There’s nothing like potty training to send a parent over the edge - we’re all familiar with situations where we (or someone we know) refused to leave the house for fear of an accident and pooping in the potty is cause for celebration. Whether it was just a rite of passage or your arch nemesis, we want to hear your potty training stories - the good, the bad, and the stinky.
Speaking of potty training stories, we’re teaming up with the Pull-Ups brand and The Potty Project , a series of webisodes following the real life potty training adventures of six families with one goal: bye bye diapers.
Have you ever wondered, “When do I start?” or maybe “How long will it take?” Visit The Potty Project to follow these families towards potty training success and check out the tools and resources available to help parents (and kids) make potty training easier and fun!
Here’s how to participate:
Write a post on your blog about your potty training tales! Post anytime this weekend - today, May 22 to Monday, May 25 and include links to:
Make sure to send your blog post link to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up right here - so give your post a creative title!
What can you win?
Maybe you want to capture your own real-life potty project. Well, we’ve got FIVE Flip Video Cameras to give away at random (whoo!), plus a package of Pull-Ups training pants for each of the first 15 bloggers to send us a link to their post.
NO PRE-SCHEDULED POSTS. You’ve got to publish your post, copy and paste your permalink, and email it to us - anytime after 12:01am ET on Friday, May 22. Placement in the first fifteen bloggers will be based on the order in which we receive your emails, not the date/time stamp on your posts.
For the last two weeks, our parent bloggers with kids with special needs have been putting the Social Skill Builder “My Community” software to the test. Created by two speech and language pathologists, this computer software is aimed at assisting kids 5 - 15 with generalizing their social skills outside of the school setting. Utilizing various real life community and neighborhood scenarios, this computer program (such as Autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and other spectrum disorders) addresses a variety of skill areas, including life skills, social skills, communication, and conversation.
Parents felt that the software helped open up dialog about specific issues, even for kids who weren’t diagnosed with a spectrum disorder. And because social skills have some many different nuances (it’s not like teaching the ABCs) the parents appreciated having this resource, particularly since it utilized real life scenarios. Plus, most kids are exposed to these skills in school and need assistance working on them in natural settings.
While the cost may be prohibitive for some families, if you’re spending money on therapy (or have these goes in your child’s IEP), a program like this can really help facilitate growth and provide you with the support you need outside of those settings.
As a music therapist for many years, I worked extensively with children with special needs. And most often we were working together to improve their social skills and life skills. Parents with children with special needs, including developmental disabilities, sensory disorders, and autism spectrum disorders are usually quite proactive in working with their health care professional to improve on those goals when the kids are out of school, and Social Skill Builder does just that. Socialization and making friends can be quite challenging, particularly when kids are removed from their familiar and structured environments.
Their computer software “My Community” is aimed at kids 5-15 with special needs and assists them in addressing a myriad of issues regarding social interaction outside of the classroom setting. It takes what they might have learned or are currently learning, and assists them in applying it to larger settings, like their community and neighborhood. Skills such as personal safety, waiting turns, working cooperatively, and frustration management (just to name a few) are addressed in this social skills software program.
Ten of our parents bloggers with children with various special needs agreed to try this software with their kids over the last few weeks and will be sharing their experiences on their blog.
If you’re interested in learning more, please visit these blogs throughout the next two weeks and check out the Social Skill Builder website and their free demo of the software.
Peanut butter has long been a staple in households with kids. Granted, peanut and tree nut allergies have become more prevalent, but for those of us lucky enough not to contend with such allergies, peanut butter is still a way of life. In fact, I’d bet that most people - whether they’ve got kids or not - have at least one jar on hand.
But peanut butter has taken some knocks lately. From hydrogenated oils to salmonella contamination, parents are being extra-careful when choosing jars of peanut butter, especially when we intend to feed it to our children.
Maranatha specializes in small batch, preservative-free nut butters with low sodium and sugar, high protein, and no hydrogenated oils. They’ve got a wide variety of creamy and crunchy peanut butters, plus a whole lineup of specialty nut butters like almond, cashew, and macadamia - excellent for cooking as well as spreading on crackers.
Not surprisingly, we had lots of interest from our PBN bloggers in trying out Maranatha nut butters. Ten bloggers got the chance to pick up a couple jars of Maranatha and write about how they enjoyed it. If you’re on the lookout for a healthier version of the old standby, be sure to check out their upcoming reviews.
When we’ve got forty bloggers who all want to review a product, we know it’s got to be a pretty cool product. And when we get forty glowing reviews (pun intended), we’re completely convinced: SYLVANIA PalPODzzz portable nightlights are like no other nightlight that our bloggers have ever seen.
