This piece might not be coming out as I planned it on May 8th, 2015. I am dealing with a loss of a very close colleague of mine due to her “winning” over ovarian cancer along with two more issues that are personal in my life. I am not giving an excuse; rather, I am trying to accept that “life happens”, and when “life happens”, more often than not, all we can do is to accept and move on ( and I am biting my tongue while writing the sentence). I am trying to move on, slower than usual,…

April is Autism Awareness Month.

Dr. Meika Roberson, Chief Medical Officer of CarePoint Health – Hoboken University Medical Center is a devoted advocate of autism awareness. Along with the staff of the dedicated Children’s section of the Emergency Department, she has been an active advocate for properly assessing and interacting with children who are on the autism spectrum and their parents.

“In the our pediatric emergency department, we…

Couple of weeks ago I posted my first blog ever, and yes, I feel contemplation and fear for two very fundamental reasons: first, I came from the culture that “speaking up, especially women” is not necessarily good, and second, as I have high regards over words and their impacts, I feel somewhat conscious ( and yes, overly too conscious maybe) that my words are read by the unknown audience, and as the words are published, they are subjected to the many interpretations. I asked myself,…

A couple of days ago, I posted the first part of “LOGIC... an important yet undermined element in our school curriculum” series. I hope you have had a chance to read it.  I thought posting a fun logic activity will be meaningful as a follow up. I am hoping that these activities are fun and entertaining for you and family.

I am dividing the activity into three different levels: Novice, Primary, and Intermediate. I won’t give any specific of age; it is for you and…

This poem is about the best friends I always had, “BOOKS”, and the hope that my friend Augusta ( not a real name) will reconnect with her best friends very soon. Augusta is a second grader, and she feels alone...hope that won’t last...

The Rectangle Friend of Mine...

Mom, 

do you remember when I used to have so many rectangles as my friends?

those rectangles were full of…

“Here's a little known…

Question) My son is 6 years old and has got into the habit of pushing and hitting other kids when he thinks they won't listen to him.

Answer by Early Childhood Specialist from Building Healthy Minds and Happy Families:…

With so many little ones growing up in the Newport Community, we are quite familiar…

The Valentine's Day Party was wrapping up. As my husband and I grabbed coats and wiped off smudged hands, a fellow mom I'd just met said, "Thank you. Thank you for letting your daughter get messy and play on the ground. I'm just now learning that lesson myself."

I laughed and said I understood, but internally, I really appreciated her words. I know not…

Question) My older one always shows that she loves her dad more than me and uses the tactic to not listen to me. What can I do to win her over?

Answer by Early Childhood Specialist from Building Healthy Minds and Happy Families…

This weekend, my husband and children and I are spending a few days with friends who live near a ski resort. For the first time ever, Monkey is going to learn how to ski and boy, is it expensive. Since Monkey is not yet six, he has to have a private lesson, which at only $10 more than a group lesson, is going to cost around $100. I'm looking forward to seeing if Monkey enjoys skiing, but part of me is incredulous that I am spending $100 on a 90 minute class for a five year old. Some…

Today's Wall St. Journal features a great article on how to get the best jumbo mortgage rates.

In our zip code, jumbo mortgages are often the norm. While buying a home is exciting, applying for a mortgage can be very daunting. However, doing your homework, which includes improving your credit score, can make your dream home that much more affordable.

The article touches on quite a few points that should be intuitive. For example, the higher the down payment, the…

When we moved into our new house and offered to host Christmas (well, with all the different beliefs in our family, we call it Christmakkahwali) I envisioned a family trip to a tree farm where we'd drink cider and sit on bales of hay as we toured the farm to pick out our perfect tree. After the drive home, I imagined playing holiday music and the four of us wearing awful Christmas sweaters, while baking cookies and decorating the tree. In reality, it turns out that most tree farms are 45…

As a Realtor, I am often asked what the best school in this area is. Actually, choosing the right school for your child is a very personal decision. Ask me, or your friends and neighbors, and you will likely receive overwhelmingly positive feedback on their children’s school. In reality, there is no “best school in town,” only one that is the best fit for your child and your family.

Even though the school year starts after Labor Day, Open Houses for various schools start in…

Questions) My daughter is very stubborn and keeps crying for every small thing, like when hungry, tired or sad. When we try to talk to her she won’t listen. Sometimes we do give in and sometimes we loose our patience. Is it normal for a 5 year old to cry this frequently?

Answer by Early Childhood Specialist from Building Healthy Minds and Happy…

Courtesy: 

www.newportdentalarts.com

201.626.6210

I am sure you already know that children are little sponges, constantly absorbing your habits and behaviors on a daily basis. Getting your little ones started at a young age on the road to good oral hygiene is a step in the right direction for lifelong overall health.

For babies, teeth…

Holiday Season brings in the same fervor as the Diwali did back '80s and '90s. The spirit is the same - get togethers, food, new clothes and the increased zeal of people around. I remember we, cousins went berserk when it was time to go shopping for festivals. Now after more than 2 decades when  I see A, my son, going through the same phase wherein he talks about Thanksgiving and Christmas with so much enthusiasm, its nostalgia. Stories of Stony soup and Christmas are doing the rounds…

Question) It appears that my daughter has very high expectations from herself. She has to turn in the perfect piece of work or else she will not even make an attempt. It is a struggle to help her understand that it will take several attempts before you can get it right. Some examples would be she would not practice her violin lessons because she thinks it doesn't sound right when she plays. She will not…

Question) How can I get my child to stop being picky about her food?

Answer) Infant feeding patterns affect taste preferences for longer than we think. As children begin to transition to table food it’s essential to begin introducing a variety of healthy food items with different tastes and textures. For an older child whose eating habits are already established it’s a little bit harder to encourage them to eat different things. However, it is possible to…

 QUESTION FROM PARENT:

"My 21 month old baby girl started hitting everyone and is a cranky child. She does not want to share anything in playdates and starts crying . Please suggest some tips to improve her behavior."…