Yes, we dread it, but it’s part of the deal.  If it’s not related to Santa, it will be on the next birthday, when they turn 16 and want a car like a friend has, or when they’re an adult and have worked their butts off for a long time but still aren’t living in luxury.  The only option is to perfect your technique for answering their questions.  Avoid the urge to just give some flippant answer that they can (and WILL undoubtedly) shoot holes in as soon as they gain some new knowledge that can hurt us.

Ok, so starting at the beginning, back to Santa.  The jolly old fellow.  He has all the money and time in the world, he knows everything, like if I’ve been naughty or nice  and what I really want for Christmas and most of all, he MAKES the toys, so why can’t he make enough to give to every kid who wants one of them?  Ugh.

Well, we’ve had to set the record straight around a house with 4 children who know many privileged and other simply spoiled kids.  We’ve been forced to be completely and brutally honest with our kids and put to rest some of these silly, childish ideas that have been circling around for years about Santa Claus.

Myth #1  Santa makes all the toys

No, he doesn’t.  He used to make all the toys way back when they were carved out of wood and very simple and there weren’t so many children on Earth.  Now, he has to buy them in the stores just like everyone else.  He gets better prices since he’s such a good customer, but he can only buy what the toy manufacturers make and then, only if it’s still in stock.

Myth #2  Santa knows what I want, so I will get it

No, it doesn’t.  Santa might know what you want, but, Santa respects each family’s wishes and traditions and most definitely, the parents’.  He won’t get a child something that the parents don’t approve of.  So, that’s why some children receive things that our children do not.

Myth #3  Santa can afford anything.

No, he can’t.  You see, Santa’s job isn’t exactly a highly paid one.  He does what he does out of pure love.  So, when it comes to buying the toys, he needs a little help.  So, parents send Santa the amount of money they have in their budgets for Santa toys and then Santa uses it for that family’s children.  He decides what toys to give and makes sure everything is fair and equally distributed for everyone in the family.

It’s really pretty simple and straightforward.  We don’t find ourselves weaving together little white lies and half truths that we need to keep track of or keep tweaking every time they find some little thread to pick at just to keep the whole thing from unraveling.  So, stay away from stories full of fantasy and magic and just stick to the truth of the matter.  And always remember, It’s OK to Believe!

Ok, so let’s talk about how to get some control over this whole process of big kids cleaning up their things.  Great idea, but how come their manual doesn’t even cover the subject?!  Well, we did try many things, each with different levels of success, but I’m going to share the most effective techniques that we ended up keeping.  We use them together to create something that we can live with.

1)  Promises on the Wall
2)  10-10 Clean Up Rounds
3)  Clean Up Music

Promises on the Wall
This was step 1.  It began with a conversation in the form of a family meeting where we discussed the fact that some of us (lol) felt we had a big problem.  We focused on the key things that the kids were doing that caused the biggest headaches.  Some of them were things they all did and each kid had one thing that was their own personal favorite … hehehe.

For example, my son developed this love for dumping out all of his toys from every container into a pile.  Together.  Building blocks, itty bitty legos, games, puzzles.  All in a pile.  Then, he didn’t play with any of it.  Get the picture?

Then my youngest daughter.  Well, she perfected the art of “dash and tuck” — hiding all those little pieces of toys that escaped the clean up activity.  When sent to put them away in the proper toy, she would hide them somewhere – anywhere.  And they weren’t great hiding places either because you’d find them in the next room under a pillow or the edge of a chair – she’d tuck them in the first place that was beyond our line of sight.  We’d find them, call her back, give her the piece and tell her to put it away and she just finds another hiding place.  This could go on and on.  Once I’m freed up to follow the little mouse to make sure she does it properly, I do, but you know how it goes!  Baby needs feeding, changing, burping, etc. or one of a million other things and you just can’t follow them all at the same time!

When they get bigger, they perfect that scatter technique that makes our job even harder.  That’s that thing they do when they all go in different directions and you can’t watch them all at once.  (This would be the completely opposite technique from the one used when you actually suggest that they separate and have some “alone time” so that you can call the doctor without fighting in the background, etc.  Then, they must stick to one another like velcro and push every known button that will make the others whine, cry and carry on.)

