All Search Results
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How to keep your kids from begging for Halloween candy
Halloween has become one of my favorite holidays. I never cared for it much before I became a parent, but now I look forward to it every year. My kids get so excited for the day to finally arrive, and I love seeing them dressed up in their little costumes, even if it’s only long enough for a couple of pictures. We take them door to door, and they continue to be thrilled each and every time a neighbor drops a treat into their ever-growing stash. We come home way past their bedtime with loads of treasure, and they can’t wait to dig through it all and sample their goodies.
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How to help your children become smarter and more successful
Before talking about the how-tos, let me ask you these two questions:
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Why you (and your kids) shouldn't use antibacterial soap anymore
No more antibacterial soap. Not at home. Not at school. Not at all for healthy people.
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Tips to make your kid's sport season a safer one
Kids are back in school and back in sports. When I was younger, that always meant balancing the less-than-happy feelings of returning to a sleep schedule with my excitement over returning to organized sports. Sports were always a fun way for me to stay active, learn to work within a team and to build friendships.
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How to Make the Most of Your Family Dinners
I talk to a lot parents who share that their child comes home from school and when they ask how their day was, they hear “fine” as their child walks toward their room and shuts the door. I praise these parents for trying to connect with their child, and then tell them they are doing it all wrong!
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How do you teach a child to be kind, caring and compassionate?
Working as a child life specialist has granted me a front row seat to some of life's most challenging, defining, and intimate moments for the kids I serve. In partnering with children and families, we work to empower and encourage positive coping skills and help them make meaning from the obstacles they have been presented. And through this, I am always left with a chance for meaning-making of my own. Lately, I have been reflecting on the concept of empathy and its importance not only within the lives of those affected by medical challenges, but as a basic skill needed between all people.
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How to get kids active and without breaking the bank!
I grew up in a neighborhood full of children around my age. All summer long we would ride our bikes around the neighborhood or to the neighborhood community pool. Pretty much everyone I knew was on a park district swim team. Exercise was a way of life, whether we realized it or not.
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How long is it okay for my child to suck on a thumb or pacifier?
As parents, you may worry about your child sucking his or her thumb or a pacifier, but it’s important to remember that sucking is one of an infant's natural reflexes that they start even in the womb. Infants and young children may also suck on their fingers or other objects because it makes them feel happy and safe, and it helps them to learn and explore their world. It also helps them feel safe during difficult periods, such as when they are separated from their parents or if they are in a new and unfamiliar environment. Sucking may also be relaxing and, for some children, can help them get to sleep.
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Should reading be a part of your family's bedtime routine?
You’ve eaten dinner as a family around the table, you’ve given the little ones a bath, gotten them into their pajamas, brushed their teeth, and sent them to bed- now relax! Chances are though, it didn’t go that easily. I know it doesn't in my house. Bedtime routines can be hectic, and adding one more thing to the list to do before bed may seem like a hassle, but the five minutes it takes to read your child a bedtime story can be so valuable to their development.
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The Upside to Having Your Baby in Daycare
I was very fortunate as a second-time new mom to be able to stay home for three months with my new little guy. It wasn’t always easy- there was a lot of crying, not much sleeping, and times when I couldn’t remember what day it was or the last time I brushed my teeth. However, as the weeks went by we got to know each other better, and the beginning stages of a routine was born. We started taking a walk together every morning and slowly started to nap and eat around the same time every day.
