Parenting

Ah, the tea party. It seems every girl is born with a teapot in hand, and as soon as our daughter was old enough to hold a cup she made the tea party part of her daily ritual--sandwiched between fairy frolicking and baby rocking. And tea parties aren't just for girls. In fact, our 8 year-old son proudly proclaims that he has participated in tea parties since he was 2 years old. And he still joins in on the occasional party. Tea parties are so much more than fancy hats, stuffed animals and drinking "tea."

Tea parties actually teach some really basic, yet important skills.

Easter just ended and already you're sick of finding/stepping on halves of plastic eggs that only 2 days ago housed delicious candy goodness. Feeling rather guilty about wanting to scoop up all those shells and dumping them into the nearest trashcan you hunt for ideas to extend their little plastic-y life and keep them off your floor.

Three years ago my daughter (then 2 years old) and I began a pre-shabbat tradition of baking the challah for our Friday night holiday. Now, I'm not one that bakes...outside of the occasional batch or two of Nestle Tollhouse's chocolate chip cookies so it's taken three years to figure some stuff out.

Practicing counting skills and number recognition is easy as "1, 2, 3," when your toddler buys into the process of what you're trying to teach her. Getting her to take ownership in her learning is key. Kids love all things Halloween so why not use this as a motivating theme to get the learning started in a fun and pleasurable way for your toddler?

According to newly released research of violent video games published in a special issue of the Review of General Psychology, Dr Patrick Markey of Villanova University concludes that most kids are unaffected by playing them. Those that are affected often have pre-existing personality traits that make them susceptible to violent media in general. Sort of like a small subset of the population that's allergic to peanut butter.

It's a sign of the times: Facebook and the PTA have joined forces to help educate kids (and quite frankly, their parents) about responsible web behavior. The PTA and Facebook are joining forces to promote Internet safety through a set of tools and resources for kids, schools and parents.

To us weekends filled with outdoorsy goodness (namely hikes through Mt. Tamalpais and bike rides around Angel Island) are just what we need to reconnect and recharge from the craziness of the week. Nature calls us and we go knowing all is right when we are out in it exploring, getting dirty and going crazy. Weekends spent outdoors are hands-down our kids' favorite and have been their most memorable ones.

Another year, another spring. Time to begin thinking how your garden will grow. Sharing this with your mini farmer couldn't be more rewarding. Think of all the goodness that comes from teaching kids to garden. From the care and attention paid to planting the seeds to the overwhelming excitement over the first sprouts there's so much to be experienced.

When it comes to helping our kids have a good night's sleep there not much we wouldn't do...From monster powder to checking the closets three times to extra books at bedtime to lavender linen spray...you name it and we'll try it. And when a fear of nightmares comes into play sometimes we have to do a bit more than just leaving the hall light on for the night.

Mama King of 4 Crazy Kings has shared a brilliant idea for a dream catcher craft for kids.

There's nothing better (or funner) than teachable moments disguised as craft projects. And nothing is cooler than projects that are functional. That's why I love this Instructable by member sassygecko for making a 3 liter bottle piggy bank.