Kids Tormenting Pets

Toddlers tormenting pets - not in a bad but cute and cuddly way - is hilarious...and scary. It's funny because neither baby nor animal understand the meaning of being gentle, and your pet is torn between fleeing, fighting back, or simply put up with it.

Our daughter loves animals as I am sure most kids do. We have a cat named Phoebe that loves attention, and both our daughter and cat exhibit such enthusiasm when playing together, but trying to explain to a toddler that you have to be gentle because you can't pull their tail or pick up a cat or dog when you're half its size is a task in itself. And while parents should always have an eye on their children around pets, it's necessary to guide your child into learning the appropriate motor skills and reasoning to be gentle and controlling forceful touch. Here are some examples I have used and learned in teaching children to be gentle: 

• Use gentle touch when correcting. By demonstrating how to nicely pet or touch the animal, children are likelier to mimic this behavior.
• Demonstration is key, and can be used on the child. Caress your child's face or hand so they realize what soft or gentle touch feels like.
• Using gentle words like please, excuse me, or I am sorry,  and speaking in a soft tone sends a good message. Also encourage them when they are being gentle by affirming the behavior. Say "Nice job" or "Thank you for being so gentle."
• Reading picture books that convey this message or demonstrating on stuffed toys and animals. 
• Directing their hands by placing them on the animal and applying the right pressure to show them exactly how the pet likes to be snuggled, pet, and loved.

It is important to help children make right choices by teaching at a young age how to interact nicely and gentle. One of the first steps can be through their interaction with pets, because there's no greater love than the love from parents and pets.

-Leslie Osmond

Please visit our website ozzybaby.com

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Single Moms & Dads

Hats off to single moms and dads. Parenting is tough enough when both are in the picture, but watching friends carry the weight of two roles is something that does not seem fair. I have nothing but the greatest respect for the sacrifices made every day by single parents, and overcoming the challenges posed by one income, childcare needs, and the desire for partnership. There are many days that I am exhausted and all I want is a few more minutes of rest in the morning, or quiet in the evening. Seeing single friends that have no choice but to rise above the exhaustion and beat the odds is inspiring.

I want to take a moment to appreciate the single parents that work tirelessly to support their children, and are doing the unimaginable for the sake and happiness of raising wonderful beings that will make a difference in the world. Your child appreciates you in more ways than you know, and although at times it may not be evident,  they see the sacrifices you make. You're a gladiator. Here's to another day of strength, discipline, and love, and you are an amazing parent.


-Leslie Osmond

Please visit our website ozzybaby.com




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Activities Today's Kids Will Never Know Or Appreciate

I'm eating dinner that includes part of a pre-packed salad, and as I'm about to take a bite of a long strand of grass, I laugh hysterically as my husband grabbed it to whistle. This piece of "salad" is what we used as children to whistle. As my husband and I reminisced about activities we loved when younger that today's kids will never know, we thought about how unfortunate the missed opportunities our children will not experience. The "phone" our parents had that we created as kids was two cans connected with a string. Today's kids have iPhones by age six! We had the joy of random activities to preoccupy us for hours and made us who we are today.

I decided to compile a list, in an effort to expose our daughter to some of the outdoor games we played that no longer seem to be played by kids. Not only are they fun, they keep kids busy and active. I want my daughter to be active and learn more than just how to play games via iPhone, social media, etc. I want her to exercise her body and mind, and the games we played as children build character and whether we got dirty or into trouble, also develop creativity and imagination. I encourage every parent to do some of your childhood favorite activities with your kids. It is more fun than you know, and brings back the kid in you. Here's a list of some of my favorites:

• Freeze Tag
• Climbing trees 
• Capture The Flag
• Looking for bugs, mice, snakes, etc. was an adventure that kept my siblings, friends and I outside until the sun went down.
• Hide And Seek
• Dodge Ball
• Red Light Green Light
• Water balloon fights
• Running through the sprinkler
• Building go-carts, tree-houses, etc.
• Camping in the backyard or at our neighbor's and roasting marshmallows
• Ding Dong Ditch (I'm not encouraging this one, but let's be honest, most parents have done this at some point and it was hilarious!)
• Flag Football
• Roller hockey in the street
• Kick ball
• Frisbee
• Red Rover
• Hacky Sack

Have fun with your kids and happy Monday.

-Leslie Osmond

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What A Load of $h!t

I think my neighbors think I'm a slob. There's only three of us in my household. That includes a toddler, and every week on trash day I haul four giant garbage bags to the curb like Santa Clause, despite a two bag per household county restriction. In addition, I have a mountain of recyclables. I feel there should be a parenting disclaimer in hospital delivery rooms warning about the the amount of diaper waste little ones make. What is most disturbing are the statistics regarding diaper waste worldwide.

