Moms in the Know® - A Guide for Families in Charleston

Ages 3 and Up

Register for camps right away or it may be too late. The most popular day camps around town fill up quickly so make plans early for summer break.

Have a pajama party without the sleep-over part. Invite your child’s friends over for dinner and a movie. Everyone brushes their teeth and puts on pajamas before the movie and then the parents pick them up right before bedtime. This gives one grown up couple a babysitter free "happy hour" and helps the kids get ready for their first sleepover.

Magna Doodles are great car toys! The child gets to write or draw with no chance of a melting crayon or top off marker ruining car seats.

Have children write a letter once a month to whomever they choose, Grandparents, cousins or friends. It keeps them practicing their letters, and they love putting the stamp on and going to the post office.

Family Game Night really is a great idea! It makes everyone get together and you can sneak in some skills. Yahtzee is great for adding and multiplying, Connect Four teaches strategy and with a card game called Blink, you play it so fast you always have time for it!

When we take a road trip, I lessen the complaints by giving each kid a roll of pennies. Each time they complain about the length of the ride, they owe me a penny.

The gift-giving season is behind us, but for birthdays, mother’s day, etc., visit www.thehungersite.com where any purchase that you make, the hunger site organization will provide 25 cups of food for the hungry. All items sold are Fair Trade items.

Choking Hazards for children under 4: raw vegetables, candy, nuts and seeds, raisins, spoonfuls of peanut butter, popcorn, gum, hot dogs, grapes, and berries.

We love books on tape when going on a car trip. We prefer cassettes to CDs because it’s easier to pick up where you left off.

Children mature at different ages, but don’t underestimate what your child is capable of doing. Teach your child how to dress himself, but make sure the clothes are not complicated with lots of buttons. Shower with your child and show her how to wash herself. He or she is probably more capable of handling these things than you think.

Visit www.markmakers.org and show your kids the gift of giving. You purchase a $10.00 gift card and they can spend it on the charity of their choice.

Set up a mobile homework station to keep in the car in case of traffic or waits in carpool lines. Use a long pencil box and keep pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, glue stick, scissors etc in it. Maybe they will have their homework done by the time you get home.

Make cleaning house with your children fun! Play games like musical chores - give each child a chore, when the music stops they switch chores. My kids love our baseboard dusting races.

At your child’s birthday parties, take a digital picture of each child at the party. Use it as a party favor or include it in the thank you note.

Remember with extra-curricular activities there is a difference between pushing and motivating. If it is more important to you, you are pushing or if you are having to force them to go to practice you may be pushing. Let the child lead you to the activities.

To help children learn numbers and money, have them check out price tags at the grocery store. They can start with going on a number hunt when they are younger and as they get older can tell you which costs more or less.

Don’t forget to get your children’s feet measured often. The medical community recommends shoe fittings for children every three months, beginning at about 12 months of age.

Dentists say the best Halloween candy for kids teeth are sugarless or low sugar candy or chocolate. Avoid sticky, chewy or hard candy.

I bought my kids a dustpan and broom for picking up their toys with little pieces like legos and match box cars.

Got broken crayons? You can bake them together at a low setting in a non-stick muffin pan to create crazy colored new crayons.

Swimming lessons not working? After spending lots of money on lessons, a Mom I know told me to expose my kids to the water as much as possible. Buy season passes to the water park or join a neighborhood pool. The more they get in the water and see their friends swimming, the more likely they are to keep up.

My kids started using goggles in the swimming pool and it really helped them to be more comfortable in the water and eventually improved their swimming.

Visit www.Backpacksafe.com before school starts again. There is great information on how to properly carry those heavy backpacks.

Have your child try an activity in camp before investing in lessons for a whole year. Examples: Sailing Camp or Horseback Riding Camp.

Camp tuition can sometimes be applied toward the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Check with your Tax Preparer and get Federal ID #’s for the camps your children attend.

Before sending your child off to school, check out www.safekids.org for road rules.

Purchase Halloween costumes and accessories during the after Halloween sales. It's a cheap and fun way to add variety to my daughter's dress up chest.

