California Reminds Parents to Count Young Children in the 2020 Census

The main purpose of the 2020 Census is to ensure that every person in the United States is counted once, only once, and in the right place. The 2020 Census will be the first to rely heavily on online responses, and will happen on April 1, 2020. California wants parents to make sure to include their babies, toddlers, and young children in the 2020 Census count. California state officials and advocates are trying to spread the word about the 2020 Census through preschools, doctor’s offices and community centers to count the youngest state residents – infants and children who are under … Continue reading →

Preschooler Locks iPad for 48 Years

Does your iPad require a password to use it? This might be enough to keep your preschooler from being able to play with it. Unfortunately, there’s a chance your kid will tap too much and lock you out of your device. Evan Osnos is a staff writer for The New Yorker. On April 6, 2019, he posted a tweet that likely caught the attention of fellow parents (and also of people who are tech savvy). The tweet said: “Uh, this looks fake, but, alas, it’s our iPad today after 3-year-old tried (repeatedly) to unlock. Ideas? The tweet includes a photo of … Continue reading →

Pre-K Proms are a Thing Now

It is no longer unusual for schools to hold a kindergarten, or pre-kindergarten, graduation. Some feel that this small ceremony encourages children to believe that they can and will graduate from high school. The newest trend is for schools to hold “Pre-K proms”. Understandably, parents have mixed feelings about this. A prom is usually something that is for high school students. Teenagers (or their parents) spend a lot of money on tickets to the prom, the nice clothing the teen will wear to the prom, and perhaps some extras like dinner at a fancy restaurant or a limo to get … Continue reading →

Prepping for Preschool

The countdown to the new school year is on. Most kids head back to class right after Labor Day; however, the back-to-school prep is already well underway in most households, especially in families that have first time students. The transition from home to school can be a huge challenge for preschoolers. One solution to reduce the anxiety associated with a new environment and schedule is to cover some basic lessons at home. For example, you might introduce a “letter of the day” lesson leading up to the start of school. Repetition plays a big role in a preschooler’s world, so … Continue reading →

Sharing Feelings with Puppets

Do you have a child who is a reluctant talker? Do you just know that something is bothering him, but you cannot get him to open up to you? Some children are cautious about sharing their feelings. Depending on the personality of the child he or she just may be quiet when they are bothered by something. On the other hand, some children may act out when they feel troubled about something. If you can get them to talk to you about it you can then begin to solve the problem. If they hold it inside then it is likely … Continue reading →

Is Preschool a Waste of Money?

My daughter never went to preschool. Since I work from home, the decision was made that she would participate in a homeschool program for kindergarteners and enroll in various extra-curricular classes, including soccer, music and cooking, three days a week. Plus, her dad thinks preschool is nothing but “glorified daycare,” so that nailed the coffin shut on that subject. Not surprisingly (to me, anyway) there are many parents who share the philosophy. Only most of them don’t go the litigation route to prove their point. But some do. Case in point: New York mom Nicole Imprescia. The wealthy Manhattan mom … Continue reading →

Simple Celebration

Easter is right around the corner, but for some families, so is graduation. Preschool graduation takes place at the end of April at the small Catholic school my daughter attends. Unfortunately, the occasion is not marked with a ton of pomp and circumstance. Rather, the school leaves the celebrating for the parents to handle at home. The school has the same rules for kindergarten. Last year, when my daughter completed half-day kindergarten, it was up to me to come up with a way to celebrate her accomplishment. We had a small party with family and friends. Nothing over the top; … Continue reading →

Does Abstinence Only Education Equal More Teen Pregnancies?

According the Guttmacher Institute, a research facility tied to Planned Parenthood, pregnancy among girls aged 15 to 19 rose 3% in 2005 and 2006. This is the first increase since 1990 as pregnancy rates among teen girls dropped 35% between 1991 and 2005. There is a claim that abstinence education is to blame. “Heather Boonstra, a policy analyst with the Guttmacher Institute, was quick to politicize the findings, calling the upward trend “deeply troubling” and claiming that the results coincided “with an increase in rigid abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, which received major funding boosts under the Bush administration.” As far as my … Continue reading →

Does Your Child Ride the Bus to School?

My baby starts kindergarten in a couple weeks, and up until last week I knew exactly how she was getting there. We live a mere 3.5 miles from my daughter’s school. That’s walking distance in our world. Plus, it’s not all up hill, and she wouldn’t be trudging through snow barefoot to get there. Still, because of logistical factors the decision to drive her in the family car was made and that was that… until last week. That’s when we received a postcard from the bus company detailing when and where our kindergartener should stand if she wanted a free … Continue reading →

Do You Let Your Child Run Around Naked in Public?

As much of the nation bakes in the hot, sticky summer heat many youngsters have found a simple way to cool off—-strip! This revealing rite of passage was the subject of a recent article in the New York Times. The tongue-in-cheek piece addressed the appropriateness of children running around naked in public places. It also asked, “How much nakedness is too much?” and questioned why seeing a streaking tot is something that raises eyebrows. I smirked numerous times while reading the article because not 24 hours prior I allowed my own preschooler to run around naked at our neighborhood pool. … Continue reading →