We recently moved, and I was quite nervous to go through the process with an autistic child. Routine, structure, repetition are all things he craves. Change is something he avoids so change is something I try to avoid. I can’t think of a bigger change for a 4 year old than moving! A lot of […]
Moving Tips With Special Needs Kids Read More »
There came a time in my life when I realized that as a mom of boys, I had to learn how to act, think and play like a boy. My husband has sort of taken on the reins in this department, and for a while, I was totally fine with that decision. With typical rough-and-tough
Time to Play: Girls Can Play Boys Games, Too! Read More »
My experience mothering my first child, a girl, was very nearly the quintessential experience I’d envisioned- from the moment they tucked her little red tuft of newborn hair under a pink infant cap, swathed her in a baby blanket and placed her on my chest. Granted I’d just been through hours of agonizing back labor,
Time to Play: Lessons I’ve Learned From My 7 Year Old Read More »
I was a girl of the 70’s & 80’s. An era where people were limited to the phones in their homes, and they weren’t at all smart. Those brightly colored, push button plastic contraptions were usually connected to the wall by long spirally leashes and had no voice mail, fun little apps, or texting. If you
Time to Play: Disconnect to Reconnect Read More »
There are toys for kids of every age: newborns, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary school age and onward. Mechanisms that enhance coordination, motivate speech, educate and encourage creativity and imagination. Kids need to play. Playing helps kids grow, mature, learn and process. But what about new babies? Whether you are a first time parent or seasoned, it’s often
Time to Play: 9 Things to Do With Your Newborn Read More »
My husband and I were JUST talking about this last week. As kids, we both had to complete chores. I think chores are important for children and here is why. Children need to feel as though they’re part of something. They can’t feel that way if they don’t have chores and make contributions to the
Time to Play: Does Your Child Help With Chores? Read More »
School is out, and summer has arrived. This year, my oldest daughter is going away for weeklong camp, and to say that I’m nervous is an understatement. Preparation is key to getting your child and yourself ready for this exciting adventure. Here’s my top 10 tips on sending your child away to camp. Make sure
Tips on Sending Kids to Camp Read More »
It’s the night before Kindergarten Orientation. Yes, in May. It snuck up on me. It’s not that I didn’t have the date highlighted in hot pink or anything…I did. It’s just that when you’ve spent almost 5 years glued to a certain little girl, you don’t exactly believe the date will ever arrive. She’s never
Surviving Kindergarten Orientation Read More »
It’s the weekend and if the first thing out of your mouth isn’t, “Who wants pancakes for breakfast?” but rather, “Who’s up for Spring Cleaning?,” chances are you’ll see the family scatter faster than ants at the end of a picnic. So here are three ways to get your kids involved in Spring Cleaning without
Three Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Fun for Kids Read More »
When you become a parent, you worry about a lot of things – their health, safety and happiness. But there is only one thing that stresses me out on a daily basis …. making dinner! For some reason the thought of making dinner for my very picky eaters raises my blood pressure every day. And
Take the Stress Out of Planning Dinner Read More »
Your kids are going to be playing with more electronics. There I said it, let’s just get that out in the open. Remember the original iPhone commercials where they mentioned pretty much any activity and then said “yeah, they make an app for that too.” Flash forward to 2012 and now you can pretty much
5 Ways to Feel Less Guilty About Your Child’s Screen Time Read More »
It’s a common story during the winter months. One or more or all of the kiddies are sick, and movie after movie is making even the most enthusiastic TV lover restless. On days like these, I like to rotate some quiet activities into the mix. With a box of tissues nearby and some soft music
Quiet Activities for Sick Days Read More »
As my kids get older, I’m learning that where the grown-ups were once in control setting rules, now virtually any situation can occasion high-level negotiations. Even when it comes to rules we think we have established, we can still be surprised. However, there are times when the grown up must turn dictator, especially when the
As a parent there are so many times where you get stymied by the day to day issues that you have to do that it becomes hard at times to take time out of that schedule to be able to simply be present in the lives of our children. With that in mind I wanted
5 Things to Do When You Don’t Know What To Do Read More »
When you were young and kid-free, you could go to eat at just about any restaurant. Fine dining? No problem! Local dive bar? Even better! Chain restaurant with a kids eat free night? Um, pass. Then you have your own kids and think, “I can still go to that swanky new restaurant! Just because other
How to Stay Sane While Out to Eat with Kids. Read More »
Lots of toys these days give some form of response that’s intended to be positive reinforcement for the play experience. For instance, the toy lights up or makes sounds when kids get the answer correct, or the toy makes an animal noise when they put the right piece in the puzzle. It’s been proven over
Parents v. Positive Reinforcement Toys Read More »
There are many times when a toy will specifically say for ages 8 & up and a younger child will ask for it. I’m guilty of letting my kids play with things geared for older kids, I also let them play with things that they are considered too old for. I feel the ages are
Age Recommendations on Toys, Do you pay attention? Read More »
My daughter’s First Grade class is learning about the neighborhood we live in via short field trips to local businesses and public spaces. Each of these excursions requires several chaperones. A 1:3 grown up to kid ratio, in fact. So my husband and I signed up: He got a scavenger hunt in the park; I
To Chaperone, or Not to Chaperone Read More »
I laughed out loud when I read the piece in the New York Times about the movement to “restore play.”
Why Parents Should Heed The “Restore Play” Movement Read More »
My friend and fellow blogger Lenore Skeanzy, whose wonderful blog is Free Range Kids, has been quoting Mark Twain on the risks of riding trains in 1871. It’s fascinating and entertaining reading.
When I would crash my bike or fall out of a tree, which happened a lot as I was a really active kid, my parents’ admonition was always, “shake it off.” (Not that I didn’t get proper medical attention when broken bones and concussions were involved.) I learned to do that, and later, coaches would admonish me to “walk it off” if I got the wind knocked out of me playing sports. It’s great advice. I learned that my spirit was stronger than any injury, and I learned how to avoid that horrible epithet—”cry baby.”
Laugh It Off – Why Humor Matters Read More »