Make a chore related game board. Kids roll dice to see what task they have to do that week.

If your child has a splinter, use a strip of scotch tape before pulling out the tweezers or needles. Press the tape firmly on the splinter and pull off. This removes many splinters without any ouches!

When my children were younger I was concerned that they weren't brushing their teeth long enough. To have them brush longer, I would play a song from their favorite tape and have them brush until the song was over.

To clean bath toys of bacteria and mildew, fill a bucket with warm water and 1/2 cup vinegar per gallon of water, soak for 10 minutes, rub gently with sponge and let dry.

To save time and arguments over what to where to school in the morning, offer a choice between two outfits the night before.

Instead of keeping all the projects and artwork your child has created, take pictures of them. You won’t feel guilty about getting rid of them and you can make room for the next batch.

Try packing tape to get those temporary tattoos off little bodies. It usually works and doesn’t hurt.

When I go to the pediatrician’s office I make sure to carry a few markers with me so that while we are waiting in the room for the doctor to come in, we can draw on the paper that covers the table.

Lingerie bags work great for those dress-up princess dresses that indicate ‘do not wash’. Just throw them in a bag or two and toss them in the washer.

Need a little positive reinforcement for your kids? Try the marble trick. For good behavior, they get a marble; for bad behavior, they lose a marble. They cash them in for money or treats at the end of the week. Siblings love the competition of getting the most marbles.

We love the Riverdogs’ Sunday afternoon games. All Moms know those afternoon hours are sometimes tough to fill, so these games are a great way to get out of the house, have some dinner, and cap off the weekend. Be sure to invite friends or make it a playdate.

When children are a little older, instead of presents at their birthday parties, consider a donation to a favorite charity or food to the food bank.

Those zippered plastic bags that most linens come in are great for toy organizing. We put matchbox cars, puzzle pieces, and anything else with a lot of parts in them.

If your child has discovered chocolate milk, use Carnation Instant breakfast mix. At least it has some nutritional value.

If peanut butter is not allowed in your child’s school, try almond butter. It tastes great and does not affect kids with peanut allergies.


