3 Things You Didn't Know About the Bilingual Brain

The internet is abuzz with news of a new study published in the journal Neurology that indicates that bilingualism can delay the effects of dementia (including Alzheimer's). While other researchers have certainly drawn the same conclusion in the past, this study has the largest sample size and is certainly worth reading about! But if you're more interested in how learning a second language will impact your child's brain NOW, here are a few more fun facts about the bilingual brain and language development from some of our favorite articles around the web:

1. Children who learn multiple languages may make grammatical errors at first, but it won't last! Just as monolingual children sometimes make errors as they begin to learn the structure of a language ("I go'ed" vs. "I went"), so do bilingual or multilingual children. It's all a part of the language learning process.
2. Socio-economic status has a greater effect on vocabulary than bilingualism. Some parents fear that adding a second language to the mix will stunt their child's development in their first language, but more and more evidence indicates that multilingualism is an insignificant indicator of how a child's vocabulary will develop. Read more at the New York Times.
3. On the other hand, speaking a second language helps delay dementia regardless of education level. This new study demonstrates that even illiterate participants reaped the benefits of bilingualism, experiencing the same 5-year delay in symptoms as more formally educated participants.

Little Pim at the NJ Baby Bazaar (11/3)

Calling all New Jersey families! Come join Little Pim at the 1st annual NJ Baby Bazaar this Sunday (11/3), brought to you by Mommies247 and Jumblzar! You'll find us at the W Hotel in Hoboken (225 River St). This exclusive all-day family event will help you connect with the best new baby brands, which were hand-picked just for this event (including Little Pim, of course!). On top of all the amazing shopping, you'll have the opportunity to hear experts speak on a variety topics ranging from pediatric health to baby gear. PLUS you could turn out to be the lucky winner of one of the amazing raffles and giveaways. Oh, and did we mention that the day will be packed with entertainment for you little ones (including 30 minutes of babysitting in the "kiddie corner" so you can walk the floor and do some top-secret holiday shopping)?

What's the moral of this story? This Sunday (11/3), stop by the NJ Baby Bazaar at the W Hotel in Hoboken and say hi to your favorite panda.

For more info on the event, click here.

New for Halloween: Free Little Pim Coloring Sheet

Little Pim is in a spooky mood this week! He's all dressed up to celebrate Halloween in this coloring sheet produced by the same artist who's creating our holiday E-book (check out the full-size version here).

Happy coloring!

Little Pim Kickstarter on the Interwebs

This is it: the Little Pim Kickstarter has entered its final week and we have entered crunch time here at Little Pim HQ. We have already managed to reach 50% of our pledge goal and are absolutely over the moon about this accomplishment. Your generosity and support means the world to us. Of course, that does mean we have $6000 left to raise in... oh... 6 days. No biggie.

Lucky for us, we have an incredible army of mommy and daddy blogger friends helping to spread the word about our project and give us the boost we need, so we just wanted to give all of our blogging pals a shout out before the campaign is over.

If you'd like to help us out with a share or a feature on your blog: (1) We love you! (2) Hit us up!

...and if you haven't backed us yet, time's a-wastin'! Consider giving $19 in honor of our 19 blogger heroes! (Pro-tip: $20 gets you a fancy upgrade.)

Check Us Out...

(is your favorite blogger on the list?)

1. 3 Sons Have I
2. Adventures of Frugal Mom
3. And Then There Were 5
4. Ashley Suzanne
5. Ben Spark
6. DeDa Studios
7. Family Travels on a Budget
8. Home Grown Families
9. Lost Island of Book Reviews
10. Mama's Spot
11. Motherhood Later
12. Newly Crunchy Mama of 3
13. Nicki's Random Musings
14. Open Hands
15. Our Whiskey Lullabye
16. The Rock Father
17. Spit Up is the New Black
18. The Squishable Baby
19. That Bald Chick

7 Great New Baby & Toddler Inventions

A Julia's Corner Feature. Last week the Little Pim team attended ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas, which proved to be a smorgasboard of baby carriers, organic cotton clothes, mom-invented products, and toys and gifts of all stripes. I admit some of the products made me feel lucky that I had my babies (now 6 and 9 years old) before the explosion of baby products in the last few years. Now, there are so many brands to choose from that shopping for baby gear practically requires an excel spreadsheet and a GPS. It also seems that cloth diapers are de rigueur! (Big sigh of relief that those days are behind me.)

