Strategies That Work With Unruly Toddlers.

Becoming a parent means to some extent you’re always experimenting and trying new things to get the positive behaviors you want while building a strong relationship with

your children. Still, you don’t need to assume the strategies you adopt be a potpourri of hits and misses. Noted authorities on the subject of how small humans act have

put together some templates that work for parents who want to stay on top of unruly toddlers.

For example, psychologists and others who work with hyperactive toddlers have some

helpful tips about what to do when bedtime comes and your little one wants none of it.

Because these children often have a difficult time calming their systems down enough to

shut their eyes at the preordained time , experts suggest parental interventions might be

the best course of action.

Rhythmic Sounds

These children often need rhythmic sounds and a quick dose of rocking to soothe and

reset their biological clocks to fall asleep in the first place or to get back to sleep once

they’ve woken up in the middle of the night. You should make these little episodes brief,

but there doesn’t seem to be any way around this physical contact to smooth these rough

patches over.

Some of the things that can help an unruly toddler along are proactive and have to

do with Mom or Dad being able to spot the signs there’s trouble on the horizon. For

example, if you know when your child is getting hungry or tired, you can generally head

bad behavior off at the pass. On the other hand, there’s the philosophy that says if the bad

behavior is minor enough and no one really gets hurt, it’s best to ignore it.

Labeled Praise.

There’s another concept professionals have found useful when dealing with unruly

toddlers and the idea is called labeled praise. The concept is simple in that the more

attention you lavish on any kind of behavior, the more of that kind you’ll get from your

child. In other words, this parenting style suggests reprimands actually increase the very

actions you’re trying to get rid of. Likewise, offering praise indiscriminately does little

good. The concept behind labelled praise focuses on telling your offspring what you like

about the behaviors you want to see more of and ignoring the ones, as much as possible,

that you want to get rid of . Attention that gets brought to bad acts will only increase

them according to this model.

Do Nothing

There are even child psychologists who suggest that doing nothing is actually a

preemptive way to redirect those tantrums before they start to ferment. The experts

recommend that one hour per week per child is a good starting point to just be with them

and show interest in whatever they happen to be doing. Expressing positive emotions

during these times is a great way to reinforce their feelings and build self esteem as well

as their desire to cooperate with you.

In the end you need to remember to remain calm when your toddler acts out. That will

give you the chance to reasonably access the situation and decide on the best course of

action for everyone involved.

For more interesting articles like this, visit All My Children Daycare.

Author: Rob Starr

Decorate T-Shirts with the Kids

Kids love to create their own works of art, but how cool would it be if they could wear it too? Now they can when you decorate T-shirts with the kids. Let their personal style shine through right on their very own clothing. Here are four ideas for making T-shirts the kids will want to wear all the time. Use inexpensive shirts like Hanes or plain white or light-colored T-shirts that you’ve had for a while. Stretch the shirt over a large board, part of a cardboard box, or ironing board so the surface is smooth and flat as you decorate. Let’s go!

Rockstar T-Shirts

Your child will feel like a star in his own rockin’ T-shirt! You can use special markers or pens created for fabric which you can find at any craft store. You can help stencil or make outlines of stars, microphones and music notes. If your child has a favorite singer or band, you can write their name across the shirt, as well as a lyric or two from a favorite song. Use the pens and markers to color in the designs. Once that is dry, which should not take too long, you can use a fabric glue to outline the stars and apply fabric glitter or sequins to really make the shirt have that rock and roll edge. The kids will love this unique shirt and everyone will wonder where you got it. Rock on!

Sport-T

Get sporty on a T-shirt! It’s easy to create balls used in various sports and design with your kid’s favorite team’s colors or his star player. A sports-themed T-shirt would look great designed with puffy paints which are sold at any craft store. Make large circles to become soccer balls in black and white, tennis balls in a light green, or make oblong oval brown footballs. The kids can make any sort of designs all over the sleeves and empty spaces in the team’s colors and even put their favorite player’s team name or number on the back of the shirt once the front is dry. What a fun way to support the home team and cheer on the game!

