The ecomony has taken its toll on finances and the job market. After almost 3 years of sharing tips and ideas about parenting, we are currently discontinuing our Bottles2Backpacks blog. Hopefully, as the economy improves, we’ll be able to share great books and resources for families once again. You can help by supporting your local library!
Leave a Comment July 11, 2011
For the last 18 months, we’ve been publishing articles, tips and booklists for parents. With staffing shortages, we’d like to know how you feel about this blog so that we can make an executive decision whether or not to continue with this project. Please answer the poll questions below. Thank you for your past support and readership!
Leave a Comment June 20, 2011
Looking for some picture books that you can share with your little ones? Check these out:
Leave a Comment May 23, 2011
Generally infants and toddlers tend to handle a move better than an older sibling. However, children this age really pick up on their parents’ anxiety and stress levels. An infant will become more fussy and demanding in the few weeks preceding and following a move. The best thing that you can do is to remember to hold and play with your child despite the pressures and deadlines involved with moving. Keep routines as normal as possible and any security objects such as blankets or favorite toys near by.
Leave a Comment May 16, 2011
Though parents realize how monumental moving can be just in terms of physical things, moving can also be extremely difficult on children especially if they tend to be shy and introverted. What are some things that you can do to minimize the effects of moving?
1. Tell your children about the move as soon as possible.
2. Maintain daily routines as much as possible. This is crucial for little ones.
3. Involve them age appropriate tasks or responsibilities — this can give them a sense of control over their situation.
4. Be patient with them — adjusting to new schools, neighborhoods and living arrangements is stressful for them despite parents’ best efforts.
5. Help your children make new friends and get involved in the community.
6. Look for signs that your child is having difficulty adjusting: long-term anxiety, depression, disruptions in sleep, falling grades and poor socialization at school or in the neighborhood.
Leave a Comment May 9, 2011
The phrase “working mother” is redundant. ~Jane Sellman
With Mother’s Day approaching, we thought it would be fun to share some great picturebooks that honor moms. Hoping you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Leave a Comment May 3, 2011
According to Georgia Kight, Department of Family and Consumer Services at North Carolina State Universtiy (September, 2000), learning to get along with others is one of the most important lessons that children learn. The home is often the first place where this learning takes place. Understanding why children quarrel helps parents respond in appropriate ways.
Reasons that children quarrel may include:
1. Their basic needs are not being met: Children who are hungry, tired or bored are not going to feel cooperative.
2. They want attention: If children don’t get the attention they want by doing positive things, they learn quickly that they will get plenty of attention by acting out.
3. Wanting companionship but not knowing how to get it from a sibling: Starting a quarrel is a sure way to get a sibling to interact.
4. Personal Power: Children love to experiment to see what they can get their sibling to do.
Look for some suggestions on ways to deal with these issues next week!
Leave a Comment April 27, 2011
According to an article by Kids Health, it’s common for brothers and sisters to fight. While most parents may think that it’s only a matter of jealousy or competition, there are actually many different reasons that squabbles and bickering my occur. They include: evolving needs, individual temperaments, special needs/sick kids and the behavior that children see their parents model. Check out more information from this great article at: http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/sibling_rivalry.html
Leave a Comment April 11, 2011
Though as parents we always hope that peace and harmony will be a constant in our homes, sibling rivalry is a normal aspect of childhood. Children become possessive of their toys and their time with their parents and friends. There are ways however to lesson the effects of sibling rivalry in your home.
The first step is to prepare your child/children before the new baby arrives:
1. Take your child/children on shopping trips for the new baby and let them pick out a present they each want to give to the new baby. Buy something for your child/children as well. (This doesn’t need to be huge but this lets your child know that you are still including them.)
2. Talk about the new baby.
3. Let your child practice taking care of a baby doll. Demonstrate with your young child/children how to gently care for it. From time to time, interrupt an activity to go and “take care of” the baby doll so that your child begins to see & understand that regular activities may need to be interrupted in order to care for the new arrival.
4. When you come home with the baby, make sure that mom spends those first moments with the child who is at home and gives them lots of hugs and attention.
5. With supervision, let the other child/children help with the new baby. This will help promote sibling affection and lessen rivalry.
6. Continue to make time to have one-on-one moments with the older child/children.
“New Baby” books to check out at the library:
Brand New Baby Blues by Kathi Appelt, Illustrated by Kelly Murphy
There’s Going to Be a Baby by John Burningham, Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Mail Harry to the Moon by Robie H. Harris, Illustrated by Michael Emberley
Big Sister Now: A Story About Me and Our New Baby by Annette Sheldon, Illustrated by Karen Maizel
Big Brother Now: A Story About Me and Our New Baby by Annette Sheldon, Illustrated by Karen Maizel
Leave a Comment April 5, 2011
Spring is coming and with it, team sports. Did you know that children are not born with a competitive urge? They learn it. In fact, children don’t begin to compete with or compare their skills to others until around 5 years of age. In addition, most children don’t work well as a “team player” until about 10 or 11 years of age. But that doesn’t mean that being competitive is negative. Competition can teach children many things including: how to handle loss, how to set goals, to develop their skills, to try out different roles, to learn the rules of the game, to learn how to perform before a group, to develop problem-solving skills and to learn to work with others. Key factors when looking at competition are a child’s temperament, culture, talent and the age of the child — all of these factors affect how a child handles competition. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll examine more information about the advantages & disadvantages of competition.
Leave a Comment March 28, 2011
