Category Archives: Parenting

Monster Pancakes

Cooking, Family Fun Leave a comment

As a mom of littles, I know how difficult meal time can be! One of the best ways to have a pleasant meal with littles is to make foods they love OR to make their food fun! I would never suggest doing this at every meal because it would definitely lead to picky eaters and a worn out mamma. But, every once in a while, I love to indulge my kiddos. So, a few weeks ago I tested out “Monster Pancakes.” They were so cute, but they were also SO EASY! And, they didn’t take anymore time than regular pancakes.

Simply mix up your favorite pancake batter. We use the 10 lb. bag of waffle and pancake mix from Sam’s Club.

Heat up the oil of your choice in a pan and pour pancake batter to desired size (we use around 1/4 cup of batter per pancake).

Quickly use red decorating gel to make a mouth. Then add candy eyes and other candies to make facial features. Use decorators sugar to give your monster “fur.” If your children are old enough to stand over a hot stove, feel free to let them decorate their own monsters for added fun!

Tip: Have all of your decorations ready to be added before you start the pancakes. You only have a couple of minutes to finish the face before you need to flip it!

Flip your pancake and cook for another minute or two until pancake is golden brown.

Serve face side up on a plate.

Optional: Use powdered sugar, fruit, or syrups for hair after you have put the pancakes on the plate.

What are some fun recipes that you make with your kids?

Cow Appreciation Day

Family Fun, Parenting, Uncategorized 1 Comment

July 12th is COW APPRECIATION DAY!!

I worked at a Chick-fil-a in high school. While it was not my first job, it was one of my favorite.

I loved my team members and I loved the atmosphere of working there. I was physically exhausted by the end of every shift, but I always left work with a smile on my face.

Every year, Chick-fil-a hosts Cow Appreciation Day! Anyone who dresses in full cow attire receives a full meal! Partial cow attire, such as a cow print hat, receives a free entrée.

It was fun to dress up like a cow for a free meal when I was in college! It was more fun to dress up like a cow and be silly with the Coach when we were newlyweds! Now that we have the Champ and the Rookie, Cow Appreciation Day is more fun than ever!

It is great for our kids to see us get a little silly and creative every once in a while.

Not to mention, most Chick-fil-as will offer fun activities for the kids and have the mascot cows walking around the store to entertain them while we wait half an hour to receive our free meal.

If you do not have a cow costume laying around (I mean who doesn’t?), then head over to www.cowappreciationday.com to get  a printable cow costume starter kit.

Dress your whole herd up and “Eat More Chicken”!

School Before Age 3

Homeschooling, Parenting, Strategies Leave a comment

We started “formally” homeschooling a few months before my son hit his third birthday! I heard some criticism about starting him too young. Of course, no one would criticize starting preschool at that age.

If you were to ask when I started teaching the Champ, I would reply “at birth.” Children are always learning. And, while worksheets and textbooks are not necessary at a young age, you can teach your child a lot through play.

So, how do you “School” before the age of three?

Count Everything

When I changed the Champ’s diapers as a newborn, I counted the buttons on his pajama’s. Count everyday objects such as toys, place settings at the dinner table, or ducks at the park. When the Coach would swing the Champ on our porch, he would hold the swing and count “1, 2, 3…” before letting the swing go. The Champ was proudly imitating him within weeks.

Read Everything

It is never too early to read to your child. You can introduce books to your baby from the moment he arrives, and babies love to hear their parent’s voices. As your child gets older, you can point out words on buildings, signs, and brochures.

Sing and Dance

Gross motor skills are important to learn. Dancing is a great way for your child to learn how to control his body. Children’s songs are another way to introduce vocabulary and language skills.

Create a Literature Rich Environment

Make sure there are letters and words everywhere around your child. Have children’s books readily available. Hang up letter activities they created in the hallway or their room. Hang up an alphabet chart, calendar, or number chart next to the dinner table so they can ask questions while you are eating.

Go to Activities

Mommy and me classes are great if you can afford them. Many of these classes work on gross motor skills and social skills. If there are none in your area, or you don’t want to pay for them, start a mom’s group or set up play dates.  Story time at the library is a great opportunity for your child to work on social behaviors and be introduced to new books. Some libraries even offer puppet shows and craft time.

