My family and I are gearing up for an 11-day trip to Italy…
… with our 4-year old!
The logistics are mind-boggling. Where if I were traveling alone or just with my wife, we’d be winging it to a much higher degree, we’ve instead been planning out every detail and contingency.
And it’s led me to the question: What are the best toddler travel essentials you really need to have a successful trip with your kid?
Kids… they grow up so fast!
One day you’re laying them down in the crib, the next you realize they’re ready for their very own toddler bed.
A lot of parents these days choose to go with a convertible crib from the start, one that can be turned into a toddler bed once your child is around 2-years-old.
But you might find yourself needing to buy a separate, standalone toddler bed for a number of reasons, and in that case, you’ll probably want to go with something that has safety rails on the sides.
I remember moving when my daughter was about to turn 3 and buying a lot of new stuff for my place.
The question I had to ask, with her at such a crucial age, was should I buy a convertible crib or jump right into letting her use a toddler bed?
Every parent has to face this sooner or later! Whether your kid is starting to climb out of the crib, you need the crib for a new baby, or you just want to give them more room or responsibility.
But what exactly is a toddler bed and how big are they?
Babies, and especially newborns, need a lot of support while they’re sleeping.
Not only that, a firm crib mattress is an absolute must when it comes to safe sleeping and SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) prevention.
But many parents, after a few nights, week, or even months at home with baby, start to wonder: Is my baby’s crib mattress too hard or too firm?
There’s a time and a place for waterproof, silicone baby bibs.
But when you really need them, they’re an absolute lifesaver!
Rubber or silicone bibs are really excellent for bottle feeding, messy eaters, babies transitioning to solid food, and young toddlers who like to make a mess.
Watching your baby grow up is hard.
What’s not hard is finally being able to leave all the baby stuff at home when you leave the house!
You’ll still need a few things when you head out for the day with your toddler, but the load gets significantly lighter.
Hallelujah!
If you’re looking for the best diaper bag for a toddler, you’ll be happy to know that you can finally spring for something that doesn’t SCREAM “diaper bag” — a smaller purse-style or backpack-style bag will work just fine.
Getting ready to bring your new baby home?
Congratulations!
Now… where are they going to sleep?
You’ve probably heard that there are some definite advantages to holding off on putting baby to sleep in a full-sized crib.
So how do you choose between pack ‘n plays, cradles, bassinets, and more?
In this article, we’ll talk about the differences and similarities between a bassinet vs a cradle, and if one is safer or better than the other.
Of all the decisions you need to make when you have a new baby, you’d think where they sleep would be an easy one.
But nope.
There’s:
And more to choose from.
Which one is the best, the safest, the most convenient?
In this article, I’m going to break down the main differences between pack ‘n plays vs bassinets.
I love my daughter’s daycare.
I love the teachers, the kids, the other parents. I love how much she learns there.
There’s just one problem.
I can not handle the amount of artwork she brings home.
That picture above? That’s just a small fraction of what we have (that’s not already stored, hung up, or thrown away), and our daughter isn’t even 4-years-old at this writing. She brings home 2-4 new pieces of art every single day.
So what’s the best way to deal with children’s artwork storage? What are some creative ideas that really work?
If you’re anything like me, you really dread taking your kid or toddler to the doctor.
It’s not that you don’t want them to feel better when they’re sick!
It’s just that, when they have run of the mill cold symptoms, coughs, etc., there’s often not much the doctor can do. And you usually have to take a half day off of work, have your child miss school, and more just to hear that they should rest and drink fluids.
So you turn to at-home remedies.
If your child or toddler has a nagging coughing, you might be wondering: Can kids have cough drops?