Services

Does your daughter like dressing up in beautiful costumes and dream of being a princess? If so, chances are she’d love a dress-up party for her next birthday. Popular for girly girls of all ages, dress up parties are not only loads of colorful, giggly fun, but they give your little princess a chance to really feel like a princess—well, at least for one afternoon. Check out these dress-up companies in New Jersey and throw that special little girl in your life a birthday party she’ll forever cherish!

‘Tis the season for holiday cards adorned with (professional) pictures of your cutie pies! Many moms today are turning to professional baby photography to capture those very special moments in their son or daughter’s lives. It’s quite common for a mommy-to-be to arrange for her newborn to be photographed by a professional, even when the infant is just days out of the womb. Professional baby photography is so popular that many New Jersey-based photographers specialize solely in children and infant photography. Read on for some of the best in NJ (and a special offer for Mommy Poppins readers!) and for some tips on how to have a great photo session experience.

I don’t know about some of you, but summer can be a very stressful time for me, when my days are dedicated to trying to figure out what to do with my boys from morning to night.  My number one priority?  Keeping them cool and happy.  My number two priority?  Keeping myself sane enough to keep them cool and happy. Anyone with a child on the Autism spectrum who can say that summer is 100% fun, please tell me your secret!

One of the positive aspects of having a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder is that there is so much support out there for you!  You just have to find it and navigating the internet through tons of websites and even more pages, tabs & links can be quite stressful.  However, the information and services you receive can actually help alleviate some of your stress, so if you’re not computer-savvy, or just can’t seem to bring yourself to spend hours looking for all these services, go to a support group.  One of your best resources is other parents who are going through the same thing, and contact with other adults is so much more beneficial than sitting in front of a computer.  Sometimes I yearn for adult conversation after being with my boys all day.  (Don’t get me wrong, I love my boys to death but sometimes it gets to the point that if I talk about Transformers one more time I’m going to completely lose it.)  There are other things I want to talk about, other people I want to talk to, and other places I want to be at times.  A support group is a really great way to do all these things, and get some inner peace and great information while you’re there! 

^{As a single mother of twin boys who are both diagnosed with PDD-NOS (AUTISM SPECTRUM) and ADHD, I have had my share of “almost to the point of having a mental breakdown” moments over the past five and a half years.  Some people say when they found out their children had an Autism Spectrum Disorder that they went through the five states of grief.  Not me.}

I was never in denial, never angry that the life I had planned for them was never going to happen, never tried to bargain with a “higher power” to make my children “typical”.  I never became grief-stricken over the loss of the quiet, polite, exceptionally smart children I thought I was going to have.  I jumped right into the “acceptance” stage and went into SuperMommy mode.  Juggling almost 36 hours of early intervention each week, washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and caring for my boys – alone – was completely overwhelming.  But I did it….. with some regrets.  My biggest one was not seeking out support from other individuals who were going through the same thing I was. For those of you facing the most challenging, yet most amazing experience of your life – raising a child with Autism – get support. Seek out those who can understand your grief and frustrations and share with you their joys and accomplishments.  You won’t regret it!