Importance of Responsive Routines There has been a lot of conversation recently about maximizing time at home with children. So much of my work is about helping parents have developmentally appropriate expectations for children and realistic expectations of themselves. Managing expectations helps everyone feel more successful. When at home with children, I do believe routine Read More
Everyday Tips
While there still isn’t a parenting handbook, there are a lot of tips and strategies you can use to make the job a whole lot easier and more rewarding. Here you’ll find support for accepting yourself as a parent, finding a parenting support group that works for you, and most importantly, how to gain the confidence and knowledge to make the right choices for you and your family.
You’re Not Perfect—And That’s OK
You’re not perfect. And neither am I. Not a perfect person. Not a perfect parent. And thank goodness for that! Define Your Parenting Goals and Make a Plan So where did all this come from? Recently, I spent 3 days at a retreat looking inward. Basically, the wonderful retreat leader put me through the same Read More
If We Take Something Off The Table, Have We “Lost?”
Q:If we take something off the table, have we “lost”? A:”Lost what,” I ask? An example, many parents report morning routine’s to be a struggle. Children drag their feet. Parents are trying to accomplish many things in a short period of time. No one wants to feel harried in the morning. Maybe your daughter Read More
The Importance of Knowing What is Developmentally Appropriate
Every few weeks, during sessions with parents or children, I say something that has a parent reacting: “Wow! Really?” Typically, I’m not saying something I think is shocking or unusual. But there is so much information, advice, parent peer pressure, and “the-right-way-to-do-it” messaging out there, that parents are surprised when they hear something different. Here Read More
Converting Your Small Space for Baby #2
Is baby #2 on the way? Here are some tips for creating functional sibling spaces. New York City is an amazing place to raise kids, but any city parent will tell you that space becomes a concern at one point or another. One of the most common concerns I hear as a consultant and city mommy of Read More
Disney Tips 2013
Parenting strategies for successful family outings. I sit here Monday evening, after a weekend at Walt Disney World, equally happy and exhausted to tears. There’s a wide variety of families, children, and ages that visit Disney each year. Most people have a “plan of attack” that works for their brood. Below find the tips Read More
Restaurant Sanity Savers
Dana’s tips for teaching appropriate restaurant behavior. Having a child shouldn’t mean you can’t go out for dinner without hiring a babysitter. Taking your young child to a restaurant holds the possibility of a wonderful experience in a new place with new foods, as well as an enjoyable time for you and your partner. It can Read More
Three Ways Kids Can Learn Good Recycling Habits
As parents and teachers, we are often concerned with the future world our children will inherit. As more packaging waste is generated and left to slowly decompose in landfills, the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling dramatically increases. The act of practice good recycling habits by “being green” helps to ensure that today’s kids and Read More
Beat the Morning Blues!
Keep your baby’s travel kit organized and be ready to go at any time. Having a hard time getting out of the house in the morning? Here are some tips to keep your baby’s travel kit organized. Keep a “kit” in the bottom of your stroller with snacks, an empty cup, diapers, wipes, change of Read More
Guest Post: The Creator’s Workshop: Save That Box
From the moment they are born children are creative; they experiment and create with their minds, bodies and voices. As children grow, and develop physically and emotionally, their creativity expands and extends to expressions in play, on paper, with play-dough, etc. The avenues are endless. Encouraging and fostering a child’s innate creativity has many benefits, Read More