		Ages 3 and Up Register for camps right away or it may be too late. The most popular day camps around town fill up quickly so make plans early for summer break. Have a pajama party without the sleep-over part. Invite your child’s friends over for dinner and a movie. Everyone brushes their teeth and puts on pajamas before the movie and then the parents pick them up right before bedtime. This gives one grown up couple a babysitter free "happy hour" and helps the kids get ready for their first sleepover. Magna Doodles are great car toys! The child gets to write or draw with no chance of a melting crayon or top off marker ruining car seats. Have children write a letter once a month to whomever they choose, Grandparents, cousins or friends. It keeps them practicing their letters, and they love putting the stamp on and going to the post office. Family Game Night really is a great idea! It makes everyone get together and you can sneak in some skills. Yahtzee is great for adding and multiplying, Connect Four teaches strategy and with a card game called Blink, you play it so fast you always have time for it! When we take a road trip, I lessen the complaints by giving each kid a roll of pennies. Each time they complain about the length of the ride, they owe me a penny. The gift-giving season is behind us, but for birthdays, mother’s day, etc., visit www.thehungersite.com where any purchase that you make, the hunger site organization will provide 25 cups of food for the hungry. All items sold are Fair Trade items. Choking Hazards for children under 4: raw vegetables, candy, nuts and seeds, raisins, spoonfuls of peanut butter, popcorn, gum, hot dogs, grapes, and berries. We love books on tape when going on a car trip. We prefer cassettes to CDs because it’s easier to pick up where you left off. Children mature at different ages, but don’t underestimate what your child is capable of doing. Teach your child how to dress himself, but make sure the clothes are not complicated with lots of buttons. Shower with your child and show her how to wash herself. He or she is probably more capable of handling these things than you think. Visit www.markmakers.org and show your kids the gift of giving. You purchase a $10.00 gift card and they can spend it on the charity of their choice. Set up a mobile homework station to keep in the car in case of traffic or waits in carpool lines. Use a long pencil box and keep pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, glue stick, scissors etc in it. Maybe they will have their homework done by the time you get home. Make cleaning house with your children fun! Play games like musical chores - give each child a chore, when the music stops they switch chores. My kids love our baseboard dusting races. At your child’s birthday parties, take a digital picture of each child at the party. Use it as a party favor or include it in the thank you note. Remember with extra-curricular activities there is a difference between pushing and motivating. If it is more important to you, you are pushing or if you are having to force them to go to practice you may be pushing. Let the child lead you to the activities. To help children learn numbers and money, have them check out price tags at the grocery store. They can start with going on a number hunt when they are younger and as they get older can tell you which costs more or less. Don’t forget to get your children’s feet measured often. The medical community recommends shoe fittings for children every three months, beginning at about 12 months of age. Dentists say the best Halloween candy for kids teeth are sugarless or low sugar candy or chocolate. Avoid sticky, chewy or hard candy. I bought my kids a dustpan and broom for picking up their toys with little pieces like legos and match box cars. Got broken crayons? You can bake them together at a low setting in a non-stick muffin pan to create crazy colored new crayons. Swimming lessons not working? After spending lots of money on lessons, a Mom I know told me to expose my kids to the water as much as possible. Buy season passes to the water park or join a neighborhood pool. The more they get in the water and see their friends swimming, the more likely they are to keep up. My kids started using goggles in the swimming pool and it really helped them to be more comfortable in the water and eventually improved their swimming. Visit www.Backpacksafe.com before school starts again. There is great information on how to properly carry those heavy backpacks. Have your child try an activity in camp before investing in lessons for a whole year. Examples: Sailing Camp or Horseback Riding Camp. Camp tuition can sometimes be applied toward the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Check with your Tax Preparer and get Federal ID #’s for the camps your children attend. Before sending your child off to school, check out www.safekids.org for road rules. Purchase Halloween costumes and accessories during the after Halloween sales. It's a cheap and fun way to add variety to my daughter's dress up chest. Make a chore related game board. Kids roll dice to see what task they have to do that week. If your child has a splinter, use a strip of scotch tape before pulling out the tweezers or needles. Press the tape firmly on the splinter and pull off. This removes many splinters without any ouches! When my children were younger I was concerned that they weren't brushing their teeth long enough. To have them brush longer, I would play a song from their favorite tape and have them brush until the song was over. To clean bath toys of bacteria and mildew, fill a bucket with warm water and 1/2 cup vinegar per gallon of water, soak for 10 minutes, rub gently with sponge and let dry. To save time and arguments over what to where to school in the morning, offer a choice between two outfits the night before. Instead of keeping all the projects and artwork your child has created, take pictures of them. You won’t feel guilty about getting rid of them and you can make room for the next batch. Try packing tape to get those temporary tattoos off little bodies. It usually works and doesn’t hurt. When I go to the pediatrician’s office I make sure to carry a few markers with me so that while we are waiting in the room for the doctor to come in, we can draw on the paper that covers the table. Lingerie bags work great for those dress-up princess dresses that indicate ‘do not wash’. Just throw them in a bag or two and toss them in the washer. Need a little positive reinforcement for your kids? Try the marble trick. For good behavior, they get a marble; for bad behavior, they lose a marble. They cash them in for money or treats at the end of the week. Siblings love the competition of getting the most marbles. We love the Riverdogs’ Sunday afternoon games. All Moms know those afternoon hours are sometimes tough to fill, so these games are a great way to get out of the house, have some dinner, and cap off the weekend. Be sure to invite friends or make it a playdate. When children are a little older, instead of presents at their birthday parties, consider a donation to a favorite charity or food to the food bank. Those zippered plastic bags that most linens come in are great for toy organizing. We put matchbox cars, puzzle pieces, and anything else with a lot of parts in them. If your child has discovered chocolate milk, use Carnation Instant breakfast mix. At least it has some nutritional value. If peanut butter is not allowed in your child’s school, try almond butter. It tastes great and does not affect kids with peanut allergies.