Big Sister or Brother T-Shirt

Is your son or daughter about to be a big sibling, or is he or she already? We’ve all seen the “I’m a Big Sister (or Brother)” T-shirts, but wouldn’t it be great for your child to make his own? You can stencil out the words, “I’m a Big Brother” and your child can use fabric markers or puffy paint to go over the words in his favorite shades. You can draw stick figures of a big sibling with a new baby to decorate as well. Let your child decorate with all his favorite things that he plans to share with his new sibling, such as favorite toys, the family pet, and plenty of hearts and xoxo’s!

Chef T-Shirt

Is your kiddo a little chef in training? Why not make a special T-shirt to designate him the mini-chef of the household? It can even be worn while helping in the kitchen in lieu of an apron. You can decorate with simple designs like forks and spoons, fruits and veggies, and some of his favorite dishes. Write something cute like, “Kiss the Chef” across the top. Use puffy paint to line the shapes and fill in with colored fabric markers. He’ll love helping out in the kitchen when he’s got his special chef T-shirt to wear. Bon apetit!

What would you like to design a T-shirt with? Have you tried any of these ideas? Share with us, we’d love to hear what you have created. For more fun ideas like this, visit All My Children Daycare.

By: Melissa A. Kay

Here’s Why You Need To Monitor Your Child’s Access To Mobile Devices

Mention mobile devices and you’re more than likely going to get adults reaching into

their pockets or purses to show you the latest smartphone that helps them to organize

their busy lives, stay in touch with family and friends and stay entertained in almost

every location they find themselves in. These modern innovations have become an

indispensable part of today’s hyperconnected lifestyle and something the average person

would no more do without than their house keys or wallet.

However, there’s an emerging darker side to these devices. A body of research points

to the negative effects overexposure to these handheld devices (including smartphones,

tablets, electronic games and even television) can have on the development of your

children.

Taking Notice

Child care authorities are taking notice of the warnings that include findings that

state in the years between 0 and 2 when a baby’s brain triples in size, overexposure to

technology can actually cause a variety of issues including attention deficit disorders and

a decreased ability to self regulate. Dire predictions and consequences over the lack of

physical development associated with the overuse of mobile devices were documented by

occupational therapist and child development experts like Chris Rowan in 2010.

Because physical activity enhances both learning ability and the attention span, some

experts including Rowan suggest the use of technology for any child under the age of

twelve years can be detrimental. Of course, there are more obvious red flags to the health

and well being of children overexposed to these devices and the rate of obesity has been

tied to them. In fact, a study from Texas Tech University and lead author, Du Feng,

Ph.D., states that children with a television in their bedrooms also have a 30% higher

chance of becoming obese.

Suggested Template

Starting early in life seems to be the suggested template for parents to follow. Some

guidelines have been developed to assist parents who are looking to negate the ill effects

of overexposure to these handheld devices and the experts onboard with this effort

include one neuroscientist, one pediatric occupational therapist and both the American

Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatric Society.

That research is clear that from the ages of 0-2 years, children should not be allowed

access to or be exposed to any video games, handheld devices or even television for

that matter. The numbers stay fairly stagnant with the suggestions being only one to two

hours of non violent television and no access to handheld devices all the way up to the

age of 13, when they should be restricted to 30 minutes per day to ensure their brains and

bodies can develop properly.

Finally, consider the most dire warning of all about the most common of handheld

devices our children have access to. Five years ago, the World Health Organization

classified smartphones as 2B risk which means these and other wireless devices are

possibly carcinogenic when overused.

For more interesting articles like this, visit All My Children Daycare.

Author: Rob Starr

Make Your Own Pizza Night Recipes

Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s fun to order a pie or go out for a slice, but what about making your own? The kids will love helping out in the kitchen and concocting their own tasty recipes. You don’t even have to be a master at making dough. You can use sliced English Muffins, pita rounds, puff pastry or even thick toasted bread. Pizza night will never be the same again!

Four Cheese Gooey Delight

Mmmmm… cheese! Cheese lovers, rejoice. This four cheese recipe can be altered to suit your taste and favorite cheese combos. You can even swap in low-fat cheeses for a less fattening option, but remember, a little cheese goes a long way, especially for little mouths. You can use tomato sauce if you like, but on the four cheese blend, I like to leave off the sauce so the cheesy flavors shine. Your best bet for melting is to use shredded or finely sliced cheese. Go for mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Swiss, and ricotta for an all-white pizza. Or make it a “Tex-Mex” with cheddar, peppered cheese, nacho cheese sauce, and American. This one would taste great with a dollop of salsa on top. Any combo you like can be arranged on the bread type of your choosing and heated in the oven or toaster oven until the cheese melts and the pizza looks golden brown.

