As someone who works with toddlers, I’ve used my fair share of Sippy Cups. The argument can be made that they’re not too much better than a bottle with a different kind of “nipple” and to learn how to properly use a cup at the table it’s better to simply have adult assistance with a regular cup, but for trips in the stroller, they’re indispensable. That is, if you have the right one. Behold, sippy cups I have known!
These cups are perfect if you want a sippy cup for table use. They’re simple to use, simple to clean, and cheap. I wouldn’t recommend putting them in the dishwasher as this is not the sturdiest plastic, but they wash very easily in the sink with just a regular sponge. They’re not good for stroller usage as there’s no way to keep them from leaking or potentially spilling in a diaper bag.
Avent bottles are extremely popular and user-friendly. Their sippy cup, however, is a nightmare. Too many parts to keep track of – that handle is totally unnecessary, but without it the top doesn’t screw on quite right. That top is nearly impossible to clean in the sink, but it’s not always the best idea to put the sippy cups through the dishwasher since they’re completely made of plastic. This is theoretically “leak proof,” but it’s very difficult for the child to actually get any liquid out of the cup without tipping it totally upside down (like a bottle) which doesn’t actually aid the child in learning how to transition from a bottle to a regular cup. No one I know who has used this cup would recommend it.
The Cadillac of sippy cups. These are by far my favorite. The plastic on these is extremely sturdy and dishwasher safe. The top is constructed that liquid only comes out when the child is sucking, much like a sports bottle. And yet, it is not so finicky that the cup must be totally upside down like the Avent top. Totally spill proof in a diaper bag. A ++. Love this cup.
The non-sippy cup cup. The family I worked with in Boston loved these and swore by them for diaper bag usage. I hated them. The plastic doesn’t go through the dishwasher well, so all of the tiny little parts must be washed by hand. Tiny. Little. Parts. If you’re willing to scrub with a toothbrush, you can get the top *fairly* clean, but it’s near impossible to clean inside of the mouth bit, especially once the child has bitten it down a few times. I would recommend a pipe cleaner (as demonstrated by OhDeeDoh) to clean the straw. Time consuming to clean, to say the least. Also: in my experience, they smell funny if you leave water in them for >2hrs. Do not want.
That sounds like it should be a euphemism for something really dirty, but it’s just the abbreviation for National Blog Post Month. Y’know, like NaNoWriMo for those of us who can only think in paragraphs, not chapters. It hadn’t registered on my radar until Kat’s post about how she did it last year, and hey! Nothing helps fuel a blog re-launch like an arbitrary “national” (something tells me that since this wasn’t limited to US sign-ups it’s more like “international”) blog posting month!
So, yes, I’ve joined. And hey, I’ve already posted each day in November! Bonus! Expect more of the same with some of the new columns (Jedi Nanny, Nanny Tested) rolling out soon. For a whole month! And beyond!
As I found out logging on to Google this morning, it’s Sesame Street’s 40th Birthday! Hooray for Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Snuffy, etc. Snuffleupagus is most definitely my favorite character – what about you? What are your favorite Sesame Street moments? Here are two of my very, very favorite songs – perhaps even some of my favorite songs of all time.
Nuno is in California for a conference this week. I would say that Wensleydale misses him, but that would be a lie. Wensleydale is as indifferent to his absence as she is to his presence. *I*, however, miss him.
Of course, Shiny Happy Monsters IS for babies, the original is just as awesome and just as baby-friendly.
Yeah, this was originally all I was going to say on R.E.M. (I was also saving this for a later time since I just posted a NFB this week), but then there was a great MetaFilter post about some of their perhaps not-so-baby-friendly work and I just have to share more of my absolute favorite band. R.E.M. has touched my life in so many ways and has been the soundtrack to just about every major phase I’ve gone through since my late childhood. When Out of Time came out, my mom bought it on CD (it was one of the first albums that came out after we got a CD player – we were definitely early adopters there) and when I got my own little CD boom box in my room, it was the first CD that belonged to my parents that I stole. So, in tribute, here are some highlights of my favorite songs from my favorite band that I enjoy sharing with kiddos.
Three (well, four kids, three nurseries) Providence babies are represented on OhDeeDoh’s nursery tours! Providence has some rockin’ style and I’m happy to pass on these rockin’ baby rooms.
My dear friend Susan has started a new blog project – Flavour of the Moment – for those momentary obsessions that consume you. I’ve joined as a contributor and made a post about my own favorite obsession du jour… you’ll have to go to the site to see, but I’ll give you a teaser: Britney Spears + ASL.
I grew up in a musical family. My mama never allowed music into the home that she didn’t like herself, so while I had Raffi & Rosenschontz in the house, I also had Paul Simon & the Rolling Stones. I like to make mixes to listen to with kids that are equal parts “kids” songs and “grown up” songs. One of my favorite “grown up” songs to include is Manu Chao’s “Bongo Bong.” (Criteria for a good “grown-up” kids song: easy to memorize and sing at will, upbeat, kid-appropriate lyrics.)
This MetaFilter post directed me to a 2006 NYT Magazine article about the potential harms of the Disney Princess regime: What’s Wrong With Cinderella? Certainly this is a topic I’ve thought about a lot, as a former young girl myself and as a childcare provider – especially last year when I was working for a family that was steeped in Princesses to the point where the elder daughter had not only her own Disney Princess sneakers but every Barbie Princess movie that had been made. (Shockingly, and unfortunately, this number is greater than 1. It is even greater than 3, if you can imagine the horrors.)
Maybe princesses are in fact a sign of progress, an indication that girls can embrace their predilection for pink without compromising strength or ambition; that, at long last, they can “have it all.”
This is certainly an argument I’ve heard from parents: that the more modern princess stories feature strong female characters and have moral lessons about perseverance rather than simply waiting by the window for someone to admire their hair. However, this then begs the question, why do we need princesses in order to create strong female characters that our daughters can look up to?
Welcome to ALL NANNY BLOG ALL THE TIME. Yes, that’s right, I’ve taken all of those articles I’ve read about blogging to heart and decided to really focus on my niche. I can get very scattered, and it’s best for me to just focus my attentions here. Any extraneous blogging I feel compelled to do might get a side Tumblr account or something – just like my business card states, the mission here is “Art. Childcare. Sometimes both.”
So, I’ve come up with a pantsload of new content over the weekend that I’ll be releasing. Some new categories include:
Nanny Tested: Reviews of childcare related program activities. I have the perspective of having worked with many families, and thus many products, and have opinions and preferences to share.
(Not) For Babies: Thus far, this is a music column, but the intent is anything that’s not labelled *for* children that is nonetheless not only child-friendly, but child-awesome.
Jedi-Nanny: Top secret nanny tips. May the force be with you.
I will also be doing my best to post more art – both of my own and art created by “my” kids.
Avent sippy cup
Gerber graduates cup
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