5 Fresh Takes on Outdoor Play
The nice weather and the school year’s end mean kids and adults want to head outside to play. But playing the same old outdoor games over and over can quickly become tedious, and by the third week of summer break, you’ll likely be hearing, “I’m bored.” So how can parents make outside play fresh and…
Learning Tween
Not to toot my own horn, but I consider myself a pretty adept parent. I believe I have a good relationship with both of my children. I don’t classify myself as having one specific parenting style; I am a marriage of authoritative and free-range as the situation necessitates. For example, I set realistic rules and…
A Mini Beach Trip to the Waffle House by the Bay
Travel and fun outings were a significant part of my childhood. Whether it was trips to a Phillies game, museums, visiting my grandparents, Disney World, road trips, or big trips to Europe, my parents excelled at exposing us to fun and adventure. As a parent, I’ve tried to do the same for my two boys.…
Check On Your Mom Friends
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com I’ve been thinking a lot about mom shaming lately. And don’t get me wrong, criticism happens to dads, grandparents, and everyone else too, but mom-shaming has become such a part of our culture that when you say mom-shaming, we all know what you mean. I experienced a lot of…
Reading and How it Builds Social Skills
People may not be aware, but there is a direct link between children’s ability to read and their social skills. Reading is all about letters, sounds, and words and is a solitary activity, so how could it help with social skills? Surprisingly, the answer is that it can benefit a child socially in myriad ways.…
Learning to Exhale
This blog has been woefully silent. I have many good excuses but perhaps not as many good reasons. Life, to put it simply, has been nuts. No, not nuts, stressful. Really, truly, dreadfully stressful. Health issues, COVID, a flooded basement, more health issues, little league baseball season, did I mention health issues and a flooded…
No More Monsters Under the Bed
Almost all children go through a phase of being afraid of the dark. I imagine even as an adult, you’ve had moments of uneasiness when it comes to what could be lurking in the shadows. Let’s examine some of the causes of why and ways to address your child’s fear of the dark. One main…
My Postpartum Never Went Away
Not many people talk about postpartum depression several years after giving birth. However, in some cases it can lasts for years. Postpartum depression usually begins within the first three months after giving birth and can last anywhere from a few months to several years. Roughly 80% of women will suffer the baby blues, a feeling…
It’s OK to Get Upset
As long as I have been a part of the early childhood education world, the following phrase has been a part of it: You get what you get, and you don’t get upset. I don’t know when parents and educators started using this phrase, but can we please stop? Not only is it dismissive to…
The Power in Positive Phrasing
One of my son’s favorite books is “No, David!” by David Shannon. We read it all the time. I like to jokingly put his name in the book, and while it is funny, it also hits a nerve for him and me too. That’s because we can both see him as the character in this…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Follow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Master of Mixed Maternal Arts 