By definition, parents are busy, parents working outside the home as well take busy to an extreme! I witnessed the extreme LIFE when I did a grandnanny shift recently. Young families have a LOT on their plates! NO one can do everything on their own (you remember Hillary’s It takes a village….) so look outward to see how to ease some of the burdens of day-to-day working, parenting and living. Below are some tips to make your LIFE run smoother and easier! • Housekeeping chores—there … [Read more...]
School, Stress, Children & Play
The fun—maybe sometimes lazy—days of summer are over and the hard, cold reality of sitting in a school classroom has set in. It wasn’t all that long ago the concept of early childhood education was singing songs, building blocks, dress-up corners, easels, and plenty of time playing with new friends outdoors. Fast forward to the present, with the influence of No Child Left Behind and Common Core, young children are taught with standardized testing in mind. They’re bombarded with letters, … [Read more...]
Tech-NO? Technology & Young Children
Technology has given us: 1.Tools to make LIFE easier; 2.Many LIFE-saving treatments; and 3.Tools to make LIFE more convenient Technology is a good thing! BUT you know the expression: "Too much of good thing…." The reality, of course, is technology isn't going away. It is interwoven into our lives. I recognize the many ways I’ve benefited from it and expect to benefit from it in the future. I'm not advocating for that! What I am advocating for is for parents to decide: • When • … [Read more...]
Reach Out & Touch: The Importance of Our Sense of Touch
The skin is our body’s largest ‘organ’ – These truths have been reinforced in me with the recent births of my grandsons. I jumped at any and every opportunity to nuzzle my grandsons and feel their perfectly, unblemished skin—and inhale their wonderful newborn smell! I could (and DID) let minutes, hours go by just staring at these wondrous beings! Using our senses—touching, tasting, seeing, hearing, and smelling—is how we first gather information about the world around us. Our sense of touch is … [Read more...]
MEAN Girls—In the Preschool Years?!
Really? Mean girls in the preschool years? Unfortunately YES it can start even there…according to an article in the Wall Street Journal Little Children and Already Acting Mean the concept of ‘relational aggression’ is discussed. In a nutshell, relational aggression can be equated to emotional bullying. It's different than physical bullying in that there are no physical wounds, but that should not minimize or negate the pain and suffering inflicted. As I read the article, I immediately went back … [Read more...]