DIY American Flag Shirt

Taking inspiration from Memorial day, and preparing for Independence Day, I decided to do a little DIY activity with my son. I love this T-Shirt design because it is fun for kids of all ages, easy set up and cleanup, and is incredibly cute. Not to mention it helps develop those fine motor skills. Click on over and I will show you step by step how it is done!

Does Birth Order Impact Parenting and Child Development?

If you grew up with siblings or have multiple children, you probably understand the major effect that birth order has on family dynamics. We all know the stereotypes about how oldest, middle, and youngest children likely behave and what their place in the family means about their future achievement and success. Everyone probably has a story about how they were impacted by older or younger siblings and how they were treated differently by their parents. I could probably write a book on my opinion and experiences with birth order and family dynamics (middle child here!), but I really wondered how much birth order impacts a child’s development and the way parents interact with their children.

Imaginary Play

We all remember the fun days playing with our friends when we were younger. Whether it was playing “House” or “School” or even being a Chef in a fancy restaurant. What we didn’t realize at this young age while having fun, is that pretend play boasts important benefits for a child’s development! The beloved Mr. Rogers said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play IS serious learning.”

How to Teach Children Honesty

It can be surprising, frustrating, and worrisome when your child first lies to you. It can also be really hard to know how to respond! Lying is actually a normal and necessary part of a child’s development. Though parents should teach their children to be honest from a young age, they shouldn’t be too concerned when their child begins to tell lies, because it’s a normal part of childhood that every child goes through.

Child Nutrition

As your children grow, their bodies and nutritional needs change! The rates their bodies are growing change, and this correlates to their hunger and nutritional needs. After about two years old, a slowing down in the rate of physical growth comes with a reduced appetite. Each child is different and needs different amounts of nutrients to keep them healthy. How much they need to eat also depends on their level of physical activity and their metabolic rate.

In the past few years, the number of overweight children has increased. The most recent data from 2016 states that 26% of children 2-5 years old were overweight and 14% were considered obese. Recent studies have found that if a child is overweight in preschool, chances are they are going to stay that way into adulthood. There are many factors that play into childhood obesity, but ultimately is does come down to diet and exercise.

Guest Post: Parenting Hack: Bright by Text

Hello! My name is Amanda Butler and I blog over at becomingextra-ordinary.com. I have a two year old daughter and another little boy on the way and life is crazy! Like many moms, I am strapped for time and lack creativity when it comes to thinking of new activities to do with my toddler. (I mean, there are only so many times I can pretend to feed a stuffed frog). I'm also not always sure what kinds of activities are appropriate for my daughter's age and development. That's why I was so excited to be introduced to this new text line and to be asked to review it for you. This is seriously the best mom hack ever.

Imagination Play: Abracadabra

Recently my 3 year old nephew came to visit.  He had a magic wand that he wanted me to play with with him. I'm pretty sure if we had the time, he would have spent hours with me playing with it.  His favorite was to turn me into a kitty and then back into myself while chasing me around the house.  How fun it is to see the imagination of young children. 

Encouraging Kids to Play Outside

It can be hard to get kids excited to play outside, especially with all the fun toys and screens we have indoors for them to play with. Previous generations spent their playtime almost exclusively outdoors, but that has changed dramatically in recent years. Today, only 1 in 4 kids plays outside on a daily basis, compared to 3 in 4 children one generation ago1. There are significant benefits to playing outside, so encouraging your kids to get outdoors can be a great way to support their development!

Teaching Children Emotional Intelligence

 Emotional intelligence is so important for your children to learn while they are young. Most of us use the same 3 to 4 words about how we feel when we are asked “How are you?” However, encouraging children to use words other than “good” or “fine” and to use words like “excited” or “worried” or “curious” will help them recognize feelings and to use their emotions effectively.

Six Ways Infants Learn

Babies learn differently than adults. Their brains are still forming and going through the pruning process. Babies are curious and love to explore their new surroundings. Isn’t it great that as parents you get to be a part of that exploration? Since you are part of that exploration, it is good to know how babies learn. Here are six ways infants learn:

Synchrony: this is the give and take between you and your child. Dora the explorer attempts to have synchrony. She asks a question and waits for the child to respond. While the intent is good, synchrony is best achieved in person.

