Surviving Errands with the Kids in Tow

Between work, kids and school it’s hard to get errands done and even harder when your kids are whining, crying, and throwing temper tantrums in the process. Here are a few tips to take some of the stress out of running errands.

•Explain the game plan – tell the kids exactly where you’re going on your errands and how long it should take.


•Set the rules – tell them what is, and is not, acceptable behavior and that you’re shopping for others not for them. This will help to alleviate the “mommy or daddy can I get” questions.

•Tell them what’s expected - no running, inside voice, stay with the parents.


•Review car etiquette – no yelling in the car, buckle your seat belt, no throwing anything in the car.


•Keep your kids busy – play I spy when you are going through the store. Let them help push the cart. Have them help you find items you are looking for like a scavenger hunt. Sing some songs if your car ride is longer than expected, or you are stuck in traffic.


•Give time off for good behavior – reward your children with a play date or something they like to do if they are good during the errands. Just make sure you are not bribing them but rewarding them to reinforce proper behavior.

With these tips you might get done all of your errands and actually get some time for yourself.

Why Kids Are Little Copycats

You may wonder why your child is mimicking you.  It may make you a little crazy and you may even lose your patience a little bit.  We found an article that can help you embrace your little copycat.  Click here to read the article.

Family Activities that Won’t Break the Bank

With today’s economic environment, parents are looking for ways to entertain the kids that won’t break the bank. In a world that’s very hectic, it’s good to slow down with simple, low cost activities. Here are a few ideas:

A national treasure – your local parkYou remember parks, right? They are the big open spaces we often fly by in the car on the way to the movies or the mall. Parks offer an almost unlimited amount of play and learn opportunities for your children. From hiking to biking to simply walking through the woods, being out on a wooded path is simply majestic. It’s a great way to remind yourself and your kids that there is a great big world out there to see and explore, full of wonder.

Backyard and neighborhood play

We are all busy and we often forget about our neighbors. If your neighbor has kids around the same age as yours, make an effort to connect with them. Set up activities that all the kids can do together. Try a neighborhood treasure hunt. Pick a theme for your kids to spot during your hunt, for instance who can find the most trucks in your neighborhood or how many pumpkins are in your town.

Another national treasure – your local library

Have you been to your local library lately? They aren’t the stuffy, quite, boring places you remember. They have adapted to the times. They have become the center of learning and social activity in the community (particularly for younger children). They offer family game nights, Lego clubs, family movies and more. If you haven’t made a weekly trip to your library a regular part of your family’s activities calendar, you should.

Check your local family blogs and community calendars

So many activities go on in your community that you are unaware of. Search the web once a week for parades, fairs, swap meets, craft and car shows. Soon you’ll have a list of favorite sites and blogs to go to for information on a regular basis and you’ll never be bored again.

5 Learning Opportunities for Your Baby

Experts say that babies learn best when you challenge them and offer them new opportunities.  We found an article with 5 opportunities to help your little one to be challenged. Click here to read the whole story.

Communicating With Teachers

Open communication with teachers is an important guiding principle at the Goddard School. With the new school year underway, you might be wondering how to best communicate with their child’s teachers to keep the lines of communication open so everyone has a wonderful school year. Here are a few tips to cultivate a strong relationship with your child’s teacher:

• Take time to touch base with your child’s teacher on a regular basis. Find time before and after school to have quick conversations about your child. These quick conversations can be a great supplement to parent/teacher conferences. But be conscious not to cut into your teachers daily planning and preparation time.


• Spend time in your child’s classroom if possible. Many schools advocate parent participation through reading to children and helping out during class activities. Not only does this help your teacher out, it is a great way to experience how your child and teacher interact.


• If your child’s teacher comes to you with a problem or if you have to address a concern with your child’s teacher, try the following:


o Listen to the teachers point of view


o Express your concerns calmly and productively


o Avoid assigning blame


o Collaborate to determine the proper solution to the problem

It is important that you and your child’s teacher work as a team. Working as a team offers consistency at home and at school and results in stronger, quicker solutions.


The main thing to remember is that working together to find out the best way to help your child will help to foster a positive and nurturing learning environment and set the stage for a great school year.

Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Many parents dread the idea of dropping their child off at school because their child has separation anxiety.  Here are some simple steps you can take that may help make your drop off routine a little easier for you and your little one.  Click here to read the article.

Packing Healthy Lunches

It’s that time of year again and the kids are going back to school. Many parents struggle with what to pack in their child’s lunch. Here are a few healthy lunch ideas that hopefully will keep you and your little ones happy.

•Cold-cut roll ups (lean, low-fat turkey, ham, or roast beef with low-fat cheese on whole wheat tortillas)

•Single portion-sized cups of unsweetened applesauce or fruit without added sugar

•Trail mix made with cereals, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit or raisins, and a few chocolate morsels

•Low fat cheese spread on whole wheat crackers

•Veggie sticks with low-fat dip or dressing

•Baked chips or pretzels are a better choice than high-fat potato chips or cheese snacks

•Whole grain bagels topped with cream cheese-vegetable spread

•Air-popped popcorn flavored with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

•Low fat cheese cubes and seedless grapes make a delicious side dish for sandwiches or wraps

•Cold strips of grilled chicken with honey mustard dip

•Dried cranberries or cherries are a sweet alternative to raisins

•Cold pizza (shredded mozzarella cheese with pizza sauce on a flour tortilla, whole wheat pita, English muffin, or mini pizza shell)

When Your Child is Left Out

We all remember how it felt the first time we were left out of something.  It may have been a birthday party, or not being picked for a game.  SheKnow.com talks about this issue and whether it is intentional or not, that it happens to all children. Click here to read the article.

Learning Rules

Rules are an important life skill. At home, at school and then at work, rules are a fact of life. So starting early to begin to teach and reinforce the importance of your children following rules is a good idea. You might be asking yourself, how early can I start to teach this skill? Well, studies have shown that kids start to understand the difference between right and wrong as early as one year old. And, since rules are based on right and wrong you can start with some very basic rules at this age.

• Young babies need one word reinforcement. Use the words no and yes to reinforce good from bad. As your child gets older, begin to introduce the consequence behind the rule. No, don’t do that, because you will get hurt.

• Be specific about rules as your baby develops. For example, no don’t color on that picture book. Rules aren't always black and white; it’s ok to color in a coloring book but not in a picture book.

• Like teaching any skill, it is important to be consistent with rules. It may be a pain to always be the enforcer but if kids know rules can be bent or broken they will try to bend them and break them.

Your child looks to you and other adults to provide structure to their lives. Rules can actually provide comfort, support and boundaries to your child. This can help them become confident teens and well-adjusted adults.