Being a mother means facing one mess after another. There are poopy diapers, floors covered in toys, appliances covered in greasy handprints, backseats strewn with snack crumbs, and bedsheets soiled with vomit. When I work to get one of these messes cleaned up, you can be certain my kids are busy making the others! Literal messes are … [Read more...] about Thriving Amid the Messes of Motherhood
toddlers
FUNtastic Tools for Teaching Toddlers About Shapes
When my oldest daughter was 18 months old, we gave her a puzzle that featured 8 common shapes. Within days she was able to identify a couple of them. However, it took her a little longer to learn the remaining shapes and to differentiate between similar ones (e.g., square and rectangle). Thankfully, we discovered many fun, useful … [Read more...] about FUNtastic Tools for Teaching Toddlers About Shapes
A Skill You Must Master In Order to Get Things Done When You Have Young Kids
There are a lot of skills you must master when you become a parent. You eventually get comfortable and confident in your new role and are able to balance parenthood with all of the other tasks you face. I felt I arrived at this point about the time I found out I was expecting my second child. Learning how to mother two little blessings … [Read more...] about A Skill You Must Master In Order to Get Things Done When You Have Young Kids
3 Toddler Activities Using Cardboard Shape Cutouts
Several weeks ago I wanted to let my toddler paint, but all of the paper we have around the house gets too wet and tears when she uses paint on it. I decided to cut some shapes out of cardboard for her to paint. I figured the cardboard wouldn’t tear and we could talk about the shapes to help solidify her ability to identify them. It … [Read more...] about 3 Toddler Activities Using Cardboard Shape Cutouts
Cleanup Songs for Young Children
It’s critical that we teach our young children how to pick up after themselves. Not only does this help us keep our homes clean, but it provides our kids with a solid foundation for other important life skills. As you’ve likely discovered, keeping kids on task while they clean up isn’t easy. One way to help them remain focused is to use … [Read more...] about Cleanup Songs for Young Children
FUNtastic Tools for Teaching Toddlers About Colors
I love it when my 23-month-old toddler walks up to me and identifies an object using both an adjective and a noun. Currently, a lot of the adjectives she uses are colors: purple car, black bear, orange ball, etc. Though I’ve always mentioned colors when talking with her about the things around us, it wasn’t until about 10 weeks ago that … [Read more...] about FUNtastic Tools for Teaching Toddlers About Colors
Instilling Good Dental Health Habits in Toddlers
My toddler has a bit of a love-hate relationship with her toothbrush. She enjoys chewing on it and sucking training toothpaste off of it, but she’s generally displeased with it when I use it to scrub her teeth. Though brushing her teeth can be an ordeal, I do it twice each day because I want her to have healthy teeth. What must we do … [Read more...] about Instilling Good Dental Health Habits in Toddlers
8 Indoor Activities that Get Toddlers Moving
By the time evening rolls around, you can tell from my toddler’s behavior if we were able to go outside and play that day or not. She’s full of energy, quick to roughhouse, and sometimes irritable on days when the weather or a busy schedule keeps us indoors. On the other hand, she’s generally calm and easygoing on days when we are able … [Read more...] about 8 Indoor Activities that Get Toddlers Moving
