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.

(more…)

Long car trips with little children can bring stress levels to the brim, which is not something we need when we are taking a holiday from our hectic day-to-day home and work schedules. Kids need a holiday as much as their parents do, but that doesn’t mean abandoning their regular schedule and hitting the road like a band of hippies.

The most important thing to do is plan plenty of activities both in the car and along the way that will help pass the time. Simple car games like “I spy with my little Eye” and the “A, B, C” game are a great way to keep kids from getting bored and irritable after too many hours in the car.

(more…)