Parenting | Intellidance

A Million Little Pieces Make a Mother

Making my mortgage payments...Finishing a project at school/work by the impending deadline... My relationship with my husband...Equality...My environmental footprint...The results on reality show "x", "y", or "z"....

These are the things that I worried about before having kids. Not that I don't still worry about some of these things, and different things. I'll admit, I probably still sweat the small stuff a little too much.

But if you asked me at any given moment what I worry about the most, what's always on my mind to some degree, what can keep me up at night, the answer would be parenting.

I naively thought that once my girls were out of the baby stage I would worry less. What could possibly be more daunting than:

How Life Changes with a Second Child

Life changes (again!) when you have a second child. You constantly have to split your time between your child, and this can lead to some challenging moments. Over the past month, here are the challenges we’ve faced at home... hopefully, you can learn from my “mistakes.”

Unplug For Family Day! Move, Create and Play Together!

In my neck of the woods (Alberta Canada) we celebrate Family Day on Monday. A long weekend our province dedicates to family fun! My friend Jen over at City and Baby has challenged all families to celebrate Family Day Unplugged. Here are her reasons why:

How to pick gifts for children ages 0-3

Toys, toys, toys! During the holiday season parents are surrounded by thousands of options that can quickly make giving the gift of play overwhelming. Understanding your child’s developmental stage can help you focus your search on toys that your child will not only enjoy, but will also support their continued growth.

0-6 months:

During the first six months of life babies are working on pre-locomotor development: vision and spine development, and hand-eye coordination. Simple toys that can be enjoyed by grasping, mouthing, and observing are most beneficial for young babies.

Pomegranate Fun: A Fine Motor Snack for Toddlers

Looking for a finger food for your little one that is both tasty and nutritious? Pomegranates are a great alternative to common snacks, such as Cheerios, that caregivers often place in front of their babies at mealtime. Not only are they delicious, they also have many nutritional and developmental benefits.

“Pom poms”, as my 12 month old son refers to them as, are often labeled as a superfood. They are jam packed with vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber. Pomegranates are also a great source of antioxidants which are responsible for protecting the body from the harmful effects of free radicals.

Sleep Matters: Interview with Sleep Haven

When my husband and I became first time parents the thing I remember us saying over and over again was how tired we were. Actually, utterly exhausted would have been more accurate. It's not like people hadn't warned us. We had read many books, visited hundreds of websites, and done prenatal classes that all made it very clear: we would be experiencing sleep deprivation. But nothing could have prepared us for the reality of how challenging lack of sleep coupled with the anxiety of figuring out how to care for our new daughter would be.

Squishy Snak Paks: Review and Giveaway

Eleanor LOVES “squish’ems!” These are what we endearingly call the pureed fruit and vegetable packages that you can squish directly into your mouth. My husband, Brian, and I love them too because they allow Eleanor to have a healthy snack on the go with little to no clean up. What we don’t love about them is the cost. When an apple costs about 50¢, it doesn’t seem logical to purchase squish’em packages for $1.50.

What Does Peace Feel Like Through the Eyes of Your Child

With November upon us, everyone is thinking about Remembrance Day and those who have given their lives so we may have our freedom. Often, I’ve found it difficult to explain Remembrance Day to the young students I’ve taught. For them, they haven’t seen the daily effects that wars have on families, homes, and countries. They are so far removed from World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War that it’s difficult for them to make a connection. I have found that teaching our children about peace has been a very effective tool as they can apply it to their everyday lives. Peace in the classroom, on the playground, and in their homes.

The Benefits of Using Sign Language with Your Child

“Where are we going?”

“We’re going swimming.”

“Is Grandma coming?”

“No, Grandma’s at home.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Do you want a snack?”

“Yes, please.”

This is the type of conversation I have with my daughter, Eleanor, who will be seventeen months old next week. From birth, she has been learning American Sign Language (ASL), and it has opened up a whole new world of communication for us and our family.

Parent Time (& Sanity) Saver Halloween Activity

As parents we all have those days. The days when when the to-do list seems far too long to accomplish, especially with little ones underfoot. And even though my husband and I try to include our girls in the household chores to develop their sense of responsibility and team work, there are times when it is just much faster (and less stressful) to do things ourselves. But how to keep the girls entertained?

This activity is super simple and the girls worked contently and quietly on it all afternoon. ALL afternoon! The added bonus was that it was relatively mess free, quick to set up and we had all the materials at home!

What you'll need: