One organization that does just that is ArtXplorers, which specializes in interactive tours of art museums for children. The students in our CitiSchool 4s program are excited for their ArtXplorer adventure to the New Museum in April. There they will view select pieces of the Triennial exhibition as well as discuss materials and the use of ordinary objects used to make works of art. The tour will end with an art project inspired by art pieces the students viewed. Here Natasha Schlesinger, founder of ArtXplorers, shares how you can have an art adventure at a museum with your child.

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO & Co-founder, Citibabes

Many parents wonder how old children have to be to go to a museum. You can take your child to a museum at any age and let them walk through or play there to get a sense of museum as a place to go to for fun. When it comes to participating in organized classes such as those that ArtXplorers offer,  I would suggest waiting until they are about three or four years old.

So how do you take a young child to a museum?

Here are a few tips. Pick a topic that you will cover once you get there (for example: colors, shapes, animals, stories, or materials) and concentrate on that theme for the duration of the excursion. Modern art is a wonderful way to introduce children to colors and shapes. Animal themes can be applicable to many different periods and cultures. If you are not going to participate in an organized tour, here are a few suggestions of museums to go to and what to see once you get there.

Metropolitan Museum of Art: This museum offers so many opportunities for fantastic thematic trips such as colors and shapes in the Modern Art galleries and animals in the arts of Africa and Oceania galleries. You can do story-telling in the Old Master paintings galleries and I-spy in the 19th century paintings galleries. For slightly older kids who are being introduced to mythology, ancient Greek and Roman galleries are wonderful to discover their favorite action heroes.

Guggenheim Museum: The spiral form of the museum alone is reason enough to bring your little ones here. The museum also offers an opportunity to discover other shapes as well as climb the spiral ramp for temporary exhibits such as the John Chamberlain retrospective which is taking place now.

Whitney Museum of American Art: The Whitney Biennial is currently on view and the museum is filled to the brim with contemporary art as well as performances. Kids will certainly respond to all that excitement and action happening on every floor. One of my favorite works at the museum is the Alexander Calder Circus which is often on view and should not to be missed.  The animals were all made by Calder out of found materials such as cork, fabric, and wire and kids will certainly be drawn to these whimsical creations wanting to produce something of their own when they get home.

And this leads me to suggest another aspect of your museum-going experience with the children – the art project during or after your tour. At the very least you should take paper and pencils to the museum. The kids can sit down on the floor of most places and just create. But if you are feeling more crafty, you can also bring some tape, foil, string, pipe cleaners, colored paper or fabric, and see what your child can come up with these objects!

Art adventures should excite and inspire and it’s never too soon to start your kids on an art journey of a lifetime.

By Natasha Schlesinger, Founder, ArtXplorers

ArtXplorers is a multiple-media platform that offers interactive and fun art tours for kids 3 years of age and older to over 25 museums in NY as well as virtual art tours and they are in the process of developing art game apps and products. ArtXplorers will also now be available on Ameba TV (subscription based Internet TV for kids). For more information, please visit www.artxplorers.com and www.artmuseny.com.

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

I feel very fortunate that I have a fair amount of control over my work schedule (just one of the perks of owning my own business!). I decided that at 37 weeks pregnant I would slow my schedule down and stop teaching my regularly scheduled prenatal and postnatal classes. This has been a very hard decision since I enjoy my work and also feel the pressure and responsibility to stay involved. I consider myself one of the lucky ones to even have a say in this matter. For many women, choosing their work schedule is not an option, and the majority of students that come through the PYC work right up until they give birth. This common occurrence in our work-driven culture often leaves women fatigued and stressed right before the grand act of giving birth.

Why is this a problem?
If the body is in a state of stress and sustained fatigue, adrenaline levels will be high, therefore not allowing for the natural, uninhibited flow of oxytocin – the hormone responsible for creating uterine contractions. This can result in inadequate contractions leading to a longer labor. Starting labor feeling stressed and fatigued also puts the mother at a disadvantage since laboring and delivering a baby takes a lot of energy and hard work. For those moms that are just finishing a tough day and hoping for a good night sleep (and let’s face it – at the end of the 3rd trimester, is there really such a thing as a good night’s sleep?), you may be slightly unhappy to learn that the most common time for labor to start is in the middle of the night. This is when the mother is most relaxed, in a place where she feels safe and comfortable, and oxytocin levels are at their peak.

