As parents we can always use a gentle reminder to breathe. However it is definitely easy to forget this when our baby swats a spoon of food away only to have it smack against a kitchen wall, or when our toddler has a tantrum because he wanted to put his right shoe on before his left and you were already late for wherever you needed to be. Giving my child a time-out was typically more about giving me a chance to “breathe”. Amazing how something so simple can change your state of being. For this month’s Fit Tip, Jen explains how to make each breath count—so you can get back to cleaning the sweet potatoes off the wall.

Just slowing your breathing can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, allowing your heart to take a break. Try to take your breath into your abdomen (belly breathing), allowing your abdomen to expand as you inhale. This type of breathing allows the muscles of your upper body to relax, and placing your focus on your breath allows you to clear your mind of all of the stuff going on in your life. A few times a day, try to focus on belly breathing, and you may find it to be a nice way to ease away tension brought on throughout your day.

Contributed by Jen Morin, Pilates/Corporate Fitness Director at EVOLUTION bodywork & nutrition in Bristol.

By Michelle Riggen-Ransom

The Boston Museum of Science has always been a favorite place of mine. Their classic science-class exhibits span the interest of generations: space capsules, a giant lightning-generating machine, and a room full of dinosaurs, including a life-size model of everyone’s favorite carnivore, T-Rex.

The museum recently unearthed a fabulous display from the bowels of their permanent collection: curiosity cabinets. Curiosity cabinets, also called Wunderkammer or Cabinets of Wonder, are collections of flora and fauna that are categorized and displayed in glass cabinets, domes, or glass-lidded drawers. Dating back to the seventeenth century, curiosity cabinets are sort of pre-cursors to the Internet in that folks without access to certain species could view and marvel at them (albeit it in a decidedly unnatural setting, since nothing is alive. And therefore not, um, mating). The Science Museum’s collection is vast and well documented. There are even interactive games budding naturalists can play that allow them to sort and categorize objects by size, shape, and color. Montessori babies take note!

Another great place to view these natural, eclectic collections is the RISD Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab (see above photos) in downtown Providence. Imagine the Addams family’s overstuffed attic: every corner and crevice is stuffed with the cool and slightly creepy from pickled baby rats to boxes of beaks and bones. The space itself is surprisingly light-filled, allowing RISD students to photograph, sketch, and otherwise examine specimens. The general public is welcome as well, as long as you call ahead (phone number and hours listed on their website). A visit with a sketch pad in hand could be a great activity for an older child who’s interested in science (they even have microscopes!) or art.

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I find it helpful sometimes to get away from the daily routine of work and the kids and recharge my batteries by listening to the wisdom of other women. (Other times I like to relax and have a pedicure.)

I recently attended the Annual Women’s Summit at Bryant University: a day full of fabulous speakers and workshops for and about women in business. I could not completely escape mom duty since one of my sons was home sick from school, but I managed to attend half the conference by coordinating schedules with my husband.

My favorite speech was by Michelle Peluso, the president and chief executive officer of Travelocity, who delivered five tips on how to be a successful leader. I think whether I was in business or not, her words about treating the people around you with respect and learning to work well with others is helpful and relevant to my work in my community and at my sons’ school.

Michelle Peluso on how to be a successful leader:
• Listen to our inner voice and do what we are passionate about—we will be more invested in what we do.
• Have tenacity—work to remove obstacles that keep us from doing what we need or want to do.
• Surround yourself with extraordinary people—find great leaders to mentor us and inspire others to be great leaders.
• Take risks—it can be rewarding to crawl out of our comfort zone to try new things.
• Have grace—know that we are not perfect; we are vulnerable and accept it.

At the end of her speech, Michelle announced that she is pregnant with her first child. I will be interested to hear what her words of wisdom are when she has to balance her work with raising a child. I imagine she will do it with grace, and I look forward to hearing how this experience will change how she manages the everyday.

Kidoinfo.com officially turns one today. Starting this site sometimes felt a little like having a baby—except this time I didn’t give birth to twins. First-time pregnancies often allow us time to spend reading, researching, and getting ready for the arrival of the new baby; once he or she is born, however, it’s a whole new world.