Our bloggers (or rather, their kiddos) chose from two designs - rocket ship and lady bug - and ran them through rigorous testing as only toddlers and pre-schoolers can do. Overwhelmingly, kids and parents alike were thrilled with how the PalPODzzz held up - even if quite a few of them admitted that they thought the name was a little silly.
How thrilled? Let’s just say that for one little girl, it was love at first sight: “[My daughter] sat on her bed for twenty minutes talking to the thing and petting it.” Parents were also smitten with the cuteness: “The retro rocket design is really adorable, and it even fits in with [my sons'] planet-themed bedroom,” and the details: “When the rocket is lit you can see this cute little astronaut guy inside.”
Nearly all the parents agreed that the glow emitted by the nightlight was the perfect luminosity: “The base puts out a soft, blue glow that is bright enough to illuminate a bedroom, but not so much that you want to strap duct tape over your eyes to fend off the light.” The flashlight - either the rocket or the ladybug, when removed from the base - shines more brightly, but still isn’t too piercing: “The flashlight itself is not super powerful - which is good since it always seems to be pointed in the direction of the baby’s eyes - but it’s the perfect strength for, say, couch cushion spelunking.” In other words, it’s designed perfectly for curious kiddos.
Speaking of curiosity, one mother was glad to see that the flashlight “has an easy on/off switch and no obvious other ways to explore it (eliminating all the “hmmm, what happens if I unscrew this part?!” experimentation),” and another added that, “The ladybug is easy for [my daughter] to grasp in her chubby little fingers. It turns on and off easily with a push button underneath.” They can withstand kids quite well too: “And as a mother of two very energetic children I’m pleased to say the PalPODzzz are very very durable,” and aren’t a hazard to little teethers: “She clutches it when she crawls across the room (so far, it’s totally indestructible), and it has withstood many, MANY trips to her mouth, something that is SO important when you have a teething kidlet.”
Additionally, several bloggers commented positively on the LED lights. One focused on the practicality, noting that “This gadget also uses LED lightbulbs, which are much more durable, efficient, and longer-lasting than incandescent or even compact fluorescent bulbs.” Another brought up a point about safety: “It’s a nice cool LED light…won’t burn little fingers.”
Still another mentioned the safety of having the base separated from the outlet by a cord: “Since the “ooh, shiny” light isn’t actually shining on the outlet, the fact that it is plugged in is no longer a safety hazard in our house.” Kids aren’t as tempted to yank the plug out of the outlet as with traditional nightlights, and the PalPODzzz can be plugged into an outlet behind a dresser or night table, not readily accessible to children.
SYLVANIA PalPODzzz are energy savers too. First, “it has a sensor so it only lights up when needed - no need to remember to turn it off in the morning.” Not only are the LED lights extremely efficient, but the rechargeable flashlight doesn’t take batteries, making it a winner for eco-conscious parents: “Since I don’t like the cost or environmental consequences of buying batteries in bulk, I’ve limited [my girls'] access to flashlights. But since this one is rechargable, there are no batteries to run through.”
Two different moms summed up all these features quite succinctly - one in plain English: “I personally loved how the light was a bright blue but not harsh, how it was detachable from the base and how long the charge lasted, as well as the easy operation by small and large hands alike.” - and one with a little extra showmanship: “You oughta be a toddler in our house, Mr. F, because we got it GOING ON with our glowin’, shinin’, ladybug nightlight/flashlight combo. And it will help you find the funk, let me tell you, it will find you all the funk you NEED!”
That’s right; instead of a glow stick, take your PalPODzzz to da’ club!
Seriously though, these nightlights aren’t just nightlights: “[PalPODzzz] works not just as a flashlight but as an LED nightlight when put back on the base and as a backup light during power outages. Fortunately, we did not have a chance to test this.” But another blogger did lose power and reported: “We discovered one of the coolest features last week when the power went out at the house. Apparently, a power outage triggers the flashlight feature automatically so your kiddo can easily find it in the dark.”
The other unexpected benefit of having PalPODzzz around when the power goes out is that you’ll probably be able to find your own fully charged flashlight right where it belongs because the kids haven’t absconded with it like they always did before. As one blogger flatly stated: “If you have kids, this might be the only chance of having a flashlight that actually does work the next time the power goes out.” Others echoed her, commenting: “What I like best about [PalPODzzz] is that it gives [my daughter] her own flashlight to play with, meaning our flashlights that we keep for emergencies don’t get left on or end up hidden in a toybox somewhere,” and “if there’s one thing my 9 year old loves, it’s a flashlight at night when he’s in bed. And if there’s one thing I hate, it’s when my 9 year old wastes a couple of batteries from leaving a flashlight on all night. This here is a win-win situation.”
