Face it. Although decorating for Christmas may be one of your favorite pastimes, there’s little enjoyable about undoing the fruits of your labor. And while your kids love to be in on the action when the decorating is being done, don’t expect the same enthusiasm on the flipside. If you…
Dyeing Easter eggs isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially if you aren’t seasoned to the tricks of the trade. If your expertise doesn’t go beyond purchasing a pack of PAAS, then it’s time to add a bit of color to the process. Even the most novice egg dyer…
You wouldn’t give someone the death penalty for running a red light, and the same rule of thumb should apply to your children’s wrongdoings. At the end of the day, you want to make sure the crime fits the punishment. For example, you don’t want to ground your 5-year-old child…
All families should have a first-aid kit – or two – on hand for emergencies. Gathering supplies ahead of time and educating your whole family on how to use the items in your kit is essential to handling emergencies. Treating minor injuries that happen around the home or while traveling…
It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white… February is an important month as it marks Black History Month. It’s the ideal time to teach your children about the many contributions of African-Americans throughout history. Originally, Black History Month was limited to just one week called Negro History Week, but…
If you think your kid oughta be in pictures, get in line. All moms believe their kid is the most beautiful of them all, but how do you know if yours has what it takes to make it as a child model? First, decide how far you want to take…
Which way do you swing when your child behaves? What’s best – spanking or time outs? Before you even get to the point where discipline is needed, experts say that kids need clear-cut boundaries so that you can head off discipline problems before they even happen. Certainly, those boundaries need…
When it comes to patience, do you feel like you’re always running on empty? When York University conducted a study in 1999, respondents listed patience as the most important parenting skill. Of course, patience is fleeting. Even if you have it, it’s easy to lose once you’re under the pressure…
It’s a hard habit to break, but it can be done. We’re talking about the dreaded thumbsucking. Parents – take heart. Eventually, the time is going to come, probably just not soon enough. Research shows that 30 percent of preschool children still suck their thumbs, although most outgrow it by…
May is National Better Sleep Month, and for moms, better sleep – and more sleep – may feel like an unattainable goal. But if you’re sleep-deprived, life goes on; your kids still need you and all your usual obligations still loom. How do you deal with not being well-rested and…