Parenting
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I Became A Mother In That ChairLiving
Ashlee Gadd is the founder of Coffee + Crumbs and the author of “The Magic of Motherhood: The Good Stuff, the Hard Stuff, and Everything In Between.” We ordered bunk beds yesterday. It was an inevitable purchase, I suppose, after having two boys in two and a half years. When we found out our second baby was another boy, I remember thinking: Someday they’ll share a room, probably bunk beds.
Oct 3, 2017
Can You Guess the Biggest Barriers to Eating Dinner at Home?Living
Without a doubt, my largest expense every month (outside of rent) is eating out. I realized this only recently, when I sat down to get serious about my monthly budget and answer the question “Where the hell does all my money go all the time?” It’s restaurants. Several times a week. A challenge that many families struggle with, and thanks to a recent study, we are starting to understand why. An article in the January edition of the Appetite journal by Shannon M. Robson, Lori E.
May 18, 2016
Is a Nursery Even Necessary?Living
New crib, new crib mattress, new rug, new curtains, new rocker, new wall art, new bookshelves, new dresser, new change mat—no doubt about it, the nursery business is big business. But do we really all need to buy into it? I mean, is it possible to just do no nursery? Would that be okay? How would that work? Well, ultimately, the answer to that question is going to be personal. And by personal, I mean it’s going to depend on you.
Feb 22, 2016
Tried & Tested: How To Get Your Kid To Sleep in their Own BedLiving
They’ve got a super cute room with a comfy bed. Why don’t they ever sleep in it? And when they do? Why is it never alone?! If it’s time to get your little one to sleep through the night in his or her own bed, here’s advice on how to do just that. First, let’s face facts: the issue of our kids sleeping in our beds is not totally about them. It’s also about us. We like it! We like snuggles! We like that they are little! And that’s okay.
Feb 10, 2016
In Finland, It Is Totally Normal to Put Your Baby to Sleep in a BoxLiving
In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, one of the infant Herdman children sleeps in a dresser drawer. In Finland, almost every newborn baby goes to sleep in a cardboard box. Yes, that’s right: every baby. Once upon a time, Finland had a pretty high infant mortality rate: 65 out of every 1,000 infants. So in 1938, they started offering a box full of a baby essentials like clothing, outerwear, bathing products, and bedding to expectant mothers.
Nov 25, 2015
The Importance of Spending Time at Home ALONELiving
When I was young and had my own apartment I occasionally longed for a roommate, but was mostly content to have the place to myself. Now that I’m married with kids my husband and I do our best to give each other child-free time out of the house, but we’ve only recently tried to incorporate the opposite—giving each other time at home completely alone. Family time or roommate time (depending on your roommates!
Oct 5, 2015
What A $10 Tub of Playmobil Taught Me About Spoiling My KidsLiving
Ever since Ralph had encountered it at a friend’s place, all he’s wanted for Christmas, for anything, was Playmobil. So of course, when I found an unbelievably giant tub of it marked just $10 at a local yard sale, I thought, “This is the greatest thing I have ever found, ever. Ralph is going to flip out!” Except… it didn’t work out exactly as I’d expected.
Sep 8, 2015
Experiences Make The Best Gifts: 7 Father’s Day Ideas To Do With DadLiving
If you’re lucky enough to have a father figure to spend time with on June 21st, why not give him what he really wants: quality time together! Here are seven fun Father’s Day adventures- or should I say dadventures… Trip to the Museum of Whatever He’s Into: There’s a Mustard Museum, for crying out loud, so there’s sure to be one that’s perfect for every dad.
Jun 11, 2015
10 Toys Every Child Should HaveLiving
As soon as you have kids, toys become a big part of your home and your life. You buy toys, people give you toys, your kids pick out their own toys. You worry about having too many or not enough or the right ones. Toys will come and toys will go from your children’s lives, but these ten toys are what we consider the essential, pardon the pun…building blocks for a young child’s life of play.
May 7, 2015
The Pros & Cons of Living Near FamilyLiving
My day job is the only one I’ve ever had in which the employees never socialize outside of work— it’s also the only one I’ve ever had in which all of the employees’ families live locally. Coincidence? I can’t help but wonder: do all of the family recitals, parties, graduations, brunches, and favors take up so much time that there’s little-to-none left over for a non-family social life?
Apr 6, 2015
9 Easter Egg Hunt IdeasLiving
Is there anything more magically pagan-feeling than running around on one of the first days of spring, searching for treasures amongst the just-warm soil, fresh green grass, and newly-budding trees? These 9 fresh twists on an old tradition just might make the day even more magical and memorable… 1. Easter Egg Balloons by Studio DIY for Balloontime Let kids decorate air- or helium-filled balloons, hide them, and let the hunt begin.
Mar 27, 2015
Design-Inspired Baby Names: Alvar, Elsie, Nelson…and MoreLiving
“Hipster” baby names have become simultaneously popular and ridiculed and often draw from literature, pop culture and history. But there’s one well that parents haven’t fully dipped into yet for naming: design. Have no fear, I’ve compiled a list of possibly terrific, possibly terrible baby names drawn from iconic designs and designers.
Feb 4, 2015
5 Ideas to Steal from School (For an Organized Winter Routine)Organize & Clean
Winter can make everyday kid stuff even more time consuming and unorganized. Teachers accustomed to wrangling a room full of kids have honed their classroom habits and routines, and borrowing some of their best ideas can streamline arrivals and departures while keeping clutter and dirt at bay. At school it’s a cubby, here at home we do a combination of hooks and baskets. Kids take responsibility for keeping track of their stuff and pride in contributing to an organized space.
Jan 28, 2015
The Fun Doesn’t Have To End On the 1st: Continuing The FestivitiesLiving
Well, that was a whirlwind! Apparently it’s now January and yet my festive to-do list remains a mile long. Let’s take stock of all the winter fun we didn’t manage to get around to… yet. I’m still planning to do all of the following: There are still tree trimmings hanging about, pine needles still smell great, and it’s still really brown and barren outside so any bit of life I can bring in the house is precious.
Jan 5, 2015
Small Space, Lightweight Christmas Gifts For Traveling KidsLiving
Rainforest-themed jumperoos, tonka trucks and monster LEGO sets are all well and good for families who have Santa deliver under their tree at home. But what about for those of us travelling for the holidays? Here are some great present ideas for kids who must, post-Christmas, pack them into their carry-on. 1. Paperback picture books. Super light and long-lasting fun. For older kids who’ve passed regular picture books some time ago, try the Where’s Waldo series, or a Tintin book. 2.
Dec 10, 2014
The One Thing Every Family Home NeedsOrganize & Clean
You’ve got 5 minutes to get there. You’re fumbling around the house for your keys, and yelling, to the littlest, for the 25th time: “Hurry up and get your shoes on!” You can’t quite remember— what were you meant to bring to this dinner party again? You’re going to be late. If this sounds like you, then your home is in need of one thing: A Take-Off Space. We’ve all heard of landing strips.
Dec 2, 2014
New Holiday Traditions: Ideas for Donating as a FamilyOrganize & Clean
‘Tis the season for coat collections, holiday gift drives, and charitable giving, and this year I’m trying to coordinate my own periodic decluttering with the efforts of local organizations. It’s nice to make space for the new, and nicer still to get kids involved in donations, identifying things they no longer use that other children can enjoy. My family is tackling some of our biggest accumulators and finding plenty of enthusiastic takers, eager to distribute our donations.
Nov 19, 2014
How To Set Up a Treasure Hunt In Your HomeLiving
Is there anything more fun than hunting through your house for hidden goodies, treasure map in hand? If you are 5 years old, the answer is probably no, there isn’t. Want to set up a treasure hunt in your house? Here’s how. What you need: Paper: printer, and at least one large sheet Printer + ink Pencil + eraser Sharpie Decorative craft items: aluminium foil, glue, cotton wool, faux fur, crayons, pencils, glitter – whatever you can dream up! TREASURE! Instructions: 1.
