Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san diego, CA

Attitude - Is It Just a Phase?

by Terese Farmen

May 18, 2009

With every year of your child's life, new challenges, surprises and wonderful discoveries jump out at you. There's that first moment of suckling that can be explained as nothing but, "wow, I didn't expect that." There is the first steps where you feel like nothing in the world could make you prouder. There is the first moment when you notice ethical behavior in which you know your child has made a decision to not behave (usually around the 2 year mark). Then there's the first time he cries while watching a movie because of his empathy for a character  that has been treated badly. You feel like you've done a good job raising a compassionate child.

Then somewhere around 4 or 5 years old, your child says something back to you when you ask her to put her shoes on; something like, "Sha mom."

Is it already happening, you wonder? Will it be time to take her to the outlet stores to buy name brand clothing or to bend to peer pressure and tell lies to get out of trouble? Has the emulation of the "big kid" already begun, so soon?

Of course, besides trying hard not to overreact so as to not illicit more such witty comebacks, what do you do? How do you handle it?

What battles should you pick? If you allow this verbal stage to continue, will it be the beginning of the end? If you ignore this "talking back with attitude" stage, will it just go away? If you choose to discipline with every utterance, are you just spurring a battle?

My instincts are telling me it is better to give the child boundaries. It seems more logical that if you allow this one transgression that it will only lead to more and that sooner than you know it, your child's tongue will be completely out of control. Obviously overreacting is not the best answer. But just as she is testing your boundaries to see how far she can take it, so must you as a parent test her boundaries to see which approach works best to curb this behavior.

Hopefully it is just a phase or something she overheard from an older child. As the eating spaghetti with fingers phase passed, so will this.

5 things that really matter and 5 that don't

by Terese Farmen

January 06, 2009

Sometimes parents get trapped into believing their children have to be perfect and that they have to somehow offer every single opportunity to their children to learn at the youngest possible age so they will grow up to be, well brilliant. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the things that are really important and let go of some of the others so that we can enjoy this short time we have  Read more...

Tackling the birds and the bees with dr. de freitas

by Jenny Ciampa

November 20, 2008

I personally believe that my daughter has one of the best pediatricians around so I was thrilled when she agreed to a guest post on a topic she knows well. You'll be thankful there is a pediatrician here in San Diego who educates mamas and their daughters. Dr. de Freitas is passionate about teaching parents about health education. She was first exposed to the topic when her own daughter  Read more...

Homemade Books About San Diego

by Jenny Ciampa

November 06, 2008

When I saw this topic on our Savvy Source calendar I got all giddy. I LOVE making books at home...really, really love it. The creativity involved fills me up and my girl, well she gets a treasured and personalized book. Here are some ideas for homemade books about your babes adventures in San Diego. ABCs of San Diego -create an ABC book with pictures of your babe out and about  Read more...

Wonder-full

by Jenny Ciampa

November 03, 2008

This month here at Savvy Source, we will be focusing our thoughts on wonder. Makes sense, yah? Preschool is an age of wonder and seeing the world open up to our babes during these wonder years is amazing. Providing them wonder- full opportunities is exciting. So to start off a month of wonder, I thought I would share with you Wonders. Located in Encinitas, Wonders has opened its doors  Read more...

Toys that Come to Life Through Books

by Jenny Ciampa

October 17, 2008

Tomorrow, here at Savvy Source, our awesome writing team will be sharing with you all books about toys that come to life. When I heard about this topic I just had to share my daughter's most favorite book about personification. I have the kind of kid who wants to adopt every stuffed animal she comes in contact with-even visual contact from afar-because she just doesn't want  Read more...

Where All the Costumes Are

by Jenny Ciampa

October 07, 2008

Finding the perfect costume for your little one can be a challenge, especially if your child wants to be a cupcake or chocolate donut like my daughter. Sometimes, handmade costumes are the way to go but for those of you out there with hardly enough time to make your bed, here are some fantastic places to find costumes. Buffalo Breath -how about that name? Located right outside of  Read more...

Junior Theater for Very Young Students

by Jenny Ciampa

October 06, 2008

Since we are on the topic of nurturing imagination this month, I just had to share something I came across that I wish I would have come across a month ago. Some of you are probably already aware of the classes offered at the San Diego Junior Theater , but I, myself, was not. I have a child who LOVES to act; in fact, she's really got the dramatic thing down. Now Im looking for ways to  Read more...

Pretend Play at the Children's Museum

by Jenny Ciampa

October 02, 2008

What would childhood be without pretend play? I know one word I would choose to answer that question:Boring. My entire childhood was centered on pretend play and as I watch and interact with my daughter, I realize, so is hers. While at the New Children's Museum , where imagination runs rampant, we ventured downstairs to the Cricket Wireless Level and discovered the Performance Stage.  Read more...

Kids Care Fest

by Jenny Ciampa

September 15, 2008

This coming up Saturday, September 20 th , the 7 th annual Kids Care Fest is happening at Briarcrest Park, in La Mesa, from 9am-2pm. This is an opportunity to teach your kiddos the importance of taking care of their cute little bodies. There will be a variety of health care screenings such as vision, hearing, dental and chiropractic. This is all FREE. Very cool. Educational health  Read more...

Siblings Rock Our Worlds

by Jenny Ciampa

September 11, 2008

Siblings can rock the worlds of our children. Heck, I welcomed my sister home with a hairbrush smacking when I was 14 months old and she entered the picture. It's a big transition and one that can be made a bit smoother with some preparation and a few good books. I Used to Be the Baby -an older brother works through the ups and downs of having a new baby in the house. Best part, the  Read more...

