Calling all Wiggles fans! The wiggly group is growing with four new member and a new series!
First, say hello to Tsehay, Evie, John and Kelly Hamilton. The new quad will join existing members, Anthony, Emma, Lachy, and Simon, creating an uber talented group of dancers and singing from across Australia.
photo: Courtesy of The Wiggles
The Wiggles’ new series, Fruit Salad TV will premiere exclusively on The Wiggles’ YouTube channel on Sept. 4. The lively show will encompass storytelling, dancing and singing that is perfect for a sing-a-long sesh. The new show and additional Wiggles members will further the message of embracing diversity in the areas of gender, age, culture and race.
The Wiggles aren’t the only thing expanding: Wiggle Town is growing too! Three new non-binary characters are joining, including Officer Beaples, Shirley Shawn the Unicorn and Bok the hand puppet.
Catch the first episode of Fruit Salad TV on The Wiggles’ YouTube Channel on Sept. 4.
It’s back to school time and in-person learning means it’s time to swap pajamas and sweats for a more presentable wardrobe. If you want your child to look fashion-forward without paying full price, it’s time to shop these resale shops that offer gently used garments for a fraction of retail. Scroll down to check out the top second hand spots in the DMV.
Lemon Lane
Lemon Lane
Shop this upscale consignment store for popular brands like Boden, Lily, Hanna and Tea. The items at this store are so gently used, it's hard to believe they aren't brand new! Follow them on Instagram and you can check out inventory without making a trip to the store.
Want to consign? Consigning is by appointment only, but if you have 20 items or less you can walk in on Wed. Lemon Lane offers a 50/50 split on consignments, but you can reap a 60% cut of sales if you choose a store credit for future purchases.
Bellies & Babies prides itself in offering upscale maternity clothes and brand name children’s items. If you’re prego and in need of a nice maternity dress, you can save yourself the cash and rent one. And if you prefer to shop solo, kids can play in the outside play area with push toys or stay inside with the tented area decorated with books and toys.
Want to consign? Bellies & Babies accepts maternity clothes, children’s clothes (size newborn through age 8), popular baby gear, toys, and books. Your first time is by appointment only, but after that, you can conveniently “drop n run”. If you choose to be paid by check, you will receive 45% of what the item sold for (50% for high-end, non-clothing items). If you choose to be paid via store credit, you’ll receive 50% of the selling price.
1913 Mt. Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA 22301 703-518-8908 Online: belliesbabies.com
529 Kids Consign
529 Kids Consign
If you have a little Beyoncé, Emma Watson or Tim Gunn in the making, then this is the place to outfit them. Trendy pieces abound, including baby Uggs, Hanna Anderson jammies and lots of sweet gifts for newborns. Plus, 529 offers up a well-curated maternity section. Sift through closely—you may be surprised by what you find (think: Burberry baby dresses, Ralph Lauren toddler suits, and Citizens for Humanity maternity jeans).
Want to consign? 529 offers a 60/40 split with consignors receiving 40% of the purchase price after a three month period. Sort through Junior's too-snug outfits, and if they're clean call to set up an appointment. If that baby Gap sweater doesn't sell, you have the option of reclaiming it or 529 will donate it to the Lupus Foundation.
122 S. Royal St. Alexandria, VA 22314 703-567-4518
The Growing Years is a kid-friendly store that will put your kiddo in a trance with their non-stop Disney movies. Have a more active child? They also have a play area to help your kids let out some energy. This consignment shop specializes in “gently-worn clothing and shoes at the most affordable prices”. Their inventory includes baby clothes, pre-teen clothes, maternity wear, and monogrammed jewelry and accessories. For your American Girl fanatic, you can also find American Girl outfits.
Want to consign? While some shops require a consignment fee, you won’t be charged one at The Growing Years. They accept gently-used children’s clothes from newborn to size 16, children’s shoes, and maternity wear. It’s by appointment only. You will receive 40% of the clothes’ selling price and 50% for larger products (e.g., strollers and Pack ‘N Plays). A limited number of toys are accepted, like small slides, kitchens, bicycles/tricycles, and wagons.
Sure, this may be a national franchise, but this branch is one of the best we’ve scoped. It carries a ginormous selection of seasonal wear…all year long. So if you’re looking for a swimsuit in Dec. for that trip to Disney World, or need a sweater before the summer is out you can find it here without spending a fortune.
