Modern Parents Messy Kids

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No More Nagging for Something to Drink

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Being a parent is a test of efficiency.  It reminds of waiting tables many years ago.  You have a million things to accomplish in about 10 minutes and impatient customers will let you know how you're measuring up on the job.  Except now days you're serving kids, and sometimes they can be a teeny bit impatient and you may hear a lot of, "Mom, I'm thirsty", "Mom, can I have a drink of water?", "Mooooom!".   This summer, I tried putting a water jug outside with cups for the kids to … [Read more...]

Dealing with Night Time Fears Through Play

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One of my boys was blessed with my very over active imagination, which can be fun during the day, but not so much at night.   We've battled our nighttime monsters in different ways. We talk about what good dreams he wants to have that night - where he wants to go, what he wants to do etc. I've also given him an old remote control so if he wakes up from a bad dream he can change his dream channel. Another way to battle those monsters is by melting them!   This activity is fun … [Read more...]

Best Idea Ever When Starting a New School

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I'm still working away on the site redesign and the closer we get to launch, the closer we also get to the end of summer (boo!).  If you have a kiddo starting a new school this year (be it preschool, kindergarten, or even daycare) I highly recommend you check out this post form last fall.  Our DIY preschool photo book was a major hit at home.   The idea comes from a child life specialist and was suggested to me by a friend when I was fretting over C's transition from being at home … [Read more...]

The Many Benefits of Family Camping

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I love this picture.  At first glance, it looks like C is pouting a bit.  But further inspection reveals he's actually softly smiling to himself.  Content just to be surrounded by nature, doing nothing more than breathing in the mountain air.   The family and I have been doing more than our fair share of camping lately and this photo reflects exactly why I've fallen in love with our weekends away.  The great outdoors has exactly the same effect on me as it does on my … [Read more...]

How to Really Love a Child

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Kaley is back today with a post that fits so nicely with our recent book club discussion on becoming a more mindful parent.  The sentiment behind this poem is such a great reminder of the parent I'm striving to be...   How do you love a child?  We read books on how to feed your child, how to discipline them, how to talk to them, and how to get them to sleep.  But doesn't loving a child just come naturally?  Do we really need direction when it comes to loving our children? We all love … [Read more...]

How to Travel with Kids

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Before we dive in today, I wanted to give you a quick update on the site's redesign. We are tenatively shooting for a launch in 4 weeks. That has me both incredibly excited and more than a bit nervous about all the work to be done. So I'll be stepping back a bit for the next 4 weeks. Don't worry though, between contributors, guest posts, and a few roundups - I've got you covered with tons of fresh stuff while I'm away. Now, back to the topic at hand... Many of you with kids probably remember … [Read more...]

Must Read: Raising a Creative Kid

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Would you like to raise a kid who is creative? Would you like to see the twinkle that passes through your kids eye when she has an idea… and know exactly how to nurture it? What if I said there was a way for you to raise a creative thinker by simply setting up a creative environment, using intentional language, and nurturing mistakes?  What if the answer was as easy as following simple strategies all laid out for you?  Sounds pretty good right?  Those words were written by my blogging … [Read more...]

The Best Summer Blog Series for Parents and Their Kids

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We started off this week talking about making a mindful summer and I find I still have a few more thoughts on the subject.  I love this post, 18 Summers - How Many Do Yours Have Left?  It makes my heart beat a little faster just thinking about it, but I love it.   How many summers do you have left with your kiddos?  However many it is, I'm sure you want to make the most of them.  So here I am, your own personal assistant, ready to help.  If you have young kids, check out two posts by my … [Read more...]