Nov 3, 2014
Our Short-Term Overseas Family Move: What I’m Glad I Brought & Wish I’d Thought To BringLiving
Two months ago my family packed our bags (all 8 of them) and headed for an overseas stay, a six month overseas stay in our home country of Australia. Now that a little time has passed, and the dust has settled in the pack rooms of my parent’s house where we are living, I’ve learned a few things about what to pack when heading overseas with kids for so, so long. 1. My daughter’s favorite blankie.
Oct 28, 2014
The Power Of A Quiet Space For A Crazy FamilyLiving
Reading a book on meditation this week that suggested I invest in a dedicated quiet space in my home. What?? Is this guy crazy? I live in 600 square feet!, I thought to myself, and what house with two toddlers has any kind of quiet space, anyway? Wait. He might be onto something after all… Living in a tiny apartment, I’ve already leared that dedicating spaces to different activities really does make the home run smoother.
Oct 20, 2014
How To Take Pictures of the Kids at the Pumpkin Patch Without Pulling Your Hair OutLiving
I don’t know when it became a thing. Did parents always take annual pictures of their children at the pumpkin patch or did the practice spread like wildfire since the advent of social media? Whatever the case, I’ve succumbed; I have to commemorate the October Pumpkin Patch Trip and I have since my oldest daughter was a baby. Which is to say that I’m very familiar with this fall torture ritual. Here’s how I’ve learned to survive.
Oct 9, 2014
What if the “Nesting Instinct” Never Kicks In?Living
When you’re pregnant you hear a lot of old wives’ tales, maternity myths and “what to expect while expectings”. My first pregnancy was relatively easy and uneventful and the first trimester I spent, like most women, sleepy and tired. So I was really looking forward to the “nesting stage” which is supposed to kick in during the second trimester and peak in the third.
Oct 7, 2014
What’s the Right Age to Let Kids Have a Cell Phone?Living
As my oldest child starts to navigate the waters of middle school, the perennial question resurfaces: when do we get him a cell phone? Many of his peers have had phones for years now, but our family really wants to hold out until it’s absolutely necessary. So when does it become absolutely necessary? Among my mom friends with older children, I hear stories of the “need” for cell phones beginning pretty much in middle school.
Sep 19, 2014
The Sentimentalist’s Guide to Dealing with Children’s School Papers: Going (Mostly) DigitalOrganize & Clean
I recently wrote about my system for dealing with children’s papers, from the mundane to the beautiful and precious. Today, I’m going to go more in-depth (warning: very in-depth) regarding what I do once I’ve sorted what’s important. Store informational papers digitally. The permission slips and forms that need to be returned to school should go in an action inbox that you deal with very regularly.
Sep 17, 2014
Lunch Box Rules: Adventures in Packing Kids’ LunchesLiving
This fall, after three solid years packing preschool lunches, I thought I’d surely gotten it down. I ordered new insulated containers, decided to go nearly 100% stainless, and had my rotating “recipes” for good nutrition on stand by. And then I got an email… The email from a new teacher explained the do’s and don’ts of lunch boxes. The children were to take all their food out and place it on a plate for a civilized sit down meal.
Sep 15, 2014
5 Things to Consider Before Signing Your Kids Up for Music LessonsLiving
As school year schedules are finalized, parents may find themselves fielding their kids’ requests for music lessons. While the “Mozart effect” has been debunked in recent years (no, playing Don Giovanni for your child won’t put them on the fast track to the Ivy League), recent research indicates that children do benefit socially, emotionally, and cognitively from learning to play an instrument. Scholarship aside, playing music is incredibly fun.
