v 3 issue 13: Let's Communicate

Let's Communicate

Our current issue features products that teach you and your child different languages, as well as adorable tees that feature sign language, braille and adorable phrases from different cultures.

Cover by Connie Hill




Let's Communicate

1. The 'I love you' tee by Baby Fabulous is just that…fabulous. Their graphic toddler tees and baby onesies have ASL signs screenprinted on them. $20 at BabyFabulous.com.
2. Perfect for you and your kids, Earworms make learning languages easy and fun. Their CD’s put the words and phrases you need not just on the tip of your tongue, but deep in your long-term memory with catchy melodies composed of rhythmic repetitions. You can learn a language while you are driving in your car, working out at the gym or having a relaxing bath. We LOVE Earworms Rapid Language CD’s.

3. Make learning Spanish fun for your kids with the Kids Love Spanish! DVD series. Kids Love Spanish is a series of DVDs that teach children introductory Spanish. The series is designed for children ages 1-8+. Open up a whole new world for your child by introducing them to a new language with this series found at KidsLoveSpanish.com.

4. Your child will love getting Tessy & Tab magazine in the mail each month and you will love their excitement for reading. More than a magazine, Tessy & Tab Reading Club is a program for preschoolers that builds early reading skills. Arriving in the mail twice a month, the package includes useful parent tools and fun learning activities…subscribe for this excellent magazine and start your child on the path to love words early.

5. Il Cocco di Mamma signature tees are cuddly and cute. These soft cotton tees are printed with the most popular international sayings on them. Choose from Bella/Bello, Ciao!, Que Pasa?, C’est la Vie! and more. These worldly tees are also available in organic as well.

6. The adorable tees at Baby’s Language can help translate those adorable coo’s and ahh’s into adult language for those not skilled in baby talk. Baby’s Language combines colorful designs with word associations to create these cute tees. Each tee comes “ready to give”, wrapped in their clear box with ribbon.

7. Bitty Braille tees feature simple "kid-friendly" words set in Braille type in either sparkly faceted metal studs for the girls or simple metal studs for the boys. The translation is hand-embroidered underneath in a simple print or cursive. The concept of Bitty Braille is to introduce Braille to the young in addition to offering a unique, hip and trendy collection of tees. Customize with your trendy tots name for a special gift.


Our Interview with Priscilla Dunstan


We recently interviewed Priscilla Dunstan, the founder of Dunstan Baby Language. You may have seen her on Oprah or in magazines such as Redbook or Baby Talk. Ms. Dunstan’s ability to recognize patterns of baby’s sounds led her to identify how specific cries had a distinct need attached to them. She concluded that there are five initial sounds that every baby makes before he/she will begin to cry hysterically. We asked her about her family, business, and for some tips to other moms who want to start their own businesses.

What inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired by necessity. My son Tom had colic and reflux so cried all the time. I just couldn’t bear to see him in so much discomfort. I started studying his cries and eventually came up with a classification of infant cries and their meanings – The Dunstan baby language- which also seemed to help my friends. From there I went on to research and various other discoveries followed. All of my products and ideas come from a need either of my own child or from the mom’s that come to my clinic.

How do you manage juggling being mom/wife/entrepreneur?
Juggling is certainly the word! Like most single working Mom’s you have to prioritize. Tom is my first priority so his needs are placed in the diary first then my work commitments, then my very patient friends and family. Routine also helps for e.g. I do emails and international calls before Tom wakes in the morning, then do either consultations or research until I pick Tom up from school. Then it’s the usual mom stuff like soccer, swimming etc. Dinner is usually a social occasion with friends or family and I write or work on products after he’s asleep.

What is your greatest success professionally
My greatest success professionally is keeping up a great relationship with my son no matter how hard I’m working. Second would be, that something that I conceived at 3am on a difficult morning is now used world wide to help Moms and Dad’s. It’s wonderful when I sit in a café and over hear a parent mention one of the five words when dealing with their baby.

