...best job in the world
You can’t wait to be an empty nester, can you? It’s okay to admit it, go ahead. You and your spouse have devoted hours and hours to the successful growth of your children. You have fed them, clothed them, and driven them to soccer games and Halloween parties. You purchased and drove vehicles designed for the sole purpose of hauling kids and stuff. [Read more…] about Parenting Is A Job That Never Stops
Originally posted on November 7, 2016 @ 2:52 pm
When it comes to being a parent you want to give your child everything they need, from raising them right to making sure that they have everything they want. You want them to be respectable, you want them to be knowledgeable, but in order to do all of that you need to work to raise a well rounded child.
Raising a well rounded child also has something to do with their experiences. A child that spends most of their time at home, playing games, will be less social. If you want your child to learn history, art, culture, and be more social, here are some ways to add more culture to their lives that will help with just that.
[Read more…] about Five Ways To Add More Culture Into Your Child’s Life
Originally posted on June 11, 2016 @ 3:21 pm
Americans basically get all of the protein they need with the amount of meat they eat on a daily basis. Most of them get far more protein than they actually need. With the rates of obesity and the health issues with certain meats, many people are trying to find different ways to get the protein that they do need.
The average adult woman needs about 46 grams of protein a day, while men need 56 grams. It helps to know the size of a serving of meat, when it comes to protein and meat. One serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, and contains somewhere around 21 grams. [Read more…] about How And Why To Add New Forms Of Protein Into Your Family’s Diet
Originally posted on January 28, 2016 @ 2:35 pm
Maintaining a clean and happy home can be a difficult balancing act for most parents. Finding the time to stay on top of housework while enjoying quality family time can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. While you may not be able to avoid emergency plumbing problems or broken windows, you can stay on top of the daily chaos and mess. Included here are a few housekeeping tips for busy parents, to keep the chaos at bay and your sanity intact.
The trick to maintaining a tidy household is not in weekly cleaning binge sessions. Clean homes are created by making tidying up a part of the daily schedule. By taking 5 minutes after breakfast, lunch and dinner to do dishes, you can keep the unsanitary stacks from piling up without steeping your hands in dishwater for too long. [Read more…] about 3 Housekeeping Tips for Busy Parents
Originally posted on January 8, 2016 @ 1:46 pm
If it seems like you can either have a clean house or happy kids, but not both, simply because of the time involved, you’re not alone in those thoughts. Most parents feel entirely overworked, their kids are aggravated, and the house isn’t as clean as you want, all at the same time.
However, by following a few simple tips, you can decrease the amount of tension associated with the cleaning part of the triangle at least. For your consideration, five tips include getting those carpets cleaned up professionally, following a housekeeping system, using natural cleaners, setting up jobs for kids, and using air filters in dirty parts of the house. [Read more…] about 5 Housecleaning Tips for Busy Parents
Originally posted on October 23, 2015 @ 7:36 am
There is a need to raise eco-conscious children if we are to talk about any future for our world. However, the burden of training them towards the green way falls on the parents. Parents cannot preach on green living while they themselves are not doing it. How then can we raise children who will treat the environment with love and care?
[Read more…] about Raising Eco-Conscious Children
Originally posted on November 12, 2013 @ 12:48 pm
Kids need to learn their responsibilities early on. Teaching them what they can do to help in the house, for example, can be done at about the age of four or five. From simple things like picking up toys to throwing wrappers in the trash can, they can learn gradually through constant reminder and encouragement given in a nice way.
In terms of saving energy, kids need to know as well that they can do simple acts to help mom cut electricity bills. This is normally taught in school so they should already know this. The trick is to avoid doing a lecture all the time. Instead, tell them their duties in a nice way that they will listen to you or better yet, do it in a fun way.
Firstly, you might want to encourage them to play some internet games or research about energy saving techniques. You can choose from various green websites some of which are that of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Ollie’s World and newyorkenergyrates.com. On these sites, kids can find answers to their questions on saving energy and play games as well.
[Read more…] about Teaching Kids to Save Energy the Fun Way
Originally posted on February 18, 2013 @ 1:42 pm
Our 2 year old boy is a mini goth. The strange thing is that our son looks absolutely angelic with a mop of light brown curls, milky skin, rosy round cheeks and a rosebud mouth – so it’s become somewhat of an ironic family joke.