Very Veggie

If you can’t get your kids to eat their vegetables, they sure will love them when they’re on top of a pizza they made themselves. Top the bread of your choice with a thin layer of tomato sauce. You can even blend pureed veggies into the sauce to make this veggie pizza even more nutritious. Dice up some green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and other veggies you and the kids would like to try and arrange them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle on some shredded mozzarella and add some Parmesan if you’re looking for a bolder flavor. Again, heat in the oven or toaster oven until golden brown and you’ve got a healthy pizza the kids will devour. Veggies are back on the menu!

Sweet as Pie

While pizza is usually a savory dish, who said you can’t make a sweeter version? This sweet pizza is great for breakfast or an after-school snack. I like to use an English Muffin for the sweet pizzas, but you can use whatever type of bread you like best. Mini cinnamon raisin bagels would make for a delicious base too. Top each side with your favorite jelly or jam, or spread a thin layer of honey over each slice. Top that with a thin layer of ricotta or cream cheese. Thinly slice some strawberries, bananas, peaches, or other favorite fruits (I don’t recommend citrus fruits for this recipe) and lay them over the cheese. Pop into the oven or toaster oven until golden brown. Sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar or brown sugar right before serving. Sounds pretty sweet to me!

BBQ Chicken Pizzas

Is your mouth already watering? I like to use a thick, crusty bread for this recipe to hold the weight of the chicken, but feel free to use whatever you like the best. Top your bread with BBQ sauce, thinly sliced tomatoes and red peppers, sautéed onions, and pre-cooked, shredded chicken tossed in BBQ sauce. Top the chicken with a dash of parsley, black pepper and some crushed garlic. Pop the pizza in the oven or toaster oven until fully heated and golden brown. This pizza would go well with a side of cole slaw or corn-on-the-cob to make for a full meal.

With all these tasty pizza options you can make at home, you can lose the number to your local pizzeria today! Do you make your own pizza? What’s your favorite recipe?

Read more articles like this at All My Children Daycare.

By: Melissa A. Kay

Dry Pasta Art Ideas

Pasta is a tasty Italian food staple, but dry pasta can be used for some creative arts and crafts projects too. Kids love the fun they can have with the variety of different shapes and textures. They can make beautiful art with the pasta you already have sitting at the back of your cupboard. Try out these fun dry pasta art ideas the next time the kids are looking for something new to do. Use cheap brands as not to waste the more pricey pastas you may want to save for a meal. Remember, this pasta is not to be consumed, it’s for art only.

Hairdos

Take a sheet of sturdy paper, cardboard, or poster board and draw a large face on it. Or, your child can draw the face herself. Color in as usual, but leave off the hair. That’s where the dry pasta comes to play. Use non-toxic glue to create the basic outline of the way the hair will look. For long hair, use sticks of dry spaghetti and pat gently onto the glue lines. Make bangs by breaking the spaghetti into smaller lengths. For curly hair, try fusilli pasta for a bouncy look. You can even create eyebrows and mustaches with smaller pasta shapes like macaroni or fine bits of angel hair pasta. Let the glue and pasta dry completely and your child will have a fun pasta hairdo creation!

Necklaces

It’s very easy to make dry pasta necklaces and you can even beads for some added flair. Simply give your child a piece of sturdy yarn or thick string and tie a very large knot at one end, big enough so the pasta won’t slide off the string. Necklaces work best with pasta shapes such as rigatoni, ziti, penne, or even macaroni. Experiment with varying shapes and sizes for a unique look. If you have some colorful beads, the kids can alternate between the pasta and beads. This idea also works well to create bracelets and headpieces. Once all the pasta and beads are on the string, tie up both ends securely and the kids can slip the necklace over their heads. When they aren’t wearing the necklace, hang them on a hook in their bedroom as a handmade art piece!

