Struggling with your toddler waking up at 5am? You're not stuck with early mornings. Learn effective ways to get your child to wake up later. I thought I was in the clear. My son had been sleeping through the night through infancy and toddlerhood, waking up like clockwork at 7am the next morning. But then the wake ups began to creep earlier and earlier. At first I didn't think it was too bad. I figured I'd start his day earlier and adjust his nap. Except those few minutes kept stretching, and I couldn't keep justifying waking up so early. The morning wake ups got to the point where … [Read more...]
31 Playful Things to Do with Your One-Year-Old
Toddlers aren't babies anymore, but aren't "big kids" yet either. Here are several playful things to do with a one-year-old, from 12-24 months. One-year-olds are at that "in between" stage. They're not babies anymore, especially as they grow more interested in being mobile and developing motor skills. Their ability to play is more advanced than an infant, plus they won't exactly sit still for a long time. But one-year-olds are also not at the "preschool" stage yet. They're still limited in what they can do, especially on their own. They don't follow instructions too well, much less … [Read more...]
Fun Literacy Activities to Help Your Child Learn
Encouraging early learning is easy with fun literacy activities! Learn why simple activities like talking, reading and singing will help your child learn. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of First 5 California. The opinions and text are all mine. From Day One, I wanted to engage my kids toward healthy brain development. I knew I couldn't control everything, but I was determined to do what I can to raise lifelong learners. So I read child development books and scoured the internet for baby activities. I even read aloud to my pregnant belly. Turns out that helping … [Read more...]
How to Handle a Car Seat Tantrum
Struggling with convincing your child to get—and stay—in a car seat? Learn how to handle a car seat tantrum effectively with these tips. I felt stuck. My three-year-old son refused to go into his car seat and didn't want to go home. As an infant and toddler, I could always maneuver him into his seat. Now though, he was too big, strong enough to push back. If he didn't cooperate, there would be no way for us to go home. I felt so vulnerable, unable to do anything unless he was willing to comply. I wasn't alone in my frustration, either. SSBE reader Lori emailed about her child's … [Read more...]
What to Do when Only One Twin Is Ready to Drop a Nap
You always hear about how twins should be on the same schedule, from eating to sleeping. Synchronizing their activities makes the day more organized, especially if you're alone. But what do you do when you notice one twin is ready to drop a nap, but the other isn't? Baby A might take forever to nap or flat out refuses, while Baby B is fast asleep. If you accommodate Baby A's wishes to stay awake, Baby B then has a meltdown and loses it without his coveted nap. When only one twin is ready to drop a nap All babies are different, and nothing like having twins makes this clearer. You may … [Read more...]
What to Do when Your Child Regresses Because of New Baby Jealousy
Has your older child regressed with the arrival of a new baby sibling? Learn what to do when kids regress because of new baby jealousy. Those two weeks after welcoming my twins home were some of the most challenging times... but not because of the two babies. As much as we prepared our then-three-year-old son about his two baby brothers, the change still took a toll on him. He didn't exactly resent, hurt or speak ill of his brothers. Instead, he regressed. The progress he'd made with learning how to manage emotions flew out the door, and he'd throw a fit over every little … [Read more...]
Helping Your Toddler Transition from Two Naps to One
Wondering whether your child is ready for one nap a day? Learn when to drop that second nap plus get essential tips to transitioning from two naps to one. Did you notice back in the newborn days we never bothered to count naps? It seemed like we were trying to get our babies to nap so often we lost count. But as they grew up, we began to see patterns emerge. We created schedules and routines. We may have started off with four daily naps, then it became three and finally two. And just as we had been holding steady at two, our toddlers began to show signs of moving down to one nap. This … [Read more...]
How to Stop Children from Biting
Have you found your child biting other kids or even adults? Biting is normal, but you can still learn how to stop children biting when you apply these 6 important steps. My twins' preschool teacher wanted to talk at school pickup, which is usually not a good sign. But I figured, Ok, maybe one of them had a potty accident. Nope. "Today, I saw one of your boys about to bite his brother on the arm," she began. "And a few days ago another boy said he'd bitten him during circle time." Turns out my little guy was biting other kids. I've noticed it myself as well at home. He's usually … [Read more...]
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