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Black Friday 2019 Deals That Parents Won’t Want To Miss Out On

Prepare your wallets and holiday shopping lists because Black Friday is right around the corner! The day after Thanksgiving marks the start of the Christmas shopping season, and for good reason! Hundreds of retailers hold their biggest sales at this time of year. And consumers say that the deals are just too good to pass up on.

This year Black Friday falls on November 29th, but some retailers have already gotten a head start, which means sales are happening as we speak! So, if you’re on the hunt for toys, furniture, clothes, electronics, and more, bookmark this page NOW! We’ve rounded up a list of the Black Friday Deals – both online and in-store – you won’t want to miss out on this year!

Happy shopping! What deals are you eyeing this holiday season? Let us know in the comments!

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Get a FREE Car Pass to the Magic of Lights Holiday Drive-Thru Show

Magic of Lights Giveaway
Check out Magic of Lights at PNC Bank Arts Center this Holiday season

It’s time for a holiday giveaway! The amazing Magic of Lights Drive-Through Holiday Light Experience show is back at PNC Bank Arts Center starting on November 22 and goes thru January 4.

And all of us here at Greatstart would like to wish you an awesome start to the festive season by giving you a chance to win a free car pass. You can also get early bird pricing on tickets by using the code MRSCLAUS at checkout for $3 off tickets online.

Magic of Lights Giveaway

Enter to Win a Car Pass
It’s FREE to enter our holiday giveaway. Just do the following (you must subscribe to the newsletter to win):

  1. Subscribe to our Newsletter. Check the right side of this article or on any articles on our blog. You’ll see a “Subscribe to Newsletter” section. Fill that one out and click Subscribe. That’s it! (Already a subscriber? Nothing else to do here!)
  2. Complete this form so we have the right contact info to use if you win. (We won’t share this info)

Deadline to enter is November 30th. We will announce the winners on December 2. Greatstart will contact the winners via email and confirm they can pickup the car pass at either our South Plainfield or Franklin Park facilities.

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How Screen Time Can Affect Your Preschooler’s Brain Development

Living in a digital age, there has been an ongoing debate on when and if parents should be exposing their children to the world of electronics. From tablets to smartphones to even television, the tech list goes on and on. Of course, as parents, we only want to provide what’s best for our children. So how does screen time affect a child’s brain development?

The first five years of a child’s life are the most crucial time for the development of the brain. Early experiences impact brain development and influence the way in which the circuits of the brain become wired. A new MRI study found that children between the ages of 3-5 who used screens for more than the one hour a day recommendation without parental involvement had lower levels of development in the brain’s white matter. White matter is the area of the brain responsible for the development of language, literacy, and cognitive skills. 

Because of this, the World Health Organization has established new guidelines for children’s screen time. They suggest that children between the ages of 2-4 should have no more than one hour of screen time while children under the age of 1 should have no screen time at all. It is not the use of electronics itself that causes this “brain damage” but rather the amount of time a child spends on the screen.

There are a wide variety of early activities that can be implemented to positively impact a child’s brain development. Some of these include, but are not limited to:

  • Reading to kick starts language and communication skills
  • Arts and crafts to practice fine motor skills
  • Getting kids involved in activities they can assist you with such as cooking or gardening
  • Interactive play to spark imagination and creativity
  • Exploring the outdoors by going on a walk or hike

As caregivers, it is important that we show our children the value of problem-solving skills and social skills early on in life to enhance their development. We’d love to hear what activities you do in your own home to replace screen time!