The famous saying goes “Keep calm, and carry on.” It can be a lot harder to do when you are confronted with obstacle after obstacle, or had a really bad week. Sometimes, you may accidentally “freak out” in front of your kid, and soon you are not only dealing with your freak-out, but theirs as well. Some of these freak-outs cannot be controlled. Once, I missed the last step on a flight of stairs, and came crashing to the ground. I happened to be carrying Sophia, who was nine months old at the time. Instead of catching myself, I instinctively guarded her from injury. I have no idea how I did …
I have to admit, I started this winter excited to play outside in the snow and enjoy every minute of it. I was a “polar bear.” Polar bears don’t hibernate, they thrive in the cold weather. When the first snowflakes fell I shouted with glee. When the flakes became large drifts, I squealed with delight. However, as the weeks drag on, I am becoming more interested in acting like a “regular bear,” and retreating back to my “cave,” and waiting for the thaw. Maybe it's my Minnesotan blood, but it seems the people that are happiest are those that embrace every season—not just the days when the …
My mom used to take us to the library every week when we were kids. Where I grew up in Minnesota, the nearest library was only open two days of the week for about six hours at a time. The children's section was very tiny. Yet every week we went, and we found some new book or author to entertain us. We loved books. Some kids seem naturally drawn to books, and others need more exposure to them before the love of literacy takes hold. Regardless of the group your child falls into, the research is clear: kids who read more (and are read to!) do better in school. If you need some new ideas for …
As the year comes to a close, we are inundated with to-do lists, checklists, resolution lists and top somethings of the year. Since many of my friends and neighbors are parents, I've benefited quite a bit from their advice. So here's my top 10 list, the best pieces of advice I have received in the last year or two: 1. If the baby is crying, and he's been fed, etc., and still can't be consoled, carry the child outside. The change in temperature and sound distracts and calms them. 2. Offer your child food to try even if you don't like it. My daughter loves beans and meatballs, and without this …
"It's for you!" At first I thought my toddler's fascination with my iPhone was endearing. She had mostly graduated beyond the light-up toy phone—we both knew which buttons played the fun music, and we were both sometimes surprised by its fake "ringing" after you forgot it for a few moments. One day during a patience-testing shopping trip, I handed her the phone to occupy her. At first, the simple iconic graphics captivated her. Then, as she realized the graphics did things when you touched them, her interest grew. By her second birthday, she could find a picture of my sister on command. When …
