Amazing that the FTC wants to waste precious money feighting this company again.  The united states education system needs to be fixed.  I've seen it fail many people over the years.  Can't read...  Not a problem because here is a SHOVEL!  Either that of perpetual government assistance.  I have YBCR and YBCD.  I've been rewarded many times over!

I will send in a testimonial as well. 

John

Hi!  I'm not a mom, but I AM a dad!

I'm sure that most early learning parents have felt your same feelings. First thing--  Relax!
Next--  Just know that you are doing more than you can imagine to help your children develop.  Sometimes I feel that my energy level to teach my children (I have 3  { 29 month old twins & a 12 month old} is like a High tide- Low tide affect.  When you are feeling overwhelmed, it might be helpful for you to back off and concentrate on what you feel you can do without getting overwhelmed.  Perhaps a husband or other family member may be able to provide a little more one-on-one time with your youngest child?

Concerning improving vocabulary--  I think flashing flashcards are an excellent way to improve vocabulary.  Equally important is telling your children what an item is as you are doing something...  i.e. (measuring cup when cooking, birds, frogs, leaves, bushes, flowers, trash, sidewalk, slide, etc... when taking them to the park, talk about the weather, clouds, the rain, sun, the wind, etc...) Doing that in English and French may have a sinergistic affect.  The YBCR and YBCD series are good for early learning (IMHO). Lots of flashcards.  Do you have time to borrow books from the library?  I know you said books aren't an option but.. if you start with just one book and do your best to make it as exciting and interesting as possible, you might be able to build on this idea.  Soon, your child(ren) may have the ability to sit still and read with you.  That is a great opportunity to relax with the little ones and just read- read- read.  Of course you may get tired of the books, but they most likely won't.

Don't be depressed.  Just do what you can and...  LOVE your children with all your heart!  You are already giving your children more than many other parents.

Where to start:
Vocabulary-- Flashcards and talking to your children throughout the day about EVERYTHING! OH----  This is my favorite activity:  I take them to the grocery store and we talk about the fruits and vegetables, the milk, butter, bread, chips, eggs, etc...  You can also slip in some facts about the item at that time too.

Alphabet- Just singing the alphabet at random is great!  Sometimes when my twins seems not so interested, I pretend that I'm saying the alphabet for my 12 month old.  They still hear it! <wink>

Colors- YBCD has an excellent section on colors!  Try to find one near where you live on Craigslist, Ebay, or local thrift stores.

Numbers-  You can always cound things as you are giving them their food.  i.e. cherios, crunchies, crackers, etc...  Glen Doman has info on making DOT cards for your child(ren) to learn from.

Montessori schooling is a wonderful thing!  Just remember to keep things fun at their current age!

I hope this is somewhat helpful.  I know I'm not a mother, but I'm still a parent.  (For those people in the forum that tend to beleive that men/dads aren't into early learning)

Good luck--  You are doing great.  Don't give up.

John

Rizoo,

From what knowledge I have on this subject, it is always safer to follow up one c-section with another c-section.  Of course there are always circumstances that work for or against that idea.  When the previous birth was a c-section, the muscles that were cut are weaker at that spot.  The skin is also weaker where the incision was.  It is my understanding that the risk of tearing the weakened tissues is much greater because of all the force exerted when the mother is trying to push the baby out.  This would put the mother at serious risk of health issues.  Also, some pregnant women cannot have a natural birth because of anatomical situations.  I'm sure your doctor would have talked that over with you when you had your first baby.  You can always have a second opinion though.  I hope this advice is helpful.

Tjackson,

My wife and I bought products that detected the babies breathing and/or moving.  One such device is called the Snuza.  None of these products are cheap.  You are most likely looking to spend at least $150 US.  They really gave us a peace of mind when sleeping though.  For us....  Expensive but worth it.

I think there is a study out that that also linked the chances for a baby to die from SIDS with their health.  If I'm not mistaken, babies with respiratory problems have a higher chance of dying from SIDS. 

My wife and I were overprotective, but to each their own.  Our doctor also said that once a child has learned to roll over, there isn't much you can do.  Research and ask your doctor.  Then make a decision that you are comfortable with.  Like I mentioned above, a SNUZA may help you with your worries.

John

This was inspirational.  Thank you Jane

John

I purchased this a few months ago.
Although my children are a little young for it at this time (27 months), it does seem like the game was put together really well.  Expensive-- Yes!  Worth it--  I think if you actually spend time with your children and play the game or quiz them from the cards, then in my honest opinion....  Yes, it should be worth it.  The concepts are well thought out.  Testingmom.com has alot of info for parents to quiz/teach their children.
I recieved a $100 discount off the regular price because I purchased their 1% membership.  The game and the website are great, but if a parent is lazy (not assuming anything here...  just stating if a parent were this way), then I'd also assume that it's not really worth it.

