Bad Economy + Tooth Fairy = Unhappy Kids

How much money does the Tooth Fairy leave at your house? My brothers and I used to get 25 cents per tooth, but in the decades since our teeth fell out it appears the Tooth Fairy has adjusted her rates and is now paying out a pretty penny (in the form of 5 and 10 dollar bills) for baby teeth. Evidently, the days when the Tooth Fairy could get away with leaving a couple coins and a pack of Trident gum are long gone. Our neighbor’s 6-year-old son ran over to our home yesterday flashing a new toothless grin and … Continue reading →

Dora the Explorer is Getting a Makeover: What’s a Parent to do?

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It’s an overused phrase, but rather fitting in regards to the latest announcement by the creators of “Dora the Explorer,” who insist it’s time to give the famous cartoon character a makeover. Fueled by the popularity of older rivals such as Disney’s phenomenonally successful “Hannah Montana” and racier entries into the toy market like Bratz dolls, executives at Nickelodeon (the children’s TV network that airs the adorable Spanish speaking nina) are reportedly in talks to re-design some Dora-themed toys and merchandise to make the character more feminine. According to new reports, Nickelodeon executives … Continue reading →

A Mother’s View from the Pool: Why are you Wearing Crocs in the Water?

There’s a fierce debate going on in cyberspace regarding whether “fashionable” people should be wearing Crocs—those plastic clog-like shoes that come in an array of bright colors—in public. I’ll leave that bitter battle to others. However, the popular footwear does play prominently in observations I’ve made this summer as a mom frequenting our local aquatic center. As I mentioned in my previous blog my 4-year-old daughter is learning to swim, thus we have spent quite a bit of time at our community pool in the last 12 weeks. In that time I’ve had the opportunity to view interesting parenting techniques. … Continue reading →

The Terrible Twos Might not Wait for the Second Birthday

It happens to just about every parent—it seems that overnight your cute, acquiescent, adorable and bubbly baby turns into an independent monster overnight shouting “No!” and “Mine!” at every interval. Alas, you may be expecting the arrival of the terrible twos but surprised to find that they don’t always wait until after the second birthday… I think that parents of the newly verbal, vocal, and opinionated toddler need to hear that they have done their job! Congratulations are in order if your child is starting to assert her independence and has learned how to make her wishes, wants, and needs … Continue reading →

A Child Discovers the Power of the Word “No”

For many parents, it can be quite disturbing when their two year-old discovers the word “No”—she says it with such gritty determination. She soon says it all the time, whether she really wants what is being offered or not. My second daughter learned to say the word “No” and then came up with her first “sentence” at the same time: “My do it.” Her determination to be both independent and in control of her life was amazing and exhausting. While she had been somewhat stubborn from birth, when she started to master language, she could be downright contrary. Why does … Continue reading →

The 3-4-year Old and Irrational Fears

It can come as a big surprise to parents of gregarious babies and toddlers when they suddenly develop intense, unpredictable and seemingly irrational fears. Usually, somewhere around the age of three or so, many children start to get fearful of things they hadn’t noticed before and for a parent, it can seem to come out of nowhere. They might suddenly be afraid of taking a bath for fear of going down the drain, they might start having nightmares of being afraid of ghosts, or something might happen in their every-day life that gets magnified into a big fear. What can … Continue reading →

Those Early Temper Tantrums

When someone laments about the “terrible twos” or those trying toddler years, they are usually referring to temper tantrums. Somewhere around a year old or 18 months, otherwise sweet and bubbly children can start to throw temper tantrums. Is there anything at all that can be done to minimize those early temper tantrums or at least learn to cope? Young children have tantrums for all sorts of reasons–they are frustrated at not being able to communicate and get what they want, they are tired, sick, trying to figuring out where they stand in the world and how they can make … Continue reading →

Are They Really “Unreasonable” Fears?

Somewhere around two years old or so, many children seem to suddenly develop what we parents think are “unreasonable” fears. A happy-go-lucky child will suddenly cry every time mom or dad leaves his sight, a favored stuffed animal or toy will become scary, or other strange and unnamed fears will pop up. As parents, we may vacillate between concern and frustration—what on earth is going on?! In truth, all sorts of developmental things are going on that contribute to these very real fears. Our children start to develop an imagination and have enough life experience to contribute to imagining and … Continue reading →

Toddlers at the Table

We have all read and heard so much about how important it is for families to eat meals together. Many of us actually WANT to have and nurture the family meals. That can make it incredibly tough and challenging to figure out how to manage the difficult toddler stage. Anyone who has ever tried to have a civilized meal with a 2 or 3-year-old at the table—knows how “uncivilized” it can be! So, what can you do when it comes to toddlers at the family dinner table? Family meals ARE important, but I am of the opinion that flexibility and … Continue reading →

Making the Most of the Preschool Years

I know that I often write about parenting and life with teenagers, but I do have some recollection of the preschool years as well. And what I don’t remember, I also have friends who still have wee ones to bring back all those glorious (and challenging) days with preschoolers under foot. Looking back and trying to get the whole thing in perspective, I think there are ways to make the most of those preschool years… I know when you are in the midst of the chaos and defiance and temper tantrums, it seems like it will never end. It is … Continue reading →