Is your child afraid of animals? In spite of the fact that my child is the child of someone who works at a nature center, she is developing some hearty fears of animals these days. Bees, snakes, and dogs seem to be at the top of the list. These fears make some sense, of course. She has had a couple of stings, likely from the local wasps. This makes her tentative around any buzzing thing that flies. She has not grown up with dogs, and although she adores her grandparents’ dog, she really dislikes the barking, jumping, and licking. I … Continue reading →

I’m coming from a place of privilege here. My daughter is five years old and has grown up in a Caucasian family. She has friends that have different skin and hair colors, of course. We live in a city that is very diverse but in a neighborhood that is less so. While she has commented that certain friends have dark hair, she has never asked why. I have simply acknowledged that without categorizing people. I didn’t want to bring up the idea of race. Yes, in very specific contexts we have discussed this, mostly in light of the human rights … Continue reading →

Ah, the birthday party. We had one yesterday, in fact. Full of delicious cakey goodness, lots of hyped-on-sugar children, and general fun. Add in a few overwhelmed tears for good measure and you have a recipe for childhood delight, an introvert’s horror, and a parent’s desire to head for the hills. I am not fond of organizing birthdays. This is ironic because I do it for a living, at least in part. One of the programs I organize at work is the birthday party. However, when it’s your own child’s birthday party the stress level does tend to increase. Yesterday … Continue reading →

Summer is still officially a few days away, but a recent day or two or warm weather here has me thinking about summer story times. I’m stretching, I know: June where I live is wet and wild and not necessarily all that summery. However, it’s time to think about great books to read on vacation with your preschooler. How about those long, long rides on boats and trains and planes? Yes, I thought that you might be looking for a few ideas. We enjoy beach-themed books. For the younger preschooler, I recommend books like Down By the Bay, a bookish … Continue reading →

If you’re planning a road trip this summer or just looking for something special to bring out on a rainy day, consider the paper doll. It’s retro, it’s lovely, and it’s so fun to create. Cutting out paper dolls is great for your preschooler’s fine motor skills. There are dolls your preschooler can color and there are dolls in all sorts of themes and variations. Here are a few that you and your preschooler can peruse, print, and enjoy. Marilyn The ToyMaker has an amazing set of fairy-inspired, nature-inspired, and just plain inspired dolls. We love the imaginative games and … Continue reading →

If your preschooler is still napping but he’s staying up until all hours of the night, you might want to consider stopping the nap. It’s a painful thing, since we parents love that middle of the day quiet time. If you have two or more children, any time when they are all napping together is total bliss. However, when bed time starts to creep towards the middle of the night and your temper begins to get very, very short, it’s time to drop the nap. But what can you do? How can you avoid meltdowns in the afternoon and manage … Continue reading →

As much as I am into child-led activities, I am also keen on parent and scheduling sanity. The summer that my daughter was three years old, we had neither of these. About half way through the summer, I discovered that this was because she really needed to stop napping. Now, my daughter loved her naps. Heck, I love napping too. It’s wonderful to be able to fall asleep in the middle of the day. However, when napping turned into an 11 pm bed time and mommy was very, very grumpy, things had to change. There’s nothing like an awake three-year-old … Continue reading →

We are preparing for a trip to New York City where we will visit my brother and his fiancée. The last time I visited the city was pre-kid, so our itinerary this time is a little different from the time before. Parks, concerts, and child-friendly museums are on the agenda. One other activity that is on the agenda is a lot of walking. Yes, I know that Manhattan has a subway system, but I like the city above the ground and enjoy walking through it. To this end, we’ve been in training, my daughter and I. We are going to … Continue reading →