It’s no secret that Pokémon Go is the most popular game since Candy Crush, Farmville or Angry Birds. Seems like everywhere you go someone is playing it. Here in New York City, it’s not as if the sidewalks weren’t crowded enough to begin with, people are already on their phones not paying attention to […]
The Common Sense Guide to Pokémon Go, Kids and Safety Read More »
What was your favorite toy as a child? If your children were asked to choose their favorite toy, what would be on the list? Photographer Gabriele Galimberti posed this very question to children around the world. He took a photo of each child as they posed with their favorites. Children from wealthier families living in
Kids Just Wanna Have Fun! Read More »
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 »
Visiting Santa in a busy mall with waits of an hour and music blasting, only to have the kids climb up on the same lap hundreds, if not thousands, kids have already sat on that week can be stressful. Now, consider taking a child with special needs into that situation, and the stress that naturally
Visiting Santa with a Special Needs Kid 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 know it seems like school just started and you’re starting to think about that perfect Halloween pumpkin. The toy biz, though, is already in full holiday mode. If you’ve been in a store recently, you’ll see expanded space for toys, new items everywhere and the buzz starting to build for what’s going to be
Here Come the Hot Toys! Read More »
The end of summer is upon us but the temperatures are still warm. Water toys are a great way to get some sensory play in while still having fun and cooling down. The next three toys are great for a variety of therapeutic needs. Water toys are always my son’s favorites, and the following toys
Special Needs Water Fun Read More »
Going to school is a big transition for any child. Throw in special needs concerns, and you potentially have a whole new set of struggles. My son is 4 this year, and as of now, he will be going to 2 different preschools. One on Tuesday and Thursday with therapists and special ed teachers and
Time to Play Special Needs Back to School Read More »
Looking around my cluttered house, it seems that my kids have plenty of choices for things to play with. However, that doesn’t stop them from uttering that age-old childhood complaint… “Mom…we’re BORED!” Typically when I hear those words, I run through our latest toys. Nope, they are not interested in those today. After that doesn’t work, I
Time to Play: Homemade Fun 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 »
My children have this knack for knowing the exact moment my thoughts have come into focus. Since becoming a mom, I’m not going to lie, I walk around in a hazy fog about 90% of the time. In fact, I think it’s incredibly likely that my mommy brain is significantly worse now that my kids are a
The Best Job Ever Read More »
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a get down on the floor and play kind of mom. I love spending time with my five year old daughter, but you probably will not see me playing Barbies anytime soon. Also, being a work from home mom, sometimes I get lost in work, while she
Making Time to Play with Your Kids 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 »
