Therefore when making our registry for baby number two, which is a boy, NUK pacifiers and Learner’s Cups were placed on our registry. We knew what worked for us with our previous child, so we didn’t want to try anything different four our baby boy. Weeks after placing the items on the registry, I came across an email regarding NUK’s new 2012 product line. Their new 2012 product line is the TrendLine design. The TrendLine design is perfect for both genders and the designs are absolutely adorable. You will be able to find the TrendLine design on NUK pacifiers, bottles, and learning cups.

I was blessed with the opportunity to review a NUK TrendLineLearning Cup, TrendLine matching pacifiers, and the Camo pacifier for our baby boy.

First off, I love NUK pacifiers because of their design. We never had an issue with red marks around the mouth from baby sucking on the pacifier. Also during the breastfeeding stages NUK pacifiers have never caused nipple confusion for us, because the natural shape mimics the shape of the mother’s nipple during breastfeeding. The pacifiers are absolutely adorable, I love the new Trendline design, the ABC design along with the “BOY” graphics are perfect for our little man. My favorite is the Camo pacifier. As an army wife, we are always purchasing items that represent the army/camo design and NUK did an awesome job incorporating the Camo design onto a pacifier. Of course, all NUK pacifiers are BPA free and promote proper teeth alignment.

The new Trendline Learner’s Cup has many features including:

-Flows easily when sipped
-Helps make the transition from breast to bottle to cup easier
-Spill-proof soft spout – designed to be gentle on gums while teaching baby to drink from a spout
-Extra-wide neck for easier cleaning & filling
-Easy-grip handles, ergonomically shaped with anti-slip soft grips, make it easy for baby to hold
-Available in silicone, 5oz

My favorite features are:

-Wide Neck Design: makes it easier to clean
-Alignment: The handles are easy to align up with the spout so drinking out of the cup is easy on baby

Disclosure: I received a TrendLine Learner Cup and pacifiers for free in order to try the product and form an opinion for this review. I was not compensated in any other manner. The opinions expressed above are my own any claims should be verified on the sponsor’s site.

GIVEAWAY

NUK is generously giving away the Trendline Collection to one lucky reader of Pajama Mommy Community! One lucky reader will receive the TrendLine Learner’s Cup with matching pacifiers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One in five girls in the United States is sexually abused each year. Some do not disclose sexual abuse until they are much older. These children find themselves in foster care if their parent does not protect them from ongoing harm. The most common perpetrators are boyfriends, step-parents, and relatives, with 80% of the perpetrators being within the birth family. Studies have shown that in the aftermath of sexual abuse, 50% of sexually abused girls later become juvenile delinquents, run away, are significantly more aggressive, engage in promiscuous activities when poverty is factored in, engage in drug related activities, can self-mutilate, have uncontrolled outbursts of rage, need to always be in control of situations, and become abusive towards boyfriends, or get into abusive relationships. Sexually abused children and teens also develop eating disorders, and have guilt, shame, anxiety and depression, and poor self-esteem.

So how can we make our girls fight back and become resilient young teens? How do we protect our young girls and teach them the right ways of coping?

Here are the top five techniques that have worked very successfully in my practice with teen girls (www.thesupportivefosterparent.com):

• Develop Body Boundaries: Sexually abused girls tend to have poor body boundaries. TEACH body space, appropriate distance, hugging from the side, not pushing themselves into others’ in the front, and maintaining appropriate distance from males

• Teens and Dating: Sexually abused teens also either get victimized or become aggressive towards their dating partner. Develop self-worth in young teens, teach them to respect their bodies, teach them about being a woman in this world and be a role model for your teen. They learn from your actions, not just words.

• Manage Eating Disorders: Eating can be excessive with binging and purging, or refusal to eat at all. Both forms are ways young girls attempt to control their environment. This need to control comes from the helplessness and lack of control due to sexual abuse. Food is a way that a young teen can exert power over adults and cause anxiety in others. Anorexia and Bulimia are common with these teens. To develop a healthy sense of control, provide your young teen with healthy foods, give her areas of her life over which she has control and allow her to make decisions about the foods she eats. Making a fuss about how much she is eating is going to worsen the situation and strengthen the eating disorder instead of reducing it. Rather, make food fun, use humor at dinner and provide her with healthy childhood snacks she loved. Creating a low tension environment with a relaxed family non-judgmental environment will gradually relax your young teen daughter and she will substitute food with activities that you have introduced her to in which she can exert control and feel empowered.

• Deal with Bouts of Rage: Intense rage reactions are fairly common in children with sexual abuse histories and they can sometimes get violent. Often they are misdiagnosed as being Bipolar and placed on medication to keep them calm. However, their rage is a primitive reaction to the emotional trauma of sexual abuse and can be explosive. What works for these teens is trauma therapy and most importantly predictability. They dislike sudden changes, unpredictable actions, sudden changes in schedules, and power struggles more so than the average teen. Allowing your teen time to regroup, holding her when she wants you to, and giving her space when she asks for it so that she can bolster her defenses will help her handle stress, get “unstuck” and cope with new situations better. What will worsen this situation is forcing her to talk to you when she is not ready and forcing her to complete chores and engaging in a power struggle.

• How to Handle Panic Attacks: Bouts of anxiety with fear of choking up, nausea, trembling, fearing that the walls are closing in and that she is going to die are all too common for our sexually abused teen. Create resilience by identifying the triggers that have caused the anxiety and combat these triggers by pairing them with healthy effective empowering activities. The negative effect of these triggers will disappear over time, and your teen will become resilient and strong.

Successful parenting of your sexually abused female teenager will depend on CONSISTENCY, CALMNESS and CREATIVITY; the three Cs of parenting children with boundary issues.

About Dr. Kalyani Gopal

Dr. Kalyani Gopal is a licensed clinical psychologist with special interests in child sexual abuse assessment and treatment, attachment issues, and foster care assessment, adjustment and training. She serves on the Lake County, Ind., Child Protection and Child Fatality teams, and was the recipient of the Outstanding Service to Lake County award in 2004.

When I heard about Undercover Mama, I thought the undershirt was going to be another cami! I soon found out I was completely wrong and shouldn’t “judge a book by it’s cover.” Undercover Mama is an undershirt designed to go with any bra and any shirt. The undershirt can be used on a regular bra, or a nursing bra – with ease in breastfeeding.

I had the opportunity to review the Undercover Mama and I was really impressed with the quality. The shirt doesn’t have straps, it does strap to your bra, which is very convenient. The shirt is made long with soft, stretchy fabric so I never had any issues with the shirt riding up my belly while walking, running, or playing with my daughter. I also want to stress the comfort in the Undercover Mama being thin and breathable. I stated before how some camis were thick and would cause me to sweat during breastfeeding sessions. Now, it’s not too thin where it’s see through or anything, it’s just..breathable. I wore the Undercover Mama with a regular bra and it fit perfectly. The shirt is made to fit snug, so I think after it washes it might shrink up a little being 95% cotton and I received a small. If you are in between sizes, Undercover Mama recommends you to get the smallest size for the snuggest fit.