PalPODzzz hold their charge for a good long time: “The rocket will illuminate for several hours once charged, so it’ll be very helpful to have on hand in a pinch in case [my son] decides to have a blowout diaper in a blackout.” But as another mother reports, “The only downside is sometimes [my daughter] will grab the rocketship off the base early in the night, and then fall asleep with it on,” which means that the nightlight is no longer at the ready for a potty break six hours later.
Another problem with removing the flashlight from the base is that sometimes the ladybug or rocket ship doesn’t make it back home: “The ladybug went on the same adventures that our standard flashlights did: in the couch pillows, under blankets, between bean bags, and under beds. The little ladybug had so much fun that it wore out its charge. Alas, the ladybug hasn’t found her way back to the pod.” A couple bloggers suggested: “A button on the base you push to make the ladybug beep would make all the difference.” I agree; our ladybug went MIA and I haven’t yet summoned the strength to lift the dresser and look for her.
But other kiddos managed to get the flashlights back into place, impressing the heck out of their parents: “My kids have been known in the past to not take very good care of things. But because this has a very clear home and it’s fun and easy to take the rocket off and put it back on, they actually put it away when they’re done with it,” and
“I will often find [my son] “zooming” the flashlight rocket ship around the room, but he knows to put it back on its base before bedtime.” Yet another mom has made the ladybug hunt into a game: “Every morning, we hunt for the ladybug, pop her on the charger - in fact, it’s someone’s chore to do so - and every night, she’s right there, waiting for them. Brilliant.” Perhaps she’ll send her kiddos over here to find our bug.
Both parents and kids use the PalPODzzz, and not just to shoo away monsters. Two bloggers noted: “We use it in lieu of his bedroom lamp when we want to check on our boy when he’s sleeping,” and “I’ve used it myself a couple times at night when I didn’t want to turn on the lights, and wanted to check on the little ones.” It’s also helpful for night-training. One mother crossed her fingers and wrote: “I had high hopes that the novelty of the fun little ladybug flashlight would lure [my daughter] out of the comfort of her bed and onto the potty,” and another actually saw it happen: “We explained how to use it and practiced with my daughter a few times. That night, my husband says he woke up to see the light bobbing down the hall to the bathroom. Sweet success.”
Kids of varying ages are now attached to their PalPODzzz, even after several weeks: “It has brought a lot of peace of mind to our little girl who seems to think that her ladybug is also a new friend and protector.” Another mother laughed, “[My daughter] loves it - the other night, she wandered into our room, and once she was already there she said “Wait! I forgot my flashlight!” and went back to her room to get it.” Parents too are convinced that they need a second PalPODzzz, if not more: “After using this light for several weeks we are now huge fans and plan to order at least one more for [our daughter's] room, but possibly more.”
It’s unanimous. PalPODzzz are an over-the-top hit: “Seriously, I get a lot of products for kids. I cannot endorse this one enough.”
Once we finally got our babies to sleep through the night, we mistakenly thought our own sleepless nights were over. We soon learned that kids come up with all sorts of creative reasons why they cannot go to bed and stay there.
So whether they’re ridiculous, creative, or just downright hilarious, we want to hear your kids’ excuses for getting out of bedtime. Do they call you into monster-wrangling duty, beg you for just another glass of water, or pull the poopy card?
And since being afraid of the dark seems to always top the list, we’ve got something that will knock that one right off their repertoire - the SYLVANIA PalPODzzz portable nightlights. They come in lady bug and rocket ship designs, and they function both as a nightlight and a rechargeable flashlight - no more batteries, whoo! Check out all the reviews that our PBN bloggers have posted - SYLVANIA PalPODzzz just might be the solution to your kids’ night time fears!
Here’s how to participate:
Write a post on your blog about your kids’ excuses for getting out of bedtime. Post anytime this weekend - today, March 13 to Sunday, March 15 and include links to:
Make sure to send your blog post link to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up right here - so give your post a creative title!
What can you win?
We’ve got two super-cool SYLVANIA prize packages (valued at $200+ each) to give away, including fun stuff like a lighted table runner and placements, and practical products like a hall and stairway lighting kit and assorted CFLs. Two lucky winners will be chosen at random!*
The name “MilkBank” may conjure up some interesting images. One of our reviewers exclaimed, “When I first received the email about reviewing MilkBank, I thought they were asking me to review an actual milk bank - I’d pump and then ship them my milk. I’m stingy with my milk so there was no way that I was going to do THAT.” Rather, think of MilkBank as a vault for your important milk: keep the valuable breastmilk fresh, and prevent it - or stain-prone formula - from leaking.
