Parenting Tips
Navigating Discipline – Tips from a Veteran Sitter
Children are a great passion of mine! At the age of 14, I started working with children as a volunteer teacher’s assistant at a local church. Since then, I’ve observed, been inspired, and studied the way children act and behave. As a babysitter, on-call nanny, and childcare provider, it’s been a pleasure to experience the
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Neophobia: the fear of the new
Is your child a picky eater? Well, here’s some reassuring news for frustrated parents: you are not alone. Furthermore, a fear of new foods and a fear of new things in general often go hand-in-hand for many children. Tell Me More Most of us would be surprised to discover that research shows children often require
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Bundled babies eat and sleep better
Swaddling coaxes babies to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Tell Me More Swaddling is a technique of wrapping a young baby in a blanket in such a way that the baby’s natural reflexes are suppressed. Midwives and lactation consultants have long advocated swaddling as a means of calming young babies, and now we
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Toy labels: consider ager before stage
The age listed on labels of toys and games is often a recommendation based on safety concerns, not developmental suitability. Tell Me More At present, there are simply no global guidelines in place for age recommendations listed on toys with the exception of rules regarding choking hazards for children under three years of age. Recommended-age
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Finding a Mentoring Mom
When I was a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) with five little boys, I yearned for an older woman to talk to—someone who had walked the path ahead of me. I had a close relationship with both my mother and mother-in-law, but sometimes I needed a neutral voice to speak to my concerns. My husband and I
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The difference between boys and girls – not so great after all
Despite common statements such as “girls speak earlier than boys” when it comes to developmental milestones, there simply is no proven significant difference between genders. Tell Me More Despite this fact, we tend to compare the genders often, with the result that there are many misleading perceptions about differences between the genders. Boys and girls
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Pointing to print preps the brain for reading
Years before children actually learn to read, they begin to realize that letters and written text carry meaning. Tell Me More Research has shown that most toddlers and preschool children don’t pay attention to printed text unless they are encouraged to do so by the person reading the book. Simply by pointing to the text
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Thinking “outside the box” has roots in early experiences
Like many other skills, creative thinking can be strengthened by early environments. Tell Me More Seeing things from different angles is considered a form of abstract thinking, but it has concrete roots in visual-spatial perception. For example, being able to see an object in two different ways of finding objects hidden in drawings. These skills
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Even praise has its pitfalls
Across cultures, children respond better to praise for effort rather than praise for outcome. Tell Me More Let’s start out by saying right away that praise of any kind usually starts out with good intentions. However, praise yields greater encouragement and motivation when it is directed towards a child’s effort (ie “You are drawing very
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5 Steps to Help Your Children Overcome Fear
As parents, our greatest vision is to have children who have a positive sense of self with enough self-confidence to navigate the challenges of life. Life experience has taught us that at times, we are faced with situations which create fear preventing us from moving forward. One of the greatest gifts you can give to
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