'Naughty Leopard' Costume for Toddlers Has Parents Freaking Out Over Nothing

dinsdag 24 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Michele Zipp 2 hours ago

When I heard about this Naughty Leopard Costume for toddlers, I thought for sure I was going to see a skin-tight leopard body suit with some chicken cutlets sewn in where the boobs should be. Something very "naughty" or risque and totally inappropriate for a little girl to wear on Halloween. Instead I saw this cute little girl (featured) in what looked more like a goth princess costume, and if it wasn't for the ears, I wouldn't have identified her as a little girl dressed up as a leopard of the naughty (or any other) variety.

The packaging the costume comes in reads "Naughty Leopard" and I sure don't want my daughter to be a "naughty leopard" (said with that stress you put on naughty when describing something sexual). But the costume isn't "slutty" or suggestive and I think people are getting really riled up over a word.

And then I thought more about the word naughty.

Have you ever watched Peppa Pig? They use the word naughty all the time! I guess some people think it should be bleeped. We're just so used to the word naughty being something sexual that we forget it also means "disobedient" and "badly behaved." Something nearly every child is going to be after they eat too much of their Halloween candy. So technically there will be Naughty Pumpkins, Naughty Cinderellas, Naughty Dinosaurs, and I'll have my very own Naughty Ariel and Naughty Spider-Man to deal with.

Naughty can mean different things depending on context. Just like the word pussy can. We say pussy cat with no issue. But you all know the other ways it can be said with a totally different meaning.

What exactly does a "Naughty Leopard" do, anyway? Hunts down other kids and steals their Halloween candy, perhaps. A leopard, by nature, is kind of naughty. It's not like it was a nurse costume and it was called "Naughty Nurse" and sold in toddler sizes. Then I'd have a problem ... maybe ... if there was a vinyl mini skirt involved.

There are some very crazy Halloween kid costumes out there, but this one is not one of them. Stop thinking with such a naughty, I mean dirty mind.

What do you think of the "Naughty Leopard" costume? Since the word "naughty" was just on the packaging, do you think it's really something we should be upset about?

Image via Walmart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michele Zipp

loves vintage and will defend skinny jeans to the death though she is highly superstitious and "death" is probably a bad word choice. She has a touch of the hoarding disease and enjoys sleuthing, the worst reality shows, and wearing high heels, even at the playground. She's an AP mom of twins, slightly crunchy but with a pedicure.

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6 Cool Games That Will Boost Your Toddler's Language Skills

donderdag 1 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 4 hours ago

Every child develops language skills at a different pace. Some toddlers are more outspoken while others are especially quiet. Either way, we all want to promote children's speech development, and thankfully, it's possible to do so in fun, interesting, and engaging ways.

Here, six cool games and activities that have the extra benefit of boosting your toddler's speech and language skills ...

Make a scrapbook. Head out to the zoo or a playground, and take photos you'll print out later. Then, along with your child, create a construction-paper scrapbook to remember the day. Help him or her sequence the pictures in order (“What did we do first?”) and tell you about each picture. Ask them "wh-" questions (e.g. “Where did we go?” or “Who went to the zoo?”). Then, encourage your child to share their book with family and friends! Have a scavenger hunt. Encourage your little one to explore with a fun impromptu or pre-planned hunt. If you're grocery shopping, you can decide to search for foods that are a specific color -- or hunt for objects of one shape around the house. You can help your toddler by gathering three objects and asking her to choose which matches, e.g., "Which object is red? Which object is a circle?"Tell a story from photos. Gather up pictures of family members, friends, pets, etc. Then, retell what happened in the photo or make up a new story with your toddler.Go on a labeling spree. Type, print, and cut out individual words; then use blue painter's tape (which allows for easy removal) to adhere them to objects, like your refrigerator, closet, windows, etc. According to ChildcareLounge.com, labeling teaches children how everything has a set of common symbols to be written down and identified. If your child is old enough to recognize letters, ask her what letter "lamp" begins with and ask them to find the label that starts with "L." If they are still too young, point out different letters on the labels to help introduce them to the words. By reinforcing the concept daily and over time, your little one will be able to identify the words on their own.Create/do an obstacle course. Dream up three to five tasks, i.e., “walk like a bear around the tree” or “hop like a bunny to the fence.” To reinforce the language aspect, you can write each one down, maybe alongside a correlating photo or drawing. Then, have your child tell others about their obstacle course. Use the written or pictured steps to help them organize their thoughts as they recap the activity.  Play telephone. Play with a toy telephone (or use a block as a pretend one) to get your little one chatting away. You can pretend to talk to Grandpa, or a babysitter, or a favorite TV or book character, then pass the phone to your child and encourage him to chat too.

What fun activity do you like to do with your toddler that promotes speech and language?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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