Here are a few of the things that caught my eye in the two football fields full of baby products at ABC Expo (click on any of the images to enlarge):

1. Baby Tooth Album

Lala and her husband invented, and got a patent on, this little roulette-inspired book for kids to keep their baby teeth. And who knows, the tooth collections may come in handy for macabre Halloween costumes in a few years' time!

Lala is raising her kids bilingual in Armenian, her first language. You can find the Baby Tooth Album at Hallmark and on their web site at babytoothalbum.com.

2. Baby Elephant Ears

We thought Little Pim's friend Lola the Elephant might be behind these Baby Elephant Ears. As it happens, this is not Lola’s creation, though we might see if they need a spokes-elephant. This cute pillow supports baby’s head while she naps. I definitely could have used one on my 5-hour flight home!

3. Chic Cups and Cutlery

Zoli Baby, created by a mom from San Francisco, has a line of beautifully designed cups, plates, bowls, and containers for the fashionable mama and her brood. I like this pink stackable canister.

4. Snowtime – Anytime!

Kids want to have a snowball fight but you live in Florida? No problem! Mother-daughter inventor team Juanita and Dianne spent two years working with manufacturers to perfect the synthetic (not cold) snowball. Your kids can go nuts and not break any teeth. I didn’t get this for my boys, because they really don’t need more encouragement to throw things at each other, but it kind of makes me want to have a snowball fight party…in June!

5. Diaper Bag Meets African Chic

Ousimine is from Nigeria and couldn’t find a diaper bag made of any fabric that came close to the vibrant patterns of Nigerian textiles. So she created House of Botori, a line of colorful bags and accessories for the multi-culti mommy. Her 4-year-old son speaks Yoruba in addition to English!

6. Pacifier on Demand

When I entered into the pacifier zone, I didn’t realize I was opening up a Pandora’s box. Out came the designer pacifiers, the sterilizers, the clippy things, the stuffed animal meets pacifier, and the carrying cases. I think today’s pacifier has more bling than the iPad. PullyPalz is a mom-run company that has upped the ante once again on the pacifier gear, combining a stuffed animal with a stroller clip to keep pacifier within reach of baby. With a PullyPal a baby as young as 6 months old can reach up and pull down the pacifier from an elastic cord. Talk about instant gratification!

7. CoughSpot

Invented by a mom who wanted to make it easier for her young children to remember to cough in their arm instead of on each other, this is a clever arm band kids wear when they have a cold. Or they can sport a temporary tattoo! Here is Denise at the show in her adorable scrubs. Look for CoughSpot in your closest drug store this winter. I personally am hoping that her next invention will be something to help my kids remember to use a tissue not their shirts!

There were thousands of products on display, so if you want more, check out what some of our mommybloggerfriends had to say. It was great to see many of the retailers who carry us at the show, and meet new store owners and entrepreneurs. There are so many women who took the leap into business for the same reason I did: they wanted to give their kids an experience they couldn’t find on the shelves and decided to just will it into being. If you are one of those moms incubating an idea right now, I salute you! And maybe I’ll see you next year at ABC Kids Expo? Bring flats.

-Julia

Bilingual Kids in the News!

Last week, our friend Ana Flores of SpanglishBaby made an appearance on NBC's Today Show to talk about raising bilingual kids and the importance of starting early. #BilingualKids swiftly became a hot topic on twitter, and we want to keep the conversation going. First, watch the video in which Ana and Columbia professor Erika Levy make the case for bilingual kids. Note, especially, how adamantly professor Levy dispels the myth that bilingual children start speaking later than monolingual children – good news for all!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

If you'd like to continue to explore the topic of bilingual kids in the news, here are two informative articles from the last two weeks.

1. This Huffington Post piece by Dr. Gail Gross delves into the effects language can have on babies before they are born. Even in the womb, babies can begin to distinguish their mothers' voices and languages!
2. And this recent article in TIME Magazine also reveals how different languages affect the way children process and analyze information. The more languages they learn how to balance, the more analytical tools they have!

Pin It to Win It with Little Pim

Yes, it's true, we're as obsessed with Pinterest as you are. We're so into Pinterest these days, in fact, that we've decided to hold our very own Pin It to Win It contest! This only runs through October 16, so enter now for your chance to win a Discovery Set in the language of your choice.

*Winner will be notified via a Pinterest comment on Saturday, October 26.

5 DIY Halloween Costumes with Global Appeal

Looking for some inspiration for your family's Halloween costumes this year? Pull out the globe and give it a spin. With a little inspiration from our great DIY globally-inspired options below, and a few accessories, your kids’ costumes will be United Nations worthy in no time.

