What a great way to kick off Kid Inventors Day, today, 1/17 with a personalized Doodlebugz Crayon Keeper or a Doodlebugz Crayon Traveller. A piece or two of paper and let the next Picasso spout their wings!

It’s the holiday time.  A time not only to give presents to friends and family, but a time to give back to the community.  While some people enjoy volunteering their time, other people are happy to donate money to a worthy cause.  Unsure of where to give or what project to support?  The Stork Store recently found an innovative charity called DonorsChoose.org.

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.  According o their website: Here’s how it works: public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we deliver the materials to the school.

You’ll get photos of your project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent. If you give over $50, you’ll also receive hand-written thank-you letters from the students.

At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions.

Take a peek a the website: www.donorschoose.org today and see if you can find a project that is close to your heart.  Donate today and send us a copy of your confirmation.  The Stork Store will send you back a $5 coupon to our store.  Call it a little Karma.  If you do good, good will come back to you.  Happy Holidays from The Stork Store.

Are you looking for perfect personalized gifts for the Holidays?  The Stork Store has a large selection of gifts from piggy banks to step stools that are still available for holiday delivery.  All of our gifts are personalized with the child’s name and a special design.

Order by tonight, December 14th for guaranteed Christmas delivery using ground shipping. Express delivery deadline is Friday, December 16th.

Be sure to “like” us on Facebook to receive special discounts available only to our Friends.  Happy Shopping!

Anyone can be a babysitter, but not everyone can be a great babysitter.  To be a super babysitter that parents wants to hire, there are a few easy rules to follow.  If you follow these easy tips to be a great babysitter, parents will be knocking at your door every Saturday night.  Not only will you make some great “kid” friends, but you will be earning your spending money for the week.  Here are the babysitting tips that parents wish every sitter knows.

1. Arrive on Time/Be Ready for Pick up:  Parents are usually running on a tight schedule to either make a dinner reservation, movie show time or meeting.  Please don’t keep the parents waiting.  If you are driving to the house, arrive a minute or two early so the parents don’t worry.  If they are picking you up, be ready by the door.  When they beep, you will already have everything you need by the door so you can grab your stuff and go.

2. Be Friendly and Social: Parents usually have a few people on their babysitting call list.  To be the first one called, be social and engaging.  Talk to both the parents and the children and show them how much you enjoy their company.  Engage in conversations and be relaxed around the parents (even if you have to fake it!).  It is always awkward when the babysitter is quiet and seems to be waiting for the parents to leave.

3. Engage the Children When You First Walk In: Whether you realize it or not, parents are observing how you interact with their children from the moment you walk in the door.  Go right over to the children and talk with them.  Ask how their day was or what the children would like to play.  Parents want to feel that they are leaving their children with a fun and playful babysitter, not one that will be on their phone all night. By the way, don’t answer your cell or text when the parents are home.  It’s best to put the phone down when you are sitting, but we understand an occasional text is necessary.

4. Ask for Emergency Numbers and Plans: Be sure to have all of the phone numbers you need to watch the children.  This will include the parents cell phone numbers, doctor number and any other emergency contact the parent may have.  Double check if the children have any allergies or anything you need to be aware of medically.  If you’re not sure what time the parents are coming home, you can ask in a general manner about what time you can expect them home.  Parents can purchase babysitter pads that have most of the information already filled in.  This will make everyone’s lives easier!

5.  Schedules and Routines: Ask the parents for the children’s schedule and routines that you may need to follow.  If it’s bedtime, most children have a regular nighttime routine.  It’s easier for you and for the kids if you follow the set schedule.  Be respectful to the parents and follow the rules they’ve set out for you.  And for the first few times sitting, don’t give in to the children’s demands.  Make sure they understand that you are in charge and you make the rules when the parents are out of the house.  After you have a good relationship with the children and you understand each other, it’s easier to vary the routine in a positive way.

6. Be an Active Participant: Children LOVE it when you play with them.  If you want to be asked back as a regular babysitter.  Make your time at the house “fun”.  Turn off the TV and video games and engage in good old fashion fun.  Pull out a board game or play a game of Simon Says.  Ask the kids to show you their favorite games and activities.  The kids will love you for playing with them and beg the parents to have you back again.

