As someone that has had glasses since sixth grade, contacts since high school, and lasik later on, visiting the eye doctor was part of my regular life growing up. But when should children start going to the eye doctor? According to the American Optometric Association children should receive their first eye exam sometime between 6-12 months old. During this
There are many perks to being the oldest child; every little milestone is tracked, celebrated, and recognized. Everything from my first words, to walking, and even toilet training, it was an exciting time for my parents to watch me grow. There was a sense of anticipation with each milestone, and as I learned new skills,
This week I went to Target and saw that all of the school items are out and school shopping has already begun! As a result to this sighting, I was laying in bed reminiscing on my kindergarten experience. My son is not nearly old enough for Kindergarten, but I wonder how his experience might be
Being with Help Me Grow has been one of the most rewarding experiences. I have worked with Help Me Grow for nearly 2.5 years, and I have learned so much from all of my coworkers and the parents I’ve talked to. As I reflect on all of the things I have done with regards to
We have all heard that we need to limit our children’s screen time. In this technology-driven time it is hard to know what we should let our children watch, how much, and what that could be possibly doing to our children’s development. Defining screen time has become difficult and while many parents know that children
What’s behind a tantrum? When a toy goes missing, when their cookie falls on the floor, when another child won’t share. In a toddler’s world, moments like these can result in every parent’s nightmare: a tantrum. Hidden behind these intense reactions to life experiences is the process of recognizing what emotions are, and how to
As adults, we use each of our senses everyday to help understand and process the world around us. As children develop, they are learning how to use each of their senses too. Some children may struggle with sensory processing, either feeling overstimulated easily or having a hard time processing any sensory input at all. Whether
When I was pregnant with my first child I knew that I didn’t want to have a bunch of big, loud, obnoxious toys filling my small apartment. It was important to me that we have toys that were developmentally appropriate, safe, and could fit into a small storage space. Lucky for us, one of the
“When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It was a huge struggle for my family, as it was early in the technology of Diabetic care and everyone in my family (parents, five older siblings, and a twin) had to learn how to take care of me. My siblings have
“Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects, occuring at a rate of 1 out of 300 babies.” At about 11 months, I was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. I am fortunate enough to have survived childhood cancer, but one complication was that I became deaf in my left ear. Growing up,
There are many perks to being the oldest child; every little milestone is tracked, celebrated, and recognized. Everything from my first words, to walking, and even toilet training, it was an exciting time for my parents to watch me grow. There was a sense of anticipation with each milestone, and as I learned new skills,
The outside world can be a scary place, and kids need to know they can go to mom and dad for help answering their big questions about what they see on the news and hear at school. There are hard questions in life, and as a parent, you may be amazed at the big questions
Is there anything sweeter than seeing a dad with his new baby? Even before my daughter was born, I was almost more excited to see my husband with her than I was to see her. Fathers play such an important role in children’s development, even from a young age. Dads interact differently with babies than
Close your eyes… focus on your breath… do not try to change it, just focus on it. Now, I want you to imagine yourself lying in the soft grass. As you rest, you notice a tree next to you; this tree has big, beautiful leaves. Also, notice that there is a stream nearby; you are
Do you have a child who seems to be ahead of their physical, intellectual, and emotional stages? This kind of development is called “asynchronous development”, commonly called “gifted” or “talented”. So, what is a gifted child? According to The National Association of Gifted Children: “Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as
Does this sound familiar? Get your brand new baby ready for college! Prepare your child’s resume to look spectacular. Get them involved in extracurricular activities early! Get them into classes to learn how to play sports and dance, so they can be the best when it counts. These are all opportunities that will set them
As a parent support specialist with Help Me Grow Utah, I sometimes get asked questions regarding receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Frequent questions often sound like: Does Help Me Grow screen for autism? My pediatrician administered the M-CHAT to my child and it said he is at high risk– doesn’t that count as
It seems like news and information about child development is always changing. It can be hard to keep up with the most current science, theories, and parenting techniques. ZERO TO THREE recently compiled a list of hot, new articles and we wanted to share them with you! Touch to Baby’s Lips Sets off Intense Brain Response New
Did you have a pet growing up? I know I did! Dogs, bunnies, snakes, frogs, tarantulas– you name it, and I bet you I had it! My dog was named Biff, he was my best friend! He would hang out by my side, steal my diapers, and give me countless cuddles. He taught me how
“Hand, hand, fingers, thumb. One thumb one thumb drumming on a drum. Dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum” writes Al Perkins in the beloved children’s book “Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb.” As a young girl, my mom taught me how to play the piano. Like many young kids, I would moan and groan for the
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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.
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
It can be surprising, frustrating, and worrisome when your child first lies to you. It can also be really hard to know how to respond! Lying is actually a normal and necessary part of a child’s development. Though parents should teach their children to be honest from a young age, they shouldn’t be too concerned
Do you ever find yourself wondering what types of chores your child is capable of performing or how to help motivate them to do chores in the first place? Here are five helpful tips to consider. 1. Make the chore seem manageable to the child.Sometimes a task like “clean your room” can seem enormous and
We’re so excited to welcome Laurie Bowen from Kids on the Move as our guest blogger today! Kids on the Move offers all kinds of programs for parents and children, from preschool to parenting classes; and today Laurie is sharing some secrets that their Bridges program uses to assist parents in potty training their children.
Allergies are among the most common chronic childhood diseases. Allergies affect about 50 million children! Oh my! Unfortunately, many symptoms and illnesses are often confused with food allergies. So don’t you as a caregiver want to know the symptoms of food allergies and how to recognize and treat the symptoms? Well that’s what we’re here
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