The Gerber Life Parenting Blog

The joys of becoming a parent and moving from “me” to “us” and “we” can be an incredible moment for many people. Along with the joys of new parenthood comes a growing sense of responsibilities, some of them obvious. Your newborn needs constant care – the need to be fed and bathed and looked after at all times. Other responsibilities can be less obvious, such as the importance of financial and estate planning.

As your family grows, financial security becomes more of a priority as you aim to make sure that your loved ones have money to meet basic needs, no matter what happens to you.

Here are three ways to start building family financial security:

Many children love to play in the sand. With summer more than half a year away, the weather in your area may still be too cold to make playing in the sandbox a possibility (no matter how much your child may beg or plead!). With a little creativity, though, you can bring the fun of sand indoors for your child.

This simple sand art project uses basic materials and allows your child to create a colorful, three-dimensional project that could make a wonderful new decoration for his or her bedroom or somewhere else in your home.

Ready to get started with this easy sand art project?

Help your child prepare a “welcome home” for the birds next spring with this fun DIY craft – making a birdhouse from an empty eggnog or milk carton.

This project requires saving in advance some empty eggnog, milk or juice cardboard cartons. Use a half-gallon size for a roomier abode. After the carton is empty, wash it well with soapy water, drain, and dry thoroughly. If the carton has a pouring spout, be sure to save the cap; it’s a good idea to keep extra, pre-cleaned cartons on hand, just in case.

Until recently, writing a letter – handwritten or typed – was a primary way for keeping in touch with loved ones, or even anybody. Today’s advancements in communications technology provide many other ways to do so, which unfortunately has meant that writing a letter sometimes falls by the wayside.

Nevertheless, writing a letter still has its place and its advantages, including showing that one knows how to show politeness, respect, appropriate etiquette, knowledge and education, and/or warmth and especial regard for a person. Sometimes writing a letter still can make a difference in social circles and in landing a new job.

Do your kids know how to write a letter?

Our accompanying infographic breaks down the components of letter-writing for kids, including the five parts of a friendly letter and how to address an envelope.

Year-end holiday celebrations may involve traditions specific to your family or town or region or country. They provide a wonderful opportunity for teaching children about their heritage – and about holiday traditions around the world.

Flip through the following images with your child for a glimpse of some holiday traditions in other parts of the globe.