Children love being outside, playing in the dirt, watching things grow, and learning about the world around them, so it’s only natural that they also love gardening. Just spending a couple of minutes gardening with your child will forge a connection to nature that they’ll always remember. Children are natural…
I love organizing, but paperwork used to my biggest challenge. I tried to get organized by sorting papers into piles: To Mail. To Shred. To Recycle. To Do Later. To Do Sooner. DO TODAY! But faced with all those piles I was so overwhelmed I ended up only doing what…
Many parents are worried about their children’s success in school, even when their children are still infants and toddlers. Stores are packed with toys and materials advertised to help your baby learn, but they’re not necessary. Neither are the elaborate games, worksheets, flash cards, and other “learning activities” some parents…
As a child I loved cats and begged to get one, but my dad didn’t like them. His favorite phrase was “The only good cat is a dead cat.” So we had fish instead. Fish are OK, but you can’t pet them and they’re not much fun to cuddle with…
Have you ever noticed that children become more engrossed and spend longer periods of time with messy activities than clean ones? Messy play is vitally important to children’s development because it involves all of their senses, but you don’t have to turn your backyard into a mud pit to provide…
Children express their feelings in many ways – most of them loud. Infants cry, toddlers throw tantrums, preschoolers yell, and school-agers slam doors. These actions are developmentally appropriate and can be expected at each stage of your child’s life. Because they can’t talk, infants cry to communicate needs and feelings.…
Way back in January I applied to participate in the USDA’s Wellness Grant to improve the health of children in child care programs through better nutrition and increased physical activity. I believe I do a good job as far as nutrition and weekly menus go, but feel I need to…
Try some of these spring activities with your child, and relish the time spent together. Take a walk in the park and listen for the birds. Write your names with magnetic letters on the refrigerator door. Write a real-life “snail mail” letter to a friend or relative and mail it…
Being a parent isn’t easy, especially when it’s only one of many roles we play in a day. When you start feeling frustrated, angry, uptight or stressed, try one of these stress relievers: Exercise or take a brisk walk. Call a friend – especially one who will make you laugh.…
Amazing, acknowledge them. Believable, trust them. Childlike, allow them. Divine, honor them. Energetic, nourish them. Fallible, embrace them. Gifts, treasure them. Here Now, be with them. Innocent, delight with them. Joyful, appreciate them. Kindhearted, learn from them. Lovable, cherish them. Magical, fly with them. Noble, esteem them. Open-minded, respect them.…
