Tonight was going to be a romantic evening. It was supposed to be my daughter’s second sleepover with her grandparents. Despite my great trepidation about the first one, it went well. Her grandparents managed to get her to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour, although she woke up quite early. And she didn’t miss us too much. Pancakes were involved. Tonight was a different story. We went out to dinner and watched a movie, and at ten pm, the call: she was crying and she needed to be picked up. Ah, nothing like mom and dad to the rescue. With … Continue reading →

Do you feel safe letting your children play outdoors? For many parents, the answer is “no.” Many of us grew up playing freely in the country, the suburbs, and even urban areas. Yes, there were dangers, but overall, my parents let me play outside. My mom was a super worrier, yet by the age of eight or nine I was allowed to roam freely within a radius of four or five blocks, riding my bike through the neighborhood, climbing trees, and exploring the fruit trees at the old, burned-out farmhouse a couple of blocks away. I remember biking through the … Continue reading →

Like most kids her age, my daughter is engrossed in imaginary play. She loves to invent characters and act out scenarios in her dollhouse and her Lego blocks. The current characters have rather creative names like Tuna and Alukia. I’m rather partial to Tuna. We’ve talked about why down time is important for preschoolers. Having some time to relax and reflect is good for all of us. Yes, preschoolers are a busy bunch, and even if you schedule down time, they won’t generally go and sit on the couch. If you give them the option (and turn off the television), … Continue reading →

Summer’s not over yet. Just ask my preschooler, who has morphed into a little fish during the last few weeks. Like many kids across the country, my daughter has escaped to the swimming pool to beat the heat. Swimming is a great way to cool off, but it can also be dangerous. A new government report shows that children are drowning in swimming pools and spas at an alarming rate. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 320 children under the age of 5 died in pool and spa incidents in 2007, the latest year for which the … Continue reading →