Train of Lights - Niles Canyon Railway Part III

Final thoughts on the Train of Lights:

1 - Bring warm clothes.  The train has a few open-air cars.  Kids LOVE open-air cars...

2 - Bring hot chocolate and snacks.

Note - the Niles Canyon Railway runs weekends year-round.  Check their website for details (see our earlier post).

Train of Lights - Niles Canyon Railway, Part II

We had a great experience on the Niles Canyon Railway.  We arrived just in time to catch the train (which I can't recommend).  Our son had fallen asleep in the car on the way to the Niles station (right near Niles Avenue in Fremont, which is a great neighborhood with lots of shops and a few restaurants).  It took him about 15 minutes to finally wake up; he was happily surprised to find himself already comfortably situated on the train.

The train was full of families, but not packed (perhaps since we were riding the train on the Tuesday after Christmas; the train can get very busy, especially on weekends in December before Christmas).

As we were moving through the Niles Canyon, my wife got up to get some hot cocoa from the food & drink car near the front of the train.  After a few minutes, the train came to a stop.

My wife returned about 5 minutes later.  It turned out that the train had decoupled.  Luckily, she hadn't made it to the hot chocolate and was on our side of the train.  The delay lasted about 20 minutes or so, by which time our son was just starting to get a bit restless.

The rest of the trip (which ended up at just under 2 hours because of the delay) was a mellow, fun ride for all of us.  Our son enjoyed walking through the different types of vintage cars (though we never did make it all the way to the hot chocolate car).

By the end of the ride, it was dark outside.  The Train of Lights is, indeed, a train of lights:

Here's the locomotive:

Santa Fe car:

More lights:

The outside of our car:

Here's where the train decoupled earlier in the afternoon:

 

Train of Lights - Niles Canyon Railway

The Niles Canyon Railway is one of the great hidden gems of the Bay Area.  It describes itself as "a railroad museum where the exhibits come to life," which is entirely accurate.  The Railway operates vintage railroad equipment along the Niles Canyon between Fremont and Sunol.

Each November and December, the Railway operates the Train of Lights.  The old trains are strung with holiday lights on the inside and out.  The trains are full of kids and parents; it is a really great, mellow way to spend a late afternoon with the family over the holidays.  

Two trains operate each night -- one leaves from Niles in Fremont at 4:15pm.  The other leaves from Sunol at 7:15pm (heading in the other direction).  The ride usually lasts around 90 minutes.  This seems to be just about the right amount of time for this sort of thing; by the end of the ride, most kids are ready to get going.  Tickets are $25 (early in the season you can get reserved seating, or even rent out an entire train car/caboose for a private party).

We recommend the 4:15 train out of the Niles station.  You get to enjoy the ride in the daylight, looking at the scenery along the steep Niles Canyon.  You can see the river, the steep hillsides, the old train equipment on parallel tracks, and the equipment yard (which is also the turn-around point for the train).  By the time you get back to the station, it is dark; you can see the amazing lights on the outside of the train.      

Here's a view of our train car:    

Facing the other direction:

Here's a shot of the canyon:

nutcracker shows for children in the San Francisco Bay area

There are several choices for seeing a Nutcracker performance in the San Francisco Bay area.

One performance that I want to see next year is the Dance along Nutcracker, "Clara's Magical Mystery Tour."  The performance occurred December 10th and 11th of 2011.  See sflgfb.townalive.com/dance-along-nutcracker-2011-tickets/.

The San Francisco ballet company was the first ballet company to bring the nutcracker tradition to America.  See www.sfballet.org/tickets/production/overview/nutcracker.

The Children's Creativity Museum in San Francisco has a special 50 minute version of the Nutcracker with live music.  See creativity.org/nutcracker-sweets/  for more information regarding ticket times.  This is the version that I'm looking at taking my three year old son to.  If you participate in the music together program then you are qualified for a discount.

At the Paramount theater the Oakland Ballet presents Graham Lustig's The Nutcracker.  A few of the showtimes also have a party afterwards.  See www.paramounttheatre.com for more information.

Walt Disney Family Museum, Part III

And here's the $3.50 cookie:

And here's a view from the cafe:

Walt Disney Family Museum, Part II

The Presidio in San Francisco is an amazing place.  It has changed dramatically since the end of the Cold War, when it served as an Army Base.

Now, it plays host to Lucasfilm (George Lucas' company, which has its headquarters there).  And it is also the site of the Walt Disney Family Museum, which we discussed in our earlier post.

Here are some pictures of the beautiful buildings that now house the museum:

The Walt Disney Family Museum (for Children)

When I saw my 3 1/2-year-old son at the end of the day today, I noticed that he had a sticker on his shirt from the Walt Disney Family Museum.  I said to him, "Wow!  You went to the Disney Family Museum?  That sounds like so much fun.  Was it great?"

His response:  "No, it wasn't."

"Why?"

"It was REALLY SCARY."  He didn't elaborate and ran off to play with some toys in another room.

I related the story to my wife.  "What happened?" I asked.

Turns out that my wife had wanted to check out the museum for a long time, and they went to the Presidio in San Francisco to check it out.

The entrance fee was $20 per person (kids my son's age were free).  The only thing our son really enjoyed was the gift shop.  They had some great stuff (though a fair amount of breakable stuff, too).  And they have a cafe with treats, etc. (though the cookies were pretty pricey at $3.50 a pop).

The museum really just doesn't seem appropriate for kids until perhaps ages 10 or 11 (depending on the child).  Perhaps not even until middle school.  And even then it will only really appeal to older kids interested in art.

There's no denying that some of Disney's content is just pretty dark.  Death.  Death.  More death and darkness.  Even some of the original models of Mickey Mouse have very creepy expressions.

And one screen looked like a fun cartoon, but switched to images of naked nymphs interspaced with images of Walt Disney.  

Our son was pretty darn freaked.  Bottom line: the guy at the front desk should NOT have said "some kids like it."  These folks should be warning families with youngsters not to bring in the youngsters.

