parenting - Parenting Healthy

I have been compensated by JOHNSONS® Baby for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.

I was always fortunate to live across town from family with our son. With my 2 older bonus boys we can just rearrange custody days so we could send them to Mom’s if we had plans and she can do the same with us. Even though family would take the boys at various times, it was always nice to hand them tips and necessities.

Our youngest is 9 and has always been very habitual (like my husband). For instance, if he was in need of a bath the night we are out he would expect his same bubbles and shampoo. I always use JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo and eventually began using their BEDTIME® Lavender wash. He loves the bath washes that smell good and this one is so relaxing.

He also has other habits like reading in his book and being allowed some video game time leading up to bed. These are all nice to note for a babysitter so they can keep the routine as normal as possible for the kids. Having these babysitter tips handy helps the kids moods and excitement levels and that helps the sitter as well.

Babysitter Tips Main Checklist

This is the stationary checklist you can keep up and only need to replace if major contacts, medical information or routines change.

Download the Babysitter Checklists

Use this checklist below every time you leave the kids with a babysitter. This checklist has that day’s notes and meal plans for the babysitter

Another handy thing to leave out for a sitter is a ‘babysitter emergency box’. Kids get bumps and small cuts, they get messy and even get fevers and bugs. A sitter is not going to be familiar with where you keep all of your essentials, so having a basket with main essentials out is always a good idea. Even if I send our son to family to stay, I put these items in a large ziploc in his suitcase because relatives may not have these children essentials in their homes if he needs them. What do I keep in mine?

Infant/Children’s Tylenol
JOHNSON’S® Band-aids
Cleaning Wipes
Cotton Swabs
Ointments
Benadryl

Then I also double check that his shampoos/washes are available near the bath and his oral care products are ready by the sink. Or if he is being watched out of the home, those go into a large ziploc as well and sent in his suitcase.

With brands like JOHNSON’S® Baby available at Walmart they are trusted to be easily found and available for many more generations to come. Having a habitual child means using brands you know you can consistently buy and have available for them at bed, bath and routine times.

Do you have a routine for your babysitter to follow?

If someone is reporting an adverse event or a product quality complaint, please tell them to call the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) North America Consumer Care Center at 800-361- 8068 during normal business hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. After normal business hours, they can report adverse events or product quality complaints through www.jnj.com Contact Us page.

Healthy Living, Parenting, Reviews, Uncategorized

Keeping Kids Healthy with GIANTmicrobes – Review

January 2, 2018February 12, 2019 Erin Sluka

I have partnered with GIANTmicrobes for feature. All opinions are my own

Vitamins come in many forms from tablets and capsules to yummy gummies. Most kids get their vitamins in gummies or flavored, candy-like tablets. Now they can play with their vitamins! With actual, enlarged molecules of Vitamins A, B6, C and D they will learn all about these compounds that are essential for growth and nutrition. See these fun Vitamin GIANTmicrobes.

Vitamin A plays an important role in bone growth and vision. It also is great for the skin and teeth as well as cell and tissue growth. What foods are a good source of Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is found in yellow and orange foods like carrots and squash. Ask your child to name a few they can think of?

Vitamin B6 is one of those B-Vitamins that converts food into energy. In particular, B6 is important for the cardiovascular and nervous system as well as immunity and digestion.

Vitamin B6 is found in meat, fish, nuts, bananas and potatoes! Ask your child what Disney Minion they think gets the most Vitamin B6?

Vitamin C fights the cold and flu bugs and helps heals wounds. You can’t stay away from germs, they are all around us but Vitamin C helps our body not get sick from those germs.

Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage and kiwi to name a few. Ask your child what Vitamin C food they want as a side for lunch or dinner today?

Vitamin D is for the bones! Vitamin D also gives us a mineral that helps our body take in Calcium. Calcium (milk) and Vitamin D are best friends.

Vitamin D can be found in grains, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks and some cereals. Ask your child what they like to put on their green salad?

Now that you and your child have learned about their vitamins, how about some plush molecules to play with. They will use these to learn and memorize. If vitamins don’t excite them, there are so many cells, diseases and critters to learn and have fun with at GIANTmicrobes.

Back to School 2017, Education, Parenting

Are You First Day Ready For School?

August 24, 2017October 13, 2017 Erin Sluka

There is no mistaking that if your kids aren’t headed back to school now, they will be soon – the stores are filled with supplies and sales and ads for back-to-school. The beginning of a new school year can be an especially challenging time for parents and children both, although for totally different reasons. For parents, making sure that kids are equipped with the supplies and everything they need to get organized and have a good year is usually the first challenge. Then meeting the teachers, checking out the classrooms, and assessing the curriculum for the year is next on the list.

We just completed our school shopping this week. We also moved to a new town this summer so yesterday I dropped off all papers to register my son in 4th grade at his brand new school. He is excited but also nervous too. The next step for us is to wait for the call on what teacher he gets and if it is the same of some new friends he has met in our neighborhood and on his soccer team.

