Thrifty Thursday: Saving for College at the Grocery Store
The next time you stop by the supermarket with your preschooler, wouldn't it be great if, along with picking up some eggs and milk, you were able to set aside some money for your little one's future college costs?
That the idea behind eCoupons, a program from Upromise. Instead of clipping coupons, offers are programmed into your grocery store frequent shopper card. And instead of getting money off a product, the savings are directly deposited into your Upromise account.
For example, this month, if you buy a package of Huggies diapers, you'll get $1.50 deposited into your child's college fund, rather than money off the price. Other participating companies include Kimberly Clark, Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser.
I like this program a lot and use it often. Although it certainly would be nice to see some savings off the bottom line of my grocery store receipt, I do like knowing that with my purchases, I'm putting money aside for the future without having to do much more than shop.
Have you started saving for your preschooler's college education?
More on Saving for College:
Giving Preschool Parents Credit When Saving for College | 2009 Brings More Latitude to 529 College Savings Accounts
More Thrifty Thursday on the About.com Parenting Channel:
Turn the Page Tuesday: John Deere Dig! Lift! Push!
What is it about big trucks that are so interesting to preschoolers (and many grown-ups)? There may only be very few words on each page of John Deere Dig! Lift! Push! (compare prices), but coupled with the awesome full-page, full-color images of construction trucks at work, the book gets the message across: trucks are cool!
John Deere is an obvious authority on all things trucks and this book, part of a popular series, is a showcase of their spectrum. As you turn the pages with your little one, talk about the name of each truck and what it does. The book might not be as cool as a trip to an actual construction site, but it's pretty close.
What does your preschooler like to look at?
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Book cover image © Parachute Press, DK Publishing (USA), John Deere
Recent Recalls: Simplicity Cribs, Sweatshirts, Loungewear, Outdoor Gliders
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently announced a number of recalls including Simplicity drop-side cribs due to risk of death from suffocation.
According to the CPSC, the cribs, which were sold as early as January 2005 through last month, "feature plastic hardware which can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress. an roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation."
There has been one reported death and 25 incidents due to the drop side becoming detached from the crib. If you have one of these cribs, stop using it immediately and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Unfortunately Simplicity, has a long history of recalls, dating back to May of 2005. According to the CPSC, SFCA, the company that purchased the assets of Simplicity Inc. after it was foreclosed, is not responding to phone calls, letters or e-mails. If you have had a problem with a product from Simplicity or any other product, you can contact the CPSC and filling out an incident report.
Other recalls:
- Chelsea’s necklace and bracelet sets -- choking hazard
- Macy's hooded sweatshirts -- strangulation hazard
- Speedy pullover sweatshirts and jackets -- strangulation hazard
- Children's loungewear garments from Warm Biscuit Bedding Co -- violation of flammability standards
- Outdoor playset gliders by Backyard Play Systems -- fall hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1973 and charged with protecting the American public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Got Bored Preschoolers? Visit the Carnival!
I am not a camp director. In fact, aside from a few ill-fated days that included rain, poison ivy and a stomach bug, I've never even been to camp. But around this time of year, my kids seem to think it's my sole responsibility to entertain them. School's out, they are bored and they are looking to mommy for fun and games.
If you have run out of ideas on how to keep your little ones entertained this summer, take a quick trip over to the About.com Mid-Summer Madness Blog Carnival, hosted by Jennifer O'Donnell, the Guide to Parenting Tweens. You'll find some terrific tips on how to keep everyone busy -- from participating in community service to fun computer games.
So stop on by and be sure to share your own no-fail mid-summer madness tips in the comments below.
Want to Boost Your Preschooler's Vocabulary? Start Talking
As parents, we want to do all we can to give our children an academic edge. So we spend lots of money and time with flashcards and workbooks and computer programs and educational DVDs in the hopes of increasing the brain power of our little one.
What if there was a simpler answer?
There is -- and it doesn't require you to open your wallet. In fact all you need is time.
A new study, Teaching by Listening: The Importance of Adult-Child Conversations to Language Development, published earlier this week in Pediatrics found that while reading to a young child certainly helps language development, so does just talking to them. Researchers, led by Dr. Frederick J. Zimmerman of the University of California Los Angeles discovered that having parents who talked with their children were as much a critical part in language development as reading to them.
The research found that preschoolers who engaged in conversations with adults frequently often scored higher on standard language-skills tests and had strong language development. The study also found the more television that a child watched each day, the lower their language test scores.
More on Preschool Learning and Development:
What do you talk to your preschooler about?
Turn the Page Tuesday: Corduroy's Fourth of July
On the fourth of July, Corduroy and his friends partake in traditional summer fun -- swimming, cool treats and a delicious picnic. But they also march in the Independence Day parade and watch fireworks and learn about the importance of the day.
Corduroy's Fourth of July (compare prices) based on the characters by Don Freeman and illustrated by Lisa McCue takes a gentle look at America's birthday and the activities and festivities that go along with this important holiday. Your preschooler will enjoy the sweet drawings of the familiar characters as they spend the day together.
More on July 4:
- Poll: What does your preschooler think of fireworks?
- Celebrating "A Capitol Fourth" With Your Preschooler
- Independence Day Crafts
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Image © Penguin Group (USA)
What Does Your Preschooler Think of Fireworks?
As much as my husband and I enjoy the 4th of July, it's always a low-key holiday in our house fireworks-wise. While we'd enjoy nothing more than checking out a local display, we often find ourselves plopped on our couch, watching the celebrations on TV.
Our kids, it seems, are not fans. They like the visuals, sure, but they just can't get past the noise. We aren't even asking them to sit in our front lawn as we set them off -- we'd just like to hit the beach, lake or fairgrounds and take it all in.
I'm curious to see how other little ones react to fireworks -- take our poll and leave a comment -- what are your plans for the 4th of July?
More on celebrating the 4th with your preschooler:
Celebrating "A Capitol Fourth" With Your Preschooler
Want to add to your guest list for your 4th of July celebration? How about sending invites to Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Rosita and the rest of the Sesame Street crew?
OK, so maybe they won't be able to actually visit your house in person, but if you tune into PBS on Saturday, July 4 at 8 p.m., you and your preschooler will be able to celebrate America's birthday with A Capitol Fourth.
Broadcast live from the West Lawn of the United States Capitol, the Muppets will sing a whole bunch of patriotic tunes along with all-star performers Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield and host Jimmy Smits.
How will you celebrate the 4th of July?
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Image © PBS
Thrifty Thursday: Inexpensive Birthday Gifts for Preschoolers
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the most popular month for birthdays in the United States is August, followed close behind by July. I'm not sure why there are so many born when the weather is warm, but I do know my family spends a lot of time at birthday parties over the summer. I'm always happy when my kids get invited to a summertime party -- it is a nice way for them to reconnect with friends that haven't seen in a while. However, the cost of buying presents can quickly add up, not to mention I feel like I often live at the store, constantly trying to find an appropriate gift.
If your preschooler is a party animal this summer, check out our list of inexpensive birthday gifts for little kids. From books to buying in bulk, there are a ton of ways to purchase a nice gift while watching your wallet.
What are some of your inexpensive gift ideas?
More Thrifty Thursday on the About.com Parenting Channel:
- Phone Calls & Freebies for College Families
- Good Advice From a Grandma
- Enjoying a Staycation with Tweens
- Make Your Teen a Change Jar
- Save Money on Diapers
- Find a Free Family Film Festival Near You
- Getting Acquainted with the Public Library
- Make Your Own Therapy Tools and Toys
- Secondhand Safety for Baby
- 25 Free and Low-Cost Visitation Ideas
- What Are You Eating?
Combatting Mid-Summer Madness: Fun with a Purpose
Where I live, schools are just letting out for summer, so my kids are still enthusiastic and excited about the long days ahead. But I know, come the end of July, I'll be dealing with a full-on case of mid-summer madness -- cries of "I'm bored" and "There's nothing to do" will be filling my house and driving me crazy.
It's those moments when I think I've reached my breaking point that I need to relax and remind myself (and my kids) that there are actually lots of fun things to do and none of them involve using a whiny voice. Checking out a free movie or heading to the beach or playground for a day trip are great family-friendly activities that everyone can enjoy.
But if you are like me, you'll want to try to squeeze in some educational activities too. That's easy enough to do, just make sure they are fun. From hitting the library to participating in a summer reading program and even just playing with your little ones, there are lots of ways to incorporate learning into summer vacation. Even a seemingly simple rite of summer like blowing bubbles is a great way to help your preschooler develop important motor skills.
For more on beating summer boredom, visit the All About Parenting Blog Carnival for July, hosted by Jennifer O'Donnell, the About.com Guide to parenting tweens. If you're blogging on a topic related to fun summer activities, please feel free to submit a carnival entry to Jennifer.
What are your no-fail summer boredom busters?