Fourteen of our bloggers were given the opportunity to try MilkBank products, as well as to host giveaways for their readers to win breastmilk storage systems and bottles for both breastmilk and formula feeding.
Why MilkBank? Explains one reviewer, “BPA, PVC and phthalate free MilkBank Storage system is different from the traditional methods of storing and freezing your breast milk. Instead of using a bag or the supplied breast pump bottles MilkBank has a vacuum that sucks out the oxygen and keeps breast milk fresher longer.”
A veteran mom explained that she pumped exclusively for her first daughter. She remarks, “At the time, the best method to store the milk was in a zippered breast milk storage bag. I noticed that my daughter didn’t seem to like the milk as much after it had been frozen and sort of wondered why… Now that I’ve seen the MilkBank system and read about what it does I understand why she didn’t like the frozen milk as much.” She further explains, “It’s the air trapped inside the storage containers that causes milk stored in traditional ways to degrade. With the air removed from the containers [using the MilkBank system] the milk stays good and retains more of the nutrients for longer than 6 months in the freezer.”
MilkBank is not just for breastfeeding moms. Their bottles have several important features. One reviewer describes, “The bottles are insulated, making it easier to keep the milk warm, much as it is when you feed from the breast, and the triple-vented bottles help reduce colic and prevent leaking.” She further explains, “My son has a condition that restricts his airway, and so for us, vented bottles were a must.” She described another brand of vented bottles, saying, “man, do they leak like the dickens.” Thankfully, MilkBank was successful for her: “Along came MilkBank—I can tell you, those suckers (hehheh) DO NOT LEAK. And the venting system is great. Not even a burp after a feeding, and my son’s condition makes him gulp a lot more than the average kid.”
The “leak free” is very important: “Have you ever arrived at Day Care or at a sitter’s only to find that an entire bottle of breastmilk has leaked into the bottom of your bag? (Then had your brain explode?) I have. It’s not pretty,” asks one reviewer, “Lucky for me, there is MilkBank, a patented, clinically-proven breastmilk storage and feeding system that treats every drop like the precious commodity it is.”
One dad was a big fan of the insulation: “The insulated liner was a brilliant addition: basically, it’s a slightly larger bottle that fits over the smaller bottles (2.5oz and 5oz) and can be filled with warm water to maintain a more even temperature throughout a long feed.”
One reviewer was particularly concerned about the bottle-composition: “With all of the scares due to plastics and safety regarding baby bottles, I rushed out and purchased a whole slew of glass bottles. The problem is that every single time my little guy drinks milk from a bottle, he spits up. I have come to the conclusion he spits up so much after drinking from bottles because of the air bubbles that form in his little tummy.” She found success with MilkBank’s BPA, PVC and phtalate free vented bottles: “After feeding my son a few times with these specially designed bottles, he is a much more content baby with less gas and spit-up.”
Our reviewers had plenty to say about the system’s benefits. Sums up one reviewer, “There’s way too much for me to say about this system, other than ‘you need this now‘…”
It seems that shortly after kids learn to talk, they acquire an irrational fear of the dark. As parents, we’ll do just about anything to help them sleep so that we can get some sleep ourselves. Both we and our kids are much more pleasant when we’re well-rested.
One of the all-time favorite and most reliable tools for dispelling the darkness is a nightlight. Less intrusive than an overhead light and more energy-conscious than a bedside lamp, a nightlight functions as a security blanket for kids who aren’t yet convinced that monsters don’t lurk in the closet or under the bed.
The PalPODzzz portable nightlights from lighting specialist SYLVANIA are a great new twist on the old standby. With two non-gender specific designs - rocket ship and lady bug - these softly glowing lights plug into an outlet and house a rechargeable flashlight. Kids can leave the flashlight sitting in the “pod” or bring it into bed (or wherever else they like) with them.
No more batteries, no more flashlights gone missing, and best of all - no more sleepless nights. At least, we hope not.
Forty (wow!) of our PBN bloggers received either a rocket ship or lady bug PalPODzzz to check out with their kids. Read their upcoming reviews - perhaps one of these PalPODzzz might be your solution to sleepless nights too!
Do you have a math-lete in the making or does your child often find himself in the middle of a math muddle? Either way, DreamBox Learning can turn your child’s play into a learning adventure. Fifteen bloggers (and their children) took DreamBox out for a “test drive” and found a plethora of positives.
