Simple Steps to an Eco-Friendly Family

It's hard to ignore the value of being "green" today. There are health benefits for you, your family, and for the environment. Turn your good intentions into action with these simple ways to integrate "green" into your everyday!

SHOP: We like the MightyNest and EcoMom online stores because they've done the research for you! Know that the items you are buying for your family are good for them, and for the environment.

HOME: The article "5 Easy Steps to Create a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home" from babycenter.com is quick, but comprehensive, and covers clean air, plastics and more.

RECYCLE: From DisneyFamily.com, read "Go Green! Your At-Home Recycling Plan" for some introductory ways that you can reduce, reuse, recycle!

EAT: Strategize your organic grocery shopping with this list of the "dirty dozen" from the Environmental Working Group. Next time, you'll know to splurge on the organic apples, and save on non-organic onions.

Choosing a back-to-work or stay-at-home path, and making the most of your decision.

Whether your maternity leave is almost up, or your youngest is going to start preschool this year, going back to work or deciding to be a full time stay-at-home parent can be a big decision.

First, you must consider the pros and cons of each. How much will childcare cost if I go back to work? Can we afford to live on one income? If finances don't come into play, one still must consider which path will be most fulfilling and provide happiness to you and your family.

Compiled below are some resources to help you make the decision, get started pursuing your choice, or help personalize whichever path you take.

MAKING THE DECISION: Get help from this checklist from the bump.com: "Working Mom vs. Stay-at-Home Mom". Alternatively, have you considered "The Rise of the Stay-at-Home Dad" as outlined in this U.S. News article?

CHOOSING TO STAY AT HOME: Start by reading this "Stay-at-Home-Parents: Overview" from babycenter.com to get a grasp on the many facets of the stay-at-home parent choice, and then visit "4 Things Every Stay-At-Home Mom Should Know" from ivillage.com to read some insightful quotes from other stay-at-home parents.

CHOOSING TO WORK out of the home: Every working parent can benefit from the information in "Creating a Family-Friendly Work Arrangement" from babycenter.com. For those of you returning to work after several years, read the Wall Street Journal article titled "Returning to Work After Years at Home" for some helpful tips on getting back in the saddle. Once you're back to work, try these "40 Mom-Tested Tips for Balancing Work and Family" from ivillage.com from members of their Working Moms Message Board.

CHOOSING TO WORK in the home: Although the series was never finished, author Candice Lindemann posted 4 entries of a 5-part series about how to begin a work-at-home career on babycenter.com. Amid all the misinformation and work-from-home scams out there, this is a good, honest place to start. See her first, second, third and forth parts here. Next, read through this "Successful Strategies for Working at Home" article from babycenter.com.

Whatever your decision, know that you are doing the best that you can for your child and family. Embrace your situation! Have any suggestions or thoughts on the topics above? Leave a comment!

Obtaining Childcare

Some families are blessed with nearby relatives, clamoring for a chance to provide free and excellent childcare at a moments notice...
For the rest of us, finding a caregiver can be a real challenge!

THE SEARCH: There are lot of great websites, and local resources for finding the right caregiver for your family. A good place to start are the great reference lists compiled by ChicagoKids.com for babysitters, daycare, nannies and night nurses.

INTERVIEWING: Once you've found some potential childcare providers, set up interviews and use this handy checklist of important questions to ask from Sittercity.com "Parent-Babysitter Interview Checklist". Checking the references will be a breeze with this additional resource, "Checking Babysitters' References".

INTRODUCING: Congratulations, you found a caregiver! For frequent or long-term childcare providers, print this childcare contract and ask them to keep a daily record of your babies growth and activities with this activity tracker from Babycenter.com.

EVALUATING: For a good point-of-reference for evaluating your new caregiver, take a look at these articles from Babycenter.com, "Signs of a Good Babysitter" and "Signs of a Bad Babysitter".

The Power Of Play

There is mountains of evidence to support the idea that children learn through play. Freestyle and imaginative play is the birth place of creativity, and is an important factor in a child's physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Read on to educate yourself on the power of play and how you can make play a priority in your child's life!

