Having a playground in your backyard is an excellent way to encourage an active lifestyle for your kids. Unfortunately, most parents are not well-versed in playground safety, and serious injuries can occur when children fall off backyard playgrounds or try to jump from their swings. In fact, the National Program for Playground Safety estimates that […]
Category: Preschool
Just when you’ve got the sleep routines and potty training down, a whole new set of challenges (and delights!) emerge during the preschool years. You’re in luck because here you’ll find articles, videos and events from finding the right preschool for your family, to effective ways to deal with different temperaments, preparing for a new sibling, developmental milestones, dealing with picky eaters, and more!
How to Get Your Kids In The Kitchen
You’ve heard it before – get your kids in the kitchen. But it doesn’t always sound as appealing when you think about the extra time and mess that it may create for you. So, here are tips for how to actually include your little ones in the kitchen in a productive way that both you […]
Do Your Kids Need to be Good to Get a Gift?
I’m a little torn. I know everyone does it, but is it good to use gifts as an incentive? It is the holiday season and I hear people saying, “You need to be good to get a gift. Be on your best behavior.” Is this ok? Whenever I hear phrases like that, I do cringe […]
Passionate Music Makers: Does Your Baby Like Music Class?
You know music is great for your child, but why? And how do you know the class is worth the money? What should you expect? I’ve been an early childhood music teacher for fifteen years, and I’ve seen many children reveal passion for music from infancy. A child is born a musical creature, but no […]
Speaking With Children About Frightening News
Last Friday night, my husband and I boarded an overnight flight to London. We used to live there for many years (our older son was actually born there and has duel citizenship), and we were headed back to visit with friends and some of the teachers I used to teach with there. By the time […]
The Early Bird Catches . . . Flak: Why Does My Little One Wake So Early?
There is a prevailing feeling that some children are just natural early risers. There is some truth to that. Some children do generally wake earlier than others, but there’s early and then there’s early. It might surprise you to know that as a sleep consultant and as a parent, I feel that any waking before […]
Potty Training Advice for Every Stage: Teleclass Re-cap
Knowledge is power! So last week, we held a fun and informative teleclass in partnership with Happy Family and DeeandDoo. Dr. Lynne Kenney expertly walked us through how to take the stress out of potty training with fun filled facts and activities. Dr. Kenney covered such topics as the ideal age to potty train, the use […]
Homemade Food Makes a House a Home
As a writer on a parenting blog, I’m what you might call a sleeper candidate. My children like to joke that I’m a “slug mom” – as in, the opposite of the infamous “Tiger Mom” type. My laissez-faire parenting attitude springs from a cocktail that’s one part nostalgia for my casual Midwestern 1970’s childhood, one […]