I remember babysitting my young niece not too long ago. All evening she asked, "Cars?" This was code for, "Could we watch the movie Cars?" Soon I turned on the TV and sat with my niece as she watched intently. I became intrigued as I started to notice she did not take her eyes off the TV. She, like many of us, had watery eyes due to the amount of focus she put on the screen. This experience caused me to think about what she could be doing instead...

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...

  Have you ever heard the saying "boys will be boys"? Or "girls are so emotional"? These may seem like harmless phrases that explain our parenting experiences, but they may actually be limiting our children's potential. Gender Differences We are always hearing about another new finding on the "many" differences between boys and girls - whether that's in how they learn, who's better at math, who's more aggressive, etc. Researcher Christia Spe...

  Having a baby in your 30's can be stressful enough. Trust me, I know firsthand about all of those challenges. In addition to avoiding all of the peer pressure that comes with being an older mom, you also need to worry about navigating the financial changes that come with starting a family. Thankfully, being older also tends to mean being wiser when it comes to your budget and finances. Still, even if you think your budget is stable, it nev...

  If you have already read Part 1 of Early Childhood: Sexual Behavior, you know that two very big topics were left to Part 2: How to promote healthy boundaries and communication with trusted adults, and What you (the parent) should do when something is troubling regarding your child's sexual behaviors. Since these topics can be quite broad and lengthy, we will go over them superficially and generally. For more in-depth information, plea...

  We all know it's part of human nature and development, but many questions are associated with self-touch and sexual behavior in young children. It's a sensitive topic for parents for many reasons: religious beliefs and personal values, inexperience in explaining body development and appropriate behaviors with children, uncertainty around what is typical at this young age range, and others.  Though we cannot expound on all reasons list...

I was reading an article the other day that talked about studies in favor of toddlers sincerely enjoying and wanting opportunities to help those around them. After finishing the article, I wondered, "where does all that 'helping spirit' go when they get older?" And why is it that some older children are more willing to help than others-- why do some children have more intrinsic motivation? The Deets on Motivation Motivation is generally categoriz...

All a parent wants is to see their child grow up healthy, happy, and safe. There are many things that pose a threat to the safety of our children, and as parents, we do our best to warn and protect our children against these dangers. We teach our children to stay safe by looking both ways before crossing the street. We teach them to walk carefully when they are holding scissors and much more. A threat that is more sensitive and serious is the thr...

  While my husband was away visiting with his elderly parents, he sent me a bouquet of flowers with this note: "My dad was telling me how he got some flowers for my mom the other day because she was depressed and feeling down. It struck me that after all these years of marriage [60+years] he still wants to be that guy who brightens her day. I decided I also want to be that guy". It was amazing to me that even now, after so many years, my hus...

D ay of the Dead, otherwise known as Día de los Muertos, is a celebration of life as people remember their ancestors. During this holiday, it is believed that past relatives return as spirits to the land of the living to spend time with their loved ones. Although this holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated throughout Latin America during a two-day festival (Nov. 1 and 2). The centerpiece of this celebration is the altar which people displ...

School is back in session and with that comes homework. Homework can be stressful for a variety of reasons and there are days where it may seem like the fight to get homework done just is not worth it. No parent wants to expend all their efforts and energy on getting their children to do homework. One of the first things parents can do is show their children that they believe learning is important. A parent's attitude about homework and school ca...

Pee-yew! To scoop the poop or toss the loss? - that is the question. Regardless of whether or not you decide to use cloth or disposable diapers on your little one's backside, remember, they both serve the same purpose. Ultimately, you will need to use the type of diaper that best works with your family and lifestyle. Here are some tips, tricks and fun things to keep in mind when deciding what diaper to don your baby's behind. ​ Cost: Although clo...

In 2018 the most downloaded iPhone app in the world, was a Chinese export: TikTok. Formerly the apps musical.ly, Byte Dance acquired the older lip-synching video app and TikTok (known as Douyin in China) was born. Social media giants have tried hard to capture the attention of younger children and preteens. Facebook created Messenger Kids, YouTube has YouTube Kids and Snapchat has SnapKidz. Despite those efforts, none of them have come close to r...

The Eight Sensory Systems "It's too loud! Can you turn down the volume?" "No hugs! Stop touching me!" "If he keeps eating, he's going to gag himself again!" "Why is he rocking back and forth?" Have you ever heard these phrases? If you have, you are probably familiar with sensory processing. Without us knowing it, our bodies perform infinite amount of processes within seconds to keep us alive, one of them being the process of deciphering sense sig...

One of the most inspiring ideas I learned about in college was the idea of "emotional coaching." I remember feeling overwhelmed with this practice and asking myself "how am I supposed to emotionally coach a child when I struggle to understand and navigate through my own emotions?" Perhaps, you may feel similar thoughts and fears about emotional coaching, I want to look more into why emotional coaching is important and simple steps that can help m...

Can you believe it's almost that time of the year again? That time where your kids are under someone else's supervision for 8 hours of the day? Well, your kids definitely can't believe it, that's for sure. The afternoons at the pool, the late summer nights, and the freedom of having minimal responsibilities have come to an end for your kiddos, and the time has finally come to face reality. Though many kids dread back-to-school time, there are als...

I love training in martial arts. There's something really fulfilling for me to be able to master a new technique while getting a really great workout in. One aspect of martial arts that I really connect with is the need to breathe. We all struggle with different challenges. We are all more capable of handling life's challenges a little bit easier if we can just breathe. Gentri, Help Me Grow's Call Center Manager, wrote an amazing article on Copin...

A surprisingly common question we get here at Help Me Grow Utah is "Can I tell my friend about this program?" Our answer is always "Yes! Please do!" While we love that most parents feel like Help Me Grow Utah is just for them, we want all parents in Utah to know they can feel that way too! Help Me Grow Utah envisions a vibrant community in which all families have the desire, resources, and confidence to make the best decisions during pregnancy an...

I think every now and again we all struggle a little with self-worth. We are not perfect people. We all have our good days, and those days we wish we could change. Although we may be faced with fears of self-doubt on our parenting journey, remember that there is no one exactly like you. You have a unique perspective. You have unique experiences. And it's more than likely that you are a good parent; even on those hard days. As stated by Theodore R...

When talking to families about special time, parents often respond, "I already spend all day with my children" or "We have lots of one-on-one time together." I love hearing when parents are able to be home and enjoy spending time with their children! I also wanted to highlight some of ways that "special time" differs from other one on one time and the benefits it can offer to ALL families – whether you are home with your children all day or not. ...