First Visit from the Tooth Fairy

A couple of weeks ago my daughter, Lilah (5 ½ years old), was eating a cracker and told me her bottom tooth was hurting. I took a look and realized that she had her first loose tooth. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed her playing with the tooth more and more. She’s had a difficult time eating things like corn on the cob so I have been cutting it off for her. When I picked Lilah up from school last night the tooth was moving all over the place. I cringed every time I saw it move, but she thought it was the greatest thing. I stepped out into the yard for a few minutes, and when I returned she told me she had pulled out her tooth, and that it “didn’t hurt but there was some blood.” EEWW!

Last night she eagerly placed her tooth in a baggy under her pillow and awaited the gift mom promised from the Tooth Fairy. This morning she ran down the stairs pleased as punch with a five dollar bill. I used the opportunity to reminder her about proper dental care. I explained that she needed to be extra careful to keep her mouth clean so that the new hole from her missing tooth would not get an infection. We have also been discussing that when she gets her new teeth they will have to last her a lifetime.

I’ve included some information below about the baby-to-adult teeth process. I hope this helps ease any fears you may have and equips you with information to prepare your child for this milestone.

When will my child’s baby teeth start falling out and which ones?
Alan Carr, D.M.D. a prosthodonist with the Mayo Clinic said, “A child’s baby teeth (primary teeth) begin to loosen and fall out on their own to make room for permanent teeth at about age 6. Timing can vary, though, and girls generally lose baby teeth earlier than do boys. The last baby teeth typically fall out by age 12 or 13.

Baby teeth usually fall out in the order in which they erupted — first the two bottom front teeth (lower central incisors), followed by the two top front teeth (upper central incisors), the lateral incisors, first molars, canines and second molars. If a child loses a baby tooth early as a result of tooth decay or an accident, a permanent tooth may erupt early and potentially come in crooked due to limited space.”

What if my child in nervous about the process and wants you to take it out?
If your child wants you to pull out a loose tooth, grasp it firmly with a tissue or piece of gauze and remove it with a quick twist. If the tooth is resistant, wait a few days and try again. If you’re concerned about a baby tooth that doesn’t seem to loosen sufficiently on its own, check with your child’s dentist. He or she may recommend a wait-and-see approach or an extraction in the dental office.

When your child starts to lose his or her baby teeth, reinforce the importance of proper dental care. For example:

• Remind your child to brush his or her teeth at least twice a day. Supervise and help as needed.
• Help your child floss his or her teeth at bedtime.
• Limit eating and drinking between meals and at bedtime — especially sugary treats and drinks, such as candy and soda.
• Schedule regular dental visits for your child, either with your family dentist or a pediatric dentist.
• Ask the dentist about use of fluoride treatments and dental sealants to help prevent tooth decay.

CHECK OUT LE TOP PLAYWEAR AT
www.letop-usa.com

 

Le Top “Under Construction” Collection Wheel Loader Graphics Box Tee

This green short sleeve cotton tee is perfect for rough-and-tough play. Features ‘look-and-learn’ wheel loader graphics with boy-at-work style. Crafted with cozy cotton that is soft to the touch and made to last through multiple washes where colors stay true and bright. Gentle ribbed collar for easy dressing.

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Back-to-School Craft: Speed Car Erasers

Vroom! Vroom!  An eraser car is a creative, fun activity children can make as a back to school craft or even on the weekends! Adult supervision will be required, especially for smaller children, to prevent little ones from putting pieces in their mouths. Have fun!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Knife (have a parent do this part of the craft)
• White Glue
• Thumbtacks
• Cardboard
• Permanent Markers

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Begin by cutting erasers with a knife (a parent’s job; kids can use scissors for this, but the cuts won’t be as straight).
2. Stack the erasers to make cars, trucks, and trailers. Pencil-cap erasers and automatic pencil eraser refills make good cargo. Use white glue to hold the pieces together.
3. To make tires, press thumbtacks into a piece of cardboard, color them with permanent markers, then remove the tacks and press them in place on the vehicles.

CHECK OUT LE TOP BABY AND CHILDREN’S CLOTHING AT
www.letop-usa.com

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Smart Tips for Back-to-School Shopping & Le Top’s NEW Pre-Fall Styles!

To your kids, shopping for new clothes, gear, and school supplies may be the only good thing about going back to school. Here are some back-to-school shopping tips to get you in the mood for fall clothes in the middle of summer!

Shop Le Top’s NEW pre-fall arrivals and click HERE 

• Start early. If you haven’t already, try to get your child’s school supply list from the school. Or compile your own list of items (backpack, notebooks, pencils, pens, etc.) you think your kid will need right away versus items (calculator, text book covers, Spanish dictionary, winter coat) that can wait till later in the school year.
• Shop at home first. It’s easy to forget in August that you’ve packed away extra school supplies last spring. Try to find as many items on your list around the house before you hit the aisles. Chances are, you probably have binders, colored pencils and highlighters left over from last year. Once you’ve completed your search, gather everything together to determine where you can save.
• Make a list and a budget and keep it with you at all times. You never know when you might stumble onto a sale on your way to the dentist or the grocery store.
• Buy a lunch box. You can save so much money when you send your kids to school with a homemade lunch. Added bonus: It’s likely to be a healthier choice. And you can monitor the cost of your homemade lunch purchases by using grocery store coupons, packing leftovers and reusing water bottles.

Also check out Rabbitmoon’s mix and match styles HERE

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How much exercise do kids need?

Ten percent of 2- to 5-year-olds and 20 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds qualify as obese, according to 2008 data on U.S. children from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Being aware of exercise guidelines for children can help you provide your child with the proper amount of physical activity to maintain a healthy weight, thereby preventing excess weight and multiple other potential health problems.

The post has been moved to our website. To view the full post go to: http://blog.letop-usa.com/?p=24555

CHECK OUT LE TOP PLAYWEAR FOR YOUR LITTLE ONE AT
www.letop-usa.com

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A Great Homemade Gift for Your Kid’s Teacher this Holiday Season!

Christmas vacation is quickly approaching and its usually customary for parents to send their kids with gifts for their teachers (it never hurts right?). I remember bringing See’s candy as a child to my teachers with a nice holiday card, but why not make your own homemade candy jar – its personal, cute and very festive! Plus your kids will enjoy putting it together! Here is how to do it (it is also cheap!)!

For teachers, neighbors, and baby-sitters, label jars of candy with a sweet illustration. Have your kids draw directly onto individual labels…

Materials Needed:

–        Mason Jars
–        Any kind of candy you want
–        White labels (you can get these at a local art store or even staples.com)
–        Red and Green markers
–        Glue and glitter (optional)

How to:

1. Fill the jar with candy
2. Take a white label and have your child address the teachers name (or you if your child is starting to write) and also color or put glitter on the label to make for a festive gift
3. Close the candy jar
4. Deliver to teacher!

CHECK LE TOP CHILDREN’S CLOTHING AT WWW.LETOP-USA.COM 

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Back-to-School Study Station Craft Idea for Kids!

“Study” is a 4-letter word to many kids, but as a parent, your job is to make sure that their homework gets done and they are learning properly. You can help even the most challenged student increase their study habits by helping them establish a routine. To get them going in the right direction, try to encourage homework at the same time each night. Having a designated study area that’s designed to meet your kiddo’s individual learning style is also important. From having the right supplies on hand to displaying their academic accomplishments – you can help bring out the studious in your little student.

When choosing a study space, consider your child’s personality. Is he or she someone who prefers to work in absolute silence, or will your growing scholar fare better with some activity, noise or movement nearby? Should studying occur before or after dinner, and what about listening to music while studying? Considering your children’s personalities when designing their study spaces is a good idea; in fact, you should work with your kids in designing their area. If you get them involved, you’re more likely to create a space they’ll like and therefore use. If there’s room for a desk in their bedroom, having a personal space dedicated to each child is great. But if not, you can designate a common area as study space. A kitchen table or a corner of the living room is a good option, and you could even convert a small closet into a desk area that can be shut when not in use. Just be sure it’s a space with limited distractions! 🙂

A studious little one can get down to business in any room — courtesy of this DIY cubicle. Cut away the bottom, top, and one long side of a large box; trim the height, then slope the sides. Finish edges with colored duct tape. Clamps, rubber bands, and tacks help organize notes, calendars, and other items on the “walls.” 

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Le Top Darling of the Day: Dylan

This handsome boy, Dylan (5 1/2-years-old), currently resides in the Lone Star State of Texas. He looks like he thrives on excitement so I envision him loving the Le Top fall 2011 “Vroom” collection. Congratulations on starting Kindergarten this month – talk about an adventure. It’s easy to see why Dylan has been chosen as our Le Top Darling of the Day!

