Next time you have family game night, mix up the rules a bit and come up with your own “house rules.” From the ligit to the silly, everyone (parents, grandparents, kids, babysitters, etc) can each make up one rule (from the legit "draw two cards" to the silly "do a happy dance when you land on Park Place.") Allowing kids to make their own rules and having them follow through, allows them to feel both empowered and, when they help make the rules, they're more apt to follow them.

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This is something that you can do whether your kids spend their days with you or another caregiver. After lunch is a great time to schedule a regular, daily, reading siesta. If your kids are young, read a story out loud to them at this time. Older children can use this time to read on their own. If you can, try to model the importance of reading by picking up a book for yourself at the same time.

When using the potty to toilet train, please keep it in the bathroom so that it serves its proper purpose. Leaving it in the family room or in the kitchen will only turn it into a throne on which your child will hold court whilst watching the telly or having a snack. Keeping it in the right place will insure your child knows the training toilet serves one purpose and one purpose only!

I Spy is a great game to play with little ones to keep them distracted during everything from long car trips to when they might be on the verge of a meltdown. But take it a step further and incorporate a theme to the game depending on what they are working on in school: numbers, letters, shapes, colors. It will allow them the opportunity to connect what they’re learning in the classroom with what they see out in the world…