Anyway, I’m getting off point.  So we met and discussed the problems we had around the general practice, or lack thereof, of the kids cleaning up after themselves.  Then we had THEM tell US what they heard us say were the things they did that made us crazy, but in their own words.  We tweaked them ever so slightly into statements of things they either would begin doing or stop doing.  Below are some of the promises that we developed WITH our kids.  Feel free to use them as a starting point for developing your own.

1) I promise to play with toys the right way.
2) I promise to not make huge messes.
3) I promise to clean up more often.
4) I promise to clean up as a team.

#1 came from an issue we had where they would (very creatively) use a toy for something it was not intended for, either risking the safety of playmates, damage to the toy or both.  #3 came from our realization that the bigger the mess, the less likely they were to clean because it was too intimidating.  So, we started taking little breaks to clean up anything that they were no longer interested in playing with. (See 10-10 Clean Up Rounds below for more details.)

We wrote these promises on a huge sheet of paper, like 12″x18″.  Then we had the kids “sign” their names at the bottom and we posted it right on the wall close to where they play the most.  We refer to them often and they know what’s on that list without even looking at it now.

10-10 Clean Up Rounds
This is a name that I made up so that we had something unique to call it that the kids would instantly recognize.  The rules are a bit like a game and a challenge, so oddly enough, it works.  The first thing that we noticed was that the kids have a very short attention span and although they can play hard for a really long time, that’s not so for work … hehehe

So, 10-10 Clean Up Rounds work like this.  We time them for 10 minutes.  And they know that they only have to do it for 10 minutes, but they must give us that whole 10.  So, during that 10 minutes, each child grabs 10 things and puts them away.  Big or small, it doesn’t matter.  Then, once they reach 10, they come to the parent and tell them what they cleaned up.  Then we praise them and send them off for another 10.  What ends up happening is that they compete with one another to clean up the most things and they come to us less and less to tell us what they’ve done.  They do the first 10 and then move right on to the next.  At the end they proudly report “I cleaned up 31 things!”.  And again, if it’s 31 of those ridiculously tiny littlest pet shop things, that’s OK — they needed cleaning up and YOU don’t want to do it!  In fact, the bigger numbers gives them a real sense of accomplishment.

Now, you combine this with promise #3 above, and you can develop a little system that YOU control.  If the mess is huge, you call for a 10-10 Clean Up Round more often.  Call for 1 every hour throughout the day and suddenly they will have it under control.  They won’t notice that they actually spent a combined total of 80 minutes cleaning up.  And it will be far more effective than that last hour of the day before dinner when you can’t get them to clean up for 15 minutes, let alone the whole hour that the day’s mess will need.

Clean Up Music
This one is for fun and motivation.  It is also a privilege because sometimes things can get out of hand quickly.  So, the rule is that if they aren’t working, the music gets turned off.  What I did was start with an internet search for kids’ clean up songs.  I found a ton and the kids were already familiar with many from some of the shows they watch.  Some were just instrumental, but were energizing and just make you want to get up and move.  So, we picked a ton and burned a CD.  We play it when it’s time to do chores.  At first it was for during the 10-10 Clean Up Rounds, but as we’ve increased their responsibilities over the last year, we use it for chore time too.  We all end up getting into it and suddenly we’re all dancing around the house, emptying all the trash bins, doing the recyclables, etc.  Again, if the work stops, so does the music, and they don’t like that, so it really provides a great incentive!

Of course, all kids are different (I think I say that in every post) so your results may vary.  But, try these and change them based on your own family.  Hopefully though, this gives you a starting point and will get your own creative ideas flowing to help you tackle this challenge.  We’ve had plenty of failed ideas that we thought were pretty good ones when we dreamed them up, but it’s through those failures that we find the successes!

The cornerstone of the whole feeding ritual is that you must actually feed the children those things that you want them to eat. Don’t feed them what you don’t want them to eat. It may take a little time to perfect it, but I know from experience that it can be done and DOES work. We have had countless comments from friends, family and even strangers on how well our children eat. More importantly, all 3 of them are nicely slender, maintaining perfect weight, according to the doctor. They willingly eat brussels sprouts, spinach (a favorite), broccoli, green beans, squash, salad, cauliflower, soy beans, water chestnuts, sweet potatoes, etc.

