We recently had the pleasure of having my parents visit for a little over a week. My kids adore their Grandma and Mebop (their name for grandpa), so it’s always special when we can all be together. As I watched my parents interact with my kids during this last visit, I realized that there are a number of life lessons that I can learn … [Read more...] about 5 Things I’ve Learned from Watching My Parents Interact with My Kids
babies
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?
Managing the Stress of Motherhood
Last week I noted a number of stressors that moms encounter regularly. I also noted that it is perfectly normal for moms to feel stress because challenging tasks, including parenting, increase the demands put on our bodies and minds (stress is our physiological and psychological response to these demands). We’re not at our best as … [Read more...] about Managing the Stress of Motherhood
The Best Baby Toys for Developmentally Appropriate Play
One of my most popular printables is a guide to developmentally appropriate play for babies (you can see the original version here and an updated one here). This guide describes what types of activities foster a baby’s development at ages birth-1 month, 2-3 months, 4-6 months, and so on. This guide describes many activities and mentions … [Read more...] about The Best Baby Toys for Developmentally Appropriate Play
Why Are Moms So Stressed Out?
Every mom I know feels stressed out. Like me, these moms love their kids and are so grateful to be moms, but they’re stressed. Researchers have found that adults who are parents often derive more purpose and meaning in life than adults who aren’t parents; however, they’ve also found that stress from a number of common stressors often … [Read more...] about Why Are Moms So Stressed Out?
Play Guide for Baby’s First Year
As I noted last month, I’m going through some of my old posts and making updates to them. One of my favorite posts from about four years ago is about developmentally appropriate play for babies. Everything in that post is still relevant, but I’ve never been particularly fond of the appearance of the printable guide I shared there. When I … [Read more...] about Play Guide for Baby’s First Year