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How to Help your Child Cope with Friends Leaving

This morning, while I was dropping my 4 1/2 year old off at school she told me that one of her very best friends was mad and was not talking to her. She didn’t know why and was sad. I talked with her about asking him why so that if she had done something wrong she could apologize. She agreed but when I turned to leave he was right in front of me. He was not his normal smiling self – something was weighing on him. I bent down and asked him what was wrong. To summarize, he told me he could no longer be friends with Lilah because he had new friends at his new school (he is leaving in August to go to a different Kindergarten). I was CRUSHED and so was Lilah. He seemed so unhappy about it too. I thought this is not the way to spend the last couple weeks together. 

At this point, we were drawing a crowd of preschoolers and I tried to explain that you can have many friends. I told him how Lilah still has friends from her old school. He didn’t believe me. The teacher came over to gather all the children and it was time for me to leave.

I spoke with the head of the school before I left and he assured me he would talk to ALL the children about it.  As much as I want to protect her, I know this is only the beginning of the misunderstandings, harsh words, and miscommunications that are part of a child’s life.

Here are a few tips to help your child through leaving or being left by their friends.

• Talk About It: Explain to your child that though they no longer attend school together, aren’t on the same team, or don’t live in the same area, they can still remain friends. We can’t have too many friends.
• Stay Connected: Set up play dates shortly after they are no longer together to assure them that they are still friends. If they are far away have them write a letter or call each other regularly. Depending on the age of your child, they can also email or be friends on Facebook.
• Try to make them understand that they will have many friends in their life and some see each other daily and others sporadically, but that doesn’t change their friendship.
• Put photos of your child’s friends in their rooms and talk about them often.

Obviously not all children will be able to maintain ALL their friendships (especially the young ones). But remember, if it’s a close friendship those kids are part of what has shaped them and are worth the effort it takes to stay connected.

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When should your toddler stop needing a nap?

Recently my boyfriend’s niece says she is a big girl now (3-years-old) and she doesn’t need a nap anymore. She honestly seems to be doing great overall without a nap. How her mom knew it was time to stop? I did a bit of research to find out. Tell us your tips on how you knew it was time to stop naptime too!

Studies show that many children stop taking naps at around age 4, but some experts say that may be too soon. Daytime sleep is important for kids during preschool and even throughout kindergarten. If your child falls asleep easily at naptime, it’s probably a sign he or she still needs a daytime nappy/snooze. The following are indications that it’s time to stop: 

• Your child is consistently fidgety and restless at naptime.
• He/She doesn’t have meltdowns in the late afternoon when misses his or her nap.
• When he does nap, he has a hard time going to sleep at his regular bedtime.

Judith Owens, pediatric sleep expert says that, “Most children under the age of 1 take two naps a day — usually one in the morning and another in the afternoon. By 18 months, most have given up the morning nap but still need an afternoon snooze to make it through dinner without a meltdown. Even when you’ve kissed the morning nap goodbye, your toddler’s likely to continue needing her afternoon nap for quite some time. At age 4, more than 50 percent of children are still taking naps. And even though the majority of children (about 70 percent) stop napping at 5 years, 3 in 10 still need a nap at this age.”

However, every kiddo is different.

Much depends on how many hours your toddler sleeps at night. Aside from the obvious fact that you need time to check your e-mail, make a phone call, or clean up the house, naps are critical to growing children. “Research suggests that physical and mental development takes place when kids sleep-both at night and during the day,” says Daniel Lewin, Ph.D., director of pediatric behavioral sleep medicine at Children’s National Medical Center, in Washington, D.C.  Studies have shown that kids who nap have longer attention spans and are less fussy than those who don’t. And perhaps the best reason of all: When kids rest during the day, they tend to sleep longer at night.  Toddlers need approximately 12 to 14 hours of sleep in each 24-hour period.

It can be hard as your toddler grows older to have him or her take a nap. Toddlers want to explore and discover the world, and especially hate to miss out on anything, even if they are super exhausted.

Want a happy nap?

Do: Build a nap routine and aim to stick to the same naptime each day, but be flexible on special occasions.

Don’t: Wait until your child is asleep to put him down in his crib or bed.

