Sidekick recently graduated from his old preschool class and had to leave one of his best friends behind! He’s been begging to meet up with him all summer, so I finally arranged a little slumber party playdate.
Our laundry room is getting a BIG makeover. Things have been a bit tight here at the Day farm as our household count rapidly grew from three to six (seven, if you count my nomad sister who’s currently taking up the guest room). I’ve been mulling over the idea of an outdoor laundry room for awhile, and after visiting a ton of spots on the East Coast my wheels started turning.
My oldest son is required to have a tablet for 1st grade. The school has some available for loan, but our district apps can run on any platform so I prefer to get our own. That way, we can keep track of what’s going on with it and maximize the use of this educational tablet!
Some of you spotted this stroller in our infant car seat post and asked about it. I’ve been eager to share the gadget that’s been … Read more
My 4-year-old is going into Transitional Kindergarten in a week. Cue the dramatic mom tears! Actually, as a former elementary school teacher, I’m thrilled with the idea. Schwarzenegger signed the Kindergarten Readiness Act into law in California in 2010, changing the enrollment date so that all kids would be at least 5 when they enter school here. The law also created Transitional Kindergarten (or ‘TK,’ which is often called Pre-K or PK in other states) to bridge the gap between preschool and kindergarten for students whose birthdays fall just short of the cutoff date. The idea is that older 4-year-olds need more mental stimulation than a typical preschool or daycare might provide, but they aren’t ready for the full structure of kindergarten.
I’ve talked a lot about nighttime routines recently. Having a well-defined evening routine and reliant bedtime is one of the things that helps keep me sane as a parent. I think a lot of us start with the very best intentions, but wind up falling off the nighttime routine wagon and landing in one of two camps: the moms and dads who do everything for their kids at night or the moms and dads who do very little for their kids at night. I remember when I used to babysit, I’d go from a household where a 3-year-old was brushing his own teeth and tucking himself in to a household where a 10-year-old still expected the toothpaste to be smeared on by an adult.
We’ve been spending just about every day lately at the beach or by the pool. It can be kind of a challenge to keep the whole crew engaged, entertained and safe in the water when you have a spread as we do from ages 6 to infant. Today, we’re sharing how we explore water play with siblings of varying ages.
Every time Chelsea and I have a baby, people inevitably ask where the baby’s sleeping in relation to us and his brothers. The concept of four kids under six years old IS mind-boggling, sure. The bigger issue people seem to be grappling with, however, is the idea of getting any baby to go from sleeping in the parents’ room to sleeping in a room with siblings. So, I’ll admit it. Here’s our big secret.
It’s my fourth baby’s turn to learn to swim! I’ve always lived near the ocean, so swimming has been a huge part of my life. For our family, it’s important to start water play with the kids at a young age so that they’re comfortable and happy during all of the time we spend poolside (and lakeside, oceanside, riverside, you name it!).
With baby number four, I didn’t feel the need to buy a bunch of new stuff. I had my first son six years ago, then my second two years later, number three two years later and the littlest dude two years after that. I’m nothing if not predictable. I honestly bought well the first few times and felt like I really honed in on most of the necessary baby gear LONG before this dude arrived.
But I learned some lessons along the way, and it seems that manufacturers did as well.