Here are a few general rules that you will find at the heart of our approach to meals.

1) While pregnant, eat a balanced and widely varied diet.
2) Establish a regular and well paced schedule for meals and snacks — and stick to it.
3) Introduce new foods and flavors gradually.
4) Dish up appropriate serving sizes.
5) Sweets are treats, not a staple.

Yes, it starts before birth! Believe it or not, your baby is already learning about taste while in the womb. Information about the flavors of what you eat passes to the baby. This is really the beginning of introducing new foods and flavors gradually.

A regular schedule is not only the most healthy way for us to eat, but fits with our children’s need to operate on a set schedule. We see the negative consequences all the time. What happens when they get up earlier than normal, go to bed later or miss a nap? What if one parent isn’t home on time or is away? It affects some kids more than others, but all kids require structure. The same goes for meals. Establishing a schedule helps to prevent overeating and getting over hungry. Snacks are very important for maintaining steady blood sugar levels and an even metabolism throughout the day. Just make sure they are healthy and spaced out evenly between meals.

Introducing new foods gradually allows children’s developing palates to become familiar with the new flavors and textures. You would be surprised to learn which foods are considered “acquired tastes”, meaning that we have to develop a liking for them. Many are foods we eat regularly as adults and present to our children as normal. To them, they taste awful! When you first feed a new food, serve a very small quantity. If they like it, let them have more. If it’s not a hit, that’s OK. However, if you’ve served one slice of carrot, the rule should be that they must eat that carrot slice. Don’t let them get away with refusing to taste it. The next time the food is served, increase the amount you dish up to the child, say 2 carrot slices. For foods you serve regularly, it really won’t be long before you are spooning out a full serving without argument. Now yes, there are times when you find foods that the child truly doesn’t like. However, those rules you establish will allow you to tell the difference between true dislike and unwillingness to try new things. Let’s look at those rules.

Rule #1: Only one menu is served to the whole family for a meal. If you don’t like it, you can eat at the next scheduled mealtime.
Rule #2: Eat what you are served.
Rule #3: Dessert is EARNED and only served if the primary meal is eaten to the parents’ satisfaction.
Rule #4: Variety, variety, variety

So, when these are made rules to live by and you stick to them, when you do run up against that food that is not liked, you should find that the children will eat their meals, even if they don’t love it. Do we have some tears and complaints? Yes. Is it common? No. Our kids understand and generally abide by the rules.

Now, there is a small trick to this — portion sizes! Believe it or not, plates full of food are threatening to children — even if it’s full of food they love. You need to figure out what the correct portion sizes are for your kids. Looking at the food pyramid is helpful. Also look for resources about child sized portions. The average package will tell you the adult portion size, but the child portion is smaller. You want to ensure that you are feeding them enough but not too much. We have grown to love our kitchen scale for consistent portions. We use it daily. The children even weigh some of their own portions such as cereal and snacks. It’s a priceless teaching tool on how to know how much is the right amount. As you start serving consistent portions, it becomes easy to tell what’s right for individual children. I have one child who just doesn’t need as much food, so we give her lighter portions of each food, but still in balanced proportion. My son, on the other hand, eats twice what the girls eat. He’s all muscle with virtually no fat and is in constant motion.

One practice that is critical is to teach that sweets are treats and not a food group! Besides the obvious nutritional problems that arise from throwing their diet out of balance with too much sugar, they grow to want only that taste. This results in problems getting them to accept the not so glamorous flavors of the foods that keep us healthy from day to day.

You must have heard it before: “Eat a variety of foods”. Well, that’s what we’re talking about. Especially with children. They already have a tendency to find one thing they like and hide behind it as a safety net so they don’t have to try all those other scary foods out there. Don’t give in! Whether it’s their favorite breakfast cereal, peanut butter and jelly for lunch or hot dogs for dinner. Don’t serve the same thing more than once a week if you can help it. There are literally hundreds of choices out there! Favorites are fine and I’m not saying to take those away, but get them used to the variety. It helps to combat their natural tendencies to develop habitual tastes as well. Create some of your own rules like “try 1 new cereal per week” or “eat the favorite only once a week”. There’s something about telling kids that something is a rule — they don’t often question why it’s a rule or where it came from — they just recognize it as a rule that both you and he/she must abide by. Sure they’ll figure out eventually that you’re the one making the rules, but by then, they’ll be eating like champions!