Creative Play

Playing dress up, toy cookware, toy tools, and other pretend toys are great ways for your child to learn about the world around them. Creative art such as drawing, coloring, painting, and playing with play dough is great for working on fine motor development. Sensory boxes can also help your child work on fine motor skills.

Cook and Clean Together

Assist your child as they work on skills such as pouring and mixing when you are working in the kitchen. Let them help you put clothes in the dryer and fold washcloths when you are folding towels. You can also let them think they are helping. Give them a miniature dust pan and broom while you are cleaning or fill the sink with water and let them “wash” a few dishes. They will slow you down, and they will make a mess. But they are learning and will actually be helping you one day.

Create Independence Learning Opportunities

As soon as your child can dump out a box of toys, you can begin to work on independence skills. Chores such as cleaning up toys, taking clothes to the laundry basket, cleaning up water spills with a towel, and taking dishes to the sink can all be introduced to two year olds. Other skills such as getting dressed, washing hands, and taking off shoes can also be introduced. Do not expect these skills to be mastered, but simply allow your child to have the opportunity to work on them.

World Ocean’s Day!

Crafts, Family Fun, Homeschooling, Parenting Leave a comment

Today is World Oceans Day!

Play with an ocean themed sensory box, make ocean themed crafts, and watch the movie Oceans.

Fake Aquarium

A craft we made a few years ago that has been a huge hit was our fake aquarium!

We found a fishbowl jar (different candies and other items that are sold in these or pick up a cheap one in the fish aisle of a pet store).

We cut out a piece of paper in the shape of one flat side of the fishbowl and glued it to the back side of the bowl.

You can use decorative stones or shells from the floral department or decorative gravel from the pet store to fill the bottom of the bowl.

Then we placed cardboard strips of “sea grass” in the decorative stones at the bottom. (See further down for a free template download).

We punched out holes in the lid of the bowl and ran string through the holes. We attached our pet fish to the other end of the string.

Two years later, we still have our pet fish that we never have to feed!

Octopus Handprint

Cover your child’s hand with finger paint. Then have them press their hand down on a piece of construction paper. Flip the paper over and glue on google eyes and decorate the “ocean” around your octopus.

Paper Bowl Turtle

Color or paint a paper bowl green. Tear up pieces of green and brown construction paper and glue to the bowl. Then cut out four turtle feet, a tail and head. Glue these pieces to the inside lip of the bowl. Attach google eyes to your turtle’s head.

Download Free World Ocean Day Craft Templates for the Fake Aquarium and Paper Bowl Turtle.

Bedtime Routines

Parenting, Strategies Leave a comment

Studies* have shown that a consistent bedtime routine is associated with better sleeping habits in young children.

We have found it best to create a bedtime routine that we can recreate when we are traveling. It is also important for us to have a routine that we can “modify” when we are running late.

Our typical bedtime routine for the Champ (age 3) is as follows:

  • He takes his clothes to the dirty clothes basket.
  • He goes to the big boy potty.
  • We check the refrigerator for checkmarks and get spankings if we have any (this is our current discipline method).
  • The Champ cleans up his room
  • We give the Champ his daily “allowance” (three coins) to keep or put in a jar to donate
  • The Champ takes his vitamins and brushes his teeth.
  • We read our Bible story.
  • We have “brother time.” (We place the Rookie in the Champ’s bed so they can have a moment to bond).
  • We read a short story out loud and if time allows, the Champ tells the plot of the story to the Coach.
  • We say our prayers.
  • I tell the Champ goodnight and leave the room with the Rookie.
  • The Coach prays over the Champ and tells him goodnight.

On a typical night, this routine takes 20 minutes. When we need a shorter routine we will help the Champ clean his room, do a shorter period of “brother time,” and read a shorter story.

What does your bedtime routine look like?

*For further reading: Mindell JA, Li AM, Sadeh A, Kwon R, Goh DY. Bedtime routines for young children: a dose-dependent association with sleep outcomes. SLEEP 2015;38(5):717–722.

Rainy Day T.V. Alternatives

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It is a rainy day and you just don’t feel like leaving the house. You don’t want to put on ANOTHER television episode and you keep hearing choruses of “Mommy! Play with me! I’m Bored!”