Good luck with your purchase if you decide to buy it.  I am really looking forward to playing the game and/or quizzing my children when they are a little older.  Looks like great fun!

John

FLKL,

Our families are quite similar with LR (English & Chinese), LM, LMu, YBCR/YCCR, YBCD/YCCD, Sparkabilities (baby and child dvd's), Signing Times (Season 1 and 2), Alphablocks, and an assortment of numerous ASL songs (Youtube).  We do let them watch a bit of Thomas the Train as well.  The rest of the time, we read, do art classes, play cars, play outside, feed the ducks and geese, music class & Little Gym (gymnastics stuff).

I'll check out some of the other programs you watch.  Might be something we can integrate into our plans.  We are looking for more Math based shows and Science based shows.

John

Hermila,

Hi.  Great to see someone from Texas here.  I'm actually from Lubbock.  I'm always looking for local people to get to know.  Let me know if you have questions or comments.

John

Gloria,

This has worked for me with some success.  My family also purchased LR, LM, & LMus.  For many months, we were doing 1 session daily (Due to time contraints) one after the other.  The children seemed to enjoy it enough that it worked for us.  Sometimes, children decide that they don't want to do a subject and begin to revolt.  At that point, we remove 1 or more programs for a while in hopes of reintroducing it at a later time.  My twins are 26 months old and won't sit in their chairs anymore while our 'school lesson' is going.  I know that their interest will wane from time to time, and I can deal with it.

If your child can sit through numerous 'school lessons' a day, then it's probably best to break it up so that they might get LR and LMu twice a day, and LM at a seperate time than LR and LMu but still get two lessons daily. 

If your child enjoys the lessons, I say go with it, if not, then do what you can but always remember that you don't want to force a subject on your child just because you are trying to stay on a schedule.  Always keep it as fun and enjoyable as possible.  That means putting a 'school subject' away for a later date if need be.

I really hope this helped in your quest for EL.  Keep up the good work, give your child lots of love, and keep a positive attitude!  You'll see the difference guaranteed. 

John

huongvan,

Not sure if you'd consider Little Pim (Chinese).    Everything is there.  I have some interest in your tweedlewink dvd's.  I'm sure we could figure something out to meet the needs of both of us.  let me know if you have an interest.  if so, are you in the U.S.?  I am.

John

Right at 300 books (+/- dozen).

We've been reading books on the alphabet called. ie:  My "A" book, My "B" book, C, D, etc..  Although they are a bit long for a 2 year old (about 20 pages average), my twins really enjoy them.

Greetings,

My children have been watching the 5-7 minute Sparkabilities vidoes (baby 1, 2, Toddler 1, 2) that are on Youtube.  They seem to enjoy the videos quite a bit.

My questions:
For those parents who let their children watch the DVDs- 
How long is each DVD?  Is the remaining content worth watching or are the Youtube videos the best part of each video?
Do you feel your children have learned from the DVDs? 
Is $59.99 U.S. too much to pay for the complete Sparkabilies set (2 baby DVDs & 2 Toddler DVDs)?

Besides the current 15% off (coupon code "Break"), does anyone know of any other codes to save on shipping or anything else?

Can anyone compare Sparkabilites with "Your baby/children can Discover"?

Thank you in advance,

John

I don't have any experience with those magnets but the size is what would be more important for me.
The size of those magnets is only .375".  If you look at a ruler, you'll see that that is pretty small (especially if children will be reading or making words with them on the refrigerator).

But that is just my 2 cents

John

It's a shame that the White House has taken this stance when it's clear that the education in public schools needs to be greatly improved.  Anyone in Germany heard of this situation?

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2209524896001/christian-family-facing-deportation-for-homeschooling/?intcmp=obnetwork

Tamsyn,

It's very interesting how you talk about controlling your dreams.  I also have that ability.  I've always loved dreaming, so when I get the chance to interact in my dreams in ways that benefit me, I don't waste the opportunity.  I used to be in martial arts.  We would try to meditate to improve our workouts.  Often times, I would picture myself doing physical actions perfectly without any struggles.  When lifting weights, I would meditate and imagine the muscle group I was working on becoming a huge thundercloud (biceps) or something along those lines.  When I was in college, I would listen to classical music before and after studying.  Before an exam, I would once again listen to classical music on my way to school.  Once the exam started and everyone had started, I would meditate in class for at least 5 minutes (Teachers thought I was a freak or something).  Most often I was the curve-setter for the exams!  I believe in this stuff, although I didn't know what the concept of mid-brain activation was.

Nowadays, I've been able to pick up the energy from events that haven't happened yet (visions of airplanes hitting buildings before 9/11, numerous people who died (most recently an Uncle and Hugo Chavez), and getting pulled over by the police for speeding (have the tickets to prove those!).  Anyways, I sure wish I could pass some of this along to my children.  I sure with I knew how to safely and effectively begin though.