Thursday, May 2, 2013
Local mothers exchange childhood toys, clothing and accessories using social media.
Moms have to do it all. From getting the kids to soccer practice, to scheduling every doctor, dentist and eye appointment, from school homework to dance recitals, it just never ends. Moms over the years have developed some unique ways of organizing it all. Thankfully, with tools like smartphones, Google calendars, and alarmed reminders, there are multiple tricks of the trade these days. Some mothers in Montgomery County have found a way to even use social media to their advantage, too. With Facebook, some 502 moms have found a way to consign online. It can be difficult to get around to all the sales, find clothes and toys on a budget and make the family dollar stretch, but with Montgomery County Kids Online Yard Sale, the sale is always in…
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Montco Mommy's family has shared a box set of books for three generations now.
When I was little, I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read all of her books, and most days, I’d trade any of my modern day luxuries to be that little girl on the prairie. These days, when I’m sitting in thick Philadelphia traffic or watching my MacBook spin the “pinwheel of death,” I sometimes dream of the same thing. Sometimes, I wouldn’t mind giving up cable TV, electricity and laundry machines for the feeling of wide open spaces, working for the simplicity of survival and skipping out on all of our modern-day challenges. When I was little, my mom handed down her tattered and torn copies of all of Wilder’s books. She had a box set when she was a kid. I still remember the perfect penmanship scripted in pencil with her name on the …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Keep your family's smallest safest with help from Montco.
Do you have questions about car seats? It is hard to keep track of what age, weight, height or size your child needs to be to switch types of safety seats. From baby carriers, to booster seats, seats with backs and seats without, parents can have total confusion about which seat can keep your child safe. Thankfully, the county's Department of Health is here to help. Child safety seats save lives, but only when they are installed and used properly. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages one to thirteen according to crash data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Association. In 2011, nine children, from newborns to age 8, lost their lives in vehicle crashes in …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Encourage children to love the earth and all will bloom naturally. Here are some family activities you can do to foster environmentalism.
- GOING GREEN
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Friday, April 26
While April 22 was Earth Day, which is celebrated across the entire world, what can we do to show our love of the earth on that day, and every day? Love begins in the home and so does the love for our earth. If you teach your children to respect the earth on every level, they will continue to realize the global impact of environmentalism when they become adults. This is important for the sustainability of life as we know it. Perhaps we can set off that spark in a child, making them want to learn more about the process and do more to help. If we've done our part, they might strive to become an environmentalist—professionally or at heart. Inspire children, plant the seeds early on, and they will flourish. We all strive to do "acts of …
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Montco Mommy learns to let go, so her son might become a better man.
I really cannot believe it. I mean, I know he is half his father’s child, too, but it astonishes me that my son somehow got zero of my obsessive compulsive genetics. I’m a pretty organized gal. I think I have to be. To do well in school, get great grades, participate in four sports and countless academic clubs and groups, I had to be as a kid. I worked hard then, and I work hard now. Instead of schlepping backpacks, notebooks and sports equipment, I schlep kids, their school bags, and, OK, still a lot of sporting equipment. To keep four people on track, from bills for the house, to dentist appointments, doctor’s visits to sports’ practices, the scheduling and organization is endless. Because I am so obsessive about it, it seems I’ve gone…
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Montco Mommy's blood pressure rises once per night, at least, when putting the smallest child to bed.
I'm not a very patient person, but since I've been a mother, I feel like I've grown some in that department. As a mom, you have to be patient. But, besides Philadelphia area traffic, the only other thing that I seem NOT to be able to control my famed red-headed temper about is my daughter going to bed. I'll admit it. We were spoiled first. My son was the quietest baby ever. He slept through the night by 10 weeks, and ever since has quietly gone to bed, peacefully, happily, and will even ask to go if it is getting too late. It seems just about EVERY night of my daughter's life, however, yes all five years of it, we've fought her to go to bed. We've gone through various stages with it. She used to sleep in a bassinet beside our bed, but …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission hosts inaugural event across the state.
Montgomery County will play host to one of 12 unique sites that will test drive a charter program with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC). "Young anglers and their adult mentors can get an early start to trout season by fishing one of 12 waters on March 23, the weekend before the regional opening day," said Carl Richardson, media contact for the PFBC. The 12 waters, including Montgomery County's Green Lane Park's Deep Creek Dam, were identified by the PFBC as part of the Mentored Youth Trout Day program, a new pilot project being launched within the 18-county southeast area that makes up the regional opening day, according to a release from PFBC. “The Commission is piloting the Mentored Youth Trout Day as part of its goal to …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What ages are appropriate for joining social media sites? Montco Mommy debates.
It is official. My kids have their own Facebook pages. Yes, they are only 5 and 7 now, but in all honesty, they don’t quite “own them” solo just yet. I set them up, after much request from family, not for them to “Like” random pages, Harlem Shake videos and let’s face it, lots of cute cat photos. Instead, I find it to be a place to chronicle their lives. Much like my weekly column, I find it to be a nice space to save their daily shenanigans. My children are full of hysterical commentary, and I’ve dubbed them their “-isms.” Fans of my own, personal Facebook page largely tune in strictly to read the latest Seamus-ism or Alora-ism, not so much what I’m doing day-to-day. Then there are the photos. We take so many photos, and like most busy …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
How do you keep your tots in bed for the entire night when bad dreams come?
The boogey man. The monster under the bed. Vampires. Zombies. Witches. Spiders. At one time or another, one or many of these things have been after my children. Thankfully, they woke to find they were only dreaming. Our house seems to run feast or famine on nightmares these days. The main problem is? We’re never quite sure when to “believe” them. Since the day they were born, (OK, more like the day they were out of a crib) the rule in the house has been simple. If you have a bad dream, you run to find mom and dad. The kids used to be small enough to squeeze in between the two of us in a queen-sized bed. These days, that is getting tougher and tougher. Typically, my husband has gotten into the (likely bad) habit of getting up and moving to …
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Tots might have a hard time focusing on football.
Your party for tonight's big game is all set up. The brand new LCD HDTV display you got Christmas is finally mounted on the wall. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres are ready to be deployed. Party gear in team colors festoons your family room. If you've got guests with young children planning to attend, though, there are maybe one or two other preparations you'll want to make before kickoff. Don't worry, you still have time. Watch the video to learn more.
Cindy Carroll
11:46 am on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Any similar books a little boy would love? more ›