One of the things I like to do with my toddlers is, in theory, play around with paint and dough and things like that.  And I say in theory because when I'm planning something, everything seems easy and I always think it's going to work really well. But, to tell you the truth, that doesn't…

I have some very favorite things that I would simply roll over and cry if I lost.  

No, they are not really material items.  They are website links.  Yes!  Since I've become a web junkie, I've found some amazing information tucked inside some of those links and I go back time and time again to pick them up and share them with others.  And the one that tops my…

Marital conflict is a significant source of environmental stress for children, and witnessing such conflict may harm children’s stress response systems which, in turn, may affect their mental and intellectual development.

These conclusions come from a new study by researchers at Auburn University and the…

Inventing a few handy cleaning games has really made a difference in our home.

The I Spy Game:

This is a great one for kids of any age, from preschool to pre-teen . When kids…

Learning words and language is innate... it just happens. Though it may be at a different pace than some of their peers, or maybe a bit slower than anticipated... they will find their own way of communicating with you. Though when it comes to learning new words... silence is NOT golden.

Using these 5 basic techniques are great ways to reinforce language and word learning in your budding communicator:

1.…

Writing is a uniquely human activity; and therefore, a wonder to watch develop.

(My daughter 'wrote' her name 'Abby' - she was 3 at the time)

For your child to write, he or she must develop a sophisticated collection of cognitive, fine and…

Children walk on their toes for various different reasons. Some parents look at toe-walking as a benefit to the future ballerina and other parents become very concerned when their child is constantly tiptoeing around. Frequently, toe-walking is completely benign, indicating nothing more than the child has a tendency to walk on their toes. Regardless,…

If your child mentions an imaginary friend, add another seat at the dinner table and regard this wonderful aspect of your child’s developing mind and emotions with respect.

Once thought to be a sign of concern, today child development specialists agree that imaginary friends and…

Not sure where to start? Here are some tips to consider that will help your child to have a successful start in school.

Build your child’s self esteem and resilience:

• Mastery of life skills leads to feeling capable, so it’s important to allow…

The preschool children in my class recently explored different kinds of lines and to add to our experience, the children explored these lines of paint on the light table...

I placed a clear tray with lines of tempera paint on the light table and a set of cotton swabs in cups next to the light table...…

Exploring The 5 Senses in Early Childhood will help young children identify and discover the body parts that are used to gain sensory information:  Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, and Hands.

The activities suggested below will offer…

“I’m not your friend anymore!” We’ve all heard an indignant toddler yell these words to a playmate.

Any parent of a daughter will tell you, girl drama starts young. But while little girls resolve issues quickly, as girls get older, friendship problems become more difficult.…

Making a play doh pizza that has pretend "a" like apple things on top of it ( like a small alligator, ants, etc.) is a great way to play and be practicing language. Plus, it keeps that small voice inside happy by knowing that if I make the effort, I am helping my little one learn to read. Did you know that learning how to put a sound with a certain symbol…

Making a play doh pizza that has pretend "a" like apple things on top of it ( like a small alligator, ants, etc.) is a great way to play and be practicing language. Plus, it keeps that small voice inside happy by knowing that if I make the effort, I am helping my little one learn to read. Did you know that learning how to put a sound with a certain symbol…

Get an Early Start on Promoting a Healthy Relationship with Food

How many adults do you know who are constantly conflicted about what they eat… wanting to eat things they know they shouldn’t, then feeling guilty, then spiraling into over-consumption or even…

Dental trauma in young children is very common. Pediatric dentists often hear stories about a child hitting the edge of a tub or coffee table or hard floor surface. It is estimated that 30 to 50 percent of children have some type of injury to a baby or primary tooth or to the mouth during their childhood. A child learning to crawl and walk combined…

Kids grow up so fast. Right now your baby may just be learning how to crawl, but before you know it he or she will be graduating from high school and headed off to college – and if you don’t have any money saved up to cover tuition, that could spell trouble.  Higher education is more expensive than ever these days, and if your child is forced to finance their degree on loans…

What is the best way to support a baby’s budding language skills?

You may be surprised to learn that responding to your child’s interests during simple everyday activities is the key to language development.

Researchers at Puckett…

Are you searching for fun and unique activities to celebrate the arrival of SPRING with your kids?  Below you’ll find some colorful ideas using Wikki Stix, the original wax covered creatables.

FLOWER BLOSSOM…

Here is a really cool product that helps parents and Toddlers!  .KidSwitch allows toddlers to reach light switches, thereby empowering them with independence and freeing parents from this repetitive task.  Yea!  

By allowing your toddler to reach and operate their light you can instill good energy saving habits at the perfect "absorption" age by teaching them to turn OFF a light when they leave a room.  Lets face it, toddlers…