It’s that time of year again! During this cold, rainy season that Seattle is best known for, what can mean for our kids, their allergies, and their overall health? This season, children will likely have a sniffly nose, and the question is: is it a cold or is it allergies? That’s right! Sniffles might not be a cold or a…
Category: Newborns & Babies
Preparing for Baby: Emotional Changes and Challenges
by Kimberly Chan This post was originally published at https://www.oktobeimperfect.com/preparing-baby-emotional-changes-challenges/. Emotional changes and challenges should be expected with the arrival of a new baby. As I prepare to lead a PEPS Newborn group discussion on Emotional Changes and Challenges and prepare for the arrival of our second child, I want to share my approach with other new and expecting parents…
Creative Thinking & Imagination for Child Development
by Cassie McKeown, Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool Cleo, a 4-year-old preschooler, excitedly told her Mom, “…and then we drank purple milk that came from a purple cow.” Webster defines imagination as “the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen or experienced; the ability to think of new things.” Every child is…
One Year In, With Twins
by Leah Wyatt My fraternal boy-girl twins turned one last week, and we hosted the requisite first birthday bash, complete with cake smashing photo op. As with all first birthday parties, ours was really for the parents. In addition to allowing my husband to sip wine with other adults without leaving our house, the planning and execution of the event…
Planning a better playdate
We all know we need playdates. They give our little ones a chance to socialize with a peer and for us — actually, the benefit is exactly the same for us. But we’ve all had playdates that fizzle or leave us with more stress than we started with. What went wrong? This handy little primer will help you iron out…
Grandparents in action: Getting kids excited about the outdoors
On a bright and sunny morning in July, PEPS gathered a group of grandparents together at the Environmental Science Center in Burien. We decided to drop in on the Center’s Tidepools for Tots program to learn more about how grandparents can engage their grandchildren in nature. We learned more about the unique ecosystem of the tidepools and gathered a few…
Enjoying the Diapering Years, then and now…
by Carolyn Janisch I am often asked why my husband and I chose to buy Baby Diaper Service at this stage in our life. Our three boys are now young adults; the diapering years are just a memory. As I think of the many special moments when each of my boys was a baby, I have such fond memories of diaper changes and the entire diaper experience. We used Baby Diaper Service, and as many customers now share their enthusiasm…
New Parent? 5 Baby Basics This Pediatrician Wants You to Know
By Vanessa Raymond It’s hard to know how best to parent a new baby when there are so many shifting trends. Do you need a smart sleeper that comes replete with white noise and jiggly rocking? What about a weighted blanket? A perma-fort? Chewelry? Pediatrician Cynthia Kertesz, M.D. of the Pediatric Care Center at UWMC-Roosevelt believes that the basics of caring for your new baby are not all that…
Mother Soulstice: Nurturing Your Mother Self
by Conni Navarre, Founder of Mother Soulstice The transformation into motherhood is a time of tremendous joy and love that can be coupled with the distress of one’s own personal need to heal both physically and emotionally post birth. Many women don’t receive adequate education and support during this time, which can leave them feeling isolated in their recovery. In…
Children’s Books as Mirrors and Windows
We all know the benefit of reading to our children from the earliest ages—reading helps babies develop language, hearing words helps brain development by building a rich network of synapses, and reading creates a caring bond between the child and reader. But did you know another important reason to read to children is that books provide mirrors and windows to the world!