Dear FTP (First Time Parent), As much as you try to filter yourself, you’re annoying. And I mean that in the best way possible. You love your kids and you want to share them with the world. They are indeed, ridiculously cute. Well, most of them are. I get it. There isn’t etiquette per se on how to manage your social media feeds once your first baby arrives, so I thought I’d make one for you. Here’s a list of dos and don’ts that’ll make the social world a better place. 1. Don’t tak

Our friends at the Huffington Post wrote a great list, 13 Signs You Might Be a Suburban Mom. We couldn't get away without creating one of our own about Chicago moms, too! So, you might be a Chicago mom if...  1. You know how to navigate public transportation with a diaper bag and a stroller. Oh, yeah, and a child.  2. Sometimes you get lost in Whole Foods, for hours.  3. You purge your baby stuff, almost immediately. Who's got the room for it? 4. You are flexible. If the

Congrats! You’ve hired a new babysitter. You feel like you’ve won the lottery, and you’re already dreaming of future date nights. You’re nervous about walking out the door that first time and leaving the sitter in charge, but you know she’s bright, fun, and more than capable. Your kids might not be so sure, though. If you’re anything like me, it can be easy to focus on emergency numbers and pantry items and forget to take time to get the kiddos settled with the new face in the house. My pre

As a placement provider for Olive.You.Nanny, I am constantly putting the puzzle pieces together to find compatible matches for families and nannies. I have found there to be some key questions that need to be asked during the interview process to ensure a happy and compatible match is made for both the nanny and family involved. If you can find someone who naturally aligns with your parenting style, family values and worldview while clicking personality wise, then you are on a good path to

There are so many factors that are important when choosing the right child care provider, but above all else we want our children cared for in a safe environment. Kids in Danger (KID) has pulled together a list of safety questions to ask your provider to make sure your child is in a safe space. What you could ask: How do you keep up with children’s products recalls? What the provider should say: The provider should be telling you that they are signed up to receive recall alert notices

Load up the kids for an El playground adventure! Lois Klein Playground: 3550 N. Lincoln at Addison and Ravenswood El Stop: Brown Line, Addison Playground Details: Small, bustling playground in a busy area, yet the structures feel removed from the street and train tracks.  Enjoy some morning playtime then head to Roscoe Village for lunch. There is a toddler climbing structure, with some more advanced structures for the older set. [Related: Great playgrounds for crawlers

As your kids get older, perhaps playgrounds are not their first choice for outdoor playtime anymore. Before they retire their sliding and swinging skills, check out these playgrounds that have more challenging climbing structures. Get in on the fun yourself and challenge them to a climb – you’ll be amazed how interesting these playgrounds can be for even you! Union Playground Location: 1501 W. Randolph St., Near West Side Challenge Details: From the huge dome climbing struct

Even though you may believe that the sole purpose of your children’s fighting is to drive you crazy, they are actually exhibiting basic survival behavior.  Human survival is based on ability to get needs met. Children need food, shelter, clothing and their parent’s attention. When your attention is in limited supply (and whose attention is NOT in a limited supply these days?), your children will do whatever it takes to get you focused on them again. While many people believe that it is best

With school out for the summer, many families will struggle to manage the summer chaos, especially with kids at home all day. Some opt for summer camps, but for many parents hiring a nanny seems like the best approach. Because it can be time consuming to find the right person, use my 10 tips to make your search for a summer nanny a bit easier. 1. Plan ahead – Try not to wait until the last minute as many summer nannies are looking for jobs that start as soon as possible. 2. Create a job descrip

We’ve all been faced with the dilemma: How can we leave our house to go anywhere knowing that at any minute we will hear the dreaded statement of “I need to go to the bathroom!” when potty training our kids? Here are some playgrounds around Chicago with adjacent fieldhouses—with bathrooms! Just make sure you visit during weekdays when the fieldhouses will be open and bathroom facilities will be available. [Related: Potty Training for All Abilities (members-only video)] Margate Playgrou

For a parent, teacher or caregiver, knowing when to seek help for a child can be challenging and a bit overwhelming. We understand these challenges, as all children develop differently, and the information available online, in the media, from friends, etc. can be inconsistent and confusing to understand. As members of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), we would like to help you better understand what to look for as your children develop and know when to ask for help. ASHA s

I was not a comparative type of person...until I became a mom. One of the first things I noticed after birthing a child was that all of a sudden—POOF!—I became both comparative and competitive. What percentile was my child in?  Where did she fit in the developmental and growth percentages my pediatrician was always talking about? Was she an early walker? Does she sleep through the night? Was she smart and confident? Does she play instruments and speak multiple languages?  This sudden s

