The Mom Crowd

My son, Connor weaned from the bottle to the straw cup. I chose to transition him to the straw cup instead of the sippy cup for several reasons.

1. Straw cups were easier for him to hold because they don’t require tilting.
2. Straws are EXCELLENT for oral motor strengthening and speech development.
3. A sippy cup is just one more thing to have to wean from. He can use a straw until he’s an adult!
4. Sippy cups can contribute to speech problems and dental problems, so I wanted to avoid them if possible.

However, this isn’t my article on convincing you to use straw cups with your child. This is my article comparing the trillion different straw cups out there so you can choose the right one for your child! The one thing consistent in all straw cups on the market is leaking. I haven’t found one cup that is completely leak proof, but some are definitely better than others!

Munchkin’s 10 oz. Insulated Straw Cup – Mommy and Connor’s Pick!

Munchkin’s wins in our house as Mommy and Connor’s favorite straw cup on the market. This cup is durable and has lived through many of Connor’s throws. The straw is nice and soft and Connor really enjoys drinking from this cup. While it leaks (like every single straw cup on the shelves), I have found that it leaks the least out of all of the straw cups I’ve tried. The fact that it leaks minimally and is not too difficult to clean makes this straw cup my pick. The price is steep at $6.97 on Amazon.com, however I paid $4.99 at my local grocery store for mine. I love the Dora, Diego, and Backyardigan prints, but am not fond of the Spongebob Squarepants prints. I had to wait for a new shipment to come in to avoid buying the Spongebob print because he’s just a little too mature and obnoxious for my kids in my opinion.

Playtex Baby Einstein – Highly Recommended!

This is my second favorite of the lot. The reason I love this straw cup is cleaning time! The valve is a plug, so you can unplug the valve and clean the straw very easily. All of the other straws are attached to the valve and cleaning is a little more difficult…not impossible, but more difficult than this one! I also love the fun Baby Einstein prints that are age appropriate. This cup leaks more than the Munchkins, however if you make sure the lid’s not screwed too tight, the leaking will decrease. Overall, this is a great straw cup!

Take & Toss Straw Sippers – A Must-Try!

Obviously, the price is GREAT! For $2.99, you get five cups. That’s $0.60 per cup and you can’t beat that in the overpriced baby market we live in! There are no valves, so these cups make for easy cleaning. Even though there are no valves, the leaking is not as bad as I thought. They don’t leak any more than some of the other straw cups that have valves. The lids are very sensitive. If you press on the top of the cup, the contents will travel quickly up the straw. I’ve had a lot of counter messes when using this cup. The straws are not very soft. They are a thick plastic and Connor does not enjoy drinking from these cups. I do keep these cups in stock for extended day trips, friends who come to play, and as back-ups when I am way behind on my dishes.

Gerber Cool Twisties – Not very durable.

The price is not too steep at $3.95 per cup. The straw is nice and soft and Connor enjoyed drinking from this cup. I also like the fun space design on the cup. Cleaning this cup is not very difficult. While Connor loved this cup, and the price isn’t too bad, I can’t recommend it for a couple reasons. This cup can do some major leaking! Connor is in the stage of throwing things when he’s done (that’s another blog post!) and he has broken two of these cups. He throws all of his cups, but these have been the least durable. Overall, I’d probably not purchase this cup again due to the fact that they can be easily broken by throwing toddlers!

Luv n’ Care’s 2 Handle 8 oz. Cup – Don’t waste your money!

This cup is my least favorite. There are some good things about this cup that I’ll share with you. This is the only straw cup I’ve found that has handles and I love the short squatty shape in contrast to the long stretched shapes of the other cups. The price is GREAT at $3.99 per cup. I bought a two pack for $5.99 at Babies “R” Us. The straw is super soft and Connor really loved drinking from this cup. I also didn’t have too bad of a time with the leaking. While it has many good features, it has a couple problems that keep me from recommending this cup. The straw is three separate pieces. One of the pieces is incredibly small and it is very difficult to put together. It is also incredibly difficult to clean because there is a valve on both ends of the mouth piece. Once you take this straw cup apart, it is incredibly difficult to put back together. If the maker would correct these problems, this would be my favorite straw cup on the shelves.

Check out these links about straw cup drinking:

Mommy Speech Therapy’s take on straw cups over sippy cups

How To Teach a Child to Drink From a Straw

Sippy Cups Causing Too Many Cavities

Finding foods for my kids to eat can sometimes be difficult. My son is an incredibly picky eater (the WORST!), and my daughter is not much of an explorer in the food department either. I thought it’d be fun to share with you the staples of my kids’ diets and ask you what foods your kids can’t live without.

Here are the foods that we can’t run out of:

• cheerios
• applesauce
• bananas
• eggs (scrambled)
• yogurt
• refried beans
• rice
• hot dogs
• sweet potatoes & white potatoes (mashed)
• chicken nuggets
• frozen waffles
• sandwich fixings (PB &J, or turkey & cheese)
• canned carrots
• canned chicken
• vegetable juice (Darah only…Connor will only drink milk and water)
• and of course…lots and lots of milk!