Intrigued? “DreamBox Learning is a website filled with lots of interactive games — all in the name of strengthening kids’ math skills.” The program contains “more than 350 lessons in the form of adventures that respond dynamically to the child as they ‘play’,” and is based on the National Council of Mathematics standards.
The secret to DreamBox Learning’s appeal? The program is “well tailored for teaching math in a way (a child) not only understands but thirsts to learn more.” As one dad wrote,“They make learning fun,” yet ”adjust the lesson - the difficulty, the pacing, the information provided” as a child plays.
DreamBox was definitely designed with a kindergarten-second grade audience in mind. One blogger mentioned her children “felt special and engaged from the start.” Kids are even encouraged to customize their account by choosing their own avatar and password. One reviewer remarked that her daughter’s “favorite part was picking her avatar (surprise!), and loved how you could change it mid-game.”
Parents and kids have marveled at the “eye popping colorful animation.” The characters received an enthusiastic nod as “cute, possibly even ‘funky’ with hip hairstyles and, yes, ‘cool’ outfits.”
One reviewer mentioned that often children’s online/computer games require a parent to constantly be there to help the child. Not so with DreamBox Learning. Kids found “navigation very easy.” Plus, “the animated guide walks them through each and every step of the way, explaining the games and concepts clearly and concisely.” In fact, many a parent has mentioned that they could set the child up and tend to other things: “[My daughter] was playing the games with no help from me, which told me that the site was easy for her to understand.”
DreamBox Learning firmly believes in keeping parents in the learning loop. “I receive updates whenever either of my sons completes a level or earns a reward,” wrote a blogger, while another added, “These updates contain valuable information on all the skills your child has mastered, the ones your child is currently working on, and the skills yet to come.” A parent can always go into the Parent Dashboard to see their child’s progress and check out the games for themselves: “The parental reports were invaluable, and I also loved that I could go in and play as a parent without messing up what she was doing with her own work.”
Even kids who aren’t crazy about math have been won over. For example, one woman’s “I hate math” daughter “completed 66 lessons and logged seven hours on DreamBox in 14 days.”
With all of the gaming and online systems out there, kids have a number of gaming choices. But DreamBox stood up to the competition: “The math adventures through pirate, pixie, dinosaur and pet lands actually lured my daughter from her sister’s gaming station.”
If you’ve got more than one child? Fear not, this online learning tool can accommodate: “Each of the boys got their own account that they can log into and play math games customized for them.” In fact, one reviewer’s preschool-aged son “played at his more introductory level while his second-grade brother played at his own more advanced level. Both solved levels and both were rewarded for their efforts.”
However, one blogger’s daughter did run into a problem: “My daughter twice completed tasks and was not given appropriate credit, so she had to go back and do them again.”
There are various plan options, beginning at $8.33 a month with a 30 day money back guarantee. Commented one reviewer,“As far as I’m concerned that’s money well spent if it helps my kids fall in love with math.”
For a free 14 day trial (just in time to celebrate World Math Day on March 4) go to DreamBox Learning.
Our bloggers are directed to write frank and honest reviews assessing their personal experience with a product or service. Their reviews may include both positive and negative feedback.
For more information, please refer to our Disclaimer.
Speaking of potty training stories, we’re teaming up with the Pull-Ups brand and The Potty Project , a series of webisodes following the real life potty training adventures of six families with one goal: bye bye diapers.![[Bloglines]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Kaboodle]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/kaboodle.png)
![[kirtsy]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/kirtsy.png)
![[Slashdot]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/slashdot.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://blog.parentbloggers.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
As a music therapist for many years, I worked extensively with children with special needs. And most often we were working together to improve their social skills and life skills. Parents with children with special needs, including developmental disabilities, sensory disorders, and autism spectrum disorders are usually quite proactive in working with their health care professional to improve on those goals when the kids are out of school, and Social Skill Builder does just that. Socialization and making friends can be quite challenging, particularly when kids are removed from their familiar and structured environments.
Peanut butter has long been a staple in households with kids. Granted, peanut and tree nut allergies have become more prevalent, but for those of us lucky enough not to contend with such allergies, peanut butter is still a way of life. In fact, I’d bet that most people - whether they’ve got kids or not - have at least one jar on hand.
When we’ve got forty bloggers who all want to review a product, we know it’s got to be a pretty cool product. And when we get 
Two different moms summed up all these features quite succinctly - one in plain English: “I personally loved how the light was a bright blue but not harsh, how it was 
Why MilkBank? Explains one reviewer, “BPA, PVC and phthalate free MilkBank Storage system is different from the 
Do you have a math-lete in the making or does your child often find himself in the middle of a math muddle? Either way, 
Judging from the blogger reviews of the 