1. Harajuku Girls, Japan -- Here’ an opportunity to open up the costume chest and go wild. Fun-loving Harajuku girls are known for their creative style of dress and love of all things kitsch --- to channel their irrepressible style into a unique Halloween costume, think layers: Start with striped knee socks, layered crinoline skirts, and a Hello Kitty tee or the like. Then add HIGH pigtails tied with bows and layer on the plastic accessories. Add some glittery makeup and you’re ready to rock the trick-or-treat block.

2. Gondolier, Italy – This is an easy and memorable costume. To start, your little gondolier will need a striped shirt and black pants, plus a round-rimmed hat (party stores often have inexpensive Styrofoam versions). Take a trip to the trim department of the craft store for thick red ribbon (about 6 inches across) for a waist sash and a thinner red ribbon to tie around the base of the hat. Then add a broom, small oar, or even a long dowel to stand in for an oar. Extra points for crooning “Amore”.

3. Frida Kahlo, Mexico – The beloved Mexican artist had a unique look that’s easy and fun to recreate. Pick up a felt mustache at the party store and stick between the eyebrows (conversely, use an eyebrow pencil to create a uni-brow). Tuck brightly colored silk, paper, or plastic flowers in a wreath around the hair. Add a fringed shawl around the shoulders and wear a peasant skirt and brightly colored shirt. Palette optional.

4. Ninja, Japan – A comfy, easy, and easily recognizable costume for boys or girls. Start with black pajamas, black sweats, karate gear, or a black fitted tee and soft pants. Take a plain black head scarf and wrap tightly around the head and covering the brows, and then another around the mouth and chin. At the craft store, purchase red masking tape and the use it to create a criss-cross pattern on lower legs and arms. Add a red sash, and you’re ready to stealthily sneak down the block.

5.French chef– Start with largest white chef hat you can find (party stores sell inexpensive paper ones you can personalize with glitter and markers to say FRANCE or the fine cuisine destination of your choice). A white chef’s coat would be perfect here, but you can improvise with a white karate top, or even long sleeve white tee and a large white apron. Tie a red kerchief tied around the neck, the use plastic measuring cups or spoons or plastic food to accessorize.  Bon appetit!

Celebrate Columbus Day with Little Pim

“In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue….” This childhood ditty is often what first comes to mind when you hear it's Columbus Day. But there’s more to the day, which became a Federal holiday in 1934, than the basic facts of the catchy song. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate Columbus’ Italian roots, and the holiday is an important part of Italian-American heritage.  Many Italian Americans festeggiare (celebrate) the day by watching or participating in a parade (New York City’s is the largest in the world), enjoying traditional Italian foods, and of course, recounting the amazing tale of Christopher Columbus’ journey to discover the New World. (Kids especially love to hear about the voyage of Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.)

It’s also a great excuse for any family to practice Italian and cook up a feast.

Get started by having kids, grandparents, parents --- anyone who’s at home --- whip up Marinara Sauce, which translates to “the sauce of the sailors” in Italian. It’s the perfect way to celebrate Columbus Day with your whole family. Have the kids help in the kitchen by adding seasonings to the pot and stirring the sauce (with adult supervision of course). Mangia! (Eat up!)

COLUMBUS DAY MARINARA SAUCE

1. In a large pot, sauté one chopped onion in three tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic, ½ a teaspoon of dried oregano and ½ a teaspoon of dried basil. Cook until garlic softens, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add 1 large can of diced tomatoes (29 oz) and 1 large can of tomato puree (29 oz), season with salt and pepper and 2 tablespoon of sugar. Stir frequently while sauce comes to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
3. Serve over any pasta shape you like best.

(adapted from Around The World Cookbook by Abigail Johnson Dodge)

Allons Chanter! French Sing Along at the Brooklyn Library

Come one, come all to Little Pim's latest French Sing Along at the Brooklyn Library! On Saturday, October 5th, from 1-1:45pm, join Little Pim and friends for a French Sing Along at The Brooklyn Central Public Library! This free activity will be fun for French-speaking and non-French-speaking families alike. Your kids will be able to sing, dance, and shake maracas along to some of their favorite French Bop songs... and maybe even learn some new ones!

Singers and guitarists will be leading the performance of French Little Pim songs. Your kids will love the singing and dancing, and will learn some French too! We look forward to seeing you there!

Address: 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238 (Easily accessible to the 2 and 3 trains)