My husband and I were in Chicago last week and took a side-trip to Ikea up in Schaumburg, IL. I had been there once before several years ago before I had kids, but since I've had kids, Ikea was like a whole new store for me.
Their kid's section was just plain awesome. They had so many nifty ideas for organizing, their wooden toys were cute and I LOVED their little table and chairs for kids to sit at. After analyzing, measuring, re-measuring, and engineering a table my husband could build, we ended up buying 3 toy organizers, one for each of the girls' rooms and one for the play room. In addition, we bought 3 laminate tabletops my husband was going to build into a table to slide over the toy organizer (so the kids could sit and do crafts, color, etc.) A couple of Christmas gifts later and our Honda Accord was full. It was a true testament to our car that it could fit everything without prior planning (not to mention we had two suitcases, too).
But the thing that really impressed me about Ikea was the kid-friendly atmosphere, not just the kid's section of the store. Throughout the store (which is friggin' HUGE!), there were stations for kids to play while their parents shopped. So Mom and Dad can browse the kitchen cabinets while Jimmy and Sally play at a designated play area right in the department. Also, the cafeteria on the top floor had a nice kid's section for adults and kids to sit at that included a flat-screen TV playing Ratatouille. The kid's menu was generally nutritious and they even sold jars of baby food in the cafeteria. The bathrooms even included a smaller sink with a stool for kids to wash their hands.
I'm assuming that the Ikea stores are organized and planned by the Swedes, being that Ikea is a Swedish company. So why don't we make our American stores more family-friendly? I'm happy finding a baby-changing station that's not cramped between two blow-dryers, but why do we settle for that? I always thought one of our local Targets was cool because they have a Family Restroom that makes it nice for everyone to shuffle into -- Mom or Dad, pre-schooler and baby in a stroller.
Is it too much to ask that our stores offer a more family-friendly environment? Is it really that big of a deal to make ONE sink lower than the rest so a child can reach?
Ikea not only make children acceptable, they make them feel welcome. What a foreign idea!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Sugar Mama
Do you ever wonder if you're normal?
I think all of us wonder if we're part of the mainstream or if we're a bit outside of the norm. And I'm sure even normal people bend to the right or left of a straight line now and then in certain areas -- after all, we all have our quirks (for me, all toilet paper must roll off the front -- it's easier to tear off) and we wouldn't be us without these pesky habits.
I went to an Elmo Party today with my girls, the kind of thing hosted by the city's Parks and Recreation Department for the summer. Mistakenly, I told my 4-year-old that the real Elmo was going to be there and she was quite disappointed when I found out I read the description of the program wrong... but that's for another entry.
What I found to be the most interesting part of this experience was observing the parents. For example, one eager mother bubbled on about how she had signed her daughter up for every class offered that summer... Dora's Adventure, Go Diego, Princess Party, Animals in Action, etc. Her enthusiasm oozed out of every pore like a toxic spill. I almost caught myself gawking at her. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to be active with your children, but signing up for EVERY class seems like a bit much. My girls are in a couple this year just to get us out of the house doing something different, and I think that seems pretty reasonable. Filling our entire summer with scheduled programs, dance lessons, gymnastics and sports is a little much for me -- and remember, we're talking about 4-year-olds here.
In addition to over-scheduling her child, this mother began a conversation with another mom about the snack provided at the program: a small snickerdoodle cookie the kids got to decorate with icing, 2 mini-marshmallows and a few chocolate chips. I know it wasn't a healthy snack and yes, I strive to feed my children healthy food. Typical snacks in our house can be anything from fruit to crackers to a granola bar -- a treat will be chocolate graham crackers or some strawberry milk. I wasn't impressed with the snack, but it was a special occasion so I didn't balk at the cookie too much.
But not Super-Mom. Apparently, as she reported, there was more sugar in that snack than what her daughter got in one week. Another mother chimed in that "they just don't like eating this kind of stuff when they're not used to it." And "my son wouldn't even eat birthday cake because he doesn't get sweets that much."
Are you kidding me?
It's a 2-inch cookie with a tiny bit of frosting. And you're child wouldn't even eat a piece of cake at a birthday party?
I understand our nation is in the middle of a weight epidemic and that children develop unhealthy habits at an early age. And like I said, our house is filled with healthy foods -- fruits, veggies, whole-grain bread, lean meat, etc. But denying a child the opportunity to enjoy a treat to the point that they don't even LIKE it that much seems to be beyond the norm. Right?
Heck, maybe I'm wrong and what I perceive to be a healthy diet is not so healthy after all. I will deny this of course and anyone is invited to look through my cupboards and refrigerator to inspect our food choices -- I will ensure you that a nutritionist would be quite pleased... I'll just hide the Fig Newtons when she comes.
I think all of us wonder if we're part of the mainstream or if we're a bit outside of the norm. And I'm sure even normal people bend to the right or left of a straight line now and then in certain areas -- after all, we all have our quirks (for me, all toilet paper must roll off the front -- it's easier to tear off) and we wouldn't be us without these pesky habits.
I went to an Elmo Party today with my girls, the kind of thing hosted by the city's Parks and Recreation Department for the summer. Mistakenly, I told my 4-year-old that the real Elmo was going to be there and she was quite disappointed when I found out I read the description of the program wrong... but that's for another entry.
