2 New Articles!

You can read my two new articles on stopping tantrums. Let me know what you think!

3 Tips to Stop Temper Tantrums in Toddlers

How to Stop a Toddler Screaming at Bedtime - Four Simple Steps to a Quiet Nighty-Night!

The Best Educational Toys for Your Little One

For toddlers, check out my review of the top 5 educational toys for toddlers.

For preschoolers, check out my review of the Top 5 Vtech Educational Toys.

Looking for toys that provide enjoyment and education for your little one? If you have a preschooler or a toddler, the toys that you choose can help ready your child to start kindergarten and succeed in school. I know that when you here the words "educational toys" you think that they could not possibly be fun, but you would be surprised. Many of my son's favorite toys were educational and now we can see the benefits of those toys as he is ready to start kindergarten in the fall. I know that you might also wonder which educational toys are the good ones.

Educational toys for toddlers need to be fun, and most teach a simple concept such as cause and effect (for example, if I push a button, it lights up). This helps your child to learn that actions have reactions and that they have control over some things. Some things to watch out for in toys. If the reward (what happens when your child pushes the button) is too long, it does not teach cause and effect. The reward needs to be short, and it needs to happen every time the button is pushed. For preschoolers, toys should be fun, inspire creativity, and teach concepts that will help children to do well in school. Vtech educational toys do this very well.

To read more, I have a couple of reviews of educational toys for toddlers and Vtech educational toys for preschoolers that you don't want to miss.

Toddler Throwing Tantrums?

Whining, crying, stomping his feet, flailing on the floor, wailing at the top of his lungs, "I want ice cream!" And sadly, instead of taking his two year old home, the dad bought him ice cream. This was what I saw at the store last night that led to my decision to write an article on Toddlers Throwing Tantrums. Click Here to check it out.

Love Your Kid

The most important thing that you can do as a parent is to love your kid. Tell him that you love him for who he is, not what he does. A young child should not have to deal with the pressure of having to perform in order to earn your love. In the classroom, I see kids who are terrified if they do not do well on a spelling test because they do not want to disappoint their parents. I am all for having high expectations and setting high standards, but make sure that your kid knows that you love him no matter what.

While speaking of expectations, know that whatever expectations you communicate to your kids will probably come true. Young children believe their parents. If you call him a dummy, chances are he will go out of his way to prove you right. If you show him that you do not think he is capable by doing everything for him, he will again meet your expectations. However, by telling him that he is smart, good, funny, loved, etc. you enable him to do so much more.

Baby Education System Reveiw - Educating Babies

Educating Babies is an easy to use program with tons of information for the new parent. While I do not think that the program exhaustively covers any area, they do a good job of giving an introduction into many areas. They have flash cards on many subjects that you can print and begin working with your child. There are animal sound videos, classical music (including information about the composer and the piece), sing along nursery rhymes, and coloring book pages. All of these activities are great for a young child and will give you an opportunity to learn what your child likes and how he learns.

Educating Babies also comes with several other resources as well. The best by far is the very informative and helpful book, Raising Smarter Babies. This is a great resource that tells you what is necessary in the first 3 years of life to raise a smarter baby. Also included are the books Helping Your Child Become a Reader and Helping Your Preschool Child.

I would recommend this product as a great starter education system. Between the Raising Smarter Babies book, the flashcards, and the sing along nursery rhymes, there is plenty to help a parent to begin to raise a smart kid.

Click here to start using Educating Babies today.

It's the School's Job... Right?

Thirty years ago, students regularly entered kindergarten knowing their letters, numbers, colors and shapes, writing their names, and often reading. Kindergarten was a time when children learned to be students and did developmentally appropriate activities like cutting, coloring, and, dare I say it ... playing. Fast forward thirty years and students enter kindergarten knowing less, much less. Many kindergartners enter knowing not a single letter or number. Some don't know a shape or a color. And as a result students are forced to spend all of their time in academics trying to cover several years worth of learning in a single school year.

Why is this happening? As society gets less social, and more devoted to technology, people talk less, especially to their kids. When moms would take their kids to the grocery store they would talk about the colors of items as they past them, identify the letters on the boxes in the aisles, and count items as they put them in the cart. Today, kids spend their time playing a Nintendo DS or watching a video. Between the DVD player in the car and an iPhone or a DS, an entire shopping trip can be accomplished without parents talking to their kids. The result... kindergartners enroll without knowing much of anything and schools are asked to do the impossible.

If you want to raise a smart kid, put away the technology and talk to your child. Who knows, you might even enjoy it.