Rainbows with Dyed Pasta

You can actually dye dry pasta into a rainbow of different colors! It’s easy to do. Simply place about 1/8 cup of rubbing alcohol with a few drops of food coloring into a zip seal bag. Add the dry pasta, shake it up, and let it sit for a few hours. Once the color sets in, your child can create colorful artwork with the pasta. She can glue the pasta to a piece sturdy paper in the shape of a rainbow or a field of vibrant flowers. You can stick to a theme, like Valentine’s Day by using only red dye and creating Cupid’s arrows and heart shapes. Create a field of grass with green dyed spaghetti broken into small blade-length pieces. The kids will love the rich hues and endless pasta-bilities!

Glittering Snowflakes

Bring the joy of a winter wonderland indoors as a work of art. Simply roll dry pasta in glue and dip and roll in blue and silver glitter. Once dry, glue the pasta onto sturdy paper in star shaped designs to become glittering snowflakes! The kids can draw snowmen and other winter backgrounds on the paper before applying the dry pasta. You can also use glittered pasta for necklaces with a little “bling” to them!

Have you and the kids ever made dry pasta art? What did you create?

For more fun activities like this, visit All My Children Daycare.

By: Melissa A. Kay

Quick and Easy Before-School Breakfast Ideas

A wholesome breakfast is an important way to start your child’s day off positively. With the morning rush, there’s usually not much time to prepare something that will take too long to make, but you can still prep a morning meal your child will absolutely love. No boring toast or cereal here. Check out these quick and easy breakfast ideas everyone will be excited to wake up for!

Quick Microwave “Omelets”

There’s no need to use the stove to make a tasty egg dish. You can pop a quick egg recipe into a non-stick or oil-sprayed microwave-safe container and have an omelet-type dish in minutes. Simply whisk 2 eggs (or use 3 egg whites for a yolk-free recipe) with a dash of milk, chopped veggies (any kind will do, but we love broccoli and mushrooms), and some cheese. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and combine all ingredients. Pour into your microwave-safe dish (go for a round shape no larger than 6-7 inches in diameter) and heat for about 2 minutes, or until set. Your child can eat as is or with a roll, bagel, or English muffin. Egg-cellent!

Quirky Quick Oats

Those single-serving oatmeal packs are perfectly fine, but why not take them up a notch by getting creative. Heat up the packet as directed, but add your own fixins for more flavor and texture. Try some mixed nuts, dried berries, brown sugar, and raisins for a belly-filling option. Or, you can stir in some jam and peanut butter for a fun take on a PB&J. If your kid is a chocolate fanatic, add a few chocolate chips and diced bananas. The possibilities are endless and are quick to heat up on a frantic morning. Make your own oatmeal concoction!

Pizza for Breakfast

Pizza for breakfast? Sure! Pizza can be a nutritious meal and the kids will go wild when they hear they’re getting their favorite meal first thing! Take an English muffin split in 2 or a small pita or flatbread. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes, low-fat shredded cheese and diced vegies. Pop into the toaster oven until golden brown and you’ve got a delicious breakfast. You can experiment with different toppings like ricotta cheese, turkey sausage, or even pineapple. The kids are going to love this!

Fruit and Yogurt Wraps

Fresh fruit and high-protein Greek yogurt make for a sweet and healthful breakfast. Take a whole wheat or plain soft tortilla and spread a thin layer of plain or vanilla thick Greek yogurt all over one side. Line the middle with sliced strawberries, bananas, kiwis, and other fruits your child loves to eat. If your kid likes cinnamon, sprinkle some onto the fruit. Fold over the sides of the tortilla and roll into a tight wrap. Slice in half, and you’ve got a hand-held breakfast that your child can even take on the go. That’s a wrap!

What are your quick breakfast ideas? We’d love to try something new too! For more like this, visit All My Children’s blog.

By: Melissa A. Kay

DIY Printables

With so much focus on video games and other electronics, basic coloring seems like a thing of the past. Bring it back! Imagine how much your kids will love coloring when you’ve created the pages especially for them! Try these 4 printables ideas that you can create on your computer, print them out, and give to your kids for hours of DIY coloring fun!

Your Child’s First Initial

If you’ve got Word on your computer, this is a breeze. Pick a favorite font and type in your child’s first initial in the middle of the page and make it a very large size. Print out the page and encourage your child to draw her favorite things that begin with that letter. For example, if your child’s name is Clara, print the sheet with a huge “C” in the middle and she can draw cupcakes, candles, cats and cookies! This personal printable can be redone all the time with new drawings. Your kids will love their special initial even more than before.

