6 Tips for Teaching Children to Listen
Have you been pulling yourself hair out trying to figure out how to make your kids listen to you? What if there was a way to reach them to obey BEFORE you got frustrated or angry?
Parenting Advice
These Hobbies Can Help Your Kids Put Down Those Screens
Do your kids spend their weekends staring at screens?
Well, you may be surprised to know that too much screen time can actually be bad for their health. That’s one of the reasons it is so important for children to spend time discovering new hobbies. More than just a way to burn time, hobbies can provide stress relief, help little minds develop and even be beneficial for their health. Need some ideas to get your kids started? Here are some hobbies guaranteed to get them away from those screens and having actual fun instead.
Getting Stuff Done With (Not Despite) Your Child
I Didn’t Enter Into Motherhood Gracefully
It finally happened. 15 months. I had time. Not long. Just a few minutes where I could do whatever I wanted.
And you know what happened? I hadn’t a clue what to do with myself!
If I’ve learned anything since my son was brought into this world, it’s that I have to give myself a lot of grace. I’m not very good at that. I want to be SuperMom and somehow anything short of that makes me feel guilty.
I want to keep a perfectly neat and tidy home. (The true disillusion is thinking I really did this even BEFORE beginning my parenthood journey!)
I want to have energy to do the 272 projects on my list, including sewing, and crafting, and learning new skills.
I want to invest in all my family and friendships and have a freezer meal prepped for every occasion and be able to give my time. The saying, “It’s the thought that counts” has never meant more to me than it does in this phase of life.
The truth is, my house is a mess. The dogs don’t get the same attention they did before my son was born, granted now that he’s old enough, they get love from my son too. I am not the greatest or most present friend these days. I’m not as helpful at get-togethers as I used to be. I feel tired and unmotivated often, especially in the evenings after my baby boy is asleep.
Train Up a Child…
Let’s Get Real.
I am seriously thinking about deleting all the game apps from my phone and iPad.
My sister and I were recently discussing all the things we could accomplish and all the things we could learn, if we just put down our phones. We have very different lives as I have a husband and son and she is currently single and scratching the itch to travel. So, while I have been working on teaching myself to crochet better, she is learning a 2nd language in her spare time. Putting down the phones and partaking in these worthwhile hobbies is something that we both can benefit from. These are hobbies that will still hold some value tomorrow.
Moments I Could Have Missed…
Please Just Go To Sleep
Tonight my son had a difficult time going to sleep. We started his bedtime routine on time just as we do each night, and went through our whole process. It took him almost an hour longer to fall asleep than usual. Any parent reading this I’m sure has also pleaded in weariness, “Why is this happening to me?”
As a first time Momma, I’ve read a lot in an effort to learn about babies and sleep. In the spirit of full disclosure, I definitely wasn’t following many of the suggestions that have been given on this particular night. We’ve been going through quite a transition lately because we are in the process of moving. The routine is all over the place and despite my best efforts to maintain consistency for my baby’s sake, some days it just hasn’t been possible.
How I slept 7 hours: Sleep Saga Continued
Co-Sleeping
There’s a lot to be said about co-sleeping. However, this post isn’t to hash out the safety precautions or to rave about the family bed. I simply want to write to share that co-sleeping is how I was able to sleep 7 hours last night.
Seasoned co-sleepers will be nodding their approval I’m sure while others may cringe upon reading the words “family bed”, but my hope is that some where out there another tired Mama might be able to use one more suggestion to help her get a little more rest.
It Takes a Village? | by IV, V and Me
We have all heard it… shoot, I think I even said it last week, but is ‘it takes a village’ just a phrase or is it really truth? Honestly, this phrase never even crossed my mind until my son was born and all the villagers came out of hiding with the good, the bad and the ugly advice; but this didn’t really bother me until I got some parenting experience under my belt. My son is 9 months old so obviously I am now an expert… even so; I was now ready to bestow my “parenting wisdom” on other moms. As soon as another mom mentioned any struggle she was having with her kids, I wanted to jump in to save the day with my expert advice on the matter… queue the other mom holding back on rolling her eyes as I ask the question all moms know too well “have you tried this?” like she hadn’t googled every possible solution to the problem she was dealing with. Was I really going to be that villager, the one with the pitchfork of advice at the ready any time I talked to another mom? Is a village necessary to survive parenthood? If so, what is truly needed?
10 Exercises You Can Do WITH Your Baby
The New Mama Workout
If you’re like me, you’re already wearing your sweatpants around the house and have your hair pulled into a messy bun anyway. So what’s a Mama to do when she’s all dressed up for the gym with no time to go?
New and seasoned mothers alike know how difficult it is to work exercise into your day to day activity.
Having a baby significantly changes our bodies and we need time to recover. But once your healthcare provider gives you the all clear, here are 10 exercises you can do with your baby.
(By the way, Dads, you can do these too!)
Our Little Dinosaur
Our Little Dinosaur
This endearing term refers to my son. The name was coined by my husband (aka Lil Dino Daddy) a few weeks before he was born. One day, while he and I were shopping for baby clothes at our local resale shop, my husband would only consider items that had dinosaurs on them. After my son arrived in early November, 2016, we finally gave those cute little clothes a purpose. Remembering our shopping adventure, I stealthily selected one of the outfits my husband had picked out – one featuring dinosaurs. I then dressed my tiny baby boy and took him into the other room to show his Daddy. Once my husband saw him in his “stegosaurus” outfit, his eyes grew wide in excitement as he exclaimed, “Aww, come here my little dinosaur!”