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Guide to Potty Training Boys

June 13, 2011 By Staff Leave a Comment

Potty training boys can always be a difficult process, but if you take the right approach to it, you could have it accomplished in just a week or two. Maybe even a few days, at best. Here is your ultimate guide to potty training boys. This should make the process a lot easier for everybody.

When to Start:

In general, it is a good idea to start potty training your little boy at about age 3. This prevents a multitude of accidents from happening while he is still two, because you can keep him in diapers or training pants a little bit longer. Typically, a three year old has a good understanding of when he needs to use the toilet, and he will be able to head to the bathroom much faster.

Start off Slowly

Be sure to start off slowly. Learning how to potty train boys is a process that takes time for both you and your little guy. On the first day of his training, let him have fun being in his “birthday suit,” and just plan to stay home that entire day. Keep reminding him where the nearest potty or toilet is if he has to go pee or poopy. If you can, try to set him on the toilet periodically, but don’t make him stay there if he doesn’t have to go. Once your child knows that there is nothing under him to catch his bathroom mess, he will sense that the smartest idea is to run to the bathroom whenever he needs to go potty.

You may also want to check out some of the books that tell the story little boys learning to use the potty. Here is one example of such a book.

Invest in Some Underwear

Once you are confident that your son has mastered the first step for a few days, it is time to purchase some new “big boy” underwear for him. Not only will he look stylish in them, but it helps to aid the boys potty training process. Simply explain to him that once he has the underwear on he can’t get them wet or “poopy,” and he can’t make a mess in them or they won’t work anymore. Be sure to remind him that he needs to inform you of when he feels the urge to potty, so you can help him with his underwear. One or two pairs of underwear may get ruined in the process, but ultimately, there should not be any real difficulties.

Time for Pants

As soon as you are convinced that your son will remind you when he has to go potty, you can start him on shorts on pants. Finally, you can head outside and go to public places, because he should be able to remind you of his bathroom needs. Always take along a few extra pairs of underwear, shorts, or pants just in case he does have an accident. Tell your son, once again to let you know if he has to go potty. And when he tells you, take him seriously and stop somewhere with a bathroom immediately so he can relieve himself.

Learning how to potty train a boy is now a quick and easy process. Potty training boys is simple, once you get the hang of it.

Filed Under: Kids, Parenting

Cub Scout Belt Loops

May 28, 2011 By Staff Leave a Comment

Almost all Cub Scouts enjoy earning a belt loop. It instills a sense of pride in a young man, and it gives him determination to set a goal and push forward to achieve that dream. Belt loops are one way of achieving a goal, because the more you earn, the more determined and successful you become. In this guide, you will learn all about Cub Scout belt loops, how to earn them, and what you can earn them for.

What Are They?
Cub Scout Belt loops are similar to the badges, patches, and pins that Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts alike earn. The only difference is that instead of placing these on one’s shirt, sash, scarf, or other uniform accessory, these belt loops are sewn or ironed onto the Cub Scout Belt.

How Are Belt Loops Earned?
A Cub Scout can earn a belt loop in a variety of ways. The most common way is by completing the three Cub Scout requirements for a belt loop in a particular category. Generally, this is one of the easiest and best ways to go about it. The troop leader usually provides the Scout with the proper belt loop after he has successfully completed all the requirements for that loop. Of course, upon completion of the belt loop requirements, the cub scout can also go to the Cub Scout store and purchase the loop on his own that way.

What Do you Do With Them?
You wear them with pride on your Cub Scout belt, of course. This way, people can look in awe at all of the belt loops you have earned, and they can aspire to earn the same exact loops. Perhaps you can even find a way to teach the people how to earn the loop themselves.

Categories of Belt Loops
There are a few organized categories of belt loops to be earned. These generally range from Academics or Sports. Not to mention, many belt loops within these two categories are quite diverse, and you can learn a lot about a Cub Scout and his passions by the loops he has earned. Generally, they come in two different colors: silver or gold, although you can also find the Archery and BB gun shooting loops in a brass color.

Designated Activities to Earn Them

  • Sports: There are a few different types of sports-related activities to earn belt loops.  The list includes: Archery, BB Gun shooting, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Fishing, Golf, Horseback Riding, Marbles, Swimming, Volleyball, and many other sports-oriented activities.
  • Academics: The second category one can earn a belt loop in is academics. Here is a short list of some of the academic subjects for which a belt loop can be awarded: Astronomy, Chess, Computers, Language & Culture, Pet Care, Video Games, and many other subjects.

As your cub scout begins to collect their loops, you may want to think about some accessories that will help them earn their loops. One such is this Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker Boy Scout Pocket Knife (Red). Another might be a book such as Primarily for Cub Scouts to help them think of ideas on how to earn more loops.

Yes, it’s true, Cub Scout Belt loops can be very easy to earn. If a boy goes about setting a goal and devising a way to complete all the requirements for his favorite activities, he should find himself compiling quite a collection of belt loops in no time at all.

Filed Under: Kids

Car Beds for Boys

March 2, 2011 By Staff Leave a Comment

Many little boys are fascinated by cars and having a car bed is likely to be a dream come true. There are many different types of car beds, and many different colors. When looking for a car bed for a boy you will have many different brands, types, styles, and sizes to choose from. You will want to consider how long the bed is going to last and how much you are willing to spend on a bed.

Types of Car Beds
The main types of car beds are wood and plastic, with a spot to place a mattress. The smaller beds are built to accommodate a crib or toddler sized mattress, some are even designed to convert from a crib sized mattress to a twin or full sized mattress. This is a nice feature that allows the bed to grow with your child.

Plastic Car Beds
Plastic car beds are made from companies like Little Tykes, Step 2, or other major manufacturers of children’s toys. There are also many smaller companies that manufacture and sell these special beds.  They range in price from $150.00 to as much as $1000.00. Most plastic car beds come with colorful decals that can be placed on the outside of the bed. Another nice feature that is often found with the car beds for boys is that there are often coordinating bedroom sets that will tie the room together. These sets make it very nice when you are trying to coordinate a boy’s room and include lots of toy storage.

Wooden and Custom Car Beds
There are also wood car beds available. The nice thing about a wood car bed is that you can often have one custom made by a woodworking shop or even an individual with knowledge of woodworking can find patterns and build a car bed.  Wood car beds for boys can be a variety of different patterns, the headboard and foot board can be designed to look like a car or there can be a whole frame built. These beds start as low as $130.00 and increase in price from there. A custom built car bed may end up being more or less expensive depending on how much the person charges for labor to cut and assemble the wood. When you order a custom car bed you should also consider the cost to paint and finish the bed, using safe materials.

The easiest way to find a car bed for boys is to buy a pre-made manufactured bed, whether you buy wood or plastic. This way you know that they meet children’s safe sleeping requirements, and are built with safe flame retardant materials. It is also important to use a proper sized mattress in whatever bed you choose to ensure that your child cannot fall in the crack and suffocate. Whatever you choose as long as you ensure that they are safe, you should be able to make your little boys dream come true, when you choose the perfect car bed for your boy!

Filed Under: Family, Kids Tagged With: , , ,

A Guide to The Princess Bed

March 2, 2011 By Staff Leave a Comment

What one thing do all little girls have in common? They all dream of one day becoming a princess. Why brake their spirits at such a magical time in their lives? Make your own little princess’s dreams a reality by giving her an enchanted princess bed of her own.

A princess themed bed can seem a little overwhelming to achieve. This guide will help you choose the best princess theme to use for you child’s age group, the type of bed you can afford with the budget you are working with, and discuss the elements of a princess bed.

princess bed

How to Create a Princess Bed
There are two main elements to the princess themed bed; the furniture and the bedding. The bedding aspect of the princess bed is mainly the sheets, the comforter, and decorative pillows. Shopping for  the decorative pillows in shapes like crowns and castles can be an amazing way to spend quality time with your own little princess. While picking out the bedding can be exciting, choosing what furniture to put it on is one of the most important aspects of creating the theme. It can be something as simple as painting the bed you already have, to something as extravagant as getting a custom made cinderella carriage bed. The most common way to add a touch of royalty to a bed is by adding a canopy. Canopies come in many variations. You can get a canopy to match your bed, one decorated with Disney princesses, and more whimsical one with lace and ruffles.

The Right Theme for her Age
The princess themed room can work for girls of all ages. If your princess is a toddler, she will be growing rapidly and what better way to make her feel special than a wonderful princess bed that expands. Perhaps she is older than a toddler. There are even more beds for your little princess to choose from now that she does not need a conversion bed. There is a vast variety from wooden princess daybeds to princess castle bunk beds with slides. For a sound investment in your princess future dreams,  a lovely sleigh bed or a classic wrought iron bed can be enjoyed up through the teen years and beyond! Beds like these can be easily converted from a pink princess to a classy queen.

Price
Both the bedding and furniture a the princess themed bed vary in price. Bedding ranges from around $150 at stores like Macy’s to $22 for a similar bedding set at stores like Target. For the actual bed,  some of the best deals include buying directly from Disney or other companies such as Delta and KidsKraft.

When granting your princess’s dreams for an enchanting slumber it mainly comes down to personal taste. Nevertheless, it is still strongly encouraged that you keep in mind the two elements of the princess bed, the budget that you are working with, and the age of the princess whose wishes you are making come true.

Filed Under: Featured, Kids Tagged With: , , ,