parenting

10 Unexpected Ways to Use the VTech Digital Audio Monitor

August 29, 2016 by The Motherhood

For new moms, there is no shortage of places to turn for advice on must-have baby gear. Recommendations on the best-of-the-best products for eating, sleeping and diaper changes are plentiful!

However, there is one product traditionally thought of as a baby must-have we’re deeming essential for parents of toddlers through pre-teens (and pet parents as well): the VTech Digital Audio Monitor. We armed a group of social media moms with this awesome new product and told them to put it to use in their homes. The results? Some very unexpected, very helpful ways to use the VTech Digital Audio Monitor!

VTech Digital Audio Monitor: What is it?

The VTech Safe&Sound® DM271-110 DECT 6.0 Digital Audio Baby Monitor with Open/Closed & Motion Sensors, the latest addition to VTech’s award-winning baby monitor line, has brought families of brand-new way to stay connected. The VTech Digital Audio Monitor comes equipped with some very cool features (hello, smart home sensors!) that give parents the peace of mind they deserve anytime, anywhere. Both the open/closed sensors and motion sensors offer parents added safety and security through all phases of childhood.

VTech Digital Audio Monitor: A Must-Have for Toddler Parents — Image courtesy of Stephanie, Olive and Tate

Don’t take our word for it! Read on for some of our favorite ways to put the VTech Digital Audio Monitor to use.

Mom-Sourced Tips to Use the VTech Digital Audio Monitor Beyond Babies

1. Toddler-proof a vacation rental:

“First things first we busted out the VTech Digital Monitor and set about toddler proofing that exterior door. What makes the VTech Digital Monitor my travel go to are two things: one is the ultra low energy Open/Closed Door Sensor and the other is the Smart Home Motion Sensor. We set the Open/Closed smart sensor up on the exterior door (using the mounting tape provided so we didn’t damage the rental house) and programed the hand held parent unit to alert us if the baby somehow managed the get the door open and make a break for it.”

Stephanie, Olive and Tate

2. Feel secure with a sleepwalker:

“I don’t think I’ve ever talked about my 13 year old’s sleepwalking adventures. I never thought about it being an issue while traveling, but it has come up a few times, so I have some steps that I take to feel that he’s safer and so that I get better sleep when we’re away. I bring removable mounting tape for the sensors (or find a spot it can go if I don’t want it on the wall) and turn it on at night. I put the “baby” unit on a console or table near the sensor so that if he does make the sensor go off I can just talk to him from the parent unit and tell him to go back to bed! I can’t tell you how much this helps me to know that he’s safe and get a good night’s sleep while we’re away.”

Allison, All for the Boys

3. Help kids learn to sleep in their own room…:

“Be prepared for multiple interruptions during the night. Your kiddo is going to want to use the bathroom, get a drink of water, check their closet for monsters, and call out for you until the neighbors can hear. Before you dart out of the room with one eye open, answer every whim from a distance. You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your bed. The VTech Safe&Sound DM271-110 Digital Audio Baby Monitor with Open/Closed & Motion Sensors features a two-way talk back intercom that allows you to communicate with your child from up to 1,000 feet in range.”

Jessica, Young at Heart Mommy

4. ….and make sure they stay in bed until morning:

“We have a summer rule that no one is allowed up before 7 a.m. Otherwise he’d be awake playing video games at the crack of dawn. I honestly have no way to know when he’s getting up. Now I do! If he sets off the motion sensor in the living room before 7 a.m., I can head down and send him back to his bed.”

Camille, Growing Up Gabel

5. Host safe, secure playdates:

“I don’t like to hover over my kids – I like to give them a sense of independence. But I also like to know what is going on, especially when friends are over, and I like to do that as unobtrusively as possible to ensure they have fun and safe play dates. A cool feature of the VTech Digital Audio Monitor is its two ULE (Ultra Low Energy) smart home sensors. You can use them to put open/closed and motion sensor alerts on doors, cabinets and open spaces. So you’ll know if your child is getting into something they shouldn’t be. It’s a great way to enforce off-limit zones for play dates.”