From experience, I can say that some points we’ve covered can be tough to get used to. Child sized portions can look awfully tiny on a plate! Think of what a measured 1/2 cup of ice cream looks like in a dish compared to what we really want to eat! But, eventually, as you watch your child develop at a healthy weight, you’ll know that you’ve gotten it right. Our first child did begin to develop a bit of a tummy at about 1 year and we in turn lightened up on her portions. She quickly grew into that little extra she had and has remained slim since. With each subsequent child, the learning process was much quicker.

Also, depending on your own personal eating and snacking habits, some rules and tips may also pose more of a challenge. We certainly have looked at our own habits and made some changes because we are now so much more aware of when we make the wrong choices for ourselves. So, it goes beyond the children! You may even form some healthy habits of your own.

Most importantly, don’t give up! Like any other part of child-rearing, this will take work. However, it is a critical part of their development and lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating! Use this approach in conjunction with the food pyramid and guidelines for consumption of fat, carbohydrates, fiber, etc. for making your choices and you’re well on your way!

By now, I think it’s been pretty well drilled into most of us that we need to read labels and pay attention to the ingredients in the foods we feed our kids. Although there are endless arguments over how much it all matters, how much is too much, and even which ingredients we do and don’t need to limit or avoid, most of us are at least listening. And we should! We need to pay attention, hear the arguments, do our own research, etc., but most of all, know our kids and make the best decisions for them.

It was only a matter of time before the focus of research was expanded to things like clothing. Natural fibers, of course, are subject to some of the same influences in their early stages that our farmed foods are. Then they have processing routines that they go through that also involve exposure to chemicals and other processes that may change the fibers or add to them. Research shows that some of these changes and additions may be exposing us to things we’re better to avoid.

If you’re like me, I often turn off the computer in disgust when I go digging for information. I have to walk away because I start to feel that the only way to get away from everything they say is bad would be to zip myself up in a bubble! I’m sure some of you have gotten to that point. However, I do believe I’m better off having the knowledge and making an informed decision.

As I said earlier, part of this whole process is knowing your child. They are all different and have different needs. We need to focus on the needs that are the top priority for the child. This amounts to weighing the pros and cons in deciding whether or not to eliminate something from their diet, environment, etc.

The benefits of organic clothing include simple comfort for baby, environmental benefits and even health benefits. From my own personal experience, I can tell you that organic baby clothes and bedding are the softest, richest feeling garments you’ll put next to your skin. There is no doubt you’ll agree once you’ve held one for yourself. I know I tell my kids all the time, “we don’t look with our hands, we look with our eyes.” I’m making an exception here! The next time you’re shopping and see the organic clothing section, don’t just look from afar. Touch them and feel the difference.

Regarding health benefits, I’m no doctor or scientist, but I have my own experience that I can share. As an adult, I have developed ‘Allergic Contact Dermatitis’. In certainly non-scientific terms, I developed this condition through prolonged exposure to something in my environment that I was sensitive or allergic to. The areas of my skin which had more exposure would flare up worse and more often than the areas with less exposure. This is something that develops over time until your skin “has had enough”, so to speak.

It’s well under control now by restricting the substances that I come into contact with, but initially it was no picnic. It’s often difficult to find products that I can use, and certainly inconvenient many times trying to avoid my known allergens, or worse yet, things with unknown ingredients. However, it’s worth it to live with no flare ups!

What does this have to do with baby clothes? Well, since I was a baby, I have always had extremely sensitive skin. I learned to live with the endless little rashes that would seem to come from nowhere and then just go away. It was nothing grotesque, just little annoying patches of itchy red skin that would come and go. It was never anything that you could pinpoint and the doctors just said some people have more sensitive skin. As a young adult, I would still get the little itchy rashes and other weird skin flare ups, but I also developed extremely dry skin on my hands. Several years later, when I was pregnant with my second child, it got much worse. In fact, my skin was so tough that the nurse made several failed attempts to put the line into the back of my hand while I was in the delivery room. She had to have someone bring her some other heavy duty something or other just to be able to stab through it. By then, my hand distracted me, for at least a little while, from the labor pains! Anyway, there really is a point here. It was after the birth of my son that my condition worsened, opening the door to conclusively identifying my condition.

