Letters to God

One of the most important tasks we are entrusted with as parents is teaching our children about God. A strong faith in God will help your children to get through many difficult situations. Religion helps guide parents to teach there children proper moral values.

It can be difficult, at times, to teach children about God in terms they understand. That is why I am always looking for fun and creative ways to teach my children about God.

Last weekend, my mother came to visit and brought this book as a gift to my boys. I LOVE this book. It is about a little boy named Tyler who's father had taught him to talk to God when he needs help.

On this particular day Tyler needed help finding a compass to take on a fishing trip with his grandpa. He decides to write a letter to God asking for help. As he walks to the mailbox, he passes other people who are in need of help. Each time he stops and adds to his letter, asking that God help the other people.

It is a very sweet book that teaches children how to talk to God and how to pray for themselves and others. It is very basic and easy to read. The reading level is probably from about 1st to 3rd grade (my boys are in 2nd and 3rd and both had no problem reading the book aloud).

At the end of the book there is an envelope with a blank letter. It says "Dear God" at the top and "Love," at the bottom. This is for your child to write their own letter to God. After reading this book, both of my boys were very excited to write their own letters to God. They spent the biggest part of an hour on their letters! To preserve the book, I made copies of the blank letter for them to actually write on. That way they can write more and more letters to God using the template from the book.

This blog was not a paid review and is not in conjunction with a giveaway of any kind - I just LOVED this book! If you are interested in buying your own Letters to God book here is the link to buy from Amazon.

Why are Children Obessed with Pokemon Cards?

My boys are obsessed with Pokemon cards.

They love to collect them. They trade them. They watch Pokemon on TV. They have Pokemon video games. They beg me to watch Pokemon videos on You Tube. They carry their Pokemon care collections, neatly displayed in binders, to school with them every day so that they can trade with the other kids at the babysitters after school.

I don't understand it.

Normally, I would write it off to "it's a boy thing" and be done with it, but my niece is also obsessed with Pokemon.

What is it about Pokemon that 7 & 8 year olds find so utterly fascinating??

They boys tell me about the characters and what their "evolvinations" are. Basically, I think the little Pokemon animals turn into powerful fighting machines. I hear stories about Pokemon characters told to me like the boys are talking about real life events they have witnessed or something that happened at school that day.

Maybe it's the trading they like? Maybe it's the collecting? Maybe it's the game they play with the cards? It's hard for me to believe they actually like the TV show. What do you think? Why are children obsessed with Pokemon cards?

What's Your Homework Policy?

My boys start back to school this week! Our district has a policy of a "staggered start" which means each of the boys will only go to school one day this week, but next week we'll be back in the full swing of things. And that means homework.

My boys are so different when it comes to academics and their learning styles. Riley usually catches on pretty quickly when it comes to math, but Khegan takes a little longer. Khegan is very good at writing creative stories. Riley struggles a little bit with keeping his handwriting neat. Khegan is patient and will listen when you are trying to help him. Riley (not unlike his mother) gets frustrated very easily when he doesn't pick stuff up right away.

All of these differences play out at homework time. Khegan is very slow in completing his homework, while Riley tends to zip right through it. Last year it was quite challenging to be done with homework before 9 o'clock. By the time I get off work, fought down town traffic and picked up the kids from the sitter, we don't get home until almost 6 o'clock. John gets home later than that. Once home, I have to get myself organized and then start dinner.

This is how our routine would go. Riley would zip through his math worksheet and go off to play. I would continue to work with Khegan on his math and spelling while also cooking dinner. Then we would break from homework to eat. Then John would take over finishing up the math and spelling with Khegan while I'd clean up dinner. Then we would each grab a kid and sit down to listen to them read for 20 minutes. Somewhere in there we managed to squeeze in a nightly shower for each kiddo.

It was tough - especially on nights when they had ball practice.

This year the routine is going to have to be different. It's too exhausting (for the boys & for us) to be doing homework for so long and until so late. The plan is to have them do all there homework, except for reading, at the babysitters house. School gets out at 2:30 so they have a good three hours before I get there to pick them up. Then when we get home, I will review the home work with them and redo the problems they missed. Then all that is left is their reading. Instead of having them read to me for 20 minutes, I will have them read to me for 10 and then read to themselves for the other 10 and give me a short oral "book report".

Hopefully this new homework routine will give us a little more free time in the evenings!

What's your homework policy? Do you have your children do their homework as soon as they get home? Or, do you let them play a little bit first? Are they pretty independent in completing it? Or, do you have to help every step of the way? 

