TDLC Blog

When I was a kid some of my favorite things to play with were the pots and pans from the kitchen cupboard. I would sit on the kitchen floor and bang away on the bottom of the cookware with a couple of wooden spoons. I am pretty sure my musical endeavors single-handedly kept Tylenol in business, what with all the headaches I gave my parents. When my parents finally kicked me out of the kitchen so they could make dinner (and salvage their eardrums), I would dump Legos all over the floor and build worlds for the Lego people to inhabit.

How Super Mario Brothers may actually help your child.

When I was a kid, the coolest house on the block was the one that had a Nintendo system. When it was too cold to play outside, all the neighborhood kids would gather in someone’s living room and take turns trying to beat Super Mario Brothers. I was hopeless at it; I don’t think I ever made it past the second or third level. But that was irrelevant; Nintendo afternoons were about more than just conquering the castle and saving Princess Peach from Bowser. They were about having fun and making friends.

Helping your kids enjoy their summmer break!

It is now officially summer, the favorite season of childhood. Parents often dread summer vacation. They fear their children will lose any knowledge gained during the past school year and wonder how they are going to entertain their children for months on end. And those are definitely valid concerns. But although academics may be sidelined for the season, summer presents unique opportunities to improve social skills and work on community outings. Summertime brings an abundance of kid-friendly community activities to choose from. And the best part: there are always so many kids at these events that any behaviors your child exhibits are likely to get lost in the commotion. Here are some ideas: