A Few of My Favorite (Kid) Things

When embarking on becoming a parent, there a many things others don't tell you. Things you need, things you don't.

Now that my son is over two years old, I thought I would share a few things that made the first two years go by more smoothly.

Learn Along Leap

This toy was often a life saver when K was younger. As soon as he started to hear the high-decibel alphabet, his cries would wind down. Now, he still loves it, but he sings along with the alphabet. What can I say, if a green little frog helped him learn his ABC's -- I'm all for it.

Swaddling

Swaddling was such an important aspect of early care for us. For K to fall comfortably asleep, he had to be swaddled. True, you feel like your turning your kid into a burrito, but it does wonders. And more sleep for them means more sleep for you. An essential lesson in early parenting. If you do nothing else, learn how to swaddle. (Men seem to have an easier time with this, and that held true for us, too.)

Balls

Okay, my son has every different type of ball imaginable -- rubber balls, soccer balls, baseballs, footballs. But he has so much fun with all the different balls and playing with mommy and daddy that you just can't deny it becomes fun for you to.

Imagination

You will need to be okay with acting a fool and just having fun. Getting down to your kids level is a number one rule to successful parenting. I, of course, read all the books, still read the magazines. But you have to savor and enjoy every minute with your precious children. It goes by so fast, and nothing in my life is more enjoyable than the time I spend with my family.