(why yes, my bra strap is twisted)

In my opinion, the Undercover Mama is great for nursing, every day wear, and super comfortable. The undershirt is a bit more expensive than what I paid for nursing camis and may be out of budget for some, but the quality and the comfort makes it worth the money.

PAJAMA MOMMY GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader of Pajama Mommy will win an Undercover Mama with choice of color & size.

HOW TO ENTER

You must leave a comment below telling us how Undercover Mama can help you in your adventures with breastfeeding.

BONUS ENTRIES

1. Subscribe to our email RSS Feed with the same email as you use in your comment.

2. Subscribe to our @pjmommy Twitter account.

3. Tweet saying: I’ve entered the Under Cover Mama Giveaway over @pjmommy

4. “Like” or join our Facebook fan page.

CONTEST ENDS: CONTEST CLOSED!

Disclosure

The Snuza gO! and Snuza Halo may be the answer for you. Both products clip onto the baby’s diaper and safely monitors your baby’s movement. Now, to me this is more convenient and reliable than an under the mattress monitor. As it’s portable, directly on the baby, and can even pick up sound through baby monitors. We co-slept with our child for the first eight months of her life and an under the mattress monitor would have never worked in our bed. The Snuza gO! is the newest monitor. The gO! actually features all the same benefits as Snuza Halo, except gO! is programmed to alarm parents after 20 seconds elapse with no detection of baby’s movement. The Snuza Halo has an unique vibration/rousing function and if movement is not detected for 15 seconds, Halo will actually vibrate and try to stimulate the baby. If after five seconds there is no movement an alarm will be activated with a siren-like sound. The only other main difference I could come across is the price. The Snuza Halo retails for $129 and the Snuza gO retails for $99. Both devices can be purchased from Walgreens.com, Babiesrus.com, and CVS.com.

Disclosure

Patricia Babuka, CEO of GrandCamp Adventures says:

“Make time for family relationships and make that time sacred – whether in person or long distance.”

This statement truly hits home for me. This weekend while on vacation we are going to try one of the following activities recommended by Patricia:

- CREATE A FAMILY HANDSHAKE: Creating a secret family handshake allows for creativity and for kids to feel like they are part of something special that can be passed down from generation to generation.

- TRY: Shake It Up! from grandcamp.com

- COOK OFF! Twist up the summer BBQ with a family cook off. Invite kids into the kitchen to create their favorite family dishes and desserts. Food is always a great way to bring people together and it’s never too early to teach kids family recipe secrets.

- TAKE A TRIP! It’s always fun for parents and kids to go back and time and learn about their family history. This Sunday take a trip to mom and dads’ hometown or where Grandma and Grandpa met.

- DISCOVER FAMILY JEWELS WITH A TREASURE HUNT: Explore your surroundings in a way that will have kids and adults scrambling from clue to clue to find hidden treasures and family jewels. Hide family treasures such as a special family pictures or keepsake from a family trip that will bring back fun family memories and teach kids fun family facts.

- TRY: Longbeard’s Treasure hunt from grandcamp.com

Why don’t you try some of these activies with your family. If you do, please let us know what activities you tried. Not only will these activities bring you closer together, but it’ll help you explore your relationships with the people who are close to your heart.

Disclosure

We were on the market for new all natural (no medicine added) pain relief for teething. I remember going to Blogher ’10 last year and having the opportunity to try natural alternatives from Boiron and thought I would check their website for teething pain relief. To my surprise, they actually had some – Camilia. I found a new love. Not only is Camilia benzocaine free, but it is has no preservatives, flavors, dyes, sugar or artificial sweeteners. It’s truly all natural. Camilia arrived just in time, our daughter is getting a molar teeth on the right side – yikes! My favorite part is Camilia comes in convenient, sterile single-use doses. I no longer have to squeeze gel onto my fingertips and rub them on my daughters gums – yuck! All you have to do is twist cap to open and squeeze into mouth. She didn’t gag, show disgust, and we didn’t even have to hold her down. Camilia can be used every 15 minutes for two more doses. Even though it’s all natural and I know she cannot overdose on it, I still space out the doses for ever 2-3 hours for two more doses. Other great news, you can start Camilia at one month old (if you have an early teether) and not worry about any side-effects! I would say that one box of 15 single-use doses will last us a week, or so. Even though we will be spending more on teething pain relief, we do not have to worry about medications (so hopefully no recalls!), overdoses, or holding her down to give her something to relieve the pain. Totally worth it in our opinion.

my nineteen month old’s teeth

Disclosure

April is Autism Awareness Month!!!

Our regular faithful readers know I have a grandson, Jordon age 10 who is Autistic, and I have reviewed and shared several books on Autism here on PJ Mommy.  I have also considered my daughter’s family very lucky that Jordon has a milder case of Autism, but Autism just the same.  We knew at an early age that something was “just not right”, and I have come to hate that term, but it was just that at the beginning.  My daughter and all of us were in a kind of denial, oh he’ll grow out of it, he just processes things differently, and so on until we had no choice but to face the facts and had him tested.  The word Autism hits you between the eyes like a brick and we cried and felt sorry for Jordon for about 2 minutes, and then went into action.  Jordon is an extremely intelligent little boy and his ability to retain EVERYTHING is still to this day just short of amazing.  But I must say that if it were not for the school in Rochester, New York where we live, I think it may have been a different road we traveled.  We were given the Mary McLeod Bethune School No. 45 as his school and he has soared! It is very important that you get the right teachers and he has been in school 45 for 4 years now and his progress is amazing.  He interacts and laughs and jokes and plays with his little sister and everyone he knows now.  I wanted to tell our story so anyone who is in our position can know that there is help out there you just need to look and do the research.  This book the Everyday Advocate is a starting place and answer to those questions that you just don’t know where to find the answer to.  The footwork is all done for you, which is a major part and can be very defeating.  It also gives help for everyday things you just would not think of having to do, or knew you had the right to do or request.  Please, anyone with an autistic child please read this book, it will help save you a lot of frustration and tears so you can get onto the important things like helping you child get some normalcy in their life so they too can soar!

Potty training has never been easier with the Little Looster Booster.  This special stool is designed to wrap around the base of the toilet to give your kids extra support, stability and comfort without getting in the way of the adults. We were given a Little Looster Booster to try with my granddaughter Chloe.  She is almost 4 and a tiny little thing.  She would not use one of those portable potty training seats that you move around for toddlers from day one.  She went right to the toilet and said she wanted to go in there!  The big problem with that with all children is they have to do a balancing act just to stay afloat! Well, now the kids can get on the toilet and feel safe and balanced.  The Little looster Booster stool is perfect and you never have to move it.  It is just right for everyone.  The kids can climb up on it and feel safe, and the adults can do their thing and it never get in the way.  What a smart idea and thank goodness, as Chloe was so tired of having me hold onto her every time she had to use the potty.  She truly feels like a “big” girl going potty! Thank you Little Looster! Check it out at: www.littlelooster.com.

Having a child’s party or entertainment activity is not simple these days, and in an age when playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey just won’t do, organizers are looking for help.

