Gearing up for summer travel has got me thinking. I’m thinking about sleeping.

Tiny babies: Believe me, anyone who weighs less than 15 lbs does not require a real bed. Newborns can sleep in their bucket-style infant car seats overnight. (Or not sleep, as the case may be.) I also like to give a little dose of infant massage right before bed in a strange place to really knock the baby out.

Big babies and toddlers: I love the pack 'n play style travel cribs. If driving, go ahead and shove it in the trunk. If flying, borrow or rent one at your destination. Bring familiar security objects and sheets from home to make the bed on the road smell and feel more like home. We also travel with a white noise machine to cover those mysterious travel noises.
 
Big toddlers and preschoolers: Let the fun begin! If we’re traveling to friends’ homes, we can often use a sleeping bag on a rug. But if we’re in a hotel (with questionably clean carpet), I like to build a “nest” out of sheets, blankets, and towels. Its fun for the kids to sleep in a special nest too. Win-win. We also travel with our favorite flashlights and nightlights to ease those midnight runs to the potty.

Have you invented any creative sleep places for your kids while traveling? Anything that absolutely didn’t work?

- By Guest Blogger Heather from Rookie Moms

Thinking about getting a dog?

Children and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly. And for mom and dad it’s a big gooey mess. We recently got a new dog, a chocolate lab and boy is she precious, but I wasn’t sure I was going to survive those first few weeks.

Having an untrained puppy is like having a newborn all over again. You have to get up in the middle of the night and let them out so they don’t have an accident, unless you are crate training them and then well, be prepared to be giving the dog a bath and wash the crate. The accidents drove me crazy, the kids yelling, “she bite me mommy” drove me crazy, the kids stepping in the P drove me crazy, having to walk her when the kids hate walking drove me crazy. I felt like I was herding a bunch of cats because every one of my three children (the third being the dog) was going in a different direction and we weren’t making any progress on the walk. Every activity involving all of them felt like this, come to think about it.

Now that I’ve convinced you to not get a dog with toddlers, let me tell you how to handle getting a dog with toddlers.

One, pick out a smart dog, certain breeds are smarter than others and learn faster. Do your research.

Two, pick out a family breed, certain breeds are more family friendly than others. Know what your dog’s purpose is going to be. We wanted an active family dog, so we got a chocolate lab, they are gentle, large smart dogs that learn quickly and protect their family.

Three, train the dog and not the kids. This was my vet’s advice. He said it would be much quicker to train the dog, that she is a dog and that the kids are not her playmates instead of teaching the kids. I still have to keep them from pulling her body parts, dragging her across the room, and playing tug of war. One way to teach the dog that the kids are more important is to keep her off of the couch when the kids are on it. She learns that she is at the bottom of the pecking order and this is an important lesson for her to learn.

Four, don’t give up on your dog in the first three weeks. I wanted to, but I survived and so can you. Once you get past the first six months (depending on the breed it can be soooner) it's peanut butter and jelly!

By Guest Blogger Louise Bishop from MomStart.com

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "Imitation is the biggest form of flattery.”  Well, it’s not so flattering when you're two year old "imitates" that bad word you just said.  Even when you think they aren't watching or listening, your kids pick up on everything that is being said or done.  The earlier you learn this, the better.

We've unfortunately slipped a few times and said words that we would not like Evan to repeat.  Of course, he decided to repeat those words and used them in a sentence perfectly.    We then had to explain to him that those words are very ugly and Mommy and Daddy shouldn't say them anymore.
 
I'm sure anyone with a toddler or preschool-aged child can provide multiple stories of the things that their child said or did as a result of learning from mommy or daddy.  We all learn a little too late that we are our child's biggest teacher and we need to show them how to act.
 
Always think about how you would feel if your child repeated something you did or said before acting.  Try to display all of the positive values that you want them to learn such as generosity and forgiveness.  When you do slip, be sure to let them know that you were wrong and made a mistake.  Our kids won't turn out perfectly, but the best way to teach them is to lead by example.

From guest blogger, Dee, Two of a Kind

Most of the time when it comes to young children, all I hear from other parents is that their children will not eat and what good little eaters they think my children are.  All I can think is the opposite; how I wish that my children would leave food on their plates from time to time.

My children have always been on the upper end of the weight percentile and it has been a constant struggle to get them to stop thinking about food. This is a difficult topic for me to share, but I want to share it, so that other parents struggling with children that love to eat may have somewhere to turn.

First serve healthy food only. My kids do love food, but vegetables can be a difficult subject in our house just like any other house. When one of my children wants seconds on the part of the meal they liked, I won’t let them have it until they eat their veggies. Sometimes it works and other times they just decide they are full and ask to be excused from the table. I believe children either eat what I make or they don’t eat that night, I will not make them something different. This can be hard when your children make you feel like you are torturing them, but if you are serious about having them eat healthy, they will not go hungry. They will eventually eat what you put in front of them, so make sure it’s a healthy option.

