• Created on 4/8/13 by Sheryl Paul

      “Come on, Asher, we need to go!” I say for the fourth time as my three year old crouches down near the bushes in front of our house to examine a creature. “But I found something interesting, Mommy! Come look! It’s yellow with black dots and I think it’s a dragonfly.” He’s right; it’s a dragonfly and it’s quite beautiful, but that doesn’t change the fact that if we don’t get into the car this second we’re going to be late. Still, I bend down with him and am amazed that he can identify a dragonfly, then ask if he’s ready to get into the car. The... read more

• Created on 3/29/13 by Melanie Mayo

    When I first became a mother I was always "there."  You know.  Answering every question.  Watching every special moment.  Paying attention so as not to "miss out" or "harm their self esteem."  Of course as time went on and I added more and more children to the mix, this became impossible both because of time and a desire to maintain my sanity.   One day I realized that my children expected to be listened to all the time.  I realized that they felt no shame interrupting a conversation that other people were having to announce that they were wearing socks.... read more

• Created on 3/24/13 by Melanie Mayo

  While I sat in my comfy chair writing last week’s post as my little boy slept and my older son was trying to fall asleep, Everest stumbled out of bed to tell me he felt scared. This was hardly a new communication; he’s felt scared more nights than I can count since he turned five (he’s now eight). But because I happened to be writing about teaching your kids how to respond to fear, I decided to apply the lesson in the moment: “Everest, do you remember how we’ve been talking to Asher about his Monkey Brain and how he can boss it back? Well, let’s see if you... read more

• Created on 11/2/12 by Melanie Mayo

Many of us limit screen time for our children, but when we do want to allow them to experience a website we want it to be safe. Mothering has compiled a list of sites that are perfect for kids of many ages, educational, free to use, and completely without ads.   Starfall This delightful website is perfect for kids who are learning to read, or getting ready to read. With simple and fun books, games and activities that inspire the imagination, Starfall has earned its place as a top destination for discerning families.    NGA Kids A wonderful site from the... read more

• Created on 10/3/12 by Melanie Mayo

Last week we were at a restaurant full of kids for brunch, and our waitress pointed out that our son was the only child in the restaurant who was not staring at a smart phone or iPad.  We looked around, and sure enough she was right.  There were at least eight kids in the restaurant ranging in age from 9 months to 9 years, and they were all staring at screens.  Our son was busy ignoring our adult conversation.   He was playing with a tiny toy Meerkat, and pretending that it was peeing all over the food.   It was pretty funny, and a few minutes later we found... read more

• Created on 9/30/12 by Melanie Mayo

Last month, we asked three members of the Mothering community to try out the STRIDER Bike, a balance bike made for children 18 months – 5 years. Balance bikes are a great alternative to traditional tricycles because they allow toddlers to build balance and coordination, which are the key skills for bicycling but are often overlooked as a child moves from walking to riding a tricycle or to a bike with training wheels. Balance bikes are smaller and more lightweight than tricycles or regular bikes, and they don’t have pedals, so toddlers can learn to balance... read more

• Created on 10/4/11 by Cynthia Mosher

When my husband and I moved into a new home with our two kids last year we talked about options for creating a new play area in the small room off of our living room. Normally, our children simply play and read wherever they see fit, and usually that is in the living room. We love that and don’t want it to change. But the 15ft by 9ft addition to our living room was calling out to us as a place that would be a perfect kid-centered addition to our living space–with special areas for reading, art, and play. Flash forward a year and the room was still empty–busy... read more

• Created on 8/27/11 by Cynthia Mosher

…to hang on to at least some of the many thousands of drawings and paintings your child will make over the next few years. Right now it might seem like the artwork is no big deal, there’s so much of it—but I’m over here in your future, telling you that these drawings will become real treasures for you down the road! And a tip: After a drawing is finished, ask your child to tell you what’s happening in the picture and write it on the artwork itself. Then date it. And put it somewhere safe (after some time on the fridge, of course!).   Above: A... read more

• Created on 7/26/11 by Cynthia Mosher

My kids brought home two red plastic water guns from our most recent visit to their grandmother’s house. These little pistols are old school, the way I remember them from childhood: detailed to look realistic, fitting snugly into a small hand. When my three year old son Gabriel first saw them, his eyes sparkled. “Mama. That is a gun,” he said, the same way I might have said ‘that is a diamond’ or ‘that is a tropical island’ if either of those treasures were ever presented to me. Previously, we had a single water gun that drifted around the backyard. One of... read more

• Created on 6/13/11 by Cynthia Mosher

Siblings & Bodypaint (by our friend Amir at www.AmirImage.com) Hi Friends, A mother wrote in on Mothering.com’s Ask An Expert and wondered how to get her 7-year old boy and her 5-year old girl to appreciate each other and nurture a sibling bond as their personalities are very different and most of their interactions “largely unpleasant.” I answered with some of my favorite tips for family unity and sibling harmony. I touch upon individuation, togetherness, family unity, activities that promote bonding, conflict resolution, media that... read more