Chrystal, Happy Mothering

6. Instill independence in babysitters-in-training:

“I set everything up in my daughter’s room or, as she calls it when she is working, ‘Babysitting Headquarters.’ I was able to show my daughter how everything works and also how I will be just a monitor away to keep an eye on things and also help her if ever needed. We can talk to one another through the monitor, adjust the volume when we put it to the sleep mode to help get little ones to sleep, and when needed, my daughter can page me to get my attention if she needs me.”

Katie, Mommy Katie

7. Care for an ill parent:

“My mom’s health has been on the decline over the last six months. It’s not news to any of you that I am her caretaker and as such, I need to be ‘there’ for her as much as possible. Without physically sleeping in her room, it was hard to get to her in time. Acquiring the VTech Safe&Sound® DM271-110 DECT 6.0 Digital Audio Baby Monitor with Open/Closed & Motion Sensors came at the best timing ever. The VTech Digital Audio Monitor has been a literal lifesaver for the past three weeks.”

Maria, Adventures of the Mommy Homemaker

8. Manage dogs’ outdoor time:

“I’ve been using the motion sensor that comes with the VTech Digital Audio Monitor to keep track of where my dogs are in the house. Specifically when they walk to the front door so I know when they need to go outside. This helps me to prevent nasty accidents in our home and also keeps me aware of where my dogs are. I mounted the motion sensor on the side of the wall near the bottom of our front door and it has been working perfectly to alert me when the dogs need to go outside.”

Andrea, Honestly Andrea

9. Keep cat away from off-limits spots:

“Cats are pretty famous for hanging out on routers. I think there’s probably a whole site dedicated to pictures of cats on routers out there somewhere! Obviously, putting a baby monitor back there isn’t the best idea. The fewer things that interfere with my already not-so-stellar internet connection, the better. Here’s where the VTech Digital Audio Monitor gets really cool. It comes with two ULE (Ultra Low Energy) smart home sensors. One is an open/closed sensor and one is a motion sensor. All I have to do is put the motion sensor in areas that are off limits to Fuzz. Then, when he tries to hunker down in one of those spots, I’ll know.”

Nicole, Pretty Opinionated

10. Enforce rules from a distance:

“Cooper is always trying to steal the cat food. No matter how many times we tell him ‘no’ he still does it. If he hears our voice, though, he stops in his tracks! So here’s what I do: I put the baby unit part of my VTech Digital Audio Monitor in the places that I want to keep Cooper away from. When I hear him digging around in the cat food boxes, I use the two-way intercom feature and firmly say ‘Coop, get away from that cat food!’ Cooper hears my voice and thinks I’m watching him, and he quickly backs away!”

Bonus tip from Nicole!

This post is created in proud partnership with VTech. All opinions are our own.

Featured image at the top of this post courtesy of Stephanie, Olive and Tate.

Britt & Britt Share Their New Mom Must-Haves

June 23, 2016 by The Motherhood

As colleagues, friends and first-time moms, The Motherhood’s Brittnee and Brittney often turn to each other for advice, recommendations and support on everything related to raising little ones. New mom must-haves is a common watercooler topic in our office!

With summer being the top season for births in the U.S., Britt & Britt thought now would be the perfect time for a round-up of favorite items that they often share with others. As members of an award-winning social media marketing agency that connects influential moms with top consumer brands, we are in a unique position of learning about the latest and greatest products and services that make families’ lives just a little bit easier, and several of our favorite partners are included below.

Brittnee’s Top Picks

VTech montior: one of our new mom must-haves — Image courtesy of Meghan, JaMonkey

When she was expecting, Britt put a video monitor on the very top of her shopping list. However, once her son became more mobile, he thought he’d demonstrate his growing strength and dexterity by pulling the camera off the wall and throwing it across the room, rendering it useless. When Britt was researching replacement options, VTech monitors* rose to the top of her list. The VTech Safe and Sound Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitor checked all of the boxes of features she was looking for: high-res video, pan/zoom/tilt capabilities, night vision and a talk-back option. She’s already scouting locations in her house to install additional camera units, which will be incredibly helpful as her little one puts his newly acquired walking skills to use!