What’s in your pantry?

Last week, Darah had her tonsils removed and her third set of tubes placed in her ears. Darah has had 12 surgeries in her 3 1/2 years of life and Connor’s had a same day procedure already as well (tubes placed in his ears). The picture to the left is of Darah before her open heart surgery at three months old. I am aware that not everyone is as “experienced” as we are when it comes to surgery for their child and want to share what surgery days are like for those of you who may be approaching your first surgery with your child. Every procedure, hospital, doctor, nurse, and child are so different. It’s hard to write up a one-size-fits-all post on what you can expect, but some things are pretty standard regardless of what your child is having done, and the emotional impact is pretty strong no matter how major or minor your child’s surgery is going to be!

Pre-Op (Before the surgery)

Before some procedures, doctors will want to get bloodwork done on your child. Ask for numbing cream if it’s available. This is a cream that acts as a local anesthetic and will help decrease some of the pain of the actual needle stick.

Tour the hospital with your child. Knowing where everything is prior to surgery day can help to alleviate some of the anxiety of the day. Most hospitals (if not all) are very prepared to show families where everything is prior to the surgery. It can also help with your child’s nerves if they see the hospital before the day of the surgery.

Visit the hospital’s website. If your child’s surgery is being performed in a children’s hospital, a lot of times their websites have great resources, virtual tours, and coloring sheets for your child. Take advantage of their website!

Surgery Day: Before the surgery

You will probably be asked to arrive 2-3 hours before the actual procedure. This is to register your child in the computer system, talk to the surgeon, nurse, and anesthesiologist about last minute questions. They will also check your child’s basic vitals during this time. Be prepared, surgeries often start later than usual.

Leave earrings, all jewelry, and valuables at home. If your child’s ears were recently pierced, discuss this with your doctor prior to surgery day.

If your child is anxious or irritable before the procedure, ask the anesthesiologist for a “cocktail.” Some doctors will call is “silly juice.” Basically, it’s a light sedative that will very much calm your child.

If your child needs an i.v. for the surgery, ask if that can be done after your child is already asleep. Sometimes the doctors will put the child to sleep in the operating room using a mask and then start the i.v.

While you’re waiting in the holding room before the surgery, ask your nurse if they have a playroom or any toys or books your child can play with while you are waiting. We ALWAYS bring our portable DVD player with us for Darah to watch movies on during the wait.

Do not be afraid to ask your doctors and nurses any questions you have. I also usually tell the staff something personal about Darah or our family so they go into the operating room remembering that this is somebody’s most treasured possession, and not “just another surgery.” This last surgery, I told the anesthesiologist a quick story about Darah’s beaten up Lovey she had with her. After the surgery, the recovery nurse said she heard the story about poor loved Lovey. This made me feel more comfortable in trusting them with my daughter.

When it is time to say goodbye, remain positive and reassuring. Remember, no matter how young or old your child is, they are sure to have some anxiety about being in a new place with new people and it is important to help them to feel ok with everything that is happening.

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Last week, The Mom Crowd reader, Sharon M. commented on my article, “Making the Most Out of PlayTime with Your Baby.” Here’s what she wrote:

“What do you do when your toddler/ preschooler goes through the “obsession” phase? Like my son, for instance, has been on a musical instrument kick for the past several weeks and that’s ALL HE WANTS TO DO. The water bottle is his bassoon, the electric heaters are baritones and tubas, and one of our cords for our computer has become the french horn. Now I love music, and instruments, but all the time? No thank you! How do you divert him to play something else? How long will this last? I am tired of playing musical instruments!!!”

My first response is, “How wonderful!” You have a very imaginative child and I credit your parenting for helping to build that amazing creativity. You get a gold star in parenting from me! My second response is, “This too shall pass.” As a mother of a preschooler, you already know how children’s phases fly by way too fast, however when you’re in the middle of it, it can feel like an eternity! My third response is, “You are not alone!” I have watched countless toddlers preschoolers obsess on trains, G.I. Joe action figures, and ruby red slippers to name a few!

All of the research I have found suggests that toddler obsessions are very normal and very healthy. I found this mom of a child obsessed with trains who asks a very similar question to yours regarding her son’s obsession. The responses were overwhelmingly supportive to her son’s obsession with trains and emphasized how “normal” her son’s obsession is. I found this horse-maniac who needs a new word for OBSESSION! I also found this sticker-devotee, this box-fanatic, this button-pusher, and this bug-lover.

While it’s very normal for your child to become passionate over something, variety in your child’s play is also very important.

