Ask Ms. Lydia: What Questions Should I Ask When Looking for a Preschool?
Dear Ms. Lydia,
My husband and I just recently moved to the San Diego area and need to find a preschool for our 3-year-old son. We are overwhelmed with all the choices. There are so many different . . .
Little Kids in Weddings: Tips for ring bearers and flower girls
My first memory: I’m 3, wearing the prettiest, fluffiest dress in the whole world. I’m holding hands with a yucky boy and carrying a wicker basket full of flowers. I’m beaming with anxious joy . . .
Tips to Foster a Child's Love of Reading
Get your child involved in books and foster a lifelong love of reading. Here are tips from PBS Kids:
Visit the local library often. Get kids their own library card. Attend storytimes a . . .
Silly Songs to Get Chores Done
Sing it Clean: 8 Silly Songs to Get Chores DoneMotivating a preschooler to clean up can be as frustrating as herding cats. Instead of sending your toddler into a tailspin when playtime is over, enco . . .
Teach Math and Science to Preschoolers
What is the right age to start learning about math and science?
You may be surprised to learn that your preschooler is ready to be introduced to more than rote counting and discussing the . . .
7 Tips for Dealing with Picky Eaters
I don’t like Brussels spouts. Why does broccoli look like trees? Vegetables make me throw up. Why can’t we just order McDonald’s?We’ve all heard these phrases or something similar uttered by . . .
What Parents Should Know about Children's Oral Health Care
Like many areas of the body, a person’s mouth is teeming with bacteria, most of them harmless. Normally the body’s natural defenses and good oral health care, such as daily brushing and flossing . . .
How to Make the Most of the First Day of Preschool
My husband and I tried to prep our 3-year-old son Dylan, the best we could for his first day of preschool. We told him he’d be meeting all sorts of new people and making a bunch of new friends. “W . . .
Toys Your Child Can Learn and Play With
Every parent knows that children learn most by playing. Through play, children learn how to explore their lives, peers and surroundings, how things work and the difference between success and failur . . .
10 Ideas to Help Children Read Outside of the Classroom
“Learning how to read should not be confined to the classroom,” said Amy Jo Dowd, Ph.D., education research advisor for Save the Children. “There are many fun ways that parents, communit . . .
How to Fund Your Child's Education
While most of us realize that we will need to save money for our children’s college educations, we may need to figure out how to start funding our children’s education quite a few years earlier . . .
Make Play a Priority
You’ve heard it time and time again, “The first five years of a child’s life are the most critical to their development.” This idea is not anything new, but recent research shows just how much . . .
8 Questions to Ask Yourself When Purchasing Holiday Toys
Pediatric occupational therapists say items that focus on motor skill development, cognitive learning provide best value when it comes to kids
The holiday season provides the opportunity to unabashed . . .
Asthma Medicines Increase the Risk of Cavities
Did you know that your child’s asthma medicine can weaken healthy enamel, making teeth vulnerable to dental disease?
“Caries” is the term that dentists use to describe dental disease. You an . . .
How to Make Reading Irresisitable to Boys
I want my son to love books, so I began reading to him when he was tiny. Despair descended when, at 6 months old, he was more interested in eating books than reading them. But I wiped off the drool . . .
How to Help Your Kindergartener Make a Smooth Transition into School
Help your kindergartener score a smoother transition into school.
Kicking Off Kindergarten
For many parents, kindergarten signals a major milestone from the all-consuming baby and toddler years. . . .
The Privileges System for Children
It is possible to raise kind, well-mannered children with no yelling, no spanking, and no time-outs. When I created the Privileges System three years ago, my daughter needed boundaries… fast. I al . . .
Toothbrushing Tips for Kids
Each night at my house there’s a show after dinner. I call it dental drama. As I approach my son’s mouth with the toothbrush, he closes it tight. I ply him with sparkly, watermelon-flavored toot . . .
Traveling with Food Allergies
Traveling can be extremely stressful for the 12 million Americans with food allergies and 3 million with celiac disease. In fact, most people with food allergies and sensitivities list traveling and . . .
8 Tips On Encouraging Your Kids To Be Close
Friendly Siblings–what’s the secret?
We’ve all dreamed of them. Many of us have actually seen them. But how do we actually raise them? I’m talking about siblings who get along, those myster . . .