raisingkidswithlove

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

Tag Archives: growth and development milestones

Oh what a difference a year makes! Growth and Development milestones the first year.


                                                          From one day to one year, what a difference a year makes!                                                            The first few months of my children’s lives sometimes felt like a blur.  Parents get VERY little sleep and are just trying to get to know their baby.  I can remember feeling that the first year just flew by and all of …

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Picky Toddler Eating


Our daughter, Kaitlyn, the picture of  toddler pickiness! Why is it that we parents worry so much about how much our child is eating?  I can remember thinking that how well Kaitlyn ate that day, determined how well I had parented.  Not true!  Children under the age of one usually nurse or formula feed well, and …

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Is it time to ditch the diapers?


I think she had to go!  🙂 There are definitely parts of parenting that I like less than others.  I know when potty training time rolled around for each of the kids, it was one of those moments when a crazy thought like, “How bad would it be to skip this?”  would cross my mind. …

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Will preschool help your child be academically successful?


Preparing your child for school success includes outings like this!  School readiness is not just about letters and numbers! It is that time of year when parents are beginning to look at preschools for next year.  Sometimes I feel that there is more pressure on parents to find “just the right preschool” than deciding on …

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Sleep like a baby…really?


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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Some things never change!


Your “Mom words” never change!  🙂  I was on the phone at different times this week with each of our 4 children.  After several of my conversations I realized that even though I am in a different season of parenting than many of you, my conversations can sometimes be very similar! You:  “Try a bite….yummmm.  Try …

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Your child’s temperament….continued!


See the difference?  Same activity…four different children, several different reactions…embrace your child’s temperament! There are a few more traits that make up your child’s temperament.  Picking up from yesterday…. 5.  Sensory Threshold How sensitive is your child to physical stimuli?  Does your child become overly stimulated in a room full of noise or people?  Does …

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Think about a straw cup instead of a sippy!


Sippy cups are everywhere…there are aisles and aisles of them at most discount and baby stores. Cups with soft spouts, cups with hard spouts, cups with valves, cups without valves, cups with straws, cups with handles, and cups of every color and size. Choices, choices and more choices! Once again it seems a parent needs …

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The potty dance, M&Ms and other potty rewards!


The reward of choice at our house during potty training… one M&M for peeing, two M&Ms for pooping and Mommy always got some too! We have talked about when to start potty training, how to “ditch the diapers” and get moving on the process, what to do with some “potty pitfalls” and a technique to …

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How do you play with a toddler?


“I think of play as a toddler’s number one essential vitamin.  He needs large doses of it every day.  Play:  Thrills the senses.  Helps toddlers master movement.  Stretches the mind.  Stimulates language use.  Boosts friend-making skills.  Stimulates the immune system.  Builds self-confidence.  Improves nighttime sleeping.” Dr. Harvey Karp, MD  The Happiest Toddler on the Block                                                    …

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