Imaginary Friends: Fun For Toddlers Without All The Work

Playdates and playgroups are great fun for toddlers, but all the messes and spills can leave Mommy with a mondo migrane. That's why I always encouraged my children to have one or two good imaginary friends.

Imaginary friends don't crush Play-Doh into the rugs, turn over toy baskets just for fun, or leave sticky fingerprints all over the upholstery. They're rarely boring, and, from my experience, usually like to share.

What's more, psychologists say these invisible playmates actually benefit toddlers by helping them deal with fears and anger, and by enabling them to test out new ways of doing things.

Of course, imaginary friends are no substitute for real minature companions, but they sure are great when Mom needs a break!

The Very Real Dangers Of Co-Sleeping

Your poor baby or toddler can’t sleep. Maybe he has a cold or one of those nightmares you’ve helped to create, so you let him crawl into your bed for a sound night’s rest. As you look over at his angelic sleeping face, that little shiver of parental joy envelops you and you tumble into sweet dreams.

As he’s still a bit sick or scared the following night, you let him do it again. Then again, and again, and again…

Fast forward six, seven, maybe even eight years. Your now noticeably enlarged child still expects a welcome invitation to your bed. You’re stiff and fatigued from lack of sleep, your marriage is in shambles, and that uber-pricey “grown-up” bed you bought is gathering dust in your son’s room.

If I can offer one piece of advice about co-sleeping, it is this: do not do it, ever! It is habit forming for both child and parent and habits, as we all know, are very difficult to break.

Baby Really Doesn’t Need Mozart, Believe Me

If you ask me, the money-grubbing producers of these ridiculous, “intelligence-enhancing” CDs need Mozart far more than your baby does. Like every good suburban lemming, I cheerfully played Baby Needs Mozart and even Baby Needs More Mozart for my son and daughter, and I can assure you that it did nothing to improve their performance on spatial reasoning tasks or anything else for that matter. What baby really needs to become smarter is simple: fewer gizmos, gadgets, and TV and more time reading, playing, and cuddling with Mom and Dad.

Falling Leaves, Pumpkins, and LICE

It's that time of year! Here's a very informative -- and humorous You Tube video about head lice from headlicetodeadlice.com. Enjoy!