoo hoo!

Sample Guest Vessel property is at 440 Kent Ave (not the one pictured above- but in the same building)

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Post tags: apartment swap in brooklyn, b & b, b and b, brooklyn heights, carroll gardens, cheap accomodations, clinton hill, cobble hill, fort greene, guest vessel, hotel in brooklyn, housing, housing swap, inexpensive, park slope, prospect heights, short term accomodation, short term stay, visting brooklyn, williamsburg

Hi all,
I am planning an event for Brooklyn parents for this winter. I’m super excited about it- and I hope to reveal more about it shortly when things get more firmed up.

But, for now: I am looking for a SAHM or freelancer who has an interest or experience in event planning to be part of the production.

What’s in it for you: exposure to local and national vendors in the parenting field, working with great people, working around your kids’ schedule(s) and monetary compensation. It’s also an opportunity to get even more involved in the parenting community we have all come to know and love.  Weekly commitment would vary, but it will probably average between 15-20 hours a week. There will be lighter weeks and heavier weeks.

If you don’t think you can dedicate that kind of time, but are interested in working on something like this, I would be thrilled to have anyone come on board for a few hours a week or offer occasional help. I so wish I could offer you compensation too, but I can’t. What I can offer by working with me on this is a way to keep your resume current or even add a new title to your old one! There are all sorts of roles to be had!

If you are interested, please email me at: karen@achildgrows.com. Then we can pick up the conversation from there. Have a great weekend- and thanks!

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Post tags: brooklyn event

I grew up in Chicago, so I know all about Peapod, the online grocer.  Though we never used them, (mom loved the grocery store trips), I’ve always been curious why they didn’t come to the northeast. Years later, we got Fresh Direct in NYC. And, although I have been happy with them (especially for bulk items), I would be happy to give Peapod a try too.

Peapod announced they are expanding to Brooklyn, NY and are now accepting orders as of last Sunday. It is delivering to: Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Navy Yard, Park Slope, Prospect Park or these zip codes: 11201    11205   11215   11217   11231

Wondering how good their food and delivery service is?

Some comments from Chowhound.com about Peapod:

I used Peapod for a few weeks several years ago when I was on crutches and couldn’t drive. Was always very happy with the service and wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

Generally very happy with Peapod. They usually end up sending my some piece of produce that is sub-par, but they quickly take it off the bill when I call or e-mail them. The tend to be a little “rough” with the groceries too – probably because they carry SO many bags at one time (with these massive carabinder clips).

Ditto to what everyone has said about quality of product. I’ve lived in downtown Chicago for ten years after having lived a life in suburbia, and Peapod has especially been a blessing in the wintertime! My orders tend to be 50-60% paper, cleaning, pet and other household supplies and anything else we don’t feel like schlepping up 14 floors. Eggs are an issue, and frequently arrive with one or more cracked. I’ve noticed an upswing in late deliveries in the past year. (Leaner driver scheduling due to decline in business?) Almost never a missing or shorted item. Produce is very good quality over all. Only one rude driver in ten years is a pretty good average. We only buy meat and such from them in a dire emergency as we love shopping in the wonderful ethnic stores located all over Chicagoland.

Curious how it will compare to Fresh Direct?

Brooklyn Home Companion has some thoughts:

When I lived in DC, I sometimes ordered groceries through Peapod, and if you asked me about it I recommended it so highly friends got suspicious I wasn’t a secret Big Grocery operative. But I’m not so sure about FreshDirect. While I like it better than Peapod in theory—the products from nearby farms, the emphasis on healthy eating and seasonal produce—I’ve ended up with bad or nearly bad (as in, it started molding a day after I got it) produce from FreshDirect a handful of times …(She also writes about Fresh Direct’s new initiative to increase its sourcing from local farms).

A Child Grows, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: brooklyn delivery, food delivery, fresh direct, online grocery, peapod delivery, peapod in brooklyn, review of peapod

A babysitting co-op in action: here we were interviewed by NY NBC 4 about our babysitting co-op

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 in the co-op. The benefits? Free babysitting, getting to know other families, the kids become friends, and (possibly) a quiet night off at someone else’s house. Today, the benefits remain the same, and in some ways, are even more apparent. As our lives have become increasingly occupied, a babysitting co-op provides an “instant” playgroup and social network besides providing the economic relief so many of us need.

I have been in 3 babysitting cooperatives, each with different personalities, rules, strengths and weaknesses. (For my television interview on WNBC about this- go here).

