I received the book for free in exchange for my honest review. I bought the Parking Pal magnet a few months ago and thought I'd share my experience with that as well.
Oh my goodness, this is definitely one of my favorite child related safety products. I have both of these items and they help more than you know. When I first received the Parking Pal Alphamagnet, my toddler was automatically drawn to it with the letters and colorful design. Once I explained to her how the magnet is placed on the car for her protection and my sanity, I wasn't sure how much would sink in. I simply explained that it's a safe spot for her to wait near and hold her hand to if she wanted.
I explained to her that sometimes cars come by so fast on the side of the road and in parking lots that they don't always see kids and they can accidentally run into her and it wouldn't be good if that happened. I explained that if she stood where the magnet is, then she is out of most harms way and I can see her while I'm loading the car or waiting for it to cool while I get her seat ready. She has been great with it from DAY 1!! I was impressed, relieved, and just overall happy. This thing works!! My daughter likes it and is actually following through with it.
In fact, one day we were in a hurry and there was no need for her to wait on the outside of the car, I just lifted her up and put her in the car. This little girl screamed and cried because she did not get to touch her Parking Pal. So, I had to take her back out so she can touch her Parking Pal for a minute and I could tell her it was safe to let go to get into the car. It was like the world was coming to an end. It's a big part of her and she feels big and responsible using it. I am happy that she is so into it and it is one little extra safety measure I can take with my family. This is wonderful.
I love that they have other designs to choose from, too. I will be purchasing another one for our other car. I believe everyone should have one. It does get really hot in the Summer time and it kind of hurts to touch it, so we just stand near it if its been out in the heat. I've read that some people will take the magnet off and put it in their diaper bag and put it on the car when you get to it... You can also do this when out shopping or somewhere that you are afraid it might get stolen. I haven't had any issues, luckily. I don't carry a diaper bag around much anymore, so I just leave it on the car.
We recently received the "Cars are Big and I Am Small" book for free in exchange for our honest review. My daughter is already aware of the dangers in the parking lot and road, but I thought this would be a nice follow up for her. She stops at every intersection and holds our hand and looks both ways. Sometimes we hold her hand and proceed to cross with out looking (not often) but if hubby and I are in the middle of a conversation it happens. She will shout "No cars coming! Looked both ways" lol. So at least she is on top of it. I am happy and proud of my little girl. She will be 3 in August.
This book is a great reinforcer and simple to the point. It's a great reminder that you should never play in front of/behind/near any cars and they may not always see you. It lets children know that it's important that they stay clear from even parked cars because you never know when they are going to move. It explains how unsafe parking lots are and you should always hold the hand of your Mommy. The book is very repetitive. My daughter is drawn to it and wants me to read it to her often. I even found her sitting on the couch reading it to herself the other day and the words coming out of her mouth were her own but they were the summary of the book. I knew then that she had understood what the book was telling her. It is great because having the Parking Pal magnet first helped with the awareness and now the book is just an extension of that and we can use it to talk about car/street/parking lot safety when we aren't out around our car or on the go. One thing I would change about this book is some of the wording. It focuses on child and Mommy. But I thought, where is Daddy?! Shouldn't my child know to hold the hand of her Daddy's too? Why is it geared only to Mom specific? In the future I want to see an updated version of this book geared toward Moms and Dads (or a trusted adult), not just Moms.
The illustrations are cute and easy to look at and understand what's going on. I don't always read the words in the book. Sometimes we just flip through the pictures and discuss what we see and what we should do in that situation.
I definitely Recommend Parking Pal to anyone who has children because it's a great addition to any safety precautions that you already take.
If you are interested in learning more about Parking Pal, you may visit their website at www.parkingpalmagnet.com
There you can find their wonderful selection of Parking Pal magnets, Penalty Pals (for a time out area), Emergency contact list, and the book that teaches your child about safety around cars and in the parking lot.
I would love to eventually try the Penalty Pal also, but that's a whole new topic.
You may also connect with Parking Pal on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.
