We have a zoo in our city. It is not a big zoo by any means, but it does have more than enough animals to entertain a toddler. I am not a particular fan of animals; I remember going to this same zoo as a child and being scared to death especially by the goats in the petting part of the zoo. The cost of admission to this zoo is more than a movie ticket (something my husband and I never spend money on). Thanks to my very generous in-laws, we have a year long family pass to the zoo … Continue reading →

Every once in a while, a few times a month, I try to schedule a time for my son (and daughter) to get together with other children their age. Most often our play dates are with their cousins (brother and sister) the boy is ten months older than my son and the girl is four weeks older than my daughter (who is only three months old). Every few months I plan a play date with one of my long time friends, who has three boys. Recently, I was able to plan a play date with a mom that I met … Continue reading →

When I was pregnant with my second child, my husband and I had some concerns about how our son would handle sharing his time with us with his new baby sister. After hearing numerous horror stories about sibling rivalry, I wanted to find some ways to put aside some special time for just me and my son. I did not want him to feel like he was being replaced or that we loved his little sister more than we loved him. In many ways his baby sister has more needs that require immediate and consuming attention. Once his baby sister … Continue reading →

Toddlers express excitement at the sight of a Christmas tree. Little ones look at this for the first time with eyes filled with wonder that see lights and a physical tree they can touch and break. We do not want the family tradition of putting up the tree to turn into a disaster by having the tree destroyed or worse your child getting hurt. Establish the Tree is for Looking: Not allowing the child to touch the tree will simply cause the child to want to touch it more. So, allow your child to touch it gently with just a … Continue reading →

My poor baby has the flu. Thank goodness he is not throwing up, or I’d be in big trouble. I am just dreading the day that happens. I imagine this awful scene where I am covered in vomit and I don’t know how to respond. Although, judging by all the poo incidents around here lately, I’m beginning to think that puke would not be as big of a deal as I have previously thought. Still, it’s not fun to watch your little one suffer from a fever, chills and body aches. Our son is normally a tornado, whipping through the … Continue reading →

Recently I have noticed that my son has been acting a little more picky at meal time. Often if he does not want something, he will insist on pushing it out of his reach. He will also throw it on the floor, flick it off his plate, or offer it to my husband or me to eat instead. Some of the foods are new and I understand why he would not like them, but other foods are past favorites and I am baffled by the fact that he has decided to reject them out of the blue! Sometimes we are … Continue reading →

As your little one discovers more and more foods, he will also begin to develop preferences for certain foods over others. I remember boasting that my son would eat any vegetable placed before him. Well, I can’t brag about that anymore. Half of the veggies placed before him end up on the floor unless they are smothered in red sauce… which brings me to my topic for the day: how do you get your toddler to eat healthy? Rule #1: Provide a variety. One of the easiest ways to get your baby or toddler to taste and eat a variety … Continue reading →