Top 5 Adorable and Original Valentine's Day Gifts for Kids

Tired of giving the same unoriginal gifts for Valentine's Day? Let's do something different! Below is your go-to list of our recommendations for the best Valentine's (or really anytime) gift ideas. No over-the-top-cheesiness and no sugar-them-up sweets. (So, without further ado, and in no particular order...) 

1. Coloring Books/Journals with crayons, markers, or other artistic tools 

Many children love to CREATE, and there is no better way to empower them to do so than by giving them materials to be creative with! You could go to your local Michael's or Hobby Lobby and stock up on cutesy supplies, but even the Dollar Store and Target's dollar section are always well-stocked with children's art supplies. If you wanted to really up the ante, May Designs (sample below) offers THE cutest personalized notebooks with options to include children's coloring book or children's handwriting pages inside. Also, these Etsy Kid's Conversation Hearts Crayons have to be just about the cutest things I've ever seen. 

2. Temporary Tattoos 

There is a special obsession that most children have for stickers and temporary tattoos. I'm not sure where or how it begins, but at some point in a child's life, stickers and tattoos are a MUST-HAVE. Doctors and dentists everywhere have learned and applied this principle, and you too can give these easy gifts! My favorites include these Animal and Monster Hand Tattoos (See Below) from Uncommon Goods and these "Designy Temporary Tattoos" from Tattly. Seriously. Kids have access to the coolest things today.

3. BOOKS

Children (and parents) can never have too many books! Go to your local bookstore (if that still exists where you live) or order them online. They don't have to have Valentine's themes, because this is a gift that they will enjoy year-round. Some of my current top picks (among so many others) include anything written by Mo Willems (see my previous post on his books here), B. J. Novack's The Book with No Pictures, Barney Saltzberg's Beautiful Oops! and A Little Bit of Oomph!, and Josie Bissett's Tickle Monster and Boogie Monster (see below). 

                                 

4. Board Games

Some of my childhood favorites included the ever-traditional Chutes and Ladders (see below), Candy Land (65th anniversary vintage version available here), and Hi Ho Cherry-O. While the classics are still alive and well, here are a few others that have hit the scene more recently: Hoot Owl Hoot (a cooperative game for kids), The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game, Qwirkle, and of course the Frozen-themed versions of Trouble and Monopoly Junior. Board games are timeless, and are a great way to promote problem-solving while kids are having FUN! 

5. STEM Toys 

In case you don't know the acronym, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Recently there has been a huge push to include more STEM education in our school systems, and even in early childhood instruction. If you don't yet have a child in school, you might have seen some STEM activities at your local Children's Museum. Lakeshore Learning, Fat Brain Toys, and Discount School Supply (see magnetic shapes below) all have excellent selections of STEM toys, activities, and games for preschoolers through 6th graders. Give them something they will learn from and enjoy! 

Happy Giving! 

The Prepped Parent

#likeagirl: Influencing Children's Positive Self-Image

You are all probably well aware that the Super Bowl was last night. While I know that many die-hard football fans annually obsess over the particulars of the game, the typical highlights of this yearly “celebration” for me are the food, the half-time show, and, of course, the commercials. This year brought many serious, family-centric commercials. Lots of puppies. Lots of dads. Lots of tears. But perhaps the one that struck me the most was this #likeagirl commercial from Procter & Gamble's Always. Grab a couple tissues and go ahead and take a minute to watch it again. 

As I was contemplating the (somehow now controversial) message behind the commercial, I reflected on the written statement about girls’ confidence plummeting during puberty. While I think this is absolutely true and a very saddening part of our culture, it is not only confidence that shapes the “like a girl” perceptions seen in the first half of the commercial. And, unfortunately, it seems that this "plummet" often happens well before puberty. Gender stereotypes and norms affect girls’ (and boys’) perceptions of themselves starting even in early childhood. Think about your favorite colors and toys when you were younger. I loved dolls and dress-up clothes and could never decide between the two “girls’ color choices”, pink or purple, to name one as my favorite. Research shows that as young children (as young as 3) are growing and trying to make sense of the world around them, they often begin to exhibit and express gender stereotypes as they form their own identities. These identities and stereotypes (applied to themselves and others) are usually rigidly defined by the time children are 7 years old. Seven. Years. Old. That means that our earliest elementary children have already defined their gender stereotypes and are using them to understand and shape their environment on a daily basis. [Read more about counteracting gender stereotypes here.]

This sounds like an incredibly daunting task, but as young children's advocates...we have to do something about it! It is truly up to us to help children change the way in which they form these stereotyped gender biases. By modeling appropriate language around gender differences, sharing stories of girls and women who have triumphed against gender stereotypes, and allowing children to openly explore different gender norms, we can empower both girls and boys to break through these traditional barriers. Let’s help children refrain from using “like a girl” or “like a boy” to define how something can be done. It is up to us to show all children that girls and boys can do anything they want if they work hard enough for it. It is up to us to empower our children with both a positive self-image and image of others.