Resources for Dads

Many of my friends are in the stage of life where they are having babies. I have started to notice when a couple announces a pregnancy everyone tends to focus on the mother. Everyone will talk to her and ask her how she is feeling and doing. She is usually the only one who gets a baby shower, she gets maternity pictures taken and all of this is normal because she is carrying the baby. However, our society is starting to change. It is a new trend to have Baby showers for both mom and dad and photographers are doing maternity sessions with both parents as well. 

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.”

Guest Post: Preparing Your Home for Parenthood When You Live with a Disability

Nesting is the act of preparing one’s home for the arrival of a new baby or child. Typically, nesting involves things such as painting a nursery, buying a crib, baby-proofing the house, and making sure everything is as clean as possible as the due date approaches. However, when you are a parent living with a disability, your nesting process is generally more intense.

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.

Talking to Children about Sexual Assault

With all of the stories in the news recently about sexual assault against children, taking time to talk to your children about what sexual assault is, signs of sexual assault, and other information is more important than ever! Children need accurate and age-appropriate information about child sexual abuse and confidence that adults they know will support them. Here are some ways and guidance for addressing the issue in a conversation with your child to make sure they understand and are aware of the danger.

Guest Post: Take a Tech Break

We are excited to have Carrie Rogers-Whitehead contribute to our blog this week. She is the founder of Digital Respons-Ability. 

A recent Common Sense Media report said that mobile screen usage has tripled among young children in four years. Children 8 and younger spend 48 minutes a day staring at a mobile screen and almost half of children this age are reported to own their own tablet.

Guest Post: Post Pregnancy Body Positivity

 I knew a lot of things would change when I became pregnant. What took me by surprise was what my body would look like after I had the baby. I mean I had heard about the weight gain, the saggy breasts, the stretch marks, but seeing those things on myself was a completely different story. And by different I mean utterly disappointing.  But worse than that, was the self loathing and body hate that started to infiltrate my thoughts soon after. That was something I hadn't been warned about.

Stay Hydrated!!!

Parents are always reminding their children to drink water, especially in the hot summer months. But what about you busy parents? Are you getting enough to drink?

Guest Post: 10 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations, Part 2

We're excited to bring you part two of Amy Lund's 10 tips for having difficult conversations with your children!

Use their words
Of all the things you do, this is probably the one that will make the biggest difference. Using our child’s words shows them that we are listening and that makes them feel validated. A great way to do this is to say, “What I understood you to say was ____” and then use as many of their words as you can remember. Take this one step further by then asking if what you understood was what they meant. When we use their words to clarify, we are sending a powerful message that we not only care what they are talking about, but we want to understand their view and concerns, and that speaks volume to them.

Guest Post: 10 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations, Part 1

Help Me Grow is excited to have Amy Lund of SmarterParenting.com lend us her advice on having difficult conversations with your children. Part two will be posted soon, so stay tuned!

My mom was always waiting up for me, book in hand, when I came home at night. Often we’d spend the next hour or two talking about life and the problems I was facing. During those late night talks we discussed everything, nothing was off limits. Topics ranged from heartbreak over a boy, my latest crush, how to have a healthy self-image, what to do when I felt uncomfortable in a situation, sex and drugs, and how to deal with peer pressure.

Happy Mother's Day

As Mothers is often hard to think

When toys are on the ground and dishes in the sink

That all you do from day to day

Is making a difference in any way.

Your day starts much earlier than before

There is no sleeping in for you anymore!

The baby is hungry and starting to fuss

The others are sleeping so you tend to him in a rush.

As soon as he is fed, his siblings begin to stir

The rest of the morning goes by in a blur!

Before you know it, it’s a quarter to noon

You’ll need to start making dinner soon!

By 2 o’clock a miracle is happening

All three of your little ones are napping!

You can finally shower and get dressed, too!

Then you realize you are out of shampoo.

You know that no matter how hard you try

When you get a minute alone, the baby will cry

You feel so happy you’ve organized the toys

Then realized you are raising messy boys!

You go to the park to enjoy the nice weather

You smile as the kids play so nicely together.

But before another blink of your eye

They start to fight and you sit there and sigh.

You shout for joy when daddy pulls in

You can’t wait to tell him what a day it’s been!

Dinner, then baths and bedtime routine

You give kisses and wish them “sweet dreams.”

Just as you start to walk out of the room

One of them whispers, “I love you, mom!”

You smile and give them one more hug

And leave the room feeling so much love.

As you look around from the mess of the day

You think, “I did make a difference today!”

The kids went to bed feeling love and affection

And that is my idea of perfection.

Effective Communication to Help Your Child's Development and Well-being

   Let’s be honest, having a relationship isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Learning to mesh all of your strengths, weaknesses, schedules, finances, life goals, parenting styles, communication pattern, and favorite Mexican restaurants can be a huge transition. Relationships are challenging enough between partners, but when you add children, the difficulties in communication become more complex.

Parenting Crucibles: Childhood Grief

My children were 4, 7, and 11 when their brother passed away.  That day, seemingly ordinary in every other way, Atticus slipped away from us peacefully in his sleep.  As I look back on his little life now, three years later, it seems impossible that a baby has ever been more loved. Our days revolved around him and we doted on his every move, fighting over who got to hold him next.  When love is so strong, it’s only normal for loss to be devastating.  Atticus’ death plunged our family into an indescribable darkness.  We found ourselves crushed under the weight of our grief. 

What She Didn't Expect While Expecting

When imagining and daydreaming about the day you will become pregnant, you might envision “the glow”, a perfectly round belly, or the excitement of holding your new bundle of joy. You may think about the side effects- the nausea, the swollen ankles, and so on. But that doesn’t seem to matter because it will all be worth it in the end, right?

The Ultimate Guide to Surviving (and Enjoying) Winter with Your Kids

As the daylight hours shorten and the weather gets colder, it can become increasingly more difficult for your entire family to enjoy winter (especially when it can seem to last forever!). The change of season signals less time children play outside and more time indoors, which can add pressure to parents. Unfortunately, many of the go-to indoor activities are watching TV or playing video games. While fun in moderation, being cooped up in the house can make you and your children go nuts! Here are five tips and activities to help you and your family enjoy winter:

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!

Parenting Pyramid

Have you ever asked yourself questions like, "What do I do to stop my child from fighting with their siblings?" or "What do I do if my child isn't completing their homework?" or "What do I do to get my child to clean their room?" Simply put the question, "What do I do when things go wrong?" is most often the question we ask ourselves in parenting. The Arbinger Company (1998) suggests first asking yourself, "How can I help things go right?" and then offers four more questions to ask yourself to help in the parenting process.

Where Will I Deliver My Baby?

Congratulations! You are having a baby! Now comes the list of all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) things to plan for. One of the things on your list will be where to have your baby. My mom had all five of her children in a hospital. Each experience was different, but that was where she felt most comfortable. My Grandma had some of her children in a hospital and some in her home, but this was more because she had to rather than she wanted to.

Now, however, there are so many ways and places to deliver your baby. Today I’m going to focus on the places. They all have “reasons to do them” and “things that can interfere”, but they are all places that are common to have babies.

Attendance Adds Up

One in ten kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent, meaning they miss 18 or more school days. Missing just a few day each month can quickly add up to a potential problem.

September marks Attendance Awareness Month, a national initiative to promote the important role school attendance plays in a student's academic success. While missing a few days here and there may seem innocent, these instances can develop into habits that can have an effect on your child’s education.