Parenting Advice To Combat the Terrible Twos (and Threes) | Hybrid Mom

Parenting Advice To Combat the Terrible Twos (and Threes) | Hybrid Mom

I am a working single mother; my son is three years old. He's in a half-day Pre-Nursery program in the morning, and my mother takes care of him until I return from work in the evening. He is a hyeractive boy, and sometimes he behaves so badly: using bad words, throwing toys at the other children, etc. I give him my full attention when I'm home. How should I address his behavior--to make it stop for good? --Shehla

Hello Shehla,

They say it's terrible twos but most often three years old can be the most difficult time, as your son is testing you. My daughter tried every ounce of my patience at that time as well, I just had to keep reminding myself that four is glorious.

Marva Collins has a couple of books that are amazing parenting resources. Values: Lighting The Candle Within, A Practical Guide For The Family, has been so helpful for me and for my husband. Marva's approach is using positive psychology even for punishments! She gives practical advice and examples that can be immediately applied in your life. We have it on audio and listen to it in the car. My daughter now knows that she is too wonderful and bright to be naughty. (And I do have to remind her all the time.)

It takes practice everyday to break the cycle. There are always trying moments when you or he are sick, tired, hungry, or lonely. Everybody has the potential to be patient and loving, including your child. It takes a child one million times of hearing something for it to take permanent effect in their behavior.

Think about how many times a day you are asking your child to chew with their mouth closed or put a napkin on their lap, say please, thank you, brush your teeth, etc. For your child every day is a new opportunity for you to be the best parent, they don't hold on to yesterday, don't bring it up. All you have to do is be the best person that you can be in every moment.

Tips:

1. Take a break--even if you put yourself on a time out when you lose it--your child will appreciate the break, too.
2. Make a list of 3-5 house rules--talk about them in weekly family meetings.
3. Listen to calming music.
4. Take a walk--when your little one is physically tired, they will be more relaxed--same goes for you.
5. Listen to Marva Collins she is AMAZING!

Celebrate The Great American Movie Night with Epson

I have been in love with our Epson MovieMate for a few years now. We use it constantly, especially in the summer, which unbelievably is right around the corner. Outdoor movie nights at our house are something that our friends and family look forward to and even put in requests for. It's simple, have everyone bring blankets and/or chairs, pop some popcorn, and plug in the MovieMate. Really, that's it.

You may be thinking, no, that's not it. Home theatre systems are expensive. Well, guess what? The MovieMate is actually quite affordable and because it is a self contained unit the DVD player and speakers are built in, so really you need to buy just the one piece. Want one for free? From May 17-23 Epson is celebrating The Great American Movie Night by giving away a projector a day. They are also holding a Makeover Your Backyard Sweepstakes where you can win $2500 to put towards a backyard theater makeover. To enter to win and to find out more information about The Great American Movie Night Sweepstakes, please visit their official site. There are also fun theme ideas for movie nights.

Personally, my family has done several themes where our food and decor have matched the movie. We've done Star Wars, The Goonies, Monster's Inc., every Halloween we do The Nightmare Before Christmas and for Christmas we celebrate with Elf and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Fun times!

Side Note: As far as a screen goes there are many options. If you have a white wall outdoors you can use it, or a garage door, or even hang a sheet. We actually bought a pull down screen that we hang on the backside of our house.

Re-Usies

ReUsies, made by Seattle green moms Karen and Becky, are reusable sandwich and snack bags which have been floating around our house for the last year. Still in great condition, we use them every day to pack Sara's lunch and take in the car for snacks. Now you can save money and the environment by ReUsing your ReUsies. Love your Mother, Earth. Get your sweet and sassy ReUsies here.

Pamper Yourself with a Pedi-tote

I am a woman who loves to get manicures and pedicures, but lately with all the news reports, hygiene has become a big concern for me. News reports were talking about how tools were not being cleaned properly and nail fungus and other diseases were being spread. While I trusted my nail salon, I was just never sure enough.

Belle Sorelle Inc. has resolved my worries in style, the Pedi-tote! The Pedi-tote is a fashionable bag with everything you need for a visit to the nail salon. In attempt to meet nail salon hygiene standards many of the items I liked being used in my pedicures have been eliminated and replaced with disposable items that just don't work as well. The Pedi-tote has replaced my ziplock bag of a few personal items that I took with me, and made me the envy of the other ladies in the salon.