Here is a list of eleven types of activities to entertain your toddler (and most are so minimal effort on your part that you can do them when you are sick, tired, or pregnant)!

Sensory Boxes

I admit that I have minimized the use of sensory boxes with the Champ because he loves to make a mess, but these are great for indoor learning. Add a “base” such as rice, pasta, oats, flour, beans, sand, or cotton. Then add small toys and objects to match your box “theme” (ex. Toy animals for a farm theme, toy bugs for a bug theme, shells for a beach theme , toy dinosaurs and rocks for an archaeologist theme). Spoons, small shovels, small measuring cups, and tongs are great for kids to use to play with the box.

Busy Bags

Busy bags are activities that are stored in a bag for ready to go learning and fun. They are more portable than sensory boxes, and are usually less messy. Most of the Free Printables that I offer on Tuesdays are perfect to put in a Ziploc bag and offer as a busy bag. You can also search “Busy Bag Ideas” on Pinterest.

Board Games

Kids love playing games with their parents. Some of our favorite games for young kids are Don’t Spill the Beans, Cootie, Zingo, and Candy Land.

Arts and Crafts

Painting, coloring, playing with play dough, stringing beads, or tearing up paper and gluing it into shapes are all great free form art activities. Craft projects are also great for rainy days.

Flashcard Relay

Grab any set of flashcards and create your own active game. For word cards, I will ask the Champ to identify the object on the flashcard. If he gets it right, he can race a lap around the room. For our color concept cards, he has to find something in the room that matches the color on the card. With number concept cards, I will ask him to clap or hop the number of times shown on the card.

Indoor Bowling

Grab a ball and any set of objects that can serve as bowling pins. You can use blocks, pvc pipes, toy animals, etc. Or buy a plastic indoor bowling set. I love this game because I can sit in one spot with the Rookie while the Champ sets up the pins. The Rookie can even “bowl” with his big brother.

Blocks and Other Creative Toys

Mega Blocks, Duplo Blocks, Legos, Lincoln Logs, or Kindergarten blocks are all great for building. You can also play with other creative toys, such as toy tool sets, kitchen sets, trains, or dress up sets.

Books

Rainy days are a great time to cuddle up on the couch with a great book. To make reading even more fun for your child, build a fort out of sheets and read in your secret hide away.

The Number Game

We love playing the Number Game to get our wiggles out. I call out a number and an action (e.g. Flap your arms 8 times). The Champ then performs the task. Other action examples include: run a lap around the room, hop like a frog, spin around, pat your back, give mom a kiss/hug, clap, pat your head, touch your toes, etc.

Create a Story

Make up your own story. We take turns saying a sentence until we are giggling over our silly creation. Bonus points if you dress up and act out a play.

Dance Party

When all else fails, turn on some tunes and have a dance party!

Distracted Parenting

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If you have been to the playground, you know “that kid.” He is the one running around wild and crazy while his parent is on the cell phone or talking to the mommy group completely oblivious. Or, perhaps at times, you have been “that parent.”

I know there have been times that I get lost in conversation with a friend, only to find out that my son decided stick fighting with a baby would be a good idea. Even at home, I hear shouts of “play with me” or “look at me, Mommy.”

Unintentional childhood injuries are up 10% from 2007 to 2012 according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Most likely, this increase is due to the increased disengagement of parents due to cell phone usage.

However, distracted parenting has been around long before the days of media. We can get engrossed in even seemingly good things, such as reading books, crocheting a blanket, talking to a friend, filling out paperwork at the doctor’s office, or playing with another child.

It is important to note that we cannot always give our children our full attention. But, we do need to be intentional with our time with our kids. Here are a few strategies to employ with your use of media.

Be a Role Model

Kids learn from us. Model the media behavior that you would like to see in your child. Choose high-quality content and set limits on your use of media. By having these boundaries in place, you will be more engaged with your child and both of you will have less “screen time.”

Use Media Together

Engage in media usage with your kids. Pick out a good family film and discuss the central themes and characters afterwards. Play a game with your child and discuss the strategy behind it. Check out the “Families can talk about…” section on Common Sense Media for conversation ideas.