What is appropriate here?  Check out the list of upcoming events for the museum. A few upcoming events look appropriate, even for younger kids.  For example, they have a "Sunday Story Time" on the first Sunday of every month from 3-3:45pm, for children ages 5 to 8.

They definitely have a lot of really interesting exhibits and events for adults.  This would be a REALLY interesting place to visit WITHOUT kids.  Every month they have something going on for people interested in art.  It would also be a great place to go have some coffee and draw or write.

This month, for example, the museum is hosting a "Disney Discoveries" class on December 10th and December 18th, from 1:00PM -3:30PM in the Learning Center Art Studio (A).  The class involves making personalized  snow globes (filled with holiday cheer)!  My wife loved the snow globes in the gift shop and she wishes she could attend this class.

Overall, this museum is really more for adult artists, inspiring artists, those interested in creativity, or those interested in the Disney empire, than the average person or family.  The only child friendly item on the newsletter offerings for December was the storytime once a month and the "Noon Year Eve Celebration" beginning at 10:00AM on Saturday, December 31, 2011.

The write up for the "Noon Year Eve Celebration" says:

"Countdown to Midday - who wants to stay up all night when you can celebrate at noon?  Join us for our very first Noon Year's Eve Celebration.  We will have indoor & outdoor activities including a beach ball bounce.  There is a special showing of 'The Love Bug' in the Theater and you can visit Herbie & friends in front of the Museum.  Enter to win a special screening in our theater for you and your 50 closest friends!  Make your day complete by pre-ordering a 'picnic' lunch served in our Special Exhibition hall at 12:30 pm."

That actually sounds pretty brilliant to us.

Deck the Halls

The San Francisco Symphony is hosting children's holiday shows during the weekend that are worth seeing.  There are two shows on Sunday -- one begins at 11am, and the second concert and show is at 3pm.  They include a post-show party.  For details, check out the Symphony's Deck the Halls page.  The Symphony is a real San Francisco experience; it is approaching its 100th anniversary.  The architecture of the building is amazing; with curved walls and windows, the view from the street is like you're looking at a grand piano.

For reservations call 415-864-6000.

Chanty Singing at Hyde Street Pier

Tonight (October 3), at 8pm -- and every first Saturday of the month -- the Living Museum at Hyde Street Pier (part of the National Park Service) hosts chanty singing.  We've done this before; it is a lot of fun.  It provides a real taste of maritime history, and is fantastic in the atmosphere of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

Wear warm clothes -- it is cold on the ship.  Also, bring your own mug (or a to-go cup) if you can -- for hot cider!

Call 415-561-7171 to reserve a spot.  Seewww.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/chantey-sing.htm for more details.

Is Thanksgiving Too Stressful?

After writing about whether Halloween is too scary for toddlers, I started thinking about whether Thanksgiving is too stressful for grownups.  Today is the biggest travel day of the year.  People across the country are battling snow and rain to make it home.  Yet, how many people these days have the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving that they yearn for, especially as they sit in traffic in the snow or their plane is delayed?  

This holiday season has been very stressful for us.  We try to make each side of the family happy.  But how do people really make two families happy, especially when everyone wants to spend time with their gorgeous grandchild/grandchildren?  The other day I talked to some empty-nesters whose son wasn't planning on coming home for the holidays for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  

This year I wanted to rent a beach house at Half Moon Bay and invite one side of the family on one day, and then the other side of the family the next.  It just didn't work out.  Since we are doing some work on our house, we decided to go out to dinner this year.  I hope I can take some time to contemplate what I am grateful for, relax, and enjoy the moment.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Just for fun, I'll be sharing a few ideas I've thought would be fun- maybe next year!

-TC Mama

Is Halloween Too Scary for a Preschooler?

It is almost Thanksgiving, it is getting colder, wetter, and my son is attending "Turkey Camp" for two days starting tomorrow.  

Yet, what he is still talking about is whether Halloween is too scary.  I regret our Halloween plans because he is STILL talking about how Halloween was too scary!  The best part of Halloween for him was passing out candy.  But the actual act of trick-or-treating was too scary.  

Why?  

Well, a few things came up while trick or treating:

- literally at the very first house we went to, our neighbor held out a bowl.  It had a moving electronic hand in it, triggered when you approach the bowl to take out a piece of candy.  It terrified our son.  At every other house on Halloween night, he asked, "Is there a hand in the bowl?"  

-at another house down the street, a woman opened the door with a fake meat cleaver sticking out of her head.  She told my son, "This is why you need to be careful with knives!"  Ever since, he has walked around telling us (and others), "You need to be really more careful with knives!"  When we walk past the house, my son asks, "Is this where the woman with the knife in her head lives?"  He runs past as quick as he can.

-other houses included displays with bats, ghouls, scary music, flying ghosts, shall I go on......?

Next year, I'm going to have my son pass out candy.  For now, I think trick-or-treating may just be too scary!

--TC Mama

Jack-O-Lanterns

Warning:  Your pumkin is going to start to decay about 2-3 days after you carve it.  Plan accordingly!  But don't plan too far in advance...

Lawrence Hall of Science Halloween Event

I wanted to follow up on my post the other day about the Dinosaur exhibit at Lawrence Hall of Science.  This weekend LHS is having a special Halloween event -- "Dinosaurs vs. Robots."

I don't know about you, but when I was a kid THIS is the sort of event I'd get really excited about.

Here are the details, which I'm copying from an email I received from LHS.  I'm including the links to the LHS website and Facebook site.

--TC Daddy

Dinosaurs vs. Robots

Part of the Bay Area Science Festival
Sunday, October 30
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Free with admission

Become a paleontologist and explore what sounds dinosaurs may have made. Then, become an engineer and engage in robotics challenges, led by the Pioneers in Engineering. After trying out both, vote for which is more fun: dinosaurs or robots?

