GetItNext Parenting Today - Tips, Advice, Laughs and Love

Great Deals on Ralph Lauren Clothing for Your Kids!

Polo Ralph Lauren, or simply “Polo”, offers quality and style in the very competitive children's clothing marketplace. Items such as polo shirts, pants, dress shirts, and shoes for your little one are available at a great value! Find great deals on Polo clothing for your kids!

Hook your kids up with today's hottest shoes!

Nothing makes a bigger statement then wearing Nike Jordan Shoes! With the cool colors, interesting designs, and the lore of the Michael Jordan name, Nike has enjoyed great success with the shoe. Now I know that these shoes have been a huge hit with teenage males, but now they are starting to become more and more popular for young kids and youths! Surprise your kids with these cool shoes a great price!

What does GAP stand for anyway?

Over the years I have heard some pretty goofy translations for the acronym GAP, but its official explanation is Genuine American Product. GAP has done a great job in representing its branding and does truly offer genuine products to its consumers at reasonable prices. While great style can be had for both men and women alike, some of the best values are in Gap Kids and Baby Gap! You can find great deals on clothing for your young-one here at GetItNext!

Today's Hottest Burberry Fashion for Your Kids!

Who ever said that kids don’t care about fashion at a young age? Well, maybe they don’t for the most part, but for you parents out there, I know you do! Burberry has been one of the most highly recognized and accomplished fashion companies in the industry for many years. Burberry has targeted mainly the upper and older nonchalance of the world, but now they offer their fine line of clothing to your children. You can save yourself some time and money by purchasing Burberry clothing for your kids here with GetItNext!

Fashionable clothing for your little-one from Gymboree!

Gymboree is known for their stylish, high-quality children's clothing and accessories in sizes newborn to age 12. The company offers stylish backpacks, lunchboxes, swim suits, shoes, underwear, sweaters, and sleepwear all for a great low price! In addition to these great values, keep an eye out for Gymboree Gymbucks for additional discounts!

Is Your Pool Protected? Pool Alarms Are A Must Have

Did you know that a child can drown in the time it takes to answer one phone call?  And of the children that are hospitalized for near drowning incidents, 20 percent of them suffer permanent neurological disabilities.  While nothing can replace the watchful eye of adult supervision, there are products that can help to prevent accidents when you weren’t expecting guests in your pool.

Fences around pools are required by many local governments.  They work well as a barrier for younger children and pets.  But older children can maneuver through these barriers.  An innocent attempt to retrieve a ball that has been thrown into the pool area has potential for danger.  A child can overextend trying to reach for an object that has fallen into the pool, lose their balance, and fall into the pool.  There are alarms that can be installed on fences to bring attention to the area if someone should enter.  Installing in-ground swimming pool alarms or another device that detects motion in the water can offer piece of mind this swimming season at a nominal price.

How to Keep the Kids Busy This Summer

Kids love to be outside now that the weather is warmer, and who can blame them! There are so many activities to keep them busy; soccer, football and Frisbee get the cardio pumping and work on the eye-hand coordination.

Themed bikes or scooters with helmets like Barbie or Spiderman will help children dream up their next outdoor adventure.

Girls might want to jump rope or play on their roller-blades, while the boys play marbles or road hockey and trade their Pokemon cards with friends. And for the littler tykes, ride-on toys will help them join in the fun with their older siblings. Sounds like fun!

Lazy Days of Summer

Well, the nice and humid  weather has finally arrived .. and with that comes children playing outside and getting dirty. Our daughter, loves the sandbox and will find any sandbox within a one mile radius. She received princess sandbox toys for her birthday and they are getting put to good use.

Last year we bought water swords which were so much fun. They were perfect for sneaking up on the kids and spraying and cooling them off, The old stand by of course is the water sprinker because we do not have a pool. I picked up one last year that reminds me of our Hawaiian honeymoon. It is a volcano sprinkler and spurts water high in the air every few seconds.. the kids loved jumping over it.  There are all sorts of cool water sprinkler toys now.

Our five year old son loves Indiana Jones (evverything old is new again) and is asking for Indiana Jones toys so there may be a visit to the local toys store in his future.

I know that the months before our son returns to school will be fun and full of great memories.  Summer's finally here!