Aug 26, 2014
10 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do At HomeLiving
Parenting is scary. You love your kids so much and you want to protect them in every way you can: you want to protect their feelings, their egos and, of course, their bodies. You want your kids to be safe, but you also want them to be confident, take risks, and, eventually, learn to navigate the world without you. Achieving both these goals…that’s the tricky part. Where’s the sweet spot between underparenting and overparenting?
Aug 19, 2014
From Aidan to Zeb: A Year of Stylish Boys’ NamesLiving
You’ve seen our list of stylish girls names compiled from the nurseries and bedrooms shared with us over the past year, but how do the boys names stack up in terms of originality and creativity? Let me read you the “P” list: Pedro, Perseus and Phoenix. Rock on. Use this list to inspire a baby name if you’re looking for one, keep up with naming trends or just enjoy purely for anthroponomastic pleasure.
Aug 5, 2014
5 Habits To Steal from Preschoolers for a Happier HomeLiving
I chose my son’s Montessori preschool in part because of the order and beauty of its environment. I agreed with the practices of the school and while many of these practices were things we already held important at home, I also picked up a few new take-aways and they are ones that any home can adopt: This is an important practice at my son’s preschool for keeping the indoor environments clean. Every student has indoor slippers to change into when they come in from outdoors.
Aug 5, 2014
From Adele to Zoe: A Year of Stylish Girls’ NamesLiving
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the parents who put together the creative and inspiring kids’ rooms that we share here all year long also have great taste in names. If you’re searching for the perfect baby name or just have a general love of names – this list, the girls edition, is pretty stellar.
Aug 5, 2014
Surviving Life in a Walk-Up Apartment With KidsStyle
I know exactly how many stairs there are to our apartment. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve counted—through tantrums, while carrying strollers or sleds in the dead of winter. We’ve lived here four years now, they were babies, they were just-learning to walk, I even had one C-section. Friends who live large on the ground floor tell me they’d never go back. So…how do we do it? How do we make life work with kids in a walk up? 1.
Aug 4, 2014
Noisy Kids? How To Keep The Peace With Your Next-Door NeighborsLiving
No doubt about it: kids make noise. What happens when you have kids, noisy kids and your neighbor doesn’t? Apartment living can be tough, but it’s even tougher when a case of shared walls meets very different lifestyles. Here are a few guidelines for ensuring everyone gets along just fine. 1. Get to know each other. Invite your neighbors over for dinner. Nothing beats a shared meal for wearing down divisions and clearing up misunderstandings.
Jul 23, 2014
6 Steps To Safer Windows In Your Family’s RentalStyle
A study run from 1990 to 2008 discovered that 98,415 were injured through falling from windows over that time. That equates to around 5,000 children per year. 1 per cent of these falls resulted in death. No question about it: if you have a small child in your home then window safety is essential. But how to do it? Especially when the place you’re living in doesn’t belong to you? Here are six steps to consider in protecting your little ones from injury around your rental windows. 1.
Jul 18, 2014
Kids Room Cleanout: How To Have an Online Yard SaleOrganize & Clean
If your playroom is currently looking more like a play pile, and your kids’ bedroom more like a giant closet full of ill-fitting clothes, a thorough clean out is probably in order at your place. But wait! Before you throw it all out, have you considered having a yard sale for it…online? A lot of secondhand kids gear is suprisingly easy to sell online, if you know both what is saleable, and the right places to advertise.
Jul 7, 2014
6 Dumb Household Rules You Hated Growing Up, but Now Totally UnderstandOrganize & Clean
When you’re young, it’s your job to not worry and to push limits. It’s all about you, you, you. It’s up to your parents to firmly establish boundaries and rules. And while you live under their roof, it’s either their way or the highway. Sound familiar? Here are six seemingly arbitrary household rules that drove you nuts at the time, but make so much more sense today. Then: Why bother? I’m just going to use it again tonight!
