Mary Manz Simon's Blog, page 23

Instant gratification nation

How patiently is your child waiting for Christmas?

We can hardly complain about antsy kids when we consider how

impatient we are.

Our tech obsession has led to an increased sense of impatience. How long would you wait for takeout? When ordering a ride from an app, how long would you wait?

Christmas is almost here. That’s one less thing for which to wait!

Healthy moves

If you’re headed south for the holidays, don’t bother searching store shelves for a “low-protection” sunscreen.

Some stores, including CVS, have stopped selling sunscreens with a SPF lower than 15. The Food and Drug Administration says oils at such levels don’t prevent cancer.

Other stores appeal to health conscious families by moving candy from the high impulse check out lane or placing snacks on high shelves, above the reach of children.

Stores can move the junk food, but wherever the chips go, kids (and some parents!) will find it.

Social media stars

Although many of us will bake holiday treats based on family favorites and traditional recipes, I wonder how many Christmas dishes will be made because they are “Instagram-ready?”

Junior chefs, the youngest foodies in our families, have embraced fancy baking and crazy desserts that look good online.

If the Christmas treats actually taste good, too, that’s a bonus.

The expanding House of Mouse

If you’re joining two of our grandsons at Disney World during the holidays, you’re guaranteed to have lots of company.

At Hollywood Studios, look for Minnie and Mickey’s Runaway Railway, the first ever Mickey-themed ride-through attraction. Or, wait until next year when Toy Story Land will open in the same park.

Updates (Epcot), new experiences (Tron-themed attraction at Walt Disney World Resort), new ships (three more boats by 2023) and new lands (at Disneyland Park in Anaheim and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando) are included in expansion plans.

A winning gift

Looking for a gift for a hard-to-please tween or teen?

Look no farther than an iPhone case. A perfume-shaped or popsicle-shaped case or wallet is easy to drop into the stocking hanging on the mantel.

And the laptop skins and sleeves available this season feature designs and art we could have never imagined just a few years ago.

Junior chefs

Many of us bake holiday treats from recipes handed down through family and friends.

However, junior chefs, who have grown up watching cooking videos, tend to be more visual and intuitive.

Instead of following step by step instructions, some young chefs don’t rely heavily on written recipes. Instead, many of these hobbyists look at a wordless image online and let creativity rule.

I challenge, them though, to try that with a meringue!

Digital couponing

Let your child go couponing to earn some extra holiday cash.

Hand your child the phone and various items on your “maybe” shopping list. Invite him to scan the store app to see which have coupon offers. When your child finds products with a discount, give him the saved cash at checkout.

Empowered

The launch of fashion dolls and role play accessories inspired by WWE female stars has helped to skew the holiday season toward empowered female characters

The 12″ dolls and action figures join Nella the Princess Knight who has a sword and the heroine in Disney’s Elena of Avalor with her magical scepter.

Raising readers

As both an educator and author, I hope that during the Christmas season we continue to see an increasing demand for children’s books.

Many attribute the trend toward the Harry Potter books.

Although J.K. Rowling showed that children will read fantasy, lengthy books and titles with a long, overarching story arc, we’ve seen a continuing surge in all types of children’s publishing.

I’ve always believed it was more important to give a child the right book than a new toy. That’s still true.

A shift in shopping?

Will holiday gift giving reflect the trend toward giving experiences instead of products?

Some parents who are concerned about raising materialistic children make conscious decisions to limit the number of toys and outfits they buy. They still shop, as I can verify after finding my way through the crowded Lego aisle at Target.

But it will be interesting to see if things like toy and clothing subscription services and online resale shops see sales bumps during the holidays.