Get Ready for the New School Year

The new school year might begin for your kids in August or early September. You probably are aware of the need for new school supplies, school appropriate clothing, and an established bedtime. Many parents forget about the less obvious things that come with a brand new school year. Here are a few to be aware of so you will be ready when they appear. Strong Emotions In general, children tend to experience a lot of strong emotions at the start of a brand new school year. While some kids will be excited to start school again, many will express frustration … Continue reading

Be a Better Parent in the New Year

What’s your New Years Resolution? Many people choose something related to weight loss, or money, or productivity. This year, why not pick a resolution that will be much more meaningful? Resolve to take steps to be a better parent in the new year. Parenting can be as rewarding as it is difficult. It is easy to see why parents often make mistakes. Everyone does it – nobody is perfect! Ideally, people learn from those mistakes so they do not repeat them. What I’m trying to say is that parenting is a skill that can always be improved upon. It is … Continue reading

Bedtime for Devices

I was always one of those parents who had a bag full of “nevers.”  You know what I mean.  “I will never allow my child to…”  Fill in the blank. It’s so easy before you have children to say what you will never do.  And it’s just as easy when they are young to say what you will never do when they get older. Sure, some of my “nevers” I have stuck to.  But there have been a few I tossed to the side.  And in all honesty, at times it was a matter of not wanting to battle. One … Continue reading

My New Mom Obsession – Old Children’s Books

I’ve got a confession to make – I am thoroughly obsessed with old children’s books. When I read to my boys at bedtime, we choose from a varied selection of books that we borrow from the library and books that we own. Some of the books I like, others not so much. Then there are a few that are just amazing, and those tend to be the ones that were written and published years before I was even born. I am unsure why those older books are so captivating, but they are. Dylan seems to enjoy them too, and for … Continue reading

Naptime Has Officially Left The Building

It seems like it has been ages since Dylan took a nap in his bed. In reality, the last time that he regularly took naps in his bed was at about four months ago. Even then, he did not nap every day. Once he started refusing to nap in bed, I knew that it was the beginning of the end for nap time. That was a hard thing for me to come to terms with because his nap time was always a much needed break in my day where I could get a few things done, spend some one on … Continue reading

Do You Allow Your Kids to Watch TV News?

After reporting and anchoring local TV news for more than decade, I never considered tuning out the events of the day after giving birth. I’ve watched the evening news religiously since I was in high school and never dreamed there would come a day when I would be forced to wean myself from my 6 o’clock fix. However, that day has come. A few weeks ago, I was in the kitchen making dinner with the TV news on in the background when my 7-year-old came waltzing in. Typically, she’ll sit on a stool at the counter and try to snag … Continue reading

Time For A New Bedtime?

The other day, it took an inordinate amount of time to get Dylan to bed. Yesterday, I noticed that a repeat performance was underway. After we had read our books, it was eight thirty. Dylan was not at all sleepy. It was 8:30 and he had not napped. He had also only gotten nine hours of sleep the previous night when he had been regularly sleeping for twelve hours. I did not know what to do to avoid another late night, so I asked him what he thought he needed to have or do in order to fall asleep. Dylan … Continue reading

Settling In To Our New Family Arrangement

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how Dylan was going through some tough adjustments as he became a big brother. Now that Blake is almost seven weeks old, we have all had a chance to get used to the way our family is now and things are settling down a bit. I am proud of how far Dylan has come in the past few weeks as far as understanding and working through his feelings about the experience. One thing that I am very happy about is that he no longer thinks that I am going to go away and … Continue reading

Time for a Big-Kid Bed?

Children usually transition from the crib to a toddler bed between the ages of 18 months and 3 years old. Ideally it is best to keep your child in a crib as long as possible but if your child is climbing over the rail, you know without a doubt it is time to make the transition. If your child is potty trained or showing a desire to sleep in a big-kid bed it is likely they are ready to make the switch as well. However, there is nothing wrong with keeping your child in the crib for a while if … Continue reading

Bedtime Story Now Airing at Disney World Hotels

If you stay in a Walt Disney World resort, you won’t have to do anything for yourself. Well, that isn’t exactly true, but Disney prides itself on offering special luxuries and letting you just sit back and relax for your vacations. They’re constantly adding new amenities to their resorts, and the latest is certainly unique. Every night from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. channel 38 on the televisions in Disney World resort hotels play a read-along clip from the new children’s book “Duffy the Disney Bear: Mickey’s New Friend.” That’s right: Disney World resorts are now offering to read your children their … Continue reading