Welcome to Parenting

Created by experts in prenatal education, child development and parenting, the Welcome to Parenting program is designed to give you all the critical information you need to experience pregnancy and parenthood in the most positive way possible - to help you become the parents you dream of being!

The program has been rigorously tested and evaluated with expectant and new parents just like you. Leading program designers, researchers and parent educators designed this course to reflect exactly what expectant and new parents need and want to know as they experience pregnancy and parenthood.

http://www.welcometoparenting.com/

Zero to Three's Podcast Series

The Little Kids, Big Questions podcast series, addresses some of the most common (and challenging) issues facing parents of babies and toddlers, such as: helping a baby learn to sleep through the night; dealing with a picky eater; and learning to set limits on children's behavior. These questions—and more—are covered in this series of 12 podcasts, hosted by Ann Pleshette Murphy, a past contributor to ABC's Good Morning America Parenting Segment and Vice President of the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors.

Click here to access all podcasts

Parents 2 Parents

This is a one stop prenatal and parenting site where you can become a part of the web community and:

http://www.parents2parents.ca/

Child Care Exchange

Check out ChildCareExchange.com for free resources and articles like:

Social Skills Children Need to Make and Keep Friends by Karen Stephens
Glorious mud: The cheapest, friendliest art material in the world by Kiko Denzer
Challenging behavior by Roslyn Duffy
Challenging behavior: Step by step sifting — part 1 by Roslyn Duffy
Kicked out of preschool by Readers' responses to ExchangeEveryDay
Art Projects Using Everyday Materials by Exchange Readers
When One Family Is Not Enough: The Lives of Young Children in Foster Care by Judy Harrison

The Importance of Play

Parents do not always understand the importance of play, and, in today's competitive world, the temptation is to have children stop "wasting time" and to put that time to what they believe is more constructive use.

But for a child, there is no more constructive activity than play. Play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child.

What do children learn from play? It allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development and paves the way for learning. Children who play regularly tend to perform better in mathematics and reading in comparison to those who have fewer opportunities to play.

Read more at The Centre for Family Literacy

The Fussy Baby Site

Do you have a fussy baby or spirited child? The Fussy Baby Site is a lifesaver for support and information.

http://www.thefussybabysite.com

Raising Children Network

This is Australian website is one of the best available. It has free parenting videos and lots of evidence-based research behind it.

http://raisingchildren.net.au/

Songs

Enjoy the long-awaited sun and join the children in some musical celebrations! We have included a songs and musical instrument package for you.

Growing Poems

Cultivating Creativity and Communication Skills through Garden-Inspired Poetry

http://kidsgardening.com/

Children and the Holidays

Chef Solus Holiday Cookbook for Kids (pdf)
How to Include a Toddler in Preparing Holiday Meals (pdf)
Ideas for Winter Activities (pdf)
Holiday Behavioral Problems - And How to Avoid Them (pdf)

Listening to Baby (DVD)

This is an interactive DVD about the importance of supporting attachment by noticing, understanding, and responding with sensitivity to babies' cues.

This DVD is a rich and multifaceted teaching tool developed primarily for a parent audience but with potential to be used in education and other settings. Messages are told mostly in the voices of parents and illustrated by beautiful images of their babies, from 2 weeks to 16 months of age connecting to their parents in the 'dance' of communication.

This DVD can be ordered from The Attachment Network.