Search Results for: blog reading with your toddler

The Best Way to Clean Baby and Toddler Toys

Have you ever wondered how sanitary your baby or toddler’s toys are? Most toddlers have the ability to grab toys and put them into their mouths. This is especially true for babies and toddlers that are teething. Keeping toys clean can help prevent illness from spreading. Does your baby or toddler use a teething toy? Good Housekeeping recently reported that a popular toddler teething toy called Sophie the Giraffe has the potential to grow mold inside it. Some parents, who cut apart Sophie the Giraffe, discovered that the inside was coated with black mold. Carolyn Forte, the Director of the … Continue reading →

Ways to Prevent a Toddler Tantrum Before it Happens

Toddlers are known for having the ability to change their mood – from happy to extremely upset – within seconds. This can be very stressful for parents, especially if the “meltdown” happens in public. Fortunately, there are some things parents can do to prevent a toddler tantrum before it happens. Watch for Warning Signs Pay close attention to your toddler’s body language. Has he suddenly become extra grumpy, or more whiny than usual? Is she playing, but taking lots of breaks to lie down on the floor? Has your toddler started throwing their books, toys or food? These are some … Continue reading →

Why you Should Read to your Baby

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Do you read to your baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines that recommend that parents read to their newborn infants. Some parents may not be doing that because it never occurred to them that babies benefit from being read to. There are some very good reasons for parents to read to their babies and young children! The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that parents who read to their children nurture not only their children’s literary skills, but also much more. They have put together some easy to read information that points out the benefits that come … Continue reading →

Toddler Book Shelf – Virginia Lee Burton

There is something special about reading with children. Whether it is bed time or another quiet time during the day, inviting your toddler to enjoy a book with you can strengthen your bond and encourage your toddler’s natural curiosity. There are so many books to choose from, and I have found that there is no easy way to predict which ones will become Dylan’s favorites and which will be read once, or started and not finished because they did not hold his attention. I have found one author whose books Dylan absolutely adores. Virginia Lee Burton’s classic children’s stories from … Continue reading →

Life With A Typical Toddler

The other day I saw a hilarious e-card on Facebook. Well, it would have been hilarious if it weren’t so eerily true. It said something like “All these stay at home moms are on Pinterest making their own soap and reindeer shaped treats, and I’m over here like hey, I took a shower and kept the kids alive”. I am not sure how long I have felt this way, but I know that it goes back even to before my second son was born. Some days I manage to get a few things done, but much of the time I … Continue reading →

One Strategy For Addressing Defiant Toddler Behavior

When you are the parent of a toddler, you quickly realize that sometimes things that seem to make no sense actually do make sense upon further examination. That is how I felt when I recently learned about a new approach to addressing defiant toddler behavior. I’m a big fan of Dr. Laura Markham and her web site, Aha! Parenting. I enjoy reading the articles on the site, which advocates a gentle and peaceful style of parenting that I try very hard to emulate, albeit while gritting my teeth at times. The other day I was reading some of the articles, … Continue reading →

Toddlers And Television

As with any topic related to parenting toddlers, the topic of television is one where families vary greatly in their approaches. Some families avoid any and all television. Some have multiple televisions which are on much of the time. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle of the television spectrum. Personally, we only have one television in our home. It is in our bedroom. It is not hooked up to cable, satellite, or any other television service. We have a DVD player, and that is what we use the television for. As far as what kind of programming and … Continue reading →

Loving Your Toddler On His Terms

Did you know that even though you do many things every day that express your love towards your toddler, he may not always perceive himself as being loved? Things like home – cooked meals, nice clothes, and fun toys are some of the things that we strive to provide for our children out of love, in addition to hugs and kisses. Our toddlers are unique individuals, and each of them needs us to express our love to them not only on our terms, but on their terms as well. How are we to know what kinds of things will show … Continue reading →

Summer Reading Series: I’m Fast!

Looking for a way to rev up your kid’s summer vacation? Have him go along for the ride when a burly blue freight train challenges a hot little red sports car to a cross-country race. The high-octane adventure is detailed in Kate and Jim McMullan’s colorful literary creation: I’m Fast! The race begins in Sacramento, California, and ends in Chicago, Illinois. In between young readers are treated to a series of twists and turns through the desert the mountains, urban jungles and country passes where herds of cattle aren’t keen about moo-ving off of train tracks. Despite having to haul … Continue reading →

Building Your Toddler’s Vocabulary

The other day while we were at the playground, Dylan and I received a wonderful compliment. A woman who was playing with her little girl on the swing next to the swing where I was playing with Dylan remarked that he seemed to have quite a large vocabulary for someone who is two and a half years old. The woman is a day care provider, so she has a lot of experience with toddler talk. Her comment is very meaningful to me because I feel that one of the most important things that I can do for Dylan is to … Continue reading →