Want to consign? Not only do you not have to schedule an appointment, but you get paid up front (amounts vary). Just bring in your stuff, they'll make an offer and out you go! So no need to wait and hope your items sell before collecting some cash.
You'll find high-quality brands that are gently used in this well organized space. This isn't your run-of-the-mill thrift shop experience; you're likely to forget that these duds are second hand because everything here is clean and tidy.
Want to consign? There is no need to make an appointment, walk-ins are welcome. Kid to Kid accepts freshly laundered children's clothing up to size 14, toys and infant equipment. Due to space constraints, all items that are not sold must be picked up within 24 hours of the end of the consignment period. All unsold items are donated.
11711 C Parklawn Dr. Rockville, MD, 20852 240-242-3345 Online: kidtokid.com
This West Virginia institution has grown to include two NOVA locations. You'll find each shop overflowing with clothes, books, toys and baby gear. It can be a challenge to sort through the sheer volume of options at these boutiques, but the deals you'll score are worth the hunt. You can find high-end garments here, but since they don't snub Big Box labels, you can nab a Cat & Jack outfit for a few bucks.
Want to consign? Consignments are accepted on a daily basis. There are no annual fees, drop off fees, listing fees, or pick up fees. You will receive 50% of sales on items sold. You can choose to pick up or donate items that do not sell.
311 W. Washington St. Charles Town, WV 25414 304-725-7549
47E Catoctin Cir. SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703-443-6888
145 E. Davis St. Culpeper, VA 22701 540-321-4744 Online: wearitagainkid.com
—Meghan Yudes Meyers, Danielle Larkins and Hilary Riedemann
You’ve made the big decision to add a pet to your family and now it’s time for another important choice: What kind of animal will you get? Once you’ve narrowed your choice down to cat or dog (or bird, or lizard!) you’ll also need to figure out which kind of pet best fits your family’s lifestyle. We’ve teamed up with Hill’s Pet and five moms to see how they decided on what kind of pet to add to their family:
As a mom to two tiny humans and two dogs, Nashville Wife Styles has her hands full! When it was time for her family to get another dog, she knew that a pug mix was the perfect loyal pup to join their fam.
The Jamie Lynn Show and her three little ones love to fill their weekends with activities and adventure, which is why they decided on a Goldendoodle. This energetic pup is always prepared to join them as they explore!
While Texas Forever Farmhouse is a fan of both cats and dogs, when it came to getting her own family pet she knew that a cat was the best fit, thanks to their independence and quiet presence.
The Gingy Pants had her pup Fin before they started growing their family with children, but she always knew she wanted her kids to grow up with a dog. Having an older pup who is a little bit calmer has been a perfect fit for her two little ones!
When Ann Marie Bailey’s family was spending more time at home last spring, they decided to add a pup to their family. With three kids, they wanted a dog that was full of energy, but as a family with sensitive skin they also knew a hypoallergenic dog was best for them.
Growing your family is a big decision—whether you’re considering an additional child or a four-legged friend. You’ll need to think about how your new family member will affect your day-to-day routine, your big future plans, your finances and so much more, but for many, a dedicated furry companion is worth it! We teamed up with Hill’s Pet Nutrition to hear from five moms about how their families decided to bring a pet into the mix:
Mom-of-two Heather grew up with dogs, so having a pet in her family was a must. Even though her kids are young, Heather says she thinks growing up with pets definitely helps in developing compassion, empathy, responsibility and consistency.
Even though her daughter had been asking about a pet for months, Texas-based mom Ryan didn’t plan to adopt a cat. But when her family ended up at an adoption event and met their cat Neville, they knew he was the one. Their cat has been in their home for a few years now and has become a close companion for their two kids.
Jamie Lynn knew that she wanted a dog for her family, the hard part was finding the best time to add a pup to her home. When her youngest daughter turned four and could understand how to be friendly with a big dog, she decided it was the perfect time to get her Goldendoodle Jessie!
Like most of us, Annmarie spent a lot more time at home in the last year. With big changes already happening, including a newborn, Annmarie decided to add another change to her family’s day-to-day by adopting a puppy, Geno! She was nervous about how her infant and dog would get along, but the two are best friends.
