Choosing early care and education for your child is a big decision. Whether you’re a parent who works outside the home and needing child care or you’re a stay at home mom now considering a preschool experience, you have options. In many areas, you have a choice between a center or an in-home child care. By the time your child is 4 years old, you might also have the option of 4K or 4-year-old kindergarten. In our area, there are several centers and in-home child care provider

1.) Families form tight bonds with providers. I spent years working in preschool programs and large daycare centers before I opened my own home daycare. While I always enjoyed the kids that I worked with and their families I didn’t have the same type of connection with them when I worked in large centers that I do now. The children in my care now feel like they are part of our family and I work with the parents as a team. In large programs and facilities the caregiver that y

When it comes to cleaning your house, you don't have to go overboard. Just concentrate on the common spots where germs lurk and follow these housecleaning tips for a healthier home. Yes, your house might look a whole lot cleaner if you shooed all the dust bunnies out the door (and barred them from ever entering again!). But to keep your home healthy and reduce your family’s chances of getting sick, you’re better off jettisoning germs than banishing bunnies. Here’s a list of t

Motherhood is full of surprises. Especially if you've never done it before. Most first-time moms go into motherhood with expectations. What they'll be like as a mom, how they'll feel and even what baby will be like. But your idea of parenthood and the reality being a parent will likely be two very different things. Baby cries won't bother you. Poop won't make you sick. The truth is in the first weeks you'll learn a lot about yourself and being a parent. Take it from the mom