Screen time and toddlers: How much is too much?

How much screen time are you exposing your little ones to? There is a disturbing trend to plop toddlers, and even infants, in front of iPhones, Smart Phones, tablets and the like. I am going to take a very unpopular stand and say that I think this is detrimental to the kids.

Fisher-Price and Open Solutions are pushing apps for babies and toddlers. I agree with the folks at Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood who have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission last week saying these two companies are trying to dupe parents into thinking the apps will make their children smarter. Common sense would say that screen time versus face time is a losing scenario. I mean, how do you expect your kids to listen to you if they're caught up in animated "directions." Mom's voice can't compete with that.

Now, let me stress that I'm not talking about older kids, who may well benefit from computer apps. I'm talking about the under four-year-old crowd. The ones who need to learn, first and foremost, that parents are the authority. The ones who should prefer the voices of their parents and caretakers reading stories to them over any voice that is emitted from a handheld electronic device.

Toddlers not listening to you? How many voices are they hearing during the day other than yours? How many books have you read to them this week? Be honest.

How about sleep problems? Are you having more and more difficulty getting your little one to fall asleep at night?

According to Dr. Susan Linn, of the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood, "Time with screens is linked to sleep disturbance. It's linked to doing less well in school [emphasis mine]." She also states, "What babies need for healthy brain development is active play, hands-on creative play and face-to-face interaction."

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics is not a fan of electronic screen time for little ones under age two, and advises a limit of less than two hours per day for older children. According the the AAP, one study found that infant videos actually delayed language development. 



For more about this issue, please take the time to watch this short video from the AP and then, for the sake of your children, power down the electronics and sit down with them for story time.

When you have the chance, weigh in on this subject in the comments section. I'd love to know what you think!

Tiny treasures -- dressing up the Hyland's

Disclaimer: I am a Hylands Homeopathy Ambassador and receive various products and gift cards from Hyland's and promotional partners at no cost to me. All views and opinions expressed on this blog post and corresponding social network mentions are my own and are not to be interpreted as medical advice.

Ahhh. The comfort contained in this little ceramic box. Isn't it pretty? My husband bought it at a Hallmark store back in May and gave it to me for my birthday. It's small (less than 3" wide) and at first I didn't know what to use it for. Then it dawned on me as I looked at my Hyland's bottle of Leg Cramp tabs sitting by my bed. While the bottle is not ugly, it's also not decorative. Yet, I nearly panic during the night if I reach for it and it's not there! 

You see, as I've told you before, I am a lifelong sufferer of leg and foot cramps and Hyland's provides my must-have remedy. Seriously. I need my Hyland's Leg Cramp tablets. 

That's where this handy dandy little box comes in. I simply filled it with the dissolve-under-your-tongue-no-water-needed tablets, put in on my bedside table, and my bedroom is instantly transformed into something out of House Beautiful. Well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but I must say I like the look a bit better. Same great product. Different look. Now it's disguised as the treasure it really is.

But this morning, I opened the box and this is what I saw:

GASP!! There are only four tablets left! This will not do! So, remembering my basket of Hyland's goodies I have in my cabinet, I pulled it out and there among the other products they've sent me as an ambassador, were the Leg Cramps tablets you swallow with water, and . . . dissolvable Leg Cramps PM tablets. I don't know how I missed these! Not only will my middle-of-the-night cramps quickly subside, but I'll fall back to sleep soundly, too. The best of both worlds. Move over, little tablets that have been my relief for years. I'm upgrading to something better. 

Bring on the cramps! My box is full and I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep!

P.S. You ought to check out the new Hyland's website and the fun videos and pictures. Just looking at them will make you smile, sending those endorphins to work at making you feel better all over!

Meet Green Grandma -- a special Vinegar Fridays presentation

Hey Pittsburghers -- I'll be speaking at Pittsburgh Green House tomorrow, August 10, 2013 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. 

The workshop, Keeping it Green with Vinegar, will focus on tips from my book about how to use vinegar around the house instead of using common toxic products. 