7. Clean up: The most common babysitter error that grates on parents’ nerves is coming home to a messy house.  After the kids are in bed, do a quick check of the house.  Put the cushions back on the couch, clean up the toys and put away the games you played.  Most of all, put the dinner dishes in the sink.  If you want bonus points, either wash the dishes or put them in the dishwasher. Parents will be amazed when they come home and see their house is back in order.  This will get you a return visit for sure!

Extra Babysitting tips:

1. Take a CPR/First Aid Class
2. Don’t call the parents unless it is absolutely necessary
3. Prevent the kids from calling the parents unless necessary
4. Bring a fun game/toy from your house to play with the kids.  You can bring it back home and entice them with it on the next visit
5. Don’t have friends come over while you are sitting
6. Don’t spend the time on the phone/texting
7. It’s obvious, but needs to be stated, Don’t go through the adult’s personal drawers or medicine cabinet

Good luck and enjoy the babysitting experience.  Hopefully, these tips will put you on the right track to becoming an amazing babysitter!

Celebrity moms and every day moms continue to agree that the Personalized Initial Name Necklace still ranks as their top jewelry pick.  From Sandra Bullock to Nicole Richie, moms everywhere continue to sport the personalized necklace.  The coin necklace is an individual circle with either one initial or the full child’s name stamped in the center.  Moms have been seen wearing a single coin to several coins depending on the number of children they have or if they’ve included their spouse on a coin.

The simplicity of the design makes the personalized necklace a great Christmas gift or Mother’s Day Gift.  The coin is created out of sterling silver or gold and can be further personalized by adding birthstones for each child.  We carry a large selection of personalized coins to fit every personality and style.  Click to shop our full line of hand stamped personalized name necklaces.

You were up early on Black Friday, shopped local on Small Business Saturday, and now you are ready for Cyber Monday.  Get those fingers ready and grab the mouse.  Click on over to The Stork Store on Facebook and “like” us for a special coupon code.  We will inbox you with a $5, $10 or $15 coupon code. Don’t forget to order soon, our deadlines are quickly approaching on many products.

Good morning, today is Small Business Saturday.  In case you haven’t heard of it, Small Business Saturday is a movement to support the small businesses in your local area.  Hundreds of organizations around the country have joined together to declare the Saturday after Thanksgiving the official Small Business Saturday.  Started last November 27, 2010, people are encouraged to go out on one day and shop at their favorite local business.

Here at The Stork Store, we are offering a special one day coupon in support of this special day.  Enter the code: SBS2011 for 15% off your entire personalized gift purchase.  Shop now for your favorite personalized gifts for the holidays.  Our favorites still remain the personalized mom coin name necklace to celebrate motherhood, the name puzzle stools, personalized piggy banks and so much more.  We’ve added hundreds of new personalized baby gifts and children’s gifts for you to enjoy.

Be sure to enter the code: SBS2011 for the special discount.  Happy Shopping!

There is nothing more satisfying than taking a great family picture together.  It takes a bit of work and coordination on the part of the photographer and the family, but the results will make it all worthwhile.  Here are a few suggestions to help you create the best family portrait.

1. Coordinate the outfits
Pictures always look better when everyone is dressed in the same color palette.  Choose from a selection of fall colors such as maroons, browns, and dark greens or go with a lighter spring mix of pastel colors.  Be sure to mix it up a little and have fun with the colors.  Everyone doesn’t need to wear the same colors or same style of clothing.  Have some people in solid color shirts and others in patterns.  The men can wear pants and have some of the women in dresses.  It will add texture to the picture and create interest.

2. Stand close together for group shots.
To create a warm and loving picture, have everyone stand close together.  It may feel uncomfortable to some family members, but open white spaces between people will look worse.  Try standing at an angle instead of directly facing the camera with shoulders overlapping.  Move the taller people to the back and center to create a triangle effect.  Add a chair if necessary for Grandma and Grandpa and have everyone circle around and behind the chair.  This picture should bring back good memories of a happy family with everyone close together.

