My daughter is THE manifestation of a very active girl. Even at the time she was happily inhabiting my womb, I would feel her kicking and punching. When she grew up a bit it was of paramount importance to always have something at hand to keep her busy and engaged. Not only for her own entertainment but also for keeping my sanity and actually being able to complete some work, chores, or else. In this activity scavenger hunt, I came across an amazing podcast for children that quickly turned to be a favorite activity for Mia.    WHAT IS A PODCAST AND WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS Podcasts have been quite…

I love the winter season for its beauty and magic. But I surely despise it because of all the health and immune system challenges it imposes on us all. And with M going to school, staying healthy when everyone around have come down with some sort of virus, could be a real adventure. This January, viruses at M’s school were merciless leaving whole classes with only a couple of kids attending. Still, we have been lucky enough that no one at home fell victim to them. Saying “lucky” here might not be the correct expression as I am conciously taking mesures for assuring that everyone at home is safe and…

I anticipated many challenges in motherhood, but brushing teeth has never been one of them. Even after countless wars of diaper change and lengthy hair-washing negotiations, I never dreamed that a day would come when fighting for brushing thw teeth would come on the agenda. Until recently, this process for my already 4-year-old daughter was a stream of virtuous negotiations and long stories about life, but NOT teeth brushing 🙂 I knew there had to be something to make this daunting task more enjoyable, so I went hunting for ideas on how M to have this pearly white smile without the exhausting fuss in the bathroom. In this article, I…

With Christmas knocking on our door my heart fills with gratitude, expectation and serenity. I love saying that Christmas is not a day of the calendar. It is a feeling. And thanks to the mind blowing decoration throughout the city I feel the festive spirit from early on. I love exploring the city at dark when everything glows and people go for peaceful walks outside shining from happiness. All stores tempt with beautiful windows and seducing offers. Sometimes I enjoying sneaking and finding nice deals for the people I love. The more my little daughter is growing, the more difficult becomes to find engaging, educating and fun toys.  She already…

Finally, the October break is here. I know how challenging it could be for us, parents, to find interesting, engaging and challenging activities for our kids so that we can enrich their days with lots interactions, learning and fun. That is why I made a list of places that I plan to bring my daughter to. Indeed, not everything is within the city boundaries but this is a great opportunity to explore and go on adventures!     OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES   Royal Botanics – go for a Halloween trail, engage in Santa Claus ornaments worshop or simplu enjoy the serenity of the gardens and gather pinecones and use them for some…

With the whole lockdown thing and all the disruptions it is bringing to our lives, it seems that RESILIENCE will be the word of 2020. That is why I believe that raising resilient kids is emerging as a game changer nowadays. As parents we can teach them how to utilize a handful of skills and strategies to go through Life storms still feeling fulfilled, happy and purposeful. A great helper in raising resilient kids is Skipper – the cute character from the book of Dr. Seuss “OH, The Places You’ll Go!”. He shares his adventures and teaches our mini versions valuable lessons how to navigate their boat in the river…

Organizing the playroom for the wee one at home might seem an easy job at first glance. In reality, however, there are so many things to consider if we are to empower our children to develop their imagination, potential and intelligence. Even when in our eyes they are still our babies. 3 year old “babies” to be precise. Talking to other moms from my daughter’s preschool and looking for more information online and from teachers, I implemented few very simple approaches in arranging my daughter’s playroom. I made small changes to the current set up that actually brought about huge impact. Many of these ideas are Montessori and have long…