What to do if you don’t have a choice with work schedule?
If your schedule is not flexible towards the end of your pregnancy and does not allow for time off, here are a few ideas that will only take a short amount of time, but can still offer you the benefit of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.

• Take a prenatal yoga class, which promotes relaxation. Prenatal yoga classes typically include an active section as well as restorative poses that can help you relax. If prenatal yoga classes are not available in your area, online videos or dvds can be a good option. (The PYC site has 3 free videos you can watch!)
• Schedule down time. Even if that means just a 20 min bath or getting a relaxing massage or pedicure.
• Try meditating or deep breathing relaxation. Meditation is different than just “relaxing” in that it focuses more specifically on training the mind into stillness through contemplation, concentration, and mindfulness. This “stilling” of the mind can help the meditator step away from the nagging thoughts and “to-do” lists that accumulate in our minds.

Deep-belly breathing promotes the function of the parasympathetic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is divided into two parts: the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response), and the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest-and-relax response). The body responds to the parasympathetic nervous system by slowing the heart rate, decreasing blood pressure while increasing the release of endorphins, which cultivates relaxation and strength.

• Plan about 10-20 minutes a day to reconnect with your partner. During this time you can work on relaxation techniques or visualizations that you may want to use in labor. Or, simply spend this time just cuddling or lying down together. It’s unlikely that you’ll have this kind of time after the baby is born.
• Step away from the computer and phone at night so you are well rested.
• Enjoy activities that release oxytocin. Oxytocin eases stress and anxiety. The oxytocin response can also prime the brain to react more calmly to future stress just by thinking of those we love, scientists say. According to researcher Phil Shaver of the University of California-Davis, the chemical release in the brain that this simple action causes acts as a stress buffer before it even occurs.

So make plans to hang out with friends or your partner. Don’t forget, oxytocin is also known as the “love hormone” since it is at a very high level during orgasm.

Hopefully this list of ideas for how to bring some relaxation into your days leading up to the birth of your child has at least one option that is doable. My personal theory is, I better get some rest before the baby comes, because it is unlikely that I will get much rest afterwards.

Sources
Encyclopedia of Stress, Volume 3 by Academic Press
Varney’s Midwifery 4th Edition by Helen Varney, Jan M Kriebs, Carolyn L Gegor
http://oxytocincentral.com/2011/03/oxytocin-eases-stress-and-anxiety/#more-913

By Debra Flashenberg, CD(DONA), LCCE and CitiScoop’s Support Doula and Prenatal Yoga Expert

There are so many options when it comes to giving your children allowance and some ways may work for one family but not for another. The key is to find what works best for you and your family. Aaron Goldschmidt, Citibabes’ Head Teacher and CitiCamp Director, shares some tips for setting up allowance guidelines with your children.

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

There is a lot of discourse as to when to start allowance with children. As an educator, I believe that as soon as a child is old enough to start asking for things at the store, they are old enough to earn an allowance and begin to lean about money management.

There are two different schools of thought on allowance. The first is that children earn a base amount that is handed over each week, on time, no questions asked. It says that you should not make allowance behavior based or use it as a reward or punishment. This school of thought suggests that in addition to the base allowance, each job or chore asked of the child has a price attached to it and this gets accumulated and paid out on a set schedule.

The other side believes that money earned by a child is based on the completion of daily household responsibilities and the maintaining of an appropriate attitude. Allowance is or is not paid out each week based on completion of set rules and responsibilities as denoted on a responsibility calendar.

The system I have created for families is somewhere in between and I believe meshes with the lifestyle and family dynamics of our community. It consists of a Monday through Friday based allowance schedule where the children will earn money each day as if being paid out on a job. The job is based on a combination of household responsibilities and general expectations of behavior and attitude.

It can be up to individual families how much each child should earn per day or week. One suggestion is to give them an amount in dollars per week that equals their age. Each evening before bed it will be noted with a sticker on a responsibility calendar whether or not the child, ultimately based on the decision of the parents, earned their daily allowance. Of course, this can be discussed if the children disagree. Constructive dialogue is encouraged but it cannot be fought. If the children do not receive allowance, the reason will be noted on their calendar in lieu of a sticker.