Wear a dino or robot costume and get a free ticket to the 3D film Dinosaurs Alive!

Which do you prefer: dinosaurs or robots? Vote now!
Share why you chose dinosaurs or robots on our Facebook page or tweet @Berkeleyscience and be entered to win a Family Pass to the Hall!

Dinosaurs!

The Lawrence Hall of Science has been hosting a large dinosaur exhibit.  "Dinosaurs Unearthed" will be the main exhibit there through January 1, 2012.

Lawrence Hall of Science is in the hills above U.C. Berkeley.  Whether you are from the San Francisco Bay Area or just visiting, LHS is well worth spending part of a day.

Kids will be amazed (and little ones might be a bit frightened) by the audio-anamatronic-style dinosaurs right in the lobby at the Hall.  Spend some time preparing your child so they know what they're going to see before you go so that they won't be frightened.  "We're going to see some really big dinosaur puppets that move and look real."

The exhibit includes a simulated archeological dig area, where kids can see what it is like to have to carefully  brush the dirt away from fossils in the field:

There's an entire room filled with more of the large audio-anamatronic dinosaurs, which are really impressive.  In the museum's backyard, which features a large exhibit on fluvial systems (kids can manipulate small walls in a large fountain to direct and dam up the current of the water), there's a huge T-Rex that moves and roars every few minutes.  This is a big hit for the kids who are prepared to see this sort of thing.

Two caveats if you have never been to LHS just to be prepared:  First, you'll have to drive up into the hills, which can be an adventure if you're used to driving in the flat-lands.  Second, LHS is part of U.C. Berkeley and so you'll have to pay to park using one of the kiosks at the exit of the parking lots.  If you arrive mid-day on a weekend, that may mean you have to park at one of the lots high up on the hill, walk down, get a parking permit at the automated kiosk, and then hike back up to put the permit on the dashboard.

--TC Daddy  

Sid the Science Kid Beats Up the Little Einsteins

You already know that I'm not too impressed with Little Einsteins.  Connoting genius, the series has virtually nothing to do with science.

If you want your preschooler to watch a show that has something to do with science, I think Sid the Science Kid rocks.  A typical episode begins with Sid encountering a situation that poses a question.  Example:  At breakfast, he gets a rotten banana and doesn't want to eat it.  The question:  what happened to the banana?  The answer:  It decayed.

Sid then goes off to school (in a sequence repeated in every show, his mother drops him off in front of the school, and she lets out a laugh that seems to me to be both extremely happy and perhaps a bit maniacal (as if she is thinking, "I get a break from Sid!!!")).  In the playground, Sid greets his friends and discusses decay and what it might mean with his three kindergarten buddies (this has got to be the school with the best teacher-student ratio in the United States; but hey, it is television after all).

The kids head inside for school, where "Teacher Suzie" discusses the big question of the day and has the kids perform experiments relating to it (like observing a fresh versus rotten pumpkin and drawing a picture of them), which is mirrored by a video sequence of actual kids and not just the animation kids performing the experiments.  The kids head outside for playtime and discuss what they've learned while playing.  When they head back inside, "Teacher Suzie" sings a song related to the issue of the day.

Next, Sid's grandmother picks him up from school and takes him home, where Sid discusses what he learned with his parents.  Finally, Sid gets ready for bed, where he comes up with a "Super Duper Big Idea" relating to the topic of the show.  The "Super Duper Big Idea" is usually some kind of invention, and is the sort of "invention" that a kindergartener would come up with.    

Why is this so great?  The show focuses on a key concept.  It teaches the concept in a range of different ways.  It is funny.  It is interesting.  It gives kids a chance to think about observation and experimentation.  It lays out at least one experiment that a child can do at home with a parent/caregiver.  And it is just plain fun.

Fleet Week and the Blue Angels

San Francisco's Fleet Week is this weekend!  On Friday October 7, Saturday, and Sunday, the Blue Angels will be roaring over San Francisco.  If you live in SF, then you already know about this, since you heard and felt them practicing today.

Visit the Fleet Week website for a detailed schedule.  The big Parade of Ships begins at 11am on Saturday.  The Blue Angels are a huge highlight, and you can see them flying from 3-4 each day.  You can also see the Canadian Snowbirds perform from 1:30-2.  All of these events will be memorable to your kids.  You don't easily forget the Blue Angels.  

You can get tickets to see the air show from down on the Marina Green.  That said, you can see the show from many vantage points around the City.  Based on past experience, the waterfront near Ghiradelli Square is a good spot, as is the top of Larkin (on Russian Hill above Ghiradelli).  The jets buzz the buildings downtown, and if you know someone who works in an office tower downtown then it might be worth heading in to the office over the weekend.

Music

If you are looking to teach your child music appreciation, you can probably do a lot better than Little Einsteins.  We love the Music Together program.  The program offers classes led by a music teacher and attended by babies, toddlers, and preschoolers with their parents or guardians.

The class always begins with a "Hello" song and ends with a "Goodbye" song.  Each class then involves the teacher leading the group in interactive songs.  Kids are encouraged to sing, keep rhythm (by clapping, tapping, etc.), dance, run, jump, pretend to sleep, wave, etc., depending on the context of the song.  The teacher will play an instrument during some songs, play a CD for other songs while leading a sing-along, and go without any accompaniment for other songs.  The teacher will bring out instruments for the kids for a song or two, and will bring out a scarf or some other prop for another song.  Parents or caregivers are left with no real choice but to also get involved in the singing, tapping, dancing, or other activity.

At the start of each series of class sessions, the participants get a CD.  The CD includes all the songs that the teacher will use in the class for that series of sessions.

Additionally, the participants can get a songbook corresponding to the CD.  The songbook is great for learning lyrics to the songs used in class (many of which are classics, like "This Old Man," which appears in the "Bongos" book).  Perhaps more fun, however, is the fact that the songbook includes music for piano and guitar.