The Pedi-tote comes complete with a true long lasting pumice stone, top quality stainless steal tools in a separate carry case, fashionable flip flops, while all being in a perfectly sized carrying drawstring tote. They have even included a key ring clip so you don't have to dig and mess up your manicure looking for your keys! Since bring my Pedi-tote with me to the salon, I have had the best manicures and pedicures I have had in a long time. I attribute them to the quality stainless steal tools and pumice stone. I always had tiny little hangnails after all of my manicures and I thought this was just, my horrible hands, but it was because of the quality of the tools being used by the salon. The stainless steal tools are sharper and of a higher quality than that of what the salon was using. Since bring the Pedi-tote with me, I no longer am having an issue of with hangnails or worry about hygiene!

Belle Sorelle means "beautiful sisters" in Italian. Co-founders Jen and Stacy have been long time friends and believe "a true friendship among women transcends into sisterhood". What a better way to spend time with friends than to get a manicure and pedicure together and bring along your Pedi-tote.

Visit bellesorelleinc.com and be the envy in your nail salon with your own Pedi-tote. As a special offer to our readers enter the word "polish" in the "special instructions to

merchant" and they will include a free bottle of nail polish.

New Yorkers: Whine=No Thanks... Wine=Yes Please!

The 3^rd Annual New York Wine Expo, February 26^th - 28^th (28^th for trade only), is an opportunity to swirl and sip wines from around the globe. French wineries and vineyards will have a significant showing this year, and as always, attendees can continue to look forward to Italian, German, Australian, and South American favorites. Not to be missed of course, local New York, Oregon and California wines. In all, the Grand Tasting offers attendees a chance to sample more than 600 wines from over 170 winemakers from around the world. Attend the Expo not just for the sampling, but for the learning experience as well. To date, seminar presenters include Gloria Maroti Frazee and Leslie Sbrocco. The event is being held at the Javits Convention Center in New York.

- Friday, February 26, 2010, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Saturday, February 27, 2010, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Save $10 on tickets purchased before February 19, AND save an additional $10 when you use the code SWANKY at check out.

Friday admission: $75 in advance; Saturday admission: $85 in advance

Tickets can be purchased from the Web site: http://www.wine-expos.com/Wine/NY/

Loveable Madeline

Its time to introduce your daughter to the wonderful world of Madeline. Madeline's picture books are enjoyed by all ages for the cheerful humor and rhythmic story telling. The Caldecott Award winning books are tales that your child will enjoy reading over and over. Through Madeline's adventures they will travel all around France and learn about historic landmarks and the French culture.

The Talking Madeline Doll is the perfect partner for your daughter to take along on these adventures. Squeeze Madeline's right hand and listen to 4 different sayings in English. Your child can also learn a few sayings in French just by squeezing her left hand. This cuddly doll can become your child's dearest friend.

The Talking Madeline Doll and books can be found online at amazon.com.

Lunchbox Love for Kids

Put a smile on your child’s face with Lunchbox Love note cards by Say Please. I think these are a fabulous idea. My boys love receiving their love notes from me. We too often go through each day without telling our kids how proud of them we are and how much we love them. Your child will appreciate and look forward to their Lunchbox Love note card each day. The notes also has interesting facts on the back of each note, so they are educational as well!

Lunchbox Love note cards are now available at Michaels Stores and can be purchased in Volumes 1-8 with 10 notes in each set. Say Please also just released Lunchbox Love for Teens & Tweens, Birthday Boys, Birthday Girls, Girlfriends, People You Work With and Those You Appreciate! Start spreading the love!!

To find out more visit www.sayplease.com

Orglamix

Wow! If you haven’t heard of Orglamix, you HAVE to try it!! I LOVE it!! It is made from 100% pure minerals and it is AMAZING! It is so light and fluffy and easy to apply. You will feel so glamorous with Orglamix! So many great predesigned color combinations, the hardest decision is which ones to buy!! It is affordable and completely fabulous!! Orglamix is so confident in their products, they have 100% satisfaction guarantee. You will not be disappointed I can assure you!

