Below you will find resources that mothers in our group have found helpful. They include books, fun places to let the kids burn off a little energy and interesting links.

If you want to speak to someone in the group that has followed a certain method, a great way to start is on the Yahoo Forum - ask the group for advice and you'll always get lots in return! We are happy to share what has worked and what has NOT, from sleep methods to potty training and more. You can connect with moms who have been there and done that!

If you need more personal, direct help, or can offer advice and a shoulder, join our Mom2Mom Mentor Program by contacting us at wsmoms@gmail.com. We can pair you with a mom with a similar situation!

Files at the Yahoo Forum

  • Mom's Resource Guide -- tried and true local vendors and services! Look for it under the Files section, Mom's Recommend.
    If you have a local vendor you'd like to recommend email us at wsmoms@gmail.com.
  • Mom's Recall Guide -- products that have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission - click here to link!
    You'll also find instructions on how to get on the CPSC's email notification list!

Hot Topics

What is a Hot Topic?
Its a new forum that links you to sites with ideas and help! Link to the website for tips and information. Hot Topic for November 2008:

Traveling with Kids

We all know that Thanksgiving is the busiest flying weekend of the year - here are some sites with tips on how to make it with the kids!

Flying with Kids
Click here.
Flying with Toddlers
Click here.
Air Travel with Babies & Toddlers
Click here.
Toddler Air Travel
Click here.

If you've seen a website with info you think can be helpful to multiples parents, send it to us to list at wsmom@gmail.com. If there's a subject you're interested in, let us know that, too!
You'll find these links at the Yahoo Forum under "Links!"

Books

  • Emotionally Healthy Twins
    A New Philosophy for Parenting Two Unique Children
    by Dr. Joan Friedman
    Wondering how you're going to deal with the "twin mystique" that your children will engender? Do you even know what that means? Here's a resource from a mom of twins who is herself an identical twin and who counsels twins and their families from mentally preparing for your "children with the same birth dates" when you're pregnant, through all the tough years and on through young adulthood. This book has thought-provoking ideas and perspectives from a twin's point of view, and advice on how to make sure your children are themselves first, then a multiple.

  • Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense
    by Ellyn Satter
    Is highly recommended and reinforces that we are the providers of food for our children, but we can't force them to eat!
    Also by Ellen Satter:
    How to Get Your Kids to Eat, But Not Too Much!

  • Secrets of the Baby Whisperer
    by Tracy Hogg
    This book teaches parents how to calm, connect and communicate with their baby. This book focuses on gently helping a baby fall into a natural schedule making your and their days a bit easier. This book was a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

  • On Becoming Baby Wise
    by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam
    This is another excellent reference guide to helping babies synchronize their feedings, waketime and night time sleep cycles. Again, the approach is gentle and natural. Many of us have used this book with great success.

  • Siblings Without Rivalry
    by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
    This excellent book helps parents teach children how to interact in positive ways and helps parents avoid pitfalls of comparing children. This book was a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

  • Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep
    by Dr. William Sears
    Nighttime Parenting was written to make that job easier and to help the whole family sleep better. It helps parents understand why babies sleep differently than adults, and offers solutions to nighttime problems.

  • The No Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
    by Elizabeth Pantley
    There are two schools of thought for encouraging babies to sleep through the night: the hotly debated cry it out," or the grin-and-bear-it solution of getting up from dusk to dawn as often as necessary.This offers clearly explained, step-by-step ideas that steer your little ones toward a good night's sleep--all with no crying.

  • Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
    by Dr. Marc Wiessbluth
    Many moms have recommended this book as guide to helping mothers teach their babies how to get to sleep by themselves and develope good sleep habits. It offers age appropriate sleep cycles and suggestions of napping routines. Case stories are discussed that really illustrate how the method works. This also teaches parents how vital healthy sleep patterns are for babies.

  • A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting
    by Hara Estroff Marano
    Is your cell phone the "new umbilical cord?" Does your child carry you in their pocket, always knowing that you will be there to fix or help them avoid failures? Marano argues that this "hothouse parenting" is leading us to a nation of wimps! See what you can do to raise independent young adults who learn from, rather than avoid, failures.

Is there a book you'd like to recommend? Send us an email at wsmoms@gmail.com with your suggestions!

