Parenting Archives

Successful Family Meal Time: Why it may be your Key to a Thriving Family

by Dr. Kim Blackham

Let’s be honest, on a day-to-day basis, the idea of family dinner night can seem overwhelming. It can feel like an impossible feat to prepare a meal that everyone will eat – let alone appreciate. By the time all the kids are corralled and present at the table, somehow utensils turn into weapons and everyone begins fighting over the “favorite bowl.” It doesn’t take long before one sibling is shrieking, “He’s smelling my food!” while another child demands it is his night to say the prayer.

That’s when I give my husband the “Family dinner is highly overrated” look.Continue Reading

Family Traditions: Do They Really Matter?

by Dr. Kim Blackham

I often hear that one of the biggest hang-ups with family traditions is that they are just one more thing to do. We are already tired and stretched so thin, how are we supposed to manage another thing?

Do you ever experience that same feeling? The time comes for you to implement a tradition that was started years ago – that you didn’t even mean to start as a tradition, but now is expected and feels like a lot of work? Do you ever sit back and wonder if traditions are worth all the effort?

I have found three things helpful in keeping traditions a part of our family.Continue Reading

How to Stop Kids from Interrupting

by Dr. Kim Blackham

The September 2014 edition of Parent’s Magazine featured me in their article on how to keep kids from interrupting.

Children interrupting is one of the more aggravating aspects of parenting. It can seem that no matter how hard you try, teaching preschoolers appropriate manners feels like a losing battle. In addition to the great suggestions offered in the article, here are a few more things you can consider. Continue Reading

Memory Bears: Help Children Grieve the Loss of a Loved One

by Dr. Kim Blackham

Loss can be so difficult for children of all ages. They often don’t have the language to express their grief or may not have the understanding to process what has happened. Many children are afraid they will forget the person who has died or gone away.

Rituals and mementos are powerful healing agents. That is why we have funerals – as a ritual to mark the end and help provide closure. To a child, however, the funeral often doesn’t make much sense. Having a ritual where the child walks away with a tangible reminder of the experience and the loved one can help in the healing process.Continue Reading

Mom, Can I Have More Screen Time? – How we are Surviving the Summer

by Dr. Kim Blackham

As a parent, I try really hard to say “Yes” as much as I can, but this summer, I have found myself saying “No” more than I would like. This week I had to do something to break that cycle. One of our biggest challenges this summer is the excessive asking for screen time. It is really, really hot here in Florida and unless we are in the pool, it is pretty miserable to be outside. Since I can only handle so much of the pool, that leaves us with a lot of time around the house with my little ones wanting to watch TV or play the iPad. They ask constantly and I say “No!” constantly.

The only way we were going to survive the summer was if I came up with a different game plan.Continue Reading

Seven Top Educational Preschool Apps

by Dr. Kim Blackham

The other day I was letting my three-year old plan on the iPad next to me in the office. I looked down and saw he was watching a little cartoon that had a naked female statue. Shocked (okay, horrified), I took the iPad away and tried to figure out how something like that got past me. Evidently, it is a video on one of the Cut the Rope apps. Now trust me, I’m all about art appreciation. Art History may have been my favorite high school class. I’m just not going for the three-year old watching videos of naked female statues.

Needless to say, I deleted all the Cut the Rope apps off my iPad and went on a hunt for even better apps than we had. Most of our apps were already educational, but there were a few (like Cut the Rope) that I was someone swindled into installing.

I found some really great options. Hopefully you will enjoy these top educational apps as well.Continue Reading