Mom-of-two Ashley has a full house with two dogs and a cat! When they were thinking about getting their second dog, Ginger, they considered how their two daughters would be able to help out. The kids have become best friends with Ginger and take turns feeding her and taking her for walks.
Baby’s coos and babbles aren’t just cute: turns out that new research from the University of Würzburg shows just how quickly babies develop vocalization or speech patterns.
Even though your newborn can’t talk, in the first six months of life they’re well on their way to developing lifelong speech skills. According to this new study, during baby’s first half-year, the complexity of their speech melody (also known as prosody) is growing more and more complex.
Kathleen Wermke, Professor at the Würzburg University Hospital at the Department of Orthodontics and Head of the Center for Pre-speech Development and Developmental Disorders, explained the research, “Every language is characterized by specific musical elements, which we call prosody.” Wermke continued, “We have found a clear developmental pattern towards more complexity.”
Researchers analyzed more than 67,000 sounds made by 277 babies in their first six months. These sounds included cry vocalizations, cooing, and babbling. The study found that the complexity the melodies in both cry and non-cry vocalizations increased from birth through six months.
There was a brief regression found around ages four to five months. Wermke explained, “During this time, infants expand their repertoire of vocalic utterances to include new components that interact with the overall melodic contour, namely vowel- and consonant-like elements.” The researcher went on to add, “This new developmental period evidently causes a temporary ‘regression’ in melody development to establish vocal development on a higher hierarchical level. Thereafter, the infant begins to intentionally imitate intonation patterns of the surrounding language(s) in consonant-vowel syllable sequences in babbling.”
How can the results of this research help your baby? The new vocal developmental model may contribute to the growing body of communication knowledge and could help scientists to create new therapies for children at risk for some types of language disorders.
The BET Awards packed more than a musical punch for rapper Cardi B––the mama to Kulture announced that baby number two is on the way! The star wowed the audience during her performance, wearing a glittery jumpsuit with a cutout to showcase her growing bump.
This will be the second child for Cardi B and her husband, Offset. Baby will also make Kulture a big sister, who turns three in July.
Cardi B teased fans this last week, making a reference to Offset being a great father to his “kids,” which got fans talking. Now they don’t have to wonder anymore!
No word yet on when the newest member will join the fam, but mama is already sharing bump pics on her Instagram.
My 6-year-old was excited to make a star out of sticks and string, but as the materials tangled, his frustration spiked. So we took a break and went on a walk together.
“Do you remember when you were learning how to ride a bike?” I said. “You fell down a lot at first, and you got really frustrated sometimes, but you didn’t give up. Now you ride around like a pro. Everything new takes practice, but you always figure it out.”
Childhood is all about growing, on the outside and inside. Tasks adults take for granted—like buttoning a jacket—require practice to master. Every time our kids work through these big and small challenges, they are building their skills for resilience and perseverance. These aren’t fixed traits that kids are born with. Rather, they develop slowly through life experience, practice, and with the support of caring adults.
“Donkey Hodie,” a new puppet series from PBS KIDS, draws its inspiration from Fred Rogers and his mission to help young viewers navigate the challenges of childhood. In each episode, characters set goals, encounter obstacles, explore and test solutions, experience failure, and persist toward their goal, asking for help as needed. While the show is set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else, it models a problem-solving process that kids and parents will readily recognize.
Here are 4 ways parents and caregivers can support this vital effort to help kids build perseverance and resilience.
1. Help Children Name Their Goals
Goals are powerful, even for kids. They want to learn how to tie their shoes, shoot a basket, buckle their seatbelt, write their name, cut with scissors, walk the dog, learn a new game, make a new friend, name all the dinosaurs, build a tower, and find ways to be helpful, and become contributing members of their families and classrooms.
When children can name a small goal they want to accomplish, it can help them focus their attention, explore strategies, and persist when things go wrong. And it helps us, as caregivers, celebrate their successes. “You did it! You learned how to zip up your coat all by yourself!”
2. Help Children Work through Tough Emotions
Sometimes, learning and growing can be really frustrating. A little empathy can go a long way in helping kids find the strength to try, try again. Try a simple phrase like this: “You spent a long time building that tower and then it fell. That’s super frustrating!”
