Ever feel like you’re spending a small fortune to get your kids ready for school each year? You’re not wrong. With new shoes, backpacks, uniforms, and a long list of supplies (including those binders!), it can be an expensive season. But it doesn’t have to break your bank account. In fact, when it comes to…
Family Life
Your Picks: Amazon Prime Favorites for Your Vacation or Staycation
Are you traveling or entertaining kids at home this month? Your fellow Between Carpools readers have some Amazon Prime picks for you. A while back, we asked our Instagram followers for their favorite 3 items they buy on Amazon. The response was so overwhelming that it took us a while to sort through all your…
What’s a Bored Jar? Here’s Why You Need One for Your Kids
There isn’t a mom that doesn’t hear, “Ma, I’m bored…” at least multiple times a day. You can make the ‘Bored Jar’ a solution for your child or family. A few years ago I saw the idea for creating a “Bored Jar” all over Pinterest. Bored Jars are for kids who are, well, bored. I…
10 Must-Know Tips for Parents Over Summer Vacation
Kids home for too many days on end? Make those summer vacation days enjoyable for both of you and maintain a great attitude. Sometimes, a parent’s feeling towards summer vacation can be the opposite of their child’s. If your child thinks, “I never want it to end!,” a parent could think, “When will it end?……
New Baby? Make Sure Your Baby is Safe with This Nanny Checklist.
If you’re considering hiring a baby nurse/nanny to help care for your newborn, be vigilant and make sure you and your agency have taken care of these essential responsibilities. I called the owner of a reputable nanny agency to learn: What should we expect from a referring agency? And what is our responsibility to do?…
Get Your Kids to Pack Their Own Camp Bags (Free Download!)
Summer is here. School is out and camp is in. And with camp comes camp bags. Endless packing and unpacking (and washing) of swimwear, water bottles, etc. Want some help with this task? Enlist your kids. Even the littlest ones can use our picture packing list as a guide to get their bags packed every…
Do You Miss Your Kids in Camp Already? These Personalized Camp Blankets Are the Gift They’ll Remember Forever
It’s cuddly and soft, and it’ll remind them of summer days for years to come. We love everything about these personalizable camp blankets. So, if your kids left to camp this week, you just might not miss them already. But if you’re thinking you’ll want to send them a message in a couple of weeks…
Do You Worry When Your Child Goes Off to Camp?
Every parent has concerns about their child’s safety when they go to sleepaway camp, especially if it’s the first time. Here’s the ABC’s of keeping your child safe. Based on a handout and child safety workshop given by Magen Yeladim International, Child Safety Institute (magenyeladim.org). A. Acquire Information About the Camp [Note: While “A” is…
6 Cheap Date Ideas to Enjoy with Your Husband
Can’t get out? Find it out of budget? Still, it’s important for you and your husband to find time to spend alone. Here are 6 date night ideas that make it possible. You say you don’t have time for a date. You don’t have extra money. You are tired…or there is nothing exciting to do…
5 Activities Parents Can Do to Improve Their Children’s Reading Skills Over the Summer
Don’t let your primary and first-grade children lose the reading skills they gained over the school year during the summertime. As a busy reading specialist in Lakewood, I often hear the following from parents: “My child made so much progress in her reading abilities during the school year; I’m worried that now she will lose…
