HELPING KIDS DEAL WITH THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

A conversation with Doctor Tim Jordan MD 

My kids have been stuck at home for six weeks now since Michigan's schools were shutdown due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. They are starting to get antsy and have been expressing some anxiety over this public health emergency. I'm sure this dad blogger's family is not alone in that aspect!

Obviously it is tough enough for adults to get a grasp on what is going on around us that parents have to be conscious of how children are being impacted by the social distancing imposed upon them. After my daughter had a bit of a melt down the other day, a conversation with my wife really got me thinking about the impact this pandemic is having on our kids.  She reminded me that when we were kids we never experienced anything like this where school was cancelled, you couldn't play with friends or travel anywhere for an extended period of time. I guess the closest similarity was if you were unlucky enough to have caught chicken pox and were quarantined at home for a couple of weeks.

So I thought it might be insightful and helpful to reach out to a health care professional to delve into the impact the pandemic is having on our kids. Doctor Tim Jordan MD, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician whose practices focuses on counseling children, teens and young adults spent some time talking with ageekdaddy.com about how to help children deal with our current (but hopefully temporary) reality. He provided useful tips on ways to help kids manage anxiety and stay emotionally strong during this pandemic. I've shared our chat below and hope you find it beneficial:



Dr. Jordan has also recently released a new book, She Leads: A Practical Guide to Raising Girls Who Advocate, Influence and Lead. As a girl dad myself, with an 11 year old in 5th Grade, I want to make sure she feels empowered to live her best life. Wanting that and knowing how to parent her towards that goal are two different things. Doctor Tim's book provides a parenting handbook for moms and dads to help raise girls to become empowered women. She Leads: A Practical Guide to Raising Girls Who Advocate, Influence and Lead can be purchased at drtimjordan.com.

I hope everyone is doing well during these uncertain times. Stay Healthy! Stay Safe!

CRAZY CART SHIFT

Thanks to RAZOR for sending ageekdaddy.com a CRAZY CART SHIFT to try out.

My son has been pretty bummed out about not being able to play with his friends because of the social distancing requirements put in place combating the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. His spirits really brightened up though when this CRAZY CART SHIFT battery powered go kart was delivered to our doorstep courtesy of RAZOR. These go karts are specifically designed to spin and swerve around to give riders between the ages of 6 and 14 years old a thrill. Once it arrived he couldn't wait to take the CRAZY CART SHIFT out for a spin.

I've been taking my son and daughter over to a nearby elementary school to ride their RAZOR electric scooters that Santa brought them for Christmas and play around with this new CRAZY CART SHIFT we just received. The teachers' parking lot is in a secluded spot behind the building making for a nice place to have fun while staying away from other people during the school coronavirus shutdown. My kids have so much fun they want to go out there everyday whether it is sunny or cloudy outside.

Controlling the go-kart with a combination of steering wheel motions while accelerating and decelerating allows riders to drift which creates a variety of exciting skidding action. The CRAZY CART SHIFT utilizes a simplified drift system which automatically engages allowing riders to keep both hands on the wheel while focusing on steering and throttle control, just like professional drivers racing around a track!

Kids can turn a parking lot into their very own skid pad like the hot rods drift on at Roadkill Nights. Just with a little bit less horsepower. CRAZY CART SHIFT has a maximum speed of 8 mph and is recommended for ages 6 and up. So you don't need a driver's license to take a CRAZY CART SHIFT for a ride. Though the skills learned driving this go-kart could lead to a kid one day being one of the pro drivers who took this dad blogger for a spin at Dodge's Roadkill Nights event that takes place around the annual Woodward Dream Cruise here in Michigan.



A speed control switch hidden under the seat allows parents to select the appropriate maximum speed for a rider: 2.5 mph for young drivers or 8 mph for the full CRAZY CART SHIFT experience. Tweens like my son and daughter can have a blast at the regular setting while it is recommended riders between the age of 6 and 8 stick with the slower speed being locked in with the control switch.

Because the switch is hidden parents don't even need to tell kids their CRAZY CART SHIFT can go faster until they are ready. Because you know any child that realizes their go kart has a faster speed setting is going to constantly beg you to up the speed. Note the 8 mph speed setting is default so if you want to start off with the young driver mode that needs to be manually done when you first take the CRAZY CART SHIFT out of its box. Because my kids are older and have some experience riding Razor electric scooters they just took off from the get go in fast mode.

