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...

  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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Ahh...it's a new year! Nothing like fresh ambition in the air to get you excited. How do you turn your new year's resolutions into a habit that can change your life? Let's talk about six principles you can use to create fulfilling goals that will leave you inspired to work hard and leave you smiling! ​ 1. Create a goal with meaning. Identify what is most meaningful to you. Determine what is important to you and worthy of your time and energy...

You may have seen kids playing a blocky adventure game lately, or seen new toys while out shopping. Perhaps you thought it was Minecraft, or some kind of LEGO game. What you saw was most likely Roblox, a multiplayer online game that has been out since 2006, but grown leaps and bounds in just the last couple of years. In fall of 2018 it grew to over 70 million active users each month. Roblox is similar to LEGO and Minecraft in that it is a game cr...

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 resting near the bank. As any thought enters your mind, imagine it is a leaf on the tree. Notice the wind and allow the thought leaf to blow from the tree to the stream and f...

Voting is an important part of civic engagement and is a privilege we should all use and teach our children to use. Talking with our children about the voting process, why we vote, and why it matters prepares them to be informed citizens when they grow older and enables them to help shape the world around them. You can even bring them with you to the polls or let them watch you fill out your ballot for a first-hand look at how our democracy works...

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...

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...

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 ...