3. Stay relaxed and go for spontaneous shots
Take the posed pictures early and get them out of the way.  They are great shots to have, but they may not end up being the favorite shots.  Once everyone is warmed up, allow for a little freedom with the pictures.  If it is teenager, try taking the pictures in her room where she is comfortable.  With little kids, put them in a playroom or outdoors and let them act natural.  A natural shot will capture the person’s true essence and not an awkward posed shot.

4. Vary the settings
A good photographer will keep everything running smoothly and change the scenery often.  This way, no one gets bored and there are always new poses to try.  Start with the family photo outdoors and slowly move around the yard or setting for different backgrounds and props such as a rock or a set of steps.  Move the photographer indoors if the lighting is good for an added element of composition.

5. Real smiles or no smiles
Most people think a great family picture means everyone is smiling and looking at the camera.  Ask your friends what their favorite photo is and guaranteed it’s the picture where the person looks natural and typically isn’t looking in the camera. Don’t be afraid to look off in the distance during a shot or hold back the posed smile.  Hopefully the photographer has a few funny jokes or phrases that will capture a genuine smile during the shoot as well.

Now that you have great family pictures, be sure to frame your favorite family photograph or create your holiday card. With so many designs out there, you are guaranteed to find the right picture holiday card to showcase your family. Visit The Stork Store to see our large selection of Photo Gifts at special Holiday prices.

I used to be extremely pro-homework. In fact, I once wrote an article for this very magazine telling readers how to get kids to stop whining and knuckle down to work. Back then, I could afford to be smug: My second-grader was happily zooming through her ten minutes a night. But a few years later, Allison started coming home with four hours of homework each night, and everything changed. Now there was not only whining but also begging, yelling, and crying — sometimes from both of us. The worst part: hearing my previously enthusiastic learner repeatedly swear how much she hated school.

I’d always assumed homework was essential. But when I finally looked into the research about it, I was floored to find there’s little to support homework — especially in vast quantities. While not every child gets too much, many kids are now overloaded as early as kindergarten. I was appalled (I even cowrote a book about it, The Case Against Homework), so you can bet that this time around, you won’t be getting any “how to be a good homework cop” tips from me.

Instead, I’m here to call you to action. You can change things for your child — even for the whole school. There are more and more frustrated parents and wised-up schools around the country, so why should your child keep suffering through hours of work? A less-homework revolution is brewing, and you can join it.

Taking Back Family Time

Like me, Christine Hendricks, a mother of three in Glenrock, WY, had always believed in homework. Then her daughter, Maddie, entered elementary school. “By the fourth grade, she had so much, there was no time for after-school activities, playing, or simply enjoying our evenings together. We were always stressed, and I knew many other families were also miserable.” Hendricks decided things had to change — and she had a unique advantage: She’s the principal of Glenrock’s Grant Elementary School. Together with her teachers, she looked into the research and found what I did: Homework’s not what it’s cracked up to be. “We decided to do an experiment and eliminate most homework,” she says. The one exception: occasional studying for a test. “This is only our second year without it, but there have been no backslides in the classroom or in test scores,” says Hendricks. “Parents say their kids enjoy reading again because there’s no pressure. In fact, there have been no negative effects whatsoever. And there’s much less stress at our house, too.” We’re not all in a position to fast-track a solution as Hendricks did, but we still have power.

In Toronto, Frank Bruni decided to do something when a pediatrician told him that his 13-year-old son should exercise more. Says Bruni, “I thought to myself, ‘And when would he do that?’ ” So Bruni organized other parents and lobbied the Toronto School District to hold public meetings, presenting the research behind homework. The result is a new policy that affects more than 300,000 kids, limiting homework to reading in elementary school, eliminating holiday homework, and stating the value of family time. Canada’s education minister now wants all the country’s school boards to make sure students aren’t being overloaded. “It’s so gratifying to know that this year, Toronto’s kids are going to have a life,” says Bruni. “It shows you just how much parents can do when they try.”

why it’s worth a fight

Homework is such an established part of education, it’s hard to believe it’s not all that beneficial, especially in large quantities. But the truth is, a recent Duke University review of numerous studies found almost no correlation between homework and long-term achievement in elementary school, and only a moderate correlation in middle school. “More is not better,” says Harris Cooper, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and neuroscience who conducted the review. In fact, according to guidelines endorsed by the National Education Association, teachers should assign no more than ten minutes per grade level per night (that’s ten minutes total for a first-grader, 30 minutes for a third-grader).

Pile on more and it can backfire. “Most kids are simply developmentally unable to sit and learn for longer,” says Cooper. Remember: Many have already been glued to their desks for seven hours, especially at schools that have cut gym, recess, art, and music to cram in more instructional time. If you add on two hours of homework each night, these children are working a 45-hour week. Some argue that we need to toughen kids up for high school, college, and the workforce. But there are other ways to teach responsibility, such as the chores that parents often have to let slide because of studying. And too much homework is actually sapping our children’s strength, natural curiosity, and love of learning. “Kids are developing more school-related stomachaches, headaches, sleep problems, and depression than ever before,” says William Crain, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the City College of New York and author of Reclaiming Childhood: Letting Children Be Children in Our Achievement-Oriented Society. “We’re seeing kids who are burned out by fourth grade. Soon, it will be by second grade.” Too much homework also means that kids miss out on active playtime, essential for learning social skills, proper brain development, and warding off childhood obesity.

All this work doesn’t even make educational sense. “It’s counterintuitive, but more practice or the wrong kind of practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect,” says Kylene Beers, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and author of When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do. For example, children are able to memorize long lists of spelling words — but many will misspell them the following week.

“Instead, they should spend the time reading and writing, and practicing words that are at the appropriate level for each child,” says Beers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, most often a math teacher can tell after checking five algebraic equations whether a student has understood the necessary concepts. Even more important, whether it’s algebra or addition, five problems is enough to tell if a student doesn’t understand a concept. Practicing dozens of homework problems incorrectly only cements the wrong method into his brain. Naturally, some kids need more practice before math skills become automatic, but pages of problems rarely help the whole class. In addition, teachers who assign large numbers of problems are often unable to do anything more than spot-check homework. That means errors are missed — and some children truly are left behind.

So why are schools ignoring all these guidelines? “Many teachers are under greater pressure than ever before to assign more homework,” says Beers. “Some of it comes from parents, some from the administration and the desire for high scores on standardized tests.” And here’s a surprise: Your child’s teachers have probably never taken a course that covers what constitutes good or bad homework, how much to give, and the research behind it. “I’m disappointed to admit that colleges of education simply don’t offer specific training in homework,” says Beers. Cooper adds, “Teachers are winging it.”

4 waste-of-time assignments

typical assignment: Keep a reading log

why it’s busywork: Writing down the title is one thing; adding on the author, publisher, and other info turns reading into a tedious activity. Rather, let kids write a line or two about why they liked or didn’t like the book. The time would also be better spent reading another book.

typical assignment: Play an “unscramble the word” spelling game

why it’s busywork: If a child sees a spelling word with the letters scrambled, he could end up remembering it that way, says National Council of Teachers of English president Kylene Beers.

typical assignment: Answer the questions at the end of the chapter

why it’s busywork: This can encourage kids to “skim and scan,” hunting for answers and ignoring other content. The exception is questions that help kids infer meaning.

typical assignment: Create a diorama/model/game board/anything that requires craft supplies and a glue gun

why it’s busywork: Such “fun” projects usually involve a frantic trip to the crafts store, expensive supplies, too much parent participation — and too little educational value to justify the number of hours they take (with the possible exception of science-fair projects). If it’s all about how it looks, it’s probably not worth it.

the start of something big

A revolution has to begin somewhere, and as Christine Hendricks, the Wyoming principal and mom, proves, that somewhere isn’t only on the coasts or in big cities. It’s in communities and schools all over the country.

