Photo courtesy Lee Cullivan

10. Every child throws tantrums. This is a normal part of life. There is no terrible 2’s or 3’s, all children go through phases and it’s normal. I know parents who will tell you that their child is going through the terrible 16’s!

9. Your child WILL learn! So what if Suzie knows how to read and your child doesn’t. Each child learns at his own pace. When he is ready he will work with you and learn, so don’t push it!

8. Every child needs to make a mess. A 4 year old is just that, a 4 year old. Don’t get upset over every mess you see. This is part of the learning process and part of the fun! Remember messes most often means that your child was attempting to do something on his own, and that is progress.

continue reading "10 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About their Preschoolers"

So your child loves to be social and chats with everyone on the street and you think it’s a wonderful thing…most of the time. There is that uncomfortable moment though where you notice that your 3 year old is giving out all of his personal information. How do we teach our child not to talk to strangers? This is a simple yet difficult topic to cover because we want our children to be social yet we need them to be a bit fearful. Here are a few simple tips that may help:

*Explain to your child what a stranger is. Tell them that a stranger is someone that you don’t know. Let them know that when a grown up is not around they should not talk or take anything from people they don’t know.

*Let your child know that there are nice and not-so-nice people in the world. Its okay to let your child know that not everyone wants to be their friend. As a matter of fact, its imperative that children understand this concept for their safety.
continue reading "Children and Strangers: Keeping Kids Safe"

There are books that can really help discuss relevant issues that your preschooler may have at school in a manner that makes it easily understandable. One such book that really shows us that we are all different and yet the same is " The Sneetches and Other Stories " by the wonderful Dr. Seuss . In the "Sneetches" Dr. Seuss shows children that the star belly sneetches are no better than the plain belly sneetches reinforcing to your child that all children are the same no matter how they look. The next story "the Zax" tells us why we have to be flexible. The story "Too many Daves" teaches us why we all have different names, and the last story about "The Pale Green Pants" teaches us all that even though we may be different their is nothing to be afraid of. Remeber that your preschooler may be experiencing different cultures and people for the first time and it is okay and normal for him to have questions. Having books and resources can help you have tricky conversations that may be a bit uncomfortable or hard to explain at a 3 year old level.

What Should I Read To My Toddler?

In a world full of horror and tragedy it is hard to keep our children in the safe world of fiction and fairy tale land. Reading to our children is one of the best and most important things we can do as parents because

continue reading "Books For Every Preschooler: Diversity, Multiculturalism and Other Lessons"

Move your mouse around below this text and be sure to click often to change colors.

Back yet? My pre schooler spent hours on this site in the past few years. Even longer than games at nickjr.com and pbskids.org. By the way, PBSKids.org has some of the best online games for small children out there and they are still FREE. Stay tuned for a post entirely about the excellent games at PBSKids.

This wonderful game can be played in full at jacksonpollock.org
continue reading "Great Online Game for Toddlers & Preschoolers: Kid Tested & Safe"

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 **spaceMonkey**

So your beautiful toddler goes off to the day care center and at pick up time the teacher tells you that your child has been caught lying. Embarrassment, anger, and frustration may start to creep in your mind, but my advice is relax! Chances are your child has lied at home, and even if he or she hasn’t you should not worry because this is an age appropriate reaction. Children at the mere age of 3 begin to understand how the world works around them. Part of understanding what that means is, figuring out that there are certain ways to get out of trouble! Of course they are going to try to lie to avoid being disciplined! It is how you react that will make all of the difference.
continue reading "How To Teach Your Pre Schooler To Tell The Truth"

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 you maybe having panic attacks and be feeling like you want to take your child home and keep him there for another year…. my advice is don’t.

Children need to learn to be social and how to interact without their parents. The best thing that you can do is talk to your child about school and all the fun things bout it. Make sure you learn all of the teachers names and explain to him the schedule of the day. When you drop off your child do it quickly walk them over to the designated area (or hand them to a teacher if they are crying) give a quick kiss and say goodbye. Do not sneak around the corner or look in from a window because if your child spots you it means you don’t trust the teachers in the school (so he won’t either) and it makes you emotional which can definitely affect your child.

continue reading "My Child Will Not Stop Crying & it’s the First Week of School!"

So you have created this perfect sanctuary for your child yet every night you seem to be fighting him for the covers in your bedroom every night! Here a re few tips to help your precious angel stay in his bedroom and help you get a decent nights sleep!

Get in to a bed time routine! Whatever your routine (i.e. put on pj’s, brush teeth, read stories, and off to bed) establish it and stick to it as much as possible. Once your nursery schooler understands that this staying in his bed is part of the routine he may stay there.

continue reading "How to Get Your Pre Schooler to Sleep in Their Own Room!"

So the teacher has told you that your preschooler is kicking, poking, pinching, lying, pushing and scratching. You think, what have I raised? No your child does not become a ravage animal when you are not present and yes you are a good parent. When learning how to socialize children find different ways to communicate with each other. They need to explore the different types of communication both aggressive and non aggressive before really truly understanding what is the social norm. This has nothing to do with what they know is right or wrong. This behavior is truly a means of asking, “Can you play with me” and ” Don’t take my toy.”

continue reading "When Is Your Child’s Behavior Inappropriate?"

So you have tried to start the educational process and for whatever reason your child seems to be having a difficult time at school. Understand that this is okay. All children are different and all develop at their own pace.

Signs that your child is not ready to attend school or hysterical crying before you have left home when you mention school, making himself physically ill when at school, or genuine fear when you set foot into the school. I would not equate these signs as simple separation anxiety. Separation Anxiety is the fear of being away from parents. This is a normal part of a child?s development.

You know your child, and there is a distinctive difference in a child crying because he is away from you and a child fearing that he is unsafe. If your child exhibits any of the signs mentioned above take him out of school and try different options. The first is to find a school with a drop in mommy and me or playtime program where you could stop by for a few weeks with your child and allow him to be comfortable with new surroundings.

Join your child into playgroups and have him go on play dates with familiar people. During these play dates plan times where you will separate from your child for brief periods. If your child must attend a school right away find a school that allows you to stay with your child the first day of school and slowly separate from him for longer periods throughout the day. This will allow him the opportunity to see that you trust this new environment and cause him to trust it to. Above all , don’t give up! Children do things when they are ready, and when your child is ready he will love school!