Tag Archives: child

So Your Child Wants to Stay Home Alone—Part 2

I remember the first time my parents allowed me to stay home alone… it wasn’t exactly a momentous occasion considering my grandparents lived within walking distance of our house. Of course, a lot has changed since the early 80s, and now I can’t see allowing my daughter to remain home unsupervised until at least her 30th birthday. Jokes aside, if you successfully answered all of the questions I posed in my previous blog and feel confident that your child is ready to fend for himself, then consider the following tips offered by childcare experts to make his first solo venture … Continue reading →

So Your Child Wants to Stay Home Alone

If you have tweens in your family the topic of staying home without adult supervision may be one you discuss frequently. This isn’t the case in my home (yet), but deciding whether or not to allow her 10-year-old daughter to fend for herself is a hot topic at my best friend’s house. My two cents worth was a firm “no,” and my BFF agreed, but her number one child won’t let the issue go. In their case, the 10-year-old wants to be unsupervised in the afternoons during a 2-hour period between the time she gets dropped off by the school … Continue reading →

The Danger of Artificial Turf

Many homes use artificial turf for porches, rugs, mats and more when real grass just wouldn’t do. There is also a growing trend in some parts of the country to replace real grass with artificial turf that never needs to be watered. But if you have children, you will want to steer clear of artificial turf, because there is a real health hazard for children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory against artificial turf because it may contain high levels of lead that could pose a health hazard to humans. The high lead … Continue reading →

How to Encourage Social Skills in Your Young Child

Ask any mom of young kids and they may tell you about having concerns about their child’s social skills. Playing and identifying with their peers helps children feel secure. It also helps get them ready for their eventual time at school. Here is a guide to how you can encourage social interaction for your young child. The first thing that you can do is to give your child plenty of opportunity to have social interactions. Join a group in your area, such as a moms club, a moms church group, etc, to plan out play dates. Or just get to … Continue reading →

Teach Your Child to Be Polite

If a case of the demanding toddler or preschooler has hit your house you just may want to teach your little one some manners. While some people argue that we should just let kids be kids, I think it is important for children, even young children, to learn some basics of how to politely exist in society. I am not talking about toddler who know how to set a table, of course, but saying “please” and “thank you” and having respect for other people is certainly not out of reach. Here are some basics of being polite and how you … Continue reading →

Helping Your Young Child Overcome Shyness

The world can be a scary place for a toddler or preschooler, especially when it comes to new experiences and new people. While this can be a built in mechanism for children to avoid danger. But if you see that shyness is affecting your young child’s positive social interactions, then it may be time to step in a bit. If your young child suffers from too much shyness, you can help her work through it. Here are some effective strategies that you can use to help your young child overcome shyness. 1. Encourage your child whenever you are in new … Continue reading →

Simple Toys, Simple Joys: Playing with Balls

We have plenty of toys that make noise at our house, have numerous buttons, light up at a toddler’s touch, quiz you on the alphabet and sing songs. But, I am often reminded by my own kids that the simple toys are the ones that really make memories. Although the weather outside is still cold here in pennsylvania, the sun is bright today. It filled our living room turned playroom into a bright cheerful space. These are the best days to get down on the floor and explore the toy box (or should I say boxes, since in our house … Continue reading →

The Importance of Family Time

Numerous studies have shown how important it is to children to have quality time with their parents and siblings. From research that shows that children who have a regular family dinner time are less likely to be involved with drugs, to surveys of children that say that the one thing they really want more of is time with their parents, there is no doubt in my mind that family time is very important. There really is no time that is too early to establish the routine of family time. You can start with eating together at a meal. If you … Continue reading →

Health Issues with Apple Juice and Toddlers

Apple juice, as a clear fluid, is often recommended when a child is sick or has a stomach virus. But, there are other health issues that have been associated with children and apple juice. Here is what you need to know about the latest research. As a rule, my kids very rarely drink juice in our house. Usually we offer milk or water. I prefer allowing my kids to eat whole fruits instead of juice for a few reason. They can get more fiber and vitamins from the whole fruit, they consume less sugar and the sugar that is consumed … Continue reading →

Board Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers

By the age of two, most children are ready to play simple board games. Here are some of the ones I recommend for toddlers and preschoolers. Yesterday, after a long day running around the house (my oldest son said it was exhausting work), and a quick dinner, I decided to settle things down for my own kids and one of their friends who spent the day with us. I suggested that we bring out a board game. “What’s a board game?” the little girl asked. In all of her six years of age, she had never played, let alone heard, … Continue reading →