Write, Mama, Write has a great little post up about making nature prints with the kids and the pictures will make you want to try them. If you haven’t used polymer clay (such as Sculpey) and would prefer to work with something that you don’t have bake, an alternative material to try is Makins Clay. They have an air dry polymer clay, it’s easy to find at your local craft store. Look for the bright green wrapper. (more…)

Crayons aren’t so easy to carry around, right? They break easily, can spill out of a bag and mark up your things, and worst of all, they have a tendency to melt all over your purse if you leave them closed up in car during the hot summer months. A thin tin box with a handy snap tight closure is the perfect container for carrying crayons for those ‘whenever’ times in life.

This simple solution makes it easy to have some crayons in your diaper bag or purse, ready at a moment’s notice for use in waiting rooms, or wherever you find yourself stuck with a hard to entertain toddler, all while preventing breakage or ruining your purse. (more…)

I often joke that a year ago we could have been considered the “Mc Talty” family for all the times we would frequent McDonald’s. My then two year old was so familiar with the place that he felt compelled to point it out whenever we passed one in our travels. We’ve made a complete turn around since then, thanks in large part to our oldest son’s diagnosis of a chronic tic disorder and our subsequent discovery that he is allergic to wheat and corn and highly sensitive to gluten– three foods we since eliminated and made all the difference for him in his recovery.

This recipe is unique. What makes it special? It is not so much about the ingredients as it is about the preparation. You see, this Little Chef Salad is literally a salad made by my little chef, age 3, a former chicken nugget man turned foodie, a fella not diagnosed, but gluten free through association, and loving it. (more…)

Our boys received a wonderful gift this year for the holidays- a beautiful hardcover copy of Zoolidays, Written by Bruce Glassman and illustrated by up and coming artist Rolandas Kiaulevicius, and if that wasn’t enough they also got tickets to a wonderful show about that book and more called GIRO.

This book is a wonderful read, and the show is a fabulous must see for any emergent reader and budding artist. My boys absolutely loved the book from cover to cover, and the show really delighted their imaginations in a way that the book alone couldn’t do. (more…)

Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie got a top rating in our house this weekend when it managed to keep my three-year old so enthralled that I could barely get him out of his seat for a potty break while my four-year old just plain wouldn’t go at all. The movie is fast-paced and although the logistics are sometimes sketchy for the fact savvy adult, the story line flows like honey for kids between 36 and 48 inches tall. Parents should be aware that there are some typical Seinfeld-style fast-paced adult innuendos throughout the movie and one violent stinging episode in the courtroom that may upset little people. (more…)

You don’t need to rely on a future preschool teacher or the television set to teach your child literacy. Proactive parents can do quite a bit for their children at a very young age to set the stage for early reading and lifelong success at school. A child who feels successful has confidence, and as we all know, one who struggles with failure will often times develop poor coping skills and very low self-esteem. Don’t wait until your child is formally enrolled to start thinking about literacy. Start now. There are 10 very simple things parents can do with their toddlers that will ensure future success at school. (more…)

Toddlers between the ages of one and two love to explore their world. They are delightful and exhausting, funny and fearless, and without common sense about the many dangers they will encounter within even the most carefully baby-proofed home. From the time your darling baby takes her first steps until she is finally ready for school, you will probably be quite anxious about safety, and rightfully so. A good way to channel your toddler’s curiosity and energy is to begin teaching her some chores, because regardless of how much you invest in toys, your inquisitive toddler will always want to be in your business.

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No one likes to wait in line. It is right up there with getting a root canal or having blood drawn. Long lines and international flights have got to be the two most irritating places to find yourself trapped when you are in the company of bored and irritable children 5 and under. Nothing causes a parent sweaty palms more than idol minds, fidgety fingers, and restless legs forced to stay put and keep quiet for a half-hour or more.

Here is a quick and simple list of things you can do to keep the whining at a minimum while you’re waiting: (more…)

As a mother of three very young and inquisitive little boys I am guilty of hiring the electronic babysitter while doing laundry, making dinner, and talking on the phone. And I am sure if I did an informal telephone interview with other mothers I would find this to be true for most everyone. I know that excessive T.V. watching without adequate interaction will cause verbal delays. That’s just common sense. We don’t just plop our kids down in front of the television for hours on end and then just walk away. So in lieu of the recent Baby Einstein shake up I thought I would take a moment to jot down a few very successful non-television activities that my boys and I have done together this summer. They both have busy little minds and are often easily bored so I have to get creative quite often to keep them occupied.

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I recently took my 4 year-old son on a play date with a boy he has known at least two years. When we arrived, however, we were surprised to find an older neighbor boy there too. Something in my gut made me uneasy, but I didn’t mention it to my friend. Just after we were in the door I caught the other two boys playing “gang-up” style shoot-em-up with squirt guns. My son had none. I had to stop them and talk with them about playing nice.

We stayed a couple hours, ate lunch together, and I watched the boys as they moved freely in and out of the house. At the close of our visit I reminded my son to thank our hosts and tell them he had a good time. He said no, very candidly, and I was admittedly embarrassed in front of our company.

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