On a personal note, I've actually been using the songbooks to teach myself guitar so that I can play songs for my wife and son.  I can't say that I'm particularly good at it, but it is a lot of fun.  I get to interact with my family in a new way.

Little Einsteins

The Disney tv series "Little Einsteins" connotes genius.  It promotes music and art appreciation for youngsters.  What parent wouldn't want their child to watch a show about genius?

You have to wonder, however, whether Albert Einstein, perhaps the greatest physicist of all time, would approve.  The Little Einsteins in "Little Einsteins" seem to live in a world where the rules of physics just don't apply.  They travel around in "Rocket," which is a little rocket.  The rocket can fit into rooms through doors that are way too small for it.  In one episode, a cello falls off a bridge onto a tugboat and doesn't break.  And so on, and so on.

Come on, Disney -- we love you.  You can do better!!!

--TC Daddy

Duck tours in San Francisco

Last week I took my three and a half year old son on a duck tour in San Francisco.  It was a blast!  The driver even let the children on the boat drive when we were out in the water.  The interesting thing for children is when they start out on a boat, and then suddenly we got to the water and the boat floats.  The expression on my son's face was priceless.  Also, each person on the tour gets a duck caller, which the children and adults use to make people laugh.  If I was new to San Francisco, I think the best tours are still the double decker red buses because you have on and off privileges all around the city.  Yet, if you are a tourist and you have a chance for a second tour, I would vote for the duck tour, especially if you have children  The duck tour is also a chance for fun for people who actually live in the bay area.  What a great way to take visitors around the city without having to drive yourself!

--TC Mommy

Animal Palooza at Fort Mason in San Francisco

Has your child ever seen such wild animals from around the world like a porcupine, hedgehog, or an ocelot?  There will be lots of wild creatures to learn about at Animal Palooza,  as well as wildlife activities such as the following:  insect masks, owl pellet dissection, facepainting, and wildlife origami. 

Special guest to Animal Palooza include the San Francisco Zoo, California Academy of Sciences, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Aquarium of the bay, insect Discovery Lab, and other guests.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $8/youth, $10/adult.  Contact 415-648-3392 for more information.

Hosted by SaveNature.Org, an environmental nonprofit.

Sausalito Arts Festival

The 59th Annual Sausalito Arts Festival is this Labor Day weekend (September 3, 4, and 5, 2011).  Hours are Saturday and Sunday 10-6 and Monday 10-5. 

The festival is great fun for families.  Bring a stroller, drinks, and snacks (they have food and drink there but you may not want to wait on line).  Also, if you or your child are sensitive to noise, bring earplugs.  The festival features several music venues that are close to the art.

In addition to some fantastic art and good food, there are several great educational displays.  For example, the festival has an exhibit called The Beautiful Brain, which shows "neuroscience images as art."  Lots of interesting pictures; our 3-year-old loved it.  Real images of the brain (we think our son enjoyed this exhibit in Sausalito more than the brain exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in NYC, which we blogged about in March, because that exhibit in NY is darkly-lit and a bit scary for a youngster).  

Potty Books

In an earlier post, we suggested building a potty training library of stuff for your toddler to read.  Here are some suggestions:

Pirate Potty:


Some friends gave these out to a group of 2-year olds as the take-home at their 2-year-old's birthday party.  It includes a pirate hat, which is really too small to wear, and a bunch of pirate-oriented stickers to use as prizes during potty training.

Much more fun to read if you use your pirate voice...







Big Boys Use the Potty!




This one comes with many star stickers to track progress.  We used the pirate stickers on a sporadic basis at the start, but then started using the star stickers in this book when we really began charting progress and methodically potty training.







Once Upon A Potty:

These are gender-specific potty training books.  They include body-part illustrations to describe the process.  I found the pictures of the poor mother in these books -- holding the diaper filled with pee and poo -- to be sadly amusing.


    

Potty Training Tips: Underwear

Some parents find that after their toddler tries on underwear, it works best to have them just wear their sweats or pants instead of underwear for some period of time.  Sweats are just easier to pull down in a hurry as compared with underwear plus pants.

Be prepared for accidents at the start!

Potty Training Tips: Nighttime Potty Use

When your toddler is ready for nighttime potty training -- AFTER daytime training is completely mastered -- start out by working on reducing liquids right before bed.  That isn't easy for toddlers who like to have a drink before they turn over and go to sleep.  But it is a wise move, since toddlers frequently won't wake themselves up to go in the middle of the night.

It makes sense to have your toddler spend time using the potty right before bed.  This is true even if the toddler says he doesn't have to go.  You want them to get into the habit of potty before bed.

You may need to wake your child to use the potty once during the night.  That is a matter of trial and error.  And frankly the trial and error process is a good reason to have a rubber mattress covers.

Potty Training Tips: Some Psychology

At the start of potty training, it doesn't really matter if your toddler actually urinates or has a bowel movement.  You don't want to pressure the toddler and get him or her all freaked out about the process.  It isn't that the toddler won't be a big boy if he fails to urinate.  Nor is it that you won't be proud of him or that you'll be disappointed in him.

We suggest you try not to use words like "good boy!" or "good job!"  You want your toddler to master the skill.  We suggest you use comments like "that's it!"  Or "I notice that you went potty."  Or "it is really helpful when you use the potty."

Potty Training Tips: Making it Fun

In an earlier post, we suggested trying to make using a potty fun for your little person.

There are many potty toys on the market.  Examples include the talking potty training Elmo doll.  You give the Elmo a plastic sippy cup to "drink" from.  A sensor in the mouth of the Elmo doll senses the cup and Elmo "drinks."  Then a few seconds later Elmo announces he has to go potty.  You help Elmo out of his underpants and put him on an Elmo-size plastic potty.  The doll senses it is on the potty, and Elmo does his thing (sounds only; there's no liquid or solid coming out of this doll, which is good).  If you don't put Elmo on the potty in time, then Elmo announces that he has had an accident; better luck next time.















