As children grow up, besides their usual everyday activities, arts and crafts form an essential part of their formative years. In schools these days, keen importance is placed on helping children discover and explore their creativity through arts and crafts projects, primarily. Arts and crafts do not only bring out the creativity children; health-wise, there are other benefits that children can gain from arts and crafts to boost their physical an...
By the time I was 2 years old, I had been to the Emergency Room no less than 8 times for breathing troubles. My first visit was at just 6 weeks old. A few months before my third birthday, I would be diagnosed with severe persistent asthma . Today, my asthma is so well-controlled that you would never know that for most of my childhood, I spent days at a time struggling to breathe, and the moments between these flare-ups being terrified that I migh...
When my son was three months old, a woman at my childhood church looked lovingly at me and said, "Isn't it just wonderful? Could you ever even imagine loving anything or anyone as much as you love him?" I cannot remember how I responded to her question, or if I even did. Inside I thought, "Well, I actually can. Because, I do not love him." Her comment, made in kindness, absolutely tore me into pieces. I was on a therapist prescribed vacation, see...
I love to play games, especially card games. There's just something about being surrounded by others and enjoying the conversation as you strategize your next move. I'm the first to admit that not all games are child-friendly. But with a little creativity, you can involve children in many games, even if they aren't able to comprehend the strategy involved. Games are fantastic for those times you find yourself waiting. For example, have you ever f...
Adoption is a topic close to my heart because my husband was adopted. I have learned from him the wonders of adoption, but also the hard topics and situations that may arise due to having a child come into your family in such a way. Adoption can be a hard topic for families to talk about with their child. However, feelings about being adopted can influence a child's sense of self-worth and esteem. While every family's situation is different...
Have you ever noticed how life has a tendency to throw all sorts of unexpected twists and turns, especially at the least convenient times? I've heard enough experiences to know that this doesn't just happen to me; everyone has their own story. It's often hard for me (but really, most adults as well) to deal with these types of challenges. Imagine what it's like for a child! Yet we often have huge expectations of our children at their first sign o...
There is arguably nothing cuter than a baby's gummy, ear-to-ear grin...until they get two little teeth in the front, then it's game over. But that extreme level of cuteness doesn't come without a price, especially on baby's end. Fussiness, swollen gums, sleeplessness, and even a fever are just some symptoms your baby will express when teething begins. Teething usually begins around age 4-6 months, and by 3 years old your child...
Most of you reading this blog may have already had a baby or you are currently pregnant. Maybe this is your fourth, but you forgot what it was like and what to focus on. I have three best friends and they all have already had their first baby so I decided to pick their brains. I wanted to know the top things they wish they had done while they were pregnant, or what they would have changed. I wanted to know the things they did that helped them dur...
Not only did your partner just finish carrying the baby in her belly for 9 months, if she chooses to breastfeed, she'll be spending hours each day and night feeding. It can be easy to feel left out or uncomfortable with a new baby; there are a lot of adjustments to make! But don't worry, you aren't expected to know everything or be perfect. To help smooth over the transition to fatherhood a little better, here are some tips for first time dads an...
Looking for something fun to do with your children and only have a piece of paper? This is a fun way to entertain children (and yourself) while exercising your brain muscles: Tangrams. Tangrams is an ancient Chinese puzzle that has seven pieces (tans) of geometric shapes. Each set has one square, one parallelogram, and a variety of triangle sizes (two large, one medium, and two small). A simple way to play with tangrams is to print out ...
Your child's day is filled with noise, motion and lights. From TVs blaring, phones buzzing and more, their days can be filled with devices and distractions. These distractions make the brain work harder. A National Safety Council white paper said , "Human brains do not perform two tasks at the same time. Instead, the brain handles tasks sequentially, switching between one task and another." Over time, these distractions cause stress, decrease pro...
The warm weather means that more families look to the great outdoors for their activities. Bike riding is a great activity that many families with kids of all ages can enjoy. While bike riding can be a great experience for everyone, there are some important safety tips and guidelines to consider before you take your children for a bike ride. The most important thing to do before your child hops on their bike is to get them a properly fitted helme...
The percentage of bilingual children in the United States has risen steadily for the past decade, causing families to wonder if it really is worth it to have their child learn another language or if the process is too lengthy and costly. This blog is to inform and help families navigate their way to having their child become bilingual, so families can decide if it is truly worth the effort. Pros and ConsLike all abilities, bilingualism also inclu...
Infertility is unfortunately the reality of 1 in 8 couples. It's hard, lonely and painful. After being on our road to our baby for two years, I've learned a few things. Honestly, I'm still a rookie in the infertility department, but after learning these things, I've found so much more peace and happiness in our journey than before I started applying these things to my daily life. Number One: Accept it. It can be so hard to accept that infertility...
If you grew up with siblings or have multiple children, you probably understand the major effect that birth order has on family dynamics. We all know the stereotypes about how oldest, middle, and youngest children likely behave and what their place in the family means about their future achievement and success. Everyone probably has a story about how they were impacted by older or younger siblings and how they were treated differently by their pa...
As a parent, you are always concerned about our children and we tend to ask ourselves an abundance of questions. For instance: "Is my child doing well in school?" "Why is my child so picky?" "How can I tell if my child's speech is normal?" These are questions parents can usually answer or seek out resources to obtain answers for. But what answers do parents have when the question is "how do I explain the LGBTQ community to my child?" It can be a ...
We all remember the fun days playing with our friends when we were younger. Whether it was playing "House" or "School" or even being a Chef in a fancy restaurant. What we didn't realize at this young age while having fun, is that pretend play boasts important benefits for a child's development! The beloved Mr. Rogers said, "Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play IS serious learning." Someti...
Mother's day- What a great day to celebrate our mothers and all they have done for us! However, I never considered that a mother might feel what I call "Mother's Day guilt." I first heard of this while my husband and I were having dinner with my aunt and uncle, who frequently invite us over for dinner. Somehow, Mother's Day was brought up, and my aunt said, "I hate Mother's Day." I was surprised to hear this, who would not love a day dedicated to...
We are excited to have Carrie Rogers-Whitehead from Digital Respons-Ability back for today's guest blog post. Have you recently bought a virtual assistant for your home? Another word for a virtual assistant is an artificial intelligence, or AI. These tools are convenient for remembering numbers, sending reminders, purchasing items and more. More and more of these devices are coming into homes. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners report...
Nesting is the act of preparing one's home for the arrival of a new baby or child. Typically, nesting involves things such as painting a nursery, buying a crib, baby-proofing the house, and making sure everything is as clean as possible as the due date approaches. However, when you are a parent living with a disability, your nesting process is generally more intense. Beyond the normal nesting practices, parents with disabilities need to ma...
