Q. What can I do to help my timid little girl gain confidence?
Does the answer, “Wrestling!” come to mind? Many of the confident, capable, courageous girls I know have families in which vigorous physical play is a tradition. It’s an unsung activity that is far more important to children’s development than we’ve guessed.
What advantage does wrestling and horseplay give our daughters? There are many reasons why it’s great for girls. (It’s wonderful for boys for the same reasons, but let’s focus here on girls, as they are socialized not to participate in this kind of play.) Read the rest »
By Patty on 03/5/08 in Children, Parents, The Connected Parent, Columns, Editor Picks, Parent Blog Roundup
In a time when parents are bombarded with toys and baby products on television, videos, in Internet emails and every day life, it is surprising that finding a great, simple toy can be such a challenge. One trip down the aisle of a big box store is enough to send a parent over the plastic, characterized, noisy, battery-operated edge. What’s a Clever Parent to do?
Thankfully, we found an oasis in the sea of Elmo and Dora and it’s all just a click away. From chic cloth diapers, nursing gear and bathtime necessities to playwear, blankets and fabulous Zolo toys, Kushies Baby is our new fave go-to shop for baby toys and accessories. Read the rest »
By Kris on 03/3/08 in Gear, Toys, Featured, Stylish Children, Main Feature, Editor Picks, Online Boutique of the Week
A Clever Parents reader tipped us off to this fabulous find: Fabkins, the brainchild of two friends and moms who wanted to offer kids a fun and easy way to be a part of saving the environment.
Joyce Raffo and Paige Rodgers had a hard time finding cloth napkins that weren’t too formal or too big for their childrens’ lunchboxes, so they created super cute cloth napkins with fun embroidered designs to make lunchboxes fun and paper-free! Read the rest »
By Kris on 02/20/08 in Gear, Food, Featured, Main Feature, Editor Picks, Online Boutique of the Week, Cooking For Kids, The Ecospot, 2008 Business Spotlights
Everyone has heard that women are from Venus and men are from Mars, but did you ever think that these ingrained differences in the sexes are instilled long before we start dating? I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with each of my two children (my son, Jarod, age 8 and my daughter, Brooke, age 6) at their elementary school two days in a row. Please allow me to share with you the vast differences in these mind boggling encounters and you might reach the same conclusion that I have – little boys and little girls are VERY different, right from the beginning.
Entering the Classroom:
As I entered my daughters first grade classroom, I was greeted with a headlong rush into my arms followed by a soupy kiss. Almost in synchronized harmony, a cacophony of little girl voices called out “Hello, Brooke’s Mom!” I was then nearly trampled by Brooke’s chattering friends as they all clamored with inquiries to sit with Brooke at the honored table of “Parent Visitors”. I was flush with the feeling of celebrity. Read the rest »
By Amber on 02/8/08 in Children, Parents, Columns, Editor Picks, Mom-agination
“On behalf of the 2,700 Soldiers assigned to 1st Medical Brigade, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to you, your family, friends and the companies who donated items, for displaying such gracious generosity during Operation Shower and making Christmas a whole lot brighter for our Brigade moms. We had maximum attendance from both Soldiers who are expecting to spouses of Soldiers (most deployed) who are either expecting or recently gave birth to their child.” (excerpted from a letter from Colonel Robert Tenhet) Read the rest »
By Kris on 02/7/08 in Charity, Featured, Main Feature, Editor Picks, Operation Shower
The very first step in organizing a space should not be to purchase anything! Normally when I work with a client we rarely need to purchase a thing, and often times we could open up a box/organizing store of our own when we are finished. Purchasing containers and organizing supplies has become a national obsession of some kind. Now, I would not be in the organizing profession if I did not enjoy containers, boxes, files, and folders. I get as much joy as a kid in the candy store!
Do you want to get organized? There are no magic wands and no special secrets that only people with decoders can reveal. Clutter is simply the result of bringing more in then you purge. When organizing and de-cluttering, the true purpose is to create systems so that the clutter does not come back, not just to make a nice clean space. Although, the nice clean space is a true reward and delicious icing on the clutter free cake! Read the rest »
By Betsy on 02/4/08 in Clutter Busting, Columns, Editor Picks, An Organized Life
Dear Geralin,
I feel like a loser writing to you for help but filing papers is one of the hardest things for me to do; I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD and am easily overwhelmed. Both my husband and I are confused about which papers to keep and which should be trashed so we end up saving every single slip of paper.
Since having children our paperwork has grown into a chaotic mess that stresses me out. We have papers everywhere (and I do mean everywhere). We can never find anything so we spend a lot of time looking around for things. I don’t know where to begin. I feel like a failure because I can’t even figure out where to begin. Read the rest »
By Geralin Thomas on 02/1/08 in OH! Organizing Hints, Life, Featured, Columns, Editor Picks, An Organized Life