Of course, you don't need to take this sort of elaborate approach to making potty training fun for your toddler.  You can just use a stuffed animal and pretend that it is going potty on your toddler's potty chair or potty seat.  Doesn't have to be a big production.

Potty Training Tips: Shopping for a Potty Part IV

One further thought on your potty purchase.  If you do choose to go the potty seat route, then don't forget to get a step stool.  This way your toddler can climb up him or herself, further asserting their potty independence.

We ended up with a "Rhino" folding step stool.  These are nice because you can just fold them up to store next to the toilet.  We also figure that once our son grows up, we'll still be able to use this type of stool in contrast to some other step stools, which are toddler exclusive in the sense that an adult of average weight couldn't stand on it.

Potty Training Tips: Shopping for a Potty Part III

What type of potty to get -- a potty seat or a potty chair -- is really a preference, and it is up to you and your toddler.

We started out with a potty chair.  But it turned out that our son wasn't much for the potty chair.  He used it periodically, but it never caught on.  Instead, he really started to get interested in the potty when we had him work with a potty seat.  We think he just enjoyed being able to go potty where his mom and dad do.

In addition to our son's personal preference, we also have to point out what is probably obvious -- you have to empty out the potty chair into the toilet.  And then you have to clean out the potty chair.

That can get pretty nasty.

Shopping for a Potty, Part II

The second major category of potties for toddlers are really just toilet seats that fit onto a standard size toilet seat.  Technically, these are "potty seats."  The first category of stand-alone potties, which I discussed in a prior post, are "potty chairs."

Here's an example of a Disney "Pooh" potty seat:


 













Generally, one potty seat is pretty much like another.  The technology is pretty simple.  The color of the seat, or the art on the seat, is the biggest difference.

If you go this route, we recommend also getting a potty hook.  Otherwise you keep having to put the potty seat on the ground or you forget about it, with adverse consequences once your toddler starts doing his or her thing on his or her own.

Potty Training Tips: Shopping for a Potty

We were surprised at the variety of different types of potties available for toddlers.  In general, they really just break down into two big categories.

The first is a small potties that don't drain into a toilet. 

 

These typically can just sit in a bathroom.  Some parents are willing to put these potties in another room, for toddlers who aren't comfortable with the potty process and prefer to try to use the potty in a room in which they feel more comfortable.

One example is the Baby Bjorn Potty Chair.  Here's a picture and a link:

We started with the Bjorn.  There are lots of other stand-alone small potties on the market.  Some are shaped like animals (Fisher-Price has a frog shaped potty called the "Froggy Friend":

Potty Training Tips: How to Start

We suggest that you plan an upcoming "start" date for potty training.  This gives you a chance to create a potty training plan.  All participants get a chance to prepare for this developmental stage -- you are giving your toddler a chance to get psyched up!

Set up a week to start when you and any other caregivers can remind your toddler about going to the potty roughly every 1-2 hours during the day.  Before that start time, you can visit the potty periodically with your toddler to get ready, trying it out occasionally.

It may take some time for the first several sessions.  Be prepared to keep your toddler company.  Read to him or her -- have some books about the potty really close to the potty to read during these times of day.

Consider using a chart to mark your toddler's progress.  This isn't a new idea -- keeping track of progress by handing out star stickers is as old as adhesive star stickers.  But it works!  Kids just like getting stars.

Consider setting up a reward system, too.  For our son, we agreed that we would get him a present once he reached the ten star mark.  We had him pick out the present before starting out -- he picked a wooden pirate ship as his goal.  That was a pretty big step -- a few intensive days of potty training.   Other rewards might include a special event -- a beach day.  A trip to get ice cream.  A fun time in the backyard or a nearby park.  We suggest that it be someplace that the toddler can try out his or her new underwear for a day.

Potty Training Tips

We came by most of these tips by trial and error.  We also got advice from discussions with friends and exchanged ideas at play dates.

• Look for readiness.  Every child is different!  Don't worry about whether it is too early to start, or whether it is taking too long to start.  
• For example, start a potty training library, reading one book at a time.  Look for readiness and interest when you read to them.
• Plan on this process taking lots of time.  
• Empower your child.  Get them on board.  One way to do this is by making it more like a game.
• Shop for potties with your child.  Or, have one appear as a gift from a special family member or good friend.

Summer Solstice Today!

Summer solstice is the longest day of the year!  

What:  Family summer solstice in Alameda County, CA

When:  Tuesday, June 21st

Where:  Summer solstice will be celebrated in two spots for families.

* Tilden Nature Area has a summer solstice celebration from 6:30-9:00PM.  The event will be hosted by naturalist, Bethany Facendini.  Activities are the following:  a 1.5 nature hike, a campfire, and crafts for children.  Reservations required, please call tilden park for availability.

*  Crab Cove interpretive center, Alameda, also has a summer solstice event.   The activities at this event are for children 3 to 8 and their siblings.  This event will be hosted by supervising naturalist Sharol Nelson Embry.  The event will feature games, songs, stories, and a hike.  This event does not require a reservation.  The address of the event is 1252 Mckay Ave, off Central Avenue in Alameda.

Summer solstice websites:

For information on defining summer solstice, see:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/summer_solstice

news.discovery.com/space/what-is-the-summer-solstice.html

news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/06/100621-summer solstice-2011

Also, for more information on upcoming summer events in the San Francisco Bay Area, take a look at

www.insidebayarea.com 

Flying With Youngsters

A few thoughts on flying with young children:

1 - Up until 18 months, it makes a lot of sense to fly with your child as a lap baby.  We found that our son wouldn't really stay put in his own seat anyway.  Between 18-24 months, things get a bit tight.  After 24 months, airlines will make you buy your child his/her own seat anyway (and frankly at that point you probably won't want to keep your son/daughter on your lap anyway).