Sunny Days

Find a photo online of a beautiful nature backdrop with flourishing flowers, tall trees, and a sunny sky. Print it out and your child can create any scene she desires. She can draw your family having a picnic, birds and animals enjoying the blessings of nature, or houses and cars. Watch as her imagination runs wild with a basic background to start with. Your child will be able to create a new scene every time you print a fresh sheet. See how she progresses as she explores new ideas.

Certificate of Accomplishment

Print out a blank award certificate and let your kid fill it in with something she’s done well that week. Perhaps she got an A+ on an exam, did all her chores without you asking, or taught her little brother to tie his shoes. Let her show off her pride and glory. She can also draw stars and other symbols of a great job on her certificate. She’ll look forward to hanging her “award” on the fridge for all to marvel at!

Smiley Face

Look online for a basic smiley face image or emoji. Enlarge it as much as you can and print out the page. Your child can make it look like any face she’s in the mood to create. She can make a birthday face by drawing a hat, balloons and confetti. Or, perhaps she can create a pirate, complete with an eye patch and bandana. If she loves clowns, that would make for a fun and colorful smiley face with a big red nose and a curly mop of hair. With the endless options, a simple smiley face can become anyone your child can imagine!
Do you have some fun DIY printable ideas? Share your thoughts with the community. For more fun ideas like these, visit All My Children today!

By: Melissa A. Kay

Cognitive development in the first six months of life

Cognitive development in the first six months of life

There’s every indication babies start developing awareness of their surroundings long

before they’ve made their grand entrance into the world. Studies have shown newborns

can tell their mother’s amniotic fluid from a stranger’s and it’s well known they prefer

the sound of their mother’s voice over any other.

It all points to the fact their tiny brains have started developing, growing and even

thinking from the earliest stages of their lives and that all-important cognitive

development which is defined as the ability to taste, hear, touch, smell, think, learn

language and eventually even talk, starts well before they can walk.

Cause and Effect

A baby’s brain develops quickly in their first six months and one of the first things they

begin to understand is the cause and effect relationship between certain events. Cry and

Mommy picks her up and the sound of your familiar voice heading down the hall means

you’ll be with her soon. These future heads of state, doctors and lawyers only have a

limited memory capacity in that first year, so they tend to live in the moment and that’s

why they are so easily distracted.

Babies start to learn about themselves around this time and the term proprioception refers

to discovering different parts of the body, where they are in space and in relation to each

other. Of course, every parent will want to know what they can do to speed the process

along and be positive influencers in their children’s early cognitive development.

Reading to Newborns

The experts say reading to newborns is a positive step. They won’t understand the

words but bright colors, interesting patterns and, of course, the sound of their mother’s

voice is just the kind of sensory stimulation they need in these early stages of cognitive

development.

The experts still stand by the traditional mobile as one of the best ways to spur on

development and a plastic unbreakable mirror in or near the crib will allow baby to see

her face and movements. Although there is a parting of ways when it comes to deciding

whether a baby learns simply because their brain is wired for it or whether these little

bundles of joy get educated through experience, researchers that study these areas agree

on two important points:

Neural Connections

Babies do a tremendous amount of learning in the first six to 12 months and interactions

with the people who look after them is critical. Secondly, the experiences they have

are vital to the neural connections that get alternately fixed and lost. There’s even hard

evidence cognitive development starts as early as in the first two months of life when

baby has learned to process enough information to imitate the facial expressions of those

around them.

Spatial perception starts to improve in months three or four and by months five and six,

your child’s personality is emerging and they become frustrated if favorite toys are taken

away. Your baby will even start making links between the words you associate with

objects at this age.

For more articles related to childcare please visit our Blog.

Author: Rob Starr

Easy At-Home Exercise Routines

Sometimes it isn’t possible to join or get to the gym. Being a parent takes up almost all of your time, if not every moment, but it’s important to take care of your body, even if it’s for just a few minutes per day. You’ll look and feel better and be a positive role model for your children and family. These easy exercises that you can do right at home will be a breeze to incorporate into your daily routine. So let’s get going!

