Hi mom or dad, we know that as a parent you probably get asked a LOT of questions by your young and curious child about the world and everyday things such as ‘Why do we blink?’ that probably leaves you scratching your head. The web is a vast repository of information where you can find out things about pretty much anything and so we found a really cool article about Answers to Common Questions Parents Can’t Answer Their Kids that you’ll get a kick out of!

If your kid wants to know why we blink, here’s the answer:

 

The very front of your eye is made of an extremely sensitive see-through screen rather like the windscreen on your parents’ car.

It’s very important that it stays clean and moist so that you can see as well as possible.

So every ten or 20 seconds, your eyelids close, spreading a thin layer of tears over your eye which washes off any bits of dust or anything else that may have got into it, like a car’s windscreen wiper with squirty screen wash.

If we didn’t blink so much, we wouldn’t be able to see properly, so it’s lucky we do!

Dr Rob Hogan, president of the College of Optometrists

 

Check out the article as there are more questions with answers to get you prepared for when those questions come you’ll be ready!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

 

Here at the Jumpitz we’re all about learning about the world so we where delighted to hear about a new service that aims to inspire kids to learn about the world and other cultures. Little Passports has two main characters who go out and travel to a new country each month and share the experience with your kid through a package they get in the mail which includes a letter, souvenirs and other goodies.

 

 

If you want your kid to learn about the world in a fun and interactive way every month you should check out Little Passports. This is a fun service and another great thing they do is that a portion of the proceeds from your subscription is donated to select charities that they believe impact children’s lives around the world.

 

Follow them on Twitter where they’re always chatting!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

Written by parents for parents here then are 101 parenting tips from More 4 Kids:

 

 

1) Think Before You Speak

2) Be a Positive Role Model

3) Listen, Catch and Redirect

4) Be Spontaneous and Affectionate

5) Provide Feedback that is Accurate and Positive

6) Foster a Safe and Loving Home Environment

7) Focus on Cooperation Over Competition

Pay attention to your child and what interests them

9) Stress the Behavior, not the child

10) Don’t compare them with siblings or others. Each child is unique

11) Tell them very often how much you love them

12) Spend time with them doing what it is they want to do.

13) Listen to their point of view and help them achieve their goals.

14) Support their school work. Don’t do it for them.

15) Get involved in their school

16) Encourage them to make friends, welcome their friends into your home

17) Help your child explore any hobbies or talents they have

18) Realize that tomorrow it will be Different.  Ask yourself: Will it really matter tomorrow?

19) Master the Art of Compromise

20) Tell them you love them (don’t assume they don’t need to hear the words)

21) Lead by Example

22) Patience: Tell Them Everything Has Its Own Time

23) Patience: Explain to Them Why They Need to Wait

24) Set Goals with Them

25) Give Concrete Responses

26) Give Concrete Consequences

27) You Have to Follow Through with your actions and your words

28) Reward Them for Being Patient

29) Reward Them for a Job Well Done when they don’t think you are looking!!

30) Find Fun Activities that Require Patience

31) Teaching Diversity: Watch Movies that Introduce New Places

32) Teaching Diversity: Have Kids Write to Pen Pals

33) Teaching Diversity: Make a game out of learning about different cultures

34) Capitalize on "Teaching Moments" in Life

35) Forget the Clock

36) Encourage Cooperative Work

37) Foster Family Participation

38) Set Family Goals

39) Encourage them to be and express Themselves

40) Don’t Embarrass Them

41) Teach them the Importance of a Smile – by example is best

42) Encourage Emotions

43) Point out and Praise good behavior

44) Learn to Listen to your child as much as you expect them to listen to you

45) Helping Hands – Teach your child the importance of helping others

46) The Walk Away – Learn to pick your battles

47) Understand Who Your Child Is and Talk to Them

48) Be An Apparent Parent

49) Monitor Online Activity

50) Teach Your Child to Stand Up For Themselves

51) Get Involved with Your Child

52) Tell Your Child What You Expect

53) Know Their Friends

54) Talk About Drug & Alcohol Use with Your Kids

55) Appreciate Who They Are

56) Don’t Undermine Your Child’s Ability

57) Don’t Underestimate Your Child’s Abilities

58) Encourage new experiences and be less fearful of new situations.

