Parenting Articles

teach preschoolers the joy of giving

3 Ways to Teach Preschoolers the Joy of Giving

By / 4 minutes of reading

Here we are in the holiday season again…already! It’s time for decorating and lights, for shopping and gifts, and for traditions and extra fun. In this season of activities and craziness, we might need reminders to keep being intentional in our parenting. And what better way to focus our efforts than to help our kids learn a spirit of giving. It’s what the season is truly about. So let’s look at a few ways to teach preschoolers the joy of giving! The best way to teach our preschoolers the joy of giving is to include them in our own giving …

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great Thanksgiving ideas for you

3 Great Thanksgiving Ideas for You

By / 3 minutes of reading

Thanksgiving is coming up next week! As we approach any major holiday, we are often busy with preparations. And we often need our kids to be busy with something else, at least for a little while. So as you get ready for Thanksgiving, we’re happy to offer a hand. We’ve got 3 great Thanksgiving ideas for you at Signing Time. Signs Of course, we’re all about the Thanksgiving signs. That’s our best Thanksgiving idea for you! And we can’t talk about Thanksgiving signs without the sign for turkey!   Another good Thanksgiving dinner sign is the sign for potato and …

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Dealing with Preschooler Tantrums During the Holidays

By / 5 minutes of reading

Here we are in November, staring ahead at the upcoming holiday season. The time from Thanksgiving to the New Year can be so fun for our kids. At the same time, they are filled with so much excitement, and even chaos, that they can get overwhelming. Our kids’ routines can be different from what they are used to. Multiple social events can bring out a lot of emotions in our little ones. All of the activities and events, along with the general excitement of the season can be over-stimulating for our kids, even if they are also really fun. So …

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Encourage a love for reading

Encourage A Love for Reading with a Cozy Reading Corner

By / 4 minutes of reading

As parents, we have a natural concern for our children’s reading skills. We’d love to have an early reader or a child with a great capacity for reading. Even if your family isn’t into reading, we can recognize the importance of reading in our children’s educational efforts. Here we are at the end of October, heading into colder days with less outdoor play. So it’s a great time to consider ways to spend time looking at books and reading to our kids.  How about setting up a cozy reading corner to make this a fun and special activity for your …

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teach our kids to set boundaries

Let’s Teach Our Kids to Set Boundaries

By / 3 minutes of reading

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we may think that this has nothing to do with our kids. However, as they grow up in this difficult world, we’d all like to prevent our kids from ending up in an abusive relationship. Did you know that holding clear boundaries is a key factor in preventing abuse? A person with a clear understanding of their own boundaries will see the crossing of those boundaries as a deal-breaker. So let’s teach our kids to set and hold boundaries to help them have a safer future. Be an example As in all character …

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kids safe when they’re in the car

Are Your Kids Safe When They’re in the Car?

By / 4 minutes of reading

“I don’t need this. My kids always ride in a car seat, and we always use our seatbelts.” Is that what you’re thinking? Our kids’ safety is important. That’s a given for most parents. So we likely feel like we are already doing our best. And you probably are doing your best, and you’re probably doing a really great job! At the same time, we can always learn more, and it should be natural for us to care about children’s safety initiatives like National Child Passenger Safety Week. Whew! That’s a mouthful! But National Child Passenger Safety Week is so …

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simple ways to strengthen family bonds

3 Simple Ways to Strengthen Family Bonds

By / 4 minutes of reading

We all know that family bonding is important. And of course, we would love to see our families stay close and be able to trust us over the years. This closeness certainly doesn’t happen on its own, so what can we do to help it grow? We really can set our family up to be successful in this area. And when we do, there are added benefits for each of us. Let’s look at a few simple ways to strengthen family bonds. Family bonding has several benefits. We expect it to deepen our emotional connections with our family. And as …

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ways to encourage independence in our preschoolers

Ways to Encourage Independence in Our Preschoolers

By / 5 minutes of reading

While it may sound odd to think about an independent preschooler, we really do have to start somewhere with teaching our kids to be independent. And we can’t wait until they are 18. Independence is something we have to build in our children as they grow, and there’s no better time to start than right now. So let’s look at age-appropriate ways to encourage independence in our preschoolers. So what does it look like for a preschooler to be independent? We’re looking at things like dressing themselves, doing simple chores, handling some of their personal hygiene, developing social skills, and …

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easy summer meal ideas

Easy Summer Meal Ideas for Your Little Ones

By / 5 minutes of reading

We’re heading into August already, and the summer has been both long and short somehow. Pool days and splash pads, outings and play dates, vacations and other travel times…we’ve all been busy with summer fun. But many of us are getting weary at this point. Outings are getting tiring, we’re broke from buying sunblock, and decent meals are a thing of the past – like way back in June. So, here at the end of the summer, let’s find some easy summer meal ideas for your little ones. This just might get us through the next few weeks of feeding …

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today is monkey around day

Today is Monkey Around Day!

By / 3 minutes of reading

Today is Monkey Around Day! What on earth could that mean? Well, it’s a day to let go of stress and pressure, choosing instead to do whatever you feel like doing. Think of it as a goof-off day! And you can take this as far as you want to or keep it low key. How much would our kids love to have a Monkey Around Day?  Are there crazy ideas that you have set aside because they aren’t practical? Do your kids have silly or over-the-top ideas? Since today is Monkey Around Day, it’s exactly the right time to consider …

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