Responsibilities are expected to be completed every day of the week, including the weekends as determined by parents. On weekends, certain expectations can be slightly different than those of the school week. The same goes for vacation although it is important to make understood that certain rules and responsibilities apply everywhere, all the time. If there was particularly positive or negative behavior over the weekend, it should be noted on the calendar and will affect long-term rewards and consequences.

It is important to note that allowance doesn’t mean you can’t buy things for your children. It also doesn’t mean they can’t earn extra money for specialty jobs asked of them. As children start to want big ticket items or become more motivated by money, it is ok to use it as an incentive to take on additional responsibilities. If they earn extra money from a job, that can be noted on the calendar and paid out in addition to allowance on payday.

But in order for this to work it is crucial that you hand over a thoughtful, realistic list of things for which you will no longer be paying and what you expect your child to pay for. Additionally, it is very important to pay on time every week. By not paying on time, you teach your children that we can be late paying our bills. In order to teach them to value and be responsible with money, you must do the same. I suggest tallying up the daily stickers and paying every Friday before bed or Saturday before you leave the house for the day.

In this system, I encourage families to set-up three banks: one for spending, one for saving, and one for giving (charity). Usually 10-20% of their allowance should be contributed to saving (for items more expensive than their weekly allowance) and another 10-20% for giving. I believe that children must contribute money to charity whether they earned $25, $5, or no money over the week. A helpful website that can help you keep track of these three bank balances is threejars.com. Once the monetary amount of what is in the charity bank is significant, each child can help to determine how it gets used with the help of an adult.

Remember to gently remind children about a rule if it is being broken or a responsibility that isn’t being fulfilled, but don’t threaten with allowance money or what they will or won’t get.  Children are children and forgetfulness, emotional outbursts, and disagreements will happen. It is our job to teach them to be open to discussing things in a mature and proactive manner. We must lead by example.

By Aaron Goldschmidt, Head Teacher & CitiCamp Director, Citibabes

One resolution that can be shared with the whole family is striving to be more “green.” Amanda Moore, eco-friendly interior designer at Baby Green, shares a few ways to help you get started and shows that being green is not only better for the environment but better for your bank account as well.

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

Sure, some eco-friendly choices still carry a premium (e.g.: a can of zero VOC paint has a slightly higher price tag than its conventional latex counterpart), but there is also a growing list of green choices that us parents can make daily that actually save money. As a mom and green living advocate, here are my trusted top 5 penny savers, proving that ecological and economical can go hand-in-hand.

Reusable Snack Bags

If I used a Ziploc baggie every time I packed up a snack for an outing or my son’s school lunch, I estimate that I’d be using 400+ bags per year. A 50-count box of Ziploc bags goes for around $3 and that adds up fast! Itzy Ritzy’s zippered cloth snack bags come in adorable patterns, are washable and cost $9.99 each, affording years of reuse (not to mention the plastic waste they keep out of landfills). (Note: we also use a lot of lidded glass containers for lunch and snacks which last longer than their plastic counterparts but tend to cost more upfront.)

Refillable Water Bottles

Since I make my son’s lunch and afternoon snack every day, it’s tempting to rely on the convenience of juice boxes. But when I considered that those clever boxes were costing me as much as 5¢ more per ounce, I quickly realized the advantage of using bottles like those in SIGG’s kid collection. I pack one with water in the lunch box and one with juice for snack time, saving at least a dollar a day!

Filtered Water vs. Bottled Water

Drinking filtered water over tap water is undoubtedly the healthier choice, but some households opt for the ease of bottled water which carries a pricey premium (on your wallet and the on planet’s resources). Using drinking glasses and refillable bottles with a filtration pitcher like Shaklee’s Get Clean Water system saves hundreds! (If a 24 pack of 16.9 fl oz bottles costs $15.99, one $22.35 filter would purify $399 worth of bottled water!)

