When I speak with other moms, there appears to be a growing consensus that motherhood is harder today than it used to be. Of course, it’s impossible to say for certain because many of today’s moms weren’t mothers 20-30 years ago, nor were any of us alive 200 or 2,000 years ago. Interestingly, it’s not just moms who feel that motherhood is more … [Read more...] about Is Motherhood Harder Today Than It Used to Be?
preschoolers
8 Realistic Ways to Help Picky Eaters Try New Foods
When my mother-in-law was visiting us a few weeks ago, we had a good laugh at an article I read that contained a list of foods to try for picky eaters. The first recipe on the list was for broccoli stir fry. The next was for calamari. We looked at each other, laughed, and wondered if the author understood the concept of picky … [Read more...] about 8 Realistic Ways to Help Picky Eaters Try New Foods
10 Benefits of Engaging in Family Traditions
Yesterday, my daughters completed a gratitude activity that we complete each year before Thanksgiving. In the coming days, they will help me prepare traditional Thanksgiving foods. Then, I’ll recount stories of past Christmases as we hang ornaments on the Christmas tree. We’ll place our handprint tree skirt under the tree after adding this … [Read more...] about 10 Benefits of Engaging in Family Traditions
14 Family-Friendly Gratitude Activities
I wrote a post several years ago about gratitude activities for the whole family. At the time, I didn’t have kids who were old enough to participate in most of the activities. However, my two eldest are now capable of engaging in these activities and my youngest can get the gist of some of them. I’ve taken the gratitude activities described … [Read more...] about 14 Family-Friendly Gratitude Activities
Kids and Cookbooks: A Strategy for Getting Kids to Try New Foods
Like many of their peers, my kids are picky eaters. They love some foods that are generally well liked among kids including pizza and chicken fingers. However, when it comes to other foods, they often don’t want to eat a single bite! The funny thing with them is that they often decide they don’t like a food even though they’ve never … [Read more...] about Kids and Cookbooks: A Strategy for Getting Kids to Try New Foods
How to Help Kids Willingly Get Rid of Old Toys
Regardless of how many toys my kids have or how much they mature and no longer need toys designed for babies and young toddlers, they almost always resist the idea of getting rid of their old toys. However, they can’t hang on to all of their toys forever! When it’s time to get rid of some toys, there are a couple of approaches I can take. One … [Read more...] about How to Help Kids Willingly Get Rid of Old Toys
What Makes a Healthy Breakfast?
While I was perusing the grocery ads this past week, I noticed that many of the items featured were related to the upcoming back-to-school season. Most of these items were foods that go well in lunch boxes, but there were also a number of breakfast foods, namely convenience items such as frozen breakfast sandwiches and cold cereals. While … [Read more...] about What Makes a Healthy Breakfast?
3 Tips for Helping Kids Finish the Projects They’ve Started
I cleaned out the cabinet where my kids store their art supplies a couple of weeks ago. In addition to things like broken crayons and “treasures” (the rocks, leaves, twigs, etc. that they find on our walks), I found dozens of half-finished coloring and activity sheets. This reminded me of the numerous times they have completed half of a jigsaw … [Read more...] about 3 Tips for Helping Kids Finish the Projects They’ve Started
