Sponsors of the event include: Shred it Girl, Conway Arena, Children’s Dental Center of NH, St. Joseph Hospital, Hannaford Supermarkets, Staples, Seed to Sprout, Used Book Superstore, Seacoast Career Center of Manchester, Stonyfield Yogurt, Polar Beverage, Oakhurst, Zevia, Triangle Credit Union, Party Palace, Jump Around, Trading Faces, Rent-a-Center, Chick-fil-A AJ Photobooth, Subway, Eaton and Berube, Primerica, Charlie’s Bar and Pizzeria, and Got Ink 4U.

For more information visit www.liliguanausa.org/lil-iguanas-family-fun-day or call (603) 881-9805.

“As a mother, grandmother, and psychotherapist I would highly recommend Dr. Phelan’s book Surviving Your Adolescents 3rd edition. It is timely and up to date with adolescent issues. It is a very fast read. It is also validating, enlightening, and humorous! I will definitely recommend to parents of teens.”

Surviving Your Adolescents is available for $14.95 in local bookstores and Amazon. (affiliate link)

Disclaimer: A copy of Surviving Your Adolescents was provided to SNHParents in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.

The Klampie Mystery

Great illustrations throughout the story help pull the reader into the story, but the story is pretty simple and should strike a chord with any child who has traveled with a treasured toy.

Rodriguez mixes in facts about Koalas and Australia, making it surprisingly educational. However some, for example a brief explanation of “vice versa,” seem out of place in a book for ages 4-8. Because of this, and the amount of text on some of the page, I would be more comfortable recommending this story for eight-year-olds.

The Klampie Mystery is available in hardcover for $14.95 in local bookstores and Amazon. A Kindle edition is also available. (affiliate links)

Disclaimer: A copy of The Klampie Mystery was provided to SNHParents in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.

A lot has changed since we launched the site in 2006. There are now several websites that focus on the Southern New Hampshire area, and you can find active family groups on various social media channels.

We’ve also discovered that although we have ideas on improving the site, SNHParents was constantly being pushed down to the bottom of our list of things to do. Translation: it just hasn’t been a top priority for us.

And that forced us to make a difficult decision: Rather than keep an outdated website online, we’ll be closing most of the website in the middle of April. The blog (the only part of the site updated recently) will remain online for the foreseeable future and we’ll continue to share our experiences when there’s something to share.

We’d like to thank everyone who joined us over the last five years and look forward to seeing you in other online communities.

The Changing Colors of Amos tells the story of Amos, a leprechaun who changes color depending on the day of the week (of course, on Mondays he’s gray). Each day brings a new color until Sunday when Amos gets to be whatever color he chooses. But Amos has something special in mind and rather than choosing one color, he wraps himself in a rainbow.

Each focuses on the color of the day. The illustrations are beautiful, with lots of subtle details and shading. However some, the yellow Friday page for example, may seem “dull” compared to other children’s books about color. This certainly isn’t a reason not to get this book, but depending on your child, it might be a concern.

My other issue with the book is very minor, but it was a sticking point in our story time: in order to rhyme with “drape,” the author uses “grape” instead of “purple.” Granted, there aren’t a lot of words that rhyme with “purple,” but for a pre-schooler unfamiliar with clothing catalogs, “grape” doesn’t mean “purple.” My daughter was very clear on this and pointed out that grapes are also green. Sure, it’s a great conversation point, but the rhyme may be lost on younger children. See, I said it was a minor point.

The Changing Colors of Amos is recommended for ages 4-8, but I think the rhyming text is geared more toward the lower end of the range while older kids will be more likely to appreciate the subtleties of the illustrations.

The Changing Colors of Amos is available in hardcover for $14.95 in local bookstores and, of course, Amazon. (affiliate link)

Disclaimer: A copy of The Changing Colors of Amos was provided to SNHParents in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.

That’s the premise of Gary M. Unruh, a child mental health counselor with over forty years of experience, who believes that although a child may be loved, she may still behave inappropriately if she doesn’t feel loved and lacks self-confidence. But if that’s the case, how can parents communicate love while still providing discipline and guidance?

