Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in detroit, MI

Tuesday Top Five: First Aid Kit

by Amy Kuras

March 24, 2009

I got this idea from one of my fellow city bloggers, and it's a great idea following on our theme of physical activity. If you have a very active kid, bumps and bruises are inevitable, so having an easy-to-grab first aid kit that can get tossed in the stroller or the car is really important. In our house, we have one klutzy and very very active four year old, and one little baby who is just learning to walk. That means owies, and knowing I have the stuff to deal with minor injuries is reassuring.

Here's what's in ours:

Bandages in all shapes and sizes;

Antibiotic cream (a freaked out kid will not stand for stinging spray);

Ace bandage;

Ice pack;

Cell phone;

and one most people don't think of: lovey. Probably not THE lovey, since I refuse to let ours (Bear, the stuffed bear) leave the house after traipsing all over Metro Detroit to replace his predecessor two days before Christmas. But something that can make your injured little one feel soothed and comforted is a good thing.

That's  mine. What's yours?

Do a Mitzvah Tomorrow

by Amy Kuras

December 24, 2008

As you can tell from it being juuusst a little Christmas-centric around here, I don't celebrate Hanukkah. Those of you that do are right in the middle of your celebrations right now, but many Jewish families are taking time out tomorrow to volunteer all over Metro Detroit. Called Mitzvah Day (mitzvah roughly translates to the Hebrew for "good deed"), the event features Jewish families  Read more...

Dealing With Grief During the Holidays

by Amy Kuras

December 11, 2008

A couple of deaths in the family last month have me thinking about grief and the holidays. It's a time of year so focused on family, and family gatherings, that when someone is missing it can really affect your enjoyment of the celebrations -- or even your wanting to celebrate at all. One organization that caters especially to children is Sandcastles . The support group for kids  Read more...

Teaching About Giving in Tough Times

by Amy Kuras

November 26, 2008

I don't need to tell you this, but times are tight right now. Even if you're lucky enough to have a job and be able to make your house payments and cover your bills, the precarious nature of the auto industry right now should give us all pause. Many of us are just a couple paychecks away from being in real trouble. Today's theme is books about food for kids. That got me thinking  Read more...

Find a Kid's Meal for Free

by Amy Kuras

November 19, 2008

With all this talk of the domestic auto industry on the verge of collapse, foreclosures, recession, and so on, thoughts naturally turn to hiding under the bed and not coming out until things improve saving money. Okay, perhaps you have better coping skills than I do. In any event, we're all looking to save money wherever we can. Eating at home is, of course, one of the best ways to do  Read more...

We the (Big and Little) People

by Amy Kuras

October 27, 2008

Did you notice this is an election year? Hee hee. Funny story from my house -- we were watching something on Nickelodeon one day, and as I was fast forwarding past commercials there was one for the " Kids Pick the President " show, in which both Obama and McCain appeared. Huh, I thought, we've been talking about elections and she probably has some idea of what's going on from our  Read more...

Find a Sitter -- For Free if You're Lucky!

by Amy Kuras

October 22, 2008

When my daughter was born, I got really lucky with sitters. I work at home so just needed a couple of mornings or afternoons a week. A friend of mine is a professor at a local college and works with honors students, so I asked him to put the word out. Within a day, I had five responses, two of whom ended up being really good sitters I used until she started the toddler program at her school  Read more...

Connecting With Great Parents in Macomb County

by Amy Kuras

October 09, 2008

One of the most important jobs we take on as parents is advocacy -- for our children, certainly, but for all children. Your neighborhood park all littered? We're the ones that are making sure there are trash receptacles and organizing people to clean it up regularly. Your local school doesn't have the budget for programs you want? We'll be the ones agitating at school board meetings to  Read more...

Strengthening Your Parenting Skills

by Amy Kuras

August 28, 2008

I'll just come right out and admit it sometimes I struggle with being a parent. When I had my daughter, a cousin told me it would be "the toughest job you'll ever love" and man alive was she right. But the good news is, I'm not the only one who feels this way. And because of that, there's help out there, from the nice mom of older kids at the playground who smiles and tells me it gets easier, to  Read more...

A Lot of Fun - and a Little Help - For Back to School

by Amy Kuras

August 18, 2008

Back-to-school time can be really stressful; so many clothes and supplies to buy, so little time. But for some parents, it goes beyond stress affording the increasingly long list of school supplies each fall is all but impossible. And as our state's economy continues to struggle, that's a growing group. For those struggling families, Greater Grace Temple in Detroit sponsors a Back to School  Read more...

Learn More and Have Fun Too

by Amy Kuras

July 28, 2008

Here on Savvy, we're chock full of cool, interesting things to do that can aid your child's development and get them ready to learn when they start K-12 schooling. But kids don't always develop on track. Luckily, there is help if you are concerned about anything to do with your child's development and it's better to act than wait. That's the philosophy behind Early On, the federally funded  Read more...

Room to Run

by Amy Kuras

May 28, 2008

Perhaps you have a nice quiet child, who will happily color or read books or work puzzles for hours on end. Or maybe you have a kid like my daughter, who needs to be On The Move. If that's the case for you, having a stockpile of places to turn them lose and tire them out is essential. Here are a few of my favorites: Jungle Java : We brought my daughter here right after her brother was born, and  Read more...