Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from StorkLand and Kids Too!

Kids have Real Fear of weather!

     After the recent storms and tragedies in Oklahoma I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog about my experiences with Ms. E and her horrible fear of storms.  When Ms E was just 4 years old she went to school, after a very active evening of weather activity both here in Wichita Falls but mainly in OKC, and told her friends that her father and grandfather had been killed in a tornado.  Ms. E's teacher promptly called me to check on our family.  You see Ms E was a model student.  She never got in trouble or caused a problem and she surely didn't ever lie.  I was at a total loss.  Why in the world would she have made something like this up.  I jumped in the car and went to pick her up and try to find out what was going on. 

 



 

 

At first I scolded her for making something up.  But then she looked up at me and said "well mommy that could have happened...couldn't it have?"  I was shocked.  She had listened to all the news reports and alerts the night before when I didn't think she was paying any attention.  She new her Big Daddy (grandfather) was at our store in OKC and she hadn't seen her daddy that morning before school.  She didn't think that they had died but it was possible...wasn't it? 

 

It was from that point on that we started really being careful with what news she was exposed to.  We turned off the Today Show in the mornings when she woke up and we didn't watch the news with her in the room.  EVER!!!  We discussed with her different types of weather and what precaution we knew to take.  We talked and talked and talked...she always had more questions and wanted to re-hash what we had already discussed.  Sometimes it was exhausting.  I even visited with her pediatrician about the situation.  We continued to have issues for several years.  Sometimes if the weather was really bad I would be called to go and pick her up from school because she was so scared.  She would just repeat over and over...there isn't going to be a tornado....there isn't going to be a tornado.  How could this child who had never even been through a traumatic event like that be so affected by it.  Well she was...this was a REAL fear and it took years for it to subside. 

 

Now Ms E is 9 and just finished the 3rd grade.  I was very concerned that the recent weather events would dig back up all that fear, but we were lucky.  Yes she had questions and I did prepare her teachers but all in all she did great.  We have talked about it more than normal in the last few weeks but she isn't having nightmares and we aren't talking it about it for hours on end.  I am proud of how far she has come. 

 

I thought I would share some tips with you just in case you are presented with a similar situation with your kiddo's. 

 

Validate your child's anxiety. It is important for your child to know that his or her feelings are normal. Try not to trivialize something that seems to you like an average event. It is new and unfamiliar to him or her.

Answer all questions. Be honest and use real words to describe weather events. The more your child understands, the less he or she will be afraid. You should also educate yourself about weather events so that you are able to explain things accurately.

Turn off the TV. News reports have a tendency to sensationalize even the most minor of incidents. Limit your child's exposure to television news during a storm or other major weather event.

Be prepared to entertain during a storm. If a storm is approaching, prepare books and games. This may distract them during severe weather. It is possible that your child will continue to be anxious despite having fun activities. Be ready to hold and comfort him or her if this is the case.

Your child's health and comfort is most important. We at Kid's Stuff Superstore hope you stay safe and calm during this summer's tough weather season.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families effected by these tragic events.  We pray for a miraculous healing both personal as well as for your communities. 

Welcome to the Club Daddy

Well that title has double meaning for this blog entry.  You see my sweet daddy asked if he could write a guest blog about a great new book we are carring in the stores.  He felt, and I agreed, that it would be better for you guys to hear about this book from him, since he is a member of the club.  So with out further adieu I would like to introduce you to my Daddy-Doug Tritton!!

 

 

I asked Anne to let me be a guest writer on her blog to tell you about a perfect Father’s Day gift for the soon to be father. I needed to be the one to write about this book because it is for men only. More on that later….but first let me introduce you to the author.

