Sleeping Should Be Easy

6 Surprising Ways to Teach the Value of School

Little boy writing and learning the value of school

Want to emphasize the value of school to your kids? Here are 6 surprising ways to teach the value and importance of school. Parental involvement with your child's school is overrated. At least that's what one professor of sociology claims in a recent article I came across. Keith Robinson found that kids whose parents participated in school functions were no further ahead than those whose parents didn't. Things like volunteering on field trips, attending PTA meetings and reviewing homework. And while parental involvement communicates the value of school, it's by no means the only way to do so. The article encourages those who aren't able or even keen on spending extra hours on school not to feel bad. There's no need to feel guilty because you aren't as involved as your … Read More...

How to Establish a Solid 2 Year Old Bedtime

sleeping

Struggling with 2 year old bedtime battles? Learn what time your child should go to sleep, sample schedules to try, and how to avoid bedtime transition troubles right here. The two-year mark seems to come with its own bedtime challenge. You might have a "good sleeper"—even since infancy—but when at two years old, well... things changed. For one thing, it now takes her an hour to sleep, and that's with you staying in her room until she finally does. Perhaps she demands to sleep in your bed instead of hers. Or maybe she's in bed, but plays and keeps herself up until 10pm. It doesn't help when changes in your life—holidays, new house/baby/school, vacation—disrupt your routine. The worst part? Despite all these challenges with your 2 year old bedtime, she wakes up at 5:30 … Read More...

Need Outdoor Activities to Do with Your 1 Year Old? Start Here.

learn and discover

Little boy running outside, doing outdoor activities for 1 year olds

Want to take your toddler outside but out of ideas? Check out these outdoor activities for 1 year olds! From places to go, to sensory activities at home, you’ll find your perfect idea right here. Our park boasts huge, grassy lawns, tons of trees, and little knick knacks my then-1 year old loved to play with. In fact, one of his favorite games was "Let's find all the baby pine cones" which he'd collect and gather at one of the bases of the trees. And each time we'd go back to the park, we'd still find his stash exactly where it was. Even when my little ones were really little—as in, barely just learning to walk—that still didn't stop us from trekking outdoors. Of course, we're not talking miles-long hikes, though I'm sure plenty of families can pull that off. I'm talking … Read More...

What to Do When Your Overtired Baby Keeps Waking Up

newborn

What to do when your newborn baby wakes up screaming and won’t stop crying? Learn the steps to take when your overtired baby keeps waking up. I started to dread the nights. As a first-time mom, I could hang with feeling sleep-deprived during the day—this is the time to be awake, after all. But once the skies darkened and signaled bedtime, the pressure was on to put (and keep) my baby to sleep. Except that wasn't exactly happening. Instead, putting him to sleep became an hour-long process where he cried and cried. He fought sleep, despite being barely able to keep his eyes open. Naps were just as bad, when each time I laid him down in the crib, he'd wake up crying either immediately or within five minutes. I felt like I was picking him up and putting him down 20 times … Read More...

How to Get Toddlers to Listen Without Yelling

communication

Frustrated when your child only responds to yelling? Learn how to get toddlers to listen without yelling and discover effective parenting tips to discipline. "No." "Don't jump on the couch." "You can't have another snack." "Stop hitting your brother." I don't know how many times I've looked at my kids and asked them not to do something... only for them to do exactly what I had just told them not to do. If I ask them to stop banging a pencil on the table, they'll look me in the eye while they continue pounding away. If I tell them to stay near me as we walk along a busy street, they'll pretend they didn't hear and refuse to hold my hand. And I've had to tell them over and over not to step on books on the floor (much less leave them there in the first … Read More...

Top 6 Tips to Get Through the Toddler Sleep Regression

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A little boy going through the toddler sleep regression

The toddler sleep regression can take on many forms, don't you think? Maybe your toddler has always been a "good sleeper" or, quite the opposite, he's now waking up every night for at least an hour. He refuses to sleep until late into the night, only to wake up at 4am ready to go. Perhaps he screams for 30 minutes at nap time, or refuses to let your partner put him down. In short, your toddler has decided to boycott sleep now, leaving you completely exhausted and losing your mind. Maybe ever since he started daycare, he's been up at least once a night, and you're tired of going in to check each time. Or you soothed him to sleep when he was sick, except now he's grown used to sleeping in your bed even though he's well and happy. Or maybe he wakes up asking to watch TV, … Read More...

How to Get a Teething Baby to Sleep

development

Teething baby won’t sleep at night? Discover how to get a teething baby to sleep, the tips and products that help, and how to handle the sleep regression. I can't remember how many times my baby would fuss and I'd declare, "He must be teething," only for no teeth to show. Another fussy episode would pass, and again I'd say, "Okay, now he's probably teething," yet still no teeth would poke through. After a while I got tired of blaming his fits on his teeth. That is, until the fiasco a few weeks back when, for about half an hour or so, he was inconsolable. Nothing that normally soothed him worked—not looking out the window, not swaying to music, not even his fire truck. (Which, to its credit, bought me about 30 seconds of calm before he erupted in screaming again.) A quick … Read More...

What Are the Signs to Stop Working During Pregnancy?

pregnancy

Are you pregnant and wondering if you should stop working? Take a look at the top signs to stop working during pregnancy and reasons you should. My first pregnancy went smoothly... that is, until I hit that last and final month. Now I struggled to walk, bracing myself for the inevitable pain in my pelvic bones and hips. I felt heavy, waddling from side to side, with shortness of breath. And let's not even get into the sleepless nights and waking up five times a night, leaving me barely able to function the next day. I was so exhausted, so over everything, and so drained. But like many moms, I wanted to save my maternity leave for after the baby was born, not before. After all, we want to use that time to bond with the baby, push back the need for child care, and … Read More...

Sleeping Should Be Easy

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6 Surprising Ways to Teach the Value of School

How to Establish a Solid 2 Year Old Bedtime

Need Outdoor Activities to Do with Your 1 Year Old? Start Here.

What to Do When Your Overtired Baby Keeps Waking Up

How to Get Toddlers to Listen Without Yelling

Top 6 Tips to Get Through the Toddler Sleep Regression

How to Get a Teething Baby to Sleep

What Are the Signs to Stop Working During Pregnancy?

Top Questions About Transitioning from Breastmilk to Whole Milk

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