In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports more than 20 billion disposable diapers sent to landfills, which accounts to nearly 3.5 million tons of waste. I'm not a tree-hugging hippie, but these numbers are shocking, and I see the impact from just my household. I cannot imagine seeing the pile of dirty diapers worldwide. Isn't there something we can do?

I tried cloth diapers for a while, but the hassle of them leaking or being so disgusting that you don't want them in your washing machine; the stench from the diaper pick-up bin after a few days; the extra laundry, to my never-ending laundry, etc...let's just say I am not a fan of cloth diapers! But I understand from the environmental standpoint why some moms choose this method. The EPA advises that it takes 3.4 billions gallons of fuel oil per year and 200,000 trees to manufacture disposable diapers. Landfills are flooded with them, and I am unsure of the solution. So the question is do we deal with the inconvenience of cloth diapering because it saves the planet, or do we save moms' sanity when it is just easier to throw away a diaper? I don't have the answer, but it appears no one else does either. Such is life...


-Leslie Osmond


Please visit our website ozzybaby.com


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My Kid Drives Me Nuts

There is something inherently ridiculous but funny about a mom screaming at the top her lungs to use an inside voice! It's so hypocritical and counterintuitive, but sometimes kids drive you nuts, and you can't take another minute of the whining, crying, and extreme need for your undivided attention 24/7. Just when you think you have two seconds of calm, they test your limits..."MOMMY!!!"

"USE YOUR INSIDE VOICE!!!"

I'm not sure exhausting is even the right word. The never-ending pile of laundry, pull-ups, snack time, dishes, making dinner, etc., coupled with fussing every two minutes, you're liable to pull your hair out. Every day is consumed by my daughter, but the reality is that I would be lost without her. She has taught me patience and love, and her tiny voice and laughter fills the room with joy. We all struggle with mommy moments, and counterintuitively screaming instruction, but the moral of the story is live in the moment. Learn in the moment. Just be in these moments, because before you know, our little ones walk, talk, and are grown up.  Cherish these times, because I know some day I will reflect back and laugh at my hypocrisy. I already am.

-Leslie Osmond


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Up to Mischief

Just when you think your toddler is fast asleep, you walk into the room to see her drenched in shampoo. My floor is slippery and sticky, and her hair looks like an old man's combed over toupee! I had to resist laughing hysterically because the hairstyle was atrocious. To make matters worse, explaining why we had to rinse her hair over and over given that the bubbles from her hair would not stop was interesting.  Needless to say, my toddler, sheets, and floor are squeaky clean! Happy Hump Day!

-Leslie Osmond

Today's Kids Are Worse Than Yesterday's

Parents, control your kids and stop getting mad at teachers for telling you that your child needs to be disciplined. The teacher is right, especially when they initiate contact for support. Why would a teacher reach out to you, if they in fact are causing the problem? They're asking for help. And don't get me wrong, I am all for backing up your child if in fact the teacher is mistreating them or being unfair, but you're doing your child a disservice when siding with them for bad behavior.

When teachers are unable to teach because a child is a non-stop distraction in class and coaches can't yell at your kid because he's too delicate and it hurts his feelings, then we have failed as parents and are creating the wimps of the world.  Students should not be able to curse out any adult or assault them without repercussion. And school administrations in the litigious country we live in should stop punishing teachers for defending themselves. No wonder there is such a shortage of them. At what point did today's kids become worse than yesterday's?

It's midnight, and 20 busloads of highschoolers are running through the halls of our hotel, jumping and bouncing above the heads of all other occupants. When I was an athlete, traveling was a privilege.  We were thrilled about the opportunity to leave town and stay overnight, so never would we want to ruin the opportunity by not following rules. If we even dreamed of leaving our rooms, let alone made a peep after curfew, coaches wreaked havoc on our butts, parents would be called, and we knew there would be severe punishment. Respect no longer seems to be a priority. Parents don't stand by authority rather their disrespectful kids' word. And although kids will be kids, they are kids and should respect adults, rules and regulations. At some point, every parent experiences the feeling of not knowing what to do when you've tried everything to encourage good behavior. Trying to punish children into good behavior does not always work, but you can require them to practice better behavior. Being a part of a sports team, band, or debate team, etc. is a privilege. Consequences used to encourage time-specific behavior helps change bad behaviors. Children crave structure, even though they deny it. Later in life - as I'm sure we as adults can attest - we appreciated the effective consequences and boundaries set by adults. Adults made us who we are today. Let's try to steer today's kids toward better behaviors by teaching them respect and disciplining their negative behaviors. After all, the time you spend with children when they are little, is the time they spend with you when you're old. Make it quality time.


-Leslie Osmond



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