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Yesterday, an extraordinary woman left us. A few years ago, I found the Toddler Planet blog by Susan Nieber while looking for some science activities to do with young kids. As an astrophysicist and mom of two, she knew a few things about the subject. But you couldn't just stop by Susan's site without being drawn into her life and her light. Her writing was filled with insight and joy and generosity, while her story was filled with seemingly unbearable pain that she managed with grace. After fi... [read more]

I opened today's paper and groaned: "Why French Parents Are Superior." Great, another self-proclaimed expert who is going to tell me that I'm doing it all wrong. These comparison parenting pieces always make me angry, defensive, and sad. Angry because they claim that the "better" culture is homogenous and over there all moms and dads do it right. Defensive because I take offense at someone labeling all American moms as homogeneous and "wrong" as well. And sad because the kids in these article... [read more]

I love Sesame Street! It just makes me happy to see muppets singing (especially when they are bopping along with some of my favorite pop stars) and it makes me happier to see my kids enjoy Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and even the characters I didn't grow up with -- like Elmo. In fact, DVDs of Sesame Street should be on my list of "What You Need for a Toddler" because they entertain, teach, and stimulate a child's imagination. My son and I were lucky enough to be invited to Elmo's birthday party... [read more]

We're having a sort of heat wave in the middle of January here in the Northeast. That means there have been plenty of extra playground days for my kids. With my littlest guy just starting to get up on his legs and the other two racing around with their "superhero" friends, I've been thinking about the leaps in development that occur between the toddler years and the start of preschool. From basic physical skills like walking a line to complex language skills like talking in sentences, there is... [read more]

This morning I caught my older son lining up his cars. He then took a bigger car and had it smash the others. "You can't do that," he told the big one. Then he put the offender into time out under the dining room table. Hmm...I think he was working through some anger at having been punished for pushing his sister. But I also took note of the way he screamed at the big, smashing car. A little too loud, a little too out of control. Was that me? It was a reminder that I need to be a bit more pat... [read more]

It was one of those moments when a mother feels like aliens have landed. We were walking from the playground to the pizza place. The sun was shining, kids were skipping. All of a sudden one little boy throws himself down and whines, "No like this block." That was followed by a scream and few kicks to a poor old oak tree. Huh? Now this could have turned into a really bad scene. Many a time, when faced with this inexplicable mood change, I've tried to find the reason only to be given a series o... [read more]

When my daughter was about 14 months old, she came home from day care and announced, "Geegee!" Then she lined up against the wall in the hallway and motioned for my husband and I to do the same. We did. She giggled, moved to the opposite wall and waited for us to move, too. We did. She giggled. This when on for a few minutes, until, we laughingly scooped her up and headed to the dinner table. Interestingly, when we asked her sitter the next day about the game, the sitter looked at us confused. ... [read more]

My philosophy, in general, on big parenting issues is: "Ya gotta do what works for you and your child." I do oppose methods that are neglectful or harmful. And, to be honest, I have a low threshold for anyone who avoids encouraging a child's development because it's hard (getting them to give up that bottle or stop hitting can be very, very, VERY difficult, but in the long run they need our help to move on). Acknowledging, then, that there area a wide range of effective approaches to potty trai... [read more]

I am not sure there's anything that a toddler loves more than freedom to move, but I do think that socializing would be a close second. While I can't always let my little kids have free reign in the house, I do make every effort to provide a safe play spot where they can both enjoy a little freedom and be in the midst of things. An exersaucer, for instance, lets a baby who is not yet steady on his feet hang out with older siblings (although, he might also find himself being used as a doll, as ... [read more]

By Gregory Keer The 1988 Francis Ford Coppola film, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, is a long-held favorite of mine. Like its main character, the innovative car designer Preston Tucker, the movie earned critical acclaim but little financial success. … Continue reading →

Reviewed by Gregory Keer The music of folk singer-songwriter Ellis Paul is frequently in our lives, especially because, whenever my family hops in the car for highway journeys, my youngest requests “Road Trip” from the 2008 The Dragonfly Races album. … Continue reading →

As the father of three boys and a longtime educator of high school students, I see the challenges boys face in growing up amidst changing ideas about male identity. This is not to say that girls have it easier, certainly … Continue reading →

My annual personal stress-inducing analysis of the year’s finest albums for families has finally come to this. Below are my top ten picks for the best family music recordings (of those released between November 1, 2010 and October 31, 2011). Congratulations to … Continue reading →

