2018 Update: We still stand by this post on default birthday presents for kids, but you may also want to check out our more recent discussion on kid birthday party guest etiquette. For the first time ever, my eldest son J is having a birthday party for just his friends. (Summer birthdays are always awkward, … Read More about The Best Default Birthday Presents for Kids You Don’t Know Well
Now that the school year is almost over (um, how?), it’s a good time to ask the readers this question: Do you typically change your work schedule for summer — or your childcare schedule for summer? If your kid goes to a typical childcare center, you may not have to deal with any summer schedule changes, … Read More about Do You Change Your Work Schedule for Summer?
Bathtime with babies and little kids can be many things: fun, relaxing, hectic, boring, etc., depending on your kid’s age, current mood, and general attitude toward baths. Have you developed any tips and tricks to make bathtime easier? First, I’ll share a few things we’ve done at our house to make our son’s bathtime easier: 1. … Read More about Make Bathtime Easier with These 10 Tips
Today’s topic: the mom voice. Do you think you have a “mom voice”? Have you heard your friends’ mom voices — and did it bring you comfort or freak you out? Have you ever noticed your mom voice encroaching at the office — and was it welcome or unwelcome? A few weeks ago, an old … Read More about The Mom Voice: On the Playground — and at the Office?
If you’re a busy working mom, good childcare is a must — but what happens when a nanny doesn’t even begin to cut it? How can you level up your childcare and household management? (Warning: this post is not terribly budget-friendly.) I’ve wanted to talk about this ever since I read this post from Penelope Trunk (written in … Read More about How to Level Up Your Childcare/Personal Help (When Money is No Object)
When you’re pregnant, it can be overwhelming just thinking about all the stuff you’ll have to buy and get ready — but thankfully, parents can find plenty of ways to save money on baby gear. Before you run out to start your registry at a baby gear superstore like Babies “R” Us or Buy Buy Baby — or … Read More about How to Save Money on Baby Gear
Does it feel like your kids have too many toys? What have you done about it, if anything? Do you rotate toys so that everything’s not out at once? Yes, it’s a First World Problem, to be sure (too many toys! oh, the humanity!), but if you’ve got kids with too many toys, you know the drill: Stuff … Read More about The Best Gifts for Kids with Too Many Toys
Several weeks ago, we were on a plane and had a toddler poop emergency — and I had packed the extra wipes somewhere “clever,” which is Casa Griffin code for “no idea where.” YEP, super smart. I found myself wishing desperately I had this odd little compressed/condensed towel that I’d found years ago at one … Read More about Finally Friday: Compressed Towels (aka Emergency Wipes)
Ladies, let’s talk potty training! What’s your best potty training advice — particularly if you’ve already been through it with a child? For my own $.02, I will admit it: I royally screwed up potty training with my eldest son, J. Things we did wrong, in no particular order: We “waited until he was ready.” … Read More about How I Royally Screwed Up Potty Training (And What to Do Instead)
WOW: there are a TON of new products to help when your baby has a cold. I remember being amazed at how TINY my boys’ little noses were, and how bad I felt if they got so stuffy they couldn’t sleep. At the same time, MAN did they hate the sprays, the Snotsucker, the Boogie wipes … Read More about Postpartum Tuesday: Oogiebear Ear and Nose Cleaner
Now that fall has begun, it’s not just Halloween and Thanksgiving that are quickly approaching: Parent/teacher conferences are also on the horizon. Are you looking forward to your parent/teacher conference — or are you feeling a bit trepidatious about it? If you know or suspect that you child is having trouble in school, are you doing anything special … Read More about Open Thread: When Your Kid Is Having Trouble in School
I still remember the big day in 6th grade that we got to choose the foreign language that we’d start learning: Spanish, French, or German. (I picked Spanish.) Many schools in the U.S. still don’t begin to teach kids a new language until middle school, while most European countries, for example, start instruction of a second language when kids are six to nine years … Read More about 3 Ways to Teach Kids a New Language
