Playful Parenting – A Helpful Book for When You Forget to Enjoy Parenting

The other day I started reading a wonderful parenting book that has already helped me to enjoy being at home with my kids more. I came upon “Playful Parenting” by Lawrence J. Cohen the other day when I remembered that I had seen the book mentioned a while ago on one of the parenting websites that I visit regularly. I wondered whether the book could help me with an issue that I have been having lately. It is an issue that I am sure I am not alone in experiencing, although not that many people talk about it. It can … Continue reading →

Thanks and Wishes for Mother’s Day

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and the internet is abuzz with heartfelt words of thanks to mothers everywhere and hilarious anecdotes about what real moms want for Mother’s Day. Since I not only have a mom but am a mom myself, I would like to address both of those topics. Oh, and I’d also like to add in a little something about my mother – in – law. Don’t worry, it’s nice. I would like to think that when I was a little girl, my mother knew how much I appreciated everything that she did for me. I can only hope … Continue reading →

Talk, Listen, Read, Repeat.

The development of vocabulary that happens as a toddler grows is absolutely amazing. Even though Blake is just getting started with words, I am still very excited to be able to witness the miracle of toddler vocabulary development for a second time. As an experienced parent, I know that there are many companies out there who will have you believe that your toddler’s vocabulary will not develop well unless you buy and use their product or educational program. As an experienced parent, I can also tell you that that is simply not true. Parents, not products or programs, are perfectly capable … Continue reading →

Keep Your Toddler’s Smile Bright

While there is a good chance that your toddler has been visiting her pediatrician regularly since the time that she was born, it is possible that she has not yet had her first visit to the dentist. There is no iron clad rule about when a toddler’s first visit to the dentist has to happen because each child’s teeth come in on their own unique schedule. A generally accepted timetable for a child’s first trip to the dentist is within six months of getting her first tooth, or by one year of age at the latest. There are many reasons … Continue reading →

Adjusting to Being a Big Brother or Sister Takes Time

If you are the parent of a toddler and you are expecting a baby or you have recently welcomed a new baby into your home, you might be wondering whether your toddler will form a close connection with his or her baby brother or sister. When a new baby comes home, newly – minted big brothers and big sisters often take some time to grow into their new roles. It has been almost a year now since I brought Blake home from the hospital, and I can truthfully say that I was concerned about this very issue during the first … Continue reading →

Why Not Work in a Workout

When you are at home with small children all day, you may feel like you get plenty of exercise keeping up with their numerous requests for just about everything that you could think of and making sure that they get the active play time that they need. While caring for toddlers does require a lot of physical and emotional energy, you may eventually realize (like I have) that you really do need some other form of exercise to keep you fit. This is especially true if you live somewhere where the cold and snow of winter prevent you from enjoying … Continue reading →

What is an Ear Infection?

Today, I read a children’s health statistic that really surprised me. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, nearly seventy five percent of children will have at least one ear infection by the time that they turn three years old. What’s more, of that seventy five percent, half will experience three or more ear infections in their first three years of life. When your child has an ear infection, fluid collects in the Eustachian tubes inside of the ear. Normally the fluid would drain away, but sometimes the tubes become blocked. The result is that bacteria grow … Continue reading →

Thoughts on Loving Toddlers

Since it is Valentine’s Day, love is at the forefront of many people’s thoughts. For parents of young children, love is something that we learn more and more about each day. From the moment that we hold each of our children for the first time, we are learning what it means to love them. Sometimes, loving our little ones is effortless. Other times, it requires strength and courage that we did not even know that we had. Toddlers are interesting little people, and each day with a toddler holds the potential for both moments of exhilaration and moments of despair. … Continue reading →

Ideas for Active Indoor Play

It is the middle of winter here in the North Country. For parents of toddlers, it is a time of year when you probably want to be outside with the kids enjoying the snow as much as possible. However, you may find yourself indoors most of the time because little kids can only really be outdoors for a little while before they get cold. You may also have noticed that toddlers’ energy levels do not have any regard to the seasons or the weather. Your active toddler has just as much energy in the middle of winter as he did … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Early Learning

One thing that all parents of toddlers know is that the toddler stage of development involves a lot of learning. Toddlers are learning to walk, learning to talk, and learning all about the people, places, and things in their world. Learning is sometimes a tricky topic to think about when it comes to toddlers, though. It is natural for parents to wonder about what types of things their toddlers should be learning and how they can ensure that their toddlers will be ready for school when the time comes. There are many, many DVDs, flash cards, and other products that … Continue reading →