After teaching math for several years at South Valley Middle School in Liberty, MO, Joel Wazac realized that his students were rarely finishing the reams of problems he sent home. So he and other math teachers decided to eliminate homework and concentrate on making class lessons more engaging. “I had more time for planning when I wasn’t grading thousands of problems each night,” says Wazac. “And when a student didn’t understand something, instead of a parent trying to puzzle it out, I was right there to help him.” The result: Grades went up and the school’s standardized math test scores are the highest they’ve ever been.

In some cases, entire schools, such as Mason-Rice Elementary in Newton, MA, have limited homework according to the “ten-minute rule.” The Raymond Park Middle School in Indianapolis has a written policy instructing teachers to “assign homework only when you feel the assignment is valuable. A night off is better than homework which serves no worthwhile purpose.” Others, such as Oak Knoll Elementary in Menlo Park, CA, are eliminating elementary school homework altogether. If these schools can do it, why can’t yours?

Many parents are the ones leading the fight against homework overload…and winning. In Danville, CA, Kerry Dickinson, a mother of two, spearheaded the effort by organizing more than 100 parents to convince the local school district to revise its homework policy. The policy still exceeds the “ten minutes per grade” rule, but it discourages weekend and holiday homework and stresses the value of family time. “Is it perfect? Not even close,” says Dickinson, who has a teaching credential herself. “But it’s progress.” You may feel more comfortable starting smaller — but that’s a great way to get the revolution brewing in your community. Aubrey King is a mom who found that teachers can be more responsive (and sympathetic) than you might think. “Normally, we have no time for after-school activities, the park, or even getting an ice cream cone,” says King, the Colorado Springs mother of a third- and a sixth-grader, as well as three younger children. But when one child’s homework interfered with the family’s preparations for Christmas, it was the last straw. King e-mailed the teacher, who promptly eliminated all assignments for the entire class until after winter break.

Another step in the right direction: Krisi Repp of Gray Summit, MO, sent each of her three children’s teachers a letter detailing her family’s already busy schedule and gently informing them that homework was interfering with sleep, exercise, dinner, church, and precious time together. “Several teachers commented ‘I never thought about that’ or ‘You’re right,’” Repp reports. “Many don’t have school-age children yet themselves. They’re not going to know any better unless we speak out.”

Joining the revolution

Fewer than 60 percent of schools have official homework policies, which means that it might be a lot more negotiable than you think. Keep your approach nonconfrontational and cooperative, and you have a good chance of success.

If your child has too much homework tonight… stop the suffering with a note. If he’s been working longer than he can bear, don’t push him further. It’ll only make him dislike homework more. Instead, write a note to the teacher on the homework, saying that Jonathan tried but couldn’t complete the assignment and that you felt it was more important that he get a good night’s sleep. There usually are no negative consequences.

If homework overload is a continuing problem… speak up. E-mail the teacher to request a meeting, and ask how long she expects her assignments to take. Compare that to the ten-minutes-per-grade-level guideline and how long it actually takes your child. Then when you meet, try not to be accusatory (“Your homework is killing my child!”) but to enlist the teacher as an ally (“Lucy can’t concentrate for more than X minutes each night. After that, she starts to hate the work, and the learning stops”). Together, perhaps you can decide that your child will tackle reading first, do only five math problems, and stop once she’s reached her limit. Another strategy: Describe a typical night for your family. This might be enough to help the teacher realize there isn’t enough time (for any kid) to finish all of the assignments.

If homework overload is a widespread problem at school… find strength in numbers. If your child is miserable, chances are other kids in his class are, too. Ask the other parents to e-mail the teacher or approach the principal with you. Sometimes that’s all it takes. If that doesn’t work, you might want to organize a homework forum at your school or speak before the school board, with the goal of establishing a reasonable homework policy. Ask parents to fill out a survey first so you have documentation of how much homework the children are doing. Click here for a sample one from The Case Against Homework. Another great site, StopHomework.com, is run by less-homework advocate Sara Bennett; it has the latest research and can give you personal advice for making change.

Nancy Kalish is the coauthor, with Sara Bennett, of The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Children and What Parents Can Do About It.

Parenting and Georgetown University has teamed up to launch Mom Congress, a brand-new program to help moms connect and advocate for positive change in their children’s education.