​As a former daycare teacher, I learned so many things about the growth and development of a child.  I helped out in the infant room where we took care of babies just 6 weeks old.  I worked my way up room by room and age by age.  I attended school toward my degree and I also took day classes to keep up with the research and development of care and procedures.  I worked my way up to the school age classroom where I did the after school program and summer school program.  It was a wonderful experience for me and I loved to see the children grow and learn.

​What I missed during my years at the daycare was the opportunity to share God’s Word and His Love with the children there.  We were so focused on their physical well-being and because it was a public daycare, we were not allowed to focus on the children’s spiritual well-being.

​​While it is most important to know that the children are growing in faith, I would like to share some ideas on how to help their physical development.  Working in the daycare field helped me put a lot of these tips and tricks into practice and it was fun to see the children learning through play.

There are endless ideas out there on helping your children develop specific skills.  Everything from fine motor skills like putting puzzle pieces in place to large motor skills like running and jumping should be considered.  You can find various websites for specific skills but you are welcome to check out a website I found that has many different tips and ideas to help your child grow and develop physically and mentally.  There are many different links on The Imagination Tree webpage so have some fun and try a few of these out with your little ones!  If you don’t have little ones of your own, share this page with other young moms or use these ideas for grandchildren, friends, nieces and nephews.  The children will have fun and you will know that you helped with their growth!

​God’s Blessings on your journey with His precious little ones!  May they grow strong in faith and body.

​The residents at New Beginnings are influenced by mentors that appear in the staff, teachers, volunteers, and many others who are able to help them learn how they can reach their full potential.  All of these people are working together in their lives so that the residents can be successful and reach the goals the program sets for them, along with reaching their personal goals.  Each person is dedicating their time and energy in order to make the journeys of the residents as smooth as possible.  

​When I started at New Beginnings my goal was to really be able to say that I inspired the residents in a way that led to a perceivable change, but recently I realized that they were having the same effect on me.  Some people might think that the residents are the only ones who are benefitting from New Beginnings, but I know that that is not true. In fact, the staff at New Beginnings is touched by the residents in different but equal ways.  Whether residents ask thought-provoking questions during devotions, display great diligence in achieving their goals, or persevere through their obstacles, they have the ability to inspire me and the rest of the staff members every day.  There are so many instances and circumstances where both staff and residents are able to see that God has plans for New Beginnings, and that his will is being done here. God has blessed me through everyone at New Beginnings, and this experience has allowed me to really appreciate New Beginnings and everyone who is involved in the organization. 

​How can I help my baby become a good sleeper?  What can I do to help my baby fall asleep? What sleep strategies can I try? 

​Getting your baby to sleep can be a challenge and it is often the number one concern of parents. Even though there isn’t any sure way to get your baby to sleep, there are some things you can do to ease your mind and help the process along.   

​After 3 months, babies will sleep 13 to 15 hours a day, some more or less than others. Babies will also need naps from 2 to 4 times a day, so just remember not to let your baby nap too close to bedtime.

​Between 3 to 18 months, the baby learns to soothe himself to sleep.  Place your baby down to sleep when he is drowsy but awake.  Babies need to be able to fall asleep independently so that they can self- soothe when they wake in the middle of the night. Once your baby sleeps through the night, you can put him to sleep in his own room.

Just remember, babies don’t naturally take to sleeping through the night.  

Consistency is key.  Sleep is a learned skill and it isn’t learned overnight.

When you hear the word Mother, who do you think of?  It might be the woman who gave birth to you.  It might be the woman who raised you.  Does it make you think of a woman who was always there for you? Or perhaps someone who wasn't really there for you much, but worked all the time to help pay the bills? 

Okay, so clearly Beaver had some interesting ideas of what being a woman is all about...

If you watch the nightly family sitcoms on television or if you ever go on the popular website Pinterest, you will see all sorts of unspoken rules or standards that mothers today are set against.  Married mothers, single mothers, working mothers, and stay at home mothers all have standards to live up to. Often it is the mother's job to take care of the house.  The shopping, cooking, cleaning, planning, and laundry for the family all lay on the mother.  According to The United States Department of Labor website, almost 70% of mothers with children under the age of 18 years of age are working either full-time or part-time. So now they, like many others, have to balance the home chores with a job.

Let's throw kids into that factor now.  After all, this is what makes them mothers.  Child-rearing is a huge job in itself.  Everything from waking with the child at night for diaper changes and feedings, teaching them how to take care of themselves as they get older, helping with homework, carpooling to sports, attending school meetings, and helping them cope with the changes through life is a job a mother often takes on herself.  Knowing who her children's friends are and keeping her children safe, what they like and what they do in their free time, and the children's hopes and dreams are all things that a mother needs to know.  Basically, a mother is supposed to have it all and do it all.

All of this is quite overwhelming.  How can a single person live up to these standards all the time?  I know that I fall short as a working mom.  I struggle with juggling a job, housework and the kids.  I feel like during their teenage years is when they need a mom more than ever to be there for them.  My house should be clean for when they want to have friends over and my responsibility to my job is very important to me.  I think that all moms struggle and become stressed out with the responsibilities of being a mother.

Now as crazy as it sounds, I would like you to take a step back and forget all of what the world thinks a mother should be and look at what God says a mother should be.  Let's look at what the Bible says children are.  ​

Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. ​

Let's remember what God says about being a mom and the role a mother should play, and everything else will fall into place.

Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.