Before I launched Kidoinfo.com, I spent time reading, researching, and planning as well. I spent time writing and getting used to blogging (which explains why blog posts start in January 2007) and I talked with friends, families, and many parents about what they would like to see in a parenting website. Thanks to my husband, who devoted many hours of programming the site, and extended family members, who offered to babysit our sons, Kidoinfo.com was born last spring. Since that time (as with a baby’s first year), many changes have taken place and many people have helped me along the way. Kidoinfo.com becomes more relevant and useful the more people share their ideas and experience.

Thanks to all the fabulous people I have met because of the website, to my mom friends who have supported me in making this happen, and to all the amazing people (see list) who contribute their writing and expertise to make this site what it is. Thanks to the growing Kidoinfo community that keeps me inspired and keeps the website energized.

Stay tuned for plans to help celebrate! And as always, I welcome your comments and feedback.

By Marianne Ruggiero
Coordinator of Family Programs at The RISD Museum

If artworks could speak, what would they say? Would statues tell you about the day their features took shape from a block of stone or lump of clay? Maybe the little girl in the portrait you like so much would invite you to step into the painting and play a game with her. Artwork often tells a story. Sometimes the artist has a specific story in his or her mind when creating the work. People also imagine their own stories as they look at paintings or sculptures.

WORDS & PICTURES
What stories are suggested by the artworks below? Look at each one, and write a short tale to go with each:

IF DRAGONS COULD SPEAK…
What would they say? Match each dragon pictured below with what you think it might be saying.

A. “That woman’s strength is nothing. With one lick of my fiery breath, she will drop the crystal, and power will be mine!”

B. “Some people think I’ve opened my mouth to laugh. My hope was to breathe fire, but the artist forgot to include that detail. I was placed in a tomb, more than 1000 years ago, with an important person. My special powers kept him from harm in the after-life.”

C. “My golden yellow color means that I was made to be worn by a member of the royal family, probably a queen or a princess.”

MUSIC MAKERS
Here is the painter Joshua Reynold’s “A Caricature Group.” What could these music-makers and listeners be saying?

“Once Upon a Time…”
If you like to find stories in art, come to Free-For-All Saturday at The RISD Museum on March 29. Make a book, create a dancing puppet, or go on a story-filled quest. At 3:00 p.m., come to The RISD Auditorium for a magical dance performance created especially for this day by Festival Ballet in Providence.
The RISD Museum - 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI

ARTplay is a monthly column written by Marianne Ruggiero from The RISD Museum in which various themes and activities introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art - they can learn about different works at the museum and download a related activity to create offline. Be sure to visit the museum and explore the art in person. On Free-for-All Saturdays (the last Saturday of every month), kids may continue their exploration through a variety of hands-on workshops, performances, videos, and special gallery quests throughout the day.

Illustrations for “If Dragons Could Speak” and answer to matching game:

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Kidoinfo: What neighborhood do you live in?
HMB: East Side, Providence

Kidoinfo: Where were you born?
HMB: Boston

Kidoinfo: How long have you been in Rhode Island?
HMB: 3 ½ years

Kidoinfo: What is your current state of mind?
HMB: I’ve let myself off the hook a bit recently, and it feels good. I’ve finally accepted that I’m not going to be able to do as much, the same, as before my son, Sam, arrived. There are less late nights out and more take-out dinners, but I’ve stopped feeling like I’m screwing things up and I’ve better embraced this new life, and this new person.

Kidoinfo: Who’s in your family?
HMB: My wonderful, funny, barbecuing genius husband, Eugene. My wonderful, beautiful, light-switch-obsessed son, Sam, 1.

Kidoinfo: What trait do you most admire about your family? How we can drop everything – wooden blocks, a Tupperware full of leftover chili – and sit down amidst the mess to play with the fridge magnets or for a hug. As a recovering stressed-out, neat freak, I’m thankful that I can tune out the chaos for a truly important moment.
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By Maura Keating

“ME!” Kids like to do things themselves, and when it comes time to getting dressed, your kid’s help can really hurt. As parents, we like to encourage independence even if we don’t always agree with the resulting fashion choices. A simple costume change that can take you a minute can take your child an eternity. Around potty time, a tricky outfit change can end in disaster. During this delicate phase, onesies give way to shirts than can be pulled over the head in a flash. Overalls and pants that snap at the bottom are replaced with pants that can be pulled up and down in a hurry. But . . . what can be pulled up and down easily can often fall down. Don’t let droopy drawers trip up your toddler—Myself Belts let kids regain control.