Ban Wrapping Paper

One of the most wasteful traditions out there, beautiful papers adorn thoughtful gifts and get ripped off in seconds by the recipient, going right into the trash. In my household, we save the craft paper bunched up in our monthly vitamin shipment, magazines, newspapers, and anything that can be colored, stamped, glittered, or painted and we make our own wrapping paper for all gifts. I haven’t bought wrapping paper in years so I don’t even know what it costs or what I’m saving, but I’m sure it’s a pretty penny (pun intended!). If you can’t fathom the DIY route, there are many beautiful recycled wrapping paper options out there, although they won’t save you as much money. Either way, if you have a paper shredder, old wrappings can be transformed into box packing materials in an instant which keeps them out of landfills for a little longer and saves on the expense of other less desirable shipping materials.

Reduce

The keystone of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra, we all know that reduction is certainly a powerful money saver. And it all starts in our everyday lives: driving less, turning electronics off when not in use, running dish and laundry loads only when full, shorter showers and turning faucets off while brushing teeth are all easy way to save on utility and transportation bills every year.

By Amanda Moore, Eco-friendly Interior Designer, Baby Green

Amanda Moore has been an eco-friendly interior designer since opening the doors of her own Manhattan studio in 2001, working with celebrities and private clients from coast to coast, helping clients achieve their own innate style in spaces that are as harmonious with nature as possible. When her own son was born in 2005, she renewed her desire to specialize in healthy spaces for families and continues with this specialty through Baby Green, based in Long Beach, NY.  Moore is also a writer and professional home organizer.

So what can you do when you live in an area where snow is rare, non-existent, or if it just hasn’t snowed in time for the holidays? Last week at Citibabes, we had our December storytime where we read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. After the story the children shared their favorite snowy day activity and hunted for snowflakes in the playground! Here, CitiSchool teacher Sarah Rinaldi shares how you can bring this snowy storyime home to your family.

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

BOOK:  The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (author and illustrator)

AGES: 2-5 years

MATERIALS:

• Book
• Snowflakes of various shapes and sizes (paper of course)
• Variety of art supplies for drawing activity

DESCRIPTION: A little boy named Peter awakes one morning to discover a snow-filled world. Take a journey with Peter as he explores the newly discovered world of snow by making snowmen, snow angels, watching a snowball fight, and more!

BEFORE YOU READ:  Set the stage for this story by talking a little about snow and some fun activities and games that you can play in the snow. This can include activities such as making snow balls, snowmen, and snow angels and even playing snow tag or snow hide-and-seek!

DURING THE READING:

• Present the cover of the book to your children. Point to the title of the story and read it aloud as your finger follows the print. Do the same with the author and the illustrator.  Explain that the author writes the words in a book and the illustrator draws the pictures.  In this case, the author is a boy (Ezra). You can also explain that this book was a winner of the Caldecott Medal which was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. The Caldecott Medal is awarded each year by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
• Ask your children to look at the illustrations/pictures on the cover. What do they think the story might be about? Allow them to make several predictions and ask them why they think that. Use positive reinforcement techniques by saying: “Yes, I like how you use the title, The Snowy Day, and the picture on the cover to guess that this book might be about playing in the snow.” This develops children’s awareness that titles and illustrations are important cues to note when trying to comprehend a story.
• Begin reading the story to your children. Pause at appropriate points in the story and engage them in the illustrations or what they think might happen next. Ask them questions that might help them relate to how the characters are feeling or if they have experienced similar things in their own lives. Making these personal connections as they listen and read stories is very important in developing a life-long love of reading!
• As you read, your children may recall additional experiences they have had on snowy days or share things they like (or dislike) about snow.

AFTER YOU READ:  

• Ask your children to recall who the characters (people or animals in the story) were.
• Ask your children to retell what happens in the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
• Review the experiences shared by the children before and during the reading of the story.
• Engage your children in drawing pictures of an activity they have engaged in or would like to engage in on a snowy day and invite them to share their reason for drawing a specific image. Encourage them to keep their drawings for the holidays and share them with your entire family!
• You can also hide snowflakes around the room and invite your children to “hunt for snowflakes”! Let them gather as many as they can and then invite them to show you which snowflakes are different and which look similar. By sorting items, your children learn valuable visual discrimination skills as well as basic sorting concepts. And don’t worry, if your children don’t find all the hidden snowflakes they won’t melt!

