parenting

In honor of the Week of the Young Child, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with the DC Public Library in support of the Sing, Talk, and Read early literacy campaign!

It’s never too early to give your child a smart start. The Sing, Talk & Read DC initiative, led by the DC Public Library, shows parents how to make singing, talking and reading to their very young children a part of their day, every day.

By using surprisingly simple daily practices, you can put your child on the path to success! Learn how singing, talking and reading with your little one now, will help them later in school.

You can watch us discuss the campaign on Let’s Talk Live (NewsChannel8) and offer examples of how you can turn your everyday routine into a fun learning opportunity.

Read More

It’s that time of the year and if you are anything like me, you’re thinking about exotic vacations and fun getaways in the sun!  Before you schedule your next trip though, you have to answer the big question: How will you entertain the kids?

The good news is that a family vacation does not have to mean a visit to Disneyland or a trip to your in-laws. You can take a nice adult vacation that your kids will love too by staying at a resort with on-site child care.

Before you drop-off the kiddies, make sure you know the following information:

Read More

If you were an insufferable goodie-two shoes as I was as a girl, you would have given anything to be allowed in the room at this hallowed tete-a-tete to hear yourself heaped with laurels and praise by your admiring teacher and proudly and whole-heartedly endorsed by your modest parents.

But as a mom, praise (while lovely) is not really what you are there for. Here are some tips I received from friends as I prepared for my first parent teacher conference.

Read More

D id you know that your child’s best learning happens through their everyday routines, experiences, and conversations? In fact, researchers found that the amount of language children hear in the first three years of their life plays an important role in their future learning abilities. The power of simply talking with your child can make all the difference.

Families that have children in child care often ask me how they can create opportunities for developing their child’s communication skills when they aren’t with their child all day.  I share that their daily routines provide ample opportunities to enhance their child’s communication skills, as well as provide meaningful interactions with their child.

Read More

In many places across the U.S., winter is in full force. Don’t let the snow keep you and your little ones indoors. The winter wonderland outside your front door is the perfect play environment for rumbustious little rascals. You can add some structure to your playtime with these three great snow day activities.

Read More

How many times did you achieve all the goals on your New Year’s resolutions list? Yeah, I know, tough question. 2014 has finally arrived and it’s that time when many of us get started on our nice fresh list of New Year’s resolutions! Every year, I too make a list for myself and my family of all the things I’d like to accomplish the upcoming year. Rarely, however, do we actually look back on the year that passed to see how many of the previous year’s resolutions were actually achieved. Most people actively try their best to reach their newly set goals in the first couple of months, but enthusiasm soon fades and the New Year’s resolutions become forgotten or abandoned.

To avoid burning out or simply forgetting about my goals, here’s what I will do this year to keep myself and my family on track:

Read More

The holidays are a time for the old familiar family traditions. But if you are looking to shake things up a bit, and expose your children to a more global outlook this season, here are some fun and easy traditions from around the world that are easy to integrate into your merriment.

More than milk and cookies.
One of the easiest ways to get kids excited about new cultures and traditions is with food. And there are as many different dishes from around the world associated with this time of year as there are elves in Santa’s workshop.  In Mexico, it is traditional to celebrate Christmas Eve with delicious tamales. In the UK, Santa doesn’t get milk and cookies, it’s sherry and mince pies that warm his late night sleigh ride (makes sense no!?).

Read More

As a working parent you probably rely on child care for your children. But don’t you sometimes wish your kids could do more extra-curricular activities? Getting your kids to day care and yourself to and from work seems hard enough, let alone planning for any additional evening enrichment. Luckily, we have some tips for how to strike a balance:

1. Look for child care that already offers enrichment activities.
Some daycares incorporate enrichment activities like dance, music, sports and technology into their program whereby kids can enjoy an activity without leaving the child care facilities. Be sure to ask when you are interviewing child care providers if these and other services are available. Most child care providers offer some sort of extracurricular activities as part of the curriculum. Others, however, might offer these classes at an additional cost because they invite outside companies to lead these special classes.

Read More

As much as we try to protect our children, studies show that more than half of children will experience bullying at some point in their lives. Bullying can take place as early as preschool. To protect your child, learn to recognize signs of bullying and the steps you can undertake to prevent your child from being bullied again.

Recognize the signs of a bullied preschooler:

• Sudden unexplained fear of going to preschool
• Being withdrawn or depressed
• Coming home with unexplained injuries
• Complaining about another child (or other children) doing or saying mean things
• Avoiding eye contact when asked about preschool and seeming embarrassed or ashamed
• Complaining of headaches and/or stomachaches when they are not sick
• Being clingy and whiny when dropped off at preschool

Read More

‘T

is the season! No not that one…cold and flu season.  And cough, and runny nose, and all manner of bugs and viruses that like to strike as soon as the weather turns chilly!

For kids in day care, this means that your little one may seem to be home sick more often than they are at school. As soon as the thermometer reads a temperature, odds are your facility has strict rules keeping your little one from attending.

If your kid is anything like mine however, one tablespoon of Tylenol and, though still under the weather, they are very much themselves and in need of entertainment. Here are five ideas on how to keep your patient happy and healthy while they ride out their latest winter bug!

Read More