Back to School Anxiety

My boys start back to school this week. Last week they were both very excited. Khegan is still very excited. Riley? Not so much. This week Riley has started to get more and more nervous about going back to school. Sunday night he had a meltdown at bedtime because he had himself so worked up about going back to school.



"Mommy, I'm never going to see you anymore!" That's not true. His day won't be any longer than what it has been all summer. He will go to babysitter after school and I will pick him up at 5:40 - just like I do every single night. So I explained that to him.

"But mommy, I have bad handwriting! Mrs. Krueser is going to make me do my work over and over again. Or, if I write slow(ly) I will always be the last one done!" He is sobbing as he says this. I told him that he needs to slow down so his hand writing is more neat. Yes, that is what Mrs. Donohue said over and over in 1st grade. I reminded him that he got nothing but good grades last year and the Mrs. Krueser (Khegan had her last year) is a very nice teacher. Also, I pointed out that even if he is never has the neatest handwriting, he will never have the worst either.

"Mommy, what if none of my friends are in my class?" I explained to him that he would have some kids in his class that he knows from last year, but would meet some new friends too.

"But mommy, 2nd grade has recess with 1st grade so I will never see my brother or my friend Zane (neighbor boy) during recess!" I told him he would have plenty of time to play with Khegan and Zane after school.


I thought the anxiety would die down after the Meet n Greet on Monday night, but it only seemed to make things worse. Riley has always been a "slow to warm up" kinda kid. However, once he warmed up all bets were off! He is then super outgoing, if not bossy, and is very charismatic - all the other kids want to be his friend. So it amazes me how he has this anxiety every year before school starts. 

Every time he gets anxious I do what I've been trained to do, as a social worker, to help dispell the anxiety. I address his fears and explain why they are irrational. We talk about ways for him to make new friends. (Which he usually does very easily once he warms up.) He has been to the school. He has met his teacher. He has seen his classroom. He knows how his day will go. I've encouraged him by pointing out that he is smart and cute and funny and kids like him. Still, it does not seem to be doing the trick.  

Have your kids ever had back to school anxiety? If so how have you helped them to overcome it?

Resource:
Here is a great article I found on Ease Back to School Anxiety and how to help calm your child's fears.

Women and Body Image

Why is it that women tend to have such poor body images? We are all guilty of it. My nose it too big. My breasts are too small. I need to lose 10 pounds.

Just today, I was talking to some other woman on Twitter - beautiful women, I might add. The conversation started because I changed my avatar picture. My twitter friends were telling me they liked my new picture and I was thanking them for the nice compliments. Then, when I complimented them back, the negative comments started. It always baffles me how gorgeous women sometimes have such poor self-images.

Thinking back to my college classes on women's issues, I started thinking about how society, particularly the advertising and entertainment fields, create such unrealistic ideals of beauty. Real women will never be able to live up to that standard. Why? Because that kind of perfection doesn't exist.

Models starve themselves. Their pictures are photo-shopped and air-brushed to make them look thinner and make their blemishes disappear. Not to mention the make-up that covers all imperfections.

Don't get me wrong, I love to look my best. I rarely leave the house without make-up on and I blow-dry and flat-iron my hair pretty much every day. I try to by form-flattering clothes that accentuates my best features. I like to get my eyebrows waxed, my nails done, and I have been known to get the occasional pedicure. Still I think the sexiest thing a woman can do is to be self- confident!


Flaunt what you've got!

As mothers, we need to be able to be a good role model for our daughters. (I have 2 boys, but I plan to have a girl someday soon... Different story...Infertility...Fingers crossed!) Anyways, when I have a daughter, one of the most important things I am going to teach her is how to love herself and how to be proud of her intelligence and have a positive self-image! In the mean time, I am teaching my boys how to respect women and how to be kind/chivalrous to little girls.

What are your thoughts on body image and how to be a good role model for young girls?

Back to School for the Modern Family

Let's face it - life is hectic for families these days. For families with school-age children, life can be particularly challenging. During the school year families must manage to juggle before school childcare, after school childcare, homework, sports, extra-curricular activities, school fundraisers, PTA meetings, volunteering at school events, plays, concerts, field trips, parent-teacher conferences, book bags stuffed with papers, report cards to return, daily agenda books needing signed, and the list goes on and on.