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

BOOK:  Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barette

AGES: 2+ years

MATERIALS:

• Book
• Objects that represent things to be thankful for (fall leaves, school items, musical instruments, toys, etc.)
• Variety of art supplies for drawing activity

DESCRIPTION: From fall leaves and school to turkey and pie, there is so much to appreciate during Thanksgiving. Take a journey with the children of this book as they explore all they are thankful for – especially family.

BEFORE YOU READ:  Set the stage for this story by displaying a variety of items that represent something to be thankful for. This can include fall leaves, a picture of your family, school items like books or pencils, musical instruments, and even toys.

PROCEDURE: Engage your child in a discussion surrounding the items you displayed. Pose questions like:

• What are each of these items?
• How can they be used?
• How do they relate to Thanksgiving?
• Do you think the children in the story are thankful for some of these items as well? Let’s read to find out more!

DURING THE READING:

• Present the cover of the book to your children. Point to the title of the story and read it aloud as your finger follows the print. Do the same with the author and illustrator.  Explain that the author writes the words in a book and the illustrator draws the pictures.  In this case, the author is a girl (Julie) and so is the illustrator (Doris).
• Ask your children to look at the illustrations/pictures on the cover. What do they think the story might be about? Allow them to make several predictions and ask them why they think that. Use positive reinforcement techniques by saying: “Yes, I like how you use the title, Thanks for Thanksgiving, and the picture on the cover to guess that this book might be about what happens on Thanksgiving.” This develops children’s awareness that titles and illustrations are important cues to note when trying to comprehend a story.
• Begin reading the story to your children. Pause at appropriate points in the story and engage them in the illustrations or what they think might happen next. Ask them questions that might help them relate to how the characters are feeling or if they have experienced similar things in their own lives. Making these personal connections as they listen and read stories is very important in developing a life-long love of reading!
• As you read, your children may recall additional experiences they have had on Thanksgiving or share things they are thankful for.

AFTER YOU READ:  

• Ask your children to recall who the characters (people or animals in the story) were.
• Ask your children to retell what happens in the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
• Review the experiences shared by the children before and during the reading of the story.
• Engage your children in drawing pictures of what they are most thankful for and invite them to share their reason for drawing a specific image. Encourage them to keep their drawings for Thanksgiving and share them with your entire family!

By Sarah Rinaldi, Citibabes CitiSchool Teacher

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO & Co-founder, Citibabes

Bullying is an issue that can affect everyone from preschool aged children to young adults. While most of the recent news focuses on teens and cyber bullying, it is important to understand that problems with bullying can begin as early as daycare and preschool. Your child’s preschool years are instrumental in setting a foundation for education, socialization, and structure among other things. At the same time, the presence of bullying during these formative years can adversely affect a child’s confidence and self-esteem.

Surprisingly, bullying among preschoolers is more common than you may realize. Since so much of the media focuses on bullying amongst pre-teens and teenagers, emergent bullying behavior in younger children tends to be overlooked. There is a difference between “play, which builds imagination, develops coordination, and teaches children about rules and responsibility, and bullying, which is chronic, frequent behavior that has, at its core, the intention to harm and intimidate.”¹

When bullying in preschool is detected, children must know they are loved and feel supported – both at home and where the bullying is occurring. If you believe your child is a victim of bullying, “don’t tell him to ‘toughen up’ and leave him to handle the problem on his own.”² A child must also know that action will be taken to prevent bullying in the future.³ It is important to take the appropriate measures to protect your child by not only communicating with the teachers and the school, but also with your child. By understanding how your child feels when he is bullied, you can work together to come up with tools they can use to avoid bullying.

The way you as a parent deal with bullying incidents (whether your child is a bully or being bullied) can have long term effects. This is not meant to scare you, rather it is meant to stress the importance of dealing with bullying at a young age. Long-term effects of bullying can include depression, low self-esteem, an increased rate in school absences, eating disorders, substance abuse, and even suicide. “It may take a great deal of time and effort on your part to prevent preschool children from growing into school-aged bullies, but it is worth it.”⁴ By focusing on respect, friendship, play, and the importance of community among our children during their preschool years, we can work toward ending bullying in our schools.

