MAKE A TRAVEL-FRIENDLY LIGHTBOX + 20 ACTIVITY IDEAS


Playing with items on a lightbox is so simple, and yet it can be so intriguing to children of all ages. Familiar items become new again when you add light. Make that experience portable with your own easy DIY lightbox.
Stow some travel-friendly items inside and you’ve got an activity that’s perfect for evening car trips. Set up in the kitchen and use your lightbox for some messier sensory play or creating artwork. Continue reading..





My Parenting Style: Survivalist

To me, the definition is simple. While most of the time I try to raise my kids in a nurturing, educationally rich, nutritiously sound environment, sometimes, the s*@# just hits the fan (or, more likely, my most expensive rug). And when temper tantrums, fevers, or general fussiness is the order of the day, all bets are off . . . and the cartoons come on. And I am totally, 100 percent OK with that. So how do you become a survivalist mom? Here's my handy guide to my "whatever gets you through the day" philosophy.

Four Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ignore or Punish Toddler Tantrums

Popular parenting wisdom advises dealing with toddler tantrums in one of two ways. Ignore the ‘attention seeking behaviour’ and reward the toddler when they are good, or discipline the toddler by punishing them through exclusion. The naughty step and time out are commonplace in millions of homes around the world. Do they really work though? Child psychology and neuroscience says otherwise. Here are four reasons why you may want to reconsider your response the next time your toddler has a tantrum.

Psychologist Claims Baby Boys Are Way More Sensitive Than Girls

Society puts a lot of pressure on growing boys — we know this. They're labeled as "tough guys" and "macho" even before they've learned to tie their shoes. They're praised for aggression and told to shake it off when the tears flow.

As it turns out, our boys, with the weight of the testosterone-driven world on their shoulders, start out at a deficit. In his most recent article, Dr. Allan Schore, a clinical psychologist at UCLA explains how baby boys come into the world less capable to deal with stressors.

Navigating Your Identity as a Parent and an Educator

Tips for Parent-Educators: These are the top things I wish someone had said to me as I offered my first born to his first school.

1. Be a parent, first and foremost. That's what your kid needs most from you.
2. Proactively build a relationship with your child's teacher at the beginning of the year. Don't wait until there's a problem to sit down with them.
3. If a teacher doesn't ask about your child's strengths and interests, share those.
4. Also share anything you think the teacher should know about your kid that would help them be effective, such as that your kid is an introvert and won't often participate in whole-class discussions. (Again, hopefully they ask this question, but if not, share it.)
5. If your child complains about being bored, class being too hard, not being treated well by peers or adults, listen to your child. Don't hope it'll get better. Go to school and talk to people. Observe classes.
6. Don't be afraid of talking to the principal. Don't be afraid of making requests. You can do this kindly and thoughtfully, but your job, again, is to advocate for your kid.

4 Things Worse Than Not Learning To Read In Kindergarten

The year Sam started kindergarten, he turned 6 in October. He was one of the oldest children in his class, and he didn’t know how to read. When he started first grade he was almost 7, and he still didn’t know how to read. Fortunately for Sam, he entered first grade in 1999. And his teachers, Mrs. Gantt and Mrs. Floyd, didn’t panic if a child didn’t learn to read in kindergarten. In fact, they expected that most children would learn to read in first grade. (They also supported and encouraged children who learned to read easily in kindergarten, like Sam’s brother Ben.)

Man Writes Touching Tribute About His Stay-At-Home Fiancée

Stay-at-home moms hear it all the time:

You're so lucky to be able to stay home with your baby!

Well, I wish I could afford to do that...

So you watch TV and play games all day?

So like... you don't work?

Enough is enough. It's high time we all paid attention to the real work stay-at-home moms (and dads!) put in day in and day out. One man, who is engaged to a hard-working stay-at-home mom, posted a picture to Facebook that helps us see this in action. When men appreciate the work of women, it's a wonderful thing for us all. Take a look at this:

9 Reasons to Feel Great (Not Guilty!) About Being a Working Mom

You're a working mom. That very likely means you've left the house nearly every day feeling guilty about your decision to be a working mom. "Am I selfish for abandoning my child?" "Is it cruel to put my baby in day care every day of the week?" "Are all the stay-at-home moms right?" But in honor of Working Parents Day tomorrow, stop the second-guessing and pat yourself on the back for making a decision that you very likely already know is best for your family.

Female chief in Malawi breaks up 850 child marriages and sends girls back to school

Theresa Kachindamoto, the senior chief in the Dedza District of Central Malawi, wields power over close to 900,000 people… and she’s not afraid to use her authority to help the women and girls in her district. In the past three years, she has annulled more than 850 child marriages, sent hundreds of young women back to school to continue their education, and made strides to abolish cleansing rituals that require girls as young as seven to go to sexual initiation camps...

How our toddlers showed us that they’d reached key milestones.

One of the most fascinating things of parenting is watching your children learn and develop. From the moment they are placed in your arms their little minds are absorbing knowledge and information from the world around them. They’re always watching, always listening (even when you wish they weren’t!) and all the time, their minds are expanding. There’s no ‘off’ switch when it comes to toddler’s learning. From the minute they wake in the (very) early morning their brains are little sponges; soaking up whatever their environment has to offer.

How to potty train toddlers

Approximately at the age of two, children learn bowel control first before bladder control or the reverse way. The child’s bowel or bladder control is mostly done in the morning than in the evening. Experts suggested that potty training should only be initiated when your child is already showing certain signs of readiness which is visible in the ages of two to three years old. There are signs when they already exhibiting attitudes of controlling their bowel or bladder.