Cafes for Meeting Friends & Staying Sane

by Jenny Ciampa

September 09, 2008

There are two places here in San Diego that deserve mention not only for their creative genius and friend making opportunities, but for their understanding of a parent's need for a break. These two places will enrich your child while they enrich your social, and personal, needs too. Java Mama -located in La Mesa, Java Mama is heaven. For $3.00, your kiddo can play in a supervised play  Read more...

Resolving Conflicts, Resolving Anger

by Jenny Ciampa

September 08, 2008

Preschooler conflicts are filled with confusing feelings of anger. Resolving conflicts also means accepting the emotions that come along with them. It's OK to feel angry and mad. It's also OK to like yourself even if your feelings make you dislike yourself sometimes. Emotional intelligence is key to a life of conflict resolution, at least I think so. Here are some books that shed light on  Read more...

A Smooth Start to the World of Preschool

by Jenny Ciampa

September 02, 2008

This will officially be the first full year of preschool for my girl. With the approach of preschool beginning one week from today, we have begun preparing for a great start to a new school year. Talk it Up -I have been talking about preschool like crazy. Oh, it will be so much fun to see Miss Nancy! What exciting art projects do you think you will do on the first day of preschool I  Read more...

Social Animals: Kids' Safari at the Zoo

by Jenny Ciampa

September 01, 2008

Welcome to September, my friends. The month of back to school, back to routines, and back to that constant work of exposing your preschooler to our social world...not like this ever stopped in the first place. But you know, socialization for this age group is a work in progress. The San Diego Zoo is offering up a social activity for kiddos ages 3-7 years old this Sunday, September 7th.  Read more...

A "Down by the Shore" Book Recommendation

by Jenny Ciampa

August 04, 2008

Since we'll be heading to the shore this month, I figured I would recommend a book to enhance those beachy experiences. Connecting real life to literature is something I truly believe in (it's the educator in me) and this book has endless possibilities. Wave , by Suzy Lee, is a wordless picture book with a little girl, a wave and some seagulls. I love that it is wordless because  Read more...

Signs of Growth for a Little Girl

by Jenny Ciampa

June 25, 2008

Today marks the third birthday of one very special little girl in our family and she could not be more excited about this All About Me day. She is not a baby anymore, she is a little girl who is growing'she shares this information with many, many people. To drive this growing theory home even more, I looked around the house for signs of growth. I know she has grown in the obvious, physical  Read more...

Portraits Speak Volumes

by Jenny Ciampa

June 12, 2008

Looking at portraits hanging on the walls of a museum is pretty fascinating. Just who are these people anyway? Put an almost three year old in front of these same portraits and she'll tell you exactly who they are. The Timken Museum in Balboa Park is a great place to check out portraits. First off, it's free ALL of the time. Secondly, it's small. There are a few galleries to walk through  Read more...

Obviously, Growing Up

by Jenny Ciampa

June 11, 2008

The hot topic in our house these days is growing up. Somebody is about to turn three and just can't wait. On a daily basis I hear stories of when I was a baby or reminders that I not do that anymore, I growing up. Yep, it's true and even if I don't want to believe she's growing up, it's happening right in front of my face. Sometimes it's more obvious than others like the glaring indicator  Read more...

Balboa Park, Shyla-Style

by Jenny Ciampa

June 09, 2008

You gotta love San Diego weather . One day you have June gloom, wind and rain then the next you are rewarded with clear blue skies and that infamous San Diego sun. My girl and I crave Balboa Park on days like these. So instead of creating one of my agenda filled park visits, we did Balboa Shyla-style. Balboa Park Shyla-style was much more than I anticipated. Of course we visited her  Read more...

It's All About Shyla

by Jenny Ciampa

June 06, 2008

Yesterday afternoon, here in sunny ol' San Diego, it rained. It was four in the afternoon, not my prime time, and I still had a few hours to burn with my girl stuck in the house. Well, 'stuck in the house is dramatic but I wasn't about to hop in the car and go anywhere in the rain. San Diegans don't drive well in the rain; we are used to water at the beach, not on our roads. I  Read more...

Getting to Know San Diego: Martin Luther King Promenade

by Jenny Ciampa

June 05, 2008

My girl knows the Martin Luther King Promenade in the Marina because in the later afternoon, when Mama feels like a caged lion, we run wild and free here. Racing up the promenade we reach the Breaking the Chains sculpture. This is where hide and seek begins. Mind you, my girl is only hiding within and around this sculpture and could do so for hours. After the hours are up (OK, maybe  Read more...

Your Neighborhood: French Toast Fridays

by Jenny Ciampa

June 04, 2008

My girl knows when it is a Friday morning in the East Village. She wakes up and tells me first thing. I have no idea what tips her off, she is not calendar literate yet, but she knows. Each. And. Every. Time. French Toast Fridays at The Mission is our weekly gig. Now, this isn't some restaurant special. This is a special event for my girl and I, we named it ourselves. We cruise a block  Read more...

Best Birthday Venues in San Diego

by Jenny Ciampa

June 03, 2008

[photo credit: stockx.chng] As a child, don't you remember all of the dreamy details you envisioned for your birthday party? The cake, the gifts, the menu, the venue-oh the venue, that always spoke volumes about the birthday kid. For the active kiddo with daydreams of jumping, tumbling, rolling and climbing, My Gym puts on one heck of a party. These peeps not only know how to  Read more...