Considering that Sweden is consistently rated to have one of the highest levels of gender equality in the world, it makes sense that consumers have been vocal about wanting marketing images of children to align more closely with this national value. Responding to consumer pressure and complaints to the Swedish Advertising Ombudsman, Top Toy company, which owns more than 280 toys stores in Sweden (including Toys R Us), has made a big effort this year to "reflect the way boys and girls play in real life, and not present a stereotype image of them."
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You read that correctly. It doesn't say toddler-proof bathroom. Kylie of How We Montessori made simple updates to her family's bathroom that makes it more user-friendly for her eighteen-month-old. Rather than keeping bathroom items out of his reach, she has created a few ways for him to access all of the toiletries he needs to get ready for his day. More

The month of November is special in America, but it is also an important time of the year in other cultures as well, whether it be the Day of the Dead, Diwali, or Shichi-Go-San.
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When I buy shoes for my young boys, sometimes shoes with laces are not even an option. I don't mean for my taste; literally, there are often no shoes in the store in my kids' sizes that have laces. They're all velcro. Which, to be honest, is fine with me, because it means more self-sufficiency for them and a faster trip out the door. But of course, I want them to learn how to tie shoes. More

November is gratitude month with Thanksgiving right around the corner. And while I think these activities should probably be practiced all year, the fall season really lends itself well to these warm indoor family times. More

Play dates are serious business over at Growing A Jeweled Rose; Jewel and Rosie's parents converted their unfinished basement into a messy play space with different sensory play stations. On the first Friday of every month the girls host sensory play dates for their little posse, and one Friday last March the lights went out in the basement and sensory play went day-glo. More

As we prepare for our first Christmas as parents, my husband and I have faced what is inevitably many parents' dilemma come this time of year: how much should we spend on our daughter's Christmas gifts? My husband, who loves shopping and gift-giving for any and every occasion, is married to his polar opposite in that department. It will take some work (and maybe even a few Christmases) to find the right balance between overindulging her and being too thrifty.

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So we were watching our usual Saturday morning PBS cartoons, but the fall line-up had switched the expected schedule all around. I looked up and realized my almost 4-year-old daughter was completely enthralled with a non-cartoon television show: SciGirls. This is rather unusual. Especially because in the past, the non-cartoon show that usually aired was a cooking show that none of us could stand to watch. But watching SciGirls' great blend of hands-on creative science projects and enthusiastic girls has been enjoyable for all of us - and we're not even the target audience: tween girls. More

Recently, after harvesting our little crop of pumpkins we managed to grow, I arranged them proudly on the mantle and began to contemplate a neat, spooky-yet-sophisticated oh-so-Pinterestable Halloween decoration for our dining room. My 8-year-old had a thunderbolt of inspiration: "What if we draw faces on them with markers?" I am embarrassed to admit I hesitated; that's not really what I had in mind, I thought. Then it struck me — am I really serious? Halloween is for kids!
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I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine and we were discussing the future of education — particularly for elementary to high school students. He's convinced that the best education needs to become cheaper, more efficient, and more accessible. He's also convinced that tablets in the classroom are the vehicle to get us there. Do you want an iPad to be your child's teacher?
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