Category: Parenting

12 Easy Developmental Christmas Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

It’s hard to find easy developmental Christmas activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Many Christmas preschool and toddler activities are too complex, messy, and time-consuming. The crafts involve scissors or dreaded paper mache. There are too many steps; they ask toddlers for more attention and dexterity than they possess. Here’s a

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newborn and parents

Survival Guide to Welcoming A New Baby: Sibling Edition

Welcoming a new baby to his siblings is a joyful time, sure. But it’s also a bit of a mess. Toddlers, with their lack of frontal lobe development, emotional regulation, and executive functioning skills, can take the arrival of a new sibling especially hard. That leaves newborn parents, already sleep-deprived,

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OT Autism

Parent’s Guide to Occupational Therapy for Autism

It’s a quiet weekday morning for our occupational therapy appointment at Reid Health Pediatric Therapy and my autistic toddler is terrified. “We’re just going to look at it today,” his occupational therapist reassures. Stephanie Van Slyke, OTD, OTR/L, is referring to an innocuous swing. But Big A sees something big

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ghostly cup of coffee

Parent’s Guide to a Quarantine Halloween, Despite COVID-19

I’m gonna be honest, I’m not a big Halloween person. But do you know what I am a big fan of, especially this year? Marking time. COVID-19 has made the months of 2020 run together. Celebrating Halloween will act as a clear fall indicator. Let’s celebrate our Quarantine Halloween safely

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baby items new mom

29 Baby Items for New Moms (Best Products)

What are the best products for new moms? The list seems endless. It’s not only bottles but also bottle cleaners, warmers, sterilizers, different sized nipples… right? Well, not exactly. As I wrote elsewhere, buying more stuff doesn’t equal being more prepared. However, the accruement of stuff that comes with a

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you don't need as a new mom

22 Baby Items You Don’t Need

There are way more baby items you don’t need, than do need. Baby registries, box stores, and society at large are playing tricks on us. I fell into the trap with my first child, thinking that buying stuff meant better preparation. I felt safer, seeing the new furniture, piles of

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Our Quarantine Preschool Schedule

Raise your hand if the COVID-19 outbreak (and its resulting stay-at-home orders) made you a homeschooling parent. Yeah, me too. And, honestly? It’s not something I would choose to do. Ever. But the shut down meant Big A lost his morning preschool. And that broke his little heart. Being autistic,

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5 Hidden Vegetable Recipes for Toddlers and Kids

These hidden vegetable recipes for toddlers and kids are a great way to increase vegetables in day-to-day meals. And we all know how important it is to get our toddlers and kids to eat more vegetables. They’re packed full of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for growth. But

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