Keeping up with life during the school year can be particularly challenging if both parents work, like in my family. When school gets out for the summer it's not just the children breathing a sigh of relief. My husband and I were counting down the days as the end of the 2009-2010 school year approached. Since then we've settled into our summer routine.

As a busy, modern-day, mom who tries to juggle it all, I greatly appreciate the respite that the slower, summer pace provides. No book bags to cart back and forth, no homework to review, and my children read for fun and not because their agenda book says they have to read for twenty minutes. Leisurely summer evenings sitting on the deck are the perfect medicine to call the craziness that the school year entails.

Alas, this summer is quickly drawing to an end, and it's time for my family to start gearing up for another hectic year. Do not despair, because there is hope in managing the madness! Below are several strategies, that when implemented correctly, can help parents to minimize the chaos that goes along with a new academic year.

Routines, Routines, Routines! Set up routines for homework, dinner time, and bed time and watch your children thrive.

Get Enough Sleep! Both children and parents will benefit immensely from a good seven - nine hours. This will also minimize the "morning grouchies" for the entire family!

Plan Ahead! Don't put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today. By completing chores such as packing school lunches, unloading the dishwasher, and setting out clothes the night before; parents can save time and reduce stress during their morning rush.

Be a Good Gookkeeper! For a busy family, it is imperative to keep a schedule or a planner. Whether mom keeps a calendar tucked away in her purse or dad had the family's schedule programmed into his phone, being a good bookkeeper will do wonders for your sanity.

Know Your Limits! As parents we want our children to have every opportunity in the world, but over scheduling every waking second of your children's lives will be stressful for them and stressful for you! Limit the extra-curricular activities and events to a manageable level.

By utilizing these suggestions, you can get the 2010 - 2011 school year started off on the right foot. Tell  your children now that this school yer will involve some changes in your house. And, then, let the fun begin!

Kids, Summer, and Reading

We are about half way through the summer. In approximately six weeks our children will be returning to school. I'll be honest - we've slacked off on the reading since school has been out. At first I wanted to give the boys a break from it. Reading somehow becomes less fun when you are forced to read for homework for twenty minutes every night. And, as a parent, you can grow to dread those twenty minutes. Yet, when the pressure is off, it is very rewarding to snuggle down with your school-age child and let them read you a bedtime story!

Tonight the boys and I all piled into Riley's twin bed, pulled the covers up around us, and read. I read the boys one of my all-time favorite children's stories, Where the Wild Things Are. My heart gets heavy because my boys are getting to the age where they say, "That story is for babies!" But, they hung on to every word!

Then I listened as Khegan and Riley read me chapters of out Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (If you thinking to yourself that you have never heard of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, then your children are either very young or young adults, because this book is a hit amongst school-age children.) The boys did a great job reading, given that it's only about the fifth time I've read with them this summer....

Yes, I could sit here and make excuses. They would be good excuses too. We have been uber busy this summer! I wanted to give the kids a little break from reading. The boys have been on the go from dawn til dusk and when I put them to bed they drop like flied. BUT, the fact of the matter is, mom's been slacking. I have been relishing the nights without homework, agenda books, and reading logs. It's time to start gearing back up and preparing the boys for the beginning of another academic year!

Top Ten Travel Tips for Taking Family Road Trips

All families, at some time or another, take a family vacation that includes a road trip. Many parents get exhausted just thinking about piling all the kids into the tiny tin box that is the family vehicle, and embarking on a long drive. They shudder at the memory of the last family road trip and the incessant cries of, “Are we there yet?” and “He won’t stop touching me!” or “I have to go to the bathroom, right now!!!”

Family road trips don’t have to be a necessary evil. In fact, family road trips can be a bonding experience for the entire family. Spending “quality time” together, in the family vehicle, provides an opportunity to talk to each other, laugh with each other, have fun together, and reconnect as a family.

Whether you’re traveling with teenagers or toddlers, these ten tips are sure to make your family road trip a success!

1. Get an early (or late) start. When traveling with children, especially younger children, it can make the trip feel less long when some of the traveling is done during the early morning, or late night, hours. Have each child grab their pillow, and maybe a blanket, so that they can catch some zzzz while the family bus is taking everyone to your super-fun vacation destination.

2. Plan for some kid friendly car ride activities. Younger children will enjoy picture books, an Etch a Sketch, or some small toys. School age children will enjoy bringing their Nintendo DS, a coloring book and crayons, or card games. Teens will likely not leave home without their iPod and their laptop. Portable DVD players are a good choice for children of all ages.

