The TV is gone from our living room. And it was my husband’s idea. He is a sports fan, so we’ll see how this goes. The plan is that he’ll walk down the street to a neighborhood bar to watch the occasional game. Or go at a friend’s house. That’s always sounded nicer to me than watching at home–more social, […]
Occasionally I speak in summits like this one, and the conversation is lively. Dr. Laura Markham talked about giving ourselves permission to be less productive. Lori Petro talked about healing ourselves if we didn’t grow up with good role models for communication. I talked about letting our kids do things for themselves — and asking […]
Have more parenting questions than I can answer once per week? Of course you do! So do I. Luckily for us, a new 21-day parenting summit is starting up this week: Be The Best Parent You Can Be Live – 2015 Online Event It’ll feature 21 leading experts in child development, education, nutrition, sleep, child […]
“Good job, mama,” my 3-year-old said today. “I’m so proud of you!” I’m going to pretend she was thanking me for being a good mom instead of for making her some frozen yogurt. (Or maybe the two go hand in hand for her.) We don’t often hear “thank you” for the job we do as […]
“I’m really rushing all the time. I don’t have enough time just to sit down with them.” “I always worry: Am I doing enough with my kids? Am I doing the important stuff that they need?” We can all relate to the parents at the beginning of this video. The ending will bring a tear to your eye: […]
“Time for bed,” my husband says. He’s not talking to our 3-year-old. He’s talking to me, because I’ve been going to bed waaaay too late, and I’ve asked him to help me out. Even so, whenever he tells me what to do, I balk. “OK,” I say noncommittally, and I stay up even later. Think about […]
Baby loves it when you mimic her facial expressions, coo at her little sounds, and gaze into her eyes. When baby tries to engage with you in one of those ways, she needs you to respond in kind. This “serve and return” interaction is foundational in wiring baby’s brain. It helps the brain develop […]
“Oh, so this for you, then?” That’s what my neighbor said when I told him a) I was thinking about a Lorax themed birthday party for my almost-3-year-old, and b) she’d probably be happy if the only decor were the three big, white balloons she’d chosen herself that morning. His words replayed in my head. I wanted the party to feel special. […]
A photographer mounted a GoPro camera in the stroller behind his son’s head so he could capture “A toddler’s view of New York City.” Cool idea! But the poor kid is often looking through the plastic cover of the stroller. He gets this blurry, diffuse view of the world. The photographs got me thinking about a child’s experience from a […]
Try this: Set a timer for 10 minutes and go for a very slow walk. Letting your gaze wander, look for things you like in the environment. When you find something you like, pause and appreciate it for longer than you otherwise would. Continue on, looking for the positive. What do you notice? This is […]