Toddlers

I have a feeling this year is going to be the year of Encanto-themed birthday parties! I mean, if you haven’t been singing “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” for the past two months straight, are you even a parent?

You wouldn’t think it would be hard to choose gifts for toddlers, but surprisingly… it is! There are so many options for gifts – books, toys, activities, etc. – and it’s hard to know what’s going to be an annoying, quickly forgotten toy, and what will be a fun, long-lasting gift.

But rest assured, everything on this list is tried and true by a real toddler and preschooler. These are the toys that my 2.5-year-old and almost 5-year-old either already have and love, or are getting this year.

Is there any greater triumph as a parent, than discovering an activity that facilitates independent play for your toddlers? I think not.

I mean, it’s bad enough that I have to come up with meal ideas to feed these kids for every single meal of every single day, but I have to entertain them too?!

Apparently, yes, according to the toddler and the preschooler. And as much as I would love to just succumb to screen time all day every day, my mom-guilt just won’t allow me to.

We’ve all heard the guidelines about screen time for toddlers, and we’ve all felt the mom-guilt when we ignore them. But it doesn’t have to be all bad – there are plenty of educational shows for toddlers and preschoolers available!

And if we’re going to be jumping ship on listening to the AAP on this one, we might as well justify it by making sure the content is educational, or at least teaching some sort of life skills, right?

I have to say, I’m generally pretty opposed to New Year’s resolutions – I think they tend to be too drastic and set you up for failure. But for moms, I think this one is an exception.

It’s not even so much a resolution as it is a promise for the year. For me, it’s mandatory this year – and I’m betting a lot of you mamas will agree.

The Only New Year’s Resolution moms need: BALANCE.