Jun 16, 2014
Need to Know: 3 Tips for Summer Water SafetyLiving
For all intents and purposes, it’s summer around here, since the kids are out of school and we’re ready to play. With summer comes water sports, and whether your kids are master swimmers or beginners, water safety is the number one priority. In recent years, awareness surrounding several swimming dangers has risen, and we’ve collected the information here as a quick guide to making sure your kids are safe in the water this season.
Jun 12, 2014
7 Creative Ideas to Make an Outdoor Oasis for Kids this SummerHome Projects
With warm weather finally here, the wheels in my mind have been turning thinking of fun ways to get my little ones outdoors as much as possible. Of course there’s the park down the street, our little plastic play pool, and the tree my four-year-old loves to climb, but I’d love to come up with something fresh for a little added fun.
Jun 3, 2014
Getting The Lay Of The Land: A New-Home Camping TripHome Projects
We won’t be moving in for a couple of months, but last weekend we took the opportunity to get to know our home a bit better by spending the night…in a tent in the backyard. When we started working on our home-to-be, I thought it might be great to camp out inside the empty house. I pictured it as a sweet time to talk about the changes we’d like to make, the things we saw ourselves doing there someday, and the life we hoped to live there.
Jun 3, 2014
What’s Your Best Bargain Kids’ Room Find?Living
Moms and Dads: are you a master of the thrift store? A yard sale guru? An Ikea as-is-aholic? A clearance sale clever-clogs? We’ve been talking all month about living on a budget, and now it’s come to that time again, the time for boasting and bragging about the best bargain you’ve ever scored for your kids! For me? Probably that $20 tub of Duplo (the big brick Legos) I bought at a local community yard sale.
May 27, 2014
Words of Wisdom: 10 Posts About Keeping a Clean House with KidsOrganize & Clean
You know you’re a parent when you look forward to free time…so you can clean your house. When my husband takes both kids to the playground, do I flop on the couch, queue up some Netflix and relax? No, I rush around vacuuming, sweeping and picking up toys —gladly— because it’s so much easier to do without little kids underfoot (especially my 15-month-old who seems to undo everything as I do it).
May 23, 2014
Real Life On A Budget: Alison’s Money Saving Tips & IdeasLiving
I wish I could say I bring home the big bucks as a writer, but I don’t. Our family of four has a budget, it’s tight, and we have to stick to it. In the last 10 years of marriage my husband and I have tried different strategies, wrestled through problems, argued what must be different sides of how to save money. At the end of all that, here are 7 things we’ve found truly work. 1. Prioritize getting rid of debts.
May 19, 2014
Take the Quiz: Which Country’s Parenting Values Match Yours?Living
I know, I know I have quiz fatigue, too. (Not to mention bitterness over the results of ‘Which Grease Pink Lady are you?’). But here’s an online exercise that is actually thought-provoking: Which Country Shares Your Parenting Values? The exercise, on PBS.org, instructs you to rank 11 qualities you think are important for children to learn at home (e.g. responsibility, tolerance, hard work, self-expression*).
May 16, 2014
Spring Cleaning Checklist: Family EditionOrganize & Clean
The birds might have already been a-chirping for some time now, the green buds already appearing, but that doesn’t mean our Spring cleaning is all done! Especially not when you live with mess monsters of your own year round. Here are a handful of Spring cleaning tasks, that make an especially big difference to households with kids. 1. Wipe down your walls. Move systematically around the house at the height of your kids, and scrub those walls. Especially doorways!
May 6, 2014
Tips for Finding the Right Neighborhood Pool for Your FamilyHome Projects
After a record-breaking winter of relentless snow, I am looking forward to sunshine and splashing around with my family. Since a summer home isn’t in the cards for us and we don’t have a pool, we rely on a neighborhood pool. After a few summers with kids under my belt I’ve figured out my pool priorities, and ours has become a true home away from home. Here are a few tips for choosing the right pool for your family. 1. Do the math.