The fun and imagination that goes into a “make your own teddy bear” workshop can’t be matched and, as the company that inaugurated the “we come to you” teddy bear workshop, Noah’s Ark is much more than child’s play!  Sold in the US and Canada through independent Party Leaders, the children’s plush entertainment company, which started nearly seven years ago has a very strong mission:  to put smiles on kids faces and make a lifetime of magical memories. And that’s what they have been doing more than ever!

Inspired by her dedication to her family and maintaining her daily presence in the home, Dina Amico-Kriescher founded Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop as a personal business in 2003 and began conducting workshops throughout the suburbs of Chicago.

Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit, and the overwhelming response she received from customers and community adults to join in the business opportunity, she soon began developing a national opportunity. In 2004, with the support of her husband, Peter, and direction from her father and brother, John Amico Sr and John Amico Jr, she put her simple plan into action and began to offer entertaining children’s party services to families and children’s organizations in a ‘we come to you’ format by providing in-home and on-site party workshops through a sales force of “Party Leaders.”

As a company that has been built on family values, Dina takes pride in sharing the business opportunity with Party Leaders across the United States and Canada, who are mostly mothers with the passion and desire to build profitable businesses while staying home to raise their children and manage their households.

More than six years later, her business continues to grow, and has broadened to include Bellabeads 925, a high quality jewelry enterprise with a direct-sales distribution channel, offering Party Leaders the opportunity to conduct two lucrative businesses with one unique company.

Each guest will have a magical experience bringing their very own cuddly pal to life by hand-stuffing it and making a wish on rainbow star. It’s fun and easy, with no sewing required!

Please check out their website and start this year with a unique party for your child, one they will remember always!  www.noahsarkworkshop.com.

AM2 Kids Music, which is “taking kids songs to the next level,” has created a CD, Kids Pop 2.0, which includes songs made to appeal to children in this age group. The lyrics of the songs touch on issues important to the childhood experience, such as self-esteem, bullying, and healthy eating.

Abdus Muhammad II, also known as AM2, is a song writer, and created AM2 Kids Music when he realized how important music is in the lives of his own children. He now creates age appropriate music for kids with the help of a Grammy award winning producer.

Kids Pop 2.0 includes the internet hit “I Wanna Be Spongebob” and can be purchased at www.am2kidsmusic.com for $5.00. The website also has a free cell phone wallpaper available, as well as the official “I Wanna Be Spongebob” video for $1.99.

See The Light Product Uses Multi-Sensory Techniques With Draw-Along Art Edutainment

Just in time for this holiday season, something you can feel really good about giving to your children, grand children , and more!

In a world of bells, whistles and overstimulation, children will now See The Light in a new a DVD series that gives them a chance to experience the Bible in a unique and compelling way. Launched this week at the Children’s Pastors Conference in San Diego, See The Light is a new brand that uses multi-sensory techniques with draw along art “edutainment” that brings Bible stories to life. The program incorporates an interactive chalk-drawing curriculum, making a traditional art practice new again.

Created by author and educator Pat Holt, and produced by Parking Lot Production’s Kip Perry (Disney, ABC, “Guideposts Junction,” “A Distant Thunder”), See The Light is a series where Bible stories come to life as gifted artist Gloria Kohlmann develops a colorful canvas of chalk art. Then, at the story’s climax, an ultraviolet light reveals a hidden picture that reinforces the story with a truly memorable moment. The companion DVD elements and web-based curricula allow children to draw along with Kohlmann bringing the Bible stories to life.

The first DVD to be released in the series, entitled ‘The Crossmaker,’ contains two complete stories: “The Crossmaker” and “Jesus Loves the Children.” “The Crossmaker” tells the story of Dominic, a carpenter’s son who finds himself drawn into the unforgettable trial of the man called Jesus. “Jesus Loves the Children” recounts the beautiful story of Jesus demonstrating to the disciples His unconditional love for children.

“My hope is that See The Light will truly draw children to Him,” Holt declares. “It’s very evangelistic in its thrust. It presents the truth of God’s word very clearly. I want children and adults to know just how much God loves them, what the sacrifice of His Son really means, and the length that the Lord goes to in showing His grace and mercy to all of us. What better way to convey this message of God’s grace than through art.”

Other DVD components include a creative and dramatic presentation of the plan of salvation called “Know the Light” and an immersive and worshipful multi-sensory segment featuring original music called “Celebrate the Light,“ making the DVD perfect for co-viewing with parent or teacher and child. More features are available online at www.SeeTheLightshine.com, such as downloadable drawing lessons and an exclusive “Yes, I Can Draw Club” art clinic, where children will be exposed to various art techniques. The creativity continues as draw-along printouts extend the fun and learning beyond the DVD.

In addition, for more foundational Bible stories, subsequent titles in the series will include various themes, making the program appropriate not just for families at home but also as supplementary curriculum in churches and schools.

Holt is also hopeful that the project would extend the reach of God’s Word far beyond our borders. “I have a desire for mission organizations to embrace it, and that missionaries would take it all over the world. Because it is based on the universal presentation of art, it can easily be translated into any language.”

Holt has a passion for children and a heart for missions. She has worked with children since she volunteered for ministry at age 14 before earning degrees in education and instructional technology. Since then, she’s taught in public schools and founded a Christian school while authoring many books including the bestselling “When You Feel Like Screaming – Help for Frustrated Mothers,” as well as being a guest on a multitude of radio and TV programs.

For more information or to purchase See The Light, please visit www.SeeTheLightshine.com.

Pajama Mommy has the opportunity to share the newest Super WHY DVD with our readers. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and Other Fairytale Adventures contains four Super WHY episodes. The four episodes are: “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “The Ghost Who was Afraid of Halloween,” “The Three Feathers,” and “The Stars in the Sky.” This special DVD contains these four episodes plus interactive games, music videos, coloring pages, printable activities, and resources for parents.

One lucky Pajama Mommy reader is going to win a copy of Super WHY’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on DVD to share with your own children!

Rules

1. Contest is open to U.S. residents only.

2. You must leave a comment.

Additional Entries:

1. Subscribe to our email RSS Feed with the same email as you use in your
comment.
- MAKE SURE YOU CONFIRM IT.

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away over @pjmommy

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CONTEST ENDS: December 24, MIDNIGHT EST.

Are Your Kids Ready for Tech Toys this Year?

Tips to ensure your kids are staying safe in the Cyber-World…

From Lynette Owens, founder and director of outreach for Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program

As this holiday season officially kicks off, shopping is in full force for most of us parents. This is the right time to ask ourselves, “Are my kids ready for the latest tech toys that they will undoubtedly be asking for this year?” While most kids know the fun side of tech toys, they are not always aware of the responsibilities and risks associated with them.

As a high-tech mom of two and the head of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids & Families program, I’ve put together some tips to help you make sure your kids are using these tech toys wisely and safely. Along with their new technical abilities, we need to teach them how to be responsible, gadget-owning citizens.

Some ways to approach the basic question, “are they ready?”

If your kid wants a cell phone or a smartphone, consider this:

• Determine first what they will use it for and when, where and with whom. If this is their first phone, it might be best to limit calls to you as parents, only. There are phones that are designed only to call select numbers – mom and dad buttons but nobody else.

• For older kids who want more freedom, think about whether you want them to receive and make calls to anyone they want. One way to limit open access it to consider family plans that offer number limits.

• Ask yourself honestly, “do your kids need Internet access or text messaging on their phone?” These extras can not only be costly, but can also open up opportunities to come across things they may not be ready for online. Consider phone plans that exclude or limit these offerings.

• If you allow your kids to have Internet access on their phone, consider adding a filtering service that blocks inappropriate content.

• Many phones have cameras. While fun to have, there are risks. Talk to your kid about what is and isn’t appropriate when using their camera phone. Let them know that if they take pictures they’d be embarrassed to show you or their teachers, then the pictures should NOT be taken.  Inform them that some pictures could even be illegal (child pornography is a felony, after all). Also, be sure to tell them that if they receive inappropriate images on their phone, they should tell you immediately so you can report it to other parents or teachers, depending on the situation.

If your kid wants a video game console, remember:

• Keep it in a common area where you can supervise what is on the screen and set usage time limits.
• Be sure to check recommended age-ratings on the box as a guide to whether a child, kid or teen should be playing certain games. Like movies, video games have age-ratings. Also, the consoles have settings to prevent age-inappropriate games on the device, so be sure to take advantage of those and turn them on!
• If the game consoles in your home can connect to the Internet, consider either blocking Internet access, or turn on the filtering setting.
• If your kids are into social networking gaming, again keep it where you can see it. Let your child or teen know that while their use of it is harmless, other players can lie about who they are, their age, gender and where they live. Therefore, you need to remind them to NEVER to meet a stranger in person.

If your kid wants a new computer or any other gadget that connects to the Internet, some tips to remember:

• If you allow your kids to get online, supervise their online time.  Keep the PC, gaming device, or mobile device in a place where you can check in on them and set limits on their time online.
• Get to know the sites your kids are using or want to use on the Internet. If they are old enough to be using it, ask yourself who else might be using the site. Some sites require registration, which requires personal information. Therefore, it is important to know what the sites your kids are visiting and what each site’s security and privacy policies are.
• The rules for being a good citizen offline also apply online:  Talk to your kids about treating people with respect and the importance of keeping private information private. Remind them not to talk to strangers and that they should always report any odd or suspicious behavior to you, whether online or offline.  I’ve found that a great way for us as parents to teach our kids safe online habits is to model these habits ourselves as an example to our children.
• Some of the most reputable security software can help block websites based on kids ages. However, even with filters, kids may still innocently click on or download something they never intended to, such as a virus or spyware.  Bottom line: use security software and keep it up-to-date.

Most important, stay involved and stay educated!

Internet safety topics and issues change with new websites and new laws. New issues will continue to grow as new technologies arrive and as kids grow up.  Making Internet safety a priority for the family means being an active participant in it.

Lynette T. Owens is Director of Corporate Outreach for Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families (ISKF) program. Lynette founded the ISKF program to help deliver on the company’s vision of making a world safe for the exchange of digital information.  Lynette spends most her time helping to raise awareness and educate the public on the issues of internet safety for kids, recruiting employee volunteers to get involved or volunteering her own time in her community.  She devotes the rest of the time to her own kids and husband, and with any remaining minutes, loves to travel with her husband, discover new music, and spend time with friends and family around the world.

NEW PROGRAM PART OF INSTITUTE’S YOUNG ACTORS PROGRAM

_Los Angeles__ (December 3, 2010)_ – Starting this January, The Lee
Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute will officially launch its Musicals
of Broadway Series. The new class, aimed at children and teenagers, is
part of the school’s established Young Actors at Strasberg program.

The Musicals of Broadway Series immerses students in the exciting world
of musical theatre. With an emphasis on craft over production, students
participating in the class will sharpen their acting techniques, master
song lyrics and learn original choreography. The 12-week program
culminates in a black box performance at the school’s Marilyn Monroe
Theatre.

The program had a soft launch this fall with the students working on a
production of _Once on This Island_, which will be performed at the
Marilyn Monroe Theatre in mid-December. The class is taught by Broadway
veterans Wendy Rosoff and Troy Rintala, who have also both performed in
national & European tours. An audition and interview is required for
company placement and casting purposes.

In addition to the Musicals of Broadway Series, their world-renowned
acting classes continue to be offered in the Young Actors at Strasberg
program, which divides students into three age groups.

* Program 1 (Grades 2-5): The youngest students in this program
combine acting exercises with movement, music and art teaching them the
core skills needed in the performing arts. Students will learn to trust
their instincts while developing their imagination and expressiveness
throughout the program.
* Program 2 (Grades 5-8): For middle school students, this acting
program introduces Method exercises to help them concentrate and express
themselves with greater confidence and truth. Students will apply their
teachings to scene work while improvisation is used to stimulate their
imagination. Electives for this age group include Theatre Dance,
Broadway Songs, Comic Improv, Movement, Mime & Mask, and Poetry Slam.
* Program 3 (Grades 9-12): This program delves into the Method
technique in greater depth as concentration, relaxation and sense memory
exercises are applied to improvisations, monologues and scene work. The
On-Camera elective provides teens with the technical skills and
experience required to perform on screen. Scenes from television and
film, as well as PSA’s, are rehearsed, recorded and played back to the
students for immediate feedback.

Actors who studied in the Young Actors at Strasberg program include
Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, Claire Danes, Chris Evans, Scarlett
Johansson and Sienna Miller.

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute is currently accepting
applications for their 2011 sessions. All classes take place on
Saturdays. To view the current schedule visit www.strasberg.com [1].

ABOUT THE LEE STRASBERG THEATRE & FILM INSTITUTE

Celebrating 41 years, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute
(LSTFI) remains as vibrant today as in 1969, when it was established.
Its classes in New York and L.A. continue to attract the best teachers
and most dedicated students, serving as a hothouse for fledgling young
talent. Some of the most memorable film, television and stage
performances of the past 50 years owe their intensity and honesty to the
Method approach including James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen,
Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Alec
Baldwin, Adam Sandler, Uma Thurman, Drew Barrymore, Angelina Jolie,
Scarlett Johansson and Sienna Miller.

Bear Hug Stretch™ premium elastic sides stretch to fit. Luvs help stop leaks as well as the pricey brands. For great leak protection, all you need is Luvs!

Luvs baby diapers help stop leaks for less than the pricier brands. For great leak protection, it’s time for Luvs!

Look to Luvs for around-the-clock protection at baby-sized prices. Whether you’re carrying a newborn, or chasing a 35-pound toddler, our baby diapers with Bear Hug Stretch are fitted to help keep your little one comfortable and dry.

After soliciting feedback from current users, Luvs will be replacing the backsheet currently found on their diaper products with an adorable, new monkey design – a look that is preferred three-to-one by those surveyed – enhancing the diaper-changing experience for parents. Consumers will also be treated to a diaper packaging upgrade that will consist of new, updated photography and an added back package panel that will provide parents and caretakers with additional product information.