Put Down the Phone

Play with your kids without a screen! Go outside and kick or throw a ball around. Throw on some music and have a dance party. Pull out a board game. Read a book to your child. The most important thing you can do for your kids is to spend some quality time with them every day.

Let Them Talk and LISTEN

Give each of your children a few special minutes each day to talk one-on-one with you. This can be over breakfast, before bedtime, or any other moment during the day. I like to lay with the Champ on the floor and talk about his day while looking up at the ceiling. Most of the time, our talks are about “nothing much,” but they are important to his self-confidence.

Apps For Young Children

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Choosing high quality entertainment media is difficult. Just because something is called educational does not mean that it is high-quality. Look for apps and games that are not passive in nature. You can make the experience more meaningful by playing with your child and engaging them in conversation before, during, and after. I love Common Sense Media reviews. Check out the “Families can talk about…” sections that give suggestions to make the most of media time.

Here are a few places to start when looking for good apps for your younger children.

Bible for Kids

Bible for Kids is a fun and interactive storybook Bible for children. The app allows you to download over 40 Bible stories for free. The app reads the story out loud to your child and then allows them to interact with illustrations, search for hidden objects, and answer questions about the story. Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play Store.

Starfall.com

Starfall.com is a free site dedicated to young students that are both learning how to use the computer and learning to read. The site has poor graphics; however, it is very interactive. Starfall also offers a free app called Starfall ABCs. Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play Store.

My PlayHome

My PlayHome is an interactive roleplaying game that allows your child to create a dollhouse family and interact with them. As your child plays the game, talk to him as he explores the dollhouse. Make connections between situations in the game and real world scenarios. Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play Store.

This is My Story
my-story-pic
This is My Story allows children to use simple sight words to fill in the blanks and create basic stories such as “The cat played with the kite.” The app then reads finished stories out loud. After you get the hang of playing the app, teach your child to make up their own silly stories in real life! Available on iTunes.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends- First Words
first-words-main-image

We love Eric Carle at our house and The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends-First Words contains many of his illustrations. The app introduces common words in five different languages. Available on iTunes.

Dr. Panda’s Toy Cars

Dr. Panda’s Toy Cars is set up like a car play mat. Kids can play different cars and act out different community helper roles as they play in the town. Play the game with your child and talk to him about different vehicles and jobs in your community. Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play Store.

Drive About: Number Neighborhood
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Drive About: Number Neighborhood is a set of nine games that feature math skills for preschool students. After playing the game, talk to your children about numbers and shapes in the real world. Available on iTunes.

Screen Time and the Young Child

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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids take in an average of SEVEN hours of media time a day!

At the same time, the AAP advises that children and teens should only engage in one to two hours of “high-quality content” entertainment media per day. Furthermore, children under two should not engage in television or other forms of entertainment media at all because of their rapidly developing brain.

These guidelines come from scientific research, showing that “excessive media use can lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity. In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illicit and risky behaviors.”

We are living in a world where young children are getting their own smartphones, restaurants are placing gaming devices on tables, and daycare centers and schools use television as a part of routine instructional time. Avoiding entertainment media is impossible, and also not recommended. Instead, parents should establish clear boundaries on screen time for their children.

Setting time limits on media usage is a great place to start; however, quality is just as critical as quantity when it comes to screen time.  So, what is “high-quality?” A “high-quality” form of entertainment media emulates real-world social interactions, introduces educational concepts, and/or requires active participation on the part of the viewer.

Beware of some so-called educational games that are not considered “high-quality” because they are passive in nature and do not involve any engagement on your child’s part.  Some “non-educational” games, such as role playing games, encourage creativity and may be preferable to mindless entertainment such as Candy Crush. Facetime with Grandma can be considered quality media time because it emulates a real world social interaction.

This is not to say that the occasional mind numbing game should not be allowed. Just as you should try to get your child to choose healthier food options, you should try to get your child to choose higher quality entertainment when possible.

When it comes to choosing appropriate media, I ADORE Common Sense Media reviews. Their movie reviews analyze content based on positive messages, positive role models, violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinking, drugs & smoking. They review app content based on ease of play, violence & scariness, sexy stuff, language, consumerism, and drinking, drugs, & smoking. Each category is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 and includes an in depth analysis of each category. There is even a section called “Families can talk about…” for each review that allows parents to make the most of media time.