Phil Wrzesinski is a toy and juvenile specialty retailer in Jackson, Michigan. Somehow he also finds time to teach an expectant father’s class at his local hospital, be a published author, an accomplished educator at our industry conferences, a father and a husband. Over the years, I have heard a lot of motivational speakers, but what sets Phil apart from the rest is that his research lab is his store. Whatever he presents has been tested, tweaked and proven. The same goes for “ Welcome to the Club DADDY” All the Secrets About Becoming a Father (That No One is Telling You)

A few of my more senior staff thought this book a little “crass”.  As I said, this book is not for women, it’s for men. Now I know some of you will be sneaking a peek and even underlining points that you want to be sure get across to your father-to-be. That’s okay, just don’t get offended, and remember it’s written by a man to a man.

I promise you will be the beneficiary of him reading it. If I had had this information 39 years ago, I would have been a much more understanding and supportive husband and father.

Doug Tritton

PS Sorry Laurie for giving away your age.

PSS Thanks Anne for letting me on your blog. And thank you for the great job you do in keeping mothers informed through this blog and all the other StorkLand social Medias that you do.

 

Thanks Daddy!!!  I think this is a GREAT Fathers Day gift...If you would like to purchase you can do so through our website by clicking here.  Or come in and see us to get your daddy his copy!!!



2 Most Important Purchases for your baby

 

At StorkLand and Kids to your baby's safty and development is top priority for us.  We are knowlegable on a wide range of products and can help you make the best choices for both your baby and your budget!

Zoomorphs

 

I can't believe I haven't blogged about these before.  These are some of Mr. H and Ms. E favorite toys.  Well to be more specific-These are Mr. H's toys...Ms. E just likes to play with them too!  So what exactly is a Zoomorph?  I would compare it to Lego's but with animals.  You can build it just like the package shows or you can create your own. 

Each Package comes with specific animals and all the components to create them.  There are night crawlers, dinosaurs, zoo animals...lots of sets to choose from. 

 

You can build the animals any way you want...just check out these creations below.   

My kids have the best imagination!!! I love finding toys to help them exercise this.  They come up with fun games, names, and stories to go with each animal.  

Institute a Family Game Night!

My family LOVES to play games.  It all started with Shad and I back in college.  We use to host game nights at the house...well the truth is that when we met Shad was hosting a poker game every week for a bunch of guys....Well when I came along I didn't want to be one of the guys....so we started having a game night with girls and guys.  It was so much fun.  Then when ever Shad and I traveled we brought along cards to play.  Now with our kids we do the same thing, although not often enough! 

 

Here is my latest addiction and I can't wait to introduce my family to it.  Tenzi...Each Tenzi game comes with 4 sets of dice...and well...watch this CHEESY video on how to play. 

 

I will post another video of real families playing that isn't so CHEESY but I can't figure out how to get it on this same post. 

 

So if your family loves games or if you are wanting to start a family game night...this is a GREAT game to start with...from 4-99 EVERYONE can play!!!

BK's Hair Ties

 A few months ago my bestie and I were talking and she told me about her daughter's new business.  "WAIT a minute...did you say business?"  Well to make a long story short...here is their story. 

 

What do most 8 and 9 year olds do at a sleep over? Play games? Watch movies? For most yes, except for two special girls, Blair and Kensley. They came up with a plan to change the world.

They created a type of hair tie and headband which they creatively called BK's. They then came up with a logo, Facebook page and email. And with the support of their families, Kensley and Blair put their plan to action.

What’s their vision? It's simple. Make BK’s, sell them and donate the money to people in need. They then picked a different charity/organization for each month and are now racing toward their goal to change the world for the better.

Yes it was that simple. You see someone in need, you help them.

With your purchase and support, Blair and Kensley are changing the world $1 at a time.

How it works:

You purchase an assortment of hair ties and headbands.

$1 from each hair tie and $2 from each headband go toward the charity/organization of the month.

 

 

These to exceptional young ladies spend their free time working to change the world.  They are lead by great examples in their mama's.  I just couldn't be prouder of them. 

 

B and K...Annabeth is here supporting you every step of the way.  You both make my heart smile.  StorkLand and Kids Too is proud to announce that you can now help BK's Hair Ties change the world $1 at a time right here in Wichita Falls.  We have a jar of hair ties and headbands...hand made with love and commitment by B and K.  These girls have amazing taste and style.  You will love what they have selected for you.