Diversions to Grab a Few Mommy Moments

I have a few tricks when it comes to diversion & distraction. Here are a few things you can keep in a pantry or closet:

MOON SAND in a container. When it’s nasty outside, take the container out, dump the sand in a tray and get some matchbox cars/dumptrucks. Girls not into trucks? Use scoopers and shapers. This can keep them going for over an hour. Blog away, mommies!

WATER PLAY is always a great idea. Got fighting kids in the afternoon? Give them each a plastic tub on the fron porch or back deck…even the kitchen floor with towels laid out. Email-checky time!

CLEAN MY WINDOWS! Give them a small spray bottle, a towel, a squeegee if you have one and viola. They’ll wash anything: windows, table tops, walls- you name it, they’ll squirt it. Great for outside too! Make that phone call, sister.

RAMPS. Take cardboard, tape it to a chair. This makes a ramp that is ready for action. My hubby made one last month, it was up for 3 weeks before they got tired of it. Get a basket of matchbox cars and zoom, you’re ready to make dinner. BTW, if you add jumps and targets, it’s even more fun.

FLASHLIGHT & SHEETs…Give the kids a flashlight, set up a sheet fort and turn em loose…It’s good for thirty minutes tops. At least you can make that martini in peace, lol.

ADD YOUR QUICK SUGGESTIONS please!

10 Time Savers to Keep Chaos at Bay

Ok, with kids in the house, there are a million ways to get in a whirlwind of chaos, whining, stress and aggrevation. Many times stress comes when plans change or things are misplaced. Also, we get annoyed at our kids for whining and ask them to wait when really, they can do it themselves!

So, with that, I have some ideas to cut annoying time-suckers. Please leave your ideas as well!

1. Prepare snacks ahead of time. Prep baggies, containers and cut fruit so when the snack urge hits, the kids, if old enough, can grab what they want without stressing you or making a mess!

2. Set out a small pitcher of water and cups. Leave this out all the time. If they are “SO THIRSTY MOM! I NEED A DRINK” they can get it themselves.

3. Store extra ziploc baggies of underwear, t-shirts, pants and socks (like you have to have @ preschool) and keep them stashed in the cabinet for when you’re on the go or a mishap happens.

4. Prep kitchen foods at once and store in containers. This means all washing, cutting and cleaning of veggies etc. can happen at once, instead of making a mess 5x a day.

5. Make a homework station. You can tack manilla folders to a wall or buy fancy boxes with name labels. It doesn’t matter. Just make sure your kiddo knows where his sh!t is everyday when he comes home from school. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve misplaced a spelling test or the piano book. It’s time for a workstation overhaul! check: seejanework.com for ideas.

6. Use Cues. Think preschool here people. When it’s time to clean up, play music. When it’s time to unwind or come to dinner, ring a bell and have the children change gears. Don’t overuse cues but try to invite other ways to get the family on task (other than me yelling….get in here!).

7. Brown and THEN freeze beef. I used to buy it and separate it and then freeze it. Well, it’s easier to buy in in bulk, cook it all at once and then divide it. Then, we have much faster meals down the line!

8. Freeze the Cheeze. Same thing- shred large amounts, then freeze. It’s cheaper than buying baggies preshredded. This lets you buy local, too.

9. Shower, prep clothing, find shoes and make lunches the night before. I ‘d even suggest letting your kid sleep in his clothes for the next day but I have a feeling that might not go over well. It works around here though for my 9yo. He’s all about shortcuts!

10. Precook large amounts of rice and potatoes. Then divide, freeze and serve at will! Olive oil helps with stickiness…

4 Reasons Why Family Meetings Rock

What is a Family Meeting?

It’s an invite only, weekly timed meeting where everyone sits down for 15-20 minutes. We mention “appreciations” and allowance is dished out (only for those who choose to attend). It can get more involved from there, but that’s the bottom line.

Disclaimer:

Before I go on, remember-I’ve made it clear I’m no mother of the year. And my kids, they’re no angels. As I evangelize the magic of family meetings, please note my kids often shoot me with James Bond guns, call me butthead and occasionally tell me I’m “the meanest in the world.” Now that I’ve put that out there, you can trust that even dysfunctional families can benefit from a weekly meeting. Here’s how we do it in our house- and why it rocks.

1. The family cooperates.

Everyone has to work together. Why? Because anyone who attends family meeting gets an allowance at the end. According to my favorite parenting strategy- Parenting on Track- if the timer rings before the agenda is covered, nobody gets paid. See how nicely three brothers can pull together if they’re working for the $ame thing!

