The arrival of a newborn, especially if it’s the first born, brings a flurry of child proofing. The problem is that the initial bout of safety consciousness can give way as your child or children grow up. And that of course is a problem since safety hazards tend to increase with a child’s age. The other issue is that nobody likes a lecture that is nothing more than a list of “no, don’t, you can’t, and never.” Stressing the importance of safety is like talking about saving for retirement. It’s necessary, but not very much fun. Not nearly as much fun as skateboarding down a flight of stairs without a helmet or spending money today. Read the rest »

I am considering coming out of the closet. For decades, I have been afraid to voice my strongest feelings about the effects of TV on our society. My style is to be a consensus builder, and when that is your goal, it pays to be able to understand (and to some extent, support) both sides of a debate. And so for years I have been repeating some version of “Too much TV is never good, but there are some very high quality programs. I do understand that today’s parents need (1) to allow their kids to experience TV in order to be part of the culture, and (2) a break – a way to have their child fully engaged by something else – so that they can have some time to concentrate on their own lives.” All of this is true. But the statement is a polite version of what I really think. TV is a very addictive bad habit. Like watching a friend struggle with a drug or drinking problem, I see people of all ages who watch too much TV and they are: in a bad mood when they don’t get enough, incapable of imagining life without TV, and in denial about the toll TV is taking on their physical and mental health. Read the rest »

Rainy days with stir-crazy kids and dogs can try your sanity. When your kids wail that there’s nothing fun to do, have them try some of these simple games with the family dog.

Hansel & Gretel Trails. This is a really basic activity, but kids love it! Give your children a small bowl of treats and tell them to create a trail for the dog to follow. Keep the dog near you while the kids put a treat every 2 to 4 feet. When they have laid out the entire path, have them come back and tell the dog to sit before releasing the dog to follow the trail. They’ll follow along behind the dog cheering for each successful find.

Commando Crawl (for mid-sized dogs). Have the kids lay a trail of treats running under your coffee table from one end to the other. Teach the dog to belly-crawl across the floor to get the treats. Read the rest »

Whenever Laura sees a dog, she shrieks and clings to her mother’s leg. Thomas runs the other way. And Samuel just freezes, wide eyed in terror.

Each of these children is afraid of dogs. As parents, we strive to teach our kids how to cope with life and its challenges. Yet some parents mistakenly believe that it is good for a child to be afraid of dogs because then the child will be more cautious around them. Read the rest »

Kids love projects with their hand and foot prints. It really gives them ownership to their artwork. Check out this simple and creative craft:

What you need:

• Child
• 3 different colors sheets of construction paper
• 1 green sheet construction paper
• Crayons or markers
• Glue or tape
• Scissors

Read the rest »

My daughter Clare is now in her second week of summer vacation—and, since she just finished Kindergarten, it’s her first “official” summer vacation from school. This summer is also the first time since Clare was four months old that she won’t be in daycare or at school during the days. Instead, because I’ve been a stay-at-home Dad for a few months, we’ll be spending every day—all day—of the summer together. I thought that I’d have a hard time coming up with activities for Clare and me to do, but Clare has been a helpful activity planner and has taught me a few things.

I’ll admit that I once thought I’d have more fun with a boy. With a son, I thought, I’d play baseball, watch Star Wars, race Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars, and wrestle around on the grass or floor. Of course, as any daughter’s Daddy’ll tell you, one look into a baby girl’s eyes and none of that matters. Still, once the cradling and baby games are over, what does a Dad do with a daughter. The truth is we do just about anything I imagined doing with a son and then some.

Here are just a few of the things that we’ve done in the two weeks since Kindergarten graduation: Read the rest »

The Newspaper Tree
This one is really easy. All you need is newspaper and a paper towel roll.

For younger children: Roll up the newspaper and insert it into paper towel tube. Have children tear the newspaper to make leaves. (In the photo the tree with ripped leaves is on the left.)

For children who can use scissors: Roll up the newspaper and insert it into the paper towel tube. Have children cut the newspaper to make leaves. You can fold the leaves like an accordion for a cool effect (pictured right). Read the rest »