I don’t think the world is ready for it, but here it is. The gift guide of gift guides, every article I’ve written that can help you pick the perfect present this year. These are honest, useful suggestions for the meaningful people in your life. They’re appropriate year-round, too. And hey, you’ll be helping support a small business, so thanks for your patronage! Continue reading
Tag: preschooler (Page 1 of 2)
Juggling a family schedule can be pretty insane, and it seems like it just gets more complicated as your kids get older. I currently have a kindergartener and a three year old, and I wanted to show what our schedule looks like on a daily basis. I’ll also give you some suggestions when building your own routine at home. Look no further for a sample daily schedule for a toddler and a kindergartener! Continue reading
A hot topic on the internet lately has been the debate of if children should help with chores. I realized with a resounding HELL YES that my kids help with things around the house all the time – as they should! We have a practical, matter-of-fact, real life approach to how kids can help with chores. And now I pass on our system to you. Here’s my opinion – and my advice – on why and how kids can help with chores. Continue reading
Mealtime with kids can be fun, or it can be hell. You have a plethora of issues to deal with, from picky eaters to messes. Your kids gotta eat, and you’d like them to grow up somewhat nourished, but sometimes mealtime is not the place for a battle. We have had great luck with some strategies regarding food and our children, and I’m happy to share them with you! Here’s an in-depth, honest look at how we treat meals with kids at our house! Continue reading
Sleep regression sucks. At any age. It’s always a dark curtain of despair in which well-meaning, loving parents turn into zombies, and wonderful children transform into shadows of themselves. A sleep regression can last just a few nights, or months. Sometimes there’s a clear explanation, and sometime it’s beyond mysterious. We’ve been through it multiple times with both of our kids, and I’m here to throw down every damn solution that I can think of. Because I remember: sleep regression sucks. Continue reading
School is starting and we are doing our first “Playroom Tour!” Check out what we actually have in our playroom – these are the toys which have passed our safety and quality tests, and have passed the kids’ own tests as well. There are photos and a video tour, as well as item names and descriptions. Come see what’s in our playroom! Continue reading
I haven’t always been a stay-at-home mom, or SAHM. When I was pregnant with my first child, all the way until he was two years old, I was a working mom. I did the whole pumping/daycare/packing food/cry at dropoff thing, and I hated it. So when we got pregnant with our second child, I knew I had to make a huge adjustment.
While my husband and I were always in agreement that I should stay at home with the babies, we didn’t really know anyone (except his mom, thirty years ago) who had done it. And it was certainly a transition for our house and our marriage.
That’s why I thought to sit my husband down (after asking nicely, of course) and pick his weary brain. Now he’s the sole breadwinner for our little home, and he’s married to a SAHM. So what’s it really like… from the dad’s perspective? Continue reading
It’s bedtime, and your kids want a bedtime story. You probably know the rest. Or maybe your child is awake again, and you need to get them back to sleep!
When my babies have woken up in the middle of the night, they always want to hear a story to help them relax and fall back asleep. I don’t want to turn on a light and nothing comes to mind. If I don’t start spouting a tale soon, my kid will get agitated.
So I’ve come up with a few prompts to help you get started: my goal here is to help you create your own amazing, imaginative stories for your child! These are the bedtime tales which your kids will remember long after that sleepless night. Continue reading
Shh. Yes we bedshare. I know, I know, we are horrible people. It’s not anything new: bedsharing gets a bad rap in the news and media. But honestly, lots of families do it safely. And there has been more than once when it’s gotten us rest when all else has failed. This is nine times that bedsharing saved our sanity. How many of these sound familiar? Continue reading
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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