Blog - A Fine Parent

100+ Popular Gifts for Infants and Toddlers (Ages 0 – 3 Years Old)

by Mindy Carlson.
(This article is part of the Gift Guides series. Get free article updates here.)

Buying gifts for my kids, nieces, nephews and my kids’ friends is something I both love absolutely and dread fiercely…

My problem is, I get sucked into hopping from one popular toy to another and looking at the reviews forever.

If you don’t want to go down that path this holiday season, we’ve done the work for you!

Here are the most popular gifts for your little ones, their friends, nieces, nephews, grandkids and more.

And the best part?

They are all from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating from tons of reviews and most are available through Prime shipping, so even if you are shopping at the very last minute, you might still be able to get them in time!

Many of these I gave to my own children. A lot of them I specifically picked because we use them in the toddler room at my Montessori Preschool (the ones for ages 3+ are used with supervision). Some of these are “classic” enough that you may have played with them when you were a toddler!
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100+ Popular Gifts for Preschoolers (Ages 3 – 5 Years Old)

by Mindy Carlson.
(This article is part of the Gift Guides series. Get free article updates here.)

I don’t know about you, but it seems like lately I spend half my time searching Amazon for the perfect gift for my kids, or nieces and nephews, or my kids’ friends. It is enjoyable, but I have one major problem.

My problem is, I get sucked into hopping from one popular toy to another and looking at the reviews forever.

Suddenly two hours are gone from my day and I still don’t know what to buy.

So we at AFineParent.com decided to do the work for you!

Here is a list of the most popular gifts for your little ones, their friends, nieces, nephews, grandkids and more.

And the best part?

Many of these I gave to my own children. A lot of them I specifically picked because we use them in the primary class of my Montessori preschool. Some of these are “classic” enough that you may have played with them when you were little!

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100+ Popular Gifts for Elementary School Kids (Ages 6 – 11 Years Old)

by Mindy Carlson.
(This article is part of the Gift Guides series. Get free article updates here.)

There are so many toys out there.

So. Many.

So just how do you know that this toy is the right toy for your beloved little son, daughter, niece, nephew, cousin, godchild, or grandchild?

Because we’ve done the work for you!

And the best part?

All these toys are from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating from tons of reviews and most are available through Prime shipping, so even if you are shopping at the very last minute, you might still be able to get them in time!

Many of these I gave to my own children. Some of these are “classic” enough that you may have played with them when you were a kid!

[Read more…]

100+ Popular Gifts for Middle School Kids (Ages 11 – 14 Years Old)

by Mindy Carlson.
(This article is part of the Gift Guides series. Get free article updates here.)

It was so easy to buy my kids toys when they were younger, but when they became middle schoolers I had no idea what they wanted!

Well, I did know they wanted tech, but wasn’t there other kinds of toys and gifts that middle schoolers would love?

So we did a ton of research.

I found gifts to encourage creativity, learning, self-discovery, reading, healthy eating, parent-child connection, and outdoor play.

And the best part?

All these are from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating from tons of reviews and most are available through free 2-day prime shipping, so even if you are shopping at the very last minute, you might still be able to get them in time!
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How to Encourage Your Picky Eaters to Eat

by Kristin Khan.
(This article is part of the Positive Parenting FAQ series. Get free article updates here.)

Oh, the things we believe before we have children!

My kids won’t be picky eaters.

They won’t live off fruit snacks and goldfish crackers.

My kids will joyfully eat everything I give them, and I’ll only give them healthy, organic, free-range, no additive, locally grown foods from BPA-free containers.

That soooo did not happen for me.

I tried to do all the right things and follow all the advice. I ate a wide variety of food when I was pregnant and nursing, so my baby would experience the flavor of different foods. I made homemade baby food, often using fruits and vegetables that I’d never tried before just to develop their palate.

It was fun and easy. Everything was going great. I had two babies who happily ate everything for the first year and a half.

Then, they became toddlers (I’m pretty sure a lot of horror stories begin that way). When my son started pushing, or rather, throwing, food off his plate, I realized I needed to get creative if I was going to continue feeding him healthy meals.

I was surprised by how quickly my son’s preferences changed. However, experts are not. In the journal, Frontiers in Pediatrics, Dr. Jason Lam reminds us that, “Picky eating is a relatively common behavioral problem that most children will eventually outgrow. Its roots stem from both environmental and genetic influences.”

Knowing it was a stage, like all others that arise in parenting, encouraged me to persevere and not take it personally. I didn’t fail as a parent… I just had to come up with a new plan.

To be the positive parent you’ve always wanted to be, click here to get our FREE mini-course How to Be a Positive Parent.

Dr. Lam advises, “Repeated exposure to new food in a non-coercive manner and in an environment that is both fun and rewarding may help overcome picky eating. Patience, time, and repetition may be the keys to success.”

After experimenting with my first son, I was more prepared once my younger son started rejecting foods, though I still had to modify some of my strategies. I also found I had to continue being creative to keep my older son interested in a variety of foods and not stuck in a beige colored food rut.

For our family, these 6 tricks, some of them a bit off-the-wall, worked best –

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