With a rising 1st grader & a rising Kindergartner (& why don’t we throw my 3.5 yr old in there too) who are home all summer, I am faced with the challenge of keeping them stimulated & engaged …
Josie had a wonderful Kinderga…
Cleaning without the use of harsh chemicals - especially when you have young children in the house - is becoming more mainstream! Not only do you not have to worry about what your children might get into, but cleaning with natural produc…
Talk To Your Child About Their Day
Rhyme Time
The possibilities are endless when one opens up their mind.
Our wooden block sets have lost pieces, blocks have been lost or thrown away - however we still have JENGA! Jenga Game
This game is appropriat…
Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions whether you teach Early Childhood Education, Grade School, Secondary Education or you homeschool …. & on the flip side it is also one of the most trying professions.
A teacher not o…
Thirty-five years. I’ve hit the thirty-five year mark, and with that I have this offbeat feeling: I’ve rounded that curve of life & I still can’t see what exactly is ahead.  As my friends climb with me, this perpetual hill of li…
… and watch their imaginations run wild.
Large boxes, small boxes.
Food boxes, & shoe boxes.
To a child it doesn’t matter. The box is an empty canvas on which they can color, paint, cut or just sit inside of.
It was a rainy day la…
Teacher Appreciation, in the USA - is celebrated in May. However, teachers, administrators, and school volunteers help teach & care for our children throughout the school year.
There are simple & inexpensive ways to show your chil…
There are so many free & inexpensive things to do around the community. However, sometimes all you need to do to engage your young child in a stimulating activity is to open your kitchen cupboards or swing open the back door!
For many s…
“When do you have family time?” A friend of mine asked me this question the other day. The answer for our family is: We SCHEDULE it! Tom works unpredictable hours somedays & while I am working out of the house temporarily, we fin…
Five great ways to enjoy the outdoors with your kids:
**1. Picnic with the Clouds: Pack your lunch or dinner for you and the kids and set out a big blanket in the yard. After your meal, take a rest and see what cloud shapes you can co…
10 Creative Ways to Tell Kids You Love Them
Written by: Heidi Smith Luedtke
Ditch the heart-shaped box of chocolates and show your little cherubs how much you love them with these creative gifts and activities. You’ll make Valentineâ…
Learning begins from day one.
There are many reasons it is important to engage your infant in stimulating activities:
Children need time outdoors to explore, release energy, and learn. Many parents take their children to the park or allow them to play in the backyard.
While children are playing on play-sets & slides they are learning to take simple r…
Since the start of this site, we have touched upon many subjects including: preschool, potty training, natural remedies, brain development and several others. As we enter another school year we’re talking again about preschool & kinderg…
There are many subjects that parents hesitate to discuss with their children - for fear that the subject may overwhelm their child or they may feel their child is too young to understand the topic at hand.
However, there may come a time wh…
As we’ve mentioned, it’s that time of year again where many parents are sending their children off to school or beginning their education at home through home-schooling. Where ever your child is going to be spending this school year … fin…
In July 2005 I made the decision to leave my career in early childhood education and devote myself to being a stay-at-home mom. I was approximately a week away from giving birth to my first child.
Making that leap from working full time t…
As a family of five in a 1500 sq foot home, we are often faced with the onerous task of finding space for something … most often it is for that NEW TOY!
Whether you reside in an 800 sq foot apartment or a 6000 sq foot house, once your fami…
As another school year approaches I am faced with the fact that my oldest daughter will be heading off to kindergarten next fall. While we have made the choice not to send her to preschool, there are still skills that we know she needs to ha…
It is not news to hear that children mimic the actions of the adults around them; However, as parents of young children we sometimes need to be reminded of this.
With code orange & code red days, the price of gas increasing, the aff…
…. this is one of the current hot topics with SAHM (stay-at-home-moms) today. Parents make choices for their family every day: from what to eat for breakfast, when to schedule appointments, to what activities the children will be doing…
Thumbing through the May issue of Parents magazine I stumbled upon the article, Natural Remedies for Children. Knowing that there will come a time when one of these remedies can be put to the test in our house, I r…
So now the fun begins. Family is gone, husband is back at work, and it is just me and the kids: Mommy, Josie (2.5 yrs), Rob 1.5 (yrs), and Lily (3 weeks).
Week number 1 is coming to a close and we have survived. Granted all 3 kids & …
While it is a little late in the game for my husband & I to be asking ourselves this question, many women (and fathers) find themselves wondering if the timing is “right” to try for another child.
Our first pregnancy was planned, and w…
Have you found yourself wondering if your child will ever become potty trained?! I have recently asked myself that question. Josie is just over 2 years old, and I am of the mind set, that it will happen when it happens; this is something …
Monday morning & it is the first day of “school” for Josie (it is actually a structured mother’s morning out program) and we are all excited!
The weekend leading up to Josie’s first day, we talked about the children that she would see i…
It’s no secret that eating healthy keeps you fit, energized, and feeling great! This goes for children as well. When children begin eating table food, that is the time to introduce healthy eating habits. This sounds easy, but not every chi…
First birthdays are always a treat! Many children love the attention and parents have fun creating just the perfect atmosphere to celebrate this special day. Whether you are putting together a huge 1st birthday bash, or you are keeping it l…
Picture this:
A toddler & an older infant pleasantly eating, sleeping and laughing all the way through a 14 hour car trip …. Is this possible?
Not in our family! We recently returned from a car trip to upstate NY that w/o …