Now, I don’t think they knew as much or tested for allergies when I was a child like they do today, so I figure it’s just the result of advances in medicine. Through the testing, we identified my primary allergen. Through the information provided to me by the doctor, my research and reading countless labels, I was able to identify the various names for the chemical and the products that contained it. Not surprisingly, I used many daily!

Now we get to the point. The kinds of products I found it in were my shampoo, conditioner, hand lotions and creams, baby wipes, baby bath, makeup, various facial skin treatments, etc. I was heart broken to have to give up things like my favorite lotions, perfume and nail polish. Some of these products are difficult to find replacements for, but I do what I have to. Additionally, my allergen is found in things like resins and fabric sizing. I had break outs on my feet if I wore leather shoes with no socks because of the resin used in the glue for the leather. Fabric sizing is the stuff they use on clothes as a finisher. It helps give the clothes that nice, crisp look and helps them keep their shape nicely. I often found that clothes shopping for my 3 kids would leave my hands in quite a state after spending all day touching all those new clothes. I was very tempted to go out with vinyl gloves on, but wondered what people would think!

Although unheard of back then, possibly “going organic” for this baby would had given me much comfort and potentially delayed or avoided the onset of my condition by limiting my exposure to the allergen(s) from the beginning. It’s been a few years since pinpointing my allergen and there are still many products, organic lines included, that I need to try. It’s a long process to find products without the allergen that do the job I need. We do also know that I have at least one other allergen, but we have yet to identify it. I call it my “mystery allergen”. Flare ups can happen immediately (but most often do not) or as much as a couple of weeks after exposure, so it can be difficult to figure out sometimes.

If you are interested in organic clothing and learning about the benefits, I suggest you begin with reading about the different lines that are available. This year, The Rosey Bear Boutique is introducing 3 different lines of organic baby clothing. If you’ve shopped organic before, you know that it can be difficult to find dressier styles. This is really just the nature of designing clothing out of organic cotton. However, we’ve found some beautiful pieces like dresses and well coordinated sets in beautiful colors.

Sage Creek Organics offers some of the greatest colors and prints found in organics today. They pretty much do away with the idea that if it’s organic, the only color is natural. Of course, they do offer beautiful natural shades, but you have more choices! Their Why organic? page will give you lots of information on the environmental benefits of organics. A very popular clothing line, Sage Creek Organics is trusted by the likes of Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Tori Spelling and has been featured in Parents Magazine, People Magazine and on CBS News – The Early Show. Read more about Sage Creek In The News on their site.

We are also proud to introduce Honeyroo Organic Clothing. Honeyroo’s collection is made from both bamboo and organic cotton fibers. A couple of features of bamboo is that it’s hypoallergenic, provides UVA protection and is 100% biodegradable. Oh, and, you’ve just got to touch these clothes! These are some of the softest garments we “looked” at in our search. Honeyroo’s Why organic? page will give you more information about their fabrics too. Also noteworthy is that Honeyroo is a mom invented line, sparked by a baby with very sensitive skin. You can read more about their beginning on their About Us page.

Another mom invented line, Bossy Baby joined The Rosey Bear Boutique’s offerings this summer. With beautiful trims and detail, their Organic Cotton Earth Jumper Set and Organic Cotton Ribbon Dress are wonderful additions that we think our customers are going to love!

We’ve given you a few places to start, but there is far more information out there and several more clothing lines to choose from. We’ve highlighted those that we’ve researched and decided were the kind of clothing we wanted to offer our customers. We believe in these products and are proud to recommend them to our customers. So, do your research and visit our organic baby clothing section to see what we carry.

With half sizes not always being that easy to find, we are typically forced to choose the next full size up. Plus, a half-size larger may not last the whole year. Oh, and let’s not forget if your child wears a uniform to school and you want/need navy blue. Later in the year, that color becomes VERY scarce!