2 - Think in advance about food.  Airlines have cut WAY back on in-flight food.  Gone are the days when you could expect even a mediocre in-flight meal, unless you're flying across the country.  Even on long flights meals frequently aren't served -- United eliminated meals on its SFO -> Chicago flights long ago.  While you can sometimes buy a sandwich or a box of crackers and junk food in flight, some kids won't eat that stuff even if you'd let them.  Bring some food with you.  Bring an empty bottle and/or sippy cup and buy your drinks once you get past security (and give yourself a bit of time to do that).

3 - Think in advance about what your child is going to do while in flight.  Bring some activities.  We've found sticker books to be great on a long flight.  Bring some headphones that your child can wear comfortably and hook into a computer with a DVD player/iPad with some saved kids shows/videos.

4 - Pack your diapers and wipes where you can get to them quickly.

5 - Bring 2 changes of clothes for your child on long flights -- "just in case."  Also, bring some cloth diapers or a small hand towel (again, just in case, to clean up messes).

6 - Make sure your bags have wheels (if at all possible).  Helps on long walks through the terminal.

7 - Where you can't do #6, spring for the push cart that you find in the terminal.

8 - Find out if your child seat will actually fit on the play you'll be flying on.  We've frequently found that the seat takes up so much room there's no place for legs or feet to go.  The person in the seat in front of your child will have an especially bumpy ride as your son/daughter kicks the seat (especially if they try to recline).

9 - Try to be mellow.  Note - this is way easier said than done.  A corollary:  try to give yourself time to get to a connecting flight (especially if you're flying into an airport with a large terminal).

--TC Daddy

Toddlers in Class

Our experience with our 3-year old son in Capoeira class has generally been very positive.  He is enthusiastic.  He enjoys it.  He particularly likes running around and practicing a few of the poses that they have learned (eg, "the crab" and "the bear").  He also seems to be getting pretty good at doing high kicks and dropping into the Capoeira defensive posture (crouched down, arms bent at the elbows and held on either side of the head to block kicks/punches).  The music is rhythmic and fun.

Our hope is that the class also helps teach him listening skills.  This isn't an easy skill to acquire, especially since he doesn't attend a class on a daily basis.  Sometimes the instructor is tough to follow from a 3-year old perspective, and is teaching more complex moves to the 5-year-olds in the class.  And if it gets too hard to follow, our son is creative and will do his own thing.  We think that creativity is an important quality to develop.  But, that can get disruptive in a martial arts class with many 3-5 year olds, which depends on maintaining some semblance of discipline.

So, we've been talking to our son before getting to class about how he's going to listen to the teacher, he's going to follow instructions, it's important to do that, etc, etc.  This seems to work pretty well.  But if we asked the instructor, he'd probably say that this hasn't entirely resolved things.

On balance, we think our son is getting something out of the experience.  We'd recommend it, and we're likely to continue the activity.  That said, this raises a broader question about classes that are offered to kids in multiple age ranges.  3-5 doesn't seem like a big spread, but the attention span and ability to process and carry out complex instructions seems to be pretty different in a toddler who just turned 3 and a child either about to -- or actually in -- kindergarten.

--TC Daddy    

Capoeira in Berkeley

We have had an interesting and mostly fun experience with a pre-Capoeira class in Berkeley.  Capoeira is a "dynamic Afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates movement and music in an enjoyable and spirited atmostphere."

Offered by the United Capoeira Association - Berkeley at a studio on San Pablo Avenue (just north of University Ave.), the pre-Capoeira class includes kids ages 3-5.  As you can imagine when 10-14 kids at that age get together for a very active class, it is indeed both enjoyable and spirited (as you can see):

Good Night [Insert Location Here]

I really wish that I had come up with the concept behind the "Good Night World" series of books.

If you're not familiar with it, these books take a child through the day in a given geographical location, with cartoon-like pictures of kids and adults in various memorable locales.  The books frequently also take the child from sight to sight and/or from season to season.

For example, the book "Good Night California" starts out on what looks like a southern California beach and pier.  It then ranges through many of the geographies of California -- Hollywood, Yosemite, San Francisco, Mt. Whitney, Sacramento, a Central Vally-ish scene, etc.  The text is simple, and pretty engaging for little ones.

The authors/publisher clearly know they have a good thing going.  The "Good Night World" books have proliferated wildly -- there's Good Night Washington, DC.  That one progresses through the seasons, going from spring at the start of the book in the morning, through summer in the middle of the book, and ending with a set of snowy scenes at the end.  Some folks might like that; I got used to it.  Good Night New York (complete with construction workers building at Ground Zero).  Good Night Charleston.  Good Night New Jersey.  Etc, etc.

At one point a bit over a year ago, I was reading "Good Night Beach" (link below) to my son on a regular basis.  There's a line in there along the lines of, "Good night surfcasters, catching fish from the beach."  I vividly recall my son, just around his second birthday, whispering the words when he saw each page, before I read them -- including the bit about the surfcasters (I am not a surfcaster, and I don't think I had used the word before reading the book).  He had memorized the text.  

Anyway, given the many, many hours I've spent reading these books with my son, this series has a special place in my heart.

--TC Daddy

Lunch Spot

Looking for a great place for food for a picnic, play date, or lunch date (or perhaps need catering for an event)?  Try La Boulange de Danville (405 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526; telephone (925) 838-1200).

La Boulange is a local favorite in the Alamo and Danville area.  It is a wonderful place to pick up breakfast or food for a picnic before heading to the park, to meet for a playdate.  Also for food for a birthday party or other event (they do catering, too).  

I discovered  this place through friends living in the Alamo, Danville, and San Ramon area when all eight of us met for lunch there with our little ones.

La Boulange has locations around the Bay Area, including Lafayette -- and nine stores in San Francisco.

Livorna Park

Livorna Park in Danville is a great place to go on a lazy sunny day.  The park features a volleyball area, basketball court, playground, large grassy area, and picnic tables for small and large groups (also public bathrooms, which can be important).