Stair Step Lunges

You can define your glutes, thighs and calves while keeping an eye on the kids. Hey, you can even have dinner in the oven or a load of laundry going while you perfect this easy exercise. Simply use the bottom step of your staircase and place one foot on the ground and the other on that first step. Bend at the knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor and squeeze the muscles on the way down and back up to a straight-leg position. Do 10 reps, then switch legs. Do 3 sets of these each day. Once it becomes too easy, hold dumbbells in each hand to add weight to the exercise. You’ll see a toned butt and legs in no time!

Jump Rope

Jumping rope isn’t just for kids. It’s an excellent cardiovascular exercise that works all the major muscle groups. Find a space in your home where the full rotation of the jump rope won’t bang into anything; perhaps the basement or garage. You can also do this outside in nice weather. Try to jump for 5 minutes straight and add time every time you jump. It’s harder to complete that amount of time than you think, but easy to get into the groove and do the jumping itself. Play some upbeat, motivating tunes to get your heart pumping! Let the kids try too if they are old enough.

Crunches

We all want those washboard abs, but sit-ups can be a pain, literally. You don’t need to do a full sit-up in order to work those abdominal muscles. You can do crunches and reach those abs. Believe me, they’re under there! Lie with your back to the floor with your knees bent and feet on the ground and you’re your arms crossed across the chest or hands behind the head. Lift the head until your torso is at a 45 degree angle to the floor then slowly lower back down. Do as many reps you are able to do. You can also target different areas of the abs by lifting the legs straight out or up in the air. Keep at it and you will soon notice a change in muscle definition… AB-solutely!

Modified Push-Ups

Push-ups are great for the triceps and chest muscles. Some of us cannot do a full push-up though, and that’s OK. Modified push-ups are a great way to work your way up to a full push-up and build those muscles very well. In a modified push-up, lie face down on the ground put your body in a position where the knees are on the ground and feet are up. Push yourself up and down by lifting and lowering the upper body just like you would in a normal push-up. The leg position eases up some of the weight and allows you to do more repetitions. Do as many as you can and aim to increase the number each day. Your muscles will become more defined and you will surely feel stronger!

Do you have any at-home exercises that have worked for you? Share your tips with us! For more info like this, check out more articles at All My Children.

By: Melissa A. Kay

Road Trip Car Games

A long trip in the car can make kids a bit stir-crazy. As fun as going on a trip will be, getting there can be part of the entertainment too. Try these 5 car games you can play with the kids that will keep them busy without the use of iPads and video games. They may even bring you back to your childhood!

20 Questions

This game is super-easy and can keep the kids entertained for a long time, especially if you take turns. One kid will think of a person, place or thing and the others must ask questions which require a “yes” or “no” answer in order to figure out what the other kid is thinking of. The goal is to guess by the time you reach 20 questions about the person, place or thing. Parents can join in too. It’ll be interesting to hear what the kids come up with and how they use their thinking skills.

License Plate Game

Keep the kids occupied as they spend time looking out the window for cars. It’s better for kids 7 and up who can discern between the license plates. Here’s how it goes: Give each kid a paper with each U.S. state listed out. When they see a license plate on a car from that state they check it off the list. The goal is to check off all 50 states, but at the end of the trip, the kid who found the most states wins! If your kids are younger, you can play the game by asking them to spot car colors rather than license plates.

Picnic Game

This game is tons of fun and is great for helping kids work on their memory skills. Start with the first child and have her start with the letter A. She’ll say, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples.” The next kid must remember her item, along with a new item starting with the letter B. So, he’ll say, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples and bagels.” The game goes on as such and gets harder as the list grows. See if they can make it all the way to Z!

Scavenger Hunt

Kids love to play scavenger hunt in the backyard, but you can also try it from the car on a long road trip. Make a list of things the kids will be sure to spot out the window while on the road such as schools, gardens, restaurants, parks, and more. The kids will check off the item on the list once they spot something. This is sure to keep the kids busy for as long as you want, based on how long you make the list. Offer a small prize when they complete the hunt, such as a treat at a rest stop or a small toy.

Karaoke

The whole family can have a blast singing all your favorite tunes. You can get a tape of background music, Karaoke-style, or use your iPod to download backing tracks to everyone’s favorite songs. Sing along in the car for hours of self-made entertainment. The kids will feel like they’re the next Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber!

What do you do to keep the kids busy on road trips? Read more information like this on the All My Children site.

By: Melissa A. Kay