Orglamix definitely receives the "So Swanky" seal of approval!

Visit www.etsy.com/shop/orglamix

Eco-Me

If you plan on going green in 2010, Eco-Me has a wonderful starter kit to get you going. It has everything you need to start going green now! For only $55, here is the what is included:

Bill – All Purpose Cleaner

Kate – Wood Polish

Emily – Scrub Cleanser

Suzy – Dish Soap

Emma – Laundry Soap

Matt – Carpet Deoderizer

This family of green products is safe for the environment as they are made with simple household ingredients and pure plant oils. Also, check out the DIY Home Kit, it is currently only $13 and has all the things you need to make your own chemical- free cleaning products!! Eco-Me also has a Skincare, Baby and Pet line!!

Visit www.eco-me.com

EcoBuddies

My 7 year old son loves EcoBuddies! He sees me on Facebook playing all sorts of games and always wants to play but it’s really not meant for children. EcoBuddies is the perfect online solution for him. He plays games, buys costumes and decorates his house with his own little avatar. He can chat with other members as he explores this adorable virtual world. I love the fact that this website was created for children, it is a safe virtual world for kids to play on. Ecobuddies has live monitoring and has several chat options for safety. Ecobuddies’ goal is to teach today’s children about eco friendly concepts. It also has coloring pages and information sheets about endangered animals. Come join the fun and create your own special character!! You can play free or upgrade to a more interactive membership.

Visit www.ecobuddies.com

Dear Lillie: Tutus to Write Home About

So my almost 4 year old daughter has really gotten into ballet, fairies and dress up; all three of which incorporate the tutu. And we have several versions in our house; some she uses for ballet and some are for dress up and play. But there is one special one that she is going to be wearing for her birthday (which is her favorite day), and it's by Dear Lillie.

I stumbled upon Dear Lillie a few weeks ago and fell in love with their gorgeous tutus because they looked so beautiful on the website. But the real love affair began when I actually received my Dear Lillie tutu. It was so beautiful, hand-made with so much care and attention. My daughter loved it too, and I knew we had found something very special. All the tutus by Dear Lillie are hand-made using the softest tulle and are accented with gorgeous satin ribbon, feathers, hand-made flowers, pearls and lace. They come in an array of magnificent colors from soft pastels to bolder brights. They are exquisite pieces that make even dress up and play time for girls the most special of occasions.

Dear Lillie was created by Jennifer Holmes with help from her mother Heidi Crotty, and sisters Jamie Druke and Dana Crotty. The four women have always loved designing anything and everything including artwork, stationary, invitations, florals, clothing, accessories, wedding items, and items for the home. In August 2009, the first Dear Lillie item was sold on Etsy and interest in the products grew at a shocking pace. Dear Lillie sold more in the first month and a half than they had anticipated to sell in a whole year. To meet the demand for their amazing line, the ladies of Dear Lillie launched www.dearlillie.com and also began selling their items in boutiques nationwide. In addition to making beautiful, high-quality items, the ladies at Dear Lillie are some of THE NICEST, polite and sincere women I have ever worked with. Just goes to show that manners and talent are an amazing combination.

Every exquisite Dear Lillie tutu is hand-made by Heidi Crotty. As a mother, Heidi's love of arts and crafts and reading to her children helped them develop their imaginations and their love of all things fanciful. In doing so, she helped create the foundation from which Dear Lillie was born. Her love of children inspires her to design and create whimsical tutus for infants and toddlers.

And even though I am raving about the tutus specifically, Dear Lillie does make other amazing items (for baby, toddler, girls and women!) such as headwear, t-shirts, tanks and flower clips and pins. It's whimsical girl heaven with a vintage twist! I guarantee that any Dear Lillie piece that you get will be treasured and adored for years to come.

For all of our lucky Swanky Moms: Dear Lillie is offering 15% off your order from their site(www.dearlillie.com)! Just use the code swanky15 to redeem the discount. I suggest buying two...of EVERYTHING they have. Check out www.dearlillie.com

Is Mommy Looking to Catch Some Extra ZZZZZ's?