THE PLAY MOVEMENT: The New York Times reports on the "Effort to Restore Children's Play Gains Momentum", shedding light on the growing acknowledgment that play needs to be more of a priority.

MODERN VS. OLD-FASHIONED PLAY: NPR addresses the transition from old-fashioned "activity play" to the modern idea of "toy play" in "Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills".

STAGES OF PLAY: ParentsConnect.com offers a brief run-down of the different stages and "Types of Play" a child will grow into, from solitary play to associative play!

HOW TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVE PLAY: For a list of activities that inspire creative thinking in your preschooler, read "Encouraging Creative Play" from TodaysParent.com.

Child Safety

To keep your little ones safe and be prepared for an emergency, read below for some quick reference lists, information about a CPR event and an easy way to stay abreast of safety recalls.

• Hidden Household Dangers: There are some no-brainers when it comes to child safety, like locking up cleaners and installing baby gates at stairs. Some things, however, are not so obvious. Take a look at this list of poisonous plants (including the holiday poinsettia) and this list of dangerous household products (like baby powder) that you should keep out of the house or locked away.

• Emergency Skills: Are you confident in your CPR skills? For those looking to learn, or re-learn, the new CPR techniques approved for infants, children and adults, attend our workshop on Sunday, March 20th. Teaching the workshop is Safety Squad, a team of emergency response personnel with real-world experience. Also covered in the workshop will be car seat safety, S.I.D.S. prevention and how to use a defibrillator. Find more information here.

• Recalled Products: Never miss a child-safety recall! You can sign up for email alerts from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on recalls pertaining to child-related items only. Visit their website here and select the option about half-way down the list for "recalls involving infant/child products" and add your preferred email address.

Feeding Your Child

Food. Grub. Sustenance. The fuel of life! As adults, we know what we like and what we need. For our children... it's a bit more complicated. Proper nutrition is important for the physical and cognitive development of a child, yet it's the very time when proper nutrition can be the most difficult to accomplish. No matter what your question, see below for some answers! As always, if you have further questions, please feel free to ask.

• PREGNANT: For a great summary on the pros and cons of breastfeeding vs. formula feeding, we recommend this snappy little guide "Breast vs. Bottle for Feeding Your Baby" from WebMD. It also includes some tips on formula feeding if you decide to go that way.

• BABY: Your baby consistently gives you "I'm hungry" signals, even immediately after a feeding. Is it possible that they want water? Unlikely, but this is a common misconception. Get the full story in "Water For Babies" about the risks and proper age to start offering H20 to your child from Today's Parent.

• TODDLER: Your child's nutritional needs change and evolve a lot during this age. Refer to this "Age-By-Age Guide to Feeding Your Toddler" from BabyCenter to see how much, and what, your child should be eating each day.

• PRESCHOOLER: So you've got a picky eater. Read "Children's Nutrition: 10 Tips for Picky Eaters" from Mayo Clinic to help avoid the "power struggle" and help your child eat a well-balanced diet.

Marriage Post-Baby

It's no secret that bringing a child into the husband and wife equation can introduce wrinkles into your otherwise smooth-sailing marriage. All of a sudden, your carefree outlook on household chores becomes impossible to maintain as tasks double and you and your partner argue about whose turn it is. Your "us time" has changed to "family time" and as much joy as that brings you, where does that leave you with your significant other?

We've compiled several great articles, tips and more to help you swap that fizzle for some sizzle. Do you have any suggestions for other new parents? Share your advice with a comment!

• Parents.com offers some sound advice on conquering several common hurdles that new parents face in "Your Marriage After Baby: 6 Solutions to Common Problems". Another quick read to add that aforementioned sizzle... check out "10 Ways to Squeeze Romance into Every Day".

• When you do have to "discuss" any differences of opinion -- there are healthy ways to do it so that you, your spouse and your tot all feel good about the resolution. Read "How to Fight Fairly with your Partner" from babycenter.com for more.

• Inevitably, you have and will reach moments of dissension when you and your spouse disagree on how to raise your child in the matters of discipline, feeding, education, religion and on and on. Reference "The Great Divide: When Parenting Styles Differ" from todaysparent.com for a how-to on finding your middle ground.