Our New Podcast is Up!

Click here (or at the "podcast" link above) to listen to or download our newest podcast, which is an interview with Dr Robert MacKenzie, the author of Setting Limits.

Good stuff! We hope you enjoy it. As always, feel free to drop us a line.

Bribing Our Children

According to a recent article by the Associated Press, more parents are bribing their children than ever before. Parents are literally paying their children to be "good" - whether it is behavior at home, good grades or even brushing one's teeth.

In my opinion, bribery isn't the issue. I think that it is reasonable to reward a child for a large accomplishment. But for everyday things, like being polite, or listening to the babysitter? Please.

The issue is that many parents don't want to be their child's parent; they want to be their child's friend. They want their child to like them, and find it hard to set a firm limit and follow through with an action step. Being a parent isn't always fun - however, the time that you invest setting firm and clear limits when your child is young will pay dividends when he or she is older. This doesn't mean that your child won't test you - he or she will. However, you won't have to resort to bribery to get your child to be a productive, polite and contributing member of our society... and isn't that what parenting is all about?

Great Family Event This Saturday

My family and I have been going to Picnic Day for as long as I can remember. The annual event is basically a huge open house for UC Davis - with too many family activities to list. If you have free time this Saturday, I would HIGHLY recommend attending!

More information, including a schedule of activities can be found here.

Filed Under "O" for Obvious

I have received a few e-mails about the recent study about the effects of childcare on the growth and development of children. The study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, found that children who spend their earliest years in childcare tend to have greater behavioral problems when they are older.

For those of us who work with children, this is a no-brainer.

Two points:

1) Children want and need to be with their parents. This may not be a reality for some families. However, the more time you spend with your child, the better off he or she will be.

2) There is a HUGE difference in the quality of childcare that is available. There are many fantastic Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio-Emilia and play based programs that will have tremendous benefits for your child. Unfortunately, there too many horrible options: corporate child care centers, low quality in home and the like. Most of the poor quality programs tend to pay employees very little, which leads to an uneducated, inexperienced teaching staff with a high rate of turnover. Exposing your child to this type of environment is, in my opinion, damaging.

An early childhood program is nothing but people - but do your homework before making your decision, to ensure that your child will be a member of a stable, positive and nurturing preschool community.

Mercer Caverns; Murphys, California

Our family takes a yearly spring trip down the southern Hwy. 49 route, and while we have some spots we love to drop in on every year, we try to discover something new each time, as well.

This year, our son was finally brave enough to check out one of the many caverns in the area, Mercer Caverns. Just outside of the sweet little town of Murphy's, you can travel 16 stories down inside the earth, and also pan for gemstones!

There are numerous caverns and caves in the Southern Gold Country, all within two hours of Sacramento. Each has it's own gorgeous surroundings and colorful history. Look into Mercer Caverns and California Cavern. The California Cavern site also has links to three other caverns in the area: Moaning Cavern, Black Chasm and Boyden Cavern.

The cavern was absolutely stunning, and my son forgot his fears in the face of so much underground wonder. He was also quite pleased with the sack of gemstones he successfully mined in the outdoor mining station. They were planted, of course, but that didn't seem to take away from his excitement and enthusiasm.

For more information on things to do along historic Highway 49, go here.

For Extreme Parents with Extreme Children...

The Capn' Danger Baby Chute. Obviously, tongue and cheek. Love the pic! More information can be found here. Only $19.95!