5 Cool Tech Tools for Organizing
by Karen on 10/21/09 | 0 Comment(s)
5 cool tools to ramp up productivity!
by Amanda Wiss
Though improving productivity is often about little tweaks rather than a single magic bullet, there are many resources that help corral the chaos of life.
Five tools I love:
1. Ready to take your “to do list” virtual? Check out Remember The Milk – a free online to [...]
When Can A Baby Sleep Though the Night?
by Karen on 10/05/09 | 0 Comment(s)
Dr. Gilgoff, our blog pediatrician, tackles the “sleep issue” for us: when is it okay to sleep train? Should we sleep train? If so, what are the best methods? We sleep trained Birch at 10 months and Willow at 9 months. I still feel badly that we ended up having to put Willow through [...]
How To Find A Moms Group
by Karen on 9/10/09 | 0 Comment(s)
I went to a “New Mom’s Group” today that meets in the park in my neighborhood. Today there were so many babies, and a lot of interesting women who were all sharing this same experience together: having a baby. Sometimes you go and you connect with only one other mom, and sometimes it is a [...]
New Parents Group for South Brooklyn
by Karen on 6/24/09 | 2 Comment(s)
Hey! There’s another new Yahoo Group that started for Southern Brooklyn parents…..now, this means for those that live in South Brooklyn- not Brooklynites from the South of the U.S.!
Here is their description and URL.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbrooklynparents
“Southern Brooklyn Parents” is…
“A group for parents and expecting parents who live in South Brooklyn (Marine Park, Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, [...]
Advice For Pregnant Women (and not so pregnant ones)
by Karen on 6/23/09 | 0 Comment(s)
Since I am going to speak to expectant parents tonight, (through Babybites.com) being pregnant has been on my mind. I remember how exciting and unnerving the whole experience was. It was the first time I didn’t know my body. As I write this, I am sitting in my workout clothes with no actual plan [...]
Father’s Day Ode
by Karen on 6/19/09 | 1 Comment(s)
I am SO excited for Soho Parenting! They have a new blog with the brilliant title of ParenTalk. They are cross-posting from their blog to ours, but they also have additional content that is original. As you know, Soho Parenting is smart, practical, insightful and just, darn good. Here is a Father’s Day Ode that [...]
How To Organize A Pantry
by Karen on 6/12/09 | 5 Comment(s)
Full disclosure: I had tried reordering it myself three times, my sister once, a babysitter once and my husband….hmm…never! So, we decided it was more time-effective to hire Amanda to do it for us. I LOVE to open my pantry now, though I still hate to cook!
10 Steps to Clearing the Clutter from your Pantry
by [...]
Blog Expert’s New Brooklyn Office and 30 minute Coaching
by Karen on 6/08/09 | 0 Comment(s)
Ahh, doesn’t this look relaxing? A moment on the couch? This blog’s Expert, Alice Kaltman, has bought a new couch for you! That is, a new couch for her new Brooklyn office in Boerum Hill. (Otherwise she is in her downtown Manhattan office). She can help you with: Transition to Parenthood Coaching, Parent Coaching, Family [...]
Is Child-Centered Parenting Over?
by Karen on 6/08/09 | 1 Comment(s)
Do you see people signing up for less classes, being less concerned with doing every possible thing they can for their babies and children? Is there is a trend towards “slow parenting”? Some think it has to do with our economic climate, others think that child-centered parenting is just over. And, it’s about time, they [...]
The K5- a New York Elementary School Site
by Karen on 6/03/09 | 0 Comment(s)
I got an email from a teacher at PS 3 in the West Village. Otis Kriegel has created a website called The K5 that, for the most part, is made up of 1.5-5 minute videos aimed to help parents of elementary school age children (grades K-5).
I chose one of the videos I really like: how [...]
Can You Get Kids To Do What You Want?
by Karen on 5/27/09 | 0 Comment(s)
My deepest apologies to Alice Kaltman for letting this post out of the bag early last week! I mistakenly sent it to some subscribers over the weekend….I guess I was relaxing too much. It is worth taking both a first and second read at any rate- it is an EXCELLENT article.
The Dream Team: Advanced Preparation [...]
Kindergarten: Where Is The Play?
by Karen on 5/21/09 | 1 Comment(s)
“It’s not irresponsible to infuse play into the lives of our families. It’s just the opposite; it’s the training ground for responsible adulthood….. Play gives you the ability to be more flexible and adaptable and resilient, all of which enables you to handle an unexpected world better.”
This sounds like common sense, right? These quotes are [...]
Is It Okay That My Kid Talks To Himself?
by Karen on 5/20/09 | 0 Comment(s)
So, I admit I do these dips into neurotic musings that something is wrong with my kids. The neurosis of the month seems to be Birch’s talking to himself. Anyone else wondering if this is normal?
I found lots of research about this. In one sentence, “Children’s private speech is better than harmless: it’s positively [...]
How To Answer When Your Child Asks “Why?”
by Karen on 5/19/09 | 2 Comment(s)
My friend G and I were rolling our eyes the other day as both of our kids delightedly asked us “why” with every move we made. “Why do we have to go?” “Why do I need shoes?” “Why can’t I stay here?” The “why” period is enough to make even the most patient parent insane. [...]
A Fresh Start For Mother’s Day
by Karen on 5/11/09 | 3 Comment(s)
How was your Mother’s Day? I’m curious to know what some of you did….
I was all game to go to the Affordable Art Fair for Mother’s Day and then I backed out the night before. You know what I did instead? I slept in. However, just in the middle of diving into a nice [...]
Nominated for Best Local Blog on ParentsConnect
by Karen on 5/10/09 | 5 Comment(s)
First- Happy Mother’s Day to everyone. I hope you have the very best Mother’s Day!
Whopeeeee! I have been nominated by Nickelodeon’s Parentsconnect.com for Best Local Blog for Brooklyn. I feel like I am in the running for Homecoming Queen (which of course I never was). So, hoping to win something in my lifetime, I am [...]
A Child Grows Event Picks
by Karen on 4/23/09 | 1 Comment(s)
The benefit of putting this Picks list together every week is that I get a sneak peek at upcoming events and it gets me thinking about what we are going to do this weekend (other than lying around in PJs- which is always my favorite). This weekend, I plan on seeing Nursery University, a [...]
The Case Against Dr. Sears
by Karen on 4/13/09 | 9 Comment(s)
It’s hard to ignore Dr. Sears. His son’s book, The Vaccine Book is very popular and discussed in my circle of parents. He has a wide presence on the internet. He has created the entire movement of attachment parenting. His beliefs have encouraged the use of “wearing your baby”, a popular practice that [...]
In Defense of Dads- Roughhousing Is Good?!
by Karen on 4/07/09 | 3 Comment(s)
Parent Coaching Expert, Alice Kaltman, gave us some great advice yesterday about balancing care with your spouse. She follows it up today with evidence as to why both of you together make a difference. You might want to print this out and slip it under your partner’s pillow for some late night talk!
In Defense of [...]
Know-It-All Mom (and Dad)
by Karen on 4/06/09 | 5 Comment(s)
Here is how I left the house yesterday with Birch. (Papa Tree was taking care of 8 month old Willow for the day):
First, give her Tylenol. But only .8 ml.
Second, take 2 cubes of sweet potatoes out of the freezer and warm them up with a little water in the small pan. I [...]
Do You Have A Parenting Blind Spot?
by Karen on 3/12/09 | 3 Comment(s)
Does your child do something that makes you overreact? How about your partner? Or your own parent? Do you know why you react that way? Soho Parenting helps one couple find a solution to their “blind spot.”
Shine The Light
by Jean Kunhardt and Lisa Spiegel of Soho Parenting
Everyone has blind spots. They are unconscious conflicts from [...]
The Terrible Twos
by Karen on 3/09/09 | 1 Comment(s)
It seems like every day Birch has at least two or three meltdowns. And I mean MELTdowns. It can happen anytime and for any reason. Yesterday, I wouldn’t let him play with my hair dryer- meltdown. Then he didn’t want to get in his car seat- meltdown (and I had a near meltdown [...]
Site and Calendar Updates
by Karen on 2/24/09 | 1 Comment(s)
Hooray! Updates, updates, updates!
Most of you don’t know that I have been doing this blog for 2 and a half years by myself without making an income from it. That’s been fine until now. With a newborn and a mercurial toddler, I needed some aid. I made a plea for help and three [...]
Should You Lie To Your Kids?
by Karen on 2/23/09 | 3 Comment(s)
How many times have you lied to your kids? Once, twice, too many to count, never? Some of those little lies like, “the cookies are gone” aren’t ones we would question. But, what about lies about your financial status or your anger with your partner? Parenting Expert, Alice Kaltman digs in.
The Truth is Overrated
by Alice [...]
Thoughts For a Healthy Marriage
by Karen on 2/19/09 | 3 Comment(s)
This post really hits home for me. With a new baby (6 months), a toddler, freelance jobs and no consistent childcare, we are totally stressed. Through all this, Papa Tree and I have wondered when we will get our marriage back. The advice that Soho Parenting gives below is extremely helpful. I plan [...]
