May is National Physical Fitness Month and a reminder that exercise is so important for health. But, there are many ways to get your kiddos moving that are fun, as exercise shouldn't just be jumping jacks and pushups. It should include daily activities, as well as sporting games. Here are a few daily
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Get Moving With Your Child This Month and Forever
by Tania Cowling May 5th, 2025 | Entertainment, Preschool
Turn Off the TV and Play Some Baby Games
by Tania Cowling April 28th, 2025 | Infants/Toddlers, SeasonalSome parents use the television as a babysitter, and I admit I have done this myself when trying to tidy up the house. Yes, the noise and conversation sometimes soothe a baby, and kiddie shows stimulate toddlers. Now, I'm not saying your little one can never watch television, but please keep it to a limit. Every year, there is a designated week where we turn off the TV and electronic devices to engage in other together time activities.
See how much fun the
Teen’s Perspective on Earth Day
by Sam P. April 21st, 2025 | Seasonal, TeensIt may just be me, but it seems as though many teenagers do not care about the environment as much as they should. I often see kids lazily tossing bottles on the ground, while they're just a few yards from a trash can, or throwing away an entire lunch at school. I, personally, love our Earth and if we want to keep it how it is today, we need to start taking better care of it. This means recycling, reusing, and reducing what we waste.
At
3 Issues to Warn Your Tween About
by Lori Sciame April 14th, 2025 | Safety, Tweens
Being a parent is a huge responsibility. Children not only need love, they need proper guidance as well. Part of steering a child on the right course, involves teaching him or her to follow safety rules. Some rules are easy to teach, such as "Don't play with fire." Other rules are more difficult to discuss. These rules may make you uncomfortable, but don't ignore them. Make it a point to talk to your child about the following issues.
1. Drugs Can Kill, So Don't Experiment
3 Benefits: When a Child Entertains Oneself
by Lori Sciame April 7th, 2025 | Elementary, Entertainment
I have a cousin who is continually exhausted. It's not because she works too many hours, or that she has an elderly parent to take care of, or even because she has a dozen children. She is worn out because she has not taught her only son how to entertain himself. Ever since he was born, she has carted him to a myriad of entertainment venues. Local festivals, kid's show, museums, library programs, school activities, farmer's markets... You name it, she's taken him there (more than once).
3 Ways to Keep Manners Alive With Preschoolers
by Joe Lawrence March 31st, 2025 | Preschool, Social
Are manners dying off in today's society? Are we as parents doing our part to keep them alive? According to most studies manners are dying, and we are not holding our own as parents. Here are three ways to reverse this tide.
I never thought I would consider having a toddler and preschooler in the house at the same time as a blessing. They are both very demanding of our time and have to be taught everything. Just when I thought we were past some foundational stuff
Teething Tips for Parents of Babies
by Tania Cowling March 24th, 2025 | Care, Infants/Toddlers
Has your baby been drooling steadily? Does she mouth every toy she picks up? Your little one may be teething. Teething can be annoying to babies; the gums can be painful. Here
Teen’s Perspective on Reading
by Sam P. March 17th, 2025 | Teen Perspective, Teens
I love reading. Honestly, I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't enjoy reading. My favorite thing about reading is that you can choose the minute details. You get to picture exactly how everything looks and what each scene looks like. It is like your own personal movie that everyone sees differently. Not only is reading great because it is personalized to your imagination specifically, but it broadens your horizons. Reading creates a more eloquent vocabulary and opens your mind to new worlds.
If You Have Nothing Nice to Say
by Michele March 10th, 2025 | Behavior, TweensThe tween years can be trying. For everyone. As the parent, you may be feeling frustrated with this hormonal, pre-adolescent person, but remember, he or she is feeling that frustration, too. Of course, frustration is not a get out of jail free card for poor behavior.
The key piece of advice I have for parenting during those moments of frustration is based on something my mom used to say:
If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.