For kids, the stress of the new school year can be a little different than what we experience as parents. Did you know that one in five children in the U.S. have learning and attention issues, like ADHD and dyslexia? Children with these types of challenges – many of whom have never been formally diagnosed – can feel especially stressed during the back-to-school season as they face new subjects, teachers and schools.

As the new school year approaches, we were excited to get personalized tips from the First-Day Ready Guide to help our kids make a great start. The Ad Council and Understood.org have partnered to promote ways children and their families can be First-Day Ready. Understood.org is offering a free First-Day Ready Guide to help parents with students at every age successfully manage back-to-school transitions. Understood.org is a free, easy-to-use online resource and community designed to support parents and caregivers of children with learning and attention issues.

Having a guide is so helpful. My stepsons are 19 and 24 so it’s been some time since I have sent a fourth grader off to school.

These back-to-school tips from the Understood.org website are an invaluable resource for getting on track and starting the year of on the right foot. They helped my family; hopefully they can help yours too.

Planning early is important to help relieve stress. Creating structure and routine around the start of the new school year—with checklists, calendars and other organization systems— helps prepare kids for class expectations. I loved browsing the Printable Back-to-School Downloads. I am a paper person so this helps me a lot. I also enjoyed the 9 Apps to Help Kids Manage Back-to-School Challenges so we can use them to have mini discussions at bedtime leading up to the first day of school.

You can also take your child on a school tour to help ease fears by showing them how to find their classroom, nearby bathrooms, the cafeteria and other important places the first week of school. This can be a huge stress relief whether the child is new to the school or not. Just knowing where to go can help them feel more comfortable.

Connecting with your child’s teacher early on benefits everyone and creates a great starting point for the new year. This will give you an opportunity to share your child’s needs or learning style while expressing your support for the teacher and the challenges he/she may be facing with a new classroom full of students. You will help create an atmosphere of cooperation while speaking up for your child and his or her challenges.

Finally, get support! Many parents and students are going through the same experience. Understood.org and Understood’s Facebook page connect parents across the country to share information and learn from each other. You can also ask around your community and school to find other parents you can connect with.

So, no matter your child’s age or needs, this Back-to-School season can be a seamless transition and positive experience for both you and your children!

If you could use some help getting started on the right foot this school year, Understood.org is a great place to start.

All kids learn in different ways and at different paces. With the right support, all kids can thrive in school and in life.

Back to School 2017, College Bound, Food, Gift Guides, Parenting

3 College Care Package Ideas For Your Student

August 24, 2017September 11, 2017 Erin Sluka

I am a Premier Protein Ambassador and all feature ideas are my own

Do you have a child or children in college? If you do you know that bittersweet drop off moment where they are ready to run and you can’t let them go. Trust me! They won’t go far. They want food, laundry done, conversations on how to cook rice and many other needs that they will always still need your care. To make them feel even more comforted (and to comfort ourselves) we can send care packages. But what should you send? Let’s get creative based on my own experiences with some suggestions I will give you.

The first 2 weeks were a lot of back and forth by phone making sure he is settling into classes and dorm life. At one point I get a call from him asking for some grocery money in his account. He wanted some cans of soup and protein bars. He said that because his first am class is on the other side of campus and he walks he needs breakfast that he can take and walk with.

He wanted protein bars and in our home we buy Premier Protein so I hopped online and ordered him some to be shipped. Premier Protein bars have no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners and are gluten free. Other brands out there may contain artificial ingredients and synthetic nutrients so we really do our homework and choose wisely.

On our son’s first few days in his dorm room we noticed a small issue. The outlets are never placed in the right spots. This means that by the time they plug in laptops, lights, a mini fridge, alarm clocks that leaves little left for all the chargers as well. Another thing I learned is how much their cell phones do get used. If they have a full day of classes all over campus and need to try and hit the cafe a few times that cell phone battery is done. We love using the MyCharge HubXtra. What is unique about this is that you don’t also have to remember to grab your charging cord like most power banks require. The charging cords are built in and contain a lightning and micro chargers. I carry one myself for travel. This will get used!

One of my favorite options are gift baskets and GourmetGiftBaskets has many care packages to choose from. Some are candy filled, some healthier. This is the Health Nut Care Package above. What is great is that you can choose a basket, enter there shipping address and attach a message that is typed in a card. It is a lot of fun when that gift box arrives and they know it is a collection of foods or beverages before they even open it.

You will be sending packages and they will be requesting (food) mostly so send them the goodies they will proudly pick up when the hall desk sends them that message that they have a package waiting. I assure you these ideas will go over real well.

Let’s get you started! I am giving away Premier Protein samples. If you win you can send your child’s dorm address and Premier Protein will send it their way. Or you can use your own address and try them for yourself. Enter below. Open to US and ends on 9/5. Good luck!

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Tag: parenting

New Babysitter Tips and Printable Checklists #MommyMustHaves

Babysitter Tips Main Checklist

Keeping Kids Healthy with GIANTmicrobes – Review

Are You First Day Ready For School?

3 College Care Package Ideas For Your Student