We all know that reading to and with our kids helps them broaden their vocabulary and enhances their education. No matter your child’s age, reading is important, so they can become well-educated and perform as well as possible in school. The sooner we begin reading with our children, the more they will learn and the more they will embrace the joy of reading for a lifetime. But reading is more than education alone. The pages of books are like magical explorations to different

I thought I was over the guilt of having my child in full-time care. I love our Bright Horizons child care center and the home daycare that Olivia (age 6) attended prior. But when Owen (15 months) came along that working mom guilt came knocking on my door again. I started worrying. Were the infant teachers going to give him as much attention as I gave Olivia while I was a work-part-time-at-home mom? How am I going to build a relationship with my newborn in just a handful of h

This week both of my kids have school Picture Day. And I am now officially freaking out. I am usually an otherwise rational human being. Even a rational parent much of the time. But Picture Day totally stresses me out. Let’s start with my second grade daughter, because, believe it or not, she’s the easy one. Last year my idea of a great outfit, in my head, turned out to be a complete mess in reality. The outfit had 12 different layers, an untested hairdo, and was a big mess w

Somewhere I read that people tell us change is just a part of life. I think they tell us that when things we don’t want to have happen actually happen. In the past year and a half, our family has gone through some major change. I lost my job. We moved. I started a new job. My husband started a new job (with job travel!). Our son potty trained. Our son moved from a crib to a bed. Our daughter started walking and talking. Now it’s her turn to potty train. And so on. When life i

My son, Beckett, has his first serious cold. As ridiculous as it may seem, it’s breaking my heart right in two. I’m learning that there’s a lot of truth to the saying that when your child hurts, you hurt ten times worse as a parent. That being said, there is nothing I want more than to be there for my son at every waking moment. I want to tend to his every need and snuggle away all of his discomfort. Unfortunately, as a working mom, this isn’t always possible. He hasn’t had a

Take the time to truly get to know each teacher… it’s important to have a professional yet comfortable relationship with your child’s teacher so they feel comfortable having open dialogue with you about your family’s and child’s needs. Remember to say thank you when you can. A small token of appreciation at an unexpected moment means the world to a teacher. Remember to ask the teachers about themselves too (not in a ”being nosy” way!) – but you want to show that the relations

I had little doubt whether or not I would be going back to work after the birth of my son. I love my career, enjoy being a part of the workforce, contributing to the home, and using my brain in new and different ways each day. Choosing a child care option that worked for our family’s busy schedule was important to my husband and me. We are both out of the house almost 12 hours a day between our commutes and working hours. Finding care for our son that gave us the flexibility