Parenting Tips of the Day

12/1: Favorite outings can be perfect gifts.

A reader learns to change her expectations about the gifts that excite her child. Continued

12/2: Find a gift that delights your child, traditional or not.

I asked you to share the best gift your child has received, and reader Cathy made a suggestion that took me back to the days when we used to give my son a box full of shopping bags because that's what delighted him. Continued

12/3: Personalize a picture frame for a special teacher.

I asked for your gift ideas for teachers, therapists, and other special school people, and reader Suzi contributed a great idea for personalizing picture frames with puzzle pieces. Continued

12/4: Color-code containers for kids with Celiac Disease.

I asked for your advice for parents dealing with a new diagnosis, and reader Annie offered a good suggestion for kids with Celiac Disease. Continued

12/7: Send a greeting that speaks to your family's experience.

I've created a set of downloadable, printable holiday cards featuring my Special-Needs Christmas Carols. The cards feature the carol lyrics on the front and a selection of sentiments for inside, ranging from humorous messages to a simple "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" to a blank version for penning your own punchline. Continued

12/8: Download your 2010 Love Notes calendar.

The year is drawing to a close scary fast, but though I'm not organized about all the things I have to do this holiday season, I am organized about one thing: I've already posted my Love Notes Calendar pages for 2010. Continued

12/9: Join the January About.com Parenting Blog Carnival.

Need an idea for a New Year's resolution? Here's something to resolve: Promise yourself you'll participate in the About.com All About Parenting blog carnival for January. Continued

12/10: Print a mini-poster or certificate for a holiday teacher gift.

if you're in need of something special (and easy and cheap) to give to a special teacher, try something from my Teacher Appreciation gallery that includes a Very Special Teacher certificate, a mini-poster listing the "Top 10 Signs That You Are a Great Teacher," and a certificate acknowledging that you've praised the teacher on my Readers Respond page for positive school stories. Continued

12/11: Book offers tips on promoting social interaction.

Helping our children find social lives is a big challenge for parents of kids with special needs -- it's been a thriving topic on the forum for quite a while. So when I read some ideas on promoting socialization in this week's featured book, Managing Family Meltdown: The Low Arousal Approach and Autism, I was eager to share themContinued

12/14: Use recess time to build social interaction.

I asked for your ideas for promoting social interaction for kids with special needs, and reader NorwayMom shared a novel use for recess time. Continued