Do: Encourage your baby to sleep in her own crib or bed for naps after she’s 2 months old.

Don’t: Keep your child up too late at night, which will interfere with his daytime sleep.

Do: Keep her room as quiet and dark as possible.

Do: Put her down for her nap in the same place where she sleeps at night.

If your child gives up her naps altogether before she’s 4 years old, at least offer her some quiet time every day. Tell her that children rest after lunch so they’ll have enough energy to play later on.

Keep in mind that most children need lots of sleep. BabyCenter sleep expert Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night, says, “If a child has poor sleep habits or refuses to go to bed before 11 at night, his parents will think that he just doesn’t need a lot of sleep. That’s probably not true — in fact, it’s likely that such a child is actually sleep-deprived.”

If you are questioning if your child still needs a name, below are questions that answer if your child probably needs one:

• Does your child fall asleep almost every time he’s in a car?
• Do you have to wake your child almost every morning?
• Does your child seem cranky, irritable, or overtired during the day?
• On some nights, does your child seem to crash much earlier than his usual bedtime?

Eventually your child will stop napping and start doing all of his sleeping at night. Preschoolers and young elementary school students still need up to ten or 11 hours of sleep a night, but that amount will gradually diminish.

Unfortunately, there’s no way of really knowing what age your little one will nap until. But, hopefully these tips and facts helped you to understand your kiddos daytime sleep. 🙂

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Are you competitive? Are your kids?

Even though I don’t have children, I find that I always want my nephews and nieces to be ‘the best’.  Even the other mothers I hang out with want their kids to be the best…best at school, best athletic, best artist, best musician, first to learn the widest vocabulary, first to read…whatever it may be.  But how healthy is it to have this attitude and what makes kids this way – and eventually evolve into competitive parents and adults?

It seems like competitiveness really sets in at around 5-years-old or so – my nephew Otto is just getting to that age where he is in Kindergarten and bonding with classmates.

I personally feel like in our society today, kids compete with one another for selective schools, sports teams, after-school activities and more.  I often see with parents I know that they feel that discouraging competition will put their child at a disadvantage.  We tend to send our kids mixed messages where we want them to have fun and be carefree about being the “best”, but also want them to have what it takes to be successful. Because of this, I often think about how competitive should your child be at certain ages? What is appropriate?

Competition isn’t inherently good or bad, but it can have positive and negative consequences. In my opinion, competitiveness can be a good thing, as long as you help your kids compete in a healthy way.

The competitive spirit among kids my nephew’s age is related to their increasing sense of know-how, where the kids gauge by comparing themselves with their friends.

I hear friends discussing how their daughter can tie her shoes or ride a bike and we praise a child for learning something new…but when they get to school they want to be the “best” compared to their friends or other kids in the classroom.

According to veteran teacher Vivian Gussin Playe, author of You Can’t Say You Can’t Play (Harvard University Press), “When there’s a classroom birthday party, for example, kids are miserable if they’re left without a seat during a game of musical chairs.” I think its important in times like these to emphasize taking turns, learning, effort and how fun an activity can be instead.

Of course, some kids are more competitive than others. To a certain extent, this is a matter of personality, but boys tend to be more competitive than girls. I find that siblings are often very competitive with one another because the younger sibling “can’t keep up” with the older sibling – sound familiar? Some kids also feel the need to excel in order to win love and attention from their parents.

It’s perfectly normal for your child to make casual comparisons between theirself and their friends. Help your child become more aware of how bragging can hurt other kids’ feelings. It’s also important to be a good role model. Listen to yourself when you talk about your accomplishments, and pay attention to whether you tend to compare yourself with others.  Seeing is believing and your child will learn a healthy level of competitiveness.

Here are Steps on How to Handle Competitiveness in a Fair Way: 

• Emphasize personal best
• Buy thoughtfully – Many kids ask for the newest gadgets or toys – make sure it’s not just a present to ‘one-up’ their friends…rather buy it for a good reason such as a holiday or birthday.
• Talk about role models. – Point out child heroes who help others
• Ask the right questions. Don’t ask about winning. Ask what your child is learning at school, not how she did on tests; ask how he felt about the game, not who won; ask whether the party was fun, not who was there and what they wore.
• Refuse to keep score – For example, if you say you are jealous of your brother’s new car, you will teach your kids to judge others by what they have.  Or cheer for your kids during games or sports despite if the team is winning or losing.

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