Hey LG world!

I’ve skimmed through the web-o-sphere and found some fun Halloween recipes for you all to try this spooky Halloween month!!

Crunchy Carrot Fingers!

What you’ll need

• vegetable dip

• 4 long carrots

• 1 medium carrot

• softened cream cheese

• sliced-almond

• baby carrots

Instructions

1. To prepare them, just fill a serving bowl with your favorite vegetable dip. Wash and peel 4 long carrots for fingers and 1 medium carrot for a thumb.

2. With a paring knife (a parent’s job), cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of each carrot. Then use a dab of dip or softened cream cheese to glue a sliced-almond fingernail atop each notch.

3. Stick the fingers in the dip, as shown, and serve with plenty of peeled baby carrots for dipping.

Mummys in a Blanket!

Ingredients

• 1 11-ounce can of refrigerator breadsticks

• 1 12-pack of hot dogs

• Yellow mustard

Instructions

1. For each mummy, separate one breadstick from the roll and use kitchen shears or a knife to slice it in half lengthwise to create two thinner strips.

2. Wrap one strip at a time snugly around the hot dog. Depending on the size of the hot dog, you may not need all of both strips. Leave about 1/2 inch of hot dog exposed for the face area and continue wrapping the top of the hot dog.

3. Bake the mummies on a cookie sheet at 350º for 15 to 18 minutes or until the breadstick wrapping is golden brown.

4. Remove the mummies from the oven and cool them for 5 minutes. Add yellow mustard eyes just before serving. Makes 12 mummies.

Both courtesty of FamilyFun.Go.com

Spider Cupcakes!

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix

• 1 pound black shoestring licorice

• 1 (16 ounce) can white frosting

• 48 pieces candy corn

• 48 cinnamon red hot candies

• 1/4 cup orange decorator sugar

Instructions

1. Prepare cupcakes according to package directions. Let cool completely.

2. Cut licorice into 3 inch sections. Working with one or two cupcakes at a time, so the frosting doesn’t set before decorating, frost the cupcakes with the white frosting. Insert licorice pieces into the outer edges of the cupcakes to make the legs of the spider, 3 legs on each side (4 takes up too much space). Place two pieces of candy corn on the front of the cupcake for fangs and use two red hots as eyes. Sprinkle with decorator sugar. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

Courtesy of allrecipes.com

Bones!

“Buy different-sized marshmallows and pretzels so kids can create giant femurs, skinny phalanges, and other assorted bones. Another trick is to snip the end of each marshmallow with scissors—”it makes it divide like the end of a bone,” Bowers explains. Keep in mind that pretzels break easily (even in adult hands), so you’ll want plenty of extras on hand. Dipping the bones in chocolate isn’t difficult, says Bowers, but it requires a gentle hand and some patience, so don’t be surprised if younger kids have trouble with this or get bored.”

courtesy of Epicurious.com

It’s a dragon!

All you have to do is cut green sponges into triangles and stitch or glue them down a pilot’s cap as well as a matching bodysuit.

If you have siblings that are up for it – maybe the other can dress up as a dragon-dueling prince!

This was probably the easiest costume to make so far – and it’s so darned cute!! Hope you enjoyed it!

Keep Smiling,

The Little Gym

Here’s another option! It is a fun and extremely easy costume to create with just 30 minutes or less.  Here is a picture and instructions courtesy of Disney’s Family Fun website.

All you need is a photocopy of a quarter, cardboard and duct tape.  In this economy, its pretty easy to accept the minimilism of these supplies.

All you have to do is:

• Enlarge a photocopy of a quarter.
• Glue it to a peice of cardboard cut to the same size, then attach it to your childs back with loops of duct tape! 

You really dont need anything else.  To spruce it up a bit – maybe your child wants to wear a football jersey?  Or paint black lines underneath their eyes.

I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of our home-made costume suggestions!

I think this costume  is not only creative, but its such a fun way to de-stress if you are attempting to bang out a costume last minute.

All you need is a blanket (unless you are in a hot climate, im hoping you have one of these in your house!) You also need something that makes you resemble a pig! 

For even simpler and cost-effective efforts, you can just buy/create  pig ears and pig nose. 

All you have to do is snag some pink felt, light and dark.  Then, you can hot glue triangles for the ears and a cylinder for the snout!  You can sew/pin the ears to a pink beanie and strap the nose on with an old thin head band!

For the tail, use the fuzzy pink bendable pipe-cleaner wires that you can find at any craft store. 

For the body outfit – wear pink! or for smaller kidlets, you can strap on a pink onesie!

To get even more silly, you can splash some mud all around ya!

Voila! a Pig in a blanket!

Share your ideas if you have made or know anyone who has made this costume!!

Each day this week I will showcase a creative kids’ costume.  I will be scouring the internet for tips and instructions. 

Creating a costume from scratch is a fun project for you and your child.  It takes creativity, patience and sometimes it puts things to use that you may have otherwise thrown out.  What a great green lesson!

The first costume is really fun and cute!  It is a Chinese Takeout box!!    I’ve extracted the directions from Parents.com, so thank you to the great folks over there!  

Here are the supplies you will need for each part!  Don’t be afraid to use your own creative juices and substitute with materials you may already have!

For the carryout container you’ll need:

• Cardboard box
• 4 yards of 36-inch-wide red paper (sold off the roll at art supply stores)
• Gold paper
• Two 1-yard lengths of 11/2-inch ribbon
• Packing tape
• Utility knife

For the shirt you’ll need:

• Shirt
• 1/2x12x36-inch white plastic foam sheet
• Utility knife

For the hat you’ll need:

• Three 12×18-inch sheets of light brown crafts foam
• 1 sheet of white crafts foam
• Florist’s wire
• Black paint marker
• Khaki hat
• Stapler

How to Make the Carryout Container:

1.      Cut a hole in the bottom of the box large enough to allow your child to walk comfortably. Trim the top four flaps so they are 8 inches tall.

2.      Wrap and tape red paper around the box and all four flaps. Cut designs out of the gold paper and glue them around the front and back of the box.

3.      Cut two pairs of 2-inch horizontal slits — leaving a 1/2-nch space between slits — the front of the box. In the same manner, cut two pairs of slits on the back of the box.

4.      To make the shoulder straps, thread one end of a ribbon through the slits in the front and back of the box. Repeat this process with the second ribbon. Adjust the length of the ribbons to fit your child, and securely knot each ribbon end inside the box.

How to Make the Shirt:

1.      Lay the plastic foam sheet on a protected work surface.

2.      With the utility knife, cut irregular grains of rice approximately 1×6 inches long.

3.      Gently compress the edges of each piece of rice with your fingertips to strengthen it and give it a rounded appearance.

4.      Hot-glue the finished rice to the front and back of the shirt. Reserve a few pieces to glue onto the brim of the hat.

How to Make the Hat:

1.      To make the fortune-cookie hat, stack two sheets of brown crafts foam together. Trim off each corner to make a half circle. Staple the length of the 18-inch straight edge together.

2.      Open the rounded edges and bring them over the stapled edge. Line them up and staple the length of edges together.

3.      Pull the corners of the crafts foam sheets together, creating the fortune-cookie shape.  Hot-glue the underside of the folded cookie to the top of the hat.

4.      Cut two 3-inch-wide strips of white crafts foam, and write a message on each with a black paint marker. Glue florist’s wire to the underside of the messages. Glue one end of each message between the stapled edge on either side of the cookie hat.

5.      Cut a 1×18-inch strip from the third sheet of crafts foam, and hot-glue it over the stapled edge. Where this strip of trim meets the fortune, cut it in half lengthwise, and then glue the thin strips over and under the message.

6.      Cut a 1/2×18-inch strip of crafts foam, and glue it along the top of the 1-inch strip, creating the appearance of a cookies edge.

If you dont use this, than I hope this inspired you to make something even more creative!!

If you have any fun costumes you want to point out, post the directions or link to it below!

