Search Results for: blog is your preschooler overscheduled

Overscheduled Kids = Parental Stress

Forget about emotionally scarring your kids by enrolling them in a litany of extra-curricular activities. According to a new study, the endless stream of piano lessons, soccer practices, Cub Scout meetings and ballet recitals, is more stressful on parents than anyone else. Childhood experts at the University of Maryland at College Park maintain that parents of overscheduled kids are the ones who suffer the most emotional stress when it comes to juggling multiple activities. Turns out, most kids are fine being shuttled from sporting event to sporting event and then to music lessons, dance class and oh, don’t forget, school. … Continue reading →

Preschoolers and “Sleep Unders”

My preschooler recently got an invitation to her fist sleepover. She was thrilled. Mommy, not so much. Initially I had reservations (my main concern was driving across town to pick up my daughter at 1 a.m. when she decided that she missed sleeping in her own bed), but after a few discussions with the host parents, I RSVPed “yes” and now whole-heartedly share my daughter’s excitement for this childhood rite of passage. Well, kind of. I was fine with the idea until I started blabbing about my decision. Apparently, there’s a huge number of parents who have strict no sleepover … Continue reading →

Driven to Distraction: Behind the Wheel with a Preschooler

How many times have you had to use one hand to break up a fight in the backseat between your squabbling kids while using the other to maneuver your moving vehicle through traffic? You aren’t alone. According to a new study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, such multitasking is a prevalent problem on America’s roadways. In fact, the study is making headlines around the nation because part of its results were not fully disclosed—-namely the stats on kids being a major distraction in moving vehicles (especially if you are breastfeeding one while behind the wheel). Despite the … Continue reading →

Super Summer Fun for Preschoolers

Summer is a great opportunity for you to spend quality time with your kids. Try not to lose sight of this as you are dashing from one scheduled activity to the next. Childhood experts recommend that parents of preschoolers make sure their child gets adequate down time during the summer months to just have fun. The next time you are looking for ways to keep your kids entertained on a warm summer day, consider the following activities: SHARK ATTACK Place hula-hoops or large beach towels on the ground to serve as dens for the “fish.” Pick one child to be … Continue reading →

Parents of Preschoolers Outraged Over Nude Figures

Get this: In Florida, where nude beaches are a dime a dozen, a sculpture of a naked family outside a shopping center west of Delray Beach is causing quite a stir… especially among parents with young children. The brouhaha, which was started by mom of a preschooler, has escalated into a full-blown community-dividing controversy. According to reports, the mom was offended by the bronze statutes, which depict a family in the buff (though the statues’ genitalia is by no means the most striking aspect of the piece). The mom says she was forced to shield her preschooler’s eyes while walking … Continue reading →

Battle Royal: Preschoolers vs. Sunscreen

Parenthood is filled with ironic moments. Though the one that stands out the most for me (especially this time of year) is the unpleasant task of slathering my preschooler with sunscreen. The daily battle is akin to naked wrestling with a greased pig and usually ends with me wearing way more SPF than my little sun goddess. The irony of this daily, drawn out war-by-the door is that I grew up in Hawaii during an age when most parents thought UVA and UVB rays were only emitted from Buck Rogers’ space age laser gun. When I was a tween I … Continue reading →

Surviving the Summer with a Preschooler

I love my preschooler with an indescribable passion. However, as much as I cherish each and every second we are together, I also embrace the times when she is able to keep herself occupied long enough for me to get at least one task done without interruption. Those moments are relatively scarce, especially during the summer months when the weather is nice and we spend much of the day outside. Still, there are ways to secure a few moments of peace, provided you plan ahead. The following are some of my preschooler’s favorite outdoor activities that don’t require a ton … Continue reading →

Is Your Preschooler Overscheduled?

This summer I decided to give my car a break. Instead of pulling in and out of karate, basketball, swimming, piano, soccer, gymnastics, art, cooking, and ceramics class parking lots, our family vehicle has been cooling its wheels in a shady garage. Score one for the aging Nissan… and for the aging mom. The preschooler, well, she’s not sharing our joy. Not entirely anyway. After months (make that years) of juggling a less than relaxed routine of classes, activities, playgroups, and kiddie seminars, I figured I’d trade in the overscheduled routine for a more laid back summer schedule; one that … Continue reading →

Deep-Fried Summer

Summer doesn’t officially begin until Monday and I am already fried. Deep-fried, and I’m not referring to my skin. My daughter has been moving at warp speed since the Monday following her kindergarten graduation. For some insane reason (call it disorganization) I signed her up for an inordinate number of summer classes and camps, and now I am the one paying for it… in more ways than one. So much for the lazy days of summer. I’m not sure what I was thinking. All I remember is that a few months ago a bunch of moms asked if my daughter … Continue reading →

Overconfident Mommy Gets Burned

Ouch! Burns hurt. I should know. I was the overconfident mommy, and boy did I get roasted, toasted and charred during a recent conversation with my preschooler. The incident was initiated by a study I had just read. Researchers asked a group of children ages 5 to 10 what they would do if they were in a building that caught on fire. Amazingly, the majority of the kids (nearly 60 percent) said they would remain inside and try to find a grown up or use a phone to contact an adult to help them. Another large group responded that they … Continue reading →