What I found to be the most interesting part of this experience was observing the parents. For example, one eager mother bubbled on about how she had signed her daughter up for every class offered that summer... Dora's Adventure, Go Diego, Princess Party, Animals in Action, etc. Her enthusiasm oozed out of every pore like a toxic spill. I almost caught myself gawking at her. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to be active with your children, but signing up for EVERY class seems like a bit much. My girls are in a couple this year just to get us out of the house doing something different, and I think that seems pretty reasonable. Filling our entire summer with scheduled programs, dance lessons, gymnastics and sports is a little much for me -- and remember, we're talking about 4-year-olds here.
In addition to over-scheduling her child, this mother began a conversation with another mom about the snack provided at the program: a small snickerdoodle cookie the kids got to decorate with icing, 2 mini-marshmallows and a few chocolate chips. I know it wasn't a healthy snack and yes, I strive to feed my children healthy food. Typical snacks in our house can be anything from fruit to crackers to a granola bar -- a treat will be chocolate graham crackers or some strawberry milk. I wasn't impressed with the snack, but it was a special occasion so I didn't balk at the cookie too much.
But not Super-Mom. Apparently, as she reported, there was more sugar in that snack than what her daughter got in one week. Another mother chimed in that "they just don't like eating this kind of stuff when they're not used to it." And "my son wouldn't even eat birthday cake because he doesn't get sweets that much."
Are you kidding me?
It's a 2-inch cookie with a tiny bit of frosting. And you're child wouldn't even eat a piece of cake at a birthday party?
I understand our nation is in the middle of a weight epidemic and that children develop unhealthy habits at an early age. And like I said, our house is filled with healthy foods -- fruits, veggies, whole-grain bread, lean meat, etc. But denying a child the opportunity to enjoy a treat to the point that they don't even LIKE it that much seems to be beyond the norm. Right?
Heck, maybe I'm wrong and what I perceive to be a healthy diet is not so healthy after all. I will deny this of course and anyone is invited to look through my cupboards and refrigerator to inspect our food choices -- I will ensure you that a nutritionist would be quite pleased... I'll just hide the Fig Newtons when she comes.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Honeymoon is Over
When I brought my second daughter home, Cora was not quite 2 1/2 years old. To say Cora was excited about a new baby would be an understatement. She was practically obsessed with the new baby's whereabouts at all times. She helped change diapers, get bottles ready, sing songs, read stories, get burp cloths -- you name it, Cora helped do it. Many times a day I heard little Cora say, "Let's go see what the baby's doing," and she'd tip toe to the cradle to watch her new sister sleeping. Cora even named her own new baby doll, Adelle. And she called her new sister Adelle Baby -- which always made me smile because it sounded a lot like A Doll Baby.
Even now, with Adelle 2 and Cora 4, I could not ask Cora to be a better big sister. She's protective when it comes to germs in public restrooms ("Adelle, DO NOT touch anything"), she still helps change diapers ("She's got the yucks!"), and she even shared her juice with her after a soccer game (with no prompting from me).
But I realized that even with all this sister-y goodness, the honeymoon is definitely over. Memorial Day was spent prying the two girls apart and putting them each in their own rooms for some seriously needed Alone Time. They fought over tiny dinosaurs, Barbies, books, Legos, and anything else either one of them touched.
"Mom! Adelle's not sharing!"
"Cora, share!"
"Mom! She's kicking me!"
"Ow!"
"Ow, Mom! She's hurting me!"
Then cries from both girls.
James and I were at our wits end. I suddenly felt severe guilt for having put my own parents through this same plight with my older brother when we were kids. How many times did my parents have to draw an imaginary line in the back seat of the car that we could not cross as to avoid a fight? Or how many times did I complain my brother wasn't being fair? Or that he hit me? Or that he hurt me?
My mother has always told me that she originally wanted three children, but once my brother and I started bickering, she couldn't imagine adding a third child to the mix. So she stopped at two.
I don't blame her one bit.
Even now, with Adelle 2 and Cora 4, I could not ask Cora to be a better big sister. She's protective when it comes to germs in public restrooms ("Adelle, DO NOT touch anything"), she still helps change diapers ("She's got the yucks!"), and she even shared her juice with her after a soccer game (with no prompting from me).
But I realized that even with all this sister-y goodness, the honeymoon is definitely over. Memorial Day was spent prying the two girls apart and putting them each in their own rooms for some seriously needed Alone Time. They fought over tiny dinosaurs, Barbies, books, Legos, and anything else either one of them touched.
"Mom! Adelle's not sharing!"
"Cora, share!"
"Mom! She's kicking me!"
"Ow!"
"Ow, Mom! She's hurting me!"
Then cries from both girls.
James and I were at our wits end. I suddenly felt severe guilt for having put my own parents through this same plight with my older brother when we were kids. How many times did my parents have to draw an imaginary line in the back seat of the car that we could not cross as to avoid a fight? Or how many times did I complain my brother wasn't being fair? Or that he hit me? Or that he hurt me?
My mother has always told me that she originally wanted three children, but once my brother and I started bickering, she couldn't imagine adding a third child to the mix. So she stopped at two.
I don't blame her one bit.
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