Compared to babies, we adults are sniveling cowards.

Yesterday, I received an “atta girl!” email.  A friend of mine had found out that I’d recently conquered a lifelong fear: I sang.

Then Kelly revealed to me that she had also stared down a big monster:  she climbed. Rock climbing, up high. She had clambered over her terror, to reach out and grab the exhilaration that awaited her at the peak. High-fives are clearly in order.

But while we’re at it, let’s also celebrate babies and their risky busy-ness.

Sometimes a blankie is just a blanket.

This past week, we’ve looked at the many ways that baby blankets help young children develop, calm down, think, explore, play, and get on with their lives.

Let’s end this series by getting to a blanket truth: they are a must-have child development tool for parents.

Halloween night can be a carnival of chaos for babies and young children.

It’s no surprise that the odd sights, and sounds, a first encounter with a (possibly) itchy costume, along with the new tastes and aromas, can quickly overload each of your little one’s five senses.

“After the people are gone, art is the only thing that’s left of a civilization.”

~Nia, 15 year-old World History student.

That comment by my daughter is a poignant insight to parenting. When our children leave our homes, what they leave behind for us to excavate is the most tangible summary of the days of development gone by.

A mere glimpse of the green handprint wreath painting instantly transports me back to the front row of the Peace Preschool holiday show. What looks like a stack of scribbled-up papers to others is obviously a sample of artwork pieces that show the progression of my daughter’s cognitive, creative, and motor development — and I-don’t-care how much room the boxes take up.