Coddling

One of the biggest problems facing America today is the state of our economy.

How did we get this way? America used to be the most industrious of nations, saving metal for the war and volunteering above and beyond the call of duty!

One reason for our downward spiral is our coddling style of parenting. Possibly due to the many advances in developmental psychology, most parents are overly nervous of emotionally hurting their children and fear pushing them too much, asking too much of them, or generally upsetting their feelings. And besides, it's usually easier to just give in - clean up for them, buy them the extra toy, or offer an extra sweet to maintain the peace.

Being a firm parent isn't easy - it requires emotional strength and commitment, and a solid sense of long-term gain over short-term appeasement. But the long-term benefits are tremendous: children who learn to pick up after their play-dates, to diligently do their homework and to dutifully do their chores, end up happier and more productive members of their community and society at large.

Malverne music school partners with Tuney Tots - Malverne - LIHerald.com - Nassau County's source for local news, breaking news, sports, entertainment & shopping

Explaining my disappearance from the blog:

Malverne music school partners with Tuney Tots - Malverne - LIHerald.com - Nassau County's source for local news, breaking news, sports, entertainment & shopping

Great Blend

There are lots of baby products on the market, touting the easiest or fastest way to make your own baby food at home.

I find them all to be fine, but mostly gimmick.

The real deal? An immersion blender (aka immersion wand) is all you need. You can steam what you'd like in your own pot, or just blend raw veggies or fruits using any bowl. The only 2 catches:
1. be careful using while foods are hot - allow to cool first, since holding at a slight angle can send food flying across your kitchen.
2. it only works with "wet" (or moist) materials, so if you're blending raws, you'll need to add water, formula, or milk to successfully blend.

Try it out - voila, you'll have great baby food AND you can use leftovers to make your own soups or dips. Here are a few ideas that work great for me:

-homemade hummus (SO easy - just whizz a can of chickpeas for baby, and for adults add whatever spices you enjoy)
-steamed squash (use leftovers to make creamy squash soups - just add onion or garlic & salt)
-steamed broccoli & cauliflower
-yogurt/berry smoothies (need I say more?)


Healthy food for baby AND mom. What a treat!