I'd like the mailbox to have something fun for my six-year-old son from time to time without breaking the bank, or putting him into a toy-acquisition frenzy. Any suggestions?
posted by popechunk
on May 24, 2013 -
42 answers
My precocious but angry 2.75-year-old and I just got fired from our home daycare situation. I feel like I need Super Nanny. What now? How do I get him to stop being so rude?
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posted by woodvine
on May 23, 2013 -
26 answers
Seeking suggestions for non-perishable foodstuffs to feed a toddler while flying cross country.
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posted by gnutron
on May 23, 2013 -
22 answers
My children's adored grandmother is a smoker. She doesn't smoke in front of the kids but does take several smoke breaks a day, and while our two year old is oblivious, our four year old is probably close to figuring out what's up. Growing up, I had no relatives who smoked, and my parents pushed the "boy, smokers sure think they look cool, don't they look stupid though?" angle which worked fine on me. Obviously that isn't going to work in this case. How do you talk with young children about smoking as a Bad Thing when relatives smoke?
posted by rouftop
on May 21, 2013 -
33 answers
My kids (currently 6 and 9) have become voracious readers. We have a large and varied collection of excellent fiction for them, but the non-fiction collection is more haphazard. They love learning new facts as they read (the type of thing that makes them look up from the book and say, "Did you know...?"). I want to make sure that the collection of books gives them a good introduction to fields where I myself may not have enough knowledge to judge the quality/accuracy of the book. So what's the kid's book in your field that makes you say, "If only every kid got to read this book, people would understand [topic] better."?
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posted by winston
on May 18, 2013 -
19 answers
We're road-tripping from Sacramento to Salt Lake City to Denver with our five-year-old, and are looking for tips on routes and places to stop.
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posted by DakotaPaul
on May 13, 2013 -
8 answers
What are some great gifts I could bring from the US (northeast) to kids in Germany who range in age from 3 to 8 years old? What cool kid stuff is available in the US that might be novel for kids in Germany these days?
posted by plantbot
on May 8, 2013 -
6 answers
I heard this short story on audio on a family car trip ~15 years ago, give or take a few years. I'm pretty sure it was a horror story. I don't know if it was targeted towards kids, but I was elementary aged when I heard it. Two kids, a carnival, and a evil being in the clouds.
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posted by tan_coul
on May 7, 2013 -
2 answers
My daughters want loft beds for their room. However I'm a bit concerned about their ability to get down in the middle of the night, particularly the 5 year old, who is a bit short. I've looked into a DIY solution but I really don't have the time. Custom furniture is a bit out of the budget under $600. The Ikea models seem a bit wobbly and too tall.. Does anyone have any suggestions for ones that are lower height or preferably adjustable as the kids get taller?
posted by humanfont
on May 4, 2013 -
20 answers
Old friend coming to the city in a few weeks sent me the following:
"We are looking for a place for a graduation dinner. Likely about 11 people -- with a couple of kids. We want something good, but festive and fun. Any ideas?"
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posted by vrakatar
on Apr 30, 2013 -
3 answers
We're going to Portland for a week-long vacation (and maybe a moving trial run) in a few days.
We've visited before, but this time we're taking our 2-year-old daughter, and I wanted to ask if there are any great toddler friendly destinations or day trips that we shouldn't miss. Any tips on kid-friendly restaurants and organic grocery shopping in NW Portland are also appreciated.
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posted by mmc
on Apr 29, 2013 -
16 answers
We are making a rare trip to IKEA tomorrow in part to get a table and chairs for our one-year old. What are other IKEA items that we should look at for him?
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posted by Xalf
on Apr 27, 2013 -
26 answers
I'm gifting my laptop to my far-away sister, and want to pre-load it with some fun, free, friendly games she can use to entertain her live-in grandkids (ages 4 and 2). Any suggestions?
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posted by The otter lady
on Apr 27, 2013 -
2 answers
So Mr. lasamana got a job (yay!). He had an offer from a company that was not local and an offer that was local but with a fair amount of travel. We made our decision in part by Mefi. Now the question - he’s now working for the local company that includes 2 separate friends of ours. They are his bosses. He seems cool with it but I’m having an issue. We (3 couples) are friendly through our kids. 2 of ours and separately 1 each of theirs (different ages). Occasionally we got together as moms and socialized. This happens maybe 2x/year. Our conversation runs the gamut and included personal stuff. Not to mention we run into each other in the store, etc. I feel very leery all of a sudden about these relationships. Not to mention I sense a sudden cooling off by one of the wives. Is it better to let these friendships fade or maintain as if nothing changed? I should one of these couples has been very good to one of kids even including him on overnight trips and stuff. Now I’m concerned even about the propriety of that in relation to other employees. Do I have a valid concern?