Calming big emotions is a vital step that comes before problem-solving. In the story “Royal Sandcastle Builders,” Donkey, King Friday, and Purple Panda sing about the different ways they practiced calming down after getting frustrated at trying to build a sandcastle. And then they are able to try again! When kids are in the middle of an emotional storm, it’s unrealistic to expect them to brainstorm solutions! But when the storm passes, we can be there to help them think about what to do next.
3. Praise Children’s Efforts & Be Specific
Generic praise—such as “Wow!” or “Good work!” or “Nice!”—is warm and supportive. But descriptive praise is even more powerful because it’s specific and helps kids make the connection between what they are doing and what they are learning.
This language shift can be pretty simple. Just describe what you notice. “Good work” can become “Good work figuring out how to share with your sister.” “Nice!” can become “Nice! I like all the different colors you used in this picture.”
When we offer specific observations, we show our kids that we are paying attention to them. We see their effort. And when it comes to building perseverance and resilience, effort matters more than the outcome.
4. Use Stories to Teach Them about “Yet.”
There’s a big difference, emotionally, between the phrase, “I can’t do it!” and “I can’t do it, yet.” The word “yet” is a bridge between present frustration and future possibility. Stories are a great tool for inspiring kids to persevere, especially when they hear and watch stories about characters who work through challenges. We can also tell children stories about themselves! My kids love hearing stories about how they turned a struggle into an achievement. It helps them feel proud and reminds them that they can do hard things.
Growing up is hard, amazing work. Kids deserve supportive adults by their side, offering encouragement and celebrating all the ways they are growing.
—By Deborah Farmer Kris
Deborah Farmer Kris is a writer, teacher, parent educator, and school administrator. She works on parenting projects for PBS KIDS for Parents and writes about education for MindShift, an NPR learning blog. Deborah has two kids who love to test every theory she’s ever had about child development! Mostly, she loves finding and sharing nuggets of practical wisdom that can help kids and families thrive — including her own. You can follow her on Twitter @dfkris.
PBS KIDS believes the world is full of possibilities, and so is every child. As the number one educational media brand for kids, PBS KIDS helps children learn life lessons, explore their feelings and discover new adventures, while seeing themselves uniquely reflected and celebrated in lovable, diverse characters through television, digital media, and community-based programs.
No one can argue the value of reading, but not every child has access to books. Disney plans to change that.
Growing its’ partnership with First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books and resources to educators who serve children in need, shopDisney is launching the “Buy a Book, Give a Book” program. From now until Dec. 31, 2021, for every book purchased on shopDisney, another one will be donated to First Book.
photo: iStock/littlemonkeybusiness
shopDisney has tons of titles to choose from, with options that include National Geographic, Marvel, Star Wars and Disney and Disney Eats. Currently, there are more than 400 options!
Disney has been working with First Book for over 20 years and has already donated over 82 million books. This new program offers yet another way the pair can reach even more children in need.
I never thought that I would drop my young daughter into a giant pool when she didn’t even know how to swim. Yet here we are.
Motherhood can be such a head trip because you are often forced to make really hard decisions and there are no real directions. I think we can all agree that children need to learn how to swim. There’s really no argument there, right? In order to raise a healthy family, our children must be safe around water.
While we may agree with that part of the equation, what happens when our children hate it? Do we just throw them into the water? In my case, yes.
Several years ago, when we put our oldest in swim lessons, we thought this was going to be an easy process. She could not wait to start! Each day after school she would ask about swim class. We prepped with everything in her favorite color—green! Green suits, green goggles, and green flip flops! She was giddy with anticipation!
The day finally arrived.
Up until the point of actually getting into the water, the first day was great! Our teacher motioned to us that it was time to get in. Standing at the edge of the pool, I felt my child start to freeze. Understand, I was eight months pregnant with our second child, so wrestling a toddler on the edge of a pool was not something was I prepared for, or could gracefully manage. “Mommy, I don’t want to go,” she said as she tried to become one with my legs.
Her grip grew tighter and I could see her start to swell with tears. She began doing circles around me—hiding behind my swollen belly.
I look down at her precious swim teacher, who was about college-age, and asked what I should do. She shrugged her shoulders. But my eyes were pleading with the teacher to give me some direction, some answer as to how to make this work. Fantasy negotiations do not work with my child. Telling her that Minnie Mouse is in the pool will not work. Ever. She knows way better than that.