May 6, 2014
On Home Birth in a Small ApartmentStyle
As I prepare for the birth of my second child and during this month of surveying small space living here at Apartment Therapy, I have been reflecting on where I would be giving birth if I still lived in NYC. Home births are on the rise in New York state, up 71% since 2004. With most of the state’s population living in the city, I find myself imagining the logistics of home birth in my old apartment: Would I feel inhibited laboring in close proximity to my neighbors?
May 1, 2014
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: One Year Sharing a Bedroom with a BabyStyle
Some parents share a room with their baby by choice (especially those who choose to co-sleep) and others by necessity if they live in a small home. Perhaps you have a long-term plan to move into a two-bedroom home, but are staying where you are for now. Or, like my family, you’re not quite ready to have your infant share a room with an older child.
Apr 29, 2014
Is Your Teen’s Room A Screen-Free Space?Living
There was a time, way back (way, way back) when I wasn’t allowed a computer in my bedroom. But now, in the world of laptops and iPhones galore – is anyone really stopping teens from having screen-time in the privacy of their own itty-bitty space? A few months ago I shared the story of a friend who felt their family’s screen time was out of control. One thing about it that really struck me was that every kid had their own laptop in their bedroom!
Apr 28, 2014
Home Renovation, 7-Year-Old StyleHome Projects
At our house, chores are approached casually and happily, with everyone pitching in. When it came time to start work on our renovation, we kept the same attitude, with everyone contributing according to his or her ability. Some of us install new plumbing, some paint, and some hammer their little hearts out. Just as we do when it comes to chores, we maintain realistic expectations.
Apr 9, 2014
Small Bathroom Ideas: Space-Saving Products For Families And Kids
Wondering where you will put the potty, toys, laundry and towels for a whole tribe of people when your bathroom is really no bigger than a closet? Check out these super-smart space savers that are bound to help that teeny-tiny space keep on accommodating the needs of your ever growing family. 1. If you don’t feel comfortable resting your baby in the sink for bathtime, try a foldable, flat and easy to store sink insert like the Puj Tub. 2.
Apr 8, 2014
The Genius of Toy Libraries
Something came across my path this weekend. We were at a family event, and I got passed a card for “Toybrary“, a local toy-lending library specializing in ages 6 months to 5 years. But of course! If only I had known about this concept when my babes were little in our 600 square foot apartment. So I’m sharing with you. Nowhere to rotate toys? No problem! Just return and check out some new ones.
Apr 4, 2014
Everyday Magic: Balloons In The Bathtub
My parents had a knack for making life magical for me — snow picnics, birthday breakfast tables, a dress-up closet — and it’s something I’d like to pass on to the 7-year-old in my life.
Apr 2, 2014
Christine’s List: Baby Items I’m Glad I Bought & Ones I Wish I Hadn’t
My daughter is now 19-months-old and this is my take on the items I found to be both essential and non-essential during the first early months of her life. Everyone’s experiences are different, but these were the things that made life a little easier for us, as well as the things that we barely used and could have done without. Carter’s Onesies: These plain white onesies were the basics that I loved going back to over and over again for day-to-day use.
Mar 17, 2014
One Simple Step Toward Keeping a Cleaner House With Little Kids
It’s only taken me four years, but I think I have finally figured it out: how to clean with toddlers underfoot—without losing my mind. It’s hinges on just one tiny principle: Cleaning where they are. 1. Move happy toddlers, who are fixated on some toy or game, to a different location because I have a set agenda of housework that I am trying to follow for that day. OR 2. Make toddlers who are keen to move and do something else, stay with me because my job is not yet complete.
Mar 12, 2014
Memorabilia Mania: Papers, Artwork & Ephemera to Keep for Your Kids
Forget a box of chocolates. Life is like a filing cabinet. That fills up every year with paper. Real, actual paper. And childhood is where it starts. As parents, we find ourselves acquiring piles of paper every year and lament over each sheet’s preciousness. What to keep? What to toss? What to digitize? Here’s a plan for managing it all. To begin: don’t try to make every decision at the moment you acquire something.
