“Life is good”: 4 Ways to Nurture Optimism In Your Kids

Optimism can help your child cope with the challenges of life.  Sometimes it is hard to to optimistic about things.  Parents.com offers 4 great ways to nurtures your child's optimism.  Click here to read the article.

Toddler Teeth

Toddlers usually feel two ways about brushing their teeth. They are either excited to be a big girl or boy, or they are uncooperative. It’s important to help your young one develop good oral hygiene. Here are some tips on handling common teeth brushing problems.

• Start with good habits early – when your baby's first tooth pops out, you can begin to brush their teeth.

• Take advantage of your child’s curiosity – if your child wants to brush their own teeth, and you feel they have the ability to brush their own teeth, let them. However, you should supervise the process up until your child is school-aged.

• Let Your Child Express Their Independence– let them have fun picking out the toothpaste and the brush they want. This is just another way to get them interested.

• Be Creative – there have been a lot of changes in tooth brush technology since we were kids. A toothbrush can now play music, speak to your child, and they are shaped as your child’s favorite character. Take advantage of these gimmicks to increase your child’s interest in teeth brushing.

If you have a real dental question you should always contact your friendly pediatric dentist.

Make The Most Of Memorial Day Weekend

It’s hard to believe, but this weekend we will be celebrating Memorial Day and the unofficial start of the summer season. The weather this spring season has made it a little difficult to get in a summer mood. SheKnows.com offers some tips to help you increase your summer spirit with a little Memorial Day mini vacation. Click here to read the article. 

Resolve Kid Conflicts

Arguments between siblings and other children are part of your child’s development. It’s difficult to see your young child yelling at another, but it’s essential for your child to experience conflict so that they can begin to develop problem solving skills.

You can help your child learn critical problem solving skills through these tips:

1. Step in as a mediator – when a conflict happens help the children think through a proper solution. If they are arguing over a book, teach them how to share or have them split equal time using the book. Ask the children to come up with a few of their own solutions to the problem. If you let them feel like part of the problem solving process they will be more likely to abide by the solution.

2. Teach communication skills – let your child speak about why they are angry. This can help children become less frustrated because they are given the opportunity to express themselves. Once your child expresses their concerns they will become calmer and more open to resolve conflict.

3. Teach your child to walk away – in many cases this is the best way to resolve a conflict. If your child has difficult time backing down from conflict then distract them so their attention is turned away from the conflict.

4. Give your child room – as your child gets older they need time to resolve conflicts on their own. It’s tempting to jump in and solve every conflict for them but, your child needs time to figure it out on their own.

Soon your children will be resolving conflicts on their own every day with your help.

Protecting your Family from Ticks

Now that the warmer weather is here to stay, you and your family will be spending much more time outdoors. One of the dangers of being outdoors is ticks.The website Parent Squad offers tips on protecting your family from ticks this season. Click here for tips:

Grocery Shopping with the Kids

Parents often find it difficult to grocery shop with kids in tow. But a little planning can help turn grocery shopping into a well oiled machine. Here are some simple tips to planning a better trip to the grocery store.


The Time of Day Matters – you're just adding fuel to the fire if your choose to market with a passel of kids during prime marketing hours. Avoid weekends unless you are going early. Otherwise go when the crowds are working, during the week or find a good, low traffic time that fits into your schedule.


Be Prepared – it’s not just the Boy Scout motto, you need to be prepared to deal with your child’s needs, moods and short attention span. Come prepared with snacks and drinks, toys without small pieces, and maybe even a video game or two.


Plan Meals – this can be good for a variety of reasons. If you can plan out a majority of your meals, you will know exactly which aisle you need to visit. This can reduce the amount of “I want” requests you get from your kids during a typical trip. This will also reduce the time it takes to browse the aisles for meal ideas; getting you to your car more quickly.


Make a List & Check it Twice – the power of the list is well documented. List all the ingredients and household items you’ll need from the market. If you really want to take this to the extreme, you can order the items on your list to correspond to the aisles you will travel in the market. Many grocery stores have online maps showing you what’s in each aisle.

Become a Coupon Diva – since you already have your meals planned and your list of purchases, check your newspaper circular or look online for the latest coupons. Using coupons doesn’t take any more time in the market but it can really have an impact on the family budget.

Age By Age Guide to Lying

Kids sometimes lie, but when do you begin to teach your children not to lie?  Parents magazine offers a great guide on when to take a strong lead on a no-lying policy. Click here to read the article.

The Perfect Bike

It’s spring and your child may be ready for their first bike. Here are a few tips on selecting the right bike.

• Check the recommended ages for each bike when you’re shopping. Getting the wrong size bike can make learning to ride a difficult experience. One rule of thumb for selecting the right size is to make sure your child can sit on the seat with their feet flat on the ground.
  
  
• Go to the bike store – many bike stores have specially trained sales people who can help you select the right size bike for your child.
  
  
• Every child is different and only you know when yours is ready to ride a two-wheeler. However, an average 6 year old should have the motor skills needed to balance and ride a bike.
  
  
• If your child still isn’t ready for their own bike, try a tag-along. This is a small bicycle that attaches to your bike. Instead of a front wheel, it has a connector that attaches to the seatpost of another bike. It looks like a tandem bicycle, but it is more portable, can easily fit on a bike rack and provides your child with the independence for pedaling, balancing and stopping.

Safety is the first rule of riding a bike. Make sure your child is wearing their helmet and other safety equipment. Adult supervision is important in making sure young riders stay safe.

Host a Drama-Free Playdate

Kids love to have playdates, but sometime playdates can bring some drama. Kids have a hard time seeing their friends playing with their favorite toy or understand to compromise on what game to play next. Parents.com offers some great suggestions on how to have a drama free playdate.  Click here to read the whole article.