Engaging in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, and/or clubs has been shown to provide social, mental, and physical benefits for children. Not only that, it can help provide structure, teach time management skills, and allow your child to learn new skills. That said, it can be difficult to find the right activity, and it can also be difficult to find the right balance between structured activities and free, playtime. Here are some tips to help you and your children find the activities that best suit your needs. Make Sure Your Child Is Ready From younger and younger ages, it […]
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Fostering Creativity in the New Year
Winter vacation, just like any vacation, tends to start perfectly and then slowly devolve into a “when does school start again?” kind of mood. It’s not that we don’t enjoy the break, but after the holiday festivities and that strange time of Twixmas, it can be challenging to keep everyone happy and entertained. Although the new year brings lots of excitement, it can also be daunting as you try to figure out how to make the upcoming year better for both yourself and your kids. However, this time of year is the perfect time to start developing creativity practices that can […]
Top 5 Tips for Dealing With Picky Eaters
Can you believe it’s already November? As the seasons change and the end of the year approaches a certain kind of restlessness can come along. With days getting shorter and darker and the holidays looming in the near future, this time of year can be exhausting because there’s so much to do and not enough time. Unfortunately, this restlessness can also extend into our meals. It often starts as not knowing what to cook and suddenly finding that you’re a much more “picky” eater than you were at the beginning of the year. Take school lunch for example, when the […]
Making Perfect Attendance a Reality and Not a Dream
There are a lot of mixed feelings at the beginning of the school year. Some kids are excited and love going to school to see their friends and meet their new teachers. However, more anxious and socially reserved kids would much rather stay in the safety of their homes. Most kids will fall somewhere in the middle of this range of extremes, but regardless going back to school is an adjustment that takes time. However, it’s not just our kids who can feel stressed at this time of year. Teachers and childcare workers have new classroom dynamics to work […]
Appreciation for Appreciation Days
Every month is chock full of seemingly random holidays and appreciation days you might never have heard of. From the light-hearted National Donut Day on June 2nd to the more serious World Sickle Cell Day on June 19th. The coming months have an array of celebration days that come in all levels of seriousness. The summer months have some exciting opportunities to introduce kids to elements of that natural world as summer is kicking into full gear! Over the next two months celebrations of nature and fun activities include Oceans Week, Rabbit Awareness Week, National Black Bear Day, World Reef […]
Supporting Children’s Friendships
As spring rapidly rolls in, so do opportunities for outdoor play that have been unavailable in colder climates. With outdoor playdates and summer vacations approaching, it’s a perfect time to consider how you can help support your child’s friendships during school breaks. Friendships are essential to children’s development at all ages, but can also be very hard! Your child might naturally be a social butterfly, winning over every other kid in their class. Or your child might be more introverted and not have as easy of a time socializing. Wherever on the spectrum your child naturally falls, there are things […]
Getting Your Little Ones Ready to Write
February always makes me think of Valentine’s day. Valentine’s Day is often associated with lots of hearts and chocolates, but when I think of the holiday I recall spending hours writing up my Valentines to deliver to my classmates’ special, heart-shaped boxes. At younger ages, this was an arduous task with lots of erasing and struggling to spell names correctly. However, as the years progressed it became more enjoyable and is one of my treasured memories. Every year this holiday tradition continues, and kids of all ages like to participate in sending out their Valentines. But what age is appropriate […]
Enjoying the end of Winter!
With January drawing to a close and the holidays seemingly a distant memory, the long slog of the end of winter is setting in. While the days are starting to get longer again, you never really start to feel it until mid-March. For those of us in colder climates the long hours indoors can wear on both our kids and ourselves. But winter does offer some unique opportunities for fun in the cold weather. Here are some ideas about how keep things fun and interesting in the last long stretch of winter Enjoy some winter sports Whether your family’s preference […]
Tips for keeping the holidays fun!
While the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas is filled with unique activities and joy, this can come with lots of meltdowns and frustrated little ones. While you always know your child best, here are some tips to help keep everyone calm during the busy holiday season to enjoy as much as possible and hopefully have a few fewer meltdowns. Keep the routine Children thrive off of routine! If you need to stay connected with your child’s day care provider, ChildWatch is a great resource to keep you informed about daycare/school routines so you can maintain that consistency at home. Try […]
Make The Most of Fall With The Family
With the passing of the equinox, it is officially this writer’s favorite season: Fall! Autumnal excitement is hardly unique nowadays seeing IG feeds filled with pictures of pumpkin patches, lattes, apples, fallen leaves, and the like. But despite the elements that might feel overdone, Fall presents some unique opportunities for learning and family bonding. Here are some suggestions of a few ways to make the most of the best and shortest season. Baking I know, this one probably doesn’t feel new or revolutionary, and if you’re not a particularly good baker it might feel like a mockery. But, no, you […]