Mar 11, 2014
How To Help Kids Get Themselves Ready in the Morning
Haven’t we all lost it completely at one point or another trying to get our kids out the door in the morning?! But power struggles create distance and don’t change the results much in getting kids to school on time. Whether you have toddlers taking their time or teenagers giving you grief, here’s a list of tips and tricks to help you and them out. 1. Involve kids in creating a morning routine.
Mar 10, 2014
How To Overcome the Winter Blues…for Parents and the Rest of Us, Too
I just looked at the weather forecast for the week. Four out of seven days said “snow”. Four days! When I am housebound for too long, I get crabby, cranky and sad. Honestly, with prolonged bad weather I am not my favorite kind of Mom. But who is a perfect Mom or Dad when the winter blues have settled in? Here are a few simple things that friends have reminded me of lately, that really do help when you’re stuck in a terrible, wintry, mood. 1. Smile.
Mar 4, 2014
Roni’s List: Baby Items I’m Glad I Bought & Ones I Wish I Hadn’t
Hindsight truly is 20/20. You might think that I figured things out the first time around, but having twins 23 months after a singleton is sort of like learning two new languages in rapid succession. We brought our son home to a city condo while our girls were welcomed to a suburban single family home, but in both cases we were grateful for a few reliable, functional, go-to items. We also had a few missteps. These are our greatest hits and flops from the early days. 1.
Feb 28, 2014
At-Home Adventures for When You’re Broke
We’ve just had 74 consecutive days of below-freezing weather. There have been 24 less-than-0ºF days so far this winter. Any funds left after the holidays have gone towards buying heat and gloves. I am broke and restless, but where there is popcorn, there is hope…. Here are three ideas for fun entertainments you can have in your own home… for the low low price of nothing at all.
Feb 20, 2014
20 Resources for Teaching Kids How to Program & Code
Isn’t it amazing to see a baby or a toddler handle a tablet or a smart phone? They know how technology works. Kids absorb information so fast, languages (spoken or coded) can be learned in a matter of months. Recently there has been a surge of articles and studies emerging about teaching kids to code. We live in a “Back to the Future” movie. We are connected to technology now unlike when we were kids. It’s part of our lives and kids are born into it.
Feb 20, 2014
Lauren’s List: Baby Items I’m Glad I Bought & Ones I Wish I Hadn’t
Now that our second baby is getting close to a year old, It’s become much clearer what items we really used and which ones collected dust during her infancy. The funny thing is, the list is completely different than the one I would’ve given to you with our first daughter. It just goes to show you that every baby is different. Nonetheless, here is my list of our most and least utilized baby items this time around: 1.
Feb 19, 2014
Are Boy/Girl Shared Bedrooms a Problem?
We see plenty of shared bedrooms here on Apartment Therapy. The overwhelming majority are for siblings of the same sex, but especially when families live in small homes and apartments, it’s often the logical (or only) choice for a brother and sister to share a bedroom. Last week in “My Brother’s Bunkmate,” New York Times contributor Michael Tortorello wrote about some of the issues of brothers and sisters sharing a room.
Feb 12, 2014
Alison’s List: Baby Goods I’m Glad I Bought & Ones I Wish I Hadn’t
Every time I meet a soon-to-be-first-time Mom, I feel like we end up discussing “the list” – that crazy checklist of stuff you are told you simply must get before the baby arrives. But do you really need it all? Two years after my youngest was born, here’s my reflection on that list – what I am glad I bought, and what I wish I hadn’t. 1. The dream stroller. Okay, I went crazy on the stroller. I bought a Bugaboo Bee.
Feb 11, 2014
5 Strategies to Keep the House Clean (and Your Sanity Intact!) with Young Kids
I don’t know about you, but my kids are not the type to sit and play quietly on their own while I tidy up the house. My oldest daughter (soon to be four) is my constant shadow – if I’m not sitting on the floor playing princess or barn with her she likes to get involved in whatever it is that I am doing. Whether it’s cooking, putting the baby down for a nap, or cleaning – she’s there too.