While our look may be new, the diapers will still be comprised of the same trusted and safe materials used in all previous versions of the product – and will still have the same performance, quality and value parents have come to expect from the Luvs brand.

Luvs is offering one lucky reader a chance to get a package of these new designed diapers (since these packs are the first ones being produced, we currently only have them in size 4 to offer at this time) so follow the rules below and Luvs will have your baby covered, literally!  Good luck!

Rules:

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CONTEST ENDS ON: December 18, 2010 at MIDNIGHT EST

It can be puzzling making sense of those familiar everyday expressions. Do bees have knees, and if they do what is so great about them? Spilling the Beans on the Cat’s Pajamas by Judy Parkinson is the latest release in the Readers Digest Blackboard Books™ series.

To help make sense of these popular expressions, Readers Digest Blackboard Books™ series has launched Spilling The Beans on the Cat’s Pajamas - a fun, light read that explores the origins of some of the expressions we hear and say all the time.

Strike while the iron’s hot and bone up on the origins of your favorite expressions

Cat got your tongue? Well, for Pete’s sake, use this collection of colorful expressions to enrich your everyday speech. This book spills the beans on our best-loved euphemisms and most curious sayings, explaining their fascinating origins and the remarkable stories that surround them. It rounds up the usual suspects — the catch phrases, quotations, and expressions that keep our language flourishing — and makes them easy to find in a convenient A-to-Z format.

Did you know that . . .

• The expressions all that glitters is not gold and apple of the eye have each been in use for more than a thousand years?
• To bark up the wrong tree comes from the sport of raccoon hunting?
• Embarrassed parents can thank the songwriter Cole Porter for the euphemism the birds and the bees?

I have been able to review a few books in this set of fun, fact filled books, and I just love them.  This one gives you every saying you ever heard as a kid, and looked at your mom and thought ”What did she just say”? They are fun and it also gives you the background on how the saying actually got started.  Fun, Fun, Fun!

Author Bio
Judy Parkinson is a graduate of Bristol University. She is a producer of documentaries, music videos, and commercials, and won a Clio award for a Greenpeace ad. Parkinson has published four books and has contributed to a show of life drawings at the Salon des Arts, Kensington.

For more information, please visit www.rdtradepublishing.com or follow the series on Facebook.

Readers Digest is going to help us share the fun! One reader will win a copy of this fun fact filled book to add to or start this collection of fun, fact series.  Follow the rules below and have fun!

Rules:

1. Contest is open to US residents only.

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Additional Entries:

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4. You may write about our contest on your blog.

5. Join our Google Connect

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CONTEST ENDS ON:  December 18, 2010 at MIDNIGHT EST

For readers who still have the chance, there may be no greater gift you can give yourself and your children than to know more about your parents’ early years. Sometimes the opportunity to ask questions simply presents itself, perhaps at a family reunion, or in a relaxed setting on vacation. But for many, it will not. I’ve found that since my memoir of my mother and I, Bending Toward The Sun, came out, people have told me that they wish they had asked their parents more questions about their pasts. We often have to pro-actively initiate these probing, more intimate conversations, which are not always in our comfort zones.

However the opportunity arises, what follows are 15 suggestions that will help open up these important discussions among family members.

1. Create a family tree with your mother, father, or both. Ask them to tell you everything they know about your ancestors, including birthplaces and important dates in their lives.

2. Ask your mother or father to describe his or her primary childhood home. Perhaps he or she can go on to tell you about a particularly happy memory of an event that took place there, and a painful memory as well.

3. Ask your parent what books, movies, and music were his or her favorite as a child. You can then move from there to ask about current favorite books or movies.

4. Childhood heroes provide a rich topic of conversation. Ask your parents who their childhood heroes were. Again, you can move from childhood to present day and explore whom they most admire and why.

5. Explore the family vacations your parents took as a child. Ask about where they particularly liked to go, and whether there were any trips they disliked.

6. Try and discover what the rules were in your mother’s or father’s family, and which of these rules, if any, they felt were unfair. Also use this opportunity to learn what responsibilities your parents had as children, and how these contributed to the people your parents evolved into.

7. Inquire about the things your parents wanted to do as children but could not because your grandparents wouldn’t allow them to, they were unaffordable, or your parents did not possess the talent or skills to do them.

8. Ask your parents what questions they wish they had asked their own parents but never did.

9. It is not always easy to ask parents about their own fears, but it provides a good opportunity for mutual understanding. Ask your mother or father what he or she was afraid of as a child and about what he or she fears most today.

10. Ask your father or mother to describe a crush he or she had, or a special teenage romance.

11. Explore how your parents perceived themselves as children. Ask them how they thought adults and peers viewed them, and which aspects of these perceptions were accurate or inaccurate.

12. Ask your parents what first attracted them to each other, and what they most respect or respected in the other. If they are no longer married to one another, see if they will discuss what drove them apart and why.

13. Probe into the highs and lows of your parents’ lives. Ask about their proudest accomplishments and greatest disappointments. If they had one thing to do over in life up to this point, what would it be and why?

14. While they are reflecting, ask your mother or father what they would most want to be famous for, if they were destined to be famous for something.

15. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore how your parents view you. Ask your parents what about you reminds them of themselves at the same age. Ask what they are proudest of in you. And, if you are feeling particularly comfortable by that point in the conversation, ask if they have any questions to for you.

Most people have neither the time nor the desire to spend a decade writing a memoir about a parent or close family member, as my mother and I had the opportunity to do. But even a couple hours spent exploring the past with a parent could provide new and deeper appreciation and understanding. Moreover, a few pages of heart-felt answers could be very satisfying and useful to future generations.

©2010 Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, author of Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir

Author Bio
Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, author of Bending Toward the Sun, is a writer, lawyer, teacher of Holocaust Studies, child advocate, and former executive at NBC. Leslie Gilbert-Lurie is a member and past president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education, a founding member and past president of the non-profit Alliance for Children’s Rights, and a board member and co-chair of the Education Committee for the Los Angeles Music Center. She has been a recipient of the American Jewish Congress’s Tzedek Award for Outstanding Commitment to Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, and Justice, and the Alliance for Children’s Rights Child Advocate of the Year Award. This year she will be honored in Los Angeles by Facing History and Ourselves, for her work as a writer and teacher.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two teenage children. For more information please visit her website at http://www.bendingtowardthesun.com

Professor Grover and his helper, Elmo, along with all of our favorite Sesame Street characters are here to teach our children the basics of numbers. They will learn to count by 2′s, 5′s, and 10′s which are all important skills to master before entering kindergarten.

Elmo is a beloved character and children trust him and learn from him. My daughter loves the DVD, Preschool is Cool: Counting with Elmo. It has helped her exponentially with her counting and number recognition. Every child will be able to benefit from this wonderful DVD.

The koobli is a nice smock for adults. You can wear it anytime you think you might get messy. This may be when you are feeding your toddler, changing your infant (boys especially), or doing messy crafts. The koobli is going to protect your clothing!