By Stefanie Wilder-Taylor Little Sadie is a biter. Yes, it’s true. Adorable Sadie of the itty bitty butt and teeny tiny thighs still manages to assert herself by doling out quick and quite painful bites when you least expect it. … Continue reading →

This year, I was once again happy to join some 29 other family music reviewers who contributed to the Fids and Kamily Music Awards poll. In rating a huge number of albums for this term — November 1, 2010 to … Continue reading →

By Gregory Keer I am usually a last-minute shopper, which makes things even more intense. But as life gets busier, I’ve found that thinking ahead — if not shopping in advance — can go a long way toward making gift … Continue reading →

By Gregory Keer I look forward to the Winter holidays for many reasons and eating ranks second after enhanced family time. It’s not like I need a special incentive to eat myself into a coma, but the festivities offer an … Continue reading →

Reviewed by Gregory Keer We end this wild and crazy calendar year with a recording that wraps the listener in an organic fibered blanket of folk music goodness. Tumble Bee is the progeny of Laura Veirs’s decision to slow down … Continue reading →

By Jody Johnston Pawel Imagine this scene: A neighbor is at your house, visiting over a cup of tea. You start feeling irritated and pressured when you realize you are running late for an appointment. What would you say to … Continue reading →

  The scandal that has rocked the Nittany Lions football program and Penn State University itself will not leave the public consciousness for a long, long time. And it shouldn’t. So many people, from sports columnists to psychologists to the President … Continue reading →

Contrary to what scientists have told us about the psychological makeup of a turkey, I believe this bird feels a fair amount of pressure in November. The poor guy has enough to bear, what with that hideous piece of skin … Continue reading →

With a little extra family time over the winter holidays, here are some FMR: Quick Picks for car rides and afternoon lazing-about sessions. Things That Roar marks the debut of Papa Crow, aka Jeff Krebs, a Michigan-based mutli-instrumentalist with an … Continue reading →

Reviewed by Gregory Keer Calling themselves “America’s Ultimate Teaching Band” only tells part of the story, but it’s a pretty big chunk of what makes The Deedle Deedle Dees a revelation of a band. These tenaciously talented Dees have a … Continue reading →

By Dr. Jenn Berman When it comes to instilling values, parents face greater challenges than ever before. Children today are bombarded with anti-values messages all day long through television, movies, music, the Internet and billboards. Kids have fewer young role … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Fun for Small Hands originally appeared on About.com Babies & Toddlers on Monday, November 7th, 2011 at 09:10:22.Permalink | Comment | Email this

This month’s FMR: Quick Picks is headlined by the latest offering from the legendary Smithsonian Folkways label, Chip Taylor & The Grandkids – Golden Kids Rules. Best known as the songwriter of “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning,” Taylor … Continue reading →

By Eric S. Elkins  Simone and I have had pretty much the same bedtime routine for most of her life. It goes something like this: 1.  She gets ready for bed (“brush face, wash teeth, jammies on”) while I make … Continue reading →

By Terri Orbuch, PhD When I was younger, I played competitive tennis in the fall on my high school tennis team, played on the badminton team in the winter, ran for track and field in the spring, and taught tennis … Continue reading →

By Gregory Keer For years, my 13 year old looked the part of a skateboarder. Benjamin rocked the latest Vans shoes (is it me or do they have a shelf life of three weeks?) and RVCA shirts (can we work … Continue reading →

Reviewed by Gregory Keer To see Dan Zanes in concert is to witness a musician so comfortable in his skills and on-stage presence that it appears he’s playing for a few friends on a Sunday afternoon. Zanes stands as one … Continue reading →

Reviewed by Gregory Keer If you take in all the crazy fun details on the I Spy-like CD packaging, you’ll find a line on the bottom right of the back cover saying, “May contain tracks of nuts.” While this new … Continue reading →

Celebrate Jewish Lullabies – Volume 1, featuring project producer Craig Taubman, fits any night of the year, but seems especially appropriate with the Jewish High Holy Days coming up this and next month. Check out soothing songs by the likes of … Continue reading →

By Laura Diamond The following is an excerpt from the journal about Laura Diamond’s cross-country experience with her husband and kids. You can read her entire travel journal at her Web site, linked below. Moving from Stowe to Burlington, Vermont, … Continue reading →

By Vanessa Van Petten When I was a teenager it felt like my parents and I got in the same fights over and over again. After working with thousands of teens and parents I have realized that there are several … Continue reading →

By Gregory Keer This month, we mark the 10th year since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when innocent Americans died in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Since that time, my oldest son has become a teenager while two … Continue reading →

