It’s no doubt that our children become our world and we want the best-of-the-best for them. But what happens when the best happens to be just mediocre? Many times our expectations will fall short, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make adjustments to course correct. My daughter is 3-going-on-13 (I mean, about to turn 4) and we have switched her preschool 3 times already. I’ve learned a lot in my search for the perfect preschool, so take a lesson out of my book. These are the top things to consider when picking a great preschool for your little one.

Has your child been selected (or is thinking of trying out) for a “rep” team? Also called “travel” or “club” teams, these programs offer a more competitive experience than a local “house league.”

Is your baby up all day? Up all night? Is “napping” a word that left your vocabulary ages ago? Is “sleeping through the night” just a phrase you think someone made up to drive new parents crazy? Here are nine signs you need a little help with your little one’s sleep habits!

I’m a big believer in thank you gifts at the end of the school year. And not just because I used to be a teacher. I’ve given gifts of appreciation to coaches, babysitters, and swimming instructors, too.

At some point or another, most of us have yelled at our kids (and yes – we all know it doesn’t help!). As Steven Marche from the New York Times points out bluntly, “Yelling may be the most widespread parental stupidity around today.”

It feels awful. The guilt is real. After our anger has erupted, what comes next? How do we recover, and conduct ourselves afterward?