Want to add I really like both couples and have had great fun with the wives.
posted by lasamana
on Apr 22, 2013 -
6 answers
Can you please recommend any books that might help on when/how to introduce new boyfriend/girlfriend to kids when divorced? Do you have any advice based on your experience; include anything you would do different in hindsight? I know all kids and circumstances are different but there has to be a general outline that produces happier outcomes for kids involved. More info inside.
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posted by bleucube
on Apr 22, 2013 -
8 answers
My (8 year old) son is tender hearted. I'd like to help him cope with kid insults better. So, um...how do I do that?
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posted by youandiandaflame
on Apr 20, 2013 -
40 answers
I'm interested in how other parents manage to share the workload and arrange rest times for themselves and their partners.
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posted by sgt.serenity
on Apr 19, 2013 -
24 answers
Where can I find paints for kids that are "professional" quality yet not "professionally" expensive? I bought Crayola paints and they are
terrible. I am looking for something (a) reasonably priced but pigmented enough get my toddler excited about colors, (b) doesn't require swirling a brush for a good long minute to get the color going, (c) available on the internet. I don't mind if they are messy/unwashable.
I don't know anything about colors so please specify both the brand and the type of paint in your recommendation. If the paper makes a real difference, please recommend that too!
posted by rada
on Apr 19, 2013 -
13 answers
We have received services from the school district and we are about to lose our teachers due to our daughter aging out of the program. We'd like to give nice and appropriate gifts to the teachers who have helped our daughter for the last two and a half years.
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posted by look busy
on Apr 18, 2013 -
16 answers
My four-year-old son’s birthday is in late November. In our state, that means we can choose whether he starts (all-day) kindergarten this coming fall, when he’s 4-going-on-5, or next year, when he’ll be 5-going-on-6. I’m pretty paralyzed over this decision. I’m looking for insights, especially those with some sort of data behind them, to help.
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 18, 2013 -
43 answers
Great-grandma is sick in the hospital. Kids want to send her letters and drawings (crayon on office paper, ca. 2013) ... but kids are sick with unknown illness (flu-like symptoms - fever, cough, etc). How to avoid spreading the germs through the mail?
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posted by jferg
on Apr 15, 2013 -
18 answers
You're considering a move to Los Angeles for a job in Irvine. You and your (stay-at-home) wife are both in your early 30s, and have two young (under two years old) children. You were raised in the midwest, and prefer the suburbs. You want to live in an area that has lots of other young families and easy access to eating and shopping and preschools and other things like that. You don't want to spend more than 30 minutes or so commuting. You want to spend about $3,000 per month on rent for a 3+ bedroom single-family-home (or condo, you suppose). What areas of Los Angeles do you focus on?
posted by anonymous
on Apr 15, 2013 -
25 answers
I bought my son a low-end Android tablet and now I want to load it up with quality applications. I'm looking for equal parts entertainment, education, and beautiful UI.
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posted by Mo Nickels
on Apr 5, 2013 -
8 answers
My preschooler is getting just old enough to have a proper social life (playdates, birthday parties, etc.). I've got some specific questions about the parental etiquette expectations surrounding these kiddie get-togethers.
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posted by Bardolph
on Apr 5, 2013 -
24 answers
Is a cotton dhurrie rug a good choice for a kid's room? How about a wool one?
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posted by Ollie
on Apr 3, 2013 -
10 answers
My kids (a boy and a girl) are now five years old, and my wife or I read to them every night before bed. I'd like to start reading larger books to them which we can stretch out throughout a week or more, by reading them a chapter a night. Please help me put together a great reading list of age-appropriate books that will capture their imaginations and inspire happy dreams.
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posted by zarq
on Apr 2, 2013 -
61 answers
What audio ebook should I download for this long car ride with my bookish 10 year old, me, and my literate adult friend?
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posted by latkes
on Mar 25, 2013 -
28 answers
Please name one song, or album, that I should put on my 10 year-old son's iPod.
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posted by unSane
on Mar 24, 2013 -
75 answers
If you follow the advice of Ellyn Satter, how do you handle second helpings when your child wants more of one food but hasn't eaten even a bite of the other things?
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posted by Ollie
on Mar 24, 2013 -
9 answers
One of my friends wants to have lots of kids because she loves the idea of having many miniature versions of her husband in the house. Now, I've heard of people wanting to have kids so they can have miniature versions of themselves around the house, but wanting a miniature version of your partner was a new one to me. Are there any other surprising/non-cliched reasons to have kids?
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posted by dede
on Mar 19, 2013 -
71 answers
I am teaching English to a 4 and a 7 year old (separately) and I am looking for tips, games, ipad apps, or resources.
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posted by saul wright
on Mar 16, 2013 -
6 answers
I'm reading Sheryl Sandberg's book
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead and very much enjoying it. She talks early on about being called "bossy" as a little kid and how that characteristic has followed her and how she views it as a negative characteristic. I really identified with that as I was also called "bossy" when I was a little girl for doing a lot of the same things that Sandberg was doing as a girl -- organizing games, making up plays, telling other kids what to do. And I'm wondering about the word "bossy" and whether I should avoid it with my own little girl.
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posted by amanda
on Mar 14, 2013 -
42 answers
My daughter is twelve, and she keeps falling behind in school, despite the school giving her tools that should keep her on-track. I think the problem is that she's just like me. My wife had great study habits, so she can't identify with our daughter's struggle. I can empathize, but my teachers, parents, and self couldn't break me, so I don't have any solutions to apply.
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posted by Tool of the Conspiracy
on Mar 13, 2013 -
41 answers
My son is almost 9. He suffers from mild anxiety, and very often can't sleep at night. He gets plenty of exercise most days as he plays sports year round. He reads at night, but this doesn't always do the trick. He's a very intense kid, and rather than cut down on the sports (which very often is the source of his stress, even though he loves playing) I'd like to manage the anxiety. I think some sort of guided sleep meditation might be really useful here, and I'd love some recommendations. Most of what I've found so far either is sort of corny and a little babyish, or is not specific to sleep and is more about mindfulness and not as good for relaxation. Thanks!
posted by missuswayne
on Mar 11, 2013 -
18 answers
Tell me about your daily schedules, parenting logistics, etc., with a newborn
plus a toddler or older child.
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posted by Bardolph
on Mar 7, 2013 -
15 answers
Mr. BlahLaLa and I are considering buying Kid BlahLaLa a laptop for his 10th birthday. (We want him to be able to play Minecraft and browse the internet.) We're a Mac family but I'm pretty sure this computer will have to be non-Mac because they're so much cheaper, which in turn opens up a whole world of internet security questions that I usually don't think about on my mac. Plus the whole idea of "Now I'm giving my kid a computer, what do I need to think about?" type of stuff.
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posted by BlahLaLa
on Mar 2, 2013 -
13 answers
Looking for family friendly hotel or airbnb flat for May in NYC, for visiting pals.
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posted by vrakatar
on Feb 28, 2013 -
3 answers
Looking for some help making my narrow hallway a little prettier and more interesting. Bonus bookcase wood finishing/painting question inside!
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posted by amanda
on Feb 23, 2013 -
10 answers
Okay, you know that "On Top of Spaghetti" song? Can someone cleverer than me think of a second verse for that song that involves the poor meatball and A TRAIN?
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posted by logic vs love
on Feb 20, 2013 -
17 answers
What are the available OSX native educational kids games that will run on an iMac G4 (I have the 400mhz one)? I bought the Jumpstart games off ebay, but those seem to be ClassicOS games that they just slapped a wrapper on, and as such they don't work very well. 640x480 in a tiny window not-well, for instance.
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posted by BeeDo
on Feb 15, 2013 -
6 answers
I'll be spending the day with my two year old son in New York (staying in Cobble Hill, probably heading into Manhattan) on Sat. 3/2, and am looking for suggestions for fun, reasonably-priced activities that we can do together.
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posted by ryanshepard
on Feb 15, 2013 -
14 answers
My wife and I are taking care of our out-of-town niece, who is a month short of her fourth birthday, this weekend (and possibly our nephew, who is six months younger). We don't have kids of our own, so we're kind of clueless about how to entertain children that age. What are some fun and not-too-expensive kid-friendly things to do in Toronto this weekend?
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posted by The Card Cheat
on Feb 15, 2013 -
13 answers
For kids under the age of three, what household objects have been the most entertaining for your kids? I'm looking for household objects that your kid discovered and ended up being a cherished play item, not things bought in a toy store (e.g. buckets, bags, boxes, dead remotes, phones, etc.)? No electronics please.
posted by benzenedream
on Feb 14, 2013 -
70 answers
Name that young adult fantasy novel: Two boys who are enemies at school are transported to some magical scenario where they have to work together.
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posted by latkes
on Feb 13, 2013 -
4 answers
Asking for my wife, who is a neonatal nurse that is taking some time off to spend at home with our kiddo. She's interested in what kinds of side jobs might be available for someone with a neonatal nurse's experience.
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posted by striker
on Feb 12, 2013 -
12 answers
Please help me thrill my 4 year old daughter with suggestions of songs that have the singer saying "Hey!" more than once.
She told us awhile back that she loves songs that have "Hey!" in them, so I want to make a playlist of "Hey!" songs. The "Hey!" should be punctuated and repeated at least once - preferably more than once. The songs don't have to be songs for children, but should be at least semi-appropriate for 4 year olds (i.e. profanity is out, but innuendo that they won't understand until they are much older is ok).
Some examples of stuff that we already have: "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" by the Beatles, "She" by the Monkees, "Get Off Of My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones, a couple traditional Greek songs. Any genre or time period is fine!
ULTIMATE FOUR YEAR OLD HEY! PLAYLIST - GO!
posted by stefnet
on Feb 10, 2013 -
114 answers
