Whatever your spring holiday tradition, Easter baskets, Passover or celebrating the Vernal Equinox, for families in transition, it can be a time when tensions run high, patience runs low, and the appetite for creating a perfect holiday may exceed the ability to produce an emotionally balanced meal that suits everyone’s tastes. Holidays conjure up the […]
Parenting Tips
Put The Happy Into Your Mothers Day: Ideas To Keep You Positive And Centered As A Mom
With Mothers’ Day fast approaching, and with it the prospect of receiving another adorable round of glitter-covered picture frames and half-raw pancakes, it may be time to reflect on what mothers really need. Most moms readily declare that more sleep would be a singularly precious gift, or perhaps the metaphysical power to halt time! Yet, […]
Peaceful Parenting: Workshop Re-Cap
In case you missed it, Mommybites Bergen hosted one of its signature in-person events last week, which brought moms together for lunch, socializing and important parenting information. The Peaceful Parenting event featured expert Dr. Kevin Brennan, Clinical Psychologist and Parent Coach, and focused on how to remove frustration and anger from the tough job of […]
Reducing Test-Taking Anxiety
The Situation Today With New York State tests just around the corner, hearing children in your life complaining about their fears or frustrations around writing short answers and extended responses, explaining their answers, or the “stupid Common Core”, may be frequent. As a tutor in Manhattan to several third, fourth, and fifth grade public school […]
The Do’s and Don’ts of Parent-to-Parent Sensitivity
Parenting can be a rocky road. Sure, there are moments of rapturous joy – the first time your kid rides a bike, or skis down a hill, or performs in a dance recital, or remembers to put her clothes in the hamper – but there are also painful, difficult, heartbreaking spells, too, when your children […]
Play is Critical to Healthy Brain Development
How do young children learn? The unanimous answer is that they learn by playing. Child Development specialists such as Vivian Gussin Paley, Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget all support that children need to play for the healthy development of their brains. While children are playing with hands-on-material or toys, this helps them to learn. The […]
The Best Way To Take A Kid-Free Mini Break
This time of year, many families are embarking on getaways. These can take many forms. My personal favorite is to leave the kids with Grandma and head off somewhere – anywhere – without them. But this is not always feasible for a variety of reasons, and traveling with kids can be, let’s face it, hell. […]
Spring Fling – Peaceful Vacationing for Divorced Families
Spring break conjures up visions of fun in the sun and a carefree break from school. For divorced or divorcing families and for blended families, long breaks from the school year routine can create a unique set of challenges. Whether you are traveling or having a ‘stay-cation’, sorting out plans and transitions can be exhausting […]
Beauty Beware: The Truth Revealed
Count how many things you put on your skin every day. Now, can you tell me what’s in them? Chances are, you have no idea. Well, neither did I, until a friend told me to read Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the Campaign […]
How To Help Your Adolescent Through A Relationship Breakup
This is a part of life that your adolescent may need help to navigate. It is important for your adolescent to understand that breaking up may be nobody’s fault. It can be hard, but sometimes it might be the best thing for two people to make the decision that they cannot grow anymore in the […]