Many parents take photos of their kids when they are headed out the door or walking up to their classrooms on the first day of school. Recently, some families have begun having their kids hold cute signs that provide a little bit of info about themselves. I take lots of photos of my kids, but I’ve never kept up with things like baby books … [Read more...] about Printable First Day of School Sign for Photos
Raising an Inheritance
5 Reasons Hand-Me-Downs are Awesome
My daughters’ wardrobes are comprised primarily of used outfits. Thanks to the generosity of their grandparents, they each get a couple of brand new outfits each year. However, the vast majority of their clothes are hand-me-downs or items we’ve purchased from consignment stores. When I think of hand-me-downs, my mental images are of … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons Hand-Me-Downs are Awesome
Christmas in July: Deciding Whether or Not to Participate in the Santa Tradition
If you have little kids, then you are faced with the question of whether or not to take part in the Santa tradition (i.e., teaching kids that a jolly old man stops by to leave gifts for them to open on Christmas morning). This tradition can be fun and add excitement to the Christmas season, but it also has some drawbacks. You may be … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: Deciding Whether or Not to Participate in the Santa Tradition
Easy DIY Puppet Theater from a Cardboard Box
Cardboard boxes, especially large ones, are wonderful “toys” for kids! I can recall several occasions during my childhood when we had large boxes from new appliances and similar items. We would play for hours while pretending these were all sorts of things (houses, rockets, etc.). Though I’m a mom now, I still love large cardboard … [Read more...] about Easy DIY Puppet Theater from a Cardboard Box
How Parental Screen Time Impacts Kids
We’ve been talking about screen time over the last few weeks. We began by looking at the research on how screen time impacts the cognitive and language development of young kids. Then, keeping this information in mind, we discussed realistic screen time guidelines for kids. Amid all the research and recommendations regarding kids’ … [Read more...] about How Parental Screen Time Impacts Kids
Dads Feel Stress, Too
A couple of weeks before Mother’s Day, I shared some research findings on things that cause stress for moms. Of course, moms aren’t the only ones who experience stress. Our male counterparts also experience considerable parenting-related stress. Interestingly, when I began looking into this topic, I didn’t find any survey findings or … [Read more...] about Dads Feel Stress, Too
Realistic Screen Time Guidelines for Kids
Two weeks ago we looked at the research on how screen time impacts young kids. Based on the research findings, I feel pretty confident saying that it is a good idea for us to limit how much time our kids spend in front of screens (watching TV, using apps on tablets, playing video games, etc.). Exactly how much we should limit this … [Read more...] about Realistic Screen Time Guidelines for Kids
Should We Be Concerned About Young Kids’ Screen Time?
Whether on the news or in conversations with your friends, you’ve likely heard references to screen time. Screen time is time spent in front of electronic screens (televisions, tablets, smartphones, etc.). There is a lot of discussion regarding screen time in general and kids’ screen time in particular because of concerns regarding how it … [Read more...] about Should We Be Concerned About Young Kids’ Screen Time?