The only drawback to this park is that it is near a main road.  I wouldn't advise going there without help with more than one child.

"Spring Skiing"

It is now Spring.  But, I'm thinking of taking my family on one more trip to the snow.  Last time we went, we had our son take a lesson at Squaw Valley (children must be at least three years old).  The website Red Tricycle has useful information on places to stay.

Among other possibilities, I'd like to take my son to Alpine Meadows to ski.  The snowfall this season has been astonishing -- they don't project closing down for the season until May 8, 2011!!!  Alpine Meadows has a kids camp for children ages 3-6, and another mainstream camp for kids 7-12.  Dates for the camps are April 4-9, April 11-16, and April 18-13.  For details see the Alpine Meadows Kids Programs website.

--TC Mommy

Gold Country Family Grub

If you happen to be in (or passing through) Nevada City, CA, then check out Matteo's Public - a FAMILY friendly beer & wine pub.  See Matteo's Public for menus and hours.  The address is 300 Commercial Street, Nevada City, CA - 530-265-0782.  Try the soft pretzels, garlic fries, or sliders.

TC Mommy

American Museum of Natural History - New York

The American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org) is one of the most extraordinary museums in the world.  I vividly remember visiting as a child -- visions of enormous dinosaur fossils are etched into my memory, as are visits to the old Hayden Planetarium, with its massive star projector.  More recently, the museum re-entered popular consciousness as the setting for the Ben Stiller Night at the Museum movies.

We recently had the chance to visit the Museum of Natural History with our three-year-old son.  He was duly impressed (though only time will tell whether the museum makes the same impression on him as it did on me).  

At age 3, it turned out that he is a bit too young to enjoy the Planetarium's Journey to the Stars show (which was amazing, though a bit too loud).     

The dinosaurs were more accessible.  In the years since my last visit in the early 80s, the museum has re-positioned the dinosaur fossils to alter pose and posture, taking into account the most recent learning concerning the dinosaurs.  From a 3-year-old perspective, I suspect the size of the fossils makes the most significant impression.

The museum now has at special exhibit on the human brain.  Great exhibit for older children (perhaps 7+) and adults.  My son felt the exhibit was a bit too dark, and so asked me to hold him through the entire exhibit (which I love doing anyway).

If you find yourself in Manhattan with your child, make a point to stop at this national treasure.   

--TC Daddy

"Kid-O-Rama @ Squaw Valley"

The Lake Tahoe area has lots of special events and promotions for families with kids.  During our few days at Squaw Valley, we learned of a series of events for kids under the rubric "Kid-O-Rama."  During the two weeks from February 12-27, Squaw offered a variety of programs for kids to supplement their ski school offerings.  These included things like concerts, ski racing, smores, face painting, dance parties, scavenger hunts, and snowtubing.  On February 17 and 24, an afternoon "Big Truck Night" allows kids to "check out the biggest trucks on the mountain."  Check out http://www.squaw.com/kid-o-rama for details.  You can also just review the events calendar for Squaw at http://www.squaw.com/event-calendar-winter.

--TC Mommy

Learning to Ski

We visited the Squaw Kids Snowsports School over Valentine's weekend.  The school has programs for children from ages 3-12.  For information about specific programs, visit http://www.squaw.com/squaw-kids-programs 

There are several different options.  For example, the "Snow Cubs" Ski Program usually runs $129-169 from 8:30am-3:45pm.  This is a drop-off program just for ages 3 and young 4.  Parents must stay at Squaw Valley during this time, but it is a pretty darn big place and this seems like a great day care option for skiers.

On our visit, we chose a private lesson "special" -- depending on availability, on non-holiday weekdays after 1pm, the school gives private 1-hour lessons to 3 and 4 year-olds for $99.  This is a great deal (when available), because it includes equipment and the lesson, with great instructors.  You even get a short "report card" at the end of the lesson.

This was our 3-year-old son's first time ever on skis.  Our son's instructor Cheree hailed from Yinnar, Australia.  Our son loved her!  She was patient, careful, and kind.

Before going, don't forget that you will need at least the following things:  a waterproof winter coat, snow pants, hat, goggles (if it is a high-wind day), mittens or gloves, sun block, helmet (which comes with the lesson), and skis (also included).  We got a few of these items at the nearby Any Mountain store.

Part of the website "Red Tricycle," http://www.redtri.com, which is a favorite site of ours for finding out about family activities, includes a great resource for parents with kids learning to ski -- http://www.redtri.com/?s=skiing

--TC Mommy

The Little Engine That Could

Continuing down the list of classic children's books that topped our list of favorites at age 2 is The Little Engine That Could.  This is a true classic.

That said, I personally found that it was NOT what I remembered from my own childhood.  As an impressionable kid, I must have seen a cartoon version or two (or five) of the classic Engine that Could story. Those emphasized the final big climb up the mountain.

The original Watty Piper text, however, is different.  It is almost like reading a historical text, which I personally found to be a lot of fun.

1 - There is a HEAVY emphasis on all the dolls and toys (led by the somewhat creepy-looking clown) pleading with the passenger engine, the freight engine, and the beaten-up rusty engine for help.

2 - The description of the stuff that the broken-down engine was carrying is straight from the Great Depression, as one would expect from a book written during the Great Depression.

3 - The illustrations are all in a style that you could readily

At any rate, I think this is all great stuff and so does our 2-year-old (though it is more about the trains and less about the history for him).

Here's a link to the 1930's style version.
















And here's a link to an updated 50's-ish version.














Wikipedia has an entry on Watty Piper, which includes his real name (Monk).  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watty_Piper.  It also includes an interesting history of the evolution of the story over time.  The Wikipedia entry links to an article written by a historian at the University of Illinois called the "Search for Watty Piper," which is really interesting  http://tigger.uic.edu/~plotnick/littleng.htm.

--TC Daddy

Trains: The Niles Canyon Railway

Our son loves trains.  I suspect we'll have a few posts in the upcoming months about various train-related activities in and around the San Francisco Bay Area.

