After Las Vegas, two of us continued on to the eye-popping Kind + Jugend show in Cologne, Germany. We were invited by Stokke to attend the show and afterwards travel to Oslo, Norway, where we toured the manufacturing facility for the Xplory stroller, and met with Peter Opsevik, designer of the Tripp Trapp chair. Stokke invited just nine retailers nationwide to participate in this journey, and Magic Beans was honored to be among them.

You can read all about both shows, as well as our adventure in Norway, on our blog, spillingthebeans.net.
   

It’s still a long way off, but we’re looking for customers and kids who are interested in providing us with some feedback as we embark on the process of designing this new space. We’re creating an advisory board and a junior advisory board, so if you (or a child you know) would like to participate, please e-mail us with your name and the city where you live. For our junior advisers, please also include the age of the child.
   

Preparation itself is a delicate business, though. On one hand, it can be tempting to surprise a child and then hope for the best, while on the other hand, many parents start preparing a child too early or too often, leading to heightened anxiety.

Books are an excellent way to foreshadow an upcoming transition, but it’s important to find one that is both relevant and positive in tone. Many books address negative feelings that a child might have, in order to help kids reconcile their emotions. Stick with books that take a lighthearted approach, but remember that kids are relieved to find their negative feelings are normal.

Some books, like those from A Budding Family, even feature blank spaces for your family’s information and photographs. But if you can’t find something that’s relevant to your situation, don’t be afraid to get your creative juices flowing. You don’t need to be an author to write a book that your kids will love, and you don’t need to be an illustrator to create drawings (or paste photographs). Just keep it simple, honest and – you guessed it – positive.

Be aware that kids often have mixed feelings about things. They may be very excited about something, but as the event draws closer, they also start to show signs of anxiety. Be prepared for these fluctuations, and help your kids understand that feelings aren’t black and white, that it’s perfectly fine to be looking forward to something and dreading it a little bit, too.

For your toddler and preschooler, don’t underestimate the power of a transitional object. Sending your child off with a beloved blankie or stuffed animal can make it a lot easier to say goodbye in the morning.

If you’re having trouble getting into the swing of the new school year, try establishing new routines for before and after school. Talk about the routines, or even make a poster together that illustrates the new schedule. Try to book some afternoon or weekend playdates with some of the new faces in your child’s class. Ask your child (or his teacher) to make some suggestions, then squelch your inner shyness and pick up the phone.

For grade school kids, knowing that their homework is done and zipped into their knapsack goes a long way towards reducing anxiety. Make homework time an important part of the schedule. Seasoned parents tell us that kids focus best if they do their work immediately after school. Establish a consistent spot for homework time that is ideally within sight of a parent (the kitchen is a great choice), and make a Homework Station bin with some cool pens and pencils and other supplies. All this helps establish good study skills right from the start. Take the time to make sure your child is staying focused and has completed all of her assignments each night. Make it a habit to pack the school bag together as soon as the work is done, making sure nothing is left behind.
   

We’re looking for tips on Trick or Treating with young kids. Do you have a favorite local street, a great approach to safety and/or sanity, or even a strategy for dealing with the sugary aftermath? We’re compiling your best ideas to share in October. Our favorite trick will win a treat – a sampler of 6 unbelievable popcorn flavors from Dale & Thomas Popcorn, shipped fresh to your door just in time for autumn.

Send your tricks to beanstalk@mbeans.com
   

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we've got pink on our minds. Pink strollers, pink diaper bags, pink dolls, pink stuffed animals. If it's pink, and you buy it, we'll give 10% of your purchase to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. In particular, take a look at the Limited Edition Pink City Series stroller from Baby Jogger. The manufacturer also donates a portion of each sale to a Virginia-based Breast Cancer organization.