Preventing the Summer Slide
Reading has always been my go-to coping strategy. Some prefer TV, some prefer the solace of a dark movie theatre, and some prefer to write their troubles away. But I have always found my escape...
View ArticleTips for Teaching Kids about Strangers
Just the very thought of teaching stranger danger ignites panic for most parents of young children. As adults, we know too much. We know, for example, that while we want to find the good in...
View ArticleRelaxing Stories and Dream Discs
Give credit where credit it due: Riley took one of my sleep strategies and renamed it…and even added one important feature! When we have infants, we are conditioned to believe that once those...
View ArticleFourth of July Safety Tips for Families
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, families everywhere are preparing for picnics, pool parties, parades, beach days, and fireworks. While Independence Day is generally a fun-filled day...
View ArticleBeyond the Pencil Grip: Tips for Kindergarten Prep
You are always welcome to Pin my posts… It’s almost that time of the year again…the time when parents everywhere start questioning whether or not their kids are truly ready for Kindergarten. You can...
View ArticleWhen in Doubt, Hug it Out
I’m sure you hugged your kids today. You probably even hugged them a few times. Hopefully you hugged them at least more than once. But if you stop to think about it, I mean really think about it,...
View ArticleThe Summer Olympics: A Family Affair
I spent my childhood summers on the Connecticut shore. From late June until the first day of school, we left our lives behind and enjoyed summer on the beach. We enjoyed tennis, sailing, swimming...
View ArticleTips for Empowering Girls
My birthday is right around the corner. Like in a couple of days right around the corner. And while I don’t usually celebrate my birthday (you might not know this, but my brother and I agreed to...
View ArticleTragic Talk – The Connecticut School Shooting
Bad things happen. Terrible things happen. Unspeakable things happen. Things that no child should ever have to face happen. As parents, we try our best to shield our little ones from the horrors...
View ArticleTech Time for Kids: Setting Limits
We all know that we live in a tech savvy world. Toddlers can navigate tablets and smart phones with alarming ease. Sometimes that’s a really good thing, like when you have to take a very long flight...
View ArticleThe Feelings Thermometer
You know what’s hard when you’re little (and sometimes even when you’re big)? Verbalizing feelings. We tell kids to use their words. We want them to say what they mean. We want them to use a calm...
View ArticleTips for Getting Started with Homeschooling
As the school year draws to a close across the country, many of us are already thinking ahead to the fall. Whether your first child is entering Kindergarten or you’ve had kids in school for years,...
View ArticlePlay More, Stress Less
When I was in college, I spent a glorious summer on the North Shore of Boston as a live-in nanny. The job was easy and fun. I loved playing with the three kids, aged 9, 7, and 5, both at home and at...
View ArticleCoping with Childhood Stress
Childhood stress is on the rise. It might seem like childhood is a breeze (they don’t have to worry about the big things in life, right?), but often it is full of stressors big and small. Many...
View ArticleHappy Moms, Happy Kids
Want happy kids? Of course you do! Stop by The Huffington Post to read 7 Secrets of Highly Happy Children! We’ve known for quite some time that maternal and/or parental stress trickles down and...
View ArticleTake Back Your Kitchen! (Tips for Raising “Fearless” Feeders)
I get a lot of questions from parents struggling to feed their, um, let’s say “selective” eaters. Some kids eat everything and some kids eat four things. Literally…four things. And it’s hard. Even...
View ArticleWisdom from a 6 Year Old: How to Make Kids Feel Good About Themselves
The other day my daughter found my to-do list. It wasn’t a long list, but it included a few upcoming freelance deadlines. Including one that would need to be completed that night. Scanning the list...
View Article5 Tips for Raising Positive Thinkers
Some kids are naturally more optimistic than others. Some kids just seem to approach all tasks, no matter how difficult, with a smile and a can-do attitude, But others…others might seem a little...
View ArticleTips for Talking to Kids About Predators
There are some parenting topics that are very difficult to address. Melissa is back this week with some startling information and helpful tips about talking to kids about predators. I hope you will...
View ArticleWant Happy Kids? Teach Forgiveness.
Forgiveness. Chances are you’ve talked to your kids about forgiveness at some point. You’ve probably asked one child to forgive the other child for an unkind gesture or unfair treatment of some kind....
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