What has been your most difficult challenge?
Sudden growth is interesting. I have certainly learned how important having a great team around you is.

What is unique or special about your business that gives it an edge over your competitors?
My business products are based on need and not finance. I come up with a concept because I like to solve problems. I also think that being a Mom helps to give a different viewpoint, and having the ability to hear what others don’t, helps. It’s easy to understand babies when you can understand their language.

What is your favorite quote?
Success
To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

What did it take to get your business up and running?
I never aimed for a business, I just wanted to have as many people as possible to be able to get some sleep and be able to bond more easily with their baby. I also wanted to be able to continue researching other ideas, and that’s when my business was born.

What advice would you give a mom who wants to start her own business?
Do something that you are doing naturally, something you would do whether you got paid for it or not. Believe in yourself and keep going even when it gets hard, it is always darkest just before the dawn, and remember Mom’s can do anything!

How did you finance your company?
I have financed my business myself. I started small with holiday money and then just kept reinvesting back into the business.

Learn more about Priscilla Dunstan and the Dunstan Baby Language DVD’s at http://www.dunstanbaby.com/


This Week's Mom Tips

Cleaning Tip: Everyone's microwave could use a good cleaning, so we figured everyone could use a good microwave cleaning tip. Here it is: fill a bowl with equal parts vinegar and water, place in the microwave, and cook on high for 3 minutes. Wipe out the microwave and your done!

Green Tip: Try a recycled backpack from Earthpak. Made of 98% recycled goods, and made in the good ol' USA, these backpacks are eco-friendly and their bright colors and cool design make them kid-friendly too.

Financial Tip: Help your credit score, not to mention the environment by opting out of pre-screened offers and mail solicitations for credit. According to the Office of Financial Success at the University of Missouri-Columbia, there are two good ways to stop such offers:
(1) Go to www.OptOutPrescreen.com (or call 888-5-optout). These are the credit reporting agencies opt in/opt out resources which will stop the agencies from selling your information to direct marketers. You can opt out for a five-year
period of permanently. You can always opt back in if you miss the mail. If you use the website provided, you can fill out a very brief, simple form to opt out. It will then provide a screen with the information you provided that you will need to print out, sign, and mail to the address provided in order to permanently opt out. If you don’t do that last step (print and mail), it will opt
you out for the 5 year period instead.
(2) Add your name to the Direct Marketing Associations (DMA) Do Not Mail file – this process costs $1. You can also send a letter or postcard with your name, address and signature to: Mail Preference Service; Direct Marketing Association; PO Box 643; Carmel, NY 10512. The ‘mail method’ also costs $1 [+ postage]. Your name
stays on the list for 5 years, and you can re-register at the end of that period."

Parenting Tip: According to Practical Parent, there are seven parenting tactics that damage a child's self-esteem, and so should be avoided.
1. Bribes: children need to learn at an early age that they just have to do some things such as cleaning their room because they’re responsible family members, not because they’re paid to do it.
2. Threats. Why: we often let our children get away with things, so they soon learn that the first threat is meaningless because we don’t follow through on it. They then assume that other threats will be equally irrelevant.
3. Nagging: the nagging parent starts to assume responsibility for the child, who never learns to be responsible for their own actions - which is fundamental if their self-esteem is to grow. The truth is that if parents resist the urge to nag and do nothing, there will be a natural consequence of the child’s failure to act.
4. Criticizing: children need positive rather than negative recognition to enhance their self-esteem. A parent should constantly try to catch their child doing something right - and praise that.
5. Smacking: Most experts agree that smacking as a means of disciplining a child should be avoided. In the short-term it may be effective, but long-term it just builds resentment.
6. Passing the buck: Even a two-hour wait is an eternity for a child and by that time there’s no link between the already forgotten incident and the punishment.
7. Giving insincere praise: Don’t ever give false praise to a child - this is detected easily even by small children, and eventually they’ll lose trust in you.