Your Child, Ages 0-6

Dear Parents,

Are you having trouble finding reliable childcare? We have advice about in-home childcare, out-of-home options, and childcare monitoring solutions to meet your family's needs.

Do your baby's gurgles sound like budding lingual genius to you? Relish your baby's first words as you follow our suggestions to help him communicate and build vocabulary.

Also in this issue, we have lots of fun activities to keep your children entertained on rainy days: hunt for treasure, build with paper bag blocks, or make an indoor sandbox for your child.

From the Editors at FamilyEducation.com

Childcare
Consider your childcare options and decide what's best for your family.

Childcare Decisions for New Moms Your Family's Need for Childcare Can You Afford to Stay at Home? Calculator Childcare Outside the Home In-Home Childcare Au Pairs Day Care Centers & Preschools Family Daycare

Using Relatives as Childcare Givers Hiring an In-Home Childcare Provider In-Home Childcare Employment Issues Evaluating Out-of-Home Childcare Monitoring the Childcare Situation Harmful or Abusive Childcare Situations More on Childcare

Baby Talk
Teach your baby to speak using our activities and advice.

Benefits of Baby Talk Teaching Your Baby to Speak Benefits of Talking to Your Baby Your Baby's First Words Bilingual Babies

Reading Aloud to Your Baby Two-Year-Old Still Not Speaking Picture Books that Help Kids Talk Baby Talk Milestones

Rainy Day Fun
Make good use of a rainy day by playing indoor games with your child.

Top 10 Materials to Have on Hand What's Missing? Memory Game Indoor Obstacle Course Red Light/Green Light Indoor Sandbox Taste Testing Through the Tunnel

Paper Bag Blocks Indoor Treasure Hunt Fishing Indoor Tent Newspaper Golf Blind Penny Hunt More Rainy Day Activities

Introducing FE Blogs!
We're proud to present two new parenting blogs on FamilyEducation.com: Aliki McElreath's Professor Mom chronicles and Todd Lieman's Skadaddle.

I still sometimes bridle a bit when family members step in with parenting advice, and I certainly tense up when a stranger tries to step in and parent my own kids, even if for a minute or two.
-- Aliki McElreath, Professor Mom. Read more!

Top 10 Most Fascinating Pets
Want something more exciting than an ordinary dog or cat for your family pet? How about a pig, a squirrel, or even a chipmunk? Check out our list of top 10 most fascinating pets to find a unique furry friend to join your family.

Predict Your Child's Height!
Try our Child Height Predictor to calculate how your little one will measure up.

Liven Up Your Desktop
RSS is a way of bringing fresh content directly to your desktop. FamilyEducation.com has launched three great new RSS feeds: Daily Printables for Ages 4-6, Daily Printables for Ages 7-11, and Daily Games and Quizzes. Get your free subscriptions today!

		Join in this discussion on our Message Boards about transitions in babysitting: "I babysit my 2-year-old granddaughter 2 days a week...Lately when her mom comes home from work, Marlena is happy to see her mom, but that suddenly turns into anger at her mom. It seems as if her behavior is worse when I am in the room...Then when I get ready to leave, Marlena doesn't want to give me a kiss or hug goodbye...." -- Marlena's Grammy

Birthday Gift Giving Guide
Finding that special birthday gift no longer has to be stressful. These lists of top ten birthday gift ideas for kids ages 0-5 will stimulate your creativity. Plus we have unique ideas for baby's first birthday.

Is Your Home Energy-Efficient?
An energy-efficient home can save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs, while doing some good for the environment. Find out if your home is energy-efficient, and then get energy-saving tips to cut down on your bills.

Children's Product & Toy Recalls
Stay informed and protect your child's safety -- find the latest product and toy recalls that have been announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.