Babbyone Blog

 I get it.  It’s hard to shop with kids.  I’ll be the first to admit I do a lot of my shopping at night and on weekends because I’ve discovered that taking three little boys with me takes about 30 extra minutes and costs about seven extra dollars.  But a trip to the grocery store… continue reading

 I get it.  It’s hard to shop with kids.  I’ll be the first to admit I do a lot of my shopping at night and on weekends because I’ve discovered that taking three little boys with me takes about 30 extra minutes and costs about seven extra dollars.  But a trip to the grocery store… continue reading

An argument is brewing in the preschool scene.  In one corner, you have those arguing for more academics to give children that head start that might correct the troubles of high-school drop-outs and low test scores.  They claim that children rise to the occasion and show that they are capable of more than we’ve been asking.  In the other… continue reading

It’s January, and in many families that means time to register for preschool.  I’ve had several readers email me describing the overwhelming task of selecting a quality preschool, and asking for my suggestions.  So I’ve assembled a list here of what I would look for in a quality play-based preschool.  This is my dream list, and you… continue reading

This past week a friend of mine sent me a disturbing thought-provoking article from the Wall Street Journal.  The piece, entitled “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior“ is an excerpt from Amy Chua’s new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.  My friend and I have had several discussions on parenting, and she served as one… continue reading

Playdough is a staple of childhood.  It always amazes me how long it can keep a child’s interest, squishing, pounding, rolling, and cutting.  I personally prefer homemade Classic Playdough, because it’s cheaper, better smelling, a bit softer and easier for little hands to command, and I have a little less to worry about when my… continue reading

I was just re-reading this old article  from a 2005 issue NAEYC’s Young Child magazine, written by Susan Neuman and Kathleen Roskos, leading researchers in the field of early literacy.  The emphasis of the article was on the importance of creating meaningful experiences through which children can truly engage in the process of acquiring early literacy skills.  In reference to… continue reading

I’ve got dinosaurs on the brain again, so I thought I’d repost this dinosaur unit from July of 2009.  What are some of your favorite dinosaur activities? There’s just something about preschoolers and dinosaurs.  Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of tiny children that have been on this earth just a few years and the enormous specimen… continue reading

Robert Munsch grew up in Pennsylvania, in a big family with nine kids.  Well, to be more accurate, Munsch specifies that he lived in Pennsylvania when he was young, and that he never really did grow up at all.  The prolific author struggled through most of his schooling, but always had a passion for writing.  He… continue reading

I received a wonderful surprise as a late Christmas gift this year!  Kara Fleck, editor of Simple Kids, invited me to join a wonderful community by becoming a regular contributor to the Simple Kids blog.  I am honored and excited for what this opportunity holds. Today, you can read a little bit about me and some of… continue reading