Sleeping Should Be Easy

What to Do When Your 3 Month Old Won’t Nap

Your 3 month old won’t nap unless held, or can’t sleep in the crib or for longer than 30 minutes? Don’t worry: here are 6 secrets to get your baby to sleep! Naps had always been a nightmare, but after three months, it seemed to get even worse. Rocking my baby—especially on a yoga ball—would usually take five minutes before he'd get drowsy. But somewhere along the 3 month mark, even that didn't work. Not only would rocking take much longer than five minutes, but rocking seemed to get him even more upset. Of course, the longer he stayed awake, the crankier he got, which only extended the cycle even more. And forget about putting him down—he wouldn't settle for a nap if I wasn't bouncing or walking around. I envied parents who could at least sit still on the couch … Read More...

Easy Arts and Crafts for 1 Year Olds (No Complicated Instructions!)

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A child painting and doing arts and crafts for 1 year olds

Looking for easy arts and crafts for 1 year olds? Check out the best activities for your toddler—without complicated instructions or messy clean up! Even when my son was an infant, I was already saving arts and crafts ideas on Pinterest. From puffy clouds out of cotton balls, to heart-shaped collages out of red card stock, I had grand ideas for projects I'd teach him. Unfortunately, he had his own agenda. Sure, "he" made a puffy cloud craft and a Valentine heart for his dad. But if he had his way, I knew he would rather spend the time pulling at the cotton balls or tossing the red pieces in the air (which he did). That's when I realized that the point of arts and crafts for 1 year olds isn't so much to create a finished product, as it is to encourage their curiosity. I … Read More...

Why Your Toddler Is Going Through the 1 Year Old Sleep Regression

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A child standing in his crib, crying because of the 1 year old sleep regression

Is your one year old fighting sleep suddenly? Learn why the 1 year old sleep regression happens, and how you can turn things around. One year old. An age that marks several milestones, from introducing cow's milk to washing their clothes with "regular" detergent. We call them "toddlers" and celebrate their first birthday. We can even give them honey from now on! But for many parents, this new turn also comes with the dreaded 1 year old sleep regression, catching many of us by surprise. It's when your toddler goes from being the perfect sleeper to waking up every night fighting sleep. When he won't go back to sleep unless you give him milk or rock him in your arms. Perhaps it's when you realize a whopping two hours have passed since you put him down... and he's still … Read More...

What to Do When Your 2 Year Old Wakes Up at Night for Hours

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2 year old waking up at night for hours who wants to play

Is your 2 year old waking up at night for hours? Learn how to stop kids from playing and being awake to sleeping through the night instead. Many parents are caught off-guard by sleep issues in the toddler stage. Haven't we gotten past the newborn sleep deprivation? they ask. Other times, toddler parents do see sleep issues, but the "typical" kind, like separation anxiety at night, or waking up multiple times. So when your toddler—who has no trouble falling asleep—wakes up in the middle of the night and plays for hours, you wonder what in the world to do. After all, she's happily playing, singing, and even chatting. Other times, you'll see her trying to fall asleep—rolling, tossing, and turning out, before she calls for you again. You even thought it was a phase she'd … Read More...

How to Survive the First Few Weeks with a Newborn and Toddler

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Barely coping with a newborn and toddler? Learn how to survive the first few weeks and adjust to life with two kids. I joke with friends and family that bringing the twins home was hard not so much because I had babies to care for, but a toddler to reckon with. Like most toddlers adjusting to a new sibling, my son's behavior took a turn for the worse. He'd whine, act out, and make unreasonable demands. I found myself yelling, then feel horrible for doing so, especially since I never really yelled at him before. Thankfully, I had a few perks on my side. I enrolled my son in part-time preschool, and my husband took a long paternity leave. Still... there were those frantic days where I found myself alone, trying to tend to all three kids, while still managing to eat and use … Read More...

The Best Children’s Books That Introduce Kids to Math Concepts

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$A collection of math books for kids$

Learning math concepts is more fun with picture books! Discover the best math books for kids — perfect for kindergarten and elementary school children. Over the last few weeks, my kids have been asking about math concepts I've had to explain in creative ways. When one asks the answer to 3 x 5, I give the example of three kids jumping five times. Fractions are explained with dividing a pizza into slices. Even and odd numbers are compared to sharing between the twins and whether they have equal pieces or if one has more than the other. They compare how many more "heads" they need to be as tall as me or my husband and ask how many more hours until dinner. And, of course, they apply math concepts to toys and their play time. You see, math isn't just about numbers, or … Read More...

How to Create a 4 Month Old Nap Schedule Using Real Life Examples

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How to create 4 month old nap schedule: A baby sleeping

Creating a 4 month old nap schedule can help solve sleep regression and bedtime battles. Learn the best practices to get your baby on a sleep schedule using real life examples. When my eldest was 4 months old, I felt like I did the impossible: I actually went to a clothing store with my baby, tried on and bought clothes (win!). You see, at that stage, I felt like I could never leave the house because of the baby's nap schedule. He was taking short naps (45 minutes was a "long" one for him) and had equally short awake times. Any outing seemed impossible when we had to rush home for his four (and sometimes more) naps. I had no idea how to reduce the number of naps to a more manageable three times a day without keeping him awake past his usual two hours. It seemed like we … Read More...

How to Get Kids to Do Chores (Without the Constant Reminders)

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How to get kids to do chores: Little girl holding cleaning supplies

Wondering how to get kids to do chores without complaining? A lot of it has to do less with rewards and punishment and more with how you talk to your kids about chores. Learn how to do just that in this article! "I'll do it later," my son reassured me. I had told him, for what seemed like the zillionth time, to put his lunch stuff away. After all, food can only stay not-too-gross in a lunch container for so long. I was also determined not to do chores and tasks I knew my kids could do perfectly well on their own. In other words, I wasn't about to empty his lunch bag for him. Except, despite his reassurances and the bajillion reminders, the lunch items never made it to the sink or the bag hung on its hook. Instead, they sat in his backpack for the whole weekend, stench … Read More...

Sleeping Should Be Easy

What to Do When Your 3 Month Old Won’t Nap

Easy Arts and Crafts for 1 Year Olds (No Complicated Instructions!)

Why Your Toddler Is Going Through the 1 Year Old Sleep Regression

What to Do When Your 2 Year Old Wakes Up at Night for Hours

How to Survive the First Few Weeks with a Newborn and Toddler

The Best Children’s Books That Introduce Kids to Math Concepts

How to Create a 4 Month Old Nap Schedule Using Real Life Examples

How to Get Kids to Do Chores (Without the Constant Reminders)

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