Never use food as punishment or as a reward. Using food in this way will create an emotional attachment to food giving them a need that needs to be fulfilled that will only be fulfilled by food. Distraction would be a better method rather than punishment. We have to find ways to get our kids thinking about playing rather than eating.

Portion control is just as important for children as it is for adults. Using small plates and a tablespoon of each food group for each age of life for toddlers is a good way to measure serving sizes.

Exercise is actually an area in my family that needs improvement on and I would love any advice. I try to be a good example to my children and I run and play games with them outside. I even encourage them to go outside and play in the rain, but one of my children just loves to find any activity that involves sitting and I’m at a loss as to what to do other than dragging them around. I’m thinking of signing them up for sports. What would you do?

By guest blogger, Louise Bishop, MomStart

Throwing a great play date should not be a cause for stress in your life. They are simple, fun and exhausting but worth every minute of it when your child has a great time. Plus, inviting other kids over means that there will be other adults and we all need a good amount of adult conversation to make us feel like more than a parent. So here are a few of my tips:

Feel Free to set some ground rules. I’ve been very fortunate about kids playing at my house. I do however make sure that one rule is followed and that is No Food On the Carpet. It is your house and your rules should be followed by all of the children and other parents.

Set up a start time and an end time that meets the requirements of your child. My kids still take naps, and altering their nap schedule always results in a nightmare of an evening. So feel confident in telling people it’s time to go home.

Offer snacks and let other parents bring some too. Kids are supposed to eat about every 3 hours so more than likely they will need a snack while they are inside your house. I like to have a variety of healthy snacks: applesauce, carrots, and other types of fruit and vegetables. I don’t ever ask for others to bring snacks but if they offer I tell them to bring whatever they want. There isn’t anything wrong with asking everyone to bring something, by doing that you’ll ensure there is plenty to go around.

Be flexible and prepared for anything. In my house we joke that if something didn’t break then it wasn’t a successful play date. Put away things that are important to you or your children because if it is out and in the reach of another child it will be played with. Not all parents parent the same way. Be prepared for children to behave inappropriately and use the opportunity to tell your children that just because your friend did this behavior does not mean that you do.

Have a plan. Most play dates will be just fine as kids love playing with

other children’s toys. But if you’re planning an all-day event, be prepared to shake it up a little bit. You might want to consider having supplies for a craft that is age appropriate for your little guests or have a list of game ideas on hand and if the weather is nice move to the back yard for some outdoor play.

What are your Play Date Tips?

By guest blogger, Louise Bishop, MomStart

Since my extended family lives so far away, the holidays always mean we get to spend a full travel day on either side of a visit. Speaking of lessons learned the hard way, I have had my fair share of air travel experiences and would like to impart my wisdom with you so that you can make all of your own mistakes!

Always bring enough diapers. During a flight, conventional wisdom might tell you to be spare in your packing or that your child only uses four diapers in a normal day. Well, flying days are not normal days. I suggest you pack one diaper per hour of travel time. Better safe than sorry. Trust me.

Pack the right toys. You want to have enough activities and toys to entertain your children but not so many that you bring a separate suitcase.  Multi-use toys are good. Games without pieces (like I spy or “what’s that in the SkyMall catalog”) are awesome. Toys that look like a bomb-making kit (play doh and some bendy wires for instance) are bad. See Debbie at DeliciousBaby and her fantastic travel toy ideas to spur your thinking.

Expect the unexpected. What’s unexpected? Earaches, teething, and crankiness in your otherwise-healthy child (so pack baby pain relief); pee accidents or spills from your potty-trained four year old (so pack pull-ups and jammie bottoms as back-ups); reading a magazine or napping for you (sorry, can’t help ya!)

Bribe the people sitting around you. Dole out apologies and free drinks in advance.

By realigning your expectations that the travel day is a means to an end -- an adventure to endure -- you are more likely to be pleased when there are only 3 crying fits and one missed nap rather than stressed-out.

By Heather from rookiemoms.com

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Heather and Whitney blog frequently at rookiemoms.com (always more fun than wiping someone’s tushy!) and 510families.com (more fun with kids in the East Bay). They love taking trips and eating dark chocolate.

I wish I could get someone else to potty train my child. There. I said it. It might be my very least favorite part of parenting. I’m so grateful that the peer pressure potty training technique of my sons’ preschool has been so successful. It seems that nothing can motivate a toddler like the opportunity to sit on the potty with his friends – AT THE SAME TIME IN THE SAME ROOM! Placing three little bums on three little potties in a row is genius in my book.