So, my boys are 5 & 8 and their sleep patterns have greatly improved over the past few years, the fact that they know how to turn on the TV and find the correct channel also helps me sleep a little longer some mornings. However, I SO wish I had this product starting about 5 years ago. Meet the Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Clock by Custom Quest. This little beauty trains little ones to stay in bed (or in their rooms) until a decent time set by their parents. It's obvious this is a "mom invented" product. It's easy to set up, easy to understand, AND it works. The set up instructions are crystal clear. Once you set the alarm, the red "don't you dare get up" light comes on and your little one knows it's not time to wander into your room and stare at you until your eyes open leaving you feel as though you have a stalker. The green "feel free to open your door and present yourself" light comes on at mommy or daddy's chosen time. Really, it's brilliant.

When your big kids grow out of needing the red and green light situation, the fantasticness can simply stay in the room as a clock and/or alarm to get your big kid up in the morning. So, we know red means no and green means yes. At this point, you may be wondering what yellow is for. It's a nightlight! Just press the "Light" button and you're good to go. This feature is great for my 5 year old, as he still likes to use a night light. He's also obsessed with time, so it's a perfect package. Available in 4 different styles, with uses for kids of all ages, you're sure to find the right one for your early riser or deep sleeper!

The Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Clock is available online at Amazon, Lilian Vernon, and One Step Ahead. To save you Swanky Moms the research time, Amazon has the best selection and free shipping.

Fantastic Family Fun with the Epson PictureMate Show

Looking for a sure fire hit at your next party? Send everyone home with photos that very instant! Epson has done it again. Continuing to wow me with their fun "grown up" toys, they have recently released their PictureMate Show. The PictureMate Show is a combination photo printer/digital frame. Other than the ease of use feature, I really love how portable it is. When the box arrived, I was quite surprised by how small it was. Its look is very sleek, and although I do recommend the carrying case for protection, it has a handle for easy transporting.

The PictureMate Show has been such a blast this holiday season. Our first use was at the family Christmas party. We have such a big family that we actually rent a community center out for the night. Literally, there are over 40 kids at this shindig every year. Anyhow, I thought why not set up a craft area where the kids can take photos with siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles, grandparents, or whomever they want! So, I brought the digital camera and the PictureMate Show, snapped a bunch of pics and voila! Instant hit. The kids, and I'm not going to lie, adults too, thought it was fantastic. They loved the instant gratification of a photo printing right out. I also brought craft supplies and cheap frames for the kids to decorate. The cost on this was less than a dollar a kid, and the outcome was priceless. Plus, while not in use, it displayed all of the pics from that evening.

I'm thinking that the PictureMate Show would be a welcome accessory at any party. How fun would it be at a birthday party? Take a pic with the birthday boy or girl, print it out, decorate frames, and there's your party activity and favor all in one! Honestly, even at "grown up" birthday parties it would be fun, I don't know that I'd have grown ups decorate frames, but hey, you never know...

With the Epson PictureMate Show, the possibilities are truly endless. Some of its features include a 7" tilt screen, several slide show options, a remote control, and 270 MB of internal storage. Photos can be printed in color, black and white or sepia from USB thumb drives and all popular memory cards via the built in memory card slots. Prints come out in about 30 seconds and dry instantly. They are smudge, scratch, water, and fade resistant. You can print 4 x 6 photos as well as wallets. Whether glossy or matte, your photos will come out vibrant and beautiful. The PictureMate Show is a complete photo printing lab and no computer is needed. Be sure to visit the Epson official PictureMate Show page for even more details.

The PictureMate Show is available directly from Epson with free shipping. Definitely worth the investment, you will not be disappointed. Everyday I think of new uses for it and I know you will too. In fact, right now, I just had an idea... to bring it into my boys' classrooms to make Valentines for the students' parents. See, endless possibilities in action!

Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet

I was skeptical at first but am extremely happy to report….I lost 8 pounds!! The Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet is a concentrated juice that you mix with water and sip throughout the day for 2 days. To achieve the best results, make sure you drink 8 glasses of water as well. The juice tastes great is and filled with natural juices and botanical extracts. This is a fasting program so it is challenging to neglect food for two days, while everyone around you is chowing down, but definitely worth it for the results!! If you need to get a jump start to your weight loss or need to lose a few pounds after the holidays, this is the perfect solution.

