Talking to your kids - who knew it would be this tough, this early?! I want so badly to build a relationship where they'll come to me with the hard stuff. But how do I do that when some days even getting what they did at recess out of them is a battle? Today, one of MPMK's former contributor's, Kim (who also happens to be a speech-language pathologist), is going to share with us the best ways to ask our kids questions. Didn't know there was a right way? Well there definitely is - it's the … [Read more...]
How to Buy Toys for Other People’s Kids
When buying kids’ gifts for birthday parties or other celebrations we can be easily enticed by toys that aren’t necessarily what you would want in your home for your child. I try to keep in mind that no kid really benefits from a ton of toys and that every parent will appreciate a quality gift in the long run. Here are some ideas to keep the fun in that special present, with a forward-thinking, minimalist spin. … [Read more...]
Make Your Halloween Costume Count (and Last)
Photo credit: Justin W. Moore (www.outdoorphoto.com) Whether you buy a costume or make it at home, they can be expensive and time-consuming. You can make those dollars and hours count by not only encouraging your child to have fun on Halloween night, but by helping her to really get into character and to learn a lot as well. Dressing up is the ultimate form of pretending and there are amazing learning opportunities in the fun of dressing up for Halloween. In costume, you get to really feel … [Read more...]
Two Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Learn
Like it or not, it's back-to-school time. Just as you prep your kids with new clothes and school supplies, now is also a good time to think about optimizing your home and routines for learning. Today Kim is sharing two tips for doing just that. … [Read more...]
How to Travel with Kids
Before we dive in today, I wanted to give you a quick update on the site's redesign. We are tenatively shooting for a launch in 4 weeks. That has me both incredibly excited and more than a bit nervous about all the work to be done. So I'll be stepping back a bit for the next 4 weeks. Don't worry though, between contributors, guest posts, and a few roundups - I've got you covered with tons of fresh stuff while I'm away. Now, back to the topic at hand... Many of you with kids probably remember … [Read more...]
There are Only Two Types of Toys
Did you guys know that along with her expertise in communication and play, our new contributor Kim also has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to toy organization? Today she's sharing some of her know-how with a quick and easy 3 step plan to corral your deluge of toys. I can't wait to put this system into place in our house! I write a lot about play, toys, and rotating toys. It seems as much as we all want to harness our inner minimalist and have beautifully simple and organized … [Read more...]