child development

Coffee Chat: The Parent Test

| Patti Webb

Last month, I saw an IG promo for The Parent Test on ABC. It’s a competition-ish show, originally from Australia, on 12 different parenting styles and which one is the most effective.

Each week, four of the 12 families are given two filmed challenges. The other eight sets of parents watch and give their critiques based on how the parents handle their kids in the challenge.

Immediately, we knew we were watching and would most likely be cringing for every single episode. A tweet said it best, “This show is triggering, messy, and impossible not to watch.”

We watched the first episode together and the next with our husbands, and so far we’ve been decently surprised. Here are our initial thoughts:

Continue reading →

Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Child(ish) Reads

| Patti Webb

Welcome to our Child(ish) Reads Gift Guide!

A new installment from last year, this guide features our top kids’ books by age that are perfect for gifting.

Like we said last year, a good list for gift giving is:

1. Something they want
2. Something they need
3. Something they wear
4. Something they read

Continue reading →

Holiday Gift Guide 2022: 4+ years

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Kids grow up so fast and the gifting selections out there reflect that as they reach school-age.

For early school-age kids, executive functions are steadily maturing and they can focus and recall information more efficiently. They seek to play with others, continuously refining their social skills and looking for friendly competition.

Honestly, there are so many options out there for this age group that it can be difficult figuring out what gifts are both beneficial to your child’s development (because yes, they’re still growing and learning), and will also be enjoyed for the long haul.

Here’s our top picks for 2022 for 4 and up.

Continue reading →

Holiday Gift Guide 2022: 1-3 years

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

If there was ever an age range that had so many options, it’s this one.

Why? Because 80% of your child’s brain develops by three years old.

Toddlers have reached many of their developmental milestones, meaning more self-awareness and independence. As they refine their gross motor movements, they are also putting words together to form simple sentences, modeling observed behaviors, and becoming an active participant in their environment.

Quick recap of our handy dandy gift criteria:

  1. Is it cool?
  2. Does it support child development?
  3. What makes it stand out from all the rest?
  4. What do the reviews say, specifically with durability and longevity?

Here’s our toddler recommendations for 2022.

Continue reading →

Willy Wonka Series: Violet Beauregarde

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

My mom was a tiger mom. She demanded excellence and if any of my friends were better at a sport or skill than I was, she pushed me to do better. That meant hours dedicated to practicing piano, hours perfecting dance routines, and hours studying to get grades that she could be proud of. Not only did this add more stress on me as a kid, but it also placed tension on my friendships because it always became some sort of unnecessary competition.

For Violet Beauregarde, her story was never really about gum chewing. The spirit of competition and need to be the best or the first runs deep with her. The 2005 movie does a more obvious job of showing this caricature.

Continue reading →