KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND PARENTING Archives from WhatsUpFagans.com

Why You Should Let the Kids be Loud!

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Today I'm guest posting for my friend Amanda of Dirt & Boogers, because she's busy moving and packing right now. Hopefully I'll actually get to meet her in real life this weekend though. She'll be guest posting for me here in a few months once I have a new baby. Check out my full post here on why you should let the kids be loud. Below is ...

It’s Never Too Early to Talk About Sex with Your Kids

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Parents today have a greater responsibility than ever to talk to their children about sex, intimacy, proper body images, privacy, sacredness, and what is right and wrong at young ages. While I don't necessarily believe the world is full of more child molesters and sexual predators than ever before, it is teeming with people who do not have a ...

Be a Learning Hero – Answering Your Common Core Questions

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Knowledge is power. When you know more, you can prepare more. You can make informed decisions. You can advocate better for your child. Many parents and their children now are facing standardized tests, and new ways of doing things as part of the Common Core Standards. And it's all very confusing. As a parent, I want to know what my children would ...

How did baby get in your tummy? 6 Tips for Having “The Talk” with a Preschooler

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We are trying to keep open dialogues in our house, and to answer questions as they come up from our children. But, this sometimes makes for awkward conversations and lots of talk about private parts and maturing into adults with my kids. Now that I am pregnant with baby number four, we've had to have a certain talk with our inquisitive four year ...

Celebrate the Sleeping Beauty DVD Release from the Vault!

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. #CollectiveBias and its advertiser #DisneyBeauties. All opinions are mine alone. With twin daughters, wanting to be pink, frilly, and a princess, is a very real thing around my house. While I'm not one to encourage such things, I'm not really trying to discourage it either. I say, let them ...

How to Turn a Train Table into a Frozen Playscape

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Today is a guest post by my Indianapolis blog friend Jill. She has some awesomely creative ways of making your child's train table a winterscape playset perfect for a Disney's Frozen Playscape! She's sharing how to upcycle your son’s Train Table into a Frozen Playset for your daughter. My affiliate links are used in this post. I have a 9-year-old ...

What I Learned From Working as a Test Evaluator

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I temporarily reentered the workforce for six weeks to work part-time, evenings, as a test evaluator at McGraw-Hill in Indianapolis. I spent 4.5 hours each night reading and assigning scores for state's standardized tests. The work was boring, like watching paint dry is more exciting, boring. And staring at computer screens, trying to decipher ...

Apparoo App of the Week – Tic Toc Time

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This post is sponsored by Apparoo. From a kid’s perspective, time is a bizarre concept: there are 60 seconds and 60 minutes, but 12 hours... unless there are 24! And phrases like ‘a quarter til’ and ‘half past’ that we take for granted just seem to make their brains melt. Thank goodness for this week's Apparoo App of the week! The Apparoo App of ...

Why Kids Should Plan Their Own Birthday Parties

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I love birthday parties! I love going to them, I love planning them, and I love hosting them. From the theme to the games and even the cake I think it’s the best fun. However, it’s a lot of work to put on a birthday party! (Right?!?) There are the invitations, decorations, organization, clean-up, and so much more. And while I love doing it, I ...

Apparoo App of the Week – Rio Read and Play

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This post is sponsored by Apparoo and contains an affiliate link. Trying to find great apps for moms or kids can be hard with so many available options. It leaves you wondering which ones are really worth your time and your money? That's why I've partnered with Apparoo - the app discovery service for busy moms. Each week for the next several ...

The Age of Imagination – Pretend Play

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It's here: The age of imagination. My twin daughters have been pretending and imagining for a while, probably since about their third birthday, but now at 3.5 years old, they are in a full-blown imagination stage. And I love and hate it. The Importance of Pretend Play I have read many articles and books boasting the benefits of imaginary play. ...

10 Tips for Selecting the Best Bunk Bed for Your Kids – Bunk Bed Buying Guide

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With the arrival of a third child quickly arriving in only two months time, my husband and I needed to figure out sleeping arrangements in our three bedroom apartment. Our twin daughters had been sleeping on their crib mattresses on the floor of their bedroom for months. We wanted to use one of the crib mattresses for our newborn son's crib and ...