Valentine’s Day is traditionally a day when couples go out, so what happens when so many couples go out on the same night? Two words: babysitter shortage.It can be difficult in the first place to find someone you trust to look after your children, but Valentine’s Day presents an additional challenge. Most couples would like to go on Valentine’s Day, which stretches the babysitter pool and on top of that, many babysitters themselves have Valentine’s Day dates, whether they’re grandparents, students or anywhere in between.If you're still searching, you can look online. There are some websites …

Breastfeeding is a natural way to feed a baby but formula is another option.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months of a baby's life.”AAP reports that breastfed babies have less risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and obesity.“..choosing to breastfeed should be considered an investment in the short- and long-term health of the infant, rather than a lifestyle choice,” says the AAP.For some moms, breastfeeding comes easily. But for other moms, it can be a challenge, one that sometimes cannot be sustained. Some moms simply do …

How do you and your baby get a good night’s sleep?When you hear your baby cry, letting him or her cry it out is one of the hardest things to do. Your instincts tell you to go and soothe your baby.A study out of Temple University says that parents should let their baby cry it out. Psychology Professor Marsha Weinraub says in an article on the Temple website that babies need to learn to self-soothe, which they don’t learn if a parent is doing the soothing for them, such as nursing the baby back to sleep. "The best advice is to put infants to bed at a regular time every night, allow them to fall…

The electronics revolution has hit every age group, and children are soaking up the electronics like every other new thing in their lives.My son isn’t even 2 yet, but he is always reaching for my iPhone and any electronics we have in the house: tablet, computer, TV and pretty much anything else. Generally, I think he just likes pushing buttons, but he also likes seeing the reaction to his button pushing or touch screen interactions. There are some educational apps that help him learn shapes, letters and other things. We use these very sparingly now that he’s getting a bit older. We try to …

  Drinking alcohol while pregnant has been pretty much taboo in recent decades. Yet, a series of 2012 studies conducted in Denmark may be indicating that a little sip of wine - or perhaps even a whole glass - during pregnancy could be OK. Howevery, the results of the studies are far from definitive and surely don't help mothers-to-be draw the line between what's safe and what's not. When I was pregnant, I didn't want to take any risks and I made sure not to even have a sip of wine. I have friends who drank a glass here or there while pregnant and their children appear to be just as happy and …

A trip to the playground or park can be less appealing when the temperature dips.There are plenty of things you can do inside your home, but sometimes you get cabin fever and want to get out with your children to some place you can stay warm.Whether you want to go shopping or not, malls can be a nice place to stretch your legs and stay warm, whether you’re going to King of Prussia, Springfield, Granite Run, Plymouth Meeting, Exton Square or another mall. Some larger stores, such as Ikea are also entertaining and large. We took my son before Christmas and he loved walking around the place. We …

The gifts have been opened and the bows and paper throw away.Now you have a list of presents and friends and relatives who sent them. It’s time to write thank you notes.My son isn’t 2 yet, so I’ll be writing his notes and mine again this year, but it won’t be long before he can at least contribute to and soon pen his own thank you notes.I have so far stuck with what I was taught as a child, to pull out the note paper and write thank you notes, but it’s almost 2013 and the electronic age has given us so many more ways to communicate, a landline, a cell phone, texting, Skype, Facetime, email …

In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy, parents are wondering what to tell their children about what happened and how to help them process what they may be hearing from friends, on television and via social media.Lauren Hutchinson, LMFT is a child and family therapist and parenting consultant with a practice in Bellevue, WA. She says step one for parents is to “turn off the TV”. “We don’t want to have the TV playing in the background all the time. It isn’t helpful and the news is traumatizing for kids to watch.”  For kids age seven and younger Hutchinson says, “you want to …

The holidays are a time for family, immediate and extended. Family and the holiday traditions can be what make the holidays the most special time of the year. There are some classic holiday traditions, such as Christmas trees, gift exchanges, Christmas cookies, Christmas music and more. When I was a child, we used to go to a cut your own Christmas tree farm with my grandparents. I remember thinking the giant Santa statue at the Christmas tree farm and the hot chocolate after we cut down the tree were my favorite parts.We never decorated the tree until Christmas Eve and we always left a few …

The old fashioned pen (or crayon) and paper letter to Santa is still very popular, but technology has changed how we all communicate.Most people don’t send each other letters anymore through the post office. We call, text, chat, email, Skype and much more. So, how do you help your child let Santa and your relatives know what your child would like for Christmas?Do you send letters to Santa through the post office or email them? My son in not yet old enough to write a letter to Santa or even dictate one, but I’ve started an Amazon gift list for family member who aren’t really sure what to get …

Christmas cards have changed over the years. Now, frequently, it’s not just the card’s message that focuses on the family, but the card itself with pictures.Many people still send traditional holiday cards, but many others use any of the many businesses that create cards from your pictures or allow you to create them.Creating the Card and Printing ItI’ve used Shutterfly for a number of years now, so that’s where I turn each year to make my holiday card. They, like many other retailers, offer such a large variety of options and price points, that it’s very easy to find what you want. I’ve also…

As the holiday shopping season goes into full swing, some people are maxing out their credit cards to pay for presents and others are setting budgets and sticking with them. Scour just about any Facebook stream or stop in a local coffee shop and chances are you’ll hear parents debating the merits of setting spending limits. Or, you'll hear them lamenting about just how much they've already spent. The ideas for a perfect limit do seem to vary rather greatly. Some parents say $100 per child is more than enough. Others tend to lean toward much more generous figures. After all, there’s nothing …

Thanksgiving is days away. You may be preparing to host family in your home and cook up the holiday feast or you may be planning on packing up the family and moving out to a hotel or a relative’s for the big day. Whatever you’re doing, you’re taking your kids and they’re going to likely need some form of entertainment.We’re preparing to head north to New York state to visit my in-laws and we’ve already begun the hunt for potential attractions to keep my 19-month-old son entertained, since the hotel room and a house filled with grown ups will only offer limited interest.Obviously for us, going…

Many people are thinking about maybe finding new doctors this time of the year with insurance companies’ open enrollment periods and fall colds and the flu popping up.The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to interview potential doctors, ask questions about procedures and observe the doctor and other staff members reactions to you and your children. What do you look for in a good pediatrician? Do you prefer someone who gives you one set of rules and expects you to follow them with your kids or someone who gives you a bit more leeway? Choosing a doctor of any sort can be difficult…

Election Day is Tuesday and America will choose which man will run the country for the next four years.Our kids can’t vote in the election until they are 18, but my earliest memory of the election process is voting for president in a Weekly Reader poll. (I won’t date myself and tell you the candidates.)Children learn about current events, such as politics at school, from TV and from the environment created by parents. So, how do you deal with the elections and your kids?I remember my mom taking me to vote with her when I was a child. Do you feel it’s important to take your child with you for …

Finding someone to watch of your child, or children at times is key to being able to have an “adult life.”But how do you find that babysitter? They don't suggest leaving children in the care of the family dog, like they do in Peter Pan, so how do you find someone you can trust with the responsibility of caring for your child?My son is now a year and a half, and I’m blessed to have a number of relatives nearby, so Mom Mom or Granddad are the go-to babysitters for us, but they have lives too and are not always available. Unfortunately, although our neighborhood has older children, they aren’t …

Some parents give an allowance. Others don’t. Some parents pay kids to do chores or tie their allowance to chores. Others don’t. What should you do?How Old?Kids Health (from Nemours) suggests that there is no ideal time to start, but the website suggests starting by age 10.How Much?How much you give a child will likely depend on the child’s age, your past experience and, quite frankly, your own income level.Experts recommend children’s weekly allowance be $1 per year of age, according to About.com, which has an interesting allowance calculator that takes your own age into account and tells …

Taking care of children is a full-time job. Add to that housework and a job that brings in income and there is little time for other activities.Before I had my son, I dreamed of being able to work out with him, either nearby playing or as part of my workout routine. In a perfect world, that would work, but I don’t live in a perfect world. The warmer weather meant we could go for walks together to get some exercise, but now the weather is getting colder and there are fewer options. Here are some online resources for parenting exercice: Workout Mommy Exercising Mom Exercises from Disney Family …

Do you have a trampoline for your kids or are you thinking of getting one?My yard doesn’t have a flat spot, so unless we move, I know this won’t be an issue at my house. And it’s one time I’m kind of glad not to have a flat yard. I know when I was a kid, I would have loved to have had a trampoline, but views change when you become a parent.The American Academy of Pediatrics this week came against home trampoline use. The organization issued new guidelines for pediatricians on patterns of injury with trampoline use.So what do you think? Have you found methods and rules that you feel make …

Fall is here and if you haven’t started looking at Halloween costumes for your kid(s), you will soon.Rules?For me, last year was relatively easy. He was a baby and wasn’t going to be picky about what costume I chose for him. I figure he won’t really care about this year’s giraffe costume I picked out for him either. But after this year, I foresee potential problems. It’s already obvious to me that my son has a will of his own and he knows what he wants. And walking into a costume store could create some challenges. Not all costumes are appropriate for all ages or all weather conditions. What …