His first word was “mask” – referring to the small collection of Balinese and Sri Lankan masks in my husband’s office, which I think terrified and fascinated him all at once. He’d always point at them and want to be carried up for a closer view, only to cling to us in terror (mock?) after he got a good look. Not one for Sesame Street, Barney or Thomas (unlike his 2 elder siblings) His went straight from Baby Einstein to Nightmare Before Christmas. Corpse Bride, Coraline…he just loves Tim Burton’s works, and can you guess what his all-time favorite song is? Not “The Wheels on the Bus” or “If You’re Happy and You Know it”…..but “Monster Mash”. Click here for his favourite version: Monster Mash. In fact, if he sees me on my laptop, he’ll crawl on my lap and say “watch Monster Mash” until I stop whatever I’m doing and log on to YouTube.
So you can imagine that Halloween came early to our house this year. The sheer delight on his face was precious as we unpacked our boxes of Halloween decorations and he pretty much took charge (directing his 8 and 5 year old siblings of course) of placing every pumpkin, ghoul or ghost in choice locations in and outside the house. “Its Halloween! Its Halloween!” he says excitedly every morning when he comes out of his bedroom and looks at our spider-webbed stairway and tall witch on the landing.
He’s also quite firmly told me that his costume is NOT going to be the Cat and the Hat his elder siblings both wore at his age. “I be Dracula, Mom”. Oh, and he has also demanded for his choice of Halloween cake several times a day, telling both me and his Daddy ” I want Dracula Cake”. It’s hard to say no with that angelic little face and his naturally affectionate disposition. So tonight, as I tucked him into bed (Jack Skellington stuffed toy in his arms), I just couldn’t resist but whisper that Mommy would indeed get him that Dracula cake for Halloween. Help!
Photo via nicandres
Originally posted on October 7, 2010 @ 1:58 pm
The new school year is upon us, and it’s every parent’s mealtime (and lunchbox) crusade – getting your kids to eat healthier. Well, its mine at least. Easy(ish) when they’re young and they pretty much eat anything you put in front of them. Not so easy when school starts and they discover a whole new world – like their classmate’s lunch boxes filled with no-no’s like soda and Doritos.
When my 3 kids were babies I started them all of with what I think is the Bible of healthy-baby-eating, The Super Baby Food Book. Well, I admit that it got to a lesser degree with #2, but with #3 came the the advent of commercial organic baby food, which made things a lot easier. Whether you are a DIY Mom like Ruth of the Super Baby Book (who also makes her own Play Dough, mind you), or prefer to buy from the organic aisle at the supermarket, know that giving your kids a healthy diet now means setting up their foundations for a healthy life. Now isn’t that a worthwhile mission?
Here are my tips on how to help you get started (and hopefully keep going!):
1. Teach Them About Health
My Mom did this for my sister and I (she was and still is what you would call a “health nut”), and I have to say that it stuck. Explain to your kids WHY certain foods are good or bad for you and you’ll be surprised how well they’ll respond. I try and use language they understand like: “…healthy food like fruit and vegetables helps you get bigger and stronger, but also makes your “soldiers” strong to fight bad germs so you don’t get sick“. There are a few kids shows now which touch on this, as well as books. Read/watch and talk about it with them and be prepared to answer their questions.
2. Vegetarian Meals= Budget meals
Yes, its true! Add a vegetarian meal or two to your weekly menu and see how much you can save. It’s a known fact that fresh produce is significantly cheaper than meats (which are some of the costliest food items in stores), so by serving say, a vegetarian lasagna rather than the “al forno” with beef, you not only give your kids a veggie-filled nutritious meal, you also save on the weekly budget (yipee!), plus it’s good for the planet. Why? read about vegatarianism and the environment here.
3. Make it Fun!
My kids and I like to play quick games like guessing which food is “healthy or not”. For example, what’s better? french fries or apple slices with cinnamon? (Okay, so my husband doesn’t join in and prefers to roll his eyes- but WE enjoy it!). The winner gets a small prize like stickers. You can also make healthy food attractive and fun by using a cookie cutter to make shapes and adding “faces” (raisins and sliced red pepper make easy instant characters). Brit Mom turned kid-food guru, Anabel Karmel is a total wiz at this and I love her cookbooks.
4. Go Organic
Finding organic food is really easy these days, and the health benefits are huge. Would you prefer to feed your kids things without harmful chemicals and pesticides? With more nutrients and vitamins? I would. It’s a really simple choice, and really worth the extra effort.
5. Plan Ahead and Cook More, Mom!
I really believe that planning ahead, being organized and cooking yourself is the key to healthier eating. Look online for new healthy recipes to try (you can get the kids to help choose here), add more fruit and veg to your meals, and take a few minutes every Sunday to plan healthy weekly menus– this really helps keep me in budget too!
Photo via Tanya Dawn
Originally posted on September 7, 2009 @ 6:07 am