The MamaRoo by 4Moms was an absolute live-saver for Britt! Her son loved the rocking and swaying motions (the “kangaroo” setting was his favorite), and it was often the only way she could overcome his resistance to nap in those early days.

Many a skeptical parent has resisted this one (Britt even originally removed it from her registry because after reading about it she couldn’t fathom using it!), but she later ran out and bought one at the start of her little man’s first cold. She learned firsthand the NoseFrida “The Snotsucker” Nasal Aspirator is a must. Don’t ask, just do it.

When baby’s tummy was upset, Colic Calm was the gentlest, most effective, all-natural solution Britt found. She now gifts this to every new mom she knows! Pro tip: put a bib on your baby when delivering the drops. The product is very dark and can stain clothing.

Those first few months with a newborn can be difficult, beautiful, magical, frustrating, confusing and sometimes isolating — all at the same time. Britt recommends taking a look at the Covey app* for help. Covey is a way to meet other parents based on interests, location and kids’ ages. It’s a nice low-pressure way to connect with others, get advice and share experiences in a supportive, online environment. If you want to take your digital friendships to “real life” friendships, it’s easy to find info on local playdates, family-friendly activities and meet-ups. Covey is available on iTunes and Google Play.

Brittney’s New Mom Must-Haves

MiMedia: one of our new mom must-haves — Image courtesy of Julie, Mommie Cooks

When you take a series of 40+ photos of your child’s first taste of solid food and you can’t bear to delete a single imperfect shot even though your phone is nearly out of space, there’s an elegant solution to this storage dilemma: MiMedia*, a personal cloud that organizes and stores digital files in one safe, secure spot. Britt has been using MiMedia for several weeks and notes that it’s the most simple, user-friendly solution she’s found — and she’s tried many! It’s unbelievably easy to use, even for the most sleep-deprived of parents. It’s well-worth taking a few seconds to sign up online and download the app. Use the code TheMotherhood for a free 10GB account!

Speaking of apps, Britt and her husband couldn’t live without the Baby Connect app, especially during the first few months after their daughter was born. BabyConnect provides a super simple way to track daily activities from feedings to diaper changes, as well as milestones and growth stats. You can even download charts and graphs so you can see trends and patterns over time. The list of features is impressive, and data can sync to more than one mobile device.

After taking turns staying awake holding their newborn all night for the first week after they came home from the hospital, Britt and her husband knew they had to find something their daughter would sleep in. The flat bassinet earned a hard “no” from their daughter and the crib in the next room might as well have been a mile away. However, once they tried the Fisher-Price Newborn Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, the game was officially changed. Parents, the reviews are true: the Rock ‘n Play is indeed made with sleepy dust!

Butt Paste: one of our new mom-haves — Image courtesy of April, April Golightly

No diaper bag or changing table is complete without Butt Paste*. These colorful tubes of ointment kick rash like nothing else! Free from harsh ingredients, Butt Paste saves those baby buns from the 3Ps — parabens, preservatives and phthalates — earning it an A+ in Britt’s book. She always includes a few tubes into baby shower gifts. Are you a #ButtPasteMom, too?

We know 82 percent** of parents would do almost anything to avoid long lines at fast food restaurants when they have children in tow, and Britt is one of them! When all she hears from the back seat of the car is “Snaaack! Snaaack!” Britt knows she needs to find some waffle fries and chicken strips NOW. One of Britt’s best mom-to-mom tips is to download the Chick-fil-A* ONE mobile app. This awesome app allows you to order and pay for food in advance, meaning you can bypass the line at the register or minimize time in the drive-thru. This is a seriously awesome perk, especially if you visit during busy lunch and dinner times, because everyone knows toddlers don’t wait for food. Click over to iTunes or Google Play and download this lifesaver today!

What are your new mom must-haves? We’d love to hear what you couldn’t live without. Share your suggestions via the comments. Another mom out there just may discover her new favorite product.