For more information about bullying, a useful website to visit is StopBullying.gov. There you can obtain information for kids, teens, and young adults as you learn to recognize the warning signs of bullying and things you can do to stop it. In addition, a few books that may be helpful for your preschool age children are:

Bully Blockers Club

by Teresa Bateman

On her first day of school, Lotty Racoon meets Grant Grizzly, the class bully, who teases her and other students relentlessly. To stop the bullying, Lotty organizes a club where the members stick up for one another and stand up to Grant together.

One

by Kathryn Otoshi

One shares the story of the color blue and other colors who are intimidated by a bully – the color red – who constantly taunts them. Then One appears and stands up to red, inspiring the other colors to stand up too. One teaches that when it comes to dealing with bullies, “Sometimes it just takes One.”

The Grouchy Ladybug

by Eric Carle

First published in 1977, The Grouchy Ladybug’s title character is a bully who tries to fight everyone it meets. As the Grouchy Ladybug tries to pick on animals that are much larger, its actions appear more and more ridiculous until it finally meets its match and becomes a more polite and well-mannered bug.

The Anti-Bullying and Teasing Book: For Preschool Classrooms

by Barbara Sprung, Merle Froschl, and Blythe Hinitz

Using activities, the classroom environment, and family involvement, this book aims to develop empathy in children and help foster a sense of respect in the classroom. Activities focus on managing teasing and bullying by promoting the importance of friendship, community, and positive feelings.

Sources:

¹ Kondor, Karen. “It May Come as a Shock to Many Parents to Learn that Bullying Happens in Preschool.” Retrieved October 9, 2011 from OvercomeBullying.org.

² Stewart, Charlina. “Bullying in Preschool: What Parents Need to Know.” Retrieved October 8th, 2011 from Education.com.

³ Raising Children Network. “Bullying at school: helping your child.” (2009). Retrieved October 9, 2011 from RaisingChildren.net.

⁴ Kondor, Karen. “It May Come as a Shock to Many Parents to Learn that Bullying Happens in Preschool.” Retrieved October 9, 2011 from OvercomeBullying.org.

By Roxanne Taylor, M.Ed. School Counseling, Head Counselor, Diocese of Tucson Coordinated Health

We didn’t have fancy apps to tell us if our flights were delayed (we found out once we arrived at the airport) or help us find a rest stop on those long car rides (we stopped at the cleanest looking spot and hoped for the best!) – though it would have been nice if we did. But yes, there is an app for that – and Christina Ohly Evans, CitiScoop’s travel expert, has shared these and some amazing other apps that can make your vacation a little smoother.

Technology can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s fun to remember the fun (and almost technology free) vacations I had with my family when I was a young girl – and it is also okay to wish that we could have had that magical app to help us find a clean rest stop…

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

The sun, sand, and carefree days of summer are quickly fading into distant memory. But take heart! Its time to start planning your next fabulous family adventure – or at least enjoying a little armchair travel – with these entertaining, varied apps that are perfect for groups on the go. From helping to pick destinations (Abercrombie & Kent’s latest app offers a photographic tour of the world) to the practicalities of finding clean bathrooms, to just plain entertaining bored kids, these apps make the research and planning half the fun. So download and get ready to hit the road, the rails, or the skies this coming holiday season…

Pack and Go Deluxe

Never forget that favorite worn blankie or kiddie toothbrush ever again. This brilliant app is designed specifically for family travelers and features everything from packing checklists to reminders for booking a car service to shopping lists for souvenirs from your particular destination.  Choose from ready made lists for every age and stage - infants to adults (we’ll take a glasses case reminder any day) - or customize your own to-do lists and feel unbelievably organized before you even begin your journey. Particularly genius is the “briefcase” feature that allows you to store important information – passports, emergency contacts, driver’s license details – in a password protected area. (iPad and iPhone $2.99)

iFlyPro

For parents dealing with planes, this one is a must. While a bit pricier than other apps, iFlyPro will pay for itself if you’re ever faced with airport delays (and when aren’t you?), a time-sensitive need for that Cinnabon, or you just need a good place to stock up on kids’ books and playthings at Chicago’s O’hare. From the best parking lots to navigating long security lines to finding WiFi hotspots, this app features GPS navigation for over 700 commercial airports as well as real-time flight tracking and info on airport delays. (iPad and iPhone, $6.99)

