Firestations and petting zoos have their place, but when you want to take your child on a journey of discovery, a walk in your own neighborhood (with curiosity as his tour guide) is more than enough.

Your young child’s natural inclination to touch and gather is a good instinct for today’s art activity, making collages. Tomorrow and the next day, your preschooler will be able to enjoy his art, and remember the process that led to the finished artistic product. Many tomorrows later, you’ll be gazing at what remains of that day.

MommyGarten.com will be on our Summer schedule, starting June 1.

Do continue to stop by MommyGarten.com all summer long to find updates, tips and resources for outdoor playing, indoor playing, playing with water, and much more!

But first, we’d like to spend this week reviewing key parenting lessons from days gone by — for today, let’s take another look at the subtle communication between parent and child.

This week, MommyGarten.com is on vacay, yet focused on Mommy’s needs. Flowers and strawberries have their place, but MommyGarten.com gives new moms a gift unlike any other: Sugar-free peace of mind.

We’ll use this week to make sure that all the new mommies who are enrolling at MommyGarten.com every day are caught up on the lessons of parenthood.

So, please enjoy this look back at excerpts from previously published posts on what every Mommy needs to know about her baby’s emotional development.

… is to let him undress. Surely you’ve noticed that your kid agrees with me.

I’ll admit (because he won’t) that undressing seems to undo the point of getting dressed in the first place.

But your toddler isn’t confused at all. From his point of view, getting undressed always follows getting dressed.  I know you think the day should elapse before changing outfits, but he thinks an hour is long enough.