The koobli is made from 100% polyester micro suede woven. It is lightweight, water and stain resistant, flame retardant, and machine washable.  The koobli is available in two sizes, small/medium and large/extra large and comes in either blueberry or cherry colored. It even has two very handy, large pockets on the front to carry some of life’s necessities. In addition, it has a high neck with velcro enclosure and elastic wrists to keep your clothing truly protected from all the potential messes in life.

One Pajama Mommy reader is going to win her own koobli!

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Additional Entries:

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away over @pjmommy

2. You may write about our contest on your blog!

4. Join Our Google Connect

5. Join our Facebook fan page.

CONTEST ENDS: November 30, 2010, MIDNIGHT EST.

Beginning this Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, military Moms and Dads separated from their children can share story time as a family through Operation Record a Story.  Publications International, Ltd., (PIL) will donate its new Record a StoryT books to the non-profit United Through ReadingR Military Program for deployed service members to record for their children.  The books, together with a video of the parent recording the story, will then be shipped to kids in time for the holidays.

Recordings will take place at the following United Through Reading locations:

*       USO DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

*       USO – Fort Hood, Texas

*       USO – BWI Airport

*       USO Camp Beuhring – Kuwait

*       USO Balad – Iraq

*       USO Kandahar – Afghanistan

*       USO Bagram – Afghanistan (Pat Tillman Memorial USO)

*       USO of Georgia – Jean R. Amos USO Center

*       USS George H. W. Bush (Naval Station Norfolk, VA)

*       USS Abraham Lincoln (Everett, WA)

Since 1990, United Through Reading has been sending kids videotapes of Their military parents reading books aloud for them.  The program, which is free-of-charge, also encourages parents or caretakers at home to photograph or videotap e the child enjoying the book and DVD they receive, and then send the photos or videotapes back to the service member.

Operation Record a Story takes the program to a new level by adding a recordable storybook to the mix.  As a child turns the book pages, the story is literally read to them by their parent.  Titles include ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Sesame Street: Together at Heart, Dora the Explorer and Guess How Much I Miss You.

logo_usoUTRLogo_Military_c “Through Operation Record a Story, we wanted to honor the sacrifices of military parents who are separated from their children while serving our country,” said Mike Sieczkowski, Executive Vice President of Sales at PIL. “It is a privilege to work with United Through Reading and the USO to provide Record a Story books for our deployed soldiers.”

Sally Ann Zoll, Ed.D., chief executive of United Through Reading, added, “Record a Story  complements our mission of uniting families through the  bonding experience of reading aloud together.  Having a parent deployed for any period of time can be a difficult experience for both a child and the parent.  Over the last 20 years, our Military Program has been able to make the separation a little less stressful for so many by reaching more than 870,000 beneficiaries.”

USO President Sloan Gibson said, “The United Through Reading program has contributed greatly to achieving our common goal, which is to continually  deliver comfort and support to our troops and their families.  We welcome Record a Story into the fold for this special initiative.”

Record a Story is available this holiday season at major retailers.  For more information, visit www.record-a-story.com.

For information about how to donate to the United Through Reading Military Program, visit www.unitedthroughreading.org.

In a recent poll of freshman students, 1 out of  10 freshmen had parents
who called them every day or every other day.  Another survey found that 4 out
of 10 college students (38%) had parents who had  spoken with or attended
meetings with their academic advisors. Almost a third  (31%) had parents who
had called professors to complain about a grade. One in 4  described their
parents as “overly involved.”
Yet  65% of these college kids still asked for their parents’ advice on
academic and  career paths. That doesn’t surprise us. We  have studied this age
group, and found that today’s college-age kids are quite  unique in their
needs, preferences, and abilities. They are also closer to their  parents
than any other generation before them, and this presents interesting
challenges for both kids and parents.
Here are some ways parents can help them, without  hovering.
Learn to text.
If you want to talk to your college kid, text,  don’t phone. Or make an
appointment by text to phone. Find out his or her class  schedule so your text
message isn’t buzzing in his pocket during a lecture. This  crop of college
kids sleeps with their phone, so you might as well join  in.
Guide, don’t  decide.
If your child is like most of his peers, he  probably asked for your help
in choosing classes, planning his schedule, and  picking extracurricular
activities. That’s typical of this age group, which has  closer ties to and
better communication with parents than previous generations.  The best way you
can help a new college student is to ask leading questions,  offer some
suggestions, and leave the rest to him.
Let them fail.
A crucial part of the learning experience is  failing. We’re not talking
about failing a class. We’re talking about signing up  too late for a class,
or missing an appointment with the counselor. If your  child was used to Mom
or Dad being the organizer, alarm clock, and reminder, she  is bound to make
some mistakes. After she does, talk to her about it and ask her  what she
might do differently next time.
Resist your inner  editor.
Many college kids these days send papers home  for Mom to “edit.” In her
high school days, that might have been a euphemism for  “rewriting.” But now
your kid is career bound, and writing for her won’t benefit  your child when
she has to demonstrate writing skills at her first job. Use this  time to
coach, teach, and encourage your budding writer to seek help from the  writing
center and free tutors all colleges have these days.
Keep  parenting.
Today’s college kids aren’t different from  their predecessors in terms of
partying and going crazy with their newfound  independence. There’s nothing
wrong with talking to your kid about doing his  homework, and about
partying, sex, and other risky activities. Kids at this age  still want limits, and
although you won’t be there to oversee all their social  activities, they
want to know that they are still accountable to someone other  than
themselves.
* * * * *
Meagan Johnson and her father, Larry Johnson, are the  Johnson Training
Group (_www.johnsontraininggroup.com_ (http://www.johnsontraininggroup.com/) ),
whose clients include several government agencies, American Express,
Harley-Davidson, Nordstrom, Dairy Queen, and many  others. They are leading
experts on managing multigenerational workplaces, and are coauthors of
Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters–Managing the Friction Between
Generations at Work (Amacom,  2010).

Then, I was miraculously introduced to Zarbee’s Children’s Cough Syrup. Seriously good timing! It is an all natural product made with honey and contains antioxidants and a full day supply of Vitamin C. There are no harmful ingredients like in other cough syrups. Plus, it comes in great flavors.

I gave Hailey some Zarbee’s before she went to bed. She spent the whole night in bed. Not once did she get up crying or asking for some water. It was a great night!

The CellSafety mobile application is going to help you to keep your children safe. If there are any instances of cyber-bullying or sexting, you will be notified. Your child will not be able to keep this secret from you. This is a good thing even though many of our teens and tweens would rather not have their parents get involved, it gives us the opportunity to talk to our children about these important matters.

In addition, the CellSafety mobile application keeps out children safe by shutting off the texting feature if the phone is moving at more than 10 miles per hour. This puts a damper on texting while driving. It also shuts down the texting feature in “No Texting” zones such as schools.

As parents, we need to do whatever we can to keep our children safe. Monitoring their cell phone use is a necessity and CellSafety makes it easy to do.

In this digital age, we can take tons of photographs easily and store them on our computers. But then they sit there on the computer and rarely get looked at. I have my own baby book of photographs from decades ago that I cherish. I want my daughter to have that same feeling about her own photo book. Thanks to Inkubook, she now has that.

