For most children, farm animals are a standard toy chest item. Two of my favorites are Soft Touch Baby Farm Animals and Aurora My Barnyard Friends Carrier with Sounds. For a barn and animal set, the Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm is a favorite! The problem is, one can only play with animals Read More
What Should I Look For In A Parenting Support Group?
Check out my article for Babybites.com on choosing a parent support group. http://www.babybites.com/05/04/support-groups/
A Post About Bin Laden’s Death
Whether talking about his life or death, I struggle with giving this man more than his 15 minutes of fame. To be sure, in my opinion, he didn’t even deserve that much. Many people have strong feelings about last night’s events. Many will be discussing them today and for days to come. When doing so, Read More
Why Does He Have That?
Recently, more and more early childhood programs have opened their doors to children with a variety of needs. These integrated and inclusive communities are wonderful places for all children to learn and are fantastic in a multitude of other ways. The law says that children with special needs must be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Read More
Developmentally Savvy Gifts For Infants and Toddlers!
Check out my recent post for Savvy Auntie! While the article is geared for aunts, it’s a great list for anyone buying items for infants and toddlers. You’ll find my favorite developmentally appropriate picks at under $25, under $50, under $100, and “Splurge-Worthy” price points. Enjoy! Savvy Auntie’s founder, Melanie Notkin, is releasing her first book today. Read More
Immediate, Natural Consequences
Whenever I speak to parents about discipline, amongst other things, we discuss developmentally appropriate expectations, consistency, positive alternatives, and immediate, natural consequences. Immediate, natural consequences are particularly important to explain because often, they don’t come immediately or naturally, to a grown up. First things first: what is an immediate, natural consequence? Using positive discipline begins by teaching Read More
Plan to Play: Feed The Baby
As far as I am concerned, all young children (yes, even boys) should have a baby doll. Feeding a baby doll is a great way to introduce young children to pretend play. What You’ll Need: -Baby Doll -Real or pretend spoon, bowl, saucepan, bottle, napkin, and any other items you might use to prepare a meal Read More
A Plan To Play
After sitting down with another parent who felt self-conscious and unsure of how to play with her child, I had a thought: Playing doesn’t come naturally to every grown up and that’s okay. Why not use the Dana’s Kids blog to give parents a “Plan to Play?” I want to be clear that feeling “unable” to play is a Read More
My Favorite Things: Using Photographs with Children
All children love seeing themselves and the important people in their lives in photographs. For babies, photo albums can be used to support language development, recognition of their loved ones and caregivers, and are a great transition object for day care. Toddlers enjoy labeling all of the people and things they know. For twos and threes, photographs help Read More
My Toddler Won’t Get In The Stroller!
Ah, toddlerhood! You can see the pleasure on your child’s face as they relish in their new found capabilities. But this time can also bring challenges. I hear it all the time…my squirmy toddler won’t get into the stroller! My advice? Grown-ups need to have a bag of tricks. Early walkers and toddlers hoping for Read More