• You can work on teaching your son turn-taking to encourage more variety in his play. You can tell him, “Mommy really wants to play trains. Let’s play trains for 5 minutes and then you can choose what we play after we’re done.” Set a timer so he knows that once it beeps, he gets to choose the next activity.
• Encourage variety within his obsession. If all he wants to play is musical instruments, encourage him to play with musical instruments in different ways. He can color musical instruments (I found this handy site that has musical coloring pages for free), you can have him push his toy cars across the floor to the speed of the music playing, you can have him explore his dramatic play by using facial expressions and body movements that imitate the music playing, and you can get him new books that talk about new instruments he may not know. Even if he doesn’t want to leave the music world to play with other things, you can bring other things into his music world!
• Mix up his play by introducing new instruments to him. I couldn’t help but notice that he seems especially fond of brass instruments. If he is obsessing on brass instruments in particular, maybe working on expanding from brass to percussion or strings. While you’re not completely leaving the music world, you’re at least expanding from tubas and baritones!
• Arrange play dates for your son with children his age. Even if your son can get his friend as excited about music as he is, at least you will get a break from having to play it with him for a short time. Chances are the other child will have their own obsession, and it may rub off on your son, too!

I have said all that to say, encourage that passion and love for music as much as you can. Research is very clear on the power music has on children’s brain development, especially in the first six years of life. I come from a very musical family and play the piano, flute, and am learning the guitar. I hope my children have a passion for music and creative minds like your son.

Alright readers, the microphone is yours! What are your toddlers and preschoolers obsessed with? How long did the phases last? Any advise for dear Sharon who’s tired of playing musical instruments?

Not too long ago, I posted this blog entry on my favorite kid toys. I have a total obsession with my children’s toys, however, play time with your child goes beyond having every toy from Babies “R” Us in their playroom.

Play is very important for every baby’s health and development. Play is how babies and children learn. It also provides important bonding time between child and mommy. In a clinical research study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is so valued that it is considered to be a ‘right’ of every baby and child. In the fast paced society we live in where everyone is go-go-go it is important to realize how crucial it is to stop and play with your baby.

Darah has been in occupational, physical, speech, and play therapy since she was a newborn, and I have really had some amazing one-on-one training on how to play with her because of those therapies. Before Darah was born, I didn’t really know how to have quality playtime with a baby and didn’t know the importance of play for the baby’s development. Since Connor has joined our family, I really feel that I know how to make the most of my one-on-one time with him and Darah. Through my experience, and countless therapy sessions I’ve observed with pediatric therapists, I have learned a few key things I’d like to share with you all.

Challenge your child, but make sure they have success.

• A big mistake a lot of parents make is doing everything for their babies. Try to let your child figure things out on his or her own before you step in. However, if they start getting frustrated or start giving up, then step in and guide or help your child accomplish their goal. Make sure you celebrate their success. It’s important for children to have the opportunity to figure things out on their own, but it’s equally important that they be successful often. If they are never successful, they will give up trying. Finding the perfect balance as a parent, will reap you and your child many rewards!

Get off the phone and get down on the floor

• One of the biggest problems I have is just stopping whatever I’m doing and engaging into play. I have a laundry list of tasks that I like to accomplish every day. Since Darah and Connor have started playing together, I have eased up on my “get-on-the-floor” time with them, and I have really had to make a conscientious effort to make play time a priority for myself. I’m a go-go-go, Type A, busy-magnet kind of person and it really requires mental energy for me to remember to SLOW DOWN and to remember that play-time with my children is just as important as bathing, diaper-changing, etc.

Appreciate the smallest accomplishments.

• This is an easy one for me, but if I had Connor first I think it would be a lot harder for me. With Darah, I was forced to appreciate the smallest steps of her developmental progress. This has helped me to really appreciate every aspect of Connor’s development as well. What most moms don’t even realize is a developmental milestone, I have been able to recognize in both of my children. When you get discouraged that your child isn’t crawling or talking yet, try to look for the steps they’re taking to get there. If your child isn’t crawling, time how long they can hold themselves in the quadruped position, or help them transition from sitting into the crawling position or guide their little body with your hands and ‘make’ them go through mommy-assisted crawling. Most importantly, try to recognize what your child is doing, and be excited about it!

Don’t overwhelm your child with too many choices.

• American babies have an abundance of toys, books, and ‘gear.’ Don’t present every single toy your child owns to him or her at one time. My kids usually play downstairs, and I keep a limited amount of toys that are freely available to them. I have found that when we go upstairs to the playroom, they both have a problem sitting down and playing with a toy, because we have SO MANY TOYS! When the choices are limited (and routinely rotated), your baby will engage more in their play-time.

Play with toys in unconventional ways.

• If your child wants to put the puzzle piece on their face, make that a game of Peek-a-Boo. If they want to stack the shapes instead of place them in shape-sorter, work on stacking. Allowing your child to lead their play-time sessions with you will be much more rewarding and your child will stay engaged! If you’re looking for conventional games, check out this link.

Talk and sing a lot to your child during play.

• By singing and talking to your baby during play, you are not only helping to develop their speech and language skills, but you are also sending the message that you want to be there to your baby. Your child’s vocabulary is directly related to the amount of words you speak to your child. This article discusses the importance of music for babies and here the author has a list of songs you can sing and the guitar chords!

Enjoy yourself!

• Playing with your baby does not have to be a chore. It can be fun for you. With who else would you sing all the New Kids on the Block songs into your hairbrush or dance the salsa with the broom? Your baby will know whether you are enjoying yourself or “fulfilling an obligation.” Play time isn’t only for your baby, play time can be for you as well!