Invented by two sisters born and raised in Rhode Island, Myself Belts enable kids to use a belt without help. Talia Bahr Goldfarb and Danielle Bahr Eason were inspired to create the Myself Belt when Talia’s son learned how to use the potty but couldn’t keep his pants up. Talia and Danielle were propelled to find a solution. The Myself Belt snaps around one belt loop in the front of a pair of pants, and is threaded through the rest of the loops like a regular belt. To reinforce independence, these steps can be done before your child puts his or her pants on. Your child can fasten the Myself Belt using the long piece of Velcro on the end of the belt.
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I would like to introduce a new Kidoinfo series, Home Work: Lessons from Work-at-Home Parents — interviews with parents who take on work at home in addition to the work of raising a family.

Like many of us, these parents juggle kids, work, and childcare (or lack of it), but their unique situation requires that they squeeze in worktime at home, whether working for someone else or running their own business. Hearing how these parents manage to make it work along with the challenges they face may help the rest of us with our own home work.

An Interview with Danielle Bahr Eason from Myself Belts
and Maura Keating from Kidoinfo.com.
Photo of Danielle (right) and sister, Talia with some of their children

Sisters Danielle Bahr Eason and Talia Bahr Goldfarb grew up in Providence. Danielle graduated from Wheeler in 1994, and Talia graduated from Lincoln in 1990. Danielle and Talia are also the inventors of one of the most innovative, yet basic products for kids on the market today—the Myself Belt. I reviewed the Myself Belt for Kidoinfo, but I still had questions, so Danielle graciously accepted my invitation to be interviewed for a new regular feature—a series of interviews with parents who take on work at home in addition to the work of raising a family.

Kidoinfo: What inspired you to start your business?

Danielle: My sister and I invented Myself Belts after becoming moms and discovering that there were no belts on the market that kids could use on their own. My sister’s son was thin and without the bulk of his diaper after being potty-trained, his pants kept falling down! We needed a solution that would keep his pants at his waist and allow him to get his pants down quickly when it was time to use the bathroom. Allowing kids to be independent and feel proud of themselves was most important.

We created a unique patented belt closure that enables young children to fasten and unfasten their belt independently. Kids have an “I did it myself!” moment, and parents have a solution for pants that don’t quite fit right! Myself Belts solve a common parenting frustration while promoting the independence of young children.

How did you start your business?

Danielle: Myself Belts launched in September 2004 and word has spread about our fashionable and functional accessory and problem-solver for parents. We patented the design to protect our idea and had prototypes made to test the design and sizing. Once the belt seemed perfected, we took a leap of faith and started selling them to stores and through our website. Myself Belts are sold on the Web and in over 600 stores across the country and internationally. Myself Belts have been featured in Parenting magazine, USA Weekend, Cookie magazine, and Child magazine, among others. We even have celebrity fans like Cindy Crawford, Felicity Huffman, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Sarah Jessica Parker!

How do you balance work and family?
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Time to shed the winter coats (I wish) and welcome the first day of Spring. However, since I live in Rhode Island we may have to put them right back on again. I love the snow and wish we had more of it this winter—but now that it is NOT winter I am looking forward to spending time in my garden.

I love the website, Garden Tykes - full of great ideas and products for children (of all ages). Find books, seed and bug kits, fishing gear, games and more for the nature loving kid.

Kid’s Watering Can Tool Kit pictured.

Children tend to have someone at their beck and call—someone called Mom (and Dad). I know there are many busy moms out there like me who may work in or out of the home, are juggling kids, the household, the spouse—and trying to squeeze in one more thing on the to-do list. The very idea of having someone to help me out is simply irresistible. And for those of us who live in the Providence area, we are lucky enough to have someone at our Beck and Call. Melissa Laundry is a stay-at-home mom with lots of free time since her son goes to school all day. She will run all sorts of errands: pick up dry cleaning, make coffee runs to the office, handle vet visits for your pet, wrap a birthday present, or come to your home or office to notarize your papers, and more. She charges an hourly rate with a half-hour minimum. So, if you need a little help with your to-do list, you may want Melissa at your Beck and Call. And imagine what a brilliant gift this would be for a new mom—one size fits all!