Tag Archives: toddlers

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 →

In Defense of Dirty Hands

Today I had an interesting experience at a local gas station convenience store. I was on the way home from a play date at the park with my boys, and the boys were thirsty. They had both had full cups of water when we went to the park, but they played hard and drank all of their water. When Dylan asked if we could stop and get a drink, I said that we could because there was a store on the way home. At the gas station, I got the boys out of the car and went inside. We took … Continue reading →

A Great Day For Us

Saturday was a great day. It was productive, yes, but that was not the thing that will make it stand out in my mind as a great day. What made Saturday so great is that I was able to do a couple of things with the boys that we don’t usually get to do. Most days, we have a fun time at home, especially now that we are able to be out in the yard. On Saturday, I combined the business of going out to do errands with the opportunity to bring Dylan to a special event and also to spend some time … Continue reading →

Sunny Days are Here Again

  Today I finally got my wish for weather that was warm enough so that the boys could be outside for more than an hour at a time. I knew this morning when I woke up that it was possible that today could be the day that I had been waiting for. The sun was shining and the sky was cloudless, ith a color that was the most beautifully perfect shade of blue. By the time that we were done eating breakfast and sending my husband off to work, the morning chill had worn off and it was time to go … Continue reading →

How to Make Natural Easter Egg Dyes

Kids love crafts, and coloring Easter eggs is a fun tradition that parents have been doing with their children for many years. Of course, when our great grandmothers were dyeing eggs with our grandparents, they probably were not using the egg coloring kits that you can find at the store today. If they were not using egg coloring kits, what did they use to dye their Easter eggs? They may have used one or more of the following natural coloring methods. Choosing which colors of dye to make can be a lot of fun. Canned blueberries, red cabbage leaves, or … Continue reading →

What Happens During the Toddler Years

Now that Dylan has turned three and Blake has had his first birthday, I am thinking a lot about just how much growth and development occurs during the two years that a child is a toddler. For example, right now even though he is technically a toddler, when I look at Blake I still see a baby because he is just beginning his journey through the advances in physical ability, physical appearance, and verbal skills that are the milestones of the toddler years. Blake has taken a few steps here and there, and he cruises around a lot, but his … Continue reading →

Toddlers and the Time Change

Toddlers are notorious for bedtime battles, so the twice yearly time change for Daylight Savings Time can be a sore spot for parents. It can be difficult to predict whether the change will have any effect on your particular child or children. It can also be difficult to decide whether you should try to orchestrate any changes to your evening routine and bed time in the days leading up to the switch. Since we are due to spring forward in a few hours, I decided to start our evening routine an hour earlier than normal. I made sure to include … Continue reading →

Have You Considered Homeschooling or Unschooling for Your Toddler’s Preschool Experience?

If you are a parent who is planning to home school or unschool your toddler instead of sending him to preschool after his third birthday, this post is for you. As your toddler grows and develops right before your eyes, you may from time to time find yourself wondering whether you will be able to provide enough of an enriching environment for him once you begin your homeschool or unschool “preschool” years. This sense of uneasiness may come from a couple of sources, namely the fact that many parents send their children to preschool and the questions and comments from often well … Continue reading →

Oh The Ways That They Play

Did you know that a certain amount of wild energy and boisterous play is not only normal but appropriate for toddlers? If you watch any nature show where there are groups of young animals, you will notice that roughhousing is as much of a part of their daily lives as eating and sleeping. While we are not animals, children do still have needs to wrestle, climb, and jump. Now that Blake is about eleven months old, he is moving around a lot by crawling and cruising. He loves to play alone, but he really loves to play with his big … Continue reading →

Things Just Got A Lot Messier

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My baby has decided that feeding time is all about control. Oh how I love/hate this stage. Parenting a baby that is transitioning into toddlerhood is fun, exciting, and takes a lot of patience. For example, I recently had noticed that my little guy had started to refuse some of the foods he normally loves. He would turn his head away from the first bite, or arch his back and shake his head no. I couldn’t figure out what was causing the problem until one day when I handed him the spoon. He was thrilled. Since then, he has desired … Continue reading →