Here are some quick shopping tips when prices are high and the budget is low

For Infants, Babies and Toddlers:

Please remember toddlers have no concept of price and what they want! You could give them a shopping bag and they would play for hours! It does not make you any less of a parent because they own no leap frog toys! Try sticking with old fashioned toys like shape rings, wooden clocks, spinning wheels, board books, large puzzles, shape sorters, anything that has cause and effect sounds or lights!

For Preschool and School age Children:

Science experiments, Leggos, Kineks, Cars, Trucks, Planes, Barbies, dolls, are all reasonably priced. Does she really need Barbies Dream house when you can afford a cheaper doll house but place 4 barbies in it? Same with the fellas. They don’t need the super duper Monster truck for $150 dollars when you can get 40 hot wheels for  $10. Remember at the preschool age children will love whatever you give them.
continue reading "Last Minute Shopping for your Kids in a Tough Economy"

Photo from peasap

So you have the world’s pickiest eater and you are worried that he or she is super skinny! Well here are a few tips that will help your picky eater:

• Your child has managed to make it this far. Remember your idea of not eating anything and what they actually eat are completely different. So what if your child only eats 7 items. Feed them those 7 items. If your child likes macaroni and cheese, than that’s what you serve. By using those books such as “Deceptively Delicious” and the “Sneaky Chef” you can find ways to puree other ingredients into the foods they like without them knowing. You can also try mixing other veggies, meats, and fruits into items that they like. This might encourage them to try new things. Also no one says that their has to be certain foods that we eat for breakfast lunch and dinner. If your child likes Rice and Beans at every meal, than have it for breakfast! At least it’s something in their stomach!


continue reading "My Toddler Won’t Eat Anything! Coping with Picky Eaters & Fussy Kids"

Photo courtesy of Steve Navarro

In a world where Jamie Lynne Spears is pregnant at 16, and Lindsay Lohan has just come out of rehab, it is hard to find people to look up to. Gone are the days where icons such as Mary Tyler Moore and Marie Osmond were positive role models for young girls. We have now reached an era where Britney Spears is continually showing her private area, and as mothers it may be hard to find a way to counteract these negative images. Here are a few ideas to aid in assisting your child in finding her way through this media madness:
continue reading "Protecting Our Daughters From The Wrong Role Models."

Photo courtesy of Shermeee

Your preschooler is at an inquisitive age and seems to want to know all those questions that you are not prepared to answer: Where do babies come from, why do girls and boys have different body parts, why was the news talking about someone getting killed, or even why do some people have no home? These are just a few examples among a hundred questions your child may have. Now how to answer these questions may be difficult, especially when keeping a child innocent has become more and more difficult in the age we live in. Here are a few tips that may be helpful:
continue reading "Speaking To Your Child About Uncomfortable Topics…"

So your toddler is at pre school and you are wondering what exactly are they teaching. Also, is my child keeping up with the with the other children? Here are a few all important tips on what your child should be learning:
continue reading "What Should My Child Be Learning At Day Care?"

Parents, we love the kids nap time. Its our break time, rest time, or time to get things done, but you may have noticed that its getting increasingly difficult to put your pre schooler to sleep! Here are a few tips to let you know if your child is ready to end nap time:

Does your child have trouble falling asleep at a consistent bedtime if he takes a nap? If your child is going to bed later and later when he takes a nap, then chances are he no longer needs a nap.

continue reading "Toddlers & Naps: When To Stop"

Being a parent of a child with a low immune system or a child who frequently gets ill can be difficult. Here are a few tips from a mom whose child sometimes misses weeks of school at a time:
1. Be in contact with your child’s nursery school teacher. Let them know exactly whats going on so that they have an understanding of just how sick your child really is. This makes them more aware of your child and his contact with germs and also makes them more understanding.
2. Get your child’s work at home. This way they are caught up and not feeling left behind the other children. If your not sure what you should be doing or how to teach, then speak to the teacher. They will guide you and show you the basic steps on how to help your child at home.
continue reading "Coping & Caring For Chronically Ill Children & Sending Them To Nursery School"

So your boss tells you yo have to meet the next deadline and your pre-schooler has started coughing.. .what should you do? 9 times out of 10 a nursery school will have a sick policy in place (fever free four 24 hours or can not be at nursery school vomiting), but more often than not sick toddlers end up at preschool. Parents think that because the child just has a cough or a slight runny nose they are “well enough” to go to nursery school or day care.