* Indicates the brand is a partner of The Motherhood. All opinions are our own and none of the content is meant to be medical advice. Be sure to contact your healthcare provider for recommendations specific to your family.

**According to a recent survey commissioned by Chick-fil-A.

STEM Activities for Kids: Five Ways to Get Them Excited this Summer

April 21, 2016 by The Motherhood

“One of the things that I really strongly believe in is that we need to have more girls interested in math, science and engineering. We’ve got half the population that is way underrepresented in those fields and that means that we’ve got a whole bunch of talent…not being encouraged the way they need to.”
— President Barack Obama, February 2013

Today, in an age in which nearly half of all primary breadwinners are women, and women’s labor has expanded the economy by $2 trillion dollars, the fact is that females are still underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) field.

As Reshma Saujani – an education activist who has the goal of getting one million women in computer science by 2020 – stated in her Ted talk, we must encourage a culture in which girls learn bravery and find a sense of comfort in imperfection. Part of nurturing a girl who can innovate and change the world with her talents is helping her develop the confidence in her skills to show what she can do, without fear of failure.

With summer break approaching, these next few months are a prime time to nurture a sense of creativity, innovation, problem-solving and invention in both girls and boys.

STEM Activities for Kids: Five Ideas for a Summer of Exploration

1. Create a question jar

The first week of summer break, sit down with your child and brainstorm all of the questions that are on their mind.

Why is the sky blue?
Why do lightning bugs glow?
How does an airplane fly?
How many iPhones do you have to stack end-to-end to reach the moon?

Write each question down on a note card or piece of paper, fold them up and put them in a jar. Each day or week of vacation, have your child draw a question and brainstorm ways to find the answer. Field trips, research, a library visit or science experiments are all great ways to encourage curiosity and discovery.

2. Get growing

Help your child plan and plant a backyard garden. They can research the kinds of seeds that are likely to thrive in your climate, the optimal levels of sun, shade and water necessary to grow, the impact of insects and other animals.

Encourage trial and error! They don’t need to have the greenest thumb on the block the first time around. Have your child keep a journal with notes on the growth and harvest schedule, and at the end of the summer, have them develop a plan for the next season, using the key learnings from their first garden.

3. Host an at-home science fair

Whether you tackle the classic egg drop challenge, build a toothpick bridge or research a different problem to solve, work with your child to tackle a feat of engineering. Have your child gather some friends and neighbors to display their creations, explain their thought process and test them out to prove or disprove their theories.

To drive home the importance of trial and error and the iterative process, make the focus of each child’s presentation to share their best “lessons learned,” recognizing that there is a lot to be learned by examining unsuccessful attempts at creating a solution.

4. Crack the code

One of the amazing benefits of the proliferation of smartphones and tablets is the ability to learn the back-end functions of computing with the touch of the screen. While parents want kids to put down their electronic devices and spend the summer outside, a possible exception to this rule could be for coding apps.

We like this list of eight of the best apps that help kids learn to code, but be sure to research your choices thoroughly to ensure they’re safe, reliable, educational and fun!

5. Sign up for an “epic” summer camp experience

For students entering grades one through six, sign them up for Camp Invention, a weeklong adventure that will turn the summer from ordinary to extraordinary through hands-on problem solving. Camp Invention is the only nationally recognized summer program focused on creativity, innovation, real-world problem solving and the spirit of invention.

Camp Invention provides an opportunity for inventive young minds to exercise their creativity and use their imagination in ways they don’t normally get to in the classroom. Campers have so much fun they barely realize they are learning and developing new skills as they build prototypes, take things apart, explore different types of technology and so much more.

This year’s Camp Invention curriculum is called Epic™, inspired by some of our nation’s most brilliant minds, including experienced educators, Inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and members of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Campers will construct a DIY solar-powered cricket, design an eco-adventure park, brainstorm product ideas and build original prototypes using real tools and components found in everyday devices, and much more! Learn more about this year’s curriculum by clicking the link.

