Last year, I took a Parenting on Track workshop. I liked it A LOT but I kind of fell off the wagon by summer. This year, starting next week, I’ll be taking part in a 12 week home course. What will I need to do? Pretty much drop all the things I’m doing wrong and try some fresh tactics.

I’m excited to give it another go- even in the course of one year my youngest went from toddler to fully talking munchkin.I’ve got a whole new set of “issues” to tackle, including fighting, whining and name calling. I’d say the name calling is bordering out of control in my house right now. Parenting on Track is cool because the woman who created the program, Vicki Hoefle, tells it straight up- she’s SUPER funny but also gives a whole new perspective on the dynamics in your house.

It’s not a one size fits all approach- it’s a buffet approach that offers ways to develop authentic solutions for real-life , undesirable behaviors (ie, whining, fighting, hitting, etc).

We all know whining is about the most maddening thing to endure. She flips this type of behavior on its back and gives you the tools to nip it in the bud. She calls these behaviors “weeds” and then explains how they don’t deserve to be watered with attention. And honestly- it works! Read / view testimonials here!

One of the best parts about her class? She helps you create a roadmap from birth to age 18. It asks: where do you want your kids to be when they leave the house? And that helps tremendously when you’re looking to keep everybody “on track!”

So, I’ll keep you posted on that scenario. Do you have any big goals for 2009?

Ok, your baby can sit up now. He engages with the world around him. She wants to hold and grasp things. Here are some ideas that will both entertain and teach your little one. It’s helpful to avoid talking too much or distracting baby while exploring.

1. Sensory Basket

Put away the plastic stuff! Find a wicker or woven basket, wooden box, or shallow cardboard container. Put a few items of various weights, textures, sizes in the box. Items like a dry washcloth, spoon, soft toy, clean sponge, ball, yarn, shiny or scratchy materials, etc. Watch as he grasps and explores all the items. Even the basket is an interesting! Everything will obviously go into the mouth but these new and exciting things will engage your baby’s senses.

When finished, remove any breakable or choking hazards (sponge, yarn, etc.) put the other items back in the basket and leave it on a low shelf for baby to reach for or find on his own.

2. Pull That Ribbon

Tie a string/ribbon to an object (stuffed animal, truck, anything). Demonstrate pulling the string and making the object move toward you. Then place the string in front of baby and ask her to try. This teaches cause and effect, hand-eye coordination and taking turns. Again, keep on a low shelf so she can do the activity again.

3. Pots and Lids-

Give baby a pot and a lid. Demonstrate how the lid lifts and sits. Then, watch as he copies and puts the lid on and off. Eventually introduce other easy on and off lids (oatmeal container, food containers, eventually twist on tops and cookie tin tops). Designate a low drawer in the kitchen for baby. He will go back to it over and over throughout the next few months looking for fun.

4. Pull the Scarf

Place a scarf between you and your baby. Let her grab one end, you grab the other. Play a little tug of war. This social activity will engage her interest. Exaggerate leaning forward when she pulls. Of course, she may just want to explore the scarf’s texture…that’s fun too!

5. Pick It Up and Drop It!

Babies this age can generally pick up but not drop in. Place two baskets or boxes in front of your baby. Put a ball in one of the boxes. Pick it up and drop it in the other. Then, ask baby to do it too. You’ll probably have to pick it up from one box but your baby will enjoy dropping it into the other. Eventually, he’ll pick up and drop! This is a grasping drill and a coordination game.

Activities are adapted from the North American Montessori Center’s Infant & Toddler program. I am certified birth through three through this program.

One of the hovering stresses of the Holiday season is, no matter what, dealing with the Christmas card scenario. This year, 7 billion cards will go out and I’m happy to say I canned the whole thing. Instead of feeling guilty, I decided to put the money into something more meaningful and mention the donation in an e-card. Booom. Done. The result? 20 children in India’s Himalayan villages will receive support for a full year and everyone I know won’t have my kids’ faces stuck to the fridge all yr!

If you’d like to see (and pitch in!) this project or find your own, visit Global Giving.

Need some indoor distractions? Try these!

Gas Balloon

• Funnel
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1 small bottle
• 1/3 c vinegar
• 1 balloon

Have your child pour the baking soda into the bottom of the bottle. Pour vinegar into the balloon. Carefully stretch the balloon over the opening (without spilling the vinegar into the bottle). Lift the balloon so the vinegar spills into the baking soda…watch the balloon fill! (you can use alka seltzer & water instead).

Shiny Pennies

Preschoolers can mix, stir, pour and retrieve…just help out and guide with this one.

• 4 TBS salt
• 1/2 vinegar

Gather piggy bank pennies…the dirty grimy ones. Dissolve the salt into the vinegar. Dump pennies in. Stir, stir, stir. Retrieve and place on a paper towel to dry. All shiny and bright!

Catapult

You need:

• Foam or rubber ball or bouncy items (like rubber dinsaurs or something)
• C-clamp
• Ruler or yardstick
• Take the ruler, c-clamp it to a table. Put the ball or whatever on the end. launch! Remember to take it apart or your keys and other little essential might end up in mysterious places….

Kazoos

• Wax paper
• Toilet paper roll
• Rubber band

Stretch the paper over one end; secure with a rubber band (like a drum). Make a tiny hole about an inch from the blowing end, so the paper doesn’t blow off. Remember to hum….not blow.