Staying connected: parenting in the age of the cell phone

I have heard so much opinion on this topic that it’s making me crazy.  The people that make me most insane are usually young, 20-somethings and childless.   I was amazed at a young, bright guidance counselor at a high school damning cell phones and the degenerate technology-obsessed youth who possess them.   Ok, ok – so the cell phone is disruptive but wake up Neanderthals everywhere the cell phone is here to stay.   I however,  find that technology in general enhances parenting. And, as a working mother of a 12 year old, 10 year old and 8 month old quick access to the BlackBerry can help be in multiple spots at one time.   Clients can access me as I drive a child to dance class or hockey practice, the nanny always knows where I am, kids can even email me home work questions.  And, I am not alone as a plethora of articles from parenting to Business Week would agree. Although, as Amy Dunkin, a fellow working mom attested in her Business Week blog it does require commitment and it can feel like a tether as it means, she writes  that "I have the cell phone with me—and turned on—at all times: at my desk, in meetings (on vibrate, of course), on errands and lunch breaks, on the train, even in the ladies’ room. And while sometimes it’s annoying to hear it ring when I’m engrossed in my work, more often than not I’m glad for the call and that I’m there to answer it".  As for me, I am always glad for the call - and they have come to me in the middle of business meetings, conference rooms, contract negotiations and yes, like Amy, even in the bathroom!

In fact, the cell phone has become so much a part of my life that I can not imagine parenting with out it.  And, on weekends the kids are not at home or if I am on a business trip I keep my trusty BlackBerry by my bed.  Extreme you might think.  Connected I say!   Now don’t get me wrong – the tool does not abscond one from one’s parental duties – just the opposite.  My kids are expected to email me homework lists when they get in, call to let me know plans with friends and  check in whilst on school trips.  And I have to admit, that a cell phone in the hands of my very busy, social 12 year old daughter gives me additional piece of mind – there are numerous instances I have been relieved she has had her phone from simple movie nights with her girl friends to trips at an Amusement Park or Shopping Mall. (Although I do NOT believe in dropping my daughter off at the amusement park alone with her friends I have agreed to a compromise which is that I am usually the parent on site.  She can then "hang out with friends"  with out me breathing down her neck for an hour on her own, with her friends but she MUST check in every 45 minutes to let me know where she is via cell phone and coordinate meeting times throughout the day).  In addition, it is important to remember, the pay phone is becoming as extinct as the typewriter, therefore the cell phone has become an essential addition to the safety tool-kit. 

As much as I love the “staying in touch feeling” I get from the multitude of mobile devices in my home, admittedly a cell phone in the hand so a 12 year old (soon to be teen) leads to a new set of parenting guidelines.  For example, I insist that I have full access to her call log, she is limited on number of hours per week, and we reinforce that the cell phone is ultimately for safety purposes and  contact with parents NOT to enhance her social life.  In addition, we do insist that she  take responsibility for its care a hard earned lesson she recently experienced as she lost hers on a snowboarding trip.  The result is that we did make her wait it out a couple of months for a new one (explaining the budget impact of it all).  But taking advantage of the loss to introduce a lesson in fiscal accountability we have had her research deals on eBay. 

Safety and rules aside, I was (naively) surprised to observe that the cell phone is the new social status. Don’t even ask me why I was amazed, in an age of brand obsessed kids (Prada, American Eagle, Gucci, Abercrombie, Lulu Lemon) it is only natural that they the cell phones and all of its features and functions is closely monitored by the play-ground set at grade schools every where.  Her current hit list includes iPhone (egads!), a Motorola Razor V3; a double flip Samsung u740  or the LG TU720 Shine Pink…..

I, who clings to my phones forever (I just gave up my age-old blackBerry) what can I say .   Ten years ago I was advanced as an early adopter now my kids laugh at me as I cling to my old faithful BlackBerry 8703e  Although I have to say – I might just be ready for  a new one given all the hype surrounding the BlackBerry 9000 series (but I digress!).

Gayemarie’s general rules for kids and cell phones:

1.  Use of a cell phone is a privilege not a right.
2.  Parents must have access to all call logs, passwords or access codes at all times
3.  The phone is not for social calls or long chat sessions
4.  All family numbers must be programmed in
5.  Children pay for their own ring tones or unnecessary down loads like games
6.  The child's cell phone number is not handed to any one with out prior parental consent this includes friends at school, teachers or coaches
7.  If the phone is lost it must be replaced with the cheapest available cell phone or the child pays the difference
8.  If  the phone usage is abused it will be taken away for up to 30 days

Pre Baby Shorts

There they were siting on my closet shelf just staring and daring me to put them on-- my Hawaiian pre baby shorts.  I had purchased them in October 2000, on the island of Kauai during our honeymoon.  Since then, I have had two children and gained hips but the size 2 lime green and white shorts were calling my name. I decided to try wear them on the hottest day of the year so far.

As I anxiously pulled them up and tied them up and I screamed with delight they  fit.. I was estatic!! These were and will always be my favourtie summer shorts. i paired them with a white tank top and I looked hot !! (my hubby's words).

I went outside wand pranced around. I went grocery shopping wearing them with I know that some ladies looked at me with jealousy and wished they could be so lucky. I guess training for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer and walking 150 km (~ 90 mi) since March was bound to pay off.