Camp Invention serves more than 94,000 students every year through nearly 1,400 camps across the nation. For additional information or to find the nearest location for registration, visit www.campinvention.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwaaxwG8SvM

This post about STEM activities for kids is brought to you in partnership with Camp Invention. All opinions are our own.

Images courtesy of Camp Invention.

Work-Life Balance for Moms: Elusive or Achievable?

February 29, 2016 by The Motherhood

Work-life balance for moms: the debate on if and how this exists is one that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Women in the workforce – those who work from their home and out of the home – often face challenges in devoting adequate time to both their careers and their families, not to mention their outside interests. As entrepreneur and mother Randi Zuckerberg stated: work, sleep, family, fitness or friends – pick any three.

A global survey from EY reported that one-third of full-time employees say achieving work-life balance has become more difficult in the past several years. Not surprisingly, parents and millennials are among the groups who face the most pressure in this area.

Flexibility is Key for Moms

Working parents say that flexibility is of critical importance to their satisfaction and success in finding this delicate balance. The survey revealed that that having a boss and colleagues who support their flexible work arrangements is one of the top factors working parents seek in a job – and millennial parents are the most likely group to take a pay cut to have more flexibility.

For companies looking to protect profitability and morale by retaining valuable employees and reducing turnover, a policy of flexibility shouldn’t come with strings attached. The survey reported that the “flexibility stigma” and lack of telecommuting options are two of the top reasons employees quit a job.

Facing the “Flexibility Stigma”

The struggle to achieve work-life balance is multi-faceted: flexibility should not just be a policy on paper; it should also be ingrained in the culture and fabric of the organization so employees feel empowered to use that benefit. In many workplaces, there can often be an unspoken rule that even though the policy exists, employees may be perceived unfavorably for using it.

Consider the situation of a working mother whose daughter has a school play in the middle of the day: if she chooses to attend, there can be a feeling of guilt stemming from the judgment from her colleagues; if she prioritizes work, she’ll feel guilty for letting her child down. It can feel like a lose/lose situation.

Finding a Career with Work-Life Balance for Moms

As part of our partnership with Northwood Realty Services, The Motherhood had the chance to learn how real estate is a career that provides some much-needed work-life balance for moms. As one of the primary benefits of this career, real estate agents manage their own schedule and can work around their family’s needs. If you have to stay home with a sick child or want to chaperone a field trip – Northwood Realty Services empowers moms to make it happen.

Northwood Realty Services values the unique skills that working mothers bring to both their families and their careers. The company is always looking for a few good moms, and here are some reasons why:

Multi-Tasking: “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” As many moms know, there is only one of you, so you have to figure out a way to get everything done. With real estate, agents have to juggle many balls at the same time – an open house and a closing on the same day, for example. Moms have a ton on their plate, and they’re some of the best time managers and multi-taskers out there.
Empathy and Understanding: Buying and selling a home is a huge decision that greatly impacts a person’s life and finances. Clients appreciate when someone is able to listen to their concerns, understand their needs and keep them calm throughout the home-buying process. Who better to practice patience and grace under pressure than moms?
Connectedness: Besides family and friends from before they had kids, many moms participate in playgroups, “mommy and me” classes, go to playdates, etc. This is a great way to get connected to new friends and build or expand a network of potential clients.
Passionate: Mothers are passionate for what they care about and will fight for things that matter. Northwood Realty Services seeks out people who advocate for their clients and who are passionate about what they are doing and helping people.

Visit NorthwoodForMoms.com to learn more about real estate as a family-friendly, flexible career choice that welcomes moms.

This post on work-life balance for moms was created in partnership with Northwood Realty Services. All opinions are our own.

Featured image courtesy of GotCredit.

Midlife Mothering

October 11, 2012 by Cooper

My mom had me when she was 40, when she already had a nine-year-old daughter and eighteen-year-old son. I was, as you can imagine, not planned.

Of course, it was the 1960s then, and having babies at 40 wasn’t the “done” thing. My mom liked (once she got over the rage) to tell the story of the time she took infant me shopping in my stroller and a store clerk complimented her on her “beautiful grandson.”

It’s more socially acceptable now to have kids later – in your mid-thirties and beyond. But “acceptable” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy.” Cyma Shapiro of Mothering in the Middle joined us today in The Motherhood to talk about the good and bad of midlife mothering. She was joined by panelists Leigh of Hines-Sight Blog, Theresa of Faith and Family Reviews, and Laurie of Guessing All the Way.

There are many reasons women come to midlife motherhood. Some don’t have (or realize they have) the desire to become parents when they’re younger. Laurie said, ” I never knew I wanted children until I was 30. That is when my nephew was born and I fell in love!” Some have children younger, in a first marriage, and then have more kids later, in a subsequent marriage. Some are “bonus mothers” to stepchildren years before adopting or giving birth themselves. Some struggle with infertility before giving birth or adopting. And some begin having children in their twenties and just keep going through their thirties! However you come to mothering in midlife, there are challenges and gifts inherent in this role.

One of the challenges Cyma pointed out was a constant awareness of her own mortality: “I measure EVERYTHING against my kid’s milestones – how old will I be when they: graduate; go to college; get married; have kids, etc. etc. I wish I had the luxury of just living my life without that constant comparison.” Theresa agreed, and said, “Since our oldest daughter has agreed she’d be guardian for our younger children should anything happen to my husband and I, I find myself wanting to have things in order financially etc. since we are getting older.”

Another difficulty with midlife mothering can be finding support from other women walking the same road. Laurie observed, “I guess I don’t have a lot of support. Most of the people I know had children when they were younger. My son started kindergarten this year and I think I am the oldest mom in his class.” This feeling, that all the other moms are younger, was echoed by a number of the moms who commented. And as Leigh pointed out, becoming a parent when you’re a little older means that your parents will be older, too, and often less able to help out.

Cyma also notes that “by the time I felt ready (for motherhood),” nature wouldn’t allow me to do this naturally.”The reality of biology is that once we make up our minds to become mothers, our bodies often don’t, or can’t, cooperate.”

And, of course, there are the kids themselves: blessings, for sure, but, as Leigh points out, “My kids demand “more attention” and that can be tiring. Some mornings, I just want to be left alone, be on the computer, and not be bugged.”

Those are some of the hard things about midlife mothering. But there are so many good things, too.

Leigh likes how her kids “keep her young.” She also said that being older affords her the ability to provide more for her kids. Some moms (like, I admit, myself) lacked the patience and maturity in their 20s to be the moms they want to be. Laurie affirmed, “You know yourself best. If you are waiting, there is a reason. For me, I wasn’t mature enough, unselfish enough to think about being a mom in my 20’s…You will know when you are ready. The good thing is that your kids will be so glad you did, because you will be better with them as well.”

All agreed that it’s something of a trade-off: sure, younger moms may have more energy. But most women who become mothers later come to motherhood with a sense of intention–it’s truly chosen, not something just fallen into. They’ve had the chance to pursue their own interests, develop relationships with their partners outside of being someone’s parents. Moms in midlife have acquired wisdom, experience, and patience. They may be more financially stable. They have more to offer their children, and not just in the sense of material goods.

What advice would our panelists give to a woman who’s thinking about putting off motherhood until well into her thirties? Be aware that your body may not do your bidding, for one thing. As Laurie said, “Sometimes it takes longer than you think to get pregnant…Leave room in your waiting for things that you may not be expecting.” And savor the time with your partner or husband pre-kids; as Leigh says of being a mom, ” It’s the best thing in the world, and there is nothing like it, but you do have to be ready because it is an EYE-OPENING change in lifestyle.”

It’s so true. My dad told me years after my mom passed away that she had really struggled with the idea of being pregnant at 40. But he also told me, as she herself did when she was alive, that having me when she did kept her young, and she never had a regret once she held me in her arms. As for me, I never remember wishing that I had a younger mom. The one I had, with all she knew, and all she had done, and all she had to teach me, was just perfect in my eyes.