When awaiting the arrival of a new baby, Mom and Dad have a lot to do and must get a lot in preparation. So many items are needed for such a tiny human! If you haven’t guessed by now, my focus is entirely on children—what they need to insure they’ll be healthy, well, and on their way to reaching their fullest potential! When baby is born, a key factor for a healthy newborn involves feeding. And the solution is breastfeeding! Help for Mamas... New mamas can look to doulas or lactation … [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...]
Sing, Sing a Song-Why Singing is Important
Singing: I think it’s one of our inalienable rights, something everyone should be able to fully engage in and enjoy. Unfortunately too many (my husband being one) have been told at some point in their lives…usually as a child…that they can’t sing and, traumatized, they stop. That is flat out cruel. YES, some people have better pitch than others, so what! Singing makes you feel good and is good for you by exercising your lungs and heart and releasing endorphins...Nature's feel-good hormones. So … [Read more...]
Father TIME
My mission of promoting, supporting and advocating for play all stem from my core value of insuring the health and wellness of young children. It’s in that same context, insuring a child’s health and wellness, I bring up the topic of fathers. As a mother, and now grandmother, I know…and society reinforces…the critical role I played in raising my children. My contributions are acknowledged by every level of society. This is not the case for fathers; to the detriment of their … [Read more...]
Why Puppet Play is Important
A world of imaginative, open-ended PLAY opens up when your kiddo plays with puppets. Puppet play, a sub-set of pretend play, is a type of PLAY young children are naturally drawn. Like dolls, children have been playing with puppets for a long, long time. For a toy to have that kind of staying power they must be very special. And such is the case with puppets! Puppets engage and entertain children. They have FUN all the while growing and learning in several key areas of development! Puppet … [Read more...]