So, you try on shoes, finding the next size bigger than what fits now or they’ve just outgrown. However, it’s a little too big. One size down is too small. What do you do? I’ve tried those things that go on the inside behind the ankle. They are nice because they are adhesive and can be cut and shaped to fit. However, they don’t take the abuse of shoes that are worn every day. They can shift, exposing the adhesive, sticking to socks and being generally annoying. (We know what happens when our children are annoyed…) Plus, once the child needs that extra room towards the end of the school year, that adhesive is difficult to remove. Especially if they are leather shoes. No amount of Goo-Gone will release that stuff from the suede side of leather.

Well, there is a much more flexible solution! Stuff the toes of the shoes with cotton balls. Plain old, ordinary cotton balls. Fit them into the toe along the shape of the shoe so they don’t feel “weird” when the child wears them. Add a few, try them on, add a few more until you’ve achieved the right fit. One advantage of cotton balls is that you can put different amounts into each shoe. As we all know, everyone has one foot that is larger than the other.

Perhaps the biggest advantage is that cotton balls are not an all or nothing kind of solution. Let the child wear the shoes for a while and then check the fit. You can adjust the fit as often as necessary. At first, you may need to add a few more cotton balls as the original ones get squished down from wearing. Or, you may need to move them around or take some out, depending on how the child says they feel. Later on, as his/her foot grows, you can start removing the cotton balls a little bit at a time. You end up with a very comfortable solution to give your child perfectly fitting shoes all year long!

They’re constantly growing, but not always in all directions at the same time. This and varying cuts used by clothing manufacturers can leave you with pants that are too short, but still fit or are even too big in the waist. Don’t throw them away! Use those long, thin phases to your advantage! Let’s not forget about potty training either. Sure it has the obvious advantages that you’ve been waiting for, but here’s another one. Those diapers take up lots of extra room that you can use!

This summer, check out all those pants that they wore over diapers last year. You’ll be surprised at what fits again. Revive those pants into summer capris or boy’s ¾ length pants. Leggings and other stretchy pants are great candidates since they tend to fit comfortably around the middle long after they are too short in the legs. Elastic waist jeans tend to be generously cut for little ones, but again, they get short in the legs first. Roll ‘em up and give her pedal pushers or him long shorts like the big boys that aren’t overly baggy. Even I was surprised this spring when we pulled out the kids’ summer clothes. I grabbed a pair of capris that my daughter has had for years and found that they still fit! She is now a tall, thin 7 year old and the pants are a pair of terry capris in a size 4T! Believe it or not, they are now an excellent pair of long and very comfy shorts for her, falling to just above her knees.

Perhaps the most forgiving garments of all are dresses. How many have you sadly pushed to the back of the closet because they are just too short? If not for the length, they could get a couple more years out of them based on the chest and waist measurements. Well, remember those stretchy leggings you just revived above? Pair them with one of those dresses and off she goes! She’ll be thrilled to have an old favorite back and that’s one less new outfit you have to buy. We have some dresses that are now worn as tunic tops by my littlest one. She’s very tiny in the waist, but that just means that we have more revival opportunities.

Reviving dresses can work in all seasons too. Capris can do double duty in spring, summer and fall while long leggings are great for cooler weather. Shorts are great for the warmer weather and there are lots of different lengths of shorts available. For an extra sweet look, try diaper covers and bloomers. We have several styles available for babies and toddlers including both short bloomers and long bloomers.

So, before you go shopping, drag out those boxes and see what you can revive. Think creatively and you’ll be surprised at what new looks you can create!

Don’t have a seamstress or tailor measuring tape?

They’re not that expensive and the best place to go if you want to actually find them in stock is your local sewing and/or craft store. Anywhere else, it seems to be just chance. Don’t try Dad’s tape measure or that yardstick in the corner to directly measure the child! You’re just asking for extra trouble and even worse, risking buying the wrong size. If that’s all you’ve got, you can use them, but in conjunction with another item.