Here are a few tips:

continue reading "Toddler Too Sick for Nursery School? Signs for the Working Mom"

You have read all your articles on sibling rivalry, on what to do to prepare your child for the new arrival, and how to have your new baby and older child meet when suddenly the new baby is here and all hell breaks loose. Suddenly your perfect little angel either begins to use disruptive behavior, or sometimes even worse, they want to help so much you are afraid your baby might break in two. Where are the articles based on reality? Take it from a mother who knows. No matter what you do, all the preparation, all the talking, your child will react. Remember that little person used to be the king of the castle, and no king likes to share their thrown. Your mission as mom and dad is to make them understand that they still are the king in your eyes and that there is a thrown for them as well as one for the new baby!

continue reading "When Your Pre Schooler Meets Your New Baby…"

In this day and age when sending your child to school there are a few simple steps that you as a parent can do to help ensure the safety of your child: Ask if there are back round checks performed for each staff member and how often medicals are required.

Find out when the Board of Health last visited the site and find out if any violations were found, and how they were rectified.

continue reading "How to Keep Your Pre-Schooler Safe:"

There are a few telltale signs to detect if a preschool is terrible from the first time you set foot in the door. Here are a few preliminary tips that will help you avoid those horrendous schools without investing too much time and energy:

When entering a school to find out information, always walk in during class times and unannounced. When parents call in teachers know to expect some one and often act on their best behavior. Also Directors will ensure that all their best people are present, and that they are fully staffed during scheduled tour dates. The class will always look extremely clean on a tour date and will not gibe a realistic picture of the classroom environment. Even if the school doesn’t allow you to tour right at that moment walking in and being observant for even a few seconds will give you a lasting impression.

continue reading "How to Detect a Bad Preschool or Child Care Facility"

So your child has entered the wonderful world of preschool and has yet to see a day of school when his nose is not running. How can you try and avoid this perpetual runny nose ? Here are a few simple tips.

1. Find out the school’s hand washing policy. How often are the children required to wash hands and do they use soap. Do they wash hands before every meal or just at certain points in the day? After they use the bathroom? Also, teach your child how to wash their hands correctly. This will save you a few sneezy days.

continue reading "How to Prevent Your Pre-schooler from Coming Home Sick"

A nursery school teacher is easy to find… A great nursery school teacher is not. When thinking about leaving your ?precious cargo? in the hands of someone else I have the following suggestions. When meeting the teacher for the first time bring your child with you. Take notice of who she greets first. Also take notice of how she interacts with your child. Does she get down to his level? Does she engage the child in conversation? What is her body language saying?

continue reading "How to Tell if I am Leaving My Child in Good Hands…."

So your child never eats and you are worried that he will go the entire day with no nutrition right? Well have no fear! Children tend to eat when they see their peers eating because they want to be like their friends. Also a good nursery school will not allow your child to go all day without anything in their stomach. So the question then becomes what do I pack? Simply, pack what your child likes to eat. If your child does not eat sandwiches at home he won?t eat them at school. Do not worry about the mess factor. Nursery school children are messy by nature and no its not just they way your child eats.

What you need to remember is that it does not make it easier on the teacher when you pack ?clean foods? that your child does not like to eat because now they have even more work trying to get a child to eat foods they don?t like. So if your child likes pasta and sauce pack it! Something else to remember is that children between the ages of 2-5 are creatures of habit. They may want the same thing for lunch every day for months on end. This is okay. One day he won?t want peanut butter sandwiches anymore, and no one is judging you for giving him the same thing everyday. Remember, at least he is eating!

Something else to remember is the importance of choices. Children like to feel in control so having them help you pack their lunch will entice them to eat it at school. Also, pack a lot of different snack options so that if they day ends up being a day they don?t want their lunch, at least they have snack to choose from. Good options for snacks include fruits, yogurt, crackers and cheese, and dried cereals. A treat food also helps such as Jello, pudding, or cookies.

Teachers can often entice a child to eat by using the treat snack as a reward for finishing meals. I would also suggest that you precut and peel foods ahead of time, and encourage your child with the self help skills of eating. Good teachers will help feed your child, but it helps when a child is able to eat most foods by themselves. The most important thing to remember is that no matter what you pack in your child?s lunch their will be days that he doesn?t eat and their will be days the lunch box will come back empty. Either way he will still grow up to be a happy healthy loving child!