Parenting Advice & Tips
Cell Phones and Kids: The Go-To Guide
Nearly all families wrestle with the question of when to allow children to have their own phones. According to Going Wireless, the average age when children get their first mobile devices is 12.1 years. 56% of kids in the 8 to 12-year-old range have their own phones. How’s a parent to decide when is the …
The Essential YouTube Guide for Parents
YouTube is a hit with kids and can be a lifesaver for harried parents. From occupying little ones during an unexpected wait to amusing tweens and providing a research platform for students, the site has something for everyone. However, there are some pitfalls, dangers, and other things to be aware of. Here’s your roadmap to …
50 Great Websites For New Parents: Help, Guidance, Tricks, & More
New parents are inundated with so much information, fear, stress, anxiety, questions, worries, and wishes. Those overwhelmed feelings may start when the pregnancy test comes back positive or the moment that tiny bundle of joy is held in their arms for the first time. Thankfully, there are more resources than ever for getting quick advice, …
25 Great Gifts for Your Athletic Kids – 2017 Edition
Finding Christmas or Hanukkah presents for your daughter or son can become quite stressful. There are so many new toys and gadgets on the scene that it can become overwhelming, as a parent, to choose. But, if they’ve got a specific interest, like sports, you can narrow the options down a bit better and relax. …
How To Say No To Your Small Child Without Actually Saying “No”
Instead of constantly saying “Don’t do this,” “Don’t do that,” and “No” to your child, learn how say no to the little ‘un without actually saying the words. Choosing your words in a more careful, thoughtful way makes it easier to set boundaries without feeling like the bad guy all the time. Besides, constantly saying …
4 Mess-Free Activities For Toddlers
As much as you want to provide stimulating activities for your toddler, you are probably a little tired of cleaning up food, child-friendly paint, and just about anything else that creates a mess. Thankfully your salvation is here in the form of mess-free activities ideal for younglings! Review the following activities that provide your toddler …
5 Road Trip Activity Bag Ideas For Kids
Make road trips fun for little kids by packing bags full of fun activities. Use the following ideas as inspiration to avoid “Are we there yet??” and similar questions you do not feel like answering because you have already driven hundreds of miles. Card Game Bag Fill a travel pouch with several different card games. …
5 Helpful Tips For Young Moms
If you’re a young mom, you probably feel a little overwhelmed…or a lot overwhelmed. Don’t panic, rather take it one day at a time and keep the following tips in mind. You might find you are a much better mom than you thought you would be! Listen to Them Listen to what your children say, …
5 Helpful Potty Training Tips
Getting ready to potty train your little boy? Potty training boys is obviously a little different from potty training girls, however many of the basics are the same. Help yourself survive potty training with the following tips, and remember, it takes time and no two children are the same! Know When He is Ready Learn …
5 Chore Ideas For Toddlers
Get your child used to helping out around the house from an early age with kid-friendly chores. The following chores are ideal for 4 and 5-year-olds. Pick a few for your child to do every week to establish a routine. Make the Bed Okay, your 4 or 5-year-old probably isn’t going to make his/her bed …
3 Parenting Misconceptions You Need To Know About
Many first-time moms make assumptions about parenting that simply aren’t true. Don’t feel bad if you are one of these moms, as parenting is a learning process and mistakes are inevitable. However, there’s plenty you are do to lessen the number of mistakes you make so you raise happy, healthy, functional children. Use the following …
Nighttime Fears In Kids: 4 Tips On How To Deal
Some kids go through childhood not fearing the “monster” under their beds or in their closets, while others develop a crippling fear of the dark. If your child belongs to the latter group, use the following tips to quell nighttime fears so you little ‘un sleeps soundly every night. Determine the Cause Determine the cause …
Tips For Promoting Creativity In Children
If you don’t consider yourself a particularly “crafty” person but want to ensure your children use their imaginations and are interested in the creative side of things, read on. There’s plenty of ways to encourage creativity in kids! Family Game Fun The next time the family gets together for a game, consider making up alternative …
5 Tips For Deciphering Your Baby’s Cries