The World of A & K

From the far reaches of the Amazon rainforest to the Yangtze River in China, you’ll find a colorful world of images and ideas in the latest app from Abercrombie & Kent, the high-end travel specialist. Most popular destinations for families – the Galapagos, for example – are highlighted and all feature exciting movies that engage kids of all ages. Each of these 26 “virtual visit” videos is designed to get children excited about what they will see and hear on a given adventure (penguins chattering, views from hot air balloons, crashing waves, herds of wildebeests on the Serengeti), a country’s local customs, foods, and much more. This app is really food for travel thought and is designed to help you plan a trip (or trips) of a lifetime. Other highlights of this app include access to their whiz travel specialists, a postcard feature that allows you to share your images with friends and family, customizable maps and more. (iPad, Free)

Mom Maps

Whether you’re headed to Atlanta or Vancouver (or any metro area in between) this app will help you find the things parents care about most when traveling with kids in tow: playgrounds, parks, and indoor play spaces for those inevitable rainy days. Mom Maps uses the collective findings of hundreds of parents to point you in the direction of the best family destinations from coast to coast. Highlights include winning restaurants (both kid and parent approved) and a GPS feature that pinpoints child-friendly spots that are in your vicinity, as well as clear maps to get you there. (iPad and iPhone, Free)

My Little Suitcase

This simple, colorful app is perfect for the toddlers and younger children who want to get involved in the packing process. Let them amuse themselves by picking a travel destination – camping, the beach, or a snowy spot – and encourage them to virtually pack the right gear. Kids ages 1-4 can pick from things such as beach balls and mittens for colder climes, and the app allows them to get creative while strapped into a car seat. (iPad and iPhone, Free)

Rest Area Finder

So you’re not taking one of A & K’s fabulous safaris this winter, but rather you’re driving to the Catskills for the weekend. No matter! This app can be a lifesaver on back roads and crowded highways when you need a clean place to stop for food, gas, or walking a dog – all at a moments notice. Nothing fancy here, but it tells you how far you are from a place to simply stop. (iPad and iPhone, Free)

ZuiTube

Call this one YouTube for the kinder set and wonder why you didn’t think of the idea yourself. With over 60,000 parent-approved videos to choose from you will never have to dread sitting at the end of the tarmac again. Kids (even very little ones) can search by category – sports, a wide range of animals such as “funny cats,” National Geographic – and be thoroughly entertained by video snippets for hours on end. This site incorporates many games, books of all kinds, as well as new children’s music that is refreshing for both parent and child alike. Find a WiFi hotspot and you’re good to go. (Free)

By Christina Ohly Evans, CitiScoop Travel Expert

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

With summer ending and a new school year starting, your child may have new teachers, new friends and even new activities. Want to help your child with the back-to-school transition to ensure your little student embraces the classroom setting with confidence and success? Here are three fun exercises for a relaxing start to school that incorporate techniques from the yoga studio in the home setting.

Body surfing, also known as body scanning, offers a nice way for your child to relax and enjoy a good night’s sleep. While bringing awareness to the space around your child, body scanning helps your little one to unwind, visualize and develop a stronger understanding of one’s body. This way, when your child awakes, he or she is rested and ready for an exciting adventure in school.

To begin a body scanning session, have your child lie down on a bed face up, similar to sleeping or resting on your back. Ask your youngster to imagine the bed as a towel on the beach, letting your child think of a favorite beach or beach memory. Then have your child pretend that the sun is warming up the entire body, beginning at the child’s toes. Scan your child’s body from the feet up, moving from the toes to the ankles and knees all the way up to the tummy and back, and then onto the shoulders. From there, tell your child the sun is warming up the arms, fingertips and then the chin, cheeks, eyes and even the hair. Mention the sun is warming your child for bedtime to keep your little one comfortable for sleep. Afterward, ask your child to take in a deep breath and sigh two times. Follow up the exercise by kissing your youngster goodnight. I always tell my daughter that I will see her in our dreams.

Our kids miss us at night and now that they are going to school they might miss us then, too. Body scanning with your child before bedtime presents a calming way to send your child off to sleep before embracing the new day ahead. To continue the bonding time with your child in the morning and open the day on an uplifting note, try a breath fogging exercise.

