But just a few short weeks ago, my baby turned 5 and I found myself registering him for kindergarten, setting up his big-boy bed in his room, and holding my breath as he went on the kiddie roller-coaster at the local amusement park.

Of course, it was a nonstop celebration to honor Hunter’s turning 5. It was a day he’d been anxious for and with all the begging and pleading, it still couldn’t come quick enough for him. For me? It’s always too quick.

A week full of a visit from Gwennie (as grandma is so affectionately called) culminated in the party of the century with a big dancing, talking mouse (any guesses?). A chocolate-only cake, decorated in Star Wars fashion was on the menu, topped with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker with real working light sabres (it doesn’t get cooler than that). Friends, family and even a girlfriend (yes, girlfriend!) made the event extra special for my little guy.

And it seems things have changed overnight. My 5-year-old is already going on 15. The phrases he uses, the facial expressions, the eye-rolls … the ones that say “Mom, you are so not cool” when I’m trying to make him laugh. Worrying about giving his mom kisses in public … worrying about whether his jeans are “regular” or “skinny” and if his shirt is tucked just right. He’ll readily stick up for friends if they find themselves on the receiving end of a bully’s push. And he still manages to tell me how pretty he thinks I am and but now adds how he thinks I should wear my hair.

He’s truly turning into his own little man. As fast as it goes, it gets better every day.

-Erica Smith

The  AAP now advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The previous standard was 12 months/20 pounds as a minimum for facing backward. 

To read the full report, go to www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/carseat2011.htm.

A reference guide for all age groups can be found at www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx.

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

The Zoo’s Education department is offering a mother’s day out program beginning in February. The program will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nature Explorers Mother’s Day Out Program will run from Feb. 15 to May 26 and is for children ages 3 and 4. (Child must be 3 or 4 on or before September 1, 2010.)

The program will promote interaction skills, self direction, language skills, intellectual growth and environmental awareness.

For more information, including a program handbook, tuition costs and registration forms, go to http://zoofieldtrips.publishpath.com/explorers. 

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

Toddler and preschooler programs include a live animal presentation, craft, story time, songs and more. Classes are 10 to 11 a.m. and cost $12 for a child with adult Zoo Friends member, or $15 for child with adult nonmember.  Additional fees apply for siblings. 

Classes are:

Age 2:  Mother Goose, Sept. 2 or 4

Age 3: R is for Rhino, Aug. 19 or 21
S is for Sea Lion, Sept. 16 or 18

Ages 4-5: Flying High, Aug. 28
Billy Goats Gruff, Sept. 25

School’s Out Safari Day Camps

If you would like somewhere fun and educational your child can enjoy during fall break or other fall days off from school, the zoo has you covered.  Classes are for ages 4-12 and meet from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the zoo’s Education Building.  Cost per day is $30 per child, siblings $20 each. Advance registration and payment are required, and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Snacks will be provided, but children must bring their own lunch. 

Dates are: Sept. 6, 7 and 24 and Oct. 21 and 22.

Family program

An upcoming family program is “Sink Your Teeth into Sharks!” and is Aug. 28 from 2 to 3 p.m. Your family can learn all about the world of sharks.  Adults are free with paid child registration.  Cost per child is $15 for zoo members, $18 for nonmembers.  Program is for children ages 4-12.

Zoo art

Have any little artists in  your family?  Then come join local artist Lance Kelly and learn to draw animals.  Basic drawing concepts are reviewed, followed by live sketching of zoo animals. Class meets in the education building and is $20 per class for one person, $5 for each additional family member.  Classes are for ages 7 and older and meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m.  Class dates and animal topics are:

Sept. 25: Grizzly Bear
Oct. 23: Bison
Nov. 13, Turkey

For more information or to register for any of these programs, go to okczoo.recware.com or call 425-0218.

-Erica Smith

esmith@opubco.com

For all workshops, pre-register by calling 425-4412.

Unless otherwise noted, all sessions are for parents and caregivers of young children.

Here’s what’s in store for this summer:

Terrific Two’s: Learn about your 2-year-old. Focus is on their developmental milestones.  All are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
June 1, Choctaw Library
June 16, Midwest City Library
June 22, Southern Oaks Library
June 19, The Village Library

Sibling Struggles: Learn methods to prepare children for the arrival of a new sibling and how to deal with sibling squabbles. Find out about sibling rivalry and what normal behavior is.  Both are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
June 2, Midwest City
June 30, The Village

Just for Fun: Games People Play(for children ages 8-12): Includes active games, quiet games and brain teasers. Kids will play games from the past and games from other cultures. Both are 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
June 14, Southern Oaks
June 21, The Village