As I surfed the tube the other day, my attention was caught by a show that some of you may have seen before.   It’s a program that features little girls who are around five/six years of age.  No, it’s not Sesame Street and I’m surely not talking about Nogginz.  These kids have spray tans, fake hair, make-up and false eyelashes.  Did I mention they are getting their eyebrows waxed before they even hit kindergarten?

…You know what I’m referring to, right?  Pageant children! 

The program that has brought this topic to light for me is “Toddlers and Tiara’s” on TLC.  At such a young age, it is clear that the child did not wake up one morning and say “Mom, I want to put red lipstick on, high heels, and compete against other girls with red lipstick and high heels!”  However, to be fair, a young child doesn’t wake up and just KNOW that they want to play soccer, be a ballerina, or join girl scouts.  There is clearly external factors that  sway a child’s decision on what they want to spend their time on.  The most influential factor is, you guessed it, parents!  So, the question at hand is, are these parents right to subject their children to pageantry?

Many psychologists have stated that beauty pageants are not in the best interests for the mental health of children.  Most importantly, psychologists stress the detriment of teaching children that beauty, above anything else, is key.  Children are very impressionable and if the value of personality, kindness or compassion is not instilled, there will be much social trouble ahead for the child.   Participating in such a competitive atmosphere does not bode well for peer relationships because it teaches them that they only need to care for themselves.    It’s also not far off to think that this deep superficial emphasis will encourage the development of image and body problems in their future. 

 The parents of pageant children who argue against the wide range of mental health research have various rebuttals.  They say that they genuinely believe pageantry is an amazing tool that instills confidence and develops competitive spirit in their children.  They also believe that it enhances poise and grace.

Whatever whoevers opinion is, here are some quotes from the program that are a bit disturbing…

A Mother speaking in front of her children: “The twins are fraternal and in a pageant Breanne and Ashley obviously have to compete against each other and I will have to say that Breanne wins the most.  Breanne does look a lot like Mommy and probably the prettiest out of my five children.”…she goes on to say that her one child doesn’t win as much because she is too shy and has a large nose. (!!)

 A Father: “It gives me a lot of money…”  Basically says that if they need to afford a spare tire – they would put their daughter in a pageant. (really? on national television, you admit this!)

In the episodes that I have seen and the documentaries I’ve witnessed in the past, I have definitely developed MY own opinion on the subject of pageantry.  But, as they say and I would like to emphasize this; to each her own! I welcome all and any agreements or disagreements. 

What do you think about pageantry for children?  Would you ever let your child participate in one?  Why? Why not?

Take a look at these controversial videos…http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/toddlers-tiaras-top-10-controversial-parents/

    Many studies have shown that children learn how to connect to others when playing games and inadvertently overcome shyness.  They also develop a positive self concept when making decisions, planning and simply participating.  Additionally, the grabbing of dice, game pieces, and colorful boards are very impactful on their sensory perception.  Another great lesson that comes out of games is moral reasoning; a child will eventually learn what is fair and unfair when engaged in a game.  A sense of fair play will reinforce values later on! By playing games, children will learn:

• Memory
• How to take turns
• Risk taking
• Honesty
• Anticipation skills
• Pattern, color and shape recognition
• Cooperation
• that they can’t always win
• Patience.

    All of these essential skills that are learned from board games are highly unlikely to exist unless the parent puts in the effort!  A parent should be sure to encourage and praise their child with words such as “good job!” and “you can do it!”  A parent should really watch their child when it is their turn so that they can “show off” their skills to someone whose opinion they value the most. 

    There are different games that are appropriate for each level.  Around 3-5 years, physical interaction like blocks and puzzles are suitable.  Adults should get on the floor and really get involved at the level of the child!  When a child is between 5-8 years old, they often want to indulge in more complex problem solving games and shy away from dominantly physical games.  Checkers, Dominoes and Jenga are a few that are perfect for this age group.  As children grow older, their play becomes more complicated and requires more social skills.  The older they become, the more regulation and rules a game should have.  These require great self control.  At these ages they can now leverage the power of words, numbers and much more complex scenarios.  Scrabble, Pictionary and Monopoly are a few classic favorites.