When your crawler wants (and needs!) to play in a safe outdoor space, these playgrounds are great options to check out to let your newly mobile kiddo(s) explore and play. All have a soft rubber surface (forget mulch chips at this age as they only end up in their mouths!) and safe, fun and unique options to keep all ages entertained. Coliseum Playground Where? 1466 S. Wabash Ave. (on Wabash between S. 14th and S. 15th streets) Why go to crawl? Because that is ALL you can do here! No swin

Summer is around the corner and our children are finally able to get outside after a brutal winter. However, they may now be exposed to many different plants that can cause rashes that itch and burn.   One of the most common plants that children are exposed to is Toxicodendron radicans, commonly known as poison ivy. We have all heard the saying, “leaves of three, let it be!”  Poison ivy is a woody vine with leaves in groups of three (with the center leaf being the longest). The plant appear

You walk into the kitchen to find an open bag of cookies on the counter and your child with chocolate on their face. You ask, “Did you eat the cookies?” Of course, the response is, “No.”  And you just wish for an honest answer. How often does this happen, whether in interactions with your child, a co-worker or the used car dealer? Here are a few strategies to increase the likelihood of getting an honest response. Do not ask a question that you already know the answer to. Lying is a

As parents, we are constantly second-guessing ourselves about the decisions we make surrounding our children.  Did I handle that tantrum right?  What activities should I sign my child up for?  Am I over-scheduling my child?  How do I best prepare my child for school?  Did I choose the right school?  Is my child growing up to be a good person?  When these things are always on our minds, it is hard to gauge our own self-worth and determine if we are doing a “good” job as a parent. That is oft

The interest in the "Managing Challenging Behaviors" workshop at last year's Developmental Differences Resource Fair was so great that we didn’t have time to answer everyone’s questions. Here are some of the questions attendees had, along with some suggestions from the experts at Tuesday’s Child, a behavior-focused program in North Center. Note that this advice applies to kids with and without developmental differences! Q: How do I deal with my child's Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde behaviors? A:

As your child grows and develops, you might find yourself worrying and wondering if their development is on track. And when it comes to development, there’s a lot to keep track of—feeding, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, speech, language, social-emotional development and play (to name a few!).  What happens if you feel your child is behind in one of these areas? To start, know that you are not alone. Every child develops uniquely and at their own pace. Talk to your pediatrician about

Anyone who is a parent knows that the job is tough. Really tough. If we moms and dads were really honest with ourselves, we'd have to admit that we had almost no idea what we were getting into when we brought that first baby home. The old saying about kids not coming with a training manual is true. And the problem of "What do I do with this kid?" is intensified for parents in our contemporary rush-rush, worry-worry world. The problem is that when parents don't quite know what they're doing

How do you know if someone you love has a learning difficulty? What are some of the symptoms? As the center director at Lindamood-Bell Oak Park Learning Center, I hear these questions frequently, and the following cases and their symptoms may sound familiar to you. Luke, Michael and Sarah were students I worked with because of their difficulty with reading. While Luke was reading, he would often skip over words, or sound out the same word multiple times in a paragraph. He could not get a pa

Have you ever been at a playground, a classroom or a family event where there's that "one kid" who's a little overaggressive, pushing other kids, knocking down another child's projects or looks like they’re in 6th gear? And, like me, have you judged this behavior, saying to yourself, “That kid needs more discipline," or "What horrible parents. I'd knock some sense into that kid if he was mine." We’re all a little guilty of these thoughts. Well, my son used to be one of these children. And,

As parents, we do everything we can to nurture our children’s physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs. Yet, despite our best efforts to raise our kids to be resilient and have a strong sense of self, we see more and more children the victims of bullying. When a child has healthy self-esteem, she is less likely to be the victim of bullying and more likely to make healthy choices that lead to a fulfilling life. In my work with parents, I have found three common ways we sa

Raising children with another person can be unbelievably stressful. Despite our best efforts to be sensitive to another person’s parenting style or preferred method of discipline, aligning one’s values with the other parent when both parents have strong opinions of the “right” or “wrong” way to rear children can be tricky.  While parties who don’t have children together can effectively sever ties (absent a financial obligation to the other party), this is an impossibility for parents. What

In today's economy, many households have two working parents. That's where a nanny comes in. But hiring a nanny to care for your little one can be an intimidating process. As a former nanny and the founder of nanny agency Olive.You.Nanny, I suggest these tips for finding a nanny. Step 1: Getting Started with Interviewing When you’re armed with a clear understanding of how the interview process works, things can be much easier. Reach out to potential candidates to schedule an in