Connecting With Your Toddler

It has been said that a toddler who feels a strong connection with his or her parents is more likely to be happy. Fortunately for parents, there are many ways that you can strengthen the connection that you have with your toddler. Even better, there are not likely to be any adverse effects from nurturing that connection as frequently as you can. Perhaps the essence of building a connection with your toddler can be summed up in two easy to remember words, time and attention. If you are anything like me, you may feel that time and attention are two … Continue reading

Toddler Road Trip Wrap Up

Last night we returned to our home after a nine day vacation with my parents. Four out of those nine days were spent on the road, driving for many hours. This post is for any parent who is wondering whether it is a good idea to take such a long trip with a toddler (or, as in our case, a toddler and a baby). I am not sure if there was a specific reason that our trip went relatively smoothly, but it did. There were certainly moments where things got pretty intense, but we worked through them. When I stopped … Continue reading

Operation Donation Is Underway

Yesterday I talked about my grand plans for narrowing down Dylan’s toy collection in preparation for his birthday and Christmas. Today, I was able to set the plan in motion. This afternoon, after we returned home from going out to lunch with my dad, Dylan went into the playroom to play. I brought Blake in there with me and I explained my plan to Dylan. We have four large bins in the playroom, and I explained that we were going to sort the toys into the bins. Two bins would be filled with toys that we would keep in the … Continue reading

Time To Thin Out The Toy Collection

With Dylan’s third birthday just around the corner and Christmas coming about a month later, there are sure to be many new toys coming into our home. We already have a lot of toys, and they are currently all over the floor of the playroom because Dylan enjoys dumping out the toy storage bins. Sometimes I think that he has too many toys, but I am not exactly sure what to do about it. The other day I decided that I would like to use our too many toys dilemma as an opportunity to teach Dylan about generosity and helping … Continue reading

Something Worth Watching

What do you get when you combine a boy with mustard-colored skin and purple hair with the swine flu? The answer: Must-see TV… at least if you have young kids at home. If you’re worried about the H1N1 virus or seasonal flu, don’t have all the facts on vaccinations AND you parent needle-phobic children, then you might consider tuning into PBS’ “Sid the Science Kid” on Monday, October 26, 2009. That’s when a new episode of the popular kiddie series will air. The special show follows 4-year-old Sid as he goes to the doctor to get a flu shot. Those … Continue reading