We wanted to share a recent and new (for us) train activity - the Niles Canyon Railway.  Tucked into the Niles Canyon, where Sunol is located, is an amazing steam train railroad.  During the holidays, the railway runs evening "light trains."  As the name implies, the trains are covered in holiday lights.

We took a ride on a holiday light-train this past December with friends from my wife's post-partum mommy group, who had rented out a car and asked friends to contribute a share towards the ride.  It was a fantastic experience.  Enchanting and fun for the kids, and a very good time for the parents (who were able to enjoy some grain and grape-based holiday cheer during the ride).

Here's a link:  http://www.ncry.org/

You will want to check the Niles Canyon Railway website in advance of planning your visit.  Unlike some train activities, the holiday trains and the trains year-round are all on a more limited schedule and do not run every day.

Note - we advise either reserving a spot on an enclosed train car, getting there early enough to secure a spot in one, or else bringing warm clothes and a warm set of blankets.  Many of the train cars are exposed to the elements and it can get a bit chilly in Sunol at night.

--TC Daddy

Mother Goose Is Bigger Than Oprah!!!

Before I became a father, I had only the barest inkling of Mother Goose-related stuff.  Sure, I knew a few Mother Goose rhymes.  And I had some sense that many of the rhymes themselves dated back over a century or more.  But I wasn't aware of the true scope of Mother Goose's commercial efforts until now.

Friends, there is a MOTHER GOOSE INDUSTRY out there.  Mother Goose is big.  REALLY big.  Indeed, I submit that MOTHER GOOSE IS BIGGER THAN OPRAH!!!

Mother Goose stuffed animals.  Mother Goose cribs and furniture.  Mother Goose plates and silver/plastic-ware.  Mother Goose dolls.  Mother Goose CDs.  Mother Goose DVDs (the Wiggles do lots of MG).  Etc.  Etc.

Some of this may have to do with the fact that Mother Goose is in the public domain and not subject to copyright.  Some of it is doubtless due to "timeless charm."

I have had to develop a Mother Goose Strategy ("MGS" for short).  This is my personal strategy, and you should feel free to disagree with it.  But if you're a new dad (or know one), I think this is a pretty cool approach.  I thought about it so you don't have to!

1 - Don't bother with small Mother Goose books with only 4 or 5 rhymes.  You'll end up buying a ton of them if your son or daughter likes these sorts of rhymes.  Instead, buy one of the BIG Mother Goose Collections.

Exceptions to MGS # 1:  You can violate this rule if (a) the plan is to use the small rhyme book to teach your child to read, (b) you won the lottery, (c) you want to fill up shelf-space fast, or (d) you want to be able to have lots of books to sell back in 8 years as used books.  

2 - When looking for a BIG Mother Goose collection book to buy, consider the illustrations.  If you don't like the illustrations, or don't think you child will like them, then obviously don't buy it.  I've noticed that many MG collections have REALLY REALLY CREEPY ILLUSTRATIONS.  Stuff that would give me nightmares if I had to read them over and over, let alone what they'd do to a 2 1/2 year old.

Note:  We have three MG collections.  That's because no one told me MGS #1 before we ended up with a short MG collection of maybe 6 rhymes.  Our personal favorite is one that is illustrated with lots of animals.  The reason it is our favorite?  The Humpty Dumpty rhyme shows a chick coming out of the broken egg!  And there's a bird flying out of the crib on the pages for the Rock-A-Bye-Baby rhyme!  Great stuff for really small children.  I can't recall the illustrator; I'll provide that information in an updated post at some point, maybe with a link to it online.

3 - When looking for a BIG Mother Goose collection, also consider the rhymes in the book.  If the book is missing your favorite rhyme (e.g., doesn't include the full version of Twinkle Twinkle or whatever), then don't bother buying it.  Chances are another collection online or in the same bookstore will have what you remember from your childhood.

4 - If you followed my strategy and get a BIG Mother Goose Collection of some kind, then make sure from the outset to establish that you're only going to read some subset of them during any given bedtime session.  Maybe up to 2 dozen, since many are really short.  It is true that at some point you may need to do a Mother Goose Marathon and read the whole thing.  But you don't want to have to do that every night, all the time.

5 - Edit while you read it.  Many of MG's rhymes were intended for mature audiences.  Lots of them involve kids being beaten, people or things falling, death, etc.  No need to always read every rhyme verbatim.  Better to pay attention to the rhyme and edit where appropriate.  There's time enough for our kids to get the G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 stuff later after age 5 (or whenever - you get my point).

Hope this is helpful!

UPDATE:  I was thinking of "Sylvia Long's Mother Goose," from Chronicle Books in San Francisco.  I've attached a link in case you are interested.

TC Daddy

Top Five Children's Books in 2010 (From Daddy's Perspective)

I mean "top five children's books in 2010" in the sense that our 2 1/2-year-old loved these books in 2010 -- NOT that these books came out in 2010.

That said, and without further ado, our 2 1/2-year-old's top five books of 2010 - at least from Daddy's perspective:

5 - Mother Goose Collection (we have somehow ended up with three of these, all of which are a bit different)

4 - The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper

3 - The New Adventures of Curious George, Margaret and H.A. Ray (though really "Vipah Interactive" illustrating "in the style of H.A. Ray)

2 - Good Night Beach, by Adam Gamble

1 - The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keets

More on each of these books in future posts.

--TC Daddy

Welcome!

Welcome to TeachingCurve!  Our blog is going to do at least two things.

First, we plan to share our stories about raising our 2-year old -- providing entertainment and advice (including things NOT to do) along the way.  We'll be sharing Daddy and Mommy perspectives, which we hope will make this a lot of fun for our readers and for us.

Second, in keeping with our name, we plan to offer perspectives on and recommendations about early childhood education for both parents and educators.

Welcome to our Blog!

--TC Mommy & Daddy