Get Out and Play!

If you live in or around Oak Park, you know there are a lot of parks to enjoy during the good weather. Here are a few nearby parks for a change of pace!

Outdoor Venues

  • North Riverside Commons
    2400 South Desplaines, North Riverside
    Located behind the police and fire stations, this baby, toddler and adult park has a great gazebo for picnics, a duck pond, tennis courts and lots of room to play.
  • Spray Park
    16th Street at Wesley, Berwyn
    In addition to soft surface playground areas for both little tikes and older kids, this park boasts a wading water park with a tiny slide, fountains and sprayers. Babies must wear swim diapers!

It's always a challenge entertaining the kids when the weather is rainy, too hot or too cold! Here are some venues the WSMOMs enjoyed!

Indoor Venues

  • Ridgeland Commons Indoor Playground
    At the corner of Ridgeland and Lake street, this is a great indoor spot for the smaller ones, under 5 is probably the best, to climb around. It's $2.00 per child and you can spend the whole day there. Downside - lots of steps to get to the play area which is on the 2nd floor, with twins, one in a Snugli and the other in the carseat works!
    Their website.
  • Monkey Island
    2100 North 15th Avenue, Melrose Park
    Better for the older kids (over 5). They say they're the largest indoor playground in Chicago! Its filled with moon bouncers and climbing areas to work off those cabin fevers!
    Their website.
  • Go Bananas!
    4516 North Harlem, Norridge
    Another jumping, climbing venue, but add a few indoor roller coasters, carnival rides and an arcade to the mix! Better for the over 3 crowd!
    Their website.
  • Berwyn Recreation Center
    Gunderson at 31st Street, Berwyn
    Their website.
  • Garfield Park Conservatory
    300 North Central Park, Chicago
    Children's gardens, classes, fun kid's activities and a beautiful setting to remind you of spring on frigid Chicago winter days - and great to visit in the summer too!
    Their website.
  • Oak Park Conservatory
    615 Garfield, Oak Park
    A little slice of nature in your own backyard - the kids will love the giant koy and the amazing cacti!
    Their website.
  • River Forest Community Center
    8020 Madison, River Forest
    RFCC has a smaller climbing area for littler kids and open gym for the older kids!
    Their website.
  • LaGrange Park District Recreation Center
    536 East Avenue, LaGrange
    This location is a blast with an gigantic actual outdoor playground set indoors on soft rubber matting, open basketball gyms for the older kids!
    Their website
  • Parenthesis
    405 S. Euclid, Oak Park
    Parenthesis is a local resource of services for families. Three days a week they have a morning drop-off. Your kids play in age-appropriate rooms while you go down the hall for a few hours of respite. Call for their nominal costs and days available.
    Their website
  • Wonder Works Children's Musuem
    6445 W. North Avenue, Oak Park
    This location is also better for the littler crowd, under 5-ers, with lots of unstructured play areas, including blocks, puzzles, climbing, water exhibits, an art room and more. It is a small venue, so its easy to sit and watch the kids play!
    Their website.
  • DuPage Children's Museum
    301 North Washington, Naperville
    More for the over 5 crowd, this larger-than-life, hands-on experiential museum gets kids wondering about science, nature and more. Tough to keep an eye on more than one child here, there are so many things to see!
    Their website.
  • Kohl's Children's Museum
    2100 North Patriot Blvd, Glenview
    Another great experiential environment for the kids. So much to see you'll need to go back several times, but again, its a big location, and hard to watch more than one child at a time!
    Their website.
FYI - If you become a member of any of the above 3 museums at their slightly higher member rate, you get into all of them (and more throughout the USA) for free!

Do you have a venue you just love? Contact us at wsmoms@gmail.com with your suggestions!

Safety Recalls

Do you wonder if you have any recalled products in your home? Check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission's websites at these links for safety's sake!

For children's and infant's products:
Click on this link.
For toys:
 Click on this link.
To register to be on the CPSC's email newsletter list:
Click on this link.

More Links

Here are more links to websites that might be helpful. WSMOMs is not affiliated with any of these sites, and their views are not necessarily the views of West Suburban Mothers of Multiples.

  • Center for the Study of Multiple Birth
    Their website.
  • Household Hints for Parents of Multiples
    Their website.