Comment Below: Which Parking Pal would you choose? Who would it be for?
Oh my goodness, this is definitely one of my favorite child related safety products. I have both of these items and they help more than you know. When I first received the Parking Pal Alphamagnet, my toddler was automatically drawn to it with the letters and colorful design. Once I explained to her how the magnet is placed on the car for her protection and my sanity, I wasn't sure how much would sink in. I simply explained that it's a safe spot for her to wait near and hold her hand to if she wanted.
I explained to her that sometimes cars come by so fast on the side of the road and in parking lots that they don't always see kids and they can accidentally run into her and it wouldn't be good if that happened. I explained that if she stood where the magnet is, then she is out of most harms way and I can see her while I'm loading the car or waiting for it to cool while I get her seat ready. She has been great with it from DAY 1!! I was impressed, relieved, and just overall happy. This thing works!! My daughter likes it and is actually following through with it.
In fact, one day we were in a hurry and there was no need for her to wait on the outside of the car, I just lifted her up and put her in the car. This little girl screamed and cried because she did not get to touch her Parking Pal. So, I had to take her back out so she can touch her Parking Pal for a minute and I could tell her it was safe to let go to get into the car. It was like the world was coming to an end. It's a big part of her and she feels big and responsible using it. I am happy that she is so into it and it is one little extra safety measure I can take with my family. This is wonderful.
I love that they have other designs to choose from, too. I will be purchasing another one for our other car. I believe everyone should have one. It does get really hot in the Summer time and it kind of hurts to touch it, so we just stand near it if its been out in the heat. I've read that some people will take the magnet off and put it in their diaper bag and put it on the car when you get to it... You can also do this when out shopping or somewhere that you are afraid it might get stolen. I haven't had any issues, luckily. I don't carry a diaper bag around much anymore, so I just leave it on the car.
We recently received the "Cars are Big and I Am Small" book for free in exchange for our honest review. My daughter is already aware of the dangers in the parking lot and road, but I thought this would be a nice follow up for her. She stops at every intersection and holds our hand and looks both ways. Sometimes we hold her hand and proceed to cross with out looking (not often) but if hubby and I are in the middle of a conversation it happens. She will shout "No cars coming! Looked both ways" lol. So at least she is on top of it. I am happy and proud of my little girl. She will be 3 in August.
This book is a great reinforcer and simple to the point. It's a great reminder that you should never play in front of/behind/near any cars and they may not always see you. It lets children know that it's important that they stay clear from even parked cars because you never know when they are going to move. It explains how unsafe parking lots are and you should always hold the hand of your Mommy. The book is very repetitive. My daughter is drawn to it and wants me to read it to her often. I even found her sitting on the couch reading it to herself the other day and the words coming out of her mouth were her own but they were the summary of the book. I knew then that she had understood what the book was telling her. It is great because having the Parking Pal magnet first helped with the awareness and now the book is just an extension of that and we can use it to talk about car/street/parking lot safety when we aren't out around our car or on the go. One thing I would change about this book is some of the wording. It focuses on child and Mommy. But I thought, where is Daddy?! Shouldn't my child know to hold the hand of her Daddy's too? Why is it geared only to Mom specific? In the future I want to see an updated version of this book geared toward Moms and Dads (or a trusted adult), not just Moms.
The illustrations are cute and easy to look at and understand what's going on. I don't always read the words in the book. Sometimes we just flip through the pictures and discuss what we see and what we should do in that situation.
I definitely Recommend Parking Pal to anyone who has children because it's a great addition to any safety precautions that you already take.
If you are interested in learning more about Parking Pal, you may visit their website at www.parkingpalmagnet.com
There you can find their wonderful selection of Parking Pal magnets, Penalty Pals (for a time out area), Emergency contact list, and the book that teaches your child about safety around cars and in the parking lot.
I would love to eventually try the Penalty Pal also, but that's a whole new topic.
You may also connect with Parking Pal on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.
Comment Below: Which Parking Pal would you choose? Who would it be for?