The Mom Crowd

For many moms, there comes a time when when choosing a day care is part of the parenting process.  Whatever the reason, it is not an easy decision.  It can be a very stressful time because you are choosing the place where your sweet child will spend the better part of many days.  As a former infant/toddler, twos, and preschool teacher, I have found myself giving friends and family advice when they are on their quest to find the best center for their child.  There are a few things I always stress when having this talk and I would like to share some of those things with you in this article.

One thing that shocks most new parents is the high sticker price for child care.  It is especially expensive for infants and toddlers.  It is tempting to shop around for the best price, but you may be making sacrifices that aren’t apparent when you choose a less expensive day care.  Centers that charge less have a smaller budget to run their business.  Since it is a business, after all, you will find that these facilities go to great lengths to cut costs in order to keep their business profitable.  This doesn’t mean that it is necessarily a bad place, but you will find that they are most likely striving to meet legal requirements and not much more.

For example, an infant/toddler ratio is four babies to one teacher/caregiver.  Two-year-old children have a legal ratio of one teacher to twelve students.  Depending on your experience with children, you may or may not realize that these legal requirements are quite a bare minimum.  Twelve two-year-olds are A LOT of two-year-olds! As are four infants to one caregiver.  I am not claiming it is an impossible situation, but when you consider the type of care and attention your child gets when they are one-on-one with mom and dad,  they are definitely going to get less personalized care when the ratio goes up.

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Hi Everyone and Welcome to The Mom Crowd!

I’m Richel and I am the new Manager for the site!  I have pulled a great team of mom’s together to continue with the amazing content and theme of this site and hope that you will all enjoy learning and sharing with all of us! We want you to feel at home and part of The Mom Crowd so if you ever have a question, idea or topic you would love to see featured, please contact us at contactthemomcrowd@gmail.com.

It’s important for mom’s to have a place where they know they can get support for each other  that is non judgemental.  As mom’s you know you are judged by everyone from the second you announce your pregnant, so let’s all remember that we are in the same boat around here.  Some of our boats are pretty and pristine..others well not so much.. but we are all in the same crowd…..The Mom Crowd.

Motherhood is one of the greatest teachers in life and being a woman….well that’s a whole AP class on it’s own.  I don’t think you have to have all the answers to be a great parent, I definitely don’t think you have to be perfect either.  To be great parent you just need to have a lot of patience, a good sense of humor,  a remarkable talent for multi-tasking and the understanding that it’s not always going to be about you…..at least until they hit adulthood.

You’ll find that each of the amazing women writing for us has their own unique take on motherhood, parenting and being a woman and together we really want place for moms (and non-moms, too!) to get honest feedback, amazing support, tried and true advice, and make the very best of friends. Join today and discover thousands of women just like you…Welcome to The Mom Crowd!

Richel

While most people jump on the “back to school” frenzy in August, few realize that students need new school supplies just after the long holiday winter break. With many budgets stretched to the max from holiday shopping, replenishing school supplies often takes a backseat. Getting the right school supplies for the second half of the school school year is paramount to ensuring a productive school year.

What Will They Need for the Second Half of the Year

Items like paper, pens, erasers and crayons are at the top of the list when it comes to replenishing supplies. Students often use up these items in the first half of the school year, only to come up empty after the holiday break. Unfortunately many stores don’t offer back to school sales in December and January.

Getting the best deals on these supplies requires advance planning. Double up on school supplies in August and September while they’re cheap. Pack away half of the supplies to be used in the second half of the school year. For your student, it will be just as fun as getting school goodies at the beginning of the year.  This is true for children that are home schooled so make sure if this is your child’s mode of learning, that they have new supplies too.

While your student can use the same textbook year round, it helps to restock supplemental books that can be used to enhance school lessons. These books help your student get a head start on their second semester lessons. Music books, workbooks and coloring books will probably be filled up,  worn out, and need replacing. Add in school supplies to your holiday shopping budget and save money on the things that your child needs for school.

New Clothes for a New Season

The biggest item you will need to replenish for the school year is clothing. Your child will need new clothing for the change in season. Have the best dressed child in school with new dresses, pants, sweaters and accessories. Children can be rough on their clothes so it’s imperative that you find quality crafted clothing that will grow with your child.

Even the youngest students will need new clothing after the holiday break. Active play and activities wear out clothes quickly. Get the best skirts, jeans, slacks and shirts for your little one by shopping sales and buying well made clothing. By purchasing quality clothing that can outlast even the most enthusiastic play time, you will be getting the best value for your money.

Restocking school supplies after the holiday break is crucial for school success. Stock up on pencils, art supplies, notebooks and trendy outfits for your star student. Shop online today.