In this 60 minute workshop, I will not only give tips on how to use vinegar in place of common household chemicals, but I will also explain the reasons why you should do so. From the kitchen to the bathroom to the laundry room, I will help you have a greener, and cleaner, house! Cost is $12, which will include a signed copy of my book, Vinegar Fridays. The book is based on the most popular feature of this blog – writing about vinegar every Friday, and includes the following topics: cleaning, odors, hot tub safety, car care, beauty tips, health, hair care, summertime conditions, kid care, pet care, gardening, pests, laundry, and a couple of Hana’s favorite recipes.

Pittsburgh Green House is located at 308 Sheridan Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.

Click here to make your reservation. I'd love to see lots of folks from the Green Grandma community!

Breast reduction and breastfeeding. How does that work?

 

Another community member shares her breastfeeding story as World Breastfeeding Month continues...

 

I am a new mommy of a precious three-week old baby boy. I also had a breast reduction five and a half years ago. They told me then that I might not be able to breastfeed. 

Honestly, at the time I was in my early twenties and I didn't think breastfeeding would be a big deal for me. I wasn't even sure I even wanted kids. Alas, I was in a lot of pain (back, shoulder, neck, chest, plus headaches) and desperate for relief -- surgery being my last option. And it was the best thing I ever did for myself. 

 

When my husband and I decided to start trying to get pregnant last year, I began educating myself on pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. By the time we conceived, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. I also knew it might be a struggle, but if it was at all possible, I had to try. I didn't want to accept defeat before making an effort, so somewhere early in my third trimester my husband and I prayed and just decided to carry on as though I would certainly be able to nurse. During pregnancy my breasts didn't seem to grow terribly much but I did have to get a bigger bra. Two or three weeks before I delivered, I started noticing colostrum when I took baths. It was a great sign of things to come. When my baby boy was born, my birth doula assisted me with my first latch within a half hour of birth and he latched on like a champ. 

In the days that followed, we struggled with his latch and we tried many positions as well as a nipple shield. On day three, we finally found a position that he did great with and it's been a go-to ever since. The day after we came home from the hospital, my milk came in and I was engorged! It was so painful, but it was a great problem! No milk supply worries; what a relief! Baby's weight and diaper counts have been awesome, so I know my son is getting plenty of milk.

 

One week later, I had a clogged duct. I dealt with engorgement and the plugged duct the same way... warm compress, massage, hand expressing, pumping, and nursing, nursing, nursing. Latch struggles, engorgement pain, cracked nipples, and plugged ducts did not deter me and I'm so happy to be able to give my baby precious nourishment designed perfectly for his body by mine. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done, and I considered giving up several times (especially when bawling my eyes out in the middle of the night), but I know it's worth it!

My biggest supporters in my nursing journey have been my husband and my sister, but honestly I have a great network of supporters including family members and other moms. My favorite product is Lansinoh 3-in-1 TheraPearl Breast Therapy (for warm compress)--very soothing for sore breasts and is great right before pumping. I also use Lansinoh's nipple cream.

I'm a happy nursing momma, three weeks and counting... 

E. R. Arroyo, Tulsa, OK

Canon Powershot G15 Giveaway from 42nd Street Photo

After a week of celebrating the wonders of breastfeeding, how about another fantastic giveaway? Whether you're taking pictures of breastfeeding to post on Facebook and make the powers that be squirm in their seat, or you're taking pictures of your little ones as they grow oh-too-quickly, there's nothing like an outstanding camera to help you along. 

That's where the Canon Powershot G15 digital camera comes in. And, thanks to this awesome giveaway sponsored by 42nd Street Photo, you just might be the lucky winner of one. I've teamed up with a bunch of other bloggers with the AnaB Social event. So check out the camera's specs, visit the sponsor's website, and enter the Rafflecopter below.