The CRAZY CART SHIFT is powered by Razor’s patented Power Core™ hub motor technology – a maintenance-free drivetrain system that is both powerful and efficient. Plus it has a durable frame constructed of a new high-impact polymer which makes the go kart both sturdy and lightweight. Your family will get a lot of use out of this toy without having to worry about maintenance and repairs. Plus it has a durable frame constructed of a new high-impact polymer which makes the go kart both sturdy and lightweight.

I was impressed that there is no assembly required when it comes to the CRAZY CART SHIFT. Pulled it out of the box, charged the battery and it was ready to go! For a first use the battery needs to be charged a full 12 hours. After that it takes a couple of hours to get a recharge. You just plug it into a regular wall outlet to power up. In regular mode the CRAZY CART SHIFT will give you 40 minutes of uninterrupted fun per charge and 80 minutes in little kid mode.

Because of the joy CRAZY CART SHIFT has brought to my family as well as that we've had a problem free experience this RAZOR toy absolutely gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval. It provides an easy to use thrilling experience that is sure to delight any kid. With my children out of school due to the pandemic I haven't wanted them sitting around the house playing video games and watching television all day. Problem solved with the CRAZY CART SHIFT! They've been wanting to go outside everyday to play with this Razor toy.



Can't get to an amusement park? Bring a thrill ride home to you with a CRAZY CART SHIFT from RAZOR. For more information go to razor.com

PANDEMIC DANCE PARTY GIVEAWAY

Cooped up in the house with kids? Break up the monotony with a kindie rock dance party! Kindie rock melds themes that are relatable to children under 10 but played in musical styles that adults can appreciate. Have some family fun rocking out the pandemic by showing off your best dance moves and singing along to three of America's most popular kindie rock artists. This music is great because it is both entertaining and educational!

Alastair Moock, José-Luis Orozco, and Danny Weinkauf have donated a copy of their newest albums to ageekdaddy.com to help spread some cheer to a family during these troubled times. One randomly selected winner will receive the albums Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders, Muévete! Songs for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body, and Dinosaurs & Metaphors. The winner can choose to receive either compact discs or digital downloads of the albums from this dad blogger. This prize pack has a $30 value.

Alastair Moock: Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders

To honor the power of youth to make positive change, Grammy-nominated Boston songwriter Alastair Moock will release a rootsy and inclusive album. Be a Pain is a rallying cry for young (and old) leaders in these turbulent times. It looks to the heroes of our past (Dr. King, Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King, Pete Seeger, Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X) and our present (Malala Yousafzai, the Parkland student protestors, climate change marchers) to inspire our kids to move the ball forward. Guests include Sol y Canto, Reggie Harris and Rani Arbo.

Tune into Facebook Live for free performances by Alastair Mock during the pandemic school shutdown.

José-Luis Orozco: Muévete! Songs for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body

This album of 18 bilingual tracks (9 in English, 9 in Spanish) promotes fitness for children ages 1 to 7. It is the perfect complement to Orozco's Grammy-nominated Smithsonian Folkways album, ¡Come Bien! Eat Right!, which promotes good eating habits and offers a complete picture of healthy living for young children.

Danny Weinkauf: Dinosaurs & Metaphors

Grammy Award-winning artist and longtime bassist for They Might Be Giants Danny Weinkauf is back with his 5th album for children and families, Dinosaurs and Metaphors. The album takes listeners through the day with plenty of imagination, humor and clever wordplay. I just have to say I am a huge fan of They Might Be Giants and it has been a pleasure to carryover that connection with Danny Weinkauf to his kindie rock music that I've been able to enjoy with my children as they've grown up.



Themes of the 15 original songs in Dinosaurs and Metaphors run the gamut of everyday life, from the joy of a lazy Saturday morning to a celebration of Monday. Kids who are enduring a haircut or the hiccups or even bugs on the toilet will find comedic relief here, and they’ll laugh along at the offbeat language lessons of “Your Love Is a Metaphor” or the idea of “Dinosaurs on Roller skates.” The album finishes with a raucous and affirmative rock anthem, “Superstar.”

For a chance to win this three album prize pack just complete the Rafflecopter entries below before 11:59pm ET on April 19, 2020. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate in this promotion. One winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway