Tub Time!

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What do you get when you mix shaving cream, food coloring, paintbrushes, tiny hands, and a bath tub?  A rainbow shaving cream paint artist, of course!

I’ve been dying to try this new idea I found online and it was a hit!  It’s ridiculously easy, too!  Grab a silicon muffin pan, some shaving cream, food coloring, and a paintbrush or two, create some shaving cream paint, and let your toddler put some color on those white bathroom tile walls!  Just another way to encourage that creative streak in your little one.  Give it a try and enjoy!

One paintbrush wasn’t nearly enough for my little guy!

A rainbow of colors

Pictures? I’m trying to paint here!

Don’t Be That Parent

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What, have we as parents, become, when actions we take to see our children succeed are so competitive and aggressive that they result in communities canceling Easter egg hunts?  As I was planning an Easter party for Logan and his friends last week, I ran across this article on NPR:  Easter Egg Hunt Canceled Due To Aggressive Parents.  Just yesterday, I read a similar account of a local Easter egg hunt my cousins attended with their three-year old in Alexandria, Virginia:  Easter Eggs or Bust.

Parental aggression is now commonplace at youth sporting events (and if you aren’t in the loop about that, here’s an article:  “Being a Good Sports Parent“) — which is bad enough — but c’mon folks, Easter egg hunts?  Do we really need the media to remind us of how we should behave at childrens’ sporting events?  Or worse, for communities to cancel traditional holiday festivities because we have begun to ruin them for our children?  Parents staking out an hour ahead of time to scope out the landscape, looking for an edge to get their kids more eggs?    Parents jumping fences and crossing lines into kids-only areas to pick up additional Easter loot for their children?  It’s so ridiculous, it’s almost comical.  This Easter, I urge you not to be that parent.  And with that, I leave you with some photos of an Easter party Logan hosted this year . . . and yes, each of the children scored at least one egg during the calm and collected inner city hunt.

Activity of the Week: Kinderjam for Charity

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Looking for something to do with your little one(s) Wednesday morning, April 4? What better than singing and dancing. learning about colors and numbers, and socializing with others – all the while supporting charity?

Kinderjam instructor Ami Park is hosting a Kinderjam class on April 4 at 10am at the Trinity Complex (Chong Nonsi BTS) from which all proceeds go to Smiles on Wings, a non-profit mobile dental clinic that provides free services to hill tribe children in Northern Thailand.

What a great way to start your morning – and what a great way to begin to teach your children about the importance of giving to others.  Hope you’ll join in the fun!

For more information, Contact Ms. Ami at ms.ami@kinderjam.com

Five Asian Snacks Your Toddler Will Love

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Loved this idea for a blog post that my dear friend Ana Gaby, who just went from expat life in Bangkok to expat life in Jakarta, posted yesterday. Most of these snacks can be found in Bangkok, too, so I thought it would be useful for my Thailand followers. Enjoy!

Ana Gaby's avatarStumble Abroad

Evan thinks he’s Asian. He will eat sushi rolls, he’s obsessed with rice and noodles and he has to dip everything in soy sauce or kecip manis. Every time we go back to the US or Mexico he suffers from Asian food withdrawal and we have to at least find some rice from him.

Here’s a list of our favorite Asian snacks in no particular order.

1. Seaweed

Evidence of Evan’s Asian roots (being born in Thailand and all), is his fixation with Seaweed snacks. They provide a satisfying crunch just like chips but with less than half the calories and sodium! Now that’s a good treat! Evan likes the laver variety roasted in sesame oil the best. He can eat two packages at a time! Mom likes the fact that they barely have any calories and that they are very tasty. I don’t have a specific brand I prefer…

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A Walk-In Beach Pool and Cocktails – The Perfect Toddler-Parent Weekend Combination

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In our year and a half in Thailand, we’ve only given the popular weekend destination of Hua Hin a chance once.  Last weekend we thought we’d get away for a night and give it a second opportunity to wow us.

The first time around we stayed at the Anantara, which is a beautiful resort that boasts a great pool bar and classy ambiance, but in the end, lacks a good beach front and is not so kid-friendly.  This time, on a friend’s recommendation, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency.  While more expensive than the Anantara, the Hyatt definitely has more activities for kids of all ages.  The best part of the resort for us/Logan by far?  The man-made beach and walk-in beach pool.  This is a toddler and parent’s dream – no need to worry about a rough surf, steep drop offs, jellyfish (which Hua Hin does have) or peddlers on the beach.  No need to worry about lack of shade, trash on the beach, or a tide.  Instead, just sit back and relax under the shade of an umbrella, order a cocktail with the touch of a button, and watch your little one(s) play in the clean sand and make their way into the calm pool, testing their ability to stand and giggling as the water gradually gets deeper.  Ahh, now that is what vacation is supposed to be about!  The Hyatt also has a pretty awesome water slide and lazy river pool for older kids, fantastic and reasonably-priced Western and Thai tapas beachfront at the McFarland House for dinner, and several ponds where tods can delight in throwing bread in to feed beautiful koi and ducks during the day.

We certainly felt like we did Hua Hin right the second time around.  We recommend the Hyatt to anyone looking for a short weekend escape with little ones that allows parents to relax and kids to be kids.

Beach Bum

Inviting walk-in pool – perfect for tods!

Logan testing his limits in the pool while Mom and Dad relax beach-side

Raisins and milk before the journey home