From this experience, I have found that the most important factor to a group’s longevity is the families themselves. A successful long-standing co-op has members that are interested not only in the economic benefits but also in the social ones.  If the members are engaged with one another socially, the members become friends and want to help each other out for sitting needs. They are also interested in creating long-term playmates for their kids and that means “playdate sits” (essential to stay-at-home or freelancing parents) are met. The social aspect also builds trust and respect among the members (important when you open your home and trust your child to one another’s care).  So, how do you make sure members will be fully invested? This might require interviews, nominations or a request to commit to a certain amount of c0-op social events. It might just be instinct. Regardless of what method you decide upon, it can help ensure that the c0-op is an active one where “sits” and “sit requests” are met.

There’s nothing to say that sits have to be done just at nighttime, so how else can you use it?
1. You can arrange “playdate sits” where you host another child or children at your home or in the playground.
2. My favorite use was when I had our 2nd baby and had one of the other moms come over and hold my baby while I showered and answered emails. Heaven – and she loved it too!
3. Sleepovers. Looking for a night or two away? This is the most economical way to go away for the weekend. It’s also a way to test out how your kid does with sleepovers.
4. Car rides to the airport. Our co-op has just started this and so far, it seems to be effective.
5. House sits. Need someone to pick up your mail while you’re gone?
6. Cat or dog sits.

How do you recruit?
1. If you are fortunate enough to have a couple of families already interested, ask each of them to nominate at least one other family for membership. Your numbers will expand slowly with this option, but it could also give you time to work out any kinks and get to understand the group’s needs on a micro level.
2. Join a networking group for your local area and inquire if people are interested in creating a co-op. Check Yahoo groups, Cafe Mom’s local groups, Moms Club, Moms Meetup, Mothers of Preschoolers and more. Feel free to add suggestions in the comments section of this post.
3. Set up rules for new members. Do they need to pass background checks (yes, really some co-ops require this!) Do they need to be nominated by at least 2 other members? Should they have similarly aged children as other members? (This is something to think long and hard about.  See my comments below on this.)

The rest of my suggestions come via my current amazing babysitting co-op group in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY. Thanks to all the parents of my co-op who agreed that I could post these for everyone else to use as guidelines for starting their own group (and especially to Sharon, who spent hours drafting them based on good instinct and knowledge of her mother’s babysitting co-op from the 1970′s which lasted a good 10 years!)

P.S.- my comments are in green

Membership
A. Full membership will be 17 families to keep group intimate and manageable. The geographic boundary for this babysitting co-op is __________ and _______________. (The geographic boundary could be set by travel time by car if you lived in a suburban or rural area instead of an urban one).
B. The co-op leader will maintain an active waiting list.  To be put on the waiting list, two current members must sponsor the family. When an opening becomes available, the sponsor members and the leader will meet with the new family to orient them and go over ground rules.

Using the Babysitting Co-Operative
A. Each new member is required to pay a one-time $20 fee, which covers an administration binder and access to BabysitterExchange.com ( I have used this site for 2 of the 3 co-ops. The other co-op used a card system: too confusing and too many email went back and forth about sits to the whole group. I heartily recommend the site)
B. Each member starts with 40 points (10 hours of sitting)
A participant must request a sit and be a sitter at least once every two months to stay members in the co-op. You cannot go below 0 hours or accumulate more than 50 hours (200 points).
The co-op will encourage members to abide by the sit and be sat for every two months rule, but there may be special circumstances that make that difficult.  If you will be inactive for a long period of time (e.g., vacation, new baby) you should let the group know by email. Because usage cannot be monitored on babysitterexchange.com (only point totals are available for now), members will document their usage at each meeting.
Hours are recorded in 15-minute increments. Every member should keep track of his/her hours in addition to using Babysitter Exchange. Members arrange sits via Babysitter Exchange using the information in the binder and on the Yahoo group page. (We have a Yahoo Groups also, this is for contacting each other regarding socials, extraneous info for “sits” or passing down old baby stuff! We also use it to upload files like an Excel spreadsheet of all our information, kids’ birthdays, medical forms, how to transfer leadership, etc)
4 points per hour for 1 child
6 points per hour for 2 children (up to individual sitter to treat it as a one for one exchange if that is his/her choice i.e. 4 points per hour for 2 children). Members will only be charged 4 points per hour for two children during night sits (when children are already in bed), 1 additional point per hour for each child beyond 2 children
C. Leadership
Term for leader is January-April, May- August, September – December.  She/he is responsible for fee collection and obtaining medical authorization forms at the beginning of the year.  She/he moderates each meeting, sends out minutes, orientates new members, coordinates events and acts as an impartial mediator. She/he also maintains the waiting list.
Member Service Coordinator: She/he is responsible for scribing at meetings, monitoring Babysitter Exchange, communicating with members about problems and concerns.  Term is the same as the leader.
D. On the first of every month, the member coordinator will send out an update of how many points each person has, and you can always ask her/him for your personal total if you are having difficulties with Babysitter Exchange.
E. Members are free to negotiate all terms of individual sits amongst themselves. For example, a member may offer to “pay” extra for sitting on a popular night or if the child will have meals with the sitting family or a member may offer to sit for less than the standard rate. Night time sits will be in the child’s home.  The location for the daytime sit is up to the participants to decide.
F. If someone is babysitting for you and you are running late please call and ask the person if they have anywhere they need to be, or if it’s okay for them to watch your kids longer than you first talked about. The babysitter has the right to say no and ask you to send your husband or someone else to pick up your kids.
G. Inform other parents if your children are sick — and give the parents the chance to opt out of sitting for sick children.  Also, if you are scheduled to sit and are sick, please give the parents the chance to opt out of having you sit for their child.
H. Respect each other’s time.  Give the sitter a clear idea of how long you will be gone and ask their permission if you want to stay out later.  Sitters should arrive on time and allow adequate time for travel.
Last minute sits are okay – let parents know when you are available to sit. Just saying “I’m free Saturday” is usually enough to get members thinking about a last-minute dinner date.
I. Please be considerate and give the coop one-month notice upon resignation.

