Self Care For Parents

Caregiving is exhausting. It is a 24/7 job that requires major reserves of time, energy, and patience. Caring for yourself is crucial in order to be able to adequately care for your children.

Quick self-care suggestions to keep your tank full:

Tap into your relaxation response with deep breathing or meditation. Motherly is a great app to help you tap in and tune out in those early years. Mini breathing breaks throughout the day can help with the building stress, and if possible, think about adding an additional relaxation strategy during nap time so you can really calm your system. Continue reading “Self Care For Parents” →

Preparing Siblings For New Baby

As new parents, you may have researched and prepared for the massive life transition that was on the horizon with the birth of your first child.

Young children need preparation in much the same way when a new baby is entering the family. All of the newborn characteristics and behaviors that we take for granted are new to your little one. Helping them know what to expect during that big transition can ease some anxiety and hopefully, make them feel more secure and included.  Continue reading “Preparing Siblings For New Baby” →

Home for the Holidays

The holidays are filled with many opportunities for family fun from craft markets to parades to family gatherings.

Very young children can become quickly overwhelmed with all of the extra activities which might make that family picture more of a disaster than a keepsake.

Disrupted sleep schedules, extra sights and sounds, shopping, increased outings, new people holding them and the general excitement and stress of the season can add to your young child’s stress. This usually equals less sleep, more tantrums, more crying, and more stress for everyone.  Continue reading “Home for the Holidays” →

Container Play

Young children love putting things in and dumping them out of containers!  This type of play can help your baby develop fine motor skills like picking up and letting go, as well as hand-eye coordination and basic, early math skills related to size and space.

The skills your child needs for container play emerge at around 12-months-old.  Although younger children may take things out of a container, they may not yet have developed the ability to actually let things go, so it doesn’t always become an in-and-out game until around a year old. Continue reading “Container Play” →

Early Math Skills

In October 2022 the New York Times reported that student math skills fell in nearly every state, highlighting one of the consequences  of the pandemic.

Remember though, that your young children, even before they start school, are already learning math!  There are many things you can do at home that will support early math skills—things that are fun and do not need to be “tested.”  The best way for young children to learn is to incorporate learning into play.  Not only will this help avoid meltdowns, it will help integrate the concepts.

Here are some things you can do at home. Remember, though—no quizzes.  These are either observations you make or things incorporated into play.  Continue reading “Early Math Skills” →

Singing to Your Baby

A recent study indicates that singing to your baby can positively affect their social development!  You do not have to be a great singer for your baby to benefit from hearing you sing.

The study showed that it is not your skill as a singer, but rather the predictable rhythm of the song that matters.  In the study, infants synchronized their eye movements with the singer’s eyes around the beat of the music.  If the predictable rhythm was disrupted, the synchronized eye movement ended. This is an extraordinary example of infant social engagement.  Continue reading “Singing to Your Baby” →