    Since colder weather is approaching, these are some great examples of ways your child can have fun indoors.  Feel free to post some game night stories here at our blog!

Thank you to the professional sources used to create this post…

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creative-development/200909/games-growth

http://fun.families.com/blog/the-benefits-of-games-for-children-and-a

http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/2008/04/board-games-and-early-literacy.html

I recently read an article written by a child psychologist that strengthened my hunch that enabling children to make their own choices is of the utmost importance…

We all want our children to make the right decisions.  We wish to forward them down the right path.  With that in mind, we must help them grow independently instead of control their every move.  Otherwise, how will they learn to make the right decisions?  A child who has the ability to choose inevitably feels valued and respected.  When a parent consistently calls the shots, a child may feel that his own input is devalued. 

Especially for children who are very sensitive, they need a sense of reassurance and encouragement that their own presence in the world is an added value.  Using choices to help foster a partnership between child and parenting is a proven successful approach – even cutting down the amount of tantrums a child may throw.

Adding to an earlier blog post’s theme; enabling children to make their own decisions evolves their confidence.  Confidence leads to productivity and achievement; two things we all hope to cultivate in our children.  With these tools, children continue to believe that their capability to navigate the outside world is highly likely.

If you recognize your child making a not-so-smart decision, you may want to consider letting them be and faring the consequences on their own.  Although an ancient approach, trial and error can instill a better understanding of what’s right or wrong, better or worse and just how powerful a bad decision can be.   Of course, you should attempt to show your unconditional love to them regardless of their decision so that they learn that a bad decision is not the end of the world; just a fact of life!  More importantly, parents should show positive emotion so that their children feel reassured that their parents love will stay strong no matter what decision they have made.

Of course, not all decisions or actions can be controlled by a child!  Many instances definitely warrant an “authority figure’s” expertise and guidance.  For instance, a child cannot decide whether or not they want to do homework.  Still, a parent may want to accompany their demands with explanations.  For instance, parents can explain that completing homework is necessary to progress in school.  It is the adults that need to set boundaries and identify the right decision points for their kids – especially in the present world where they grow at such a rapid rate.

I was with a child the other day and she had just learned how to tie her shoes. When I pointed out her floppy undone laces, she quickly jumped at the opportunity. For a couple minutes, she was struggling with one of the steps and she couldn’t quite finish. I asked her if she wanted my help but she looked up at me with such determination, thanked me and assured me she would be just fine. One more minute passed by and she had completed the task.

This confidence while executing a task is really important for children to possess. Yet, how is strong competence developed? How can a parent instill resilience and self-assurance? Although many believe that competence in children is developed upon birth, child psychologist Sarah Landy says that it can be encouraged and developed by parenting. Even children who face obstacles such as ADHD can become very competent. The most important era to instill this trait is the first 6 years – when the framework can be laid.

An easy way to break the complicated world of competence down is to separate it into three categories; self-esteem, social skills, and planning/problem solving.

SELF ESTEEM Self-esteem is defined as the intrinsic sense of your own worth and value. One building block to self-esteem is secure attachment. The feeling of security comes hand in hand with feeling unconditionally loved and cared for by an adult. Another block is body mastery and body image. By mastering motor skills – from my friend’s child tying her shoe to playing sports- a feeling of accomplishment follows. Additionally, a healthy and positive image of their body is another component to self-esteem. You can help your kids develop physical mastery by motivating them to do activities. You can even turn a routine into an activity; for instance, cooking; let them help you with stirring or kneading. When they are doing these activities; offer adoration and encouragement.

SOCIAL SKILLS  The ability to communicate and get along with others is so important. Your child must develop Empathy, a conscience, and the ability to regulate emotion. As children learn to imagine another persons experience and put themselves in other people’s shoes; empathy develops. A Conscience or a moral awareness is the sense of what is right and wrong; they need this understanding to survive in society. Additionally, a person must learn how to regulate their emotions in order to have good communication skills. Without the ability to articulate ones feelings or discipline initial reactions, children may have a hard time making friends. Many parents have tried to encourage their children to speak about how they feel and what they like so that they get into the habit of expressing themselves. When there is a fight, suggest a better way to handle the dispute; this develops great problem solving skills and imaginative play.