Toileting Triumph: Toileting doesn’t have to be a major challenge. Focus is on signs of readiness, why it can be frustrating and much more. All are from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
June 16, Edmond Library
June 29, Warr Acres Library
July 20, Ralph Ellison Library

Making Your Morning Manageable: Time to eliminate chaos and come up with a routine. Focus is what parents can do to make this part of the day more calm and enjoyable.
June 25, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Warr Acres

Lullaby & Goodnight: Find a routine that includes reading to your child, to ease bedtime and naptime challenges.  Sleep challenges will also be discussed. Both are 3:30 to 5 p.m.
June 30, Edmond
August 17, Ralph Ellison

Look Out, I’m Three!: Learn more about your 3-year-old. Focus is on developmental milestones. All are from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
July 7, Southern Oaks
July 8, Midwest City
July 13, The Village
July 20, Choctaw

Toddlers at the Table: Turn common concerns about toddler’s eating habits into opportunities to teach healthy habits. Both are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
July 12, Midwest City
July 21, The Village

Those Playful Preschoolers:Focus is behavioral characteristics and developmental milestones of 3- and 4-year-olds.  Activity ideas will be shared to keep little ones busy. Learn it’s OK for your preschooler to be “out of bounds.” Both are 3:30 to 5 p.m.
July 27, Warr Acres
Aug. 25, Edmond

Baby Basics: Main focus is typical concerns of parents. Colic/crying, separation anxiety, sleeping through the night and other issues will be discussed.
July 28, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Edmond

Reading Readiness: Workshop will explore the necessary reading readiness building blocks and parents’ roles in helping children become readers. Both are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 4, Midwest City
Aug. 9, The Village

Fun to be Four: Learn about your fascinating 4-year-old. Workshop focuses on developmental milestones.  All are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 3, Southern Oaks
Aug. 4, Midwest City
Aug. 10, The Village
Aug. 12, Choctaw

School Readiness: Facilitators will talk about support, encouragement and opportunity all children need for school success.
Aug. 10, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Warr Acres

Tripping Through Toddlerhood: Topics include, tantrums, biting, sharing and other common toddler challenges. Parents will learn how to minimize frustrations.
Aug. 11, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Edmond

Teaching Children to be More Cooperative: Focus is on when to discipline or ignore unwanted behaviors. Learn guidance techniques used by experts.
Aug. 27, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Warr Acres

To see the Oklahoma City-County Health Departments newsletters, including schedules for upcoming play groups, workshops, and health  and child guidance screenings, click here .

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

Here are some of the camps being offered this summer (costs vary-click on websites or call for more information):

Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, Oklahoma City
606-7003
Dates: June 1 – Aug. 13
Preschoolers travel through time and learn performing arts basics. Camps conclude with a performance.  Other camps available for up to age 12.
oklahomachildrenstheatre.org

Casady School Summer by the Lake,  Oklahoma City
749-3192
Dates: June 7 – Aug. 13
Over 100 programs are available from pre-K to high school.
casady.org

Fine Arts Institute of Edmond
340-4481
Dates: June 7-Aug. 13
All types of artistic camp classes for age 2 through 8th grade.
edmondfinearts.com

Oklahoma City Zoo, Oklahoma City
425-0218
Dates: June 7-Aug. 6
43 themed camps offered for ages 4 to 15.
zoofieldtrips.com

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman
325-4712
Dates: June 7 – Aug. 6
Summer Explorers program is for ages 4 to 14.
snomnh.ou.edu

Ginger’s Kindermusik, Oklahoma City
722-2379
Dates: June 21-25 or July 19-23
Themed camps for children from birth to age 7 and piano keyboard camps for ages 7-8.
gingerskindermusik.com

Mad Science of Central Oklahoma, various locations
285-9643
Dates: June 21 – Aug. 6
Camps for kids age 4 to 12 include Secret Agent Lab, Science AdventureQuest and Little Agents Academy.
madscience.org/okc

Oklahoma City Museum of Art
236-3100
Dates: June 1 – Aug. 6
Themed camps for ages 4 to 16 focus on permanent exhibits and special exhibits.
okcmoa.com

Heritage Hall Day Camp, Oklahoma City
749-3002
Dates: June 1-July 23
Camps for ages 3 and older include enrichment, creativity, technology and sports options.
www.heritagehall.com

Victory School of the Arts, Warr Acres
440-2186
Dates: June 21 – Aug. 7
Classes offered for age 3 and older in all types of dance, tumbling and guitar.
victorydance.tv

Unpluggits Playstudio, Edmond
340-7584
Dates: June and July
Camp sessions have a superhero or dinosaur theme.
unpluggits.com

If you know of any other fun summer camps available for preschoolers, comment here or email me.

Happy camping!

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

For preschoolers, it includes:

• I will clean up my room.
• I will brush my teeth twice a day.
• I will wash my hands.