59) Set routines, be consistent

60) Explain, Educate, Talk, Listen, Encourage, Praise, Support and Cheer On

61) Teach to Return an Insult with a Compliment

62) Allow Your Children to Express Their Feelings at Home.

63) Forster an open atmosphere at home and not be judgmental.

64) Let them Know They Should Never Tolerate Being Made to Feel Uncomfortable by others

65) Don’t Give Answers Provide Direction

66) Encourage Them to Try it On Their Own

67) Make Opportunities to Challenge Them

68) Be Proud of Them and Their Accomplishments

69) Teach kids by example to Respect Others

70) Teach the Art of Saying "I’m Sorry."

71) Take a Deep Breath before Responding

72) Encourage Truthfulness

73) Teach Your Child How to Apologize

74) Encourage Empathy

75) Demonstrate Patience

76) Talk to Them about Money and teach savings

77) Teach them That They Can’t Have It All

78) Master Table Manners

79) Teach kids How to Share Those Prized Possessions

80) Have Your Children Write  Thank You Notes

81) Kill the Tube, spend time together

82) Tell Them You Trust Them

83) Establish a Set of Family Rules

84) Talk to Your Children about the Rules

85) Set Concrete Consequences for Breaking a Rule

86) Enforce Rules CALMLY

87) Include Your Child in the Rule Making

88) Know When to Bend the Rules

89) Remember They Are Not You

90) Complement them on Their Individuality

91) Ask Your Self if it will Matter in Five Years

92) Teach Self Respect

93) Respect Your Child

94) Talk to them not At Them

95) Listen to them Actively

96) Give Them the Right to Present Their Case, but Don’t Just Give In

97) Follow the Best of the Examples You Had Growing Up

98) Teach Your Child How to Greet Someone

99) Encourage Them To Try

100) Get Healthy together (family hikes, bikerides, etc)

101) You Had Your Childhood, Let Them Have Theirs

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

Hey Jumpeteerz! YouTube just announced that they’ve opened up a channel just For Moms.

According to YouTube:

The videos housed on this channel cover everything from cooking and parenting tips, to the best toys and games for kids, to easy ways to maintain your own health and beauty routine.

 

Here’s a video from Cullen’s ABC’s that you will find on the channel!

 

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

There tons and tons of parenting information you can find all over the internet, but there’s one site that is starting to stand out. Kimberley Clayton Blaine, a licensed Child and Family Therapist and self described “Go To Mom” has 60 videos of helpful content for parents on her website “The Go To Mom”.

We’ve embedded her parenting videos widget below:

 

 

Isn’t the Go To Mom great? Share your thoughts with us!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

Imagine a website that provides a safe and filtered video destination for kids of all ages.

Enter Kideos!

When we say kids of all ages we’re not kidding. Kideos has videos for 2 – 10 year olds, all screened by parents before they make it onto the site.

Kideos puts a premium on kids’ safety, as all content on Kideos.com has been screened by the Video Advisory Council. Also parents can customize their kids viewing experience by limiting access to certain content aimed at different age groups.

Kideos aggregates videos that are already on the web from sites such as YouTube and has content from different kids brands such as Disney, Barney, The Muppets and others.

Give Kideos a look, hopefully your kids will find it enjoyable!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

A clean child is a healthy child.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to help prevent the spread of infection.

A delicious mud pie, a good-luck rock, or a friendly frog are just a few of the presents kids love to bring home to Mom and Dad. But behind these adorable gifts, millions of germs could be lurking.

Kids don’t always listen when you tell them to wash their hands before eating, but it’s a message worth repeating. Hand washing is by far the best way to prevent germs from spreading and to keep your kids from getting sick.

When it comes to germs, nothing spreads them faster than our two hands. Emphasize the importance of hand washing for everyone in the family — particularly for your kids who think nothing of sneezing into their hands, then reaching into the cookie jar.

Germs can be transmitted many ways, including:

* touching dirty hands
* changing dirty diapers
* through contaminated water and food
* through droplets released during a cough or a sneeze
* via contaminated surfaces
* through contact with a sick person’s body fluids

When kids come into contact with germs, they can unknowingly become infected simply by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. And once they’re infected, it’s usually just a matter of time before the whole family comes down with the same illness.

Good hand washing is the first line of defense against the spread of many illnesses, from the common cold to more serious illnesses such as meningitis, bronchiolitis, influenza, hepatitis A, and most types of infectious diarrhea.

