Teaching Your Toddler About Feelings

It’s amazing to me how quickly babies learn language. If I could learn a brand new language from scratch as quickly as a toddler, I would be speaking fluently in two years or less. The only thing keeping your baby from speaking more than she does is the fact that she has to learn how to use her tongue and lips to form those words as well. Babies pick up language all around them. Some of it they learn from interacting with their family. Some of it is taught. It’s easy to look at a picture book with your toddler … Continue reading

Suddenly Picky? (Tips for Your Miniature Food Critic)

Recently I have noticed that my son has been acting a little more picky at meal time. Often if he does not want something, he will insist on pushing it out of his reach. He will also throw it on the floor, flick it off his plate, or offer it to my husband or me to eat instead. Some of the foods are new and I understand why he would not like them, but other foods are past favorites and I am baffled by the fact that he has decided to reject them out of the blue! Sometimes we are … Continue reading

Tips for Getting Your Baby or Toddler to Sleep

Sleeping is not something you can really teach a baby or a toddler, but it is definitely something you can facilitate as the parent. It’s all about creating a schedule and an environment that is conducive to sleep. Remember the famous line, “make him an offer he can’t refuse”? That is exactly what you have to do when it comes to getting your baby to sleep. You have to create that desire for sleep. You have to make it easy for your baby to fall asleep as well. These are things you do for yourself and take for granted. You … Continue reading

Encouraging Your Toddler to Talk

When my daughter was a baby I spent countless hours encouraging her to say new words. Now I can’t get her to stop talking. EVER. Still, I don’t regret a single second I spent reading to her, sounding out words or simply describing each item we encountered during our walks through the neighborhood. If you are looking for ways to encourage your toddler to express himself through words, then consider the following tips: Nix the baby talk: Use real words. Don’t confuse your toddler with made up baby talk or weird sounds. Instead, use adult language in a pleasing tone. … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: November 2008

I hope that you had a good holiday with your little one(s). November went by so fast, it is hard to believe that december and the holidays are already upon us. Here are all of the blogs that we posted last month in the Baby Blog. November 1st Baby Blog Week in Review: October 20th Through October 26th As parents, we always worry about our children. It is so important to stay informed, whether it is an issue with BPA in plastics or baby clothing that is causing medical issues. Explore the posts in the Baby Blog for the week … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading

What NOT to do When Your Toddler Refuses to Move

Have you ever been in public and your sweet angelic child ends up throwing the temper tantrum to end all temper tantrums? She screams, she yells, and she refuses to get up? My twins have an advantage because I can really only pick up one at a time–and they know it. But I saw something curious yesterday–I’ve actually seen parents do this before–but for some reason it struck me as especially illogical yesterday. Amazingly, my twins were well behaved yesterday on our outing. But some other mother was having one hard time with her baby who I am guessing to … Continue reading

5 Tips for Surviving the Magic Kingdom in One Day with Little Ones

Good morning to all! I don’t often write in the Disney blog but many of you may know me from my other blogs on this site, or from the forums. You may also know that I have just returned from a vacation to Disney World! This is no small feat as many of you already know: I have five children. Read that to mean, 5 children who love, love, love all things Disney. Some of you may be thinking, “What’s the big deal? So she has five kids!” The big deal is that they are all under the age of … Continue reading

80 Parenting Tips

Parents Magazine has been around for 80 years and in the October 2006, in honor of their anniversary, they offer 80 Tips for Parents From Parents. Here are some of my favorites: Give yourself a break, being a parent means making mistakes and we should not beat ourselves up about them. Instead, we should learn and move on. Create a weekly family ritual like talking a walk in the park, having pancakes for dinner or playing charades. Be affectionate to your kids. Begin and end each day with “I love you” and offer lots of hugs and kisses. Learn to … Continue reading

Deciphering Toddler Eating Habits

Toddlers are notorious for their very unique eating habits. They are at the cross roads of a very important time in their lives: in between infancy and independence (relatively speaking). Frequently, toddlers have unique eating habits that can sometimes present a challenge to parents. The trick is to take it all in stride. Check out these tips to handling feeding your toddler! I Love Green Foods! Just Green Foods! Do you have one of those kids that only eats one thing? They decide that they like one particular type of food and they stick with it. They reject all other … Continue reading