Crying is your baby’s way of communicating! The five “universal needs” of babies are as follows: sleep, food, burping assistance, gas release assistance, and comfort. It will take awhile to learn what each cry means, but fear not, as you will get the hang of it. Remember that babies never cry for no reason and …
4 Tips For Raising Grateful Children
Help yourself raise grateful, courteous children instead of the opposite by utilizing the following tips. Be a good example and feel free to pat yourself on the back when you realize what awesome kiddies you have raised! Say “Thank You” To Your Kids And Let Them Hear You Say It Say thank you when your …
4 Helpful Nighttime Potty Training Tips
Potty training is not an overnight thing, as each child is different. What works for one will not necessarily do anything for another, and while your first child may have picked up potty training in a week, your second child could be struggling or vice versa. Nighttime potty training is a different animal than its …
3 Baby Sleep Tips For First-Time Parents
Some babies are great sleepers, while others are, um, less than great. If your baby is a fussy sleeper, help yourself make it through the first year of parenthood with the following tips for first-time ‘rents. Baby Sleep Is Complex No two baby sleeping patterns are alike, and unfortunately there is no magic solution that …
6 Awesome Toddler Activity Materials
Entertain your toddler using any or all of the following materials. Each option is cheap (which is always nice) and provides your toddler with the stimulation his or her growing brain needs. Read on, and be enlightened: Pom Poms Fuzzy pom poms in an array of colors are a great toy for toddlers. Use them …
9 Teen Girl Backpack Must-Haves
Take a look inside your teen daughter’s backpack. Is it a disaster area? If so, help her organize her ‘pack and provide the following suggestions. She might resist at first, but she will appreciate your help once she sees the results! Planner Give your daughter a planner if she doesn’t have one. A planner is …
6 School Lunch Hacks
Trying to think of what to pack the kids for lunch is like trying to figure out what to plan for dinner: exhausting. Save yourself from this problem with the following lunchbox hacks. You will love them, and so will your kids. Freeze Peanut Butter Sandwiches Prepare and freeze a week’s worth of peanut butter …
7 Academic Hacks To Make Life Easier For Your Kids
Help your kiddies do their best in school by suggesting a few outstanding “hacks.” They help children improve their information retention abilities, ensure their hard work is saved, keep their brains stimulated, and more good stuff. Read on: Google Translate Help Suggest that after writing a paper, your kids copy and paste it into Google …
4 Nifty Gadgets And Apps For Modern Parents
Show off your savvy parenting skills with any of the following super-nifty gadgets. They function as parenting “hacks” of sorts and otherwise make life a new mom or dad a little easier. See if any of the following products appeal to you: La La Lunch Get creative with your kids’ lunches using this helpful app. …
5 Habits Of Successful Parents
Raising happy, healthy children who contribute to society instead of taking away from it is certainly something to strive for as a parent. While there’s no one way to raise children correctly, there are numerous things successful parents do. Let’s review some of these things to boost your parenting IQ. Talk To Your Kids Some …
Fun Ways To Organize Your Kids’ Toys
Make organization fun! Use any of the following clever ways to organize your kids toys. They will love the results and learn a little something about organization in the process. Garden Window Baskets Obtain garden window baskets of varying sizes and attach them to the wall with sturdy screws. Fill them with stuffed toys–just be …
DIY Painted Stone Village
Create a whole other world for your kids right in your backyard. Make a village out of painted stones to inspire their imaginations and love of the outdoors. Use the following instructions to create the village–if you are not artistically-inclined, have a talented friend or family member help you make this tiny land of wonder. …
DIY Backyard Race Track
Spring will be here soon enough, and with it the opportunity to enjoy many hours of backyard fun with the kids. Try the following DIY outdoor racetrack to provide your kids with a whole new way to race their lil cars and trucks. What You Need Same-size concrete stepping stones or similar flat stones (Look …
Kitchen Activities For Kids By Age
Help your children learn their way around the kitchen by getting them involved in cooking and baking projects from an early age. Use the following guide to assist you in giving your kiddies age-appropriate tasks while also fostering a love of cooking and healthy eating. Preschool (Ages 2 to 5) Stirring batter in bowls Pouring …
