Playing in dirt is not high up on the list of things you thought you’d have to do as a parent. But, here are some new ideas to get your kid outside and in the muck.
Continue readingGet Your Hands Dirty
Dirt Don’t Hurt: Gardening and Kids
Our son LOVES being outside. He runs around in the backyard, looking for a dirt pile or a mud puddle to play with his monster trucks. Yes, he gets messy, but the benefits far outweigh the laundry pile.
Continue readingThe Quick, Long List of Chores by Age
Unsure what household responsibilities your child is ready for?
Here’s a list of tasks of what they can do, based on age and development.
Cleaning Up: Introducing Kids to Chores
When our son turned 18 months, he started noticing us doing household chores. He would try to take utensils out of the dishwasher, attempt to push the vacuum cleaner by himself, and wipe down countertops. This makes sense since many play sets and toys mimic household activities and promote pretend play, like cooking, cleaning, and lawn care.
Pretend play is when a child will imitate what they see their adults doing. Does this mean that they are ready to do chores? Aren’t they too young to do this?
Continue readingThe Secret of Being a Good Father
Some articles are worth the share!
“The secret of being a good father“, Sophie Hardach. BBC, June 11, 2019.
As we spotlight the role of fathers in child rearing and development, we came across this article addressing the importance of non-maternal caregivers. This includes fathers, grandparents, same-sex parents, step-parents and single parents. Despite the many articles involving parenting, most research focuses on the mother, with the father-child relationship taking a backseat.
Now, new research has found that the social network for child-rearing is more complex than previously thought. Here are a few of our favorite highlights from the article:
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Child(ish) Advice 