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There can be friction in the air when your children try to finish their homework when they would rather turn on the television or fire up their DSi. Delivering parents’ views on the matter to the stressed child can lead to a meltdown. Here are some tips to help you avoid those issues.
Complete the homework in a quiet, well-lit area. Avoid distractions to maintain a quiet calm. Teach your children to make sure they have all the materials they need to …

How many times have we heard this and thought how true this is! The joy I get from giving someone a heartfelt gift, time, or a shoulder to cry on is so much more rewarding and brings so much more joy than any materialistic gift. This is never more true than at Christmas time. There are so many people in need and with the holiday season upon us, it is so important to remember those who are often forgotten throughout the year.
There are many organizations that gear up at this …

Beautiful Inside Out is a children’s book written by LaStarr McCollough.  It is designed for young girls, teens, and young and mature women. The goal is to allow the reader to see their inner and outward beauty through their own eyes. Often times we are our own worst critic. All that matters is how we fell about ourselves. Another person can’t  help you be vibrant, confident, or feel valuable. Until you see it for yourself, it’s nonexistent.
58 pages long and an easy read,  Beautiful Inside Out is available for …

These songs bring The Little Green Dragon to life!
This is Jennifer Russell’s musical companion to Mari Privett Ulmer’s book “The Adventures of the Little Green Dragon”.
Young children become aware of their sense of self-worth and bolster their self-esteem as they follow the Little Green Dragon’s attempts to understand himself and to do the right thing.

You are So Special
I Am The Dragon
Do You Ever Want To Be Somebody Else?
Skippity, Skip
Something New
This Is Peace!
Adventure
I Feel Mean
What’s The World Like At Night?
Today I Want To Be A Hero

The Music: Songs sung by the …

by Olivia Lennox
As a parent, being positive helps to maintain your child’s enthusiasm. A way to show this for real is to do what your children do. If they read a book, settle down to read at the same time. If you balance your checking account when they are doing their math homework, they will be able to see why math is important.
You shouldn’t give your child answers, but help them find the answer to any problems they can’t initially solve. Guiding them to an answer will prove more useful …

There is no a better time of the year than the winter holiday season to involve children and teenagers in charitable giving and teach them why the old adage, “It is better to give than to receive,” is true.  World Vision offers five great ways for parents to lead by example and teach their children the true spirit of the holidays:
-    Consider do-it-yourself gifts, like no-sew fleece blankets that you can make with your children. Donate those blankets to a local homeless shelter.
-    Cherish the stories of your family. Have …

The soft, quilted Balboa Baby® Shopping Cart Cover provides a clean and secure environment for babies. The Balboa Baby® Shopping Cart Cover creates a comfortable “nest” for baby with a 360 degree germ free zone. Combining simplicity and convenience, the Shopping Cart Cover features four elastic corners that secure Cover to the cart while providing easy one-hand installation. Toy loops allow you to attach baby‘s favorite playthings, and an extra wide safety strap comfortably keeps baby secure while attaching Cover to shopping cart or high chair. And unlike other bulky …

If money for Christmas is tight this year, there are things you can do to ease the burden yet keep the Christmas spirit alive. Set a budget and stick to it. A good way to make sure you stick to it is to use cash. If you leave your checkbook and credit cards at home, you will not spend more than you have. Consider it a chance to be creative, unique and genuine. Christmas on a budget can be the best one you have ever had.
Gifts of Time
There are better …

Wondering what to do with your kids when they are off on holiday vacation? Look no further than these NEW, kids activity eBook shorts, brought to you by Adams Media. These quick-reference activity guides keep kids happy and having fun, whether you are taking the long way to Aunt Bertha’s for the holidays, trying to keep them busy on a rainy day, or want to get them outside (and out of your hair!) for an afternoon. Feel free to join in—or allow these handy guides to finally let you check …

by Heather Dugdale of http://www.recoveringworkingmom.com/ 
It’s that time of year where mommies over-schedule and over-commit themselves only to add a trip in the middle of the madness.
Here’s what I learned about holiday traveling with kids:

Don’t do it!  Tell your relatives they can bring their @$$es to your house until the children can pack and drive themselves.
If you decide NOT to heed #1, try these “tricks”:

1. Separate clothes. Pack kids’ clothes in gallon size plastic bags separated by child, by day.
2. Make sure the children pick the outfits or you will surely choose clothes they …

As a mom, it is my job to find good, quality movies for my girls and my husband and I to watch together.  We used to be able to count on Disney and animation to automatically provide us with family friendly movies but that is no longer the case.  Every film has to be weighed and stand alone on it’s own merit these days.

Disney, Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks are all good places for us to start, as well as Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart’s  Family Movie Night.  Thanks to Walmart and …

Every year for the entire month of November we learn about the brave voyage the Pilgrims made and the important friendship that formed between the Pilgrims and Indians in my kindergarten classroom. I chose to dress like Indians for our family Thanksgiving feast because the kids can get creative with their art. As we learn about the Indians I teach them a few writing symbols the Indians used and the kids use them as they decorate.
For the headband and necklace I dye uncooked noodles. Pour rubbing alcohol and a few …

As the winter months approach, it can be difficult to find fun activities for children to do indoors.  But even a rainy day can go from the ordinary to the officially amazing!  Challenge yourself – and your children – by trying to break a Guinness World Record!
In honor of Guinness World Records Day today, Thursday, November 17th, here are a couple of record-breaking ideas that are easy to do at home, and may even get you in the book!

 
For more ideas on how to spend a record-breaking day with your …

I worked for Dr. Gerald Moore, an Allergy and Pediatric Pulmonary specialist, for more than five years and I loved it.  I learned so much while under his employ from things about allergies and allergy shots to pulmonary diseases like Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Asthma to nasty life-threatening viruses like RSV(respiratory syncytial virus).  While there is no cure or preventative for CF and Asthma, thankfully there is for RSV.
With each year’s first chill in the air, parents rush to stock up on cold medicine, tissues, and vitamin supplements. While most …

A heartwarming story, just in time for the Christmas season!  THE PUPPY THAT CAME FOR CHRISTMAS (A Plume Original, on sale October 25, 2011). 
All Megan Rix and her husband wanted was a baby, but life had different plans. Rix shares how the disappointment and loss in trying to build a family, led her and her husband to become a different kind of parent to a few life-changing golden retrievers – Megan and her husband, Ian, found a surprising answer when they began training golden retriever pups to become service dogs …

With November being National Adoption Month, it always makes my thoughts turn to my precious girls, P1 and P3.  As most of you know, they both became part of our family via adoption.  While our families have been nothing but supportive, (especially my Mom) from the time we first announced we were adopting to the time each precious girl was placed in our arms, we know that is not always the case.  People can be funny about adoptions and I think that is usually because of some misconceptions and unfounded …

Kids … Learn about Recycling by Participating in an Event Near You!
Recycling can be easy – and fun –for everyone in the family. With Americans pledging to increase their recycling habits at home and at work for Keep America Beautiful’s 2011 America Recycles Day (ARD), which takes place on November 15, there’s no better time for kids to get involved and become good environmental stewards by learning more about recycling.
Here are 10 tips and activities kids can do as America Recycles Day approaches.

Take a trashy trip. Visit your local landfill, …

Tips For Moms on When To Skimp and When To Splurge
 
Babies are expensive and a big concern among moms, especially in this economy, is not having enough money to buy all the things they need for baby.  According to the “Shopping Rituals” report by BabyCenter.com :
 

The average cost of raising a child: $250,000
The average cost for 1st year of baby’s life: $10,000
The cost of all the items listed on the typical baby registry: $950
When the recession is completely over, 83% of Mom’s do NOT think they will return to their …

We have ongoing adventures in eating with our oldest daughter, trying to get her to not be so picky and to eat healthier.  I recently saw these great tips for how to get your child to eat better and knew that if hit home with me, they were bound to hit home with some of you.  Enjoy and Good Luck!
~Excerpted from The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution  by Elizabeth Pantley~
Over 65% of parents report problems getting their children to eat vegetables. Kids should eat 3-5 servings per day, but a third of kids don’t …

 
To celebrate today’s release of More Business of Being Born, Ricki Lake checked in from her trailer at Dancing With The Stars to answer a few commonly asked questions about the film.  Watch the clip to find out how this project has impacted her life and why she feels it’s so important for women to tune in.  She also shared the most surprising statistic she learned along the way and how it felt to receive such a huge outpouring of celebrity support.
For anyone with more questions, Ricki and Abby …

Being a mom can be exhausting. Your children constantly need your help with things. They especially need to be counseled and sometimes you just don’t know exactly what to say. Good thing there are plenty of children’s movies that provide some great insights as to what kids need to hear.  Here are some lines from movies that you can use on your children in certain situations.

 
When they don’t want to eat their vegetables:
 
“Eating greens is a special treat. It makes long ears and great big feet. But it sure is …

Did you know November is National Adoption Month? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau is partnering with AdoptUSKids and the Ad Council to educate potential adoptive parents on the benefits of adoption from foster care.
According to the U.S. Children’s Bureau Preliminary 2010 Trends in Foster Care Report, there are more than 408,000 children in the foster care system in the United States; 115,000 of these children are available for adoption right now.  These kids need good homes!
This year their focus is …

As you know Halloween generates excitement in children unrivalled by virtually any other holiday. With that being said, I would like to introduce Melissa Bernstein who has designed thousands of toys over the past 24 years for Melissa & Doug. The company she co-founded, with a single-minded focus on “real play”—creative, boundless, non-judgmental exploration—to help children discover untold worlds of imagination and growth.
Melissa’s objective is to create a dialogue that will shift the focus of today’s technology-driven society, balancing it with time-honored childhood values of creative play, artistic expression and …

Real moms and experts share safety tips as part of the Care.com Interview Series
On Halloween night, little goblins, ghouls, pumpkins, and ghosts take to the streets in their adorable costumes, and it’s our job as parents to keep them safe, and help them have a good time! “Halloween is one the greatest nights of the year for kids–to keep it great, we must keep it safe,” says officer James Kenneally of the Boston Police Department. With that in mind, we asked our favorite mom bloggers …

You can do anything online these days. You can little things like go shopping or order a pizza and more impressive things like getting commercial playground equipment for your kids. The Internet’s made everyone’s life a whole lot easier and parents can go online and download apps that make mom and dad’s hectic life that much more manageable.
Kidcare:
If you have a little child, Kidcare is an excellent app that keeps parents in the know. It’s a huge step forward in child care and with this app you can get tons …

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls Collective on behalf of Children’s Claritin®. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program.

Before becoming a mom, I worked for a wonderful Allergist and Pediatric Pulmonologist as his allergy shot tech. We had a very busy practice and I gave lots and lots of allergy shots every day to both adults and children. Some of those little ones I absolutely fell in love with(little did I know that some 10+ …

One of the latest of trends in gifting for little ones is personalization. With more and more emphasis placed on unique and fun bestowals at showers and birthday parties everywhere, personalized baby gifts are popping up all over the map.
You can buy adorable bloomers with your baby girl’s initial on the backside, gold rings made for the tiniest finger and engraved with her name, or a letterman-style jacket with his moniker emblazoned on the chest. These gifts are undeniably cool and …

Congratulations to Kristen, #107!!
Many thanks to all that participated, especially for their patience!
Some good friends of ours just became parents for the first time, making us relive our first days as parents.  As it has been 9 years now, we’ve had a car seat or two. We’ve shopped carefully and been lucky enough to be able to buy quality car seats, making it easier on us and our children. It’s important to us that the car seats have high safety ratings and are comfortable, too.

When I was introduced …

As we welcome in Spring and Summer, our days have consisted of lots of outdoor play. While most of our days are sunny and bright, we are occasionally stuck indoors due to rain. Do rainy days have you singing the blues? Shake them away with these fun rainy day activities! I hope you enjoy them as much as my girls do.

Make and Take ~ First the girls pick someone they would like to make something for. Then we pull …

To all my mommy friends…whether they be in the trenches, enjoying their grandkids, or a mommy in their heart, waiting for that magical day.
Love ya!

Congratulations to #5 Vickie Couturier!
Thanks to all who participated for their great ideas and patience.
From now until Mother’s Day you can help little miracles all around you. Pampers Little Miracles Mission is your mission to help make Mother’s Day special for another mother you know.   Watching the Pampers movie on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxbRdxbBROI will make you want to do that for sure.  Then all you have to do is congratulate an expecting mother with her upcoming little miracle, offer a mom a smile to brighten her day. All you have …

They’re running through your yard. They show up in stores. That’s right; bunnies are practically blooming in Springtime. If your child is in the mood for a some furry entertainment, check out these great story books, featuring some very fun bunnies:
Rescue Bunnies by Doreen Cronin
Rescue Bunnies is a story about a little bunny with a big heart. “Newbie” is a Rescue Bunny trainee, called upon to demonstrate his new professional skills during a giraffe rescue. When a “Code …

Things have changed a lot since I was a kid and I know for a fact that when I was growing up, we were a lot more active. I remember often that, during the summer months, we would come home, as the sun was getting ready to go down. This was, of course, just in time for supper. Now kids seem much more prone to stay in doors and with cell phones, the Internet, and video games, it seems like kids are becoming more hermit-like. This concern seems to be …

“Are you going to recycle that, Mom?”
I love that my five year-old knows to ask this question, when she sees me cleaning out a milk carton. I feel like I’ve done a good thing by setting an example of recycling plastic, glass, aluminum, paper, and even old clothing. With Earth Day (April 22nd) fast approaching, I have been looking for more resources to help focus my daughters on things they can do to help keep their planet healthy. Here are …

There’s nothing more precious or sensitive than baby’s skin. And with Earth Day just around the corner, this little Two-Knot hat from Yala is a perfect addition to 3Ps in a Pod’s Baby Week.  Why not wrap your little one in eco-friendly designs that are buttery soft to the touch in colors delicious enough to eat? (ok, so maybe only baby will go for chew factor).   Yala Designs, made of organically formed bamboo that …

CONGRATULATIONS TO GIANNA #64
WELCOME TO BABY WEEK!
For new parents bringing home a baby, establishing a routine with their little ones can be especially challenging and overwhelming.  According to a recent national survey, forming healthy routines is a top concern for new moms. Fifty-seven percent of moms are concerned with establishing a healthy sleep routine for their baby and nearly half (49%) are concerned about creating a healthy feeding routine. Expert pediatrician Dr. Laura Jana, author of the recently released Heading Home with your …

CONGRATULATIONS GO TO William McKinnley #6 and Christal C #12!!!!
In Adam Pertman’s newly-revised book, Adoption Nation, he explores the enormous changes taking place in U.S. adoption and across the world from his unique and multi-faceted perspective: that of adult adoptee, adoptive parent, Executive Director of the Evan B. Donaldson  Adoption Institute and adoption advocate.  As I can personally relate to several of these and more, I was most intrigued to find out what his book had to say.
Broken up into 3 large units with several chapters contained …

I always look for fun, fresh ideas to do with my kids.  Written by Rebecca Cohen, a gardening and lifestyle expert as well as mother of 2 young children, Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids offers a ton of fun, new and creative suggestions and activities that I might not have thought about before.
Fifteen Minutes Outside is a practical book chock full of ways to connect with nature, learn about the outdoors, and bond as a family.  Best of …

Another mom friend and I were listening to the woes of a mom with a 12 going on 20 year old daughter.  Later we looked at one another and agreed we were glad for our preteen girls and their much younger issues.  As smart moms though we know, we need to do all we can to have a good relationship with our daughters on a one on one basis now that will hopefully continue as they grow up and times may get a little tougher.
Helping girls foster high self esteem …

CONGRATULATIONS TO PAMELA  GARRETT #22
Well, it was The Power of The Ponytail over at The Motherhood today or in normal speak, a discussion regarding Cheerleading: It’s Pros, It’s Cons, Safety, and the many ways it can affect a girl’s life yesterday.  Leading the discussion was Nicole Lauchaire, VP Corporate Marketing and Communications for Varsity Brands. Varsity, the company that pretty much makes most cheerleading products and I for one really appreciated what she had to say.
“Cheerleading has seen a large increase in participation. There are at least a half million …