PLANNING AND PROBLEM SOLVING Kids need to be able to plan ahead and problem solve! Play is so important; role playing, imaginative play, etc. Having the ability to fantasize, exercises children’s minds and allows them to be creative. They can also learn a sense of empathy as they imagine themselves in other roles. Self-discipline If they can’t regulate their play or creativity in order to comply with their age; they won’t be able to problem solve. Some children are too afraid to let themselves try new things and others jump in at inappropriate times. In order to aid children for problem solving, a parent can play the role of a planning coach. For instance, some parents have planned ahead for a big event and consequently joined in an activity with a child to prep for it. For example, before a child’s first fishing trip; read books about the sea, cut out pictures of fishes, visit the marina, etc.

Always tailor tasks to the child’s age and ability! At two, she/he can help you pick out the flowers for the garden. In preschool, she/he can help you dig the holes in the ground with a plastic shovel… We also have to remember to let our kids experience life. The world is sometimes a scary place but if you protect your children from the adult world completely, they may not learn.  Negotiate with the outside world carefully; it’s all preparation for the time down the road where they’ll have to be independent.

Here is the source where we got all this great information!

      You wake up in the morning and pour yourself a cup of home brewed coffee; 2 sugars, some skim milk…Later on, you are driving to drop one kid off at soccer and pick the other up from dance so you stop at Starbucks and order the usual – something that most likely ends in –“cinno.”  You tend to reach for these caffeinated drinks all throughout the day to keep you going.  But, what about your kids?  Food and drinks with caffeine are everywhere so, what is the wisest approach to your children and this substance?  Although the United States hasn’t developed guidelines for consumption; experts tend to agree that you most definitely should limit the amount that your kidlets consume; especially the younger ones.  Here are some facts about caffeine and how/why it can be bad for your kids.

It’s a drug: Caffeine is a stimulant and it effects the nervous system.  If a child consumes too much, it speeds up their hearts and can cause nervousness and anxiety.  These reactions may affect children’s ability to perform cognitive and physical tasks.

Trouble sleeping?: If the last time you let your kid have a glass of soda is for 7:00 dinner, you may be in for a night of “Mommy, Daddy, I can’t sleep!”  Caffeine takes 3-6 hours to leave the body.  Additionally, children break down caffeine more slowly than grown-ups.

1 turns into 2…which turns into 3: Since caffeine is a diuretic, it motivates the body to get rid of its h20.  If a child drinks soda more, they dehydrate easier… they will need even more water to reach that 8 glass recommended amount!

Why not juice?: Soda is usually a replacement for a healthier drink like apple juice or orange juice.  Next time your kid asks for one, try offering non-caffeinated seltzer with a splash of fruit!

Is he okay?: too much can even have quite toxic effects – even amounts as little as 4.5 mg of caffeine per pound of body weight; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, muscle twitching, irritation…

Mixing meds: You always make sure not to have any wine or beer whenever you might be taking a medication; caffeine is just as likely to interact with medicine.  Before you let your child indulge, please make sure none of their medications are potentially interactive.

  Obesity: most caffeinated drinks are chock-full of empty calories and so when kids are drinking soda instead of say, milk, they are missing out on really important vitamins and nutrients.

        We’ll be honest with you; a lot of us here at the little gym love coffee!  One of us even drinks Diet Coke like it’s a profession.  We also know how hard it is to say no to your little boy or girl when all she wants is a cup of bright orange soda!  They can definitely still have caffeine, it’s up to you!  We just wanted to inform you about the side effects; something that every food or drink has!  As a general rule, kids shouldn’t have more than 100 mg of caffeine a day.

Cheers (with Juice and Milk! J),

The Little Gym NJ

SOURCES:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2004/04/16/572.aspx

http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/general/caffeine.html

http://www.blessednestperch.com/home-at-blessed-nest/2009/8/26/healthy-childrenthe-effects-of-caffeine.html