When it comes to food, there’s a good chance you struggle in some way with your toddler. Some don’t eat much at all and you’re always trying to get them to eat something…anything.
Some will eat, but struggle to eat healthy. And some are just downright picky in general.
We’ve tackled meals before, but now we’re going to focus on something near and dear to every toddler’s heart: snacks.
Snacks are usually less of a struggle, but how do you get them to actually eat something that’s healthy?
I don’t know if you noticed, but the Nugget (that little play couch for kids) has been super popular lately, especially during these times where we find ourselves at home more often.
It’s perpetually sold out. And when they do come back in stock, they sell out within a couple minutes. It’s crazy.
So, you might find yourself wondering, “what else is out there? There must be something else like it, right?”
You’re in luck.
While there’s nothing exactly the same as the the Nugget, there are several good alternatives that are easier to get your hands on and will still provide tons of fun for your little ones.
Let’s dive in and check out the best Nugget alternative (we have a few options).
One of the most exciting parts of setting up the baby nursery is pick out decoration and signage for the wall.
There are a lot of directions you can go, whether it’s a sign with the baby’s name, a cute phrase, an animal or some other object that matches the theme of the nursery…there are so many options!
We’ve done our research on some of the coolest ideas for baby nursery signs. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy to pick out our favorites.
As a parent, summer time can be a challenge. Whether you’re a stay-at-home or working parent, the reality is, summer time is “fun time.” (big time air quotes there)
And fun time means…you need to find stuff for your kids to do.
Even if your kid is young enough to still be in daycare or you’re sending him or her to a summer camp, you will still undoubtedly find yourself with hours in the afternoon or on weekends where you need to find stuff for them to do.
And as much as I’d love to be running around after a long day or week of work (correction: NOT), sometimes it’s much less stressful and much more enjoyable to find some fun activities that your kids can do at home.
And let’s not forget another important factor: it’s a hell of a lot cheaper too.
So, without further ado, we’ve put together an amazing list of 12 super fun summer activities for kids at home. Keep your kids busy, keep your own sanity, and keep your wallet from going empty.
My playpen is one of my favorite things I own (as it relates to my kids’ stuff). It is so versatile and makes things like cleaning house, days at the beach, and traveling SO much easier when you have a young toddler or mobile baby always trying to get into trouble.
But how do you know if you’ve got the best playpen for toddler fun and safety?
A good playpen can be used for all sorts of things.
Not only can it be a safe place to put your little one while to take care of some chores or a portable napping spots, but the best playpens can be used for safe outdoor play, days at the beach, homemade ball pits, and so much more.
That’s why it is important to know that your playpen will grow with your little one. One of the most important things to look for when you are shopping playpens is its long-term usage. I use my playpen all the time, even now that my son is 2 years old!
Not all playpens are created equal. Only four made it on my list of the best playpen for toddler fun and safety.
One of the most important things to consider when setting up a nursery space for your new baby is where and how you’re going to store all their stuff (and babies tend to come with a LOT of stuff).
When you bring your baby home, your heart is going to swell. But, it may seem like your home shrinks. Why? Well, babies need a whole lot of stuff. During the first year, they grow so much! Between the massive diaper blowouts and the constant growth spurts, your baby is going to require tons of clothes.
In addition to all the different clothes you have for the baby, such as onesies, your baby will also accumulate massive amounts of cute teensy tiny socks, shoes, hats, and so on.
But, that’s not all!
There are also all the baby blankets, bibs, and diaper supplies to fill your closet.
Given the massive amount of stuff you have for your baby, organization will become a key to surviving that first year. Organizing your baby’s closet will save you quite a bit of time – and headaches!
By using a closet organization system, you will always know where things are when you need them – after the diaper accident happens or the clothes are outgrown.
Let’s take a peek at some of the genius baby closet ideas we found, and hopefully you’ll see one that will work for you!
With Halloween around the corner, we’re trying to decide how to dress our little girl for her first “real” Halloween (she was a newborn during her actual first Halloween, so we don’t really count that one).
When your little one is just a baby, Halloween and the costumes are more for you anyway. She’s not going to remember it.
But what she will remember are the pictures you show her when she’s a little older… 😀
I have to admit, picking just ONE costume is going to be difficult, but let’s check them out.
As your little one enters “toddlerhood,” you’ll probably notice that he or she is becoming increasingly interested in reading books (or more accurately, having books read to them).
As you follow your child through this reading journey, you’ll likely come across what I think is one of the best parts of reading to your child – interactive books!
We are going to look at 10 of the best interactive books for toddlers, many of which my own have read and thoroughly enjoyed. But why are we looking at them and what makes interactive books awesome?
Keep reading to learn more! (And while you’re at it, check out one of our other recent posts about teaching your toddler to read – it pairs nicely with this one!)
Meltdowns, fits, tantrums – whatever you call them – they are exhausting for everyone involved.
However, they are a normal part of child development. They also happen to be great learning opportunities for both kids and parents. (Yay, I bet you’re happy to learn while dealing with a tantrum.)
Dealing with tantrums is no one’s idea of a good time, and kids who throw tantrums aren’t having fun either. It’s natural to be inclined to yell at the child, possibly even pop the child on his or her bottom, or put them in their room.
However, many of the traditionally accepted ways that parents deal with temper tantrums are not always particularly effective.
Let’s talk about some other ways to deal with toddler tantrums.
Before our daughter was born, I’ll admit, we were pretty clueless about most baby products.
Like most people, we set up a baby registry and put a bunch of stuff on there. Some of it was pretty straightforward – clothes, blankets, etc. But there were definitely other products where we had no idea if we’d ever actually use them.
One of these mysterious products was a rock ‘n play sleeper.
Between the pack ‘n play, the crib, the bouncer, the bassinet, and everything else you could put a baby into, were we really going to use a rock ‘n play?
Yeah, sure, add it to the list.
Little did we know it would become not only our favorite purchase, but we would go on to buy a second one. A different one. It would end up being the very reason that we were finally able to get some sleep in our little girl’s first few months of life.
So which ones did we buy? And what we do we think is the best rock ‘n play sleeper? Allow me to explain…
Cynical Parent