For those age 5 to 12:

• I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
• I will apply sunscreen when going outside.
• I will play a sport or do another physical activity 3 times a week.
• I will wear my seat belt.
• I will be nice to other kids.

For age 13 and older:

• I will eat at least one fruit and vegetable every day and limit soda.
• I will choose non-violent TV shows and video games.
• I will help out my community.
• I will resist peer pressure.
• I won’t text or use a cell phone when driving.

For the entire list of resolutions, click here.

I have my own list of resolutions in regards to my 3-year-old son. Here’s my top 5:

• I will find time, no matter what, to read to him 20 minutes a day, every day.
• I will find a way to get veggies in his diet. (I think I said this same thing last January, too.)
• I will get him to think that cleaning up his play room is actually fun.
• I will be sure he stays active year-round.  We’re starting off right with winter basketball.
• I will find some new and exciting places to bring him (taking suggestions!).

Do you have any resolutions you’d like to share?  Comment here or email me at esmith@opubco.com.

-Erica Smith

Here’s what your day care should have been told:

1. Encourage all staff to get vaccinated.

2.  Make sure children’s and staff’s hands are washed often with soap and water, and especially after children cough or sneeze. Keep alcohol-based hand cleaner nearby if a sink isn’t readily available.

3.  Remind children and staff not to touch their eyes, nose or mouth as germs are often spread this way.

4. Clean the environment regularly. Dirty areas and items should be cleaned immediately, especially play areas and toys.

5. Day care staffers deemed to be high risk for flu complications and parents of children younger than age 5 who become ill with flu-like symptoms should call their doctor immediately to see if they are in need of antiviral treatment.

6. If a swine flu outbreak is severe, staff should consider closing the day care center to decrease the spread of infection. A decision to close should be made in conjunction with local public health officials.

7. Remind staff to stay home and parents to keep a sick child at home when they have flu-like symptoms.  Send sick staff home immediately. If a child become ill at the day care, move them to a separate, but supervised, area until a parent can pick them up.

If an outbreak becomes more severe or symptoms more dangerous as the fall and winter season approach, the following guidelines should also be considered:

1. Let high-risk staffers stay at home.

2. Increase the distance between children; separate children into small groups of six or less.

3. Have children stay home if there are others in the child’s household who have the swine flu.

4. Inform parents of sick children and sick staff  members that they should say home for at least 7 days.

5. Close the day care center either as a reaction to the outbreak or even as a preventative measure.

For more information about swine flu, go to http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.

Here’s to hoping we and our children stay healthy this flu season.

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

So there he is … signed up for everything I could get my hands on.  Gymnastics: One night a week.  Swim lessons: Two nights a week.  Soccer: Practice one night, and games on the weekends.   Yes, he’s only 3.

There may be a misconception here that I’m sort of a stage mom.  A “boys-need-sports” stage mom.  But really, I just want my toddler to be active from an early age and to experience various sports so that he’ll be open to more than just one activity.  I don’t want him to get into couch-potato mode.

I just know that all the running around can leave me a bit running-ragged.  My son seems to enjoy it but ends up pretty cranky by the time it’s time to go home or leave the activity.  Carrying him kicking and screaming through the gymnastics facility’s parking lot makes me wonder if it’s really worth it. 

Any thoughts?  Do you have your young children in sports?  How do you make sure you have enough down time in your child’s day?  Comment here or email me at esmith@opubco.com

-Erica Smith

Anyone else ready for their children to get back into school?

I wouldn’t have expected to be so happy about this. But our house has seemed even more chaotic than usual. I’m not sure that it’s actually that the kids are out of school. I think the strain is partially caused by the stress of preparing to go to school.

Beyond the usual requirements of getting school supplies and some added clothing items to round out their wardrobes, we also are dealing with three information day sessions we need to attend, band meetings, band camp, doctors’ appointments, daycare enrollment, transportation issues with busing my young son to and from daycare, freshman orientation, both daughters’ worries that they won’t have friends in their classes,  orthodontist and dentist appointments, approaching birthday party planning, passports for an overseas band trip …

And did I mention the frenzy of cash flowing out of our pockets to pay for many *incidental* things?

Last night, as my daughter asked me a question repeatedly after I had answered twice, I started to count to 50 … not 10, but 50.

At first, I thought, “What is happening to our family?” For several days we had all been snapping at each other, voices were being raised. Everyone, except maybe for the youngest member of our family, was ready to get away from each other.

Then, it occurred to me that maybe the stresses, anticipation, extra this and that were taking their toll.

So, yes, I think we’re ready to start school.

Then, we can deal with sleep issues, homework, ballgames, teacher conferences, lunches, juggling schedules and mealtimes …..

– Linda Lynn

LLYNN@OPUBCO.COM