When engaging in media with your child, make sure to have a dialogue with them about the media. Talk about central themes, characters, and scenarios from movies and television shows. Discuss strategies and educational content from apps and games. By taking an active part in your child’s media usage, you are extending the educational value of their screen time.

Home Remedies: Sore Throat

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coldLast week, my family was struck with a series of illnesses (strep, pink eye, ear infections, and a flu-like virus). So, I have been trying various home remedies for sore throat, dry cough, and congestion. Here is my analysis of ten home remedies (plus one suggested by the Champ).

Hot Chocolate

This was one of my favorite means of relieving both sore throat and dry cough. I attempted drinking hot chocolate made with water and with milk. The hot chocolate with milk seemed to provide the longest lasting relief. Perhaps, the milk coated my throat better.

Ice Cream

We look for any excuse to eat ice cream at our house! The ice cream did provide sore throat relief. However the downside to ice cream is that it tends to disappear quickly (and has the unwanted side effect of increasing our waistlines). I found the most relief with a mint cookies and cream shake (mint has been suggested as a home remedy).

Yogurt

We mostly ate yogurt to help relieve side effects from our antibiotics. However, the yogurt also provided some sore throat relief. Be sure to get a non-citrus variety for maximum comfort.

Steam Room

The most effective means of getting rid of my dry cough was creating a sauna in our bathroom. I closed the bathroom door, turned the hot water on high in the shower, and sat next to the shower for five to ten minutes. The best part about this method is that it works as a decongestant as well. We tried this one time with the Champ, and he did not like the steam. Other variations of this method may include a humidifier or simply taking a warm shower.

Chicken Soup

We let the Champ pick out “fun soup” at the grocery store to hold on to in the event of illness striking. He picked noodles in the shape of Frozen characters. However, his poor throat was too sore to consume the noodles. He did drink a little of the broth. The chicken noodle soup was pretty effective against my sore throat for at least thirty minutes of relief. It was one of the few non-dessert foods I was able to consume at the height of my illness.

Honey

The Coach’s grandparents are bee farmers, so we consume a lot of honey at our house. Anytime the Champ is “sick,” he demands a spoonful before bed. This works better for us than cough drops for him because there is a much lower choking risk.

I highly recommend Broke T Honey! It is so much better than honey at the grocery store. It is raw honey and contains no chemicals or additives.

Warm Milk and Honey

I was not excited about trying this combination because I prefer my milk cold and unsweetened. However, I drank a cup of this before bed and my cough was greatly reduced throughout the beginning of the night.

Mock Hot Toddy

A hot toddy is a traditional alcoholic British drink (derived from India) used to relieve sore throat. We do not consume alcohol in our house, so a traditional hot toddy (made with whiskey) would not work here. But, the main non-alcoholic components (honey, lemon, and clove) are all great for sore throat.

Mock Hot Toddy
1 TBS Honey
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp clove
1 cup hot brewed tea
1 TBS lemon

Stir all ingredients together for three minutes. Strain and serve warm.

Gargling Saltwater

I attempted to do a warm saltwater gargle. However, this did not seem to help the back of my throat much and I do not like the aftertaste that a saltwater rinse leaves behind. I also had trouble not coughing long enough to gargle.

Hot Tea

I love hot tea! My favorite herbal tea for sore throats is “I Love Lemon” by Bigelow. I add in a tablespoon of honey and this seems to be a great combination for sore throat. The steam from the tea also works as a decongestant.

Spaghetti and Breadsticks

This was the remedy suggested by the Champ (age 3).  A suggested remedy we did not try was garlic, so maybe he was on to something here. I went to Fazoli’s and bought him a kid’s meal. The effect was minimal; however, the breadstick was his first “meal” in three days.

 

*All of these methods were used to bring comfort to my family members. However, I am not a medical professional. This information should not be considered medical advice. Please see a medical professional for diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

** Please note that I get a small percentage of sales from the Amazon link above. However, I drink a lot of Bigelow tea and I am personally recommending it to my readers.