2. The kids learn the value of money.

For us, ALLOWANCE works like this- $1 per year of age. For example, my 3 y old gets $3/week. He has a wallet and if he asks for something while we’re out, I say, do you have your cash? Now he knows, if he doesn’t have his cash, he can’t get it…but if he does, he can buy something. This took 6 months to get him to want to come to meetings, have cash and not lose it. Now he carries a cashbox and two wallets (in a pumpkin shaped bag he calls his purse!).

3. The family practices positive communication.

In a family meeeting, everyone sits down and has to look at each other and say one “appreciation” about each family member. It’s really hard sometimes and everyone waits while the others think of something they appreciate about each family member. They aren’t allowed to give each other ideas but sometimes it happens. It’s cute to hear little brother tell bif bro he appreciates it when he shares his matchbox cars…

4. The family spends valuable time together.

Like I mentioned, we’re not perfect. We missed meetings all summer. I forget to hit the ATM and we postpone meetings when there’s no cash in the house. But still, even with the slip-ups, they always remind us…It’s Sunday tonight’s family meeting! They participate. They show up. And, even though they get their $5 or $9, they enjoy the conversation and the scheduled time focused on the familia.

Even if you gather one night a week, set a timer, say appreciations and have a big bowl of ice cream afterward, it’s a ritual the kids (and you) will likely soon come to enjoy, expect and look forward to.

Please, check out Parenting on Track for one of the most useful, real-life (and totally comical) parenting programs I’ve found.

For a detailed example, you can purchase Appreciation MP3s, here.

And trust me, I’ve listened to, read and studied many perspectives on parenting & education- from Parenting with Love and Logic to Alfie Kohn to Maria Montessori- I appreciate much of what’s out there- but I can rarely apply it! This is one we can all use! Please, feel free to create your own family meeting rituals and share them with the rest of us!

10 Smart Gifts for Preschool / K-1 Development

Here are some awesome brain-boosting gifts you will not feel guilty about purchasing, giving or using over and over. No need for plastic crap- these are really solid choices for preschool through 1st grade.

1. Whose Baby? A puzzle to match baby to mother.

2. Tallest Tree Stacking Boxes Multi-purpose stackers that cover math (sequence) language & science.

3. Pattern Blocks Choose any of these to improve and refine spatial development. For younger children, Melissa and Doug have an excellent Pattern Block activity.

4. Hammer and Tack Game Fine motor development game – fun for older preschoolers and early elem.

5. Multicultural Matching Game A memory building and matching activity.

6. Sandpaper Letters Fine motor and pre-writing skill builders- not really a game but SO helpful when learning letters and sounds. Kids love to trace the letters and make the sounds.

7. Haba Math Game – a self correcting sequencing activity.

8. Stitching Block for pre-writing & fine-motor activity.

9. Sorting and Sequencing pattern/sequence game for quiet play/work time. Ages 4-6.

10. Bob Books for beginning readers. Excellent stocking stuffer!

Keep ‘Em Busy in the Kitchen: A List of Ideas!

Trying to make dinner? Little one driving you a little nuts?

Here’s how to keep a toddler or preschooler busy in the kitchen:

Involve your child in any “spreading, pouring, slicing, whisking, squeezing, garnishing”…even if you don’t have any of that in your recipe, pull out the cream cheese, a spreader, and three graham crackers…get inventive.

I took this list from The Creative Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers:

• prepare finger food snacks- for now or later…cucumbers, toast strips, crackers for the base, chees, fruit, jelly or cottage chees for the top
• use icing spatula to spread apple jelly or other spreadable on bread, etc.
• stir together cereal/oatmeal ingredients; pour milk or maple syrup into meal
• scramble eggs in a bowl
• dip bread to make french toast
• scrub potatoes; mash potatoes
• make jello & stir
• use cookie cutters to make shapes in dough or jigglers or buscuits
• squeeze lemons oranges
• snap ends off green beans
• shell peas
• arrange food on plates

I added:

• use an apple corer for real fun- seriously, it’s wicked fun, dude
• fill the sink with water & soap
• have your toddler get the coffe pot ready for tomorrow
• make your martini— that was a joke….
• set table
• wipe table
• get forks, etc.
• take orders…like, go ask everyone what they want to drink milk or water?
• make frozen juice from concentrate
• turn music on in the other room and yell “dance party in the living room” – see if they fall for it
• wash fruit
• husk corn
• press buttons on microwave (3 minutes & edamame is done)-
• match lids & containers for you
• sort silverware
• stir or pour anything
• use a funnel to fill old jars
• gather ketchup, sauces, dressings etc.
• say sweetly and kindly…GO BUG DAD