Category Archives: Parenting

Every day during her first months of life, I would tell my daughter, “Where is daddy’s nose?  [dramatic pause…]  There it is!”  It wasn’t surprising that her first word was “nose.”  Her sister, who is just starting to speak now didn’t get the same nose game.  Her first word was a more traditional “daddy,” whichContinue reading “Most Common First Baby Words”

Babies typically recognize their names between 5 and 7 months, making name learning crucial. To enhance name recognition, label items with the child’s name and involve them in the process. Activities like spelling, matching, and creative writing reinforce this learning. Diverse experiences strengthen familiarity and retention of their name.

Sorry, it’s a bit of a clickbait title.  What I actually mean is, don’t always read to your kids, but sometimes let them read to you. Clearly, it is very important to read to your children.  As a new parent, a friend advised me to make reading part of a routine – any routine.  SoContinue reading “Don’t Read to Your Kids”

Our youngest daughter’s great-grandma recently bought her GUND’s Animated Elephant.  Flappy!  ‘Awesome… another f’n stuffed animal.’  But then we pressed the Sing button, and holy crap but is this thing adorable.  I’ll let Flappy speak for itself here. Over and over we played, “Do your ears hang low…” until it was burned in our heads.Continue reading “Flappy the Awesome Animated Elephant”

Inevitably, your newborn’s teeth will start to cut the day after you feel settled in a routine.  Often this is somewhere around 4-6 months, but it can also happen much later, around the 10-12 month mark even.  When it happens, your kid will be miserable, drooling, leaking nose goop, putting everything into his/her mouth, andContinue reading “The 9 Best Baby Teethers”

At an early age, exposure to music fosters a child’s interest and foundational skills. Starting before birth enhances neural connections, while interactive activities like family dance parties and playful piano engagement nurture rhythm and melody recognition. Formal lessons can begin around age two, when attention span allows for meaningful instruction.

Fingerlings are emerging as popular toys for the 2017 holiday season, featuring tech-enabled monkey dolls that attach to fingers. They respond to various triggers with sounds and movements, having 40 different interactions. Targeted at ages 2-5, they promote engagement and fun, while being affordable at $15 each. Authentic versions can be found at select retailers.

Toddler puzzles are a great educational and entertaining activity, and you can start early.  At around 10 months, babies start to do their own version of puzzles: putting stuff – especially their pacifiers – into containers, and taking it all out again.  This exercise helps children develop basic motor skills and problem solving.  As theyContinue reading “Things to Consider When Buying Toddler Puzzles”

On rainy days, entertain your toddler with simple art projects using basic supplies like construction paper, scissors, and glue. Suggested activities include making hand turkeys, decoupage creations, landscapes, paper airplanes, and finger puppets. These crafts foster creativity and provide fun while keeping kids engaged until mealtime or nap time.

This article on preparing toddlers for the Ivy League was originally posted on the Scouted blog. ** A few weeks ago during Scouted team lunch, I joked that I’d write a blog post about how to prep your toddlers for the Ivy League. So, true to my word, here are my initial thoughts on collegeContinue reading “From Diapers to Dartmouth”