How to Make Family Dinners Awesome
by Tania Cowling March 3rd, 2025 | Elementary, SeasonalMealtimes should be happy routines for your kids. Remember that pleasant eating experiences are just as important as nutritious foods. At this age, the kiddos are developing their food habits and attitudes - hopefully good ones, although sometimes the dinner table can be a battleground between kids and their parents. Do your kids balk at the food served? Maybe the fight is over pizza versus pot roast? Does this reaction make you want to shout, bribe, lecture, or threaten? I hate to admit that this is a normal part of growing
Teaching Preschoolers the Art of Collecting
by Tania Cowling February 24th, 2025 | Preschool, SocialAre you a collector? Do you have memorabilia that you find interesting? Well, children have a passion for collections, too! From baseball cards, matchbox cars, plastic army men, Star Wars characters, and even pocket collections from an outdoor nature walk (as long as they are not live creatures). Building a treasure collection is fun for preschoolers.
The first thing a child has to do is decide what will fit into her collection- the general topic or category she wants to collect. This is an
4 Infant Behaviors to Expect in the Beginning
by Marnie Bii February 17th, 2025 | Behavior, Infants/ToddlersWithin the first few months of life, infants often exhibit a number of curious behaviors that tend to surprise new parents. Infants might scratch their face or body, kick their legs, cross their eyes and root with alarming immediacy. As parents navigate their new caregiver roles, questions might arise about the normalcy of these behaviors. Thankfully, all of these actions are completely normal and frequently resolve
6 Ways to Be the Sitter Everyone Recommends
by Jane Wangersky February 10th, 2025 | Social, Teens
Finding work as a babysitter depends a lot on word of mouth and the reputation you have in the community. For such a sensitive job, most parents would rather turn to a sitter recommended by someone
3 New Tips for Tween School Success
by Lori Sciame February 3rd, 2025 | School, Tweens
Being born smart certainly helps a tween to succeed in a learning environment, and so does being curious about the world around him or her. It's a given that an engaged student, one who loves learning, will be more apt to do well in school. However, many other factors determine school success. Everything from identifying a child's learning style, to understanding that mastery comes from practice, and even parental support, factor into the equation.
While all tweens may not have high I.Q.s, they can still succeed according to
Too Much Screen Time?
by Joe Lawrence January 27th, 2025 | Elementary, Entertainment"Kids today are on these electronic devices too much," say most parents. However, few parents are doing much to change this.
The average child is behind a screen of some sort for two to three hours per day. This equates to a full year before they reach the age of seven. Admittedly, I am not one to shy away from letting the kids enjoy a show or play around on the iPad. Although, my wife and I have been limiting their time on electronic devices this past year,
Four-Step Reflection Tool for Preschoolers
by Joe Lawrence January 20th, 2025 | Preschool, School
I am a huge fan of challenging what I am taught. And I truly believe that there is more than one way to skin a cat. I carried this thought all through school, college, and into my professional life. It is something I want to pass on to my children, but how do you that for a preschooler?
Nothing frustrated me more in school than the teacher telling me I got
How to Teach Toddlers About Winter
by Tania Cowling January 13th, 2025 | Infants/Toddlers, Seasonal
To young children, there is no big difference between reality and fantasy. Toddlers believe everything they see, touch, and hear. They basically learn by their senses and experience. So, how do you teach toddlers about the winter season?
The first snowfall of the season deserves to be celebrated. For many children, this is the first snow in their memory. So, make time to take your little one outdoors to experience the snow
Teen’s Perspective on Starting the New Year Right
by Sam P. January 6th, 2025 | School, TeensNow everyone has their own New Year's resolutions, but a great one is to focus on your studies. Set a reasonable goal, like doing better in your classes than you did last semester, even if your first semester hasn't ended. Don't
How to Give Back at the Holidays
by Lori Sciame December 30th, 2024 | Tweens
The holiday season offers lots of opportunities to teach tweens about the concept of giving back. Sample volunteer positions include: ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, collecting food for the local food pantry, assisting at a soup kitchen, buying toys for economically disadvantaged children, and writing letters to those overseas in the armed forces.
Why not take some time this holiday season to teach your tween about that joyful feeling that only comes after helping someone in need?
There are literally dozens of
How to Keep Greed Under Control
Lori Sciame December 23rd, 2024 | Elementary
The holidays are a time of joy and giving, a time for love and family. Unfortunately, however, for elementary age children, the holidays can also be a time of greed. If parents are not careful, children this age can succumb to the mantra, "I want more!" We've all seen it before. There's the child who opens gifts so fast that