Junk Sculpture

• Take anything and make a sculpture out of it…get creative.

“Run Through Delight”

• Think of this as a mini curtain rod & curtain.

You need:

• A dowel or some sticklike thingy.
• 2 dish towels, pillowcases or whatever.
• Wrap them around the dowel, pin in place (like a curtain). Hold above your toddler’s head and let him or her run through back & forth.

BOXES

Even Christmas morning can pale in comparison to the fun that comes with a box.

Try building these: boat with cardboard paddles, house, puppet show theatre,  tv (black construction paper in the background, let kids make a show), box kitchen (include fridge), simple dollhouse, rocket. etc.

Wheel-n-Axle

Need:

• 2 jar lids
• Dowel or pencil
• Poke a hole in the center of each, watch the wheels turn.
• Marshmallow-Toothpick Structure

You remember these. Take toothpicks and mini-marshmallows to construct a building.

Ideas adapted from The Father’s Almanac by S. Adams Sullivan

Bad Idea

We play a wholesome game called, “bad idea.”

We go around stating things that we could do or say at inappropriate times or that show poor judgment.

For instance, we’ll be driving and when boredom strikes…I’ll say, let’s play “bad idea.”

DS (9) will immediately say something like, “don’t stop to fill your gas tank when the light comes on” and the whole family (in unison) will say ” bad idea”. We go around and come up with stupid things that if we did, hypothetically, would generally be bad ideas.

Note- it’s funny & even your three year old will remember not to “leave your bike in the rain” or “touch the bbq when daddy’s grilling”… all those things you nag & warn about about can come up in this one. It’s also a nice time to slip a few “friendly reminders” of what hubby shouldn’t do without nagging. Seriously, try it. It’s addicting.

With the sniffles going around, I thought I’d post a family favorite. We read this poem and laugh every time. If you haven’t heard it in awhile – or ever- enjoy! Then, share it with someone who might be feeling under the weather…or at least faking it. lol

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

From Shel Silverstein: Poems and Drawings; originally appeared in 
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.

With the holidays soon approaching, you might need to get out some of those rarely-used metal pieces of silverware/dishware. I know I have a few things that I either need to brighten up or leave in the back of the storage cabinet. If you’ve got brassy, browning metals check out this list directly from Green This! by D. Imus

..

Remember, kids LOVE to polish so with these safe solutions, put them to “work”!

Aluminum

Clean with: cream of tarter & water

Brass

Polish with: soft cloth dipped in lemon & baking soda solution OR vinegar & salt solution

Chrome

Polish with: nontoxic glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth

Copper

Clean with: rag/cloth + mixture of salt, lemon juice water…dry thoroughly

Gold

Clean with: toothpaste

Pewter

Clean with: paste of salt, vinegar, flour

Stainless Steel

Clean with: nontoxic glass cleaner + microfiber cloth…for utensils, soak in bakingsoda for 15min, rinse & dry

Silver

Clean with: soap + warm water or silver polish cloth or toothpaste or 1part water/ 3 parts baking soda

NOTE: storing silver in cloths will keep them cleaner longer…

So good luck…sit back, sip that cup of cheer while they make things look spic ‘n span!

If you think you’re the meanest mom ever, you’re not alone. And if you’re noticing a particularly squirrely behavior pattern, you’re also, not alone. When I read I’m the Meanest Mommy Ever, I felt better. A lot better. My kids have been INSANE! The whining, the fighting , the yelling, the hooting. And, yes, like that mommyblogger, I’ve been yelling and threatening- and just plain wiped. To the kids’ defense, we’ve had visitors, gone to parties, and spent hours running around like mad people in the attempt to do all the “fun” things on the agenda.

Now, here it is, ten days out ’til Christmas and if gifts really were contingent on Santa’s judgment, we’d all be screwed. Seriously, our usual holiday highlight, decorating the tree, was more like an afternoon in a three ring circus. Everyone was in spiteful spirits and it became comical at one point. Here we are, lighting lights, hanging decorations and one kid’s down the hall, balling because he was asked to leave the room due to obnoxious behavior. A second child’s crying in the playroom because his “stupid” brother got to put the star on top. And me, I’m almost in tears because the “magic” of Christmas had evaporated.

However, sometimes you have to hit the low point to realize that there has to be a better way. In her article, she says she stopped the insanity and went sticky sweet. I’m right there, sister. And, I’m also pretty sure it’s the holiday season that makes everyone feel so crappy that they tip into “new year’s resolution” mode. I assume it’s because during the “mst wonderful time of the year” everything’s supposed to be perfect, magical and memorable. When it falls short, it adds stress and guilt and agitation. I didn’t send cards this year but now I feel bad! I forgot to plan a family portrait and now I feel guilty. The kids are hopped up on Christmas cookies and tweaking from red dye #5…and I’m yelling “sit down” or “be quiet!”. What a dynamic, right?

Still, when the magic of Christmas morning comes, everything is right with the world…that is until the fighting over toys and whining over who got what begins. And so with that in mind, I continue on trying to make this year special.

The Meanest Mommy Ever

1/2 New Sponge, 1/2C Water = focus, concentration and zero tv-time!

Just be sure to set up left to right so the transfer matches tracking for reading. Boom! Repeat as necessary. You can even leave it on a low shelf for future fun.