If only the preschool staff made house-calls to deal with the overnight situations or the out-and-about errands. Oh well, I guess I have to conquer some of these tasks on my own.

Here are 5 universal truths about potty training I’ve gleaned from my half-hearted participation in the toilet education of my own children.

You can lead a toddler to the toilet, but you can’t make her pee.
Yes, I have observed that children do it when they’re ready. It will never be on my own time-table, and I’m a control freak, so this one really hurts

When you ask, “Do you have to pee?” most children will lie to you.

I have asked this very question seconds before my child has wet himself in the car seat and on the couch. Ugh and ugh.

Sweatpants are your friend.
For quick potty runs, it helps toddlers to have pants they can pull up and down on their own-- and quickly.

Candy and stickers will only get you so far.
I am not above bribing my child for the desired result, although I do think we need to be careful not to throw a parade for every deposit in the toilet. (When does it end?  Will they ask their Kindergarten teachers for M&Ms? Their college roommates?) Wishing for a one-size-fits-all approach, I have been dis

appointed to learn that some personality types love the sticker chart and candy bribes while others could care less.

The range of normal is broad.
Wondering when your child will stop needing diapers at night? I just learned that between age 3 and 7 is considered normal. That’s pretty wide open, but should offer you some comfort if you find yourself tossing a package of pull-ups into your shopping cart for the same kid who correctly read “Gun Show Coming Soon” from a highway billboard

My only real tip after my battle-scarred journey down the potty training path is to offer opportunity and don’t force the issue. Children can smell your anxiety and pressure and they rebel against it.

Do you have any tips or lessons learned to share?

By Heather from rookiemoms.com

[photo credit: Child Care Learning, Ontario]

My kids are 1 and 3 and are extremely jealous of each other.  My aunt was in town last week and had to laugh because both get so much attention, but they are still so jealous.  If I'm doing anything with Isabella, Evan comes right over and either does the same thing she is doing or just makes sure to get in my line of vision.

It has really been like this from the day my little girl was born.  Evan loves his sister so much and has always showered her with hugs and kisses, but I guess he still feels like he should get all of the attention.  I did understand because I was breastfeeding and infants just require a lot of one on one time.  I made sure to play with him every time that she was napping(there is no sleeping when the baby sleeps if you have more than one child).

Isabella is now 1 and recently started showing that she was jealous at times.  Both kids have started acting out more when they feel they need attention which can be a little annoying.  I try to either ignore them or calmly tell them that isn't the way to act.  Giving them attention for negative behavior doesn't' fix anything.  I make sure to take a few minutes here and there to do fun activities that involve just one of the kids.  It can be as simple as pushing trucks around the floor with Evan or pushing Isabella on the swing.

We try to do many things together as a family, but as they get older, I see that the kids benefit from occasionally taking time to do separate activities.  I recently took my son to see a movie while my daughter and husband played at home.  A few weeks before that my husband took my son to the river while I took my daughter to the park.

It isn't always about how much time you should spend with each separate child, what you're doing during your "alone" time is what matters.  I notice a big difference in my kids if they've recently had some fun one-on-one time with mommy and daddy-even if it was a 5 minute activity.  Sibling jealousy is completely normal, but it helps to do simple activities to show each of them that mommy and daddy will always have time for them.

By guest blogger, Dee, Two of a Kind

Cleaning with kids can be fun and it can be taxing too. I have two children, one that is easy to please and very compliant, and another that fights me tooth and nail on just about everything. So I have tips on how to get children to clean, the easy child and the difficult one!

Sing the cleanup song together. The cleanup song or any other song you want to make up. Singing makes the work go by faster, makes them think of something other than the task, and encourages them to know they are doing a good job.

Make cleaning up a contest. You and your child can race each other to see who can get the most picked up the fastest. Not sure I would recommend this if you have two children; I don’t like pitting one child against another even in fun.

Be energetic about cleaning up. Again, give cleaning up the feeling of a game. Make it fun. Be a good example to your children, if they see Mommy or Daddy having a fun time doing the chores then they will want to help.

Have patience. Cleaning with kids is going to take twice as long as doing it yourself. My biggest weakness is not letting my daughter help me clean. I just want to get it done, but letting her help teaches her responsibility and makes her happy. Also, try to have patience when it’s not going well. I admit that I’m quick to start yelling. Yelling just makes things worse, I tell you that from experience.

Finally, the one sure fire thing I’ve been able to say to get my son to clean is, “If you do not pick that up right now it’s going in the trash.” “No Mommy, don’t throw it away”, he grabs it and hides it in the abyss known as his room. The house is a work in progress; I’ll get him to clean his room before he’s 18 I promise.

By guest blogger, Louise Bishop, MomStart