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Big names come to 'Jack's Big Music Show'

By MIMI ANDELMAN
Published January 22, 2007

Daily Show host Jon Stewart, above, guest-stars in an upcoming episode of Jack's Big Music Show on Feb. 2. In "Groundhog Day," the comedian plays Groundhog News Network reporter Brunk Stinegrouber. The episode premieres at noon Feb. 2 in a simulcast on Noggin and Nick Jr. Jack's Big Music Show regularly airs at 1 p.m. weekdays and at noon on weekends. The Noggin series is all about children's music, featuring videos and in-studio performances by popular children's musicians.

Sounding the smoke alarm

About 45-million adult Americans smoke. Smoking-related illnesses kill more than 400,000 people annually. If you're thinking about quitting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Legacy Foundation suggest you think about this:

- About 23 percent of high school students and 8 percent of middle school kids smoke cigarettes. More than 4.5-million kids smoke regularly.

- Every day, about 3,900 kids ages 12 to 17 try their first cigarette.

- The risk of lung cancer is increased when you start smoking young.

- In a one-year study, 95 percent of kids saw tobacco use in movie previews shown on TV. Kids ages 12 to 17 saw an average of 111 such ads. Talk to your kids when you see such depictions, reinforcing that it's an unhealthy habit.

John and Mary need not apply

The parenting Web site BabyCenter.com compiles an annual list of top children's names from more than 350,000 members. It combines names with the same pronunciation but different spellings, such as No. 1, Aiden/Aidan, to give what it says is a more accurate view of popularity. Here's what we came up with in 2006:

Top girls' names      Top boys' names

1. Emma (1)          1. Aiden (1)

2. Madison (3)       2. Jacob (2)

3. Ava (10)            3. Ethan (3)

4. Emily (2)               4. Ryan (6)

5. Isabella (6)        5. Matthew (5)

The Social Security administration also has a fun site to look up the most popular baby names by year, state and other breakdowns. Go to www.ssa.gov and search "baby names."

An appetizing approach to eating

That finicky grownup eater in your house was likely a picky toddler. How to turn your youngsters into adventurous eaters with a taste for nutrition? Some ideas:

- Offer toddlers a variety of foods. Reintroduce a small amount every few months.

- Many kids won't touch cooked vegetables but enjoy them raw. Add a dip - peanut butter works for both fruits and veggies. Asparagus dipped in ketchup works in our house.

- Identify a few healthy foods your child will eat, and live with those. Willingness to eat one fruit or one vegetable is a start.

Need help setting your agenda?

That well-planned work/family schedule a shambles, is it? It's not too late to make sense of the school-soccer-piano-homework- dinner-bath (did I go to work somewhere in there?) routine. Some suggestions for organizers/planners that can be purchased online: MomAgenda: Stylish, colorful, professional and rather pricey, some of these planners offer a daily calendar with space for schedules for mom and up to four children, inspirational quotes, Web resources, telephone numbers and pages for vacation and party planning, favorite books, restaurants and wines. From $40 for a miniagenda to the full-sized crocodile, $90 (www.momagenda.com). WhoMi: This compact planner, once featured on Oprah, includes separate monthly and weekly calendars. The weekly calendars offer space for mom's schedule and those of up to three children, color-coded to catch a quick look at one child's schedule versus another's. $27.95 (www.mywhomi.com). The Family Planner 2006- 2007: A large binder to jot down helpful information. There's space to write the names and phone numbers of your child's friends. Each weekly calendar contains a Things to Do checkoff list, and Things to Buy and Calls to Make section. Laminated cover helps keep it clean. $19.95 (www.thefamily planner.com).

[Last modified January 21, 2007, 22:27:23]