42nd Street Photo is a camera store based in New York City and they have a vast selection of digital cameras and camcorders. They have been in business for over 40 years, established back when we used to capture memories on film! It's convenient to shop there as they have great deals and sales, a variety of ways to pay, free shipping, and a free cleaning kit with your purchase. 42nd Street Photo is generously sponsoring this giveaway for the Canon Powershot G15, a small camera with big performance. This camera is a great step-up from the average point-and-shoot with a lot of features of more expensive DSLR cameras in a compact package. It also receives raving reviews from users!

Our Favorite Features of the Canon Powershot G15: 

• Fast 5X zoom lens
• 12.1 MP High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor, enables rapid continuous shooting, no lag! 
• Exceptional low-light performance to ISO 12800, 1.8 to 2.8 aperture
• 1080p HD Video Capture
• High speed automatic focus
• Intelligent image stabilization 
• Bright, high-resolution LCD
• RAW image capture capability
• Hot shoe for optional flash in addition to build-in one

Purchase: You can purchase the Canon Powershot G15 digital camera at 42nd Street Photo. 

Win It! 42nd Street Photo is generously blessing one winner with the Canon Powershot G15 digital camera! 

Special thanks to AnaB Social for hosting this giveaway. Huge thanks to 42photo.com and all the fabulous participating bloggers as well! 

Giveaway ends September 3rd at 11:59 pm, open to residents of US and Canada, ages 18+. See detailed terms and conditions on entry form. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below (see directions on how to enter here). Thank you!

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Disclaimer: AnaB Social, Green Grandma, and all participating event bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. 

The Big Let Down

Wanda's first nursing "victim."

Picture this:  I'm sitting in our small church on a hot, mid-August Sunday morning.  My father-in-law, the preacher, is just getting started on his 45 minute lesson.  My husband and I are sitting in the third pew, just past the spit zone.  (You know...  Leave the front two pews empty in case the pastor throws in a tongue twister and accidentally sprays you.)  Our two-month old son is lying in my arms, sleeping peacefully.  The preacher brings his first point home with a shout and a big hand-clap and “Waaahhh!” our boy is awake!

We're a tight-knit church community.  And I've been at this long enough that I feel pretty comfortable nursing my baby right there in Row 3.  I throw a receiving blanket over my shoulder, blink away the drop of sweat threatening to block my vision in my right eye, and get ready to nurse my now-crying babe.  As my boy latches on (he was, basically, a professional latcher by about Day Three), he gives about three sucks.  And then, THEN, the big let down.

No, not in a bad way, not like, “Oh, what a let down.  That's awful.”  In a good way.  Except it's so good, it actually ends up being awful.  And messy.

As my baby, innocently trying to nourish himself, starts to choke on the milk coming down the faucet that he just turned on, full blast, the other side of my chest feels warm...  very warm.  And very wet.  I peak under the blanket.  I have soaked through one of my reusable nursing pads and have turned my green shirt a darker shade of green, but just around my right breast.

Now in full-on choking mode, my son is totally unlatched.  Unfortunately, he's now also blinded by the stream of milk that is steadily spraying onto his face (think “fire-hose”).  Don't worry; breastmilk is good for anything that ails you.  He has no chance of developing an eye infection after this!

I clean off my son, set him upright and gently pat his back until he stops gasping and catches his breath.  Still hungry, he goes for more.  The second let-down is much calmer and he gets his fill. 

Once he fills his pants, something that every fellow parishioner hears and giggles about, I gently excuse myself to change him.  If anyone notices that I have also changed my sweater when I come back, they don't say anything.  They've seen this baby and I dance this dance before.

Epilogue – I learned to harness that milk from #2 pretty early on.  I would throw a bottle over it and get about 1.5 to 2 oz while my babe took what he needed from #1.  I felt a little silly sitting on my couch like that, but who was around to laugh at me?  Just me, and I have no plans to tell anyone about it.

* * *

When Wanda's not pouring gallons of milk into her child's mouth, she enjoys baking, playing board games with anyone who will let her win, and blogging. She and her husband are starting the adventure of homeschooling in September 2013. You can read about her faith, fun, and failures over at Wanda Whoopie-Cushion. 

Give me some Motherlove! Another giveaway for World Breastfeeding Week

Here it is -- the final giveaway for World Breastfeeding Week 2013. And it's a goody.

The kind folks at Motherlove are offering one lucky winner a 1 oz. jar of organic nipple cream and a 1 oz. jar of diaper rash and thrush.

nipple cream

Motherlove’s organic nipple cream has a zero rating (zero toxins) on EWG’s skin deep database and is made with 100% certified organic ingredients. An all natural herbal salve that quickly relieves the discomfort of sore, cracked nursing nipples. All ingredients are safe for ingestion, so it does not need to be washed off prior to breastfeeding baby. 

diaper rash and thrush

An all-natural herbal salve for persistent, inflamed diaper rash. May also be used on mother's nursing nipples. Does not need to be washed off nipple prior to nursing. Diaper safe and compatible with all diapers including cloth. Motherlove’s diaper rash & thrush has a zero rating (zero toxins) on EWG’s skin deep database and is made with 96% certified organic ingredients.

 
Show them some love and 'like' them on FB, follow them on Twitter, and check out their Resources page, packed full of info for new moms!


Enter to win below on the Rafflecopter. Open to US only. Ends at midnight 8/7.




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Breastfeeding and Bleacher Moms

Breastfeeding and Bleacher Moms

by Lora Homan Zill

“….one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

With those words, two hordes of screaming kids took their places—one on the field and the other on the sidelines getting ready to bat.

There I was, a new mother, also taking my accustomed spot along the third base line as cheerleader, coach, and impartial umpire for that base.  I was helping a friend from church coach a baseball “farm team” of six to ten-year-old boys and girls. 

I had been a girls’ softball coach some years before for several summers.  As I put on the cap again, I remembered how much fun it was to coach teenagers, but how wild it was working with young kids, many of whom we were teaching to play ball from scratch.  If the game got too long or boring, outfielders tossed rocks at the nearest signs or threw their gloves up in the air over and over.  Impatiently waiting for their turn at bat, the kids disappeared into the woods to play until they were summoned by the coaches’ yells.
 

Now my three-month-old son Danny accompanied me to the games.  The veteran “bleacher mothers” were happy to watch him while I coached third base or got the batting order ready in the dugout.  I didn’t know the individual mothers very well, but I knew their children.  So I did “know” the mothers well enough to trust almost total strangers with my son.  The bleachers were right behind me as I coached, so I was close if Danny needed me.  He was usually content, so I could concentrate on my players and making the calls.

Between innings, I would check on Danny and chat with the moms.  That was the time, too, when I would grab a lawn chair and a blanket for cover and nurse him along the sidelines.  When the next inning was about to start, I quickly handed him back to the mothers and took my place again.  This drew loud giggles from the onlookers as I scurried to get ready.  “Look at that—isn’t that cute?  The coach is feeding her kid!”  I laughed too, realizing how comical it must have seemed.

But I was pleased that I could continue my life and include my son.   Breastfeeding didn’t stop me from doing just about anything I enjoyed.   Years later, Danny was the one playing ball and I was one of the “bleacher moms” cheering him on.  But it wasn’t strange, we’d both been there before.

* * * 

Reprint rights

First Published in Welcome Home  June, 1991

Lora Homan Zill teaches writing and critical analysis at Gannon University. She is a teaching artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and a faculty member in Allegheny College’s arts program for gifted public school students.  She conducts writing residencies in schools, trains teachers in arts infusion activities and speaks at arts, educators’ and writers’ conferences.

Lora has served as a judge for the Independent Book Publishers Association (ibpa) Benjamin Franklin Awards and edits and publishes a literary Christian poetry magazine, Time Of Singing.  Her award-winning writing has been published widely.

Her most recent credit is as co-author of a chapter in the academic textbook Teaching Creatively and Teaching Creativity (Springer, 2013.)  She blogs about creativity, faith, and the arts at www.thebluecollarartist.com.

Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week with a FREE Carseat Canopy!

How about a FREE Carseat Canopy? In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, Mothers Lounge, LLC is offering a promo code for a free carseat canopy of your choice. Just click this link, choose the pattern you like most (it's a tough choice) and type in the code BREASTFEED when you check out. S/H charges apply ($12.95), but you won't pay a dime for the canopy, valued at $49.95!

Word of warning: I do not recommend keeping your baby covered for extended periods of time, as there isn't a tremendous amount of airflow with these types of covers. If you want something to protect your little one from the weather while going from the car to the house, store, church, etc. that's fine, but don't use it as a sunblock or room darkener. Babies need to breathe!

Win a Breast Feeding Pillow from BabyBaby NZ! Worldwide!

Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week and the Big Latch On today with another great giveaway. BabyBaby, the home of New Zealand's original breast feeding pillow and organic baby skin care, is giving away a breast feeding pillow to one lucky GG follower. 

Giveaway is open to residents Worldwide! If you live here on the planet Earth, you're welcome to enter and win!

Winner can choose the fabric pattern of choice and the pillow is valued up to $99!

Entries accepted until midnight August 7th EST.

Good luck!

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Starting off World Breastfeeding Week with a giveaway from Earth Mama Angel Baby!

We're celebrating World Breastfeeding Week here on the blog from now through August 7th. There will be stories, a poem, and giveaways to promote what I think is the best nutrition a person can have to start out their days here on this earth. I, myself, was formula fed. My firstborn, who I placed adoption, was formula fed. My two daughters, however, were breastfed for 12 months each, exclusively for their first six months. My three grandchildren are also breastfed. 

It is not my intention to make anyone feel as though they are "less of a mom" or that they deprived their children if they did not nurse their kids. I simply want to encourage moms-to-be to consider breastfeeding, and honor all those mamas out there who roughed it out during those first few difficult days or weeks or months. It's not always easy, as few things in mothering are. After all, it starts with labor!

So let's kick things off with a giveaway from the good mamas at Earth Mama Angel Baby, who were happy to donate a Breastfeeding Essentials Bundle to one lucky reader. Just enter on the Rafflecopter below.

And good luck!

US Only  Must be at least 18 to enter.


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Back to School event! HUGE GIVEAWAY! Over 150 winners!

Hosted by: Night Helper | Mom Blog Society | Swank Savings | My Dairy Free Gluten Free Life | Sanity Is For Those Without Children Blog | Geeky Gamer Mom | Mommy & Baby Reviews | Diary Of A Widow Mom | Mommy Lesson Plans | She Informed | The It Mom 

Sponsored by: Epson | Radio Shack | Majestic Home Goods | Sleep Innovations | Sakar | Soda Stream | Crocs | Rollie | Kalorik | Brylane Home | Genie Bra | Hello Oral Care | Bellaboo | 10 Dollar Mall | Words To Sweat By | Lugz | Barbar | Maggies Bags | Sweet Gizmo | Fair Trade | PB Crave | Savvy Caddy | BootTights | Whitening Lightening | Simply 7 Snacks | FragranceNet | Energizer Flameless Wax Candles |SheaMoisture | YummyEarth | Hotheads | FunBites | BrothersAllNatural | Puff's Fresh Faces | Madeleine Mono | My Tot Clock | Reuseit | Air Copy | Therafit | Winx | Diamond Nexus | Life With Out Plastic | Kobo Books | Skintactix |The Bean Bag Chair Outlet | Hallmark | Mighty Bright Book Lights| Giantmicrobes | Lash Sleeve Mascara | TerraCycle | Architectural Mailboxes | GiftSender | No8Brands

 Open TO USA ONLY: Aug 1st-Aug 14th. 

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Please note: Not all prizes are eco-friendly or toxin-free. Use your discretion when entering. 

RC 12 Back To School Event

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