The process of building my own photo book was a lot of fun. It was easy to upload all f my photographs from the computer to the Inkubook web site. From there, I was able to choose a photo for the cover of my book as well as a beautiful design. Building the inside of the book was a breeze. You can choose different backgrounds for your photographs. You can also choose different photograph layouts depending on how many pictures you want per page. It was a snap.

Today I got my Inkubook photo book in the mail. It turned out beautifully! Now my daughter has her own photo book to look back on and someday share with her own children.

Inkubook is going to give 5 lucky readers the opportunity to build their own photo book.

Rules

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2. You must leave a comment.

Additional Entries:

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4. Join Our Google Connect

5. Join our Facebook fan page.

CONTEST ENDS: November 15, 2010 MIDNIGHT EST.

I never knew I was capable of loving anyone or anything so much until I
met Caleb. It was in early December, and I watched as the social worker
pulled the baby boy from his car seat. I noticed in surprise that he
wasn’t wearing any shoes or jacket on this chilly winter day. His blue
striped shirt was worn and far too short, as were his pants. When the
social worker carried him through the door of the church where we were
waiting, happy blue eyes met us from underneath long bangs. The baby saw
me and my parents. My husband was traveling abroad on business at the
time. The baby’s mouth spread into what my father would later describe
as the “John Denver” grin.

He came right to me, and when I held him in my arms for the first time,
I knew I was meant to be his mommy. Sensing my emotion, he laid his head
on my shoulder and patted my back, as if he were gently saying, “It’s
okay, don’t cry.”

This child had been tossed around a number of foster families since he
was six months old. In one of the last foster homes that he had been in,
his foot became injured and now he could only crawl. Yet, his nurturing,
compassionate spirit shined through in a way that I would soon learn,
touched everyone he met.

Caleb, who began responding to his new name within two days, was so
under weight and height for his age that he did not even register on the
lowest end of the growth chart–and would not for two more years. He was
mal-nourished, vomited often, (which we later realized was due to a soy
allergy and texture issues). And, for the first few months, regardless
of the methods we tried, he screamed through the night. For the next two
years Caleb would jump and hide whenever the air-conditioner came on, or
someone laughed or spoke too loudly.

Yet something miraculous happened when Caleb became my son. This little
boy who had owned nothing but the clothes on his back and a raggedy
blanket that meant the world to him, taught me lessons that some people
live their entire lives without learning. One of the first times my
mother  and I took Caleb to the store, he let us know he wanted to get
down from the buggy. He then proceeded to an elderly lady in a
wheelchair. Without saying a word, he reached out and took her hand, and
walked along side her in the store. From the very beginning, Caleb
recognized when people were hurting or lonely and he’s always known just
what to offer them.

When I found out I was pregnant with my son Griffin almost two years
after Caleb entered our lives, Caleb was very excited about having a
baby brother. At Thanksgiving, Caleb told his teachers at school that he
was thankful for his baby brother, because he didn’t need anything else.
This leads me to one of the most important lessons Caleb has taught me.
Love doesn’t come in gifts, toys, or materialistic things; love lives in
the amount of time you make to spend with those who are important to
you.

Caleb hasn’t always had a mommy and daddy to call his own; he hasn’t
always had someone to protect him from evil and abuse. But Caleb does
have a light that shines brighter when he is met by life’s trials.

I admit that in the beginning, bringing Caleb into our lives was a
pretty traumatic experience for me. It took getting through some
difficult nights, some frustrating tantrums, and many episodes of
projectile vomiting in public.

But Caleb has taught me one of the most important lessons I could ever
learn about parenthood. You don’t have to be able to afford to give your
child the best of everything. Caleb doesn’t care about designer
clothing, the best schools, or even acquiring the latest toys. He’d much
prefer to sit in my lap and read a book than be given something new and
expected to play alone.

Caleb has taught me that all a child really needs is to be loved and
have a safe, healthy and nurturing home in which to grow. I often wonder
how many other children are there like Caleb out there? Children who are
blooming with potential? Children who are waiting for a mommy and daddy
to call their own? Children who are waiting for someone to love them and
give them an opportunity at life?

When I think of Caleb, who has tested at genius levels, and I see his
gentle spirit and passion about life and others, I can’t imagine how
much this world would miss without all that he’s going to contribute to
it. I can’t fathom my life without all of the rich blessings Caleb
brings.

When people hear Caleb’s story they tell me how much I’ve blessed his
life. But I am the one who is blessed because I have the opportunity to
be Caleb’s mommy. And believe me when I say . . . I think I may be
raising a future president.

(Boston, MA, and Universal City, CA, September 27, 2010) Today, the Emmy Award-winning
PBS KIDS series CURIOUS GEORGE announced a partnership with the celebrated magazine TIME
FOR KIDS, which will bring the series’ colorful, educational content along with George’s
contagious curiosity directly into K-1 classrooms across the country.

Each month, beginning in October 2010, Curious George will appear on the cover of a TIME
FOR KIDS Edition K-1 magazine. The issues will feature a full-page activity relating to
that month’s educational theme, hosted by Curious George.  The October issue, which will
feature George’s exploration of “Transportation and Maps,” is slated to arrive in
classrooms the last week of September.

“We’re thrilled to announce this exciting partnership with TIME FOR KIDS,” said WGBH
Executive Producer Dorothea Gillim.  “Each season, our producers work closely with a team
of educational advisors to seamlessly weave age-appropriate curriculum including math,
science, and engineering, and social studies into our episodes in a way that’s fun and
entertaining for children.  This partnership provides us a wonderful opportunity to
extend this curriculum directly into classrooms, and utilize the magic of George’s
curiosity to inspire learning in more children than ever before.”

Six additional themed issues will follow monthly through May 2011, with George covering
topics including Sorting (Math: Sort, Classify, and Order Objects); Shadows (Physical
Science); Ramps and Rolling (Physical Science); Wind (Earth and Space Science); Cooking
(Math: Units, Systems, and Processes of Measurement); and Games Around the World (Social
Studies: Global Connections).

A corresponding, reproducible worksheet featuring CURIOUS GEORGE will be included in the
K-1 teacher’s guide, which participating teachers receive as hard copy.  These worksheets
are designed as take-home family activity sheets, so that kids continue to explore the
issue topic at home.  The teacher’s guide with the accompanying worksheet is also
available online at timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/bp.

One of our most important goals at TIME FOR KIDS, is to help children understand–and
become interested in–the world around them. We want kids to ask “why,” said Nellie
Gonzalez Cuter, the managing editor of TIME FOR KIDS. “We’re so excited that CURIOUS
GEORGE will help us continue to achieve this goal by inspiring kids to explore and learn
through the pages of our K-1 Edition.”

CURIOUS GEORGE the television series, which currently ranks #1 among 2-5 year olds and
ladies of the household,* uses George’s insatiable curiosity as a way of acquainting
preschoolers with key concepts in math, science and engineering.  Each episode encourages
inquiry and curiosity, promotes hands-on exploration, and shows parents and caregivers
how to support children’s science and math-related play.

The series premiered its fifth season this fall, airing weekdays on PBS KIDS.