My friend Adam Turteltaub, one of the best dads and human beings I know, had this reflection in response to the column about the need for teachers to go “Beyond the Lesson Plan.” Adam explains, “My least favorite teacher was … Continue reading →

Please vote for my site as Best Daddy Blog in the Parents Magazine blog awards competition? Even if nothing comes of this, the pink badge doesn’t look half bad on my home page. Parents Magazine asks for demographic info, so … Continue reading →

By Eric S. Elkins I wasn’t able to give much thought to my own vacation until Simone was on the bus to summer camp, headed into two-and-a-half weeks of adventures. Adventures I’d only learn about via the occasional letter and … Continue reading →

By Gregory Keer Ten years ago, I became a full-time high school teacher. With visions of Stand and Deliver dancing in my head, I wanted to put my real-world experience into lessons and my bad jokes into dull moments. Plus … Continue reading →

By Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell As adults, we all know that making mistakes is part of life.  What’s important is how we learn from them.  Yet, many children are growing up in a society that pressures them to be perfect – … Continue reading →

Vanessa Van Petten, the ground-breaking writer and publisher of RadicalParenting.com, focuses on assisting parents in raising teenagers. Her approach is to offer moms and dads windows into the teenage mind by posting articles based on her experience researching adolescents but … Continue reading →

"Both my kids were quite strong-willed as toddlers, but I think my daughter took the cake," says Josefin Kannin, a mom from Seattle, Washington. "As early as [age] 2, we were having battles over... iParenting.com network has more than 40 community sites covering preconception, pregnancy, parents and families. Research baby names, start a parenting blog, post a question on our extensive message boards or read expert advice in our articles, expert Q&A and news sections. No other parenting site ... [read more]

Reviewed by Gregory Keer Although Mick Cooke took his own sweet time to join the Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian — he started with their third disc, 1998’s marvelous The Boy With the Arab Strap — the origin of that band … Continue reading →

Got a cute baby? Enter pix to win cool stuff! I’m helping to judge a contest to help get the word out about Rockin’ Babies, the fun and funny new board book written by Dr. Jenn Berman and Cynthia Weil, with illustrator … Continue reading →

These whale-shaped, non-slip bathtub pads are being recalled by Prime-Line Products Company. Some of the pads might not adhere properly so your child could fall while in the tub. They were sold at Ace Hardware stores and Menards and came in sets of 12 and 15. While Prime-Line is the importer, the brand on the packaging is "Child Safe." You should stop using the pads and contact Prime-Line for a full refund at 855-839-9555 or on their site. Learn more about this recall. Photo © Consumer ... [read more]

Safety latches and outlet covers sold under the brand "Child Safe" are being recalled. Both items have a problem with the screws. They can come loose or even break, thus giving your child access to the outlet or whatever is in that cabinet that you don't want him to have. There have been four reports so far of the screws breaking. You should stop using these items, secure your outlets and cabinets another way and contact Prime-Line for a repair kit at 855-839-9555 or on visit their site. Lea... [read more]

Nearly 8,000 of the Explorer and Hammerhead model strollers from phil&teds are being recalled because the brake can fail. Eight incidents were reported, however there have been no injuries. Explorer owners will be able to perform a repair at home while Hammerhead owners will need to ship the stroller back for repairs. To get your repair kit or pre-paid shipping box, contact 855-652-9019 or visit phil&teds online. Learn more about this recall. Photo © Consumer Product Safety ... [read more]

More than 200,000 Little People Builders' Load 'n Go Wagons from Fisher-Price (model P8977) are being recalled. The reinforced handle can cause lacerations if a child falls on it. There have been seven reports of injuries including some that required stitches. Make sure your child doesn't play with the toy until you make the necessary repairs. You can get a kit from Fisher-Price by calling 800-432-5437 or visiting Mattel online. Learn more about this recall. Photo © Consumer Product Sa... [read more]

Maybe it’s the fact that my sons are getting older so I can take them to more films above the G rating, but I do feel this summer has offered a slew of worthwhile movies to see with my kids. … Continue reading →

It's so incredibly hot outside here in Texas. I literally cannot remember the last time the high was below 100. All my plants = dying. My neighbor's super green lawn? Yeah, I don't want to see that water bill. Apparently neither do any of my other neighbors who join me in the brown + patchy lawn club. It's really tempting to just stay inside and be a vegetable all day but when you've got a toddler who wants to go go go all the time, it's not very practical. So what can you do? I've rounded... [read more]