In High School, I was immersed in my love of loves – Animal.  Sports was not my thing.  So when my precious mini-me daughter loves small animals BUT thinks my beloved cattle and such stink, I was wounded.  Well, when last year she decided she wanted to be an AYSA Cheerleader she had my full support because I am all for her doing things and gaining the same things I found in my love: to build her self esteem, get good exercise and be unique (it was something her older …

It’s spring—the perfect time to de-clutter and organize your home. For parents, the challenge is to freshen up the house while also staying on top of everyday responsibilities like work, carpool and dinner. Involving your kids is a great way to get it all done without losing your mind.
Kati Chevaux, editor at Cozi.com, offers 5 tips to turn common spring cleaning chores into a family affair ~LOVE how this woman thinks, don’t you?
1. Refrigerator Clean-Out
o   What you do: Remove all food to do a …

I was recently approached by a PR Rep who reminded me that…” motherhood – being a mom is no easy job! Actually, I think it’s probably harder now than it’s ever been. These days, it seems society frowns on letting kids play freely outside, and moms instead feel pressured to rush them from one organized activity to the next.
While there’s nothing wrong with organized activities, I think you and your readers would agree with us that kids also need to play, and that unstructured outdoor …

As a parent, you understand what it’s like when your child is sick. As a writer, you have the voice to tell your readers about an organization that improves the quality of life for children who’s sicknesses are actually life-threatening. Did you know that each year in the U.S., 27,000 children are diagnosed with a life threatening illness?
Give Kids The World (GKTW) is a non-profit organization that provides week-long vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families at a fanciful, “storybook” retreat in Central …

It was February and I had just agreed to review some Pediacare, medicine for children, when true to Murphy’s law, we actually needed those exact two medicines the Rep had sent.  Up until then, we had had an illness free school year – a first.  Ah well. Pediacare is not the brand we used before so we literally were trying it out.
Pediacare has been on the market since 1984.  Currently, they have medicines for Cough & Cold, Fever & Pain Relievers, Allergies, Infant Gas Relief,  and Gentle Vapors.  Each package …

Spring break offers the last extended break for children before summer begins. This year, think about different ways to celebrate this time off from school with a special trip, vacation or family planned activity that will elicit smiles from the little ones – big or small.
• Visit the Relatives For families that live a long distance away from other family members, spring break can allow for a surprise visit outside of standard holidays and get-togethers. This spring, consider surprising your family with a special visit …

Are you deciding where to take your kids for summer vacation or spring break? Let’s face it: choosing the right location can be stressful for both you and your wallet. In addition to considering your finances, you should also analyze other factors such as the age of your children and their respective interests. Here are some tips for choosing the right destination for your children. You can make every family vacation a memorable one with these simple suggestions.
Age Isn’t Just a Number
Some parents make the mistake of taking their newborns …

While Welch’s may be most famous for it’s wonderful grape juice, they actually make a variety of different items. Welch’s Fruit snacks come from Promotion in Motion.  Moms love them more as they are made with actual fruit juice.  They are more chewy than some of their counterparts which could be interpreted as staleness -not so.They come in a variety of flavors, and the shapes and colors are fun and bright. The variety pack comes with: peach, strawberry, grape, concord grape, orange and raspberry.
I’ll let you in a little secret …

I wanted to let you know about a fantastic new program launched by Swap.com, the world’s largest swap marketplace, which facilitates donations of books & other media items to public schools across the United States. As educators face a scarcity of supplies for their classrooms and school libraries as a result of dramatic budget cuts in recent years, Swap4Schools <http://swap4schools.swap.com>  aims to assist them in procuring much needed supplies – for free.
To enlist in the program, school administrators, teachers, and librarians at U.S. public …

Okay, we have had all of these great articles on important subjects but the next one I read is bringing out my ~~SOAPBOX!!!
And I quote…”Multiple Jobs & “Me-First” Culture Leave Less Time for Puppy House Training

FORT MYERS, FLA. – (February 22, 2010) – Are more people adopting an older dog because they don’t have the time, nor patience, to train a puppy – let alone have children? Flexcin International, which operates the FlexPet Shelter Program to assist the adoption of older dogs, believes this trend …