Feb 4, 2014
How To Host Kids in a Child-Free Home
You love them, but there’s just that deep down feeling of dread. “They’re coming over…with their kids.” How do you get ready for kids coming over when, really, your house just isn’t kid-friendly? Here’s our handy survival guide, in just five simple tips, on how to host kids in your usually kid-free home, and ensure a happy, safe experience for all. 1. Talk to the parents about what you’ll need. Will the kids be eating dinner with you?
Feb 3, 2014
Taming Toys: Tips to Keep Your Home from Looking Like a Toy Store Explosion
Last week I wrote about the how and why of my mission to tackle toys in my home. It’s important to me to find a healthy balance between adult and children’s things in our home as well as to provide an environment for my daughters that encourages imagination and exploration. Whenever I face a parenting dilemma, one of my first instincts is to ask for the advice of other mothers, so I checked in with some of my favorite design-conscious moms on how they tame toys in their home.
Jan 28, 2014
A Counterintuitive Idea for Worn Out Parents to Feel Reinvigorated
There are days, weeks, months, even, where stay-at-home parenting can really wear you down. Nothing stays clean, tantrums happen at an alarming rate, nap times are missed. Been there, experienced that! But you know one thing that can really inject a little life back into things? Could it possibly be… more time at home with your kids? Twice a week, there is an hour when my son is away at pre-school and my daughter is at home, but not yet down for her morning nap.
Jan 27, 2014
Tips for Teaching Kids to Clean Up After Themselves
Kids are messy. No way around that. But as parents we do have a tendency to clean up after them because it’s faster and more practical. Just like anything though, kids need to learn to clean, they cannot invent skills just like they can’t learn to read on their own (well, most of them anyway). There are different ways to go about it. A lot of people use rewards combined with chore charts.
Jan 23, 2014
Helping Kids Focus After the Holidays
The holidays were very exciting for most of us I presume. For my family, it was a juice concentrate of partying, eating, and playing. It seems like the kids are still over-stimulated from that period, and I’ve been having a hard time being heard or getting them to focus, even for as little as putting on their coats to go out. This reminded me we need to get back on a routine, and stick to it. We have a few techniques we use that are part of our lifestyle and values.
Jan 22, 2014
The Importance of Displaying Children’s Art in the Home
I was visiting a new friend’s home for the first time recently and my favorite personal touch was that she had framed and hung a series of her son’s superhero drawings. Not only did they look great, I’m sure it made her son feel great seeing them gracing the family’s walls. I resolved to do something similar at home as a way to honor my son and show him that he is as important as anyone else who lives here, even if I don’t let him pick out the new curtains.
Jan 21, 2014
5 Questions to Consider: Deciding if it’s Time to Redo Your Kid’s Room
I know that feeling. The new year rolls around and you peer into the kids’ room and wish it was beautiful and stylish and yet… it doesn’t quite hit the mark. You wish it was better. Is it time to redecorate? But when kids are growing and changing all the time, how do you know when the time is right for a kids’ room rehaul? Here are a few questions to ask yourself that just might help you decide if this year is “the year” or not. 1.
Jan 14, 2014
Taming Toys: A Fresh Start for 2014
The day after Christmas, I looked around my house and thought to myself, “What have we done?” I thought we had been reasonable in what we had purchased for our daughters this year – some blocks, books, a pirate ship, and some things for their play kitchen and dollhouse, but I totally forgot about all of the toys they get from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. It was completely overwhelming, not only for me, but for my girls as well.
Jan 8, 2014
How To Conquer The January Cure…With Kids
The January Cure is a great way to start out the new year with a freshly cleaned, organized home. But for a parent, especially of little ones who require a lot of attention and who seem to make an inordinate amount of mess, it seems like an impossible mountain to climb. But don’t dismay! As a parent who did it last year, I have to say it is possible! Here are five tips that are bound to help you conquer the Cure. 1. Set yourself realistic goals.
Jan 6, 2014