Have your child close his or her eyes facing a mirror or window while thinking of how wonderful the day ahead will be. Ask your child to draw in an ocean breath, also known as Darth Vader breath, to fog up the window. For an extra calming tactic, encourage your child to also take in a deep breath through the nose and then exhale onto the mirror or window.

When the fog appears on the mirror or window, ask your child to open their eyes. You two can pair up to draw a smiley face on the foggy surface using your fingers. This brings your child a smile, as well as comfort and understanding that the day will be fun just like this exercise. If your child misses you at any point of the day, your youngster can remember your morning together spent drawing a happy face. It should be a positive memory and remind your child that you two will soon be together again. The exercise is a sweet way to start the day. Add to the appeal of the exercise by closing it with you and your child expressing a wish for each other.

Now that your youngster is rested and smiling, you can get rid of any remaining anxiety and wake up the entire body by getting the wiggles out with body tapping. Facing your child, and asking your youngster to mimic you, tap your head, followed by the ears, chin and shoulders. Go all the way to the stomach and back, and then onto the legs and knees. Encourage your child balance on one leg while tapping shins and then ankles. Next ask your youngster to stomp one’s feet. This is a great tactic to give kids input to see where they are in the space around them while simultaneously getting energy flowing.

Now your child is all set to enjoy the day and come home to share with you all of the amazing journeys each day brings. Enjoy the back-to-school shuffle, too, because before you know it Halloween will be here. Stay tuned for poses inspired by Halloween, such as Spiderman, princess and a few animals on the farm. Until then, however, bask in connecting with your child and marveling at your youngster’s readiness for school.

By Kami Evans, Founder, Elahi Yoga

Kami Evans, founder of Elahi Yoga, is a Yoga Alliance RYT and RCYT with a special needs curriculum training program.  As an Advocate for the Special Needs Population and Yoga as an enriching activity for everyone, she is able to support the continued success of the Elahi Method that was developed as a CORE to LIMBS Yoga program. Kami has trained various Staff Development Programs for Hospitals and Schools through out the US and UK.

Since 2009 she has been a contributing writer for www.parentguidenews.com, a yahoo expert contributor, www.parentingspecialneeds.org magazines, and a Citibabes contributor. In 2011 Elahi Yoga published its first of a series of Yoga Books for children. For more information please email info@elahiyoga.com.

-Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

What’s that smell?

Gather several aromatic scents such as lemons, oranges, vanilla, chocolate and any other items you may have around the house. Try to find items that have a distinct smell and try to stay away from items with scents that are too strong. Blindfold your child and hold up the different scents to their nose and see if they can guess what they smell. Instead of using a blindfold you can also put the items in paper bag or have them close their eyes.

What’s in there?

Get a cardboard box and cut a hole on one of the sides just big enough for your child to stick their hand in. Gather several items that have different textures and shapes such as a ball, block, and any other items that the child is familiar with. Ask your child to look away as you choose an item to put inside the box. Have your child reach inside and only using his hand to figure out what it is they feel. For older children you can try putting two items inside the box and ask the child to grab one of the items by using his sense of touch.

What’s missing?

This activity challenges a child’s memory by using their sense of sight. Gather about ten different items and lay them all out on the table. Allow your child to have time to look at all the items. Have you child close their eyes as you hide one of the items. See if your child can figure out which item was taken away.

What’s that noise?

This activity will challenge your child’s ability to remember familiar sounds. Gather items such as bells, drums, rattle or anything that can make a familiar sound. You can allow the child to explore the sounds first. Have the child turn around so they cannot see you. Begin by playing one instrument and see if your child can guess what you are playing.

What’s that taste?

Put together a variety of food keeping in mind to have at least one item from each category: salty, savory, sweet, and sour. I eliminate bitter due to the difficulty in finding an item that your child may eat. For salty I suggest a potato chip or saltine. For savory I suggest chicken or deli meat. Sweet can be chocolate or fruit. Sour is always lemons or sour candy and you may want to keep a camera close because the facial expression is priceless. Have your child close their eyes and taste the food. Tell them the different categories and allow them to try to figure out where each item belongs after tasting it.

By Sarah Rinaldi, Citibabes Teacher