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 different from mine when that day does come. I remember a few things from Kindergarten very distinctly, like coloring a picture of an apple on my first day...

As a Parent Support Specialist, one of the most common concerns that I hear about are tantrums. Often irrational, unpredictable, and unpacifiable, it comes as no surprise to me that tantrums can be so concerning to parents that are simply trying their best to keep their child happy and breathing. What is a parent to do when it appears that their child is the only one crying on the floor in the grocery store, or when they seem to still throw a tan...

Children are funny little people that are capable of great creativity and joy, and are very talented in bringing out that joy, love, and innocence in others. I admit, whenever I see a baby at the grocery store or at church, I just have to point them out and say something about them to others. They are just...too...adorable. There are indeed times when they are a handful, to say the least, but at the end of the day, you know you love them. Okay, b...

When we contemplate of the grieving process, we tend to think of the five stages of grief ( Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance) first proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying. Many people's general understanding of these stages is that you move from one to another at a steady pace. You are supposed to start with 'denial' and end with 'acceptance'. Right? When my father passed away a couple of years ...

  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 this job, I hope that I have helped make a difference in the lives of the parents and families that I've worked with. One of the mothers that I've worked with for over 2 y...

We've all been there (or will be there soon!). Your child is trying to tell you something, but you just can't figure out what he is trying to say. Your child isn't ready to be done with the activity he is in the middle of when it's time to leave. Or maybe you are trying to play referee between two children. My amazing friend and coworker put together some phrases that all parents can benefit from. This list is too amazing and helpful not to share...

I can remember the fun times that my brother and I often had with my dad growing up. We used to cook while watching movies together, and talk about what we would cook later. Oftentimes, I can remember my dad and brother playing basketball in the backyard while I played with the dog. I'd often practice throwing razor sharp knives while my brother played with nunchucks… Wait a minute, knives and nunchucks? Now that I've got your attention, let's fo...

You just spent the last several weeks inside the house (hopefully during winter) watching "The Princess Bride" over and over while potty training your toddler. It wasn't exactly like climbing the cliffs of insanity, but close. Now that it's Spring you want to get out of the house and go on an outing, but there's one problem: What do you do if she's gotta "go" while you're out? Inconceivable! Public bathrooms are scary, loud, and often less than s...

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 over two should not watch more than 2 hours a day, the amount of digital media our children are exposed to has changed. There are ...

Growing up, I had a very difficult time with reading and writing. My mild dyslexia and difficulties with reading comprehension made picking up a book a dreadful chore. Thankfully, when I was starting to fall behind with my literacy skills, my dedicated mother and teachers challenged me to read at least 20 minutes a night. For 10-year-old me, I thought 20 minutes of reading was a steal compared to the hour I was doing before. However, you'd be sur...

Grooming is a process where a sexual predator identifies and gets access and the trust of a child for the purpose to sexual exploitation and/or assault. Unfortunately, the Internet has provided a medium in which this exploitation can be shared and traded, and children can be accessed more easily. We teach young children "stranger danger" but when it comes to sexual abuse, young children under age 12 are most likely to be victimized by family memb...

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 regulate them. While these experiences can be frustrating, and sometimes embarrassing, there are ways we as parents can ...

Ever wonder how your child can react to and behave in situations so differently than you do? Though parents surely have an influence on children's behavior and mannerisms, temperament is also a unique influence that a child brings on their own. Temperament needs to be taken into account to not only have successful parenting, but also a secure attachment between parent and child-- which impacts a child's exploration, independence, and relationship...

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 or not your child struggles with sensory processing, doing sensory activities at home can be really fun and help any chi...

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 gifts we received included a rattle! This is a wonder toy - such a small and simple thing that is capable of teaching and doing so much. Now that I have anoth...

OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers                                        who soar to high heights.                                       One more year has come and pass...

"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 never forgotten practicing with syringes on oranges. As we became more educated, it became easier to care for my diabetes. About four years after my diagnosis, my twin brot...

Moms are the hardest working people on the planet and they never get the true recognition that they deserve for everything they do. The upshot of being everything from a parent to a doctor, counselor, taxi service, bank, a teacher to name but a few roles, is that it can be very tiring. Studies have highlighted that the average mom works a crazy 98 hours in a single week! What's more, mommas only get to enjoy a mere 17 minutes of free time pe...

"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, I struggled with only being able to hear out of one ear, but I attended many speech therapists, doctors, etc. so I would be able to learn and develop like any o...

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, they looked forward to what I'd be learning next. I was able to experience a little bit of that excitement when my youngest sist...