“Mom, my tummy doesn’t feel right!”

“I don’t want to go to school! I’m scared!”

Yesterday, the kids went back to school after having two weeks off for winter break. Our first and second graders were filled with feelings of apprehension, uncertainty and nervousness.

I knew this would be a transition day, so I planned to have a slower morning and made sure to cuddle and talk with the kids about their feelings. We talked about what to do when we feel this way. My daughter likes to gently rub the fingers of her one hand against the palm of her other hand when she’s feeling nervous. We talked about how it will help when she gets to see her best friend in class and reminded our son how much fun he has running around at recess. We also use the technique from the popular book, The Kissing Hand, at drop off.

Days like these are perfect days to make sure to spend some one-on-one time with the kids when they get home from school. Since we are a...

When the kids were two years old, three years old and just a few weeks old, we moved into a brand new house. I was stressed and overwhelmed because getting the house together fell on my shoulders since my husband was traveling a ton. There was so much to do: unpacking, organizing, designing, hanging pictures and shelves, meeting with vendors, choosing window coverings, appliances, garage storage, landscaping and overseeing all the deliveries and installations.

The kid's toy boxes were all in our loft playroom upstairs but where I needed to be was downstairs near the front door and near the kitchen. I was often answering the door, making food or doing dishes.

We had an old table my husband had used as a desk and my in-laws were so kind, they sawed off the legs and turned it into a play table just the right size for the toddlers. I set it up in the kitchen as an art area. 

As soon as I put some paper and crayons out - boom - they were there for hours! It was amazing! It was an...

Does your child like art? Do you even know for sure? Every kid needs an art space set up in their home. One that is permanently there and not just set up when the mood strikes for an art project. An art space doesn’t have to mean it’s only for art. It can be for any messy project or play, for creating, tinkering, inventing, constructing and even cooking! 

Having a dedicated space for creative projects is really important. My kids spend more time in our “Creation Station” than anywhere else in the house. They have learned that is the place to go when they want to create something to add to their play or get messy and it’s a constant visual reminder of the possibilities. 

If you don’t have a dedicated craft room, don’t worry! It’s actually better to have this space near the kitchen or the room in your home you spend the most time in. If you want your kids to play independently there for awhile, most young kids want to be able...