At some point during my stress, sweating, and balancing my very pregnant body on the edge of the pool I cracked my own internal whip. “Melanie! Get your sh*t together! She has to get in the water! Quit relying on the swim teacher to solve your parenting dilemma!”
In order for her to ever learn to swim, she has to get in the water. I did what I never thought I would or could do! I stood there, at the edge of the pool and dropped my crying child into the pool, into the hands of a stranger.
Oh, dear God, what have I done?
As parents, my husband and I balance each other out quite well. If it were up to him, he would have certainly taken her out of the pool area after ten minutes. Sometimes his way is better, sometimes it’s mine. But in this instance, we followed my lead.
Her lesson began and we could see her face was still a bit red and blotchy. I watched my husband as he paced the deck. All of his belongings next to me—wallet, phone, keys—all in the event he had to jump in and rescue her.
What seemed like four hours later, her lesson was done. Having her back on dry land was a relief to all of us. We hugged and celebrated how well she did. I asked her if she had fun and she answered with a resounding, “Yes!”
Really? I thought she looked totally miserable! On the way home, I asked her if she wanted to go back and she said that she didn’t. However, not going back wasn’t an option, so I rephrased my question into a statement. “Well, we are going back.” We were at a stoplight and I watched her in my rear-view mirror. She turned her head, thinking, then looked at me. “Mom, I can go back. I think I will be fine.”
The next lesson arrived and I wasn’t sure what it would be like so I did my best to hide my worry. We sat on the bleachers together enjoying a few goldfish before being summoned into the deep. At the time we saw the call from our teacher, our daughter happily took off her flip-flops and said, “See, Mommy, I’m not scared anymore!”
Overwhelmed with pride I helped her step right into the water and sit happily on the water bench. Throughout the lesson, she would look back at us for reassurance. My husband gave several thumbs-up and I smiled and waved. As she floated with her teacher across the pool, 25 yards away from us I said to my husband, “Well, she was right. She said she would be fine and she is.”
So even at three, our kids sometimes know more than we sometimes ever realize. I’m amazed and proud—of all of us! When I think about what life hands us as parents, it becomes clearer to me every day that it’s not always parents teaching children. Sometimes it’s all of us learning and growing together.
Now if we can just get her to put her face in the water.
Melanie Forstall is a full-time mother, full-time wife, full-time teacher, and never-enough-time blogger at Melanie Forstall: Stories of Life, Love, and Mothering. She holds a doctorate in education and yet those many years of schooling have proved to be utterly useless when it comes to actual mothering.
If you grew up oogling over Cher Horowitz’ Clueless closet, this new collab from HipDot is for you. The makeup company has partnered with the Paramount Pictures hit to bring the ultimate collection that will take you straight back to the 90’s.
The Hipdot x Clueless Collection drops on May 11 and is packed with everything from eyeshadows and blush, to lip oil sets. The entire line is an homage to Cher and the gang, with plaid packaging and pre-2000 era cell phones.
The collab includes
The 411 Eyeshadow Palette ($32): 12 shades that include Highly Selective, Botticelli, Classic, Full-On Monet, The Valley, Homies, Phat, Totally Paused, Fashion Victim, Pretty Groovy, Doll Face, Whatever!
Total Bettys Lip Oil Set ($24): Includes three moisturizing tinted lip oils in red, nude and mauve
Totally Clueless Blush Palette ($26): Includes 4 shades
Clueless Collection Bundle ($82): Includes The 411 Eyeshadow Palette, the Total Bettys Lip Oil Set and the Totally Clueless Blush Palette.
Cher’s Locker Set Box ($108): Includes Total Bettys Lip Oil Set, the 411 Eyeshadow Palette, the Totally Clueless Blush Palette, and a collectible HipDot x Clueless pink fluffy pen packed in the Limited Edition Clueless Collector’s Box.
Like all HipDot products, the products in the HipDot x Clueless collection are vegan and cruelty-free, as well as free of parabens, talc, mineral oil, phthalates, and other harmful ingredients. For more information and to shop the Clueless collection, please visit Hipdot.com or Ulta.com and follow @hipdot on Instagram.