In Unleashing the Power of Parental Love: 4 Steps to Raising Joyful and Self-Confident Kids ($17.95, Lighthouse Love Productions), Unruh provides parents with the four steps he’s identified to help build their child’s self-confidence:

1. Set your thoughts and feelings aside temporarily.
2. Start with your child’s feelings first and the behavior second.
3. Establish behavioral expectations that will enable your child to be successful.
4. Talk to your child, not at your child; avoid judging and negative comments, be calm; talk less and listen more; be brief; and acknowledge your mistakes.

Unruh goes over each of the steps in turn and includes a lot of examples showing how to use them in a variety of situations. And while this is not a book on how to discipline, the situations Unruh uses in his examples often deal with correcting bad behavior.

This book was a hard read for me. It’s not that the Unruh’s writing was difficult. In fact, the 238 pages of the book were easy-to-read (although a bit dull). No, my difficulty with the book came from recognizing some of my own parenting in the examples Unruh uses to show how not to act. I don’t think I’ve done any irreparable damage to my daughter’s self-confidence, but I have started using some of his ideas. So far I haven’t seen the dramatic behavioral shifts from Unruh’s examples, but I think that’s a result of my limited time using them (and perhaps a bit of creative license on his part).

I’d recommend Unleashing the Power of Parental Love to any parents concerned that their child may have self-confidence issues, or those simply looking for tips on how to raise a self-confident child. I don’t think there’s anything in this book that will surprise most parents (e.g. children who have their parents’ approval tend to do well, right?), but Unruh  provide a map of how to apply these concepts to real world situations.

If you approach the techniques within the book with realistic expectations, and avoid giving up when you don’t immediately see the results in Unruh’s examples, then perhaps you can help your child become more self-confident as she find her place in the world.

Disclaimer: A copy of Unleashing the Power of Parental Love was provided to SNHParents in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.

My Story,

My Story (and Anni herself) is the first project by Generation Z, a company started to increase awareness of social and environmental issues among kids nine-years-old and older. The company founder, Zuriani Zonneveld, is the voice of Anni on the songs  and her 12-year-old daughter voices the album’s audio book tracks). An impressive list of music industry professionals also contributed to the album.

How’s It Sound?
The songs are well-produced and are very similar in style to other tween-targeted music, like Hannah Montana. Depending on your musical tastes, this could be a good or bad thing. My 4-year-old daughter loved the songs. Two of them, “Share My Dream” and “Come On Out And Play” quickly became part of our family drive time. In fact, we recently caught her performing “Share My Dream” in her room, complete with her own dance routine.

However, what sets My Story apart from similar-sounding music is the overall presentation. Between the songs, you’ll hear Anni’s story. These spoken tracks were beyond my daughter, but should appeal to the album’s target audience of nine- to 15-year-olds. The album also features some instrumental tracks as well as a poem that was submitted to the Anni Zola website. The various pieces types of tracks work well together, but some may be disappointed that the album includes only four “traditional” pop songs.

Enhanced CD Features
In addition to the audio tracks, the enhanced CD includes a video for “Share My Dream” (also viewable for free on YouTube), some “making of” videos, contest entries from the Anni Zola website, desktop wallpaper images, and some calendar graphics. These are a nice bonus, but I wouldn’t recommend buying the physical CD  over the version iTunes version just for these features.

Beyond the Album
Because Anni Zola is a modern performer (and a digital creation), it makes sense that she would have an online presence. The Anni Zola website goes beyond the typical “fluff” of most children’s performer’s websites and features a community where kids are invited to participate in challenges, share stories of volunteering, and become “agents of impact” to help make the world a better place. For example, currently kids are encouraged to enter designs for a water bottle that will be sold in Anni’s online store.

Generation Z is also using social media to extend Anni Zola’s message beyond her music. Anni’s fans are invited to connect with her, and each other, on a variety of channels including:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flickr
• YouTube
• MySpace
• last.fm

Currently, Facebook appears to be the most active of these, although some of these sites have very little activity, perhaps because the CD has only been out since June 29.

Interestingly, because Facebook and MySpace have a minimum age of 13, a good part of Anni’s targeted 9-15 year-old audience are too young to use some of these services without their parents.

Summary
At $15, My Story is a good deal if you’re looking for something new for your tween to listen to. The album is an interesting mix of audio formats. For those uninterested in the enhanced CD content, My Story is also available on iTunes for $9.99.

I like the idea behind Anni Zola and am curious to see how the project evolves. The goal of encouraging social and environmental awareness among tweens is admirable and Anni Zola’s music and stories are an creative way to reach it. However, it remains to be seen if Anni’s community will continue to grow beyond this album and become a way for her fans to share their experiences changing the real world.

