Parenting Ideas

If your family loves the funny papers, they'll love getting creative with this easy activity.

This easy outdoor activity provides a fun way to learn about the feet and the length of a stride.

Have your kids invent packages designed for their favorite products.

Many resources for new parents treat moms and dads in the same way - they speak of a generic "parent" which is essentially dealing with the same challenges of adjusting to a new life style once the baby is hear. Reality is very different of course - depending on the particular family arrangement the pre and post birth world is experienced very differently for moms and dads. Here's a list of key concerns and worries as reported back by moms and dads we work with:

Pre-birth dad worries


Pre-birth mom worries

Family finance - how to pay for all the baby stuffGiving birth - how to get that baby out of your body without too much pain or messBaby's looks and intelligence - will my son/daughter be the next Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga or end up on social benefitsHealth of baby - will my baby be healthy and well after birth?Change of lifestyle - how will the baby affect our life style? The house, the car, going out, traveling, etc.Looking after the baby - what do I need to know to make sure my baby grows and develops into a healthy child and adult?Baby gear and gadgets - what is all the baby stuff we actually need?Change of lifestyle - how will the baby affect our life style? The house, the car, going out, traveling, etc.Bonding with the baby - what if I can't relate to the baby ... don't know what to do with a babyBack to work? - do I want to be a full time mom, return to work or ask my partner to stay at home with the baby?

And post birth:

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Join us in the PediaCast Studio as Dr Mike covers the latest pediatric news and answers listener questions. Topics this week include teens getting drunk from hand sanitizer, sippy cup dangers, a new use for an old antibiotic, math skills and medication errors, aspirin and Reye’s Syndrome, and an update on cell phones and driving. All this, plus kids with grey hair and a modern history of artificial sweeteners!

This outdoor activity will help your child get oriented to the rooms of your house.

To encourage your baby's sense of humor, notice what she finds funny and repeat it.

What can you do to make sure your child doesn't get bullied at school? Find out about "bully proof courses" in your area! Bullying is a major issue for all school children and parents these days and it seems schools or government initiatives are relatively ineffective in dealing with this problem. So it's back to us parents to sort it out - fine. I've recently come across so called "bully proof" courses which a number of martial arts disciplines offer. The courses are based on standard entry level martial arts classes but offer a few elements of how to deal with being bullied specifically.

After attending a number of karate classes I think enrolling your child in a martial arts course will address various aspects at play when it comes to bullying at school.

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There's no doubt that I'm really wading into it with the title of this column. I was reflecting on the end of this season of Glee and the only other television series that I watch regularly, Modern Family. I enjoy both show but do wonder if they have an agenda as to the message they want to put across.

Let me be clear on my stance on homosexuality to eliminate any pre-conceived prejudices you may assume I have or may project on me that are not true. I lost a VERY DEAR friend to Aids back in the day when it first appeared. I worked in showbiz for a quarter-century and loved and interacted with people of all stripes, with equal passion, respect, and collaboration. If they were talented and good people, I loved them. If they were not, I didn’t. Simple.

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While playing outdoors, your toddler can make a nature bracelet, with the aid of some tape.

Going on a long haul trip (as in 6h+ flight time) with a child aged 18 months to 3 years is probably one of the most challenging travel experience you can have as a parent. Obviously many of us do this but the difference between wanting to fling yourself off the plane and getting a few hours of sleep is all in the preparation. Check out some essential travel secrets for long haul trips with a toddler.

Here's our long-haul survival list (in order of keeping you sane)

#1 The most essential toy for air travel is a Doodle Pad. It's the most versatile, unmessy, imaginative and inexpensive toy you'll ever buy (you can get them for about $10). It's a true life saver as you can draw stuff, erase it and draw some more for quite a while. Most importantly you can use during take off / landing and when passing through turbulent weather (unlike some electronic gadgets).

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This quiet activity can keep little fingers busy with magnets, while you are preparing dinner.

Here's a useful tip to manage motivation and excitement for the little people in your house when you are working towards a particular goal or significant changes in their lives. You can use a "countdown calendar" to count down to the day when the change happens - for example starting school, moving house or an upcoming travel adventure. Countdown calendars work in the same way a Christmas calendar works except that you just count down the number of days (rather than using the days in the month). The easiest way to create a countdown calendar is by starting with a large piece of paper or card board and drawing something relevant on it (e.g. a house, building, plane or place, etc). Make the drawing as large as possible.

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Your kids don't need anything more than a map and a sharp eye to have fun with this skill-building activity.

As parents we want to believe the child abuse could never effect someone we love.  Not OUR child, not OUR children’s friends and certainly not in our safe little neighborhood.  We want to believe that ALL the teachers, little league coaches and babysitters we entrust OUR children to would never abuse a child.  However, as [...]

Make a bubble pipe with some drinking straws and tape, and let your toddler blow bubbles outside.

Wet paper really makes the colors flow and blend for a beautiful effect.

This activity shows you how to create a new drawing tool for your child, using empty roll-on deodorant bottles.

A good therapeutic massage is better than having sex ... seriously, you get touched in places that you cannot reach yourself (unless you're a contortionist). If you haven't had a massage - splash out and experience it for yourself. Tell yourself that you have earned it and that with all the demands on a modern dad (or mom) you deserve a little treat. Try out relaxation, deep tissue, Thai or Swedish massages to experience the bliss of therapeutic massages.

Once you have done that and you know what it feels like to have a massage you can give massages to your kids, babies or your partner. Even if when you're not professionally trained it's still likely to be highly enjoyable for the recipient in your family. What you lack in skill you can make up in enthusiasm and devotion to looking after your family.

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Here are a few recent gems from the Dressify Hall of Fame:

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