Find any flexible (but not too stretchy) string like material such as string (of course), yarn, a soft belt/tie from a dress, a long shoelace or even a necktie. These should be long enough to measure a small child and small enough to manage easily. Using your “string”, place one end at the first point and then mark the “string” at the point where you would normally read the measuring tape. For example, if you are taking an arm measurement, place one end at the top of the shoulder and then pinch the “string” at the point where you want the sleeve to fall at the wrist. Now, take the “string” to whatever measuring device you do have available and measure the “string”. Continue in this way for each measurement that is appropriate for the garment you need the measurements for.

The size chart lists garment measurements rather than body measurements or height and weight?

While this may sound more difficult since it’s not the most common size chart format, you may actually find it easier to work with. Example Garment Measurement Size Chart Take the child’s measurements as described in the chart, or find a similar style garment that fits your child well and measure it. It’s that simple! Compare those measurements to the chart to determine the right size.

Baby is napping or just won’t hold still?

The most common thing I hear from parents is, “But he/she is sleeping, I’ll have to wait until later.” This makes sense since we all know what happens when we get on the phone! Most parents wait until the little ones are asleep to do their online shopping and other things that require some thought or concentration. Well, if you’ve got a particularly wiggly child, you may find this the BEST time to try to measure. This is also a good time to use an alternate measuring device such as a string (see above) to minimize any disturbance to the sleeping child because it can be easier to manoeuvre. Now this may not work with every child, but many parents have been successful with this technique.

Now, for a few things to keep in mind.

Laying down, a child’s leg length will be slightly longer, so don’t add a little for good measure at this point. When standing, the child will be slightly shorter. Remember when your doctor switched from measuring baby’s height with him/her laying on the table to a standing measurement? Baby didn’t really get shorter from his or her last visit, it’s just that standing compresses the joints, reducing the height.

When working with a size chart that gives garment measurements, pay attention to any recommendations on how to take the measurement. You’ll want to take yours the same way, from the same points that they did, for obvious reasons. Also note if they state a fitting allowance. You’ll need to add this allowance to the child’s measurement and compare that to the chart’s measurement. For example, if the child’s chest measurement is 22 inches and the chart says to allow 3-5 inches for fitting, add the child’s measurement to the allowance to get a 25-27 inch range for the chest. Next, refer to the garment measurement in the chart to find the size that will fit that range, not the actual child’s measurement of 22 inches.

If fitting a child who is not yet walking, you have a bit more room for error in the leg measurement for pants since you don’t need to worry about them dragging the floor or tripping him/her while walking. In fact, pre-walkers often need a little extra length in both pants and dresses as they tend to ride up during their regular activities, being held, etc.

Don’t forget your child’s proportions when you make sizing decisions. If he or she needs the room around the middle, consider getting the size to fit the larger measurement and get the garment hemmed. Pants and sleeves are pretty straightforward, but if choosing a dress, make sure hemming it won’t be a major project. You probably don’t want to have to take the whole thing apart at the waist to shorten the skirt. Also, if you’re preparing for a special event, leave yourself extra time to deal with alterations, if they become necessary. You don’t need the added stress of a last minute time crunch!

Although not every tip will work for everyone, and some may not be new to you, it never hurts to have another idea to use in the right situation. Happy clothes shopping!

I’ve found the best results with leather shoes. Some non-leather shoes do not clean up as well, but I still get better results than with any soap and water that I’ve tried. Plus, they’re ready to wear again immediately – no drying time required. I’ve used several brands of baby wipes and they all seem to perform the same.

The years of research (also known as life experience), are what sparked the first idea, some years ago, of sharing tips and techniques that have made the difference in some of the more impossible situations in my home. Often asking the question, “Where IS the manual for this child?!”, we’ve turned to other parents for suggestions or just a little reassurance that we aren’t the only ones experiencing the same kind of struggle.

Well, knowing that many out there are going through the same sort of things, it only makes sense to share any successful methods that we find along the way. Now, we get to the point! (finally, you say?) So, we’ve extended our service to include this blog. If one customer found a tip useful, isn’t it likely that others might? Just because someone isn’t a customer, aren’t they just as likely to be interested in tips that could potentially make some small aspect of their lives easier? Although it’s not certain, it is possible. So, here we are at the Mom 2 Mom Tips blog. Maybe you won’t find anything here useful, but we hope you do. If we can save just one gray hair for just one parent, then I guess it’s worth it!