raisingkidswithlove

You don't have to be perfect to be the perfect parent!

Category Archives: Growth and Development

The “how to” of the discipline process

♦ August 25, 2019 ♦ 9 Comments


  Remember our mantra:  “Attention is attention to a child whether it is negative or positive, attention to a behavior reinforces it!”  And  “Consistency is the key.” A few pointers to start: 1.  Set realistic guidelines. Know your child’s developmental stage. As a parent, you may want your child to share his toys with friends, …

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Baby talk! Encouraging language development in your child.

♦ August 6, 2019 ♦ Leave a comment


Talking to your child and using lots of animated facial expressions are important for your child’s language development! Believe me, hearing the sweet voice of your child say “Ma Ma” or “Da Da” is one of those moments you always remember.  Later, I can remember thinking….”Maybe I should change my name, I am tired of …

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Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby

♦ July 3, 2019 ♦ 4 Comments


Our daughter Kelsey loving her solid foods!  She was needing a dunk in the tub after this meal! I can remember the excitement of introducing the kids to their first tastes of “real food”.  The camera was ready, they were sitting up and eager, and that first bite often resulted in the funniest look as …

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How much juice? None if under age 1!

♦ July 3, 2019 ♦ 1 Comment


Why would your child need a glass of juice?  The short answer that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) gives is almost never.  While a juice box of 100% juice for an older child isn’t the worst thing to have, it certainly isn’t the best choice.  The AAP recommends even stricter guidelines for juice in a …

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Keep your precious cargo safe by using a car seat correctly!

♦ June 23, 2019 ♦ 1 Comment


Parents must be sure that their child’s car seat is being used correctly…we all have precious cargo! I read an study recently in the Journal of Pediatrics which really shocked me. A total of 291 families (81% of those eligible) participated. Nearly all (95%) CSSs were misused, with 1 or more errors in positioning (86%) …

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Packing tips for traveling with kids…having what you need but keeping it simple.

♦ June 5, 2019 ♦ 8 Comments


Vacation season is here! With kids, gone are the days when you can throw a few things in a suitcase and go!  There is a bit more to pack with kids…it seems like you will need everything!  Making a packing list will help.  I often would start a packing list several weeks in advance and …

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The pitter patter of feet and other bedtime challenges

♦ March 6, 2019 ♦ 3 Comments


Ahh there is nothing sweeter than the pitter patter of little toddler feet, unless it is two minutes after putting them in bed or you wake to that sound at 2:00 am!  Once toddlers figure out that they can get out of a bed, why not pay Mom and Dad a visit?  Going to bed …

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“Sleep like a baby” Really?

♦ March 6, 2019 ♦ 1 Comment


Establishing a calming routine before bed is important! When I brought our oldest Corri home from the hospital, I thought I knew about the sleep patterns of infants.  After all, I had the degrees to prove that I was an “educated” Mom!  The truth is, nothing can prepare you for the lack of sleep that …

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What is in your discipline “bag of tricks”?

♦ February 22, 2019 ♦ Leave a comment


What is in your discipline bag of tricks? It was 7:30 am and my day was in full swing. I was chasing a two year old trying to get him dressed again. It is barely an hour into the day and I felt like I was on the verge of yelling and a time out …

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“Hurry up or I will leave without you!” and other discipline techniques that don’t work!

♦ February 21, 2019 ♦ 1 Comment


There are some discipline techniques that just don’t work as well as others! I can remember sometimes simply reacting to a behavior of one of my kids, but not really using a discipline approach.  The result was never very effective.  Some typical reactions just don’t work, or result in other issues later.  Here are some …

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