“It’s wonderful that in addition to making an extraordinary impact in the literary world
and on the small screen, Curious George will now be able to nurture children’s natural
curiosity in classrooms across the country,” said Senior Vice President of Animation
Production for Universal Studios Family Productions, Ellen Cockrill.  “We’re thrilled
that this partnership with TIME FOR KIDS will allow us to make the lessons and resources
we’ve developed for the television series directly available to educators and their
students.”

For more information about CURIOUS GEORGE, as well as online games and additional
educational resources, please visit pbskids.org/curiousgeorge.

CURIOUS GEORGE is funded by public television viewers.  National Corporate Sponsorship is
provided by Chuck E. Cheese’s® and Rainforest Cafe®.

CURIOUS GEORGE is a production of Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston, and Universal
Studios Family Productions. Executive producers are Ron Howard (Imagine), Brian Grazer
(Imagine), Ellen Cockrill (Universal), Carol Greenwald (WGBH), Dorothea Gillim (WGBH),
Jon Shapiro and David Kirschner.  Curious George and related characters, created by
Margret and H.A. Rey are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and
used under license. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLP. Television series:
©2010.  Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

* Source: Nielsen NPower, 6/28/10 to 7/25/10. The ranking includes all regularly
scheduled children’s programs Monday-Sunday among broadcast, cable, and syndication. All
ratings are expressed as a percent of total U.S TV households.

It’s been said that once you have a child, you look at the suffering of other families in
a different way. You know what it means to love someone with your entire being, in a way
that you never could have imagined before bringing your child into your life. In a way,
every child becomes your child.

The suicides this week of two young men, Asher Brown and Tyler Clementi, are devastating,
and they are sounding an alarm to all of us about the crisis state of bullying in this
country. These tragic events are also a call to parents everywhere to stand up and speak
out on behalf of tolerance, respect and dignity for children everywhere.

I can’t stop thinking about these two young men, and the burning humiliation they must
have felt as they were dehumanized for their gender identity and sexuality. For parts of
themselves they were born into, and could not change. Both were fighting to embrace who
they were in a community as small as a dorm room and as large as a public middle school.

The suicides are also jarring wake-up call that we’re a long way off from an easy life
for gay youth. I’m getting a little tired of hearing about how much easier it is to be a
gay teen today. I don’t argue the point, but that doesn’t mean we’re off the hook.

According to the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) National 2009
School Climate Survey, nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender)
students experienced harassment at school in the past year, and nearly two-thirds felt
unsafe because of their sexual orientation. Nearly a third of LGBT students skipped at
least one day of school in the past month because of safety concerns. And while, yes,
there has been a decreasing trend in the frequency of hearing homophobic remarks,  LGBT
students’ experiences with more severe forms of bullying and harassment have remained
relatively constant.

For all the rules and workshops and policies that anti-bullying advocates like me call
for, there’s one pretty powerful weapon we can all use against bullying. It doesn’t cost
anything, and you don’t need to bring any experts to your school to use it. It’s empathy.
All of us – parents, teachers, mentors, big brothers and sisters – can talk with kids
about what Asher Brown must have been feeling as he went to school, day after day: as he
was tripped down the stairs, had his backpack emptied and its contents scattered, berated
with insults like “fag.” You can ask: What emotions did he feel? Is there anyone at your
school who goes through that? What can you do to help that person?

If your kids aren’t old enough to talk about the suicides, there are opportunities to
model empathy all around you: when you give food to a hungry person, make eye contact
with someone who is hurting, or acknowledge your own child’s pain by saying, “I know you
must feel hurt right now, and I’m sorry.” Your children will learn to connect with the
suffering of others, and feel the moral imperative to help, by watching you.

If you don’t already, institute a zero tolerance policy in your family for gay slurs. In
schools all over this country, even the progressive ones, “gay” is a stand-in for stupid
or weird. When kids use the word “gay” or “fag” as a slur, disrespect becomes part of
their slang. When kids call other people or things gay, they dehumanize the people who
actually are gay.

If you hear it in the backseat, in your kitchen, in the bleachers, say something. Be the
person who stands up. Even if it embarrasses your child, do it. Check out this PSA and
consider showing it to your kids, too.

Talk about and embrace the continuum of masculinity and femininity. An overwhelming
number of kids get bullied because they look, act or speak in a way that deviates from
the tough guy or girly girl. Most kids walk into schools every day where conventional
gender identity is a source of respect and status – and a reason to put others down and
disrespect them. Be the voice that exposes this injustice. Praise and support the
gender-unconventional in your children and their friends. Support boys for being
sensitive or unathletic; tell girls it’s okay if they don’t want to wear makeup, date or
go shopping.

Talk about every human being’s right to dignity. This is a point Rosalind Wiseman makes
beautifully. Even if you don’t support gay marriage or even a gay “lifestyle,” as some
call it, you likely do believe that every human being is entitled to respect and dignity.
Talk with your children about that distinction: we may not like every person we meet, or
agree with everything they do, but each and every human being deserves to be respected
and feel safe.

We can honor the memories of Tyler and Asher, and the others who took their lives this
past week, by standing up for them and the countless other children who suffer every day
at school. If not us, who? They are our children, too.

© 2010 Rachel Simmons, author of The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with
Courage and Confidence

Author Bio
Rachel Simmons is the author of New York Times bestseller Odd Girl Out: The Hidden
Culture of Aggression in Girls. She is the founding director of the Girls’ Leadership
Institute. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

For more information please visit www.rachelsimmons.com and follow the author on Facebook
and  Twitter.

My 5 year old daughter, Hailey, is the ultimate reviewer of Timmy Time. I have to say that at first, she did not really like the show. I’m talking about the very first few minutes. Why? Because there is no English speaking animals. As a matter of fact, Timmy says, “baa” and the owls hoot. She is not used to watching animals that don’t talk. Then she started to get into the storyline. She realized she could still tell what was going on. As a mother, I love this. She is forced to think more to understand what is happening in the show.

So, I assumed we wouldn’t be watching more Timmy Time. Then, I hear Hailey singing the Timmy Time theme song. The next day she began asking when Timmy Time was going to be coming on television and every time a new show was about to come on, she would say, “I hope it’s Timmy Time!”

Timmy Time teaches great lessons to our children. Timmy goes through his own tribulations and must work his way out of some tight situations. He doesn’t always do the right thing, even when he is trying to do the right thing. He certainly has a lot to teach our young children.

Timmy Time is a show I am happy to let Hailey watch.

The Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin was recently named as preferred 2 to 1 over the Diaper Genie II. This is excellent information considering that the Diaper Genie has, up until now, dominated the market.

As mothers, we know just how much a dirty diaper can stink up the house. We painstakingly wrap it up and throw it in a plastic bag and some of us go so far as to take it out to the garage to throw it away. Now, there is no need to do this. The Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail prevents your home from smelling like dirty diapers.

Two lucky Pajama Mommy readers are going to get the chance to win their own Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail. All you need to do is follow these simple rules:

Rules

1. Contest is open to U.S. residents only.  — (this of course changes.)

2. You must leave a comment.

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