3. Consider getting the children an inexpensive new toy to take on the trip. Refrain from letting the children have the toy in advance. Make it a special toy that they are allowed to have once you get moving. Travel checkers, a deck of cards, or a new book make great ‘travel gift’ ideas.

4. Play car games. There’s nothing like a good game of ‘twenty-questions’ or ‘eye-spy’ to break up the monotony during a long trip. Some families enjoy making up their own car games as well. A classic car game in my family is the ‘slug bug’ game, in which the person who spies the most VW Beatle’s wins.

5. Rock out to some traveling tunes. Bring along some CD’s or pack the MP3 player for everyone in the family to enjoy. Silly children songs, fun 80’s music, or even some pop music (that mom & dad find tolerable) will make for a fun family sing-a-long.

6. Take a break every 3-4 hours. Even adults need to stop to stretch, use the facilities, and “re-charge” during long road trips. Stop at a scenic rest stop and give the kiddos some time to run around and stretch their legs. Bring a picnic lunch or stop at a restaurant.

7. Make the road trip part of the fun. Plan to stop at a special museum, park, or ice cream shop along the way. By planning a special stop, or two, as you make your way towards your destination, you can get the children excited about road travel while breaking the trip up into smaller, easy to manage, segments.

8. Book your hotel in advance. If your road trip calls for an overnight stop, plan it out in advance. Book your overnight stay at a family-friendly hotel with a pool. The children will have something to look forward to as the end of the day draws near.

9. Arrange for a mid-trip surprise. Children love surprises. Whether you go all out and plan a detour to an amusement park or if you pack a special 'sweet treat' to break out while you drive, you’re children will smile when you tell them you have planned a surprise!

10. Wrap up the trip with a friendly contest. Have everyone guess the answer to a travel related question such as; 1) What time will we arrive at our destination? or 2) What will the odometer mileage read when we get there? Coming up with a prize makes the game all the more fun! Some ideas are letting the winner choose what restaurant the family will eat dinner at or what the first activity will be once at the vacation destination.

This post is a contest entry. I am participating in a blogger contest held by Cabins For You. Cabins For You specializes in cabin rentals located in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge TN. For more information about cabins, events and attractions please visit their blog.

A New Breed Mom’s Guide to Life: Top 10 ways to reduce stress – for the woman trying to do it all!!

Feeling Like This? Top 10 Ways for Busy Moms to Reduce Stress!

#10 Eat Healthy and Exercise! When you take care of yourself and your body, you are not only setting a great example for your children, but you are also maintaining your physical health which is sure to reduce your stress level.

#9 Plan ahead! Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today. By completing chores such as packing school lunches, unloading the dishwasher, and setting out clothes the night before; you can save yourself time and stress during the morning rush. Another tip is to create a weekly meal plan and stick to it. This takes the guess work out of planning dinner and it can save time and money.

#8 Enlist Help! Having your children complete age appropriate chores will teach them responsibility while also taking some pressure off of you. Teaching your children to help in small ways can lead to big rewards!

#7 Seek out mom-to-mom support! Talking to other moms about common issues, that all moms face, will help you to feel connected and allow you to know that you are not alone! If you are too busy to schedule ‘play dates’, you can always find online resources to network with other moms. (You’re reading this blog, so you’re obviously off to a great start!) Another great online resource is http://www.advice4parenting.com/

#6 Learn to say “no”! As woman we often have the need to please everyone – our kids, our spouses, our bosses, our friends, our neighbors, and almost anyone else we know. It is unrealistic and impossible for people to expect you to volunteer for every little PTA event at your child’s school while maintaining a household and a full time job. You will find that no one will condemn you for saying “no” – quite the contrary, they will respect you for respecting yourself!

#5 Be a good bookkeeper! For a busy mom it is imperative to keep a schedule or a planner. Whether you keep a calendar tucked away in your purse or have your whole life programmed into your phone, being a good bookkeeper will do wonders for your sanity.

#4 Routines, routines, routines! Children need routines. It helps them to feel safe and secure when they know what to expect. Set up routines around daily activities such as morning routines, dinner routines, homework routines, and bed-time routines – you will see your children thrive!

#3 Get enough sleep! Not getting enough sleep is related to higher stress levels and can leave you feeling irritable and burnt out. By sleeping 7-9 hours a night, you can wake feeling rested and ready to face the day.

