How would your child like his or her own DVD from Santa? Children’s Presents is offering a personalized, seven minute long Santa DVD featuring your child’s name spoken prominently in the video. The video teaches kids a moral lesson as Santa’s elves compete in a talent contest. It also comes with a personalized DVD case. This special gift is just $19.95 at Santa-DVD.com. But remember, you must order by December 15 to guarantee Christmas delivery!

In my experience, potty training isn’t something you can bribe your child into. I’ve tried, of course, but even a gorgeous set of furniture for her doll house wasn’t enough to get my then almost three year old motivated. Then, out of the blue, it was done. That said, there are some ways to stack the deck in your favor, and books and DVDs are one of them. Once Upon a Potty is the series that I had for my oldest daughter, who was much less resistant. The illustrations are fun, and the video is simple and to the point. A cute stuffed doll is also now available. It won’t miraculously train the child who like my daughter, expresses a preference for diapers (I can’t tell you how many times we heard “I want to change it!”), but it certainly promotes awareness of the body and pottying. You can pick up these products at OneStepAhead.com. The book retails for $6.95; the DVD for $16.95; and the doll is $19.95.

Any woman who’s given birth to at least one baby knows how hard it can be to get those pregnancy pounds off. But who has time for long, involved exercise programs? Fitness and nutrition expert Lindsay Brin has the perfect solution: a DVD fitness program divided into stages of pregnancy and postpartum. Her Moms Into Fitness Complete Pregnancy Fitness Program keeps Mom fit from the first trimester all the way through post-delivery. The first three trimester programs including cardio, toning, and yoga, and the postpartum program features shorter, 10 and 5 minute workout sessions, so busy moms can fit some exercise time into their day. The entire program of 4 DVDs is available for $69.99, or you can buy each individual DVD for $19.99 each, at MomsIntoFitness.com.

The title alone makes me want to buy this dvd on potty training - and my kids are in college. “Potty  Training in One Day” sounds too good to be true. But from the product description, it sounds like they have a lot of good ideas and suggestions for preparing your child for potty training. I think I missed that step and just went right into, “Here’s the potty, there’s your seat.” I can see where spending time to determine if your child is ready for training and going through the pre-training exercises included on this DVD would be very helpful and perhaps less stressful during potty-training.

You can purchase this item at inchbug.com where it is priced at $17.99.

Sight words are commonly used in preschool and kindergarten to help children learn to read. This DVD takes the concept a step further.  The Dolch Sight Words DVD, Parts 1 & 2, shows over 200 words that are commonly learned in kindergarten through third grade. The words are presented over stimulating visual images with a rhythmic beat, designed to enhance a child’s learning of the words.

It seems to me that good old flash cards would have the same effect, but maybe not. If your child is struggling to learn to read, this might be the answer. It is also an idea for those with precocious toddlers and preschoolers who seem to pick up words quickly. This would be a great way to build their vocabulary even further.

The Dolch Sight Words DVD, Parts 1 & 2 sells as a set at Amazon.com for $19.95.

I like the Berenstain Bears for my son because the books and DVDs teach valuable lessons. The show isn’t boring for me either, which is nice, with its cute characters and catchy tunes. Some kids’ shows are very dull or even annoying for adults and it’s always nice to find programs the whole family can take pleasure in. A humble family with great morals, the Berenstain Bears are always learning a lesson or finding a way out of a jam, something most people can appreciate, as we find ourselves in need of good solutions to life’s little kafuffles.

The Bears Mind Their Manners is great for children, especially those who are preschool aged and getting out into the world, interacting with adults and other kids more and more. Teach your children some manners, and maybe brush up on your own, with this DVD from FamilyChristian.com for $9.97.

I always have the best of intentions when it comes to videotaping my kids.  I dutifully record school events, milestones, holidays, etc. If I’m on the ball, I finalize the DVDs on my camcorder.  Unfortunately, that is where it ends.  DVD after DVD just sits in the camera case.  I can’t even remember the last time we watched something that we had recorded.

The people at Pixability offer a unique video editing services to solve this problem.  The company provides you with a safe box to ship them the tapes or DVDs from your camcorder, their professional editors work their magic, and you receive a custom-made DVD, which you can preview online before it is finalized and shipped.  Not only does this solve your organizational problem, but it also makes a great gift, for the holidays, family events, or any other time you want to share your memories.

Currently, the company is offering a special promotion for their video editing services.  For $139, you receive your custom-edited DVD, plus 2 additional copies that you can give as gifts.  You can initiate the process, read testimonials, and view samples at pixability.com.

Potty training your child can be a monumental task. Sometimes it seems that he or she will never be out of diapers. In my quest for easier ways to potty train my son when he was of age, I chose the No More Diapers DVD by Consumervision. The DVD comes with stickers and is also linked to a website, where you can download coloring pages and a Potty Diploma.

No More Diapers is a cute story about a little bear’s trials and tribulations in using the potty, but I don’t know how much it really influenced my child’s readiness for toilet training. It’s loaded with songs that are cute, except for one I really didn’t like, in which the little bear sings about how much he likes his diapers. My son started singing this song after watching the DVD, and I thought, great, this idea totally backfired.

The part that did work were the stickers and the diploma, which you can actually do on your own without the DVD. It’s easy to make up your own potty training chart and reward certificate on the computer. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this DVD as a potty training aid.  If you are desparate for help in potty training your son or daughter, however, you can purchase it for $9.99 at Amazon.com and see for yourself.

The most primal instinct with babies is touch. It’s the first way that babies respond to their world and to the important people in their world.

Parenting Magazine, June 2005, described the Baby Tata DVD as follows: “Soothing touches based on the Indian tradition of parent-child bonding through massage, some giggle-inducing play, and karaoke all come together in a wonderfully produced program starring one friendly masseuse and lots of babies.”

I think it’s a helpful and healthy way to spend time bonding with your baby. The DVD gives you the option of doing a full length 22 minute workout or a quick 10 minute session. If you’ve ever wanted to learn massage, this is a good way start. The baby massage routines are presented by certified Infant Massage Instructor, Monica Doshi LMT, CIMI, NCMIT, who takes you through the Baby Tata routines by demonstrating the basics of infant massage, play, and exercise. This sounds like a great family activity–get everyone involved!

The Baby Tata Infant Massage, Exercise and Play DVD is recommended for babies between the ages of 6 weeks and 18 months. There is also vegetable-based Baby Massage Oil available at the Web site (sold separately).

You can purchase this DVD for $19.95 at StyleBell.com.

I’m going to buy my 50-pack of these disk protectors for every disk in our house. It’s not just children who can be careless with with cd’s or dvd’s - they’re just the ones with an excuse!

The d_skin Protective Disk Skins really make sense for all your children’s favorite movies, video game disks, and musical cd’s that they use every day.  These “skins” fit over the disk and there’s no need to remove them: lasers read right through the film.

You can purchase them for $49.95 (pack of 50) at OneStepAhead.com.

Some men really want to be involved in the new baby experience but maybe they don’t know how to ask? Or what to ask? Well, it’s not just about changing diapers anymore. This 126 minute DVD covers topics from: “What you need to know about feeding, crying, sleeping and diapers” to “Making sense of your changing emotions and unexpected anxieties and fears.”

As experienced or as new moms, we tend to neglect our men.  With all the preparations and celebrations being pretty much oriented toward us, it’s easy to do. It might even be a good idea for you and your man to find time to watch this DVD together, alone. It would probably be a lot of fun, maybe even romantic.

Anyway, give your guy the time and attention he deserves and needs during this important and special time in your lives. It will be time well spent. Price: $19.95 at bambininbliss.com.

My friend recently had a baby and was given these as a gift. The woman who gave them to her leads a mothers group and said that they are the hottest item in the group at the moment. What makes these different from other swaddle blankets on the market is that they are made of 100% cotton muslin. They become softer with each washing and breathe easily. They are also larger than most other blankets at 44” x 44” – this allows you to swaddle even large babies, while the stretch fabric provides a snug swaddle. Another nice aspect of this blanket is that it comes with a DVD that explains how to use the blanket. The DVD is narrated by baby expert Corky Harvey. The blankets come in sets of three, and there are lots of cute prints to choose from. You can buy a set for $42 at lunalullaby.com.

This is a truly amazing product. I don’t get very excited over children’s toys often, but sometimes you find one that is truly ingenious and that’s why I have to share it with you. I believe that as a baby is growing, it’s important for them to learn to associate one thing with another…cause and effect. That’s exactly what the DVD MagIQ does. You put on the DVD and give your child the doll (a.k.a Active Pal) that came with it. Then, as things happen to the matching character on the screen, the Active Pal reacts, causing the baby to react to the visual stimuli set before her. When you order, you’ll get one of three different animals, the corresponding DVD, and a bonus audio CD that features the soundtrack. I’m not normally one to just stick my kids in front of the TV, but with DVD MagIQ, I feel good that my children are learning while they watch. These doll/DVD/CD packages are available in 2 age appropriate versions: 3-12 months and 12-36 months. You can check it out at www.babyscholars.com. They go for $54.95.