Archive: Parents

Top 5 iPhone Apps for Moms

5.        Mom’s Daily Planner: All-In-One Organizer

Price: Free, $4.99 for premium

Parenting can be a lot like the circus: messy, loud and full of juggling and balancing acts. Download the Mom’s Daily Planner app to help keep the chaos in order. This organizational tool offers shopping and to-do lists that users can color-code, set due dates for and cross off completed tasks. The included calendar comes with alarms and can sync with other calendars such as iCal, Google Calendar and Hotmail Calendar. Just because parenting is chaotic, doesn’t mean your life has to be.

Download app

4.        The Mommy Playbook Forums

Price: Free

Use this forum to talk to other moms and moms-to-be throughout the entire process, starting with trying to get pregnant, all the way through parenting toddlers. Ask questions, share funny stories and upload photos from iPhones. The Mommy Playbook Forums creates a community that helps one another through the challenging world of parenting.

Download app

3.         I’m Expecting Pregnancy App

Price: Free

Moms-to-be can track their pregnancies using MedHelp’s I’m expecting iPhone application. Compare symptoms with other moms-to-be and photograph a growing baby bump. Keep track of gained weight and find out if it’s too much, too little or right on target. Interact with other pregnant woman by posting and answering questions within the health community. Finally, store doctor information and appointments for easy access and organization.

Download app

2.         Life360 Family Locator

Price: Free

Life360 Family Locator helps moms keep their ducks in a row. Keep tabs on all family members and view their locations on the app’s map. View safety points or threats near users and send panic alerts to notify loved ones of any dangers. The group messaging feature also helps keep everyone on the same page for after-school schedules, pick-up duties and family dinners.

Download app

1.        SnipSnap Coupon App

Price: Free

This application helps busy moms save money without carrying around wallet-fulls of coupon clippings. Simply scan any coupon into the app’s database on your phone. Tired of missing out on deals because of expired coupons? SnipSnap Coupon App sends expiration alerts! Plus, the app will send a push notification when a store with coupons is entered so deals are never lost in the shuffle. Share savings via email, Facebook or Twitter so other moms won’t miss out.

Download app

Getting ready for Halloween: Preschool Activity Roundup

Frankenstein Pumpkin Design

Tissue Paper Ghosts

Vampire Pumpkin Design

Googly-Eye Pumpkin

Our Latest Preschool Activities

We’ve had a lot of fun lately doing activities with the kiddos and wanted to share them with you. Try our latest preschool activities with your kids this weekend or after school!

Learn how to draw your hand in 3D using this simple optical illusion technique.

Painting with balloons gives your child a new squishy, flexible tool to work with.

A bunch of ideas for teaching your child about the five senses.

Recipe for how to make flubber.  This stuff has an amazing consistency and isn’t as messy as it looks. :)

This is an adorable printmaking idea that your kids will love.  I want to try this on canvas next time!

Fun little science project that’s easy, you probably have everything you need on hand, and the kids get to keep their experiment to play with.

We made this as a gift for my mother’s garden.  She loved it and was surprised at how easy it was to replicate this project.

I am totally fascinated by spin art.  My kids could do it for hours because each piece turns out different.

Cute printable coloring page for your little friendship bracelet makers.  Just in time to start the school year.

Looking for a gift idea for grandparents?  This one is perfect.  Click through to see how to make this reverse hand print artwork.

Also be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest to get your daily preschool activities!

List of Special Needs Preschools and Child Care Centers in Chicago

Here is our most recent list of preschools and child care centers who offer special needs support in the Chicago, IL area.

Easter Seals Gilchrist-Marchman Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 6 weeks to 12 years

McKinley Roseland Head Start | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 5 years

Bridgeport Child Development Center II | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 2 years to 11 years

McKinley Trumbull Park Day Care | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 5 years

Firman Community Services Day Care | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 5 years

Firman Community Services Daycare Rec. Program | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 5 years

Firman Community Services | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 2 years to 12 years

McKinley Ersula Howard Child | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 17 years

Cyc Abc Polk Brothers Youth Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 12 years

Marcy-Newberry Association Newberry Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 5 years to 13 years

Marcy-Newberry Association Marcy Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 2 years to 13 years

Englewood – Messiah Head Start | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 2 years to 5 years

The Guadalupe Reyes Children & Family Care | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 weeks to 5 years

Loren Children Learning Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 1 year to 6 years

El Valor Carlos H Cantu Child & Family Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 weeks to 5 years

YMCA Marshall Family Development Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 6 weeks to 3 years

Marcy-Newberry Association Austin Town Hall | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 5 years

YMCA Garfield Early Head Start | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 2 years to 5 years

Daley Child Development Center – Child Care Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 10 years

Ada S Mckinley Maggie Drummond Mem DCC | Learn more about this center here

Albany Park Headstart | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 5 years

Firman Community Services South | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 2 years to 12 years

Ada S. Mckinley Wright Renaissance Child Care Center | Learn more about this center here
Accepts children ages 3 years to 17 years

Little Minds, Big Development

Early Childhood Brain Development

We believe early education and care is important – that’s pretty obvious. But, even with all the time we’ve spent around early education and care, we are still amazed at the power of a child’s mind. It is what makes early education so important. The Harvard Center on the Developing Child has a great graph that reminded me how truly amazing these little minds are if we nurture them right.

Early education matters

How are you fueling your child’s development?

It starts early

A great infographic pointing out how critical early education is in a child’s development. Today, there is not enough focus on these important years. The good news is there are a ton of simple activities and ways parents and educators can help build a child’s foundation.

Special Needs Preschools in Brooklyn New York

We’ve been getting requests for resources on special need preschools, so I would like to start compiling lists to make it easier for parents.  You may also go directly to MomTrusted.comto search for special needs preschools in your area. Just enter your zip code, then select the special needs and preschool checkboxes on the map page.

Here’s the preschool list for Brooklyn. Click on the Preschool Name to learn more about them.

The Child Study Center of New York– 167-171 Clermont Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205

The Children’s Center For Early Learning– 83 Marlborough Road, Brooklyn, NY 11226

The Guild For Exceptional Children– 1273 57 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219

Yaled V’ Yalda Early Childhood Center– 563 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Yelad V’ Yalda Head Start– 600 Mcdonald Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218

Yeled V’ Yalda Early Head Start– 1263 38th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11218

Yeled V’ Yalda Early Childhood– 6012 Farragut Road, Brooklyn, NY 11236

Yeled V’ Yalda Early Childhood Center– 2166 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11223

Yeled V’ Yalda Gan Ysroel Head Start– 3909 15 Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218

Yeled V’ Yalda Head Start– 1353 50 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219

Yeled V’ Yalda Head Start– 4206 15 Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219

Yeled V’ Yalda Head Start– 6002 Farragut Road, Brooklyn, NY 11236

Yeled V’ Yalda Head Start– 1601 42nd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11204

Yeled V’ Yalda Early Childhood Center– 204 Keap Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Yeled V’ Yalda Early Childhood Center– 407 East 53 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11203

Yeled V’ Yalda Early Childhood Center– 5110 18 Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11204

Yeled V’ Yalda Early Head Start– 6012 Farragut Road, Brooklyn, NY 11236

Yeled V’ Yalda Head Start– 12 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Yeled V’ Yalda Head Start– 667 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213

Kings Bay YM-YWHA– 3495 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11229

Kingsbay Y Afterschool Annex– 3043 Avenue W 1st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11229

A.M.A. Family Daycare– 350 East 9th st., Brooklyn, NY 11218