#2 Solicit Spousal Support! Mothers sometimes overlook their most valuable resource in times of stress – their husband! Husbands are usually more than willing to pitch in and help out where help is needed. But your husband is not telepathic and will typically not know what you need unless you ask. If you’re a single mother, seek support from a sister, parent, or best friend.

#1 Make time for yourself! If you take nothing else from this article, just know that carving out small chunks of time to nurture yourself is so important! It gives you an opportunity to “re-charge” and relax. By setting aside time to read a book, go shopping, or get a pedicure, you will reduce your stress and help ensure that you are giving 100% to you family when you are with them. Your family will thank you for it!

The Benefits of Family Routines

Mothers have a variety of different roles in life besides being a mom. For someone who is a married, working mother it can be difficult to juggle so many different roles and responsibilities. Mornings are often hectic for a working mother, who must make sure her children are up, dressed, fed, and out the door before she leaves to go to work. These tasks can be complicated by many factors such as problems with the family pet, oversleeping, or trying to tie up odds and ends from the night before.

If you are a working mom who can relate to hectic mornings, one thing you can do to make it more manageable is to plan for tomorrow, today. By planning your morning ahead of time you will not only know what to expect for the following day, but you will also save yourself a tremendous amount of time and effort. Mornings become a lot more manageable if you don’t have to pack school lunches, sign off on homework, and clean up last night’s dinner dishes all before you walk out the door!

Another advantage of planning ahead is that children respond well to routine. A child who knows what to expect every morning is much less likely to have a major meltdown when it matters most. Research shows that children crave routines. Children that have scheduled routines surrounding daily activities such as getting ready for school, or preparing to go to bed, are much more likely to feel calm and secure. In addition, routines help to promote positive behaviors such as responsibility in young children.

Don’t complicate your life by being unprepared! As a savvy, hard-working, working mother you can reduce your stress and make daily tasks more peaceful for you and your children by establishing routines and sticking to them!

Related Articles:

New Research from The Ohio State University says routines can help prevent childhood obesity

Detailed overview of study from The Ohio State University - Routines can help prevent childhood obesity

Routines - How and Why they work

Three routines can reduce the risk of childhood obesity

Family Dinners and a Duck Named Taco

A duck named Taco. That was the topic of conversation at our dinner table tonight. Thanks to a little boy named Jared and his father the farmer, Khegan’s second grade class has been closely monitoring three little duck eggs in an incubator that the classroom teacher has provided. The eggs have been in the classroom for a little over a month, and the children have eagerly been awaiting the arrival of the ducklings. Over the course of the last month, I have been warning my bright-eyed little boy that the duck eggs may not hatch; having been cultivated in an incubator in a room full of second grade students and all. However, much to my surprise, one of the eggs hatched over the weekend and now the students in Mrs. K’s second grade class are the proud parents of one little duckling.

As we sat down to a dinner prepared ever so thoughtfully my by gem of a husband, the topic of conversation quickly turned towards the little duckling named Taco. Khegan, being the animal lover that he is, taught the duck how to walk today by placing two fingers on the outside of the glass incubator and demonstrating how his fingers could walk across the glass. As a result of this great accomplishment, Khegan feels that he has earned the right to name the little duck. Although some of his classmates want to call the duckling something more logical, like ‘Ducky’ or ‘Donald’, Khegan is much too creative for that! So, that my friends, is how there came to be a duck named Taco.

In addition to that fun little tidbit, I learned many other details of my children’s respective days as we shared a meal together. I learned that in Riley’s 1st grade class, Mrs. D gave all the students a sticker promoting the 2010 census. I learned that the boys’ school pictures had been returned today. I learned that eleven parents, including me, volunteered to chaperone the 2nd grade field trip to The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. I learned that my husband is about to move his daily cardio workout from the treadmill to a carefully plan out path through our neighborhood. (It is May after all!)

Family Dinners are an important tool for mothers (and fathers) who want to be actively involved in the daily events of their children’s lives. Sitting down as a family to share a meal has many benefits. To me the most important benefit is the conversation. Family dinners are an opportunity for everyone to relax and unwind while learning about the details of each other’s days. It’s a time to share stories, give advice, and learn lessons. Children who regularly sit down to a family dinner (yes, that means no T.V.) feel safe, secure, and loved by their parents. Family dinners help to instill the value of family into the lives of our children. Also, chances are if you are sitting down to a meal as a family, the meal is home-cooked and not take out or pizza.

More information on the benefits of Family Dinners can be found at: http://children.webmd.com/guide/family-dinners-are-important