Siblings Foster Social Development

 What comes to your mind when you hear the word sibling? Some ideas may be friend, enemy, fun, fighting, laughter, competition. I know as a child I was close friends with my siblings, but we also fought a lot. Relationships are important for children’s development and one of the closest and longest lasting relationships children have are with their siblings. Siblings spend a great amount of time together. By middle childhood, the time spent with siblings exceeds the time spent with parents! Siblings make great playmates and friends. However, siblings also fight and disagree. Research shows that exposure to siblings, whether negative or positive, plays a role in children’s social development. Let’s discuss ways siblings promote social development.

Why is knowing about Child Development Important?

Some parents tell me they are not interested in completing a developmental screening because their child is not behind. A common myth about these screenings are that they are only looking for delays in your child’s development. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire administered by Help Me Grow does so much more than identify delays. It also helps caregivers to see the strengths their child has and how much they are already learning even as young as 2 months.

Celebrating Grandparents

I have a lot of memories of spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house when I was growing up.  At that time, I was blessed to have grandparents that lived less than 2 miles from our house and the other grandparents within a couple hours.  I have many good memories of time spent with my grandparents.  We spent time together camping, telling stories, riding their 3-wheeler, etc.  It was never anything big, but it all came down to one thing they gave me, my siblings and cousins: Time.  They spent time with us.

Ready, Set, Pet! The Benefits of Childhood Pet Ownership

When my big sister and I started begging for a pet, my parents immediately said no. My sister had just been diagnosed with a severe behavioral disorder, and there was just no way that they could handle a pet on top of working with her! However, my sister's therapist suggested that a pet might actually be just what she needed. After 6 months of debating it, my parents decided to try. We picked out a dog, who we named Chubby. Chubby turned out to be the best medicine anyone could have hoped for.

Poop Problems

Potty training can be hard for some kids. From my conversations with parents, I can tell that they are doing a great job at helping their kids get ready and excited for potty training. However, sometimes there are setbacks or problems come up that you were not expecting. Hopefully these tips will help with some of those problems your child may be having. Warning: this blog will be talking about POOP.

Quiz: Children and Screen Time

Recently I had the opportunity to give a presentation to a group of moms about screen time with their children.  A quiz was given to see what they already know.  Take the quiz below to check what you know!

My 3 Year-Old Should Use Scissors? Say What?

We talk to countless parents that are surprised their child should be using scissors by age three. We get it. Age three seems really young to be playing with scissors, right? This question often comes up because a question on the 36 month Ages & Stages Questionnaire asks if a child can use scissors. So why are scissors so important for your child’s development? I asked one of our child development specialists, and got her advice on scissor activities for toddlers.

5 Tips for Coping With Childhood Stress

It is more and more common for children and adolescents to have stress and anxiety in their lives. It seems stress is on the rise across all generations but can be even more concerning in children and adolescents. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, almost one third of children reported a physical symptom associated with stress. Without proper attention, stress and anxiety can continue to build and have a negative effect on children through their lives. Here are five tips to help you and your child manage stress.

Dr. Karp's 5 S's

Dr. Harvey Karp, a well known pediatrician, child development specialist, and teacher at USC, has been helping families with their children for over 20 years! He has traveled the world teaching his famous 5 S's for calming a fussy baby and he has created both the book and the movie, "The Happiest Baby on the Block."

Dr. Karp touches on 5 specific steps to calm a baby in the first months of life. He calls this stage the "4th trimester." Why do babies cry in the first place? Are they scared? In pain? Tired? These all may be true, but according to Dr. Karp, when a baby can be calmed in less than ten seconds, the baby is not in pain, they may just be missing the comforting surroundings they became accustomed to in the womb.

The Science of Healthy Praise

Numerous studies show that children who have close, supportive relationships with their parents are better off. They are healthier, less likely to be involved in risky behaviors, have higher self-esteem, and are more successful in school. However, over praising can can have negative effects on a child's self-esteem and confidence as well.  Here are 5 tips to help ensure your praising is empowering an motivating to your children!