Babies are so fantastic: they’re adorable, resilient, and don’t require much. But that leaves loved ones in a bit of a predicament: what exactly do you get for someone who has a baby? You could always go the Target gift card route, but if you’re old-school like me you like for the parents to have something to really “open.” Plus it’s so much more fun to shop for a baby! Here are my suggestions for the best creative gifts for babies: they’re original, they’re useful, and I can promise you that they will be appreciated! Continue reading
Tag: parent (Page 7 of 10)
Books can be great gifts for children! But there are so freaking many to choose from, how do you know that you’re getting a quality book? There are some books whose titles are household standards, and those are obvious choices for growing your child’s library. But some of my favorite picks for kids are actually hidden gems: not-so-well-known books which are fantastic in their own way. Here are my family’s choices for the best children’s books, though you may not have heard of some of them!
I’ve got categories for authors, babies and toddlers, preschoolers and elementary kids, classics, and even a section for young readers’ first books!
Here are all of my favorites, as a teacher and a mom. Happy reading!
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Gratitude is a wonderful characteristic for a child to have. And sadly, many children these days don’t exhibit it well. But like most other emotions, gratitude must be taught. Here’s a quick list of suggestions for helping your child learn thankfulness this holiday season. Continue reading
Unwinding in a fragrant, steaming hot bubble bath. Eating a delicious hot meal slowly and deliberately, savoring every bite and enjoying meaningful conversation. Getting a spa pedicure. Peeing alone. Apparently as a mom, I’m not supposed to want those things. Because if I do it means that I don’t love my kids. Mom guilt is real, and it sucks.
I don’t have anyone to blame for this mentality more than myself. Sure society can be a bit of a jackass sometimes, and make me feel like I should always be overjoyed to be trapped in my home 24/7 with my offspring. I don’t earn an income per se (though let’s not get started on the outrageous daycare savings) and I don’t have a “real job.” I mean, all I do is sit around and watch TV in yoga pants, right?
Cue hysterical laugh. Continue reading
You shouldn’t ask me “is your daughter a good baby?”
I don’t have a “good baby.” She doesn’t sleep through the night, she sometimes bites while nursing, and she puts her feet in my face when she’s in my bed.
And you know what? I don’t care. Continue reading
I want my children to grow up with a healthy emotional intelligence. Simply put, I want them to have a healthy range of emotions, know the vernacular so that they can express those feelings, and deal with unpleasant feelings in a safe way. That emotional education begins when they are still quite young and must happen regularly. Let me give you some insight into what’s working beautifully for our family! Continue reading
Being aware of your baby’s milestones and leaps will save you a lot of worry and stress, as you are able to anticipate and meet their needs. Remember that a baby grows more (physically and neurologically) in their first year, than any other year of their life!
I didn’t even know what a milestone was with my first kid until he was close to a year old; no one told me about it, and it would have helped me so much with my first baby! And leaps? Forget about it! (Oh if I only knew then what I know now, right?).
This text is designed to help parents and caregivers navigate the rough waters of baby development. Awareness of leaps and milestones allows parents to guide their infant through all of the changes, regressions, and new skills which each leap presents. Continue reading
My son is an amazing child: he’s considerate, kind, and sensitive. And I knew early on that I would never spank or hit him. But he’s at an age where we need to have an effective, consistent way to correct him and teach him. I’m here to tell you: attachment parenting does not mean that you let your kids do whatever the hell they want. We have high expectations, we are consistent, and we mean what we say. But how we discipline our kids may look quite different from what you’re used to. We use what’s called “natural consequences.” And let me say, it works beautifully. Continue reading
Turn on the news and you will see: it’s a dangerous world out there. While we try to surround ourselves with good people and safe experiences, our children will one day be out on their own. We must prepare our kids for all kinds of situations. And the dialogue to keeping our kids safe starts when they’re still young and innocent.
Here I’ll give you some suggestions on how to begin those essential conversations. Continue reading
Cosleeping is a natural thing, and you see it in cultures all over the world. A lot of families cosleep: it’s what works for them. But I think most parents are ashamed or embarrassed to admit this. Why? There are lots of reasons to bedshare, lots of benefits to all family members, and lots of ways to do it safely. Let’s get rid of the stigma that bedsharing is dangerous or crazy, and teach parents the truth: it can be pretty damn awesome. Continue reading
