Sugar and spice may be nice, but these days, girls need to be made of hardier stuff to get through tween-hood and adolescence. But building a girl’s self-esteem into that of a confident young woman begins in the nursery. Congratulate your little girl on the things she does, not how…
Power struggles with children can’t always be avoided. When it comes to food, you may be wondering how you can get your kids to try new things without it becoming a battle. Remember that forcing a child to eat usually doesn’t get you very far. In addition, you need to…
Dessert takes on a new meaning when you try to work the word “healthy” into it. You can tell by the looks on your husband and kids’ faces that they have visions of dry, hard, granola bars and vegetables masquerading as dessert. But you can spin a lot of healthful…
As a parent, there’s no greater feeling than when your little ones offer to lend a helping hand around the house. After all, getting children to participate in household chores can be one of the greatest challenges of parenthood. While you may be anxious to get your children involved in…
Raising a confident child can be a challenge. While some children have no issues going for what they want, other kids are more reserved and struggle to be assertive. It’s important to note there is a big difference between being assertive and being aggressive. As a parent, you probably want…
This is the time of year when many children enroll in school or leave the home for college. And with those enrollments come vaccinations, in many cases. The next few months will see doctors’ offices stocking up on flu shots in anticipation for the winter season. The National Institutes of…
With kids, anytime is the time for a party. You do not have to rent giant blow-ups for your front yard and feed every kid within a radius of 100 miles either. Letting your kids have a slumber party with a homemade cake, homemade pizza, a couple of bags of…
Whether it’s a nursery that needs updating as your child gets older or your teen needs a grown-up take on his childhood room, an entirely new room can break the bank. But a whole new look can be had on the cheap, and the number-one low-cost item that can transform…
What’s not to love about Valentine’s Day? Plenty, if you don’t get your act together for this favorite pastime. For kids, there’s nothing grander than exchanging those traditional Valentines with classmates, friends and family. And face it, you don’t really have an excuse for not being prepared. From card stores…
Before cliques, dating, break-ups and office politics, comes that first and developmentally vital tradition in a human being’s life: play dates. Play dates are a child’s first foray into the world of friends and social rules. Kids can learn a great deal about social interaction during play dates, which is…