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Posts tagged “Parenting”

Holiday Cards at Speckles & Weeds

Okay, it might seem a little early to be thinking about holiday cards, but you know how it is. By the time you order your cards, have them delivered, write and address them, then put them in the mail....

Let Sleeping Babies Lie with a Door Sign?

When our son was a baby he was an extremely light sleeper and we were cautious not to create any loud noise (say, a sneeze) that might disturb him. Unfortunately many naps were brought (literally) ...

Mix Up Bedtime Reading with Wordless Books

Are you burned out reading the same bedtime books to your child night after night after night? You both know the words by heart and, frankly, you've been phoning in your performance. One idea is t...

Hot or Not? The Baby Hotel

Located in Johannesburg, it's kind of like daycare, but stay at home parents can drop their child off for a few hours on any given day without being registered for a full time daycare program There a...

A Little Dirt is Good For You
The New York Times

It's always a little awkward at the playground as parents near you are pulling their kids out of dirt and puddles while you let yours get wet and dirty. Are they overprotective? Am I too cavalier?...

Parenting Blog Roundup: Giving Up on Family Dinners
Week of 09.24.2009

In a guest post on The New York Times' Motherlode blog, freelance writer Leah Ariniello confesses that she recently, and guiltily, made the decision to forgo stressful family dinners in favor of one m...

Enforcing Bedtimes
CNN.com

"Setting bedtimes can improve sleep quality and quantity for infants and toddlers, according to a growing body of research," says a recent article in CNN. This is nothing new, but a great reminder n...

Who's That Baby Looking in the Mirror?

We had heard before that babies don't realize that reflection in the mirror is theirs until about eighteen months, but we just didn't believe it...surely she knows by now that's her- we thought at abo...

Smiling in Pictures = Happy Marriage?

Will your child smile in their school picture this year? Do you have lots of photos of smiling kids around your home? Well, one study says those smiley pictures could indicate a happy marriage in th...

Entrepreneurial Childhoods

On a recent Southwest Airlines flight, I read in Spirit magazine that 42% of entrepreneurs launched their first venture during childhood. This rang true for me, as a veteran of the lemonade stand, the...

Capturing the First Day of School

Today was the first day of preschool - a momentous event for the kids. Probably even more so for the parents. So what's a great way to capture the memories of this happy milestone?...

Adverse Affects of Praise on Children
NPR

While driving home from work the other day, we caught an interview with Po Bronson on NPR in which he was discussing his new book "NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children." What Bronson claims is t...

Parenting Blog Roundup
Week of 9.7.09

Everyone at home is affected when school starts up again, so that's our continued focus in this week's parenting blog roundup. Zoning in on green choices, healthy morning routines, school supplies, le...

Mixed Feelings About School Starting?

In some parts of the country school is already in session and where we live kids are savoring their last week of freedom before they hear that school bell ring. Back-to-school can be an exciting ti...

Breakfast Can Wait. The Day’s First Stop Is Online.
The New York Times

Our first stop in the morning after scooping our son out of his crib is the bathroom, but many parents and kids (apparently with bladders of steel) are diving for their smartphone or laptop to see w...

Teaching Good Manners

Of course the best way to teach good manners and behavior is by example, but sometimes it helps to have fun stories, games and visual aids as supplements. We've rounded up some of our favorites and...

Potty Training Incentive: Achievement Crown

In light of yesterday's discussion about potty training, we wanted to show you an incentive idea that one of our readers shared with us: a crown for your child to wear upon their "throne."...

More Kids Starting School in Diapers

Learning at home is not just about the ABCs and 123s, it's about teaching kids basic skills and one of the most challenging is potty training. As the start of the school year looms some parents may...

Are Dogs as Smart as Two-Year-Olds?

This question doesn't actually seem so ridiculous to us. Many months ago when our son was a newborn we remarked to a friend that we were looking forward to the day when his intelligence surpassed t...

"What Ever Happened to the Playpen?"
Slate.com

The debate rages on about the "playpen" aka playard/pack 'n play. Over on Slate.com, Tom Vanderbilt does an excellent job of exploring the playpen- from its history to its place in modern parenting, ...

Parenting Blog Roundup
Week of 8.10.09

Did the films of John Hughes make us better parents? This intriguing question was posed over on Parent Dish where they're wondering whether our generation's scorn at the clueless parents in Hughes'...

Do Active Children Sleep Longer?

Although it's somewhat counterintuitive, new parents are told (and eventually come to experience and believe) that an overtired baby or infant won't sleep well. We can't tell you how many times we'...

In Defense of the Play Date
Slate.com

Besides a few casual meetups in the park, we haven't made any official play dates for our son so we've yet to wade into these potentially treacherous waters. Ideally we imagine a play date in which...

Parenting Blog Roundup: 07.31.09

From the sanctity of naptimes, to hopscotching hallways, to how you might doom your child by choosing the wrong name- there's a lot going on out there in the parent blogosphere......

Playful Learning & The Hope Revolution

Playful Learning, a fabulous website by Mariah Bruehl is packed full of educational activities that promote positive family interactions. It's a magnificent resource that's presented beautifully and...