Washing Hands Correctly

Here’s how to scrub those germs away. Demonstrate this routine to your kids — or better yet, wash your hands together often so they learn how important this good habit is:

1. Wash your hands in warm water. Make sure the water isn’t too hot for little hands.
2. Use soap and lather up for about 10 to 15 seconds (antibacterial soap isn’t necessary — any soap will do). Make sure you get in between the fingers and under the nails where uninvited germs like to hang out. And don’t forget the wrists!
3. Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.

To minimize the germs passed around your family, make frequent hand washing a rule for everyone, especially:

* before eating and cooking
* after using the bathroom
* after cleaning around the house
* after touching animals, including family pets
* before and after visiting or taking care of any sick friends or relatives
* after blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
* after being outside (playing, gardening, walking the dog, etc.)
* Before every meal or snack
* Before and after handling or preparing food
* Before caring for a toddler or infant
* After coming in from outside
* After using the bathroom
* After playing with the family pet
* After changing the cat litter or cleaning a pet cage
* After sneezing or blowing the nose (when possible)
* After taking out the trash

Don’t underestimate the power of hand washing! The few seconds you spend at the sink could save you trips to the doctor’s office.

Why do I need to wash my hands?

“Did you wash your hands?”

How many times did you hear that today? Probably a lot. But why are adults so hung up on hand washing? Why are they so in love with lather?

Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. Think about all of the things that you touched today – from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose in a tissue and then went outside to dig around the dirt. Whatever you did today, you came into contact with germs. It’s easy for a germ on your hand to end up in your mouth. Think about how many foods you eat with your hands.

You can’t wear rubber gloves all day long, but you can wash your hands so those germs don’t get a chance to make you or someone else sick. When germs go down the drain, they can’t make anyone sick.

So when are the best times to wash your hands?

* before eating or touching food (like if you’re helping cook or bake, for example)
* after using the bathroom
* after blowing your nose or coughing
* after touching pets or other animals
* after playing outside
* before and after visiting a sick relative or friend

Now you have the when and the why of hand washing. But did you know that a lot of people don’t know how to get their paws perfectly clean? The next time you’re told to step up to the sink and scrub up, remember these handy hints:

1. Use warm water (not cold or hot) when you wash your hands.
2. Use whatever soap you like. Some soaps come in cool shapes and colors or smell nice, but whatever kind that gets you scrubbing is the kind you should use. Antibacterial soaps are OK to use, but regular soap works fine.
3. Work up some lather on both sides of your hands, your wrists, and between your fingers. Don’t forget to wash around your nails. This is one place germs like to hide. Wash for about 10 to 15 seconds – about how long it takes to sing “Happy Birthday.” (Sing it quickly two times or just once if you go nice and slow.)
4. Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.

If your child is reluctant about hand washing try these tips

- Use colorful soaps made especially for kids. Some soaps also come in interesting shapes or have some scents to make hand washing fun.

- Have your child sing a favorite song while washing. By the time the song is done, those germs should be washed away.

- Use a timer or get them to sing “Happy Birthday” or recite the alphabet.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

The Jumpitz are all about discovering new things in the world, especially in nature. Interacting with nature is something all parents should do with their kids, teaching what things are is an exhilarating learning experience for kids.

One of our favorite parenting websites, Babble, is featuring a new Babble List of 25 nature adventures for kids.

Here are our favorites in no particular order.