RESTRICTIONS
A. No sit will be hosted in a home containing firearms, illegal drugs, dangerous animals or any other serious danger to children.
B. Membership packets include medical release forms and family information forms. Fill out the medical form and keep one copy at home and one copy with the child when dropping off. Please complete all parts of the medical and family information form and provide a copy to the leader.
C. Please let other parents know if you or your child shows signs of illness within 24 hours of a sit. Then you can decide together whether to go ahead or cancel.  The sitter must have written permission and instructions to give a child medication.
D. It is suggested that each participant carry standard homeowner liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $100,000.  This is to protect you as a homeowner.
E. Each member should do his/her part to make safety a priority.  Accident prevention must be a theme of every home.  Parents accept responsibility for safety of their home during a night sit and should be extra vigilant during day sits with toddlers.
F. Smoking while sitting is prohibited. Please note in your profile if you live in a smoking household.
G. After 10PM, sitters will be offered a walk home or provided transportation.
H. The oldest child in the group will not be born before June 2006.  There is no minimum age. (All the co-ops I have been in have only accepted similarly aged children: I think that’s a mistake. I know my kids could benefit from playdates with older kids and I from parenting info from their parents. And, vice versa: the older kids could benefit from learning how to care for and play with younger kids.)

Meetings and Social Events
A. Meetings will be held bi-monthly, on a rotating schedule of the third Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the month, promptly at 8.00 PM
B. Meetings will be hosted by members on a rotating basis. There should be an equal balance of business and fun.
C. Families are encouraged to bring their partners and children to social events.
D. A simple majority decides all votes.  Amendments to our co-op guidelines require a simple majority plus one. Amendments require 2/3 quorum (10) in the group.
(Socials: we have done everything from one big party at one generous parent’s house, to a series of small dinners – 4 families- at rotating parents houses, to concerts, etc. You can also do Friday night movie nights so each family- but one- gets an early Friday night out and the kids get one big movie night plus pizza.)

A Child Grows, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: babysitters exchange, babysitting coop, babysitting cooperative, benefits of babysitting co-op, brooklyn babysitting co-op, by-laws, bylaw, finding a babysitting co-op, how to start a babysitting co-op, methods, personal experience, reviews of, rules for babysitting co-op, sitting co-op, when did babysitting co-ops start

Big news in the Brooklyn blog world:
Popular Brooklyn food blogger Stacie Billis of ChowMama has founded a new family food blog: One Hungry Mama.  Stacie, a Clinton Hill mom, is known for her simple-to-follow and healthy recipes for kids and parents.  She has made a giant leap with her new blog One Hungry Mama. She has the coolest search functions now: you can find meals by type, ingredients or age.  You can also save and print formatted recipes to your own recipe box. I am really excited to get cooking!

The other great news is that she is going to share one of her posts with us weekly. How lucky we are!

I suggest to subscribe to her feed or email subscriptions to get her features like:

{cravings} products I love that are delicious or make cooking easier and more fun
{feeding hacks} unexpected cooking tips that save time or money
{food for thought} food news relevant to raising healthy families
{green your eats} resources that help you cook & eat more sustainably
{kitchen aids} must-have family kitchen tools

And, here is just one of her stellar recipes:

Polenta “Creamed” Spinach (8+ mos)
*i can’t get enough of this recipe. i developed it as a side for steak that would complete my steakhouse meal, while giving me a healthy, satisfying dinner for my non-steak eating toddler.

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Post tags: chowmama, family cooking, food for kids, healthy family recipe, healthy kid cooking, healthy kids recipes, one hungry mama, recipe for family cooking, recipes for kids, stacie billis