Disclaimer: A copy of the My Story enhanced CD was provided to SNHParents in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.

With the excitement building, the Manchester Community Music School recently announced their 2010 Summer Camps & Music Program. MCMS summer private lessons are open to all ages and run in four, six or eight week classes in 30, 45 or 60 minute sessions. Through the MCMS summer programs, students are able to gain basic skills and knowledge, master new challenges, or simply continue their programs with a current instrument. Summer program selections are offered in a wide variety, ranging from Music Theory to Jazz Camp, from Licks and Riffs: Guitar Camp to Music and Me, a program formed specifically for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, along with the accompaniment of a parent or an adult. Special summer camps are Joy of Music for grades 2-5, Camp Crescendo and Music’s Cool Camp for grades 5-8.

“Summer is the perfect time for students to try a new instrument or to spend extra time on their music studies”, said Jeanine Tousignant, CEO of Manchester Community Music School. “Our goal with the summer programs is to offer students the opportunity to try music or further develop their skills in a relaxed, fun summer setting.”

MCMS summer programs are currently open for registration. All Private lesson dates and times are arranged on an individual basis. MCMS 2010 summer camps & private music lessons will begin on June 21, 2010. For more information about MCMS 2010 summer programs, please visit their website, www.mcmusicschool.org, or call 644-4548.

About the Music School
The Manchester Community Music School is a nonprofit, music education organization whose mission is to change lives through the power of learning, sharing and making music.

Over 1,200 students of all ages participate in private lessons, group classes and early childhood programs. Nearly 200 student musicians come from all over the state to participate in the NH Youth Ensembles Program– the premiere program in the state featuring orchestras, bands and jazz. Founded in 1983, MCMS is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts. For more information on MCMS visit their web site, www.mcmusicschool.org or call 644-4548. MCMS is located at 2291 Elm Street in Manchester.

The fun begins Saturday, June 5, with a full day of events at the Greeley Park Bandshell, including a 5K, a magic show and free games and give-aways from local organizations.

Can’t make it with your family tomorrow? Not to worry, just keep an eye on the SNHParents calendar. There are plenty of family events scheduled and we’ll be posting details throughout the summer.

Be sure to check out the full schedule of 2010 events for all ages on the city’s website.

Dwizzle Dee – Colors, Sizes, Songs & Imagination

The 30-minute video takes place in and around Ms. Ashley’s schoolhouse as she teaches her three students, Lenny, Penny and Gifford, about colors and sizes using songs and games. Although the video is entertaining, there’s a solid educational foundation to it and the title has been endorsed by The Dove Foundation and the KIDS FIRST! Coalition For Quality Children’s Media. The recommended age is 2-5, but I think that older kids might be bored by the simple lessons.

It’s worth noting that the video features two songs with original lyrics paired with familiar tunes, making them easy for kids to learn. In fact, my four-year-old daughter had them memorized after watching the video just a few times. Trust me, if your children are anything like my daughter, you WILL be hearing these songs over and over again.

It’s impossible to watch Dwizzle Dee without comparing it to Sesame Street videos, Elmo’s World in particular. It’s not just the similar look of the characters, but also the mix of puppets with computer graphics. Unfortunately, Dwizzle Dee just isn’t as polished as Sesame Street titles. For example, there are times when the characters don’t blend well with the background or their voices seemed a bit “off.” Given the story behind its creation, this isn’t surprising, and I’m sure most of these issues can be attributed to not having the resources of a larger production. But while Dwizzle Dee may be a labor of love created by two dads, is that enough to recommend it given the other choices out there?

I think so, because while I notice them, the production values don’t matter to my daughter. She loves the characters and enjoys answering their questions and playing games along with them, something she’s never done with Sesame Street. This puts Dwizzle Dee in the same league as Yo Gabba Gabba, Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go. As we watched (and re-watched) Dwizzle Dee, I found myself paying less attention to the production values and more to simply enjoying it with my daughter.

With a suggested retail price of only $14.95, Dwizzle Dee may not be as polished as some of the bigger children’s titles, but it’s worth checking out if you’re looking for something new to watch with your kids.

Disclaimer: A copy of the Dwizzle Dee was provided to SNHParents in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.