Darcy Troutman is a mother of three children (7, 6, and 3 years old) who likes: sleeping in, Alice Munro, cheap red wine, old rocking chairs, shoes without heels, mix tapes, balloons, the color grey, & discovering new things. Check her out at No Monsters in My Bed. Below is an excerpt from one [...]
Early last week, I came across this quote: “Be the adult you want your children to be.” While I know it is not a new quote, for whatever reason, in the past seven days, I have reflected on the quote again and again. I am comfortable with the idea that my children see a host [...]
Isn’t fat bad for me? Is it good or bad? Both. You see, not all fats are created equal. The Skinny on Fats Heavily processed, hydrogenated “trans” fats used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. They can compromise the cardiovascular system, immune system, and contribute to behavior problems. They can also lead [...]
In a highly-advanced technological age where every child seems to have a smartphone complete with a powerful calculator in their pocket, it may seem silly to make sure that they still are able to do math without the assistance of a calculator. However, there are plenty of reasons why children should know how to solve [...]
Sleeping bag? Check. Bug spray? Check. Bathing suit? Check. EpiPen/Inhaler? Check. Sending child to camp with a food allergy or asthma throws another wrench into the works. This coming week (May 12- 18) is National Food Allergy Awareness Week, and according to Food Allergy Research and Education, 1 in 13 kids is affected by food [...]
Many children start to show an interest in different cultures at a young age, whether through ethnic food, friends at school, unique clothes, or hearing a foreign language spoken for the first time. Here are 10 ways to encourage your child’s curiosity and teach them about a variety of cultures in fun and interactive ways. [...]
Basketball has indeed been my passport to visit new places, people, and experiences. Now I do have a literal United States Government issued passport, I just used it on my trip to Israel. The connection I had to visiting Israel in the first place was because of basketball. My friend David Lasday runs the Netayna [...]
Activity Rocket makes it easy to locate fun physical activity classes and camps in your area. But how can you incorporate more exercise into your kids current schedules? One mom has the answer: A fun and easy way for kids to get more fresh air and exercise is to walk or bike to school. Give [...]
Dedicated sports fans are always game to try out new and exciting ways to show their teams how much they are loved. Getting the entire family involved is a special way of spending quality time with the kids and embracing the home team at the same time. Check out these ideas for sparking some new [...]
My almost three-year-old daughter recently has become the queen of the bedtime stall tactics. “One more Strawberry Shortcake,” she’ll ask. More TV? No. “I’m thirsty” or “I’m hungry” will be the next plea. I’ll give her a sip of water, but that’s it. Then comes the kicker, the one she knows she’ll win. “I want [...]