1. Grow a garden. Michelle Obama is growing a White House Kitchen Garden this summer with her daughters. Try this yourself at home, either in a small plot in the yard or in planters. You can grow plants from seed in the early spring or purchase plants in late spring. Tomatoes, lettuces, herbs and sunflowers are good plants to start. You’ll learn in your first year and can expand upon your knowledge the next year. Keep a garden notebook to record your successes and challenges, as well as pictures of your farmers and crop.
2. Learn about songbirds. Place a bird feeder near a window or in the yard and watch who comes to visit. Purchase a bird guide, such as The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (a Peterson Field Guide), to help identify the birds at your feeder. If your family gets good at identifying birds, try participating in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Check online for local bird watching groups; these groups often host educational outings that are interesting for children and adults.
3. Start a nature journal. Buy a blank notebook and some colored pencils and, voila, you have a nature notebook. Pack the journal in a backpack for walks, hikes and canoe trips, and encourage your child to draw what she sees: trees, leaves, birds, pine cones, rocks — even you. Be sure to set aside 15 to 30 minutes to sit, draw and talk with your child about what she is drawing. Don’t critique drawings; simply let her draw and enjoy the experience.
4. Enjoy a campfire. Campfires represent everything wonderful about being outside — camping, friends and family, hot dogs and s’mores. Check with your local fire department about campfire regulations. If you can have a safe campfire in your backyard, invite the neighbors over to enjoy it with you. If not, plan a weekend getaway at a park or campground that allows for campfires.
5. Build a fort. Forts, tree houses and playhouses can be rustic or extravagant. There are many books today that offer wonderful and practical ideas for creating childhood getaways. Or use your imagination — and your child’s — to create your own.
6. Pack up some books and read outside. Find a special place outdoors to read — under a tree, in a hammock, on a porch or at the park. Pack your backpack with books and snacks and head out to read with your child. This takes away all the distractions of home, such as phones, all things electronic, and the constant need to clean. If you need some new books, look for nature themes at the library or bookstore. Learn more about the importance of reading aloud to your child, as well as age-appropriate books, at Read Aloud Magic.
7. Take a family camp vacation. Put away the Mickey Mouse ears and take the whole family to camp for vacation this year. Many summer camps offer weekend or week-long sessions for families to enjoy all aspects of camp together — activities, meals, cabins, campfires and roughing it. Call the traditional summer camps in your area to see if they offer family camp sessions or look online for family camps around the country.
8. Visit a state park. Look online for state parks in your area and plan a weekend getaway. Many state parks offer camping or cabin rentals, as well as outdoor fun, such as fishing, hiking, canoeing and swimming. To get the inside scoop on activities and events, call the park and speak to a ranger — most are happy to share their recommendations.
9. Find a secret hideaway. Help your child to find her own secret hideaway in the yard, woods or at a park — under a tree, behind or on top of a rock, or in a special nook at the park. This can be a hidden place for your child to read a book, play and imagine. This can even become a spiritual place of sorts, such as a prayer rock or quiet spot under a tree for quieting the mind.
10. Visit a nature center. A nature center is often a community’s best-kept secret. These outdoor education centers typically offer helpful programs about local plants and animals, and nature center naturalists are great resources for information about interesting activities in your area. Look in the phone book or online for your closest nature center and plan to spend a morning or afternoon exploring what’s there.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

Hey moms listen up! there’s a new site in town and it’ll give you the answers you need. It’s called Hunch!

Hunch helps you make decisions through a question and answer interface. The more questions you answer on Hunch, the more it knows about you and the better follow-up questions it can present to come up with the best final answer.

Let’s say you need some help making a decision for a TV show your children should watch, you would browse Hunch’s topic area and select Parenting & Kids and would get a list of questions other’s have asked.

If we select to see the results for What children’s TV show should I watch? you get a list of things other people have answered.

One of the biggest feature we liked on Hunch is the Workshop, a place where you create new questions and topics before they go live for all users.

Hunch is similar to Yahoo! Answers but the big difference is that here lots of people can contribute answers and then be voted up based on relevance.

We found Hunch quite helpful and entertaining!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.

Hey Jumpiteerz! Here’s some great news, About.com’s Kids’ Movies & TV Guide Carey Bryson wrote up a great review of the Celebrate Animals! DVD .

As quoted from About.com:

Preschoolers will enjoy the bright and colorful live action episodes on The Jumpitz: Celebrate Animals DVD. The Jumpitz are a talented group of singer/dancers whose Broadway-style performances are integrated into the stories they act out in each show. The series is well-put-together, and it is unique in that it utilizes the real talent of individuals, as opposed to computer graphics, to teach and inspire kids.

The episodes on the Celebrate Animals DVD center around subjects children adore — animals and parties — and children will learn from each one. The Jumpitz’ goal to help children experience the wonder of diversity in our world comes through in the episode “McSniffley’s Birthday Celebration,” which exposes kids to fun music from other countries. In “Celebrate Animals,” The Jumpitz use music and examples to show kids that the exciting “World in Books” is both fun and very useful.

If you own the Celebrate Animals! DVD we would love it if you could write a review on About.com’s website!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed! to have future posts delivered to your feed reader.