As parents, we are always looking for interesting and educational items for our children. Books, toys and educational items are among items we are always on the lookout for. I always am always on the lookout for special needs and education items for Ali.

One of the most important things I look for are books. I read as much as I can and want to instill that into my children. As many other parents, we have our collection of books; our collection has many entertaining and educational titles.

I have come across another line of books that, I believe, are wonderful additions to our collection of children’s books. With exceptional artwork and writing, I would recommend them to any parent that is looking for a wonderful series of books and artwork for their children.

Take a look at them and let me know what you think.

They are at:

http://www.ripsqueak.com

I would love to hear your thoughts on this series of books.

If you have any other children’s books you have in your collection, I would love to hear about them.

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1. Special Needs Parenting Magazines

Being a parent to small children requires certain qualities. One quality I never thought I would need as a parent would be that of a safe cracker. When did toy packing begin to resemble Fort Knox?

Now when I was growing up, I had many toys in my toy box. GI Joe, He-Man, Star Wars and more filled my room and around the house on occasion. I would play with my toys and invite friends over to share the toys.

I would usually get one of my parents to open a new toy out of the box for me. There were even times that I remember, I would open the packaging myself. That way I would get to the toy at kid speed. I don’t remember the packaging on any of my toys requiring something sharp or even tools to extract the toys inside.

I do have to say that the toys of today are far more sophisticated then what I grew up with. Some of the toys today can do things I only dreamed of when I was growing up. Now, with the new advanced toys of today, do they also require much bigger and harder packaging to open them?

No matter the time or occasion, whether it is for a birthday, special occasion or Christmas time, there are so many toys that have be opened and put together. I know as a parent, it is one of our duties to open, assemble and configure these toys for our children. Now that you have to be a safe cracker to open toys, the task takes that much longer; not to mention the frustration level of some of these toys and what you have to do to open them. I wonder how much it costs a toy company to put all this packaging to protect one toy.

Now I bet I am not the only one that feels this way. I am sure there are many parents out there that can attest to the same frustrations I have. However, I wonder about the toy factory workers. If it takes the amount of time and effort to remove the protection on the toy packaging, what does it take to actually put it all together at the toy factory? I can’t even imagine what it takes for a toy factory worker to assemble all that packaging for just one toy. I would think it would compare to the assembling of the security at Fort Knox.

I don’t know who the person was that came up with these complicated security measures for protecting Barbie and her friends. I do know one thing; I would love to meet the person who came up with the idea of the packaging for today’s toys.

I even wonder if that person had children of their own.

Related posts:

1. I Don’t Remember Toys Like Those When I Was Growing Up
2. A Cool Invention – Juice Boxes

As a parent, one of the things you do is read with your children. At a early age, we really want to instill a love and interest in reading for our children. By reading yourself and reading with your children, you show them that reading is something that should be a enjoyable activity.

Over on ZenHabits, Leo Babauta, wrote a wonderful post on instilling the love reading with our children or even ourselves.

How to Instill the Love of Reading – In Your Child, or Yourself

This is a great post and wonderful to show the love of reading as a lifelong activity. He also gives some links to some wonderful books to read as well.

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1. Rip Squeak
2. A Journey Starts With a Single Step

Hello all.

Things have been chaotic here and haven’t been able to post. Rest assured more dad writings are coming very soon!

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1. A Journey Starts With a Single Step

“What does that cloud look like?”

“A penguin”.

“Really? What about that one?”

A baby bear. The one over there is her mommy.”

“Oh. Where is her daddy?”

“He is holding her hand.”

“What about that cloud?”

“That looks like you daddy.”

Children have wonderful imaginations. They can look at something and see it completely different then we do.

When a child is young, their sight of the world is exciting, wonderful and imaginative. When you grow up, you don’t have that sight anymore.

Adults see things right or left. Children see sideways and diagonal.

We see straight or backwards. They see upside down up and upside down.

Adults see black and white. Children see lights and colors.

What happens when we grow up? How do we loose that “sight?”

As I look at it, I want to see those colors too.

As adults, we sometimes have blinders on us to only see this and that; no in between or somewhere around it all.

It amazes me to see the world through the eyes of a child. As a dad, I get to experience the world in this view again. Simple things we don’t think about like lying in a field while looking up at clouds, the sun gleaming down on our faces, running in the rain, picking flowers.

I love being a dad and give thanks everyday for being able to view the world through their eyes. I love watching my children’s faces when they discover something new and wonderful.

So I say we should not always look at the world in black and white. Viewing the world in color seems much better to me.

How does the world look to you?

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1. I Don’t Remember Toys Like Those When I Was Growing Up
2. Time for School

The other day, my four year old asked me for a drink.

I asked, “What would you like?”

“Juice box, please”, she said.

I went to the refrigerator and pulled out a juice box and handed it to her. Now, as parents, how did we get along without juice boxes.

Think about it, before juice boxes, how much time did it take to get a drink? There were cups and actually getting the pitcher or jug, then pouring it out into the cup. Not to mention the spillage factor. Here are the steps for a juice box:

• Open fridge
• Take out juice box
• Remove straw
• Insert straw into juice box
• Hand drink to child

Now you may be saying to yourself that is lazy. Well, I admit it, I am lazy at times. When I have something that can save me time and still fulfill the original purpose, I am all for it.

I also saw the other day they have chocolate milk in boxes and more flavors.

What will they think of next!

I wonder who actually came up with the idea for the juice box. Someone, who could have been lazy as well, that wanted to save time while still getting a drink.

Also, the portability value of the juice box is important.

Here is another thought on this; what if that person was always on the go and wanted a portable solution for ready made drinks. They may have been tired of packing up and spilling drinks. I bet they thought there had to be a better way.

I am not sure why they came up with the invention, but I bet that person is set for life for as many uses and kinds of juice boxes are out there.

Now, I am not knocking actually getting a cup and getting a drink for your child. On the contrary, I do a lot of that myself as well as a parent.

I just think the invention of the juice box is one of the coolest ideas since the invention of the wheel. Ok, maybe not the wheel, but it is cool nevertheless.

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