5 Discipline Don’ts
Raise well-behaved children by staying consistent about discipline. Keep the following “discipline don’ts” in mind to prevent serious problems as your children get older. Discipline Don’t #1: Yelling Avoid screaming and yelling at your kids. All this does is let them know it’s okay for them to “go insane” when they are mad too. Discipline …
Rainy Day Activities With Kids Part Two
Don’t let a rainy day get your kids too down! Enjoy more rainy day activity ideas in Part Two of this series to ensure plenty of fun the whole day through. Do Puzzles Get out any puzzles you have to provide kids with a fun and stimulating activity. Make a display of puzzles, such as …
3 Tips For Raising Honest Children
Raising honest children starts from the time they are little. If you do not instill a sense of what’s correct and the importance of integrity when they are very young, what do you think they will be like as teenagers? You’re going to make mistakes as a new parent, and that’s okay. Rather than panicking, …
Activities For A Rainy Day Part One
If it’s a rainy day and your kids are sad they can’t go out and play, use it as an excuse to teach “indoor fun.” Review the following ideas as fantastic inspiration for rainy day activities you and your children can enjoy anytime the weather is less than ideal. Have A Dance Party Throw on …
Fun Family Traditions For Each Month
Enjoy fostering feelings of love and togetherness with your family by engaging in fun family activities every month. Create a list or simply brainstorm with fun things to do together. Use the following ideas as inspiration to get you started on a year full of great family times. January Build snowmen Write thank-you notes …
5 “Quiet Time” Activities For Toddlers
“Quiet time” activities for toddlers are ideal when you need to take care of the baby, write some emails, make dinner, spend a few minutes with your partner, etc. Fill a box with quiet time activities that you can pull from whenever you need to! Use the following ideas to inspire you. Puzzles Provide the …
7 Tips For Encouraging Your Toddler’s Speech
Help your toddler develop speech skills by putting the following tips into practice. A silent home isn’t one that will help your little ‘un’s speech development, after all! Describe Everything Talk about everything with your toddler! (Well, maybe not everything, but you get the idea.) Explain what you’re doing, where you are, what’s around, and …
5 Tips For Teaching Your Kids About Finance
Teaching your kids about finance is invaluable, as it as it sets them up to make great money decisions when they’re older. Money is always a touchy subject, and is one of the main points of contention between married couples. Help your children avoid such problems via the following tips. Talk About Where Money Comes …
5 Things To Do When Sitting With Children In Restaurants
Keeping children occupied while waiting for a table or your meal in a restaurant doesn’t have to be difficult! There’s plenty of things you can do to distract your little ‘uns and subsequently prevent fussy meltdowns. Use the following ideas the next time you don’t feel like cooking and want to go out to eat. …
Home Organization Tips
Home organization may seem like an impossible dream when you have children, but know it IS possible. Utilize the following hacks to organize your home and avoid frantic searches for that belt, your child’s sock, your other child’s hairbrush, etc. Laundry Room Build or add a shelf to your laundry room. Place it next to …
Toddlers With New Siblings: 5 Tips
As exciting introducing a newborn baby to your fold is, it might prove a challenging time for your toddler. There’s a new baby in town, and while your toddler is likely very interested in the little human, don’t be surprised if the older child seems a little blue or sad. Help your toddler welcome his …
Goofy & Cool Holidays To Celebrate With Kids, Part 1
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter—these may be the major holidays, but there’s dozens upon dozens of goofy holidays to celebrate every month! Check out some of the seemingly-endless “holidays” to choose from–kids will love it! Trivia Day Play trivia games on January 4th, or Trivia Day. Dig out Trivial Pursuit and any other trivia games you …
Fun Snow Activities For Kids
Winter may be a dreary time, but if there’s plenty of snow on the ground, there’s lots of opportunities for your kids to have fun. Use the following ideas to plan snow-tastic days for the younglings–just make sure they bundle up! Sea Of Snowmen Encourage the kids to make not just one, but a glittering-white …