Bram Stoker had no idea what he was starting when he created the iconic Dracula. Before Dracula” was published, vampires were the stuff of nightmares and very real to certain European cultures. Afterwards, the terrifying creatures captured the imaginations of writers, filmmakers and the general Western populace.
  

The Shift from Tradition

“Nosferatu,” an early silent film released in 1922, was loosely based on Stoker’s “Dracula.” It is scary in a way that resonates with audiences even today, but the main character, Count Orlock, creates a sense of sympathy and sadness. For a long time, vampires were some combination of utterly terrifying and extremely sad. Then Anne Rice came along with “Interview with a Vampire” and changed everything.

At first, authors kept the inhuman traits intact while slowly romanticizing the vampires. As years go on, writers continually push vampires toward being extremely long-lived humans rather than monsters. Sure, the monstrous traits come out in certain situations, but there is usually a clear distinction between the “good” vampires and the “bad” ones. The “Twilight” series, the “Sookie Stackhouse” novels and “The Vampire Diaries” novels are responsible for the latest resurgence in vampire-mania.

Modern Vampires in Film and Television

If the “Twilight” books were popular, they barely compare to the popularity of their movie adaptations. “Twilight,” while meant for teenage audiences, appeals to adults too. The current vampire-themed television series are “True Blood” and “The Vampire Diaries.” “True Blood,” based on the “Sookie Stackhouse” books, is a very adult series. “The Vampire Diaries,” adapted from the books of the same name, is for teenagers, but it appeals to a wider audience like “Twilight” does.

To catch up on “True Blood,” HBOGo, HBO’s streaming service, has several seasons available, but you must have an active cable subscription to take advantage of it. To get the full series, you will have to rent or buy the seasons on DVD or Blu-ray. However, you can start streaming The Vampire Diaries on Netflix starting with season one. Some of the “Twilight” movies are also available on Netflix.

“Twilight” offers the mildest take on the new sexy vampires, but despite their popularity, many vampire fans find the lack of certain vampire traits unappealing. “True Blood” and “The Vampire Diaries” let the primal side of vampires shine through regularly, which appeals to fans of the more traditional, gory vampires typically associated with blood-sucking. Interestingly, both television series have high-budget film quality effects, the characters have more depth and the vampires appeal to men and women of all ages.

Shopping for Baby is not as easy as it may sound.   With so many brands available today and an overflow of resources at your disposal, it can be difficult for even the most seasoned parent to easily decide what to purchase, how much of it to purchase and when to make those purchases.

The good news is that manufacturers have evolved enough to better satisfy parent’s needs and budgets.  The even better news is that retailers too have listened to parent’s feedback and now make it possible to make the same in store purchases and more online.

All of those bulky baby must-haves can be purchased through your favorite retailer’s website and shipped directly to your home, sometimes for free.

Retailers who have a focus on baby merchandise, like Argos, carry a wide selection these baby items from all of the major brands.  With a wide inventory selection, it is possible to find items that are not available in stores or are sold out in others online.

If you walk into your favorite Argos location, for example, because you know that Argos provide prams, but they don’t have the color you prefer in store, you can always visit Argos online, order the pram in the color you want and have it shipped to your home.

Due to space constraints, these same retailers are limited in what they are able to stock on site.  Even though the manufacturers they carry in store manufacture a variety of styles of prams, stores cannot carry an inventory of each, so they offer them for sale online instead.

Not only does Argos provide prams, Argos also carries a wide selection of pram accessories and toy prams that your child may one day enjoy.  Just remember, whichever pram it is that you are seeking to buy, if it’s not available in store, it is most likely available online.

Manufacturers have paid attention to feedback from parents.  Companies who focus on baby goods have started to manufacture merchandise that grows with your child.  From strollers to prams to pushchairs, we no longer have to make several purchases of similar items to keep up with your child.

Today, these baby must haves follow your child at least through three stages of their quick growing early years from the infant to toddler to kid stage.

It’s always a good idea to see any baby items you are interested in purchasing in person.  Check out the floor models at your preferred baby item retailer.  Test out the items by carrying them, pushing them, lifting them and if possible, sitting in them.

It’s OK to treat these floor models a little rough.  Retailers make them available to you so that you can make your purchase with some peace of mind.

Once you have narrowed down your list, go ahead and consider ordering the items online.  Making these purchases online saves you and your vehicle some wear and tear.  We’re not always prepared to arrange our purchases into our vehicles because we’re not anticipating the shape and size of the boxes in which they are packaged.

Retailers understand that parents want to make the right purchase the first time, so if there is a problem with any merchandise, easy exchange, return and refund policies have been set up.

So go ahead and enjoy the process of making these purchases for your child whether you are a new or seasoned parent.