To find out more, visit hollywooddietstore.com

Worlds of Fantasy

I had the great pleasure of attending Disney on Ice's, Worlds of Fantasy. This was truly a fantastic show! My children sat and watched in amazement as the Cars' beloved characters of Lighting McQueen, Sally, Matter, Ramone and Flow drove all around the ice with grace. The whole time I was wondering how they did that, while my children smiled with delight.

After Cars, the graceful beauty of the Little Mermaid took the ice. The love story of The Little Mermaid was beautifully retold through music and skating. The characters gracefully moved across the ice. Ursala looked as if she was gliding on the ice. The costumes really made it feel as if you were watching the movie.

The Lion King retold the story through all it's classic songs. The creativity of the costumes were unbelievable. Pumba was just like in the movie, and the buffalo stampede was creatively executed.

At last Tinkerbell took the ice. The colors and the scenery were beautiful! With Fairies and pixie dust flying, it was a delight for all to watch. Tinkerbell's story left you with a message to be proud of yourself for your uniqueness and that everyone is important no matter how small you feel your roll may be.

Catch Disney on Ice's Worlds of Fantasy when it come to your area, you will not regret it! Tickets start as low as $16! It is currently in Southern California at the Honda Center, Anaheim from December 22- 27; Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario from December 30 - January 3; and the Long Beach Arena, January 6-10, 2010.

Visit www.disneyonice.com to see when they will be coming to your area!

Merry Christmas from Glasses USA

GlassesUSA.com is having a three great one-day-only sales!!

December 23: Take $25 off any order totaling over $80! Use code: almostxmas

December 24: Take $18 off any order totaling over $65! Use code: silentnight

December 25: Take 25% off any order of eyeglasses! Use code: merryxmas

http://www.glassesusa.com

Personalized Call from Santa!

Experience the latest, most exciting, and most BELIEVABLE way to visit with Santa Claus - over the telephone!

No more standing in long lines at busy malls to see Santa Claus! SantaSpeaking.com offers you live personalized phone calls from the REAL Santa Claus, in the comfort of your own home (or wherever you are traveling!). When Santa calls personally, Santa will know everything Santa Claus SHOULD know.....friends names, pets names, how they are doing in school, their favorite toys, and most certainly whether they made the Naughty or Nice list... right down to the details!

A live phone call from Santa Claus from SantaSpeaking.com offers the most exciting and memorable way to talk to Santa! Completely personalized, completely fun, and totally believable!! So make your list (and check it twice!), schedule your personal phone call from Santa for the 2009 Christmas Season today and witness the awe on your child's face when they talk to Santa. It's fun for the entire family!

AND to capture this memory of a lifetime SantaSpeaking.com will record the entire conversation between your child and Santa Claus and send you a (very cute) keepsake CD in the mail, OR we can send the MP3 to you by email so you can quickly send to all of your friends or family to hear! Don't forget to order your recording...you'll be so happy you did!

Elf Annie contacted me and she would like to offer Swanky Moms' readers a gift code! If you enter FRIENDOFSANTA you will receive $5 off your order. My boys look forward to receiving their call from "the big guy" every Christmas!! It's such a joy to see the amazement in their eyes as they talk to Santa, they are always so surprised at how much he knows about their life. The appreciate that he takes time out of his busy schedule to say 'hi' to them!! Thanks Santa!! Talk to you soon!


Visit www.SantaSpeaking.com

Swanky Giveaway: Cocotier Kids

Cocotier Kids would like to offer one of our lucky readers a $30 Gift Certificate to their boutique!!

Contest open to US and Canadian residents ONLY. Contest will end at 11:59pm December 31st. If winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be randomly selected.

Enter here!

Swanky Giveaway: Baby Bling Couture

How very swanky!!!
Win a couture wipes case from Baby Bling Couture!!!

Contest open to US and Canadian residents ONLY. Contest will end at 11:59pm December 31st. If winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be randomly selected.

Enter here!

Swanky Giveaway: Dizzy Daizy Creations

Win this beautiful necklace from Dizzy Daisy Creations!!! Absolutely gorgeous!!

Contest open to US and Canadian residents ONLY. Contest will end at 11:59pm December 31st. If winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be randomly selected.

Enter here!