Imaginative Play

Posted on June 8, 2009 by Connie

Every child need imaginative play for their intellectual development. Plus it’s just fun! This summer, why not encourage your children to be more creative when they play?

Fill a box of old clothes, accessories and make up for your children to use during dress up time. You can use your own things, buy some used clothing from a thrift store or find some used costumes. Suggest that they put on a play for your family. Set up chairs, have popcorn and help make the announcements if they wish.

: Image via Wikipedia

Have paper, crayons, markers, stickers, glue, old magazines, paint, etc. on hand for art supplies. No need for coloring books, unless it’s something they request. But allowing them to make their own pictures, paintings or collages lets them be more creative. Don’t forget to hang those special items on your refrigerator.

Building blocks, legos, and any type of building toys really get a child’s imagination flowing. You can always find these at yard sales and thrift stores. I always buy used. Watch your children make houses, parks, cars, stores, etc. Try to have a large area for this type of play so they can stretch out. Cleaning up the pieces becomes part of the imaginative play when you make a game out of it.

Puppets of all types are wonderful. You can use old socks, paper bags or ready made puppets. Then listen to the stories your child tells when they become the puppet master.

Since it’s summer, you can allow your children to leave their cities, unfinished paintings, stages, etc. up for a few days. They may need the time to complete their projects or enjoy them fully.

Have fun with them and feel like a child again!

Free Summer Camps

Posted on June 7, 2009 by Connie

I didn’t think it was possible to find free summer camps any more, but to my great surprise there are a number of them available. I have a list of some of them here, but please be sure to research for more of these in your local area, online and by contacting organizations such as the Rotary Club, Recreation Department, YMCA, and if your child has special needs, an organization that deals with this physical, social or mental need, schools and churches.

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…

Operation Purple – Specifically for children who have a parent or parents who are deployed. If there is room, children from active military familes will be accepted. Open to children aged 7 – 17 for one week.
Apple Summer Workshops – For children aged 8 – 12 and held at Apple Stores for one week in the month of July, these teach sessions about computer software and hardware. Many of these are filled so please be sure to check if there are any openings. They are also offered year round.
Camp Good Days – Only open to children who are diagnosed with cancer.
Camp Agape – For children, aged 7 – 12,Â who have lost a parent, especially those in Iraq. This is a Christian based program.
Fresh Air Fund – Only for disadvantaged youth in New York City. There are five different camp locations serving children of different ages.
Fresh Brain Virtual Camp – Online activities that provide information such as making videos, learning Java, etc. Their are opportunities to win prizes, get badges and gain other rewards. Hurry! This starts June 15th.

Outdoor Summer Activities

Posted on June 6, 2009 by Connie

I try to focus on outdoor activities in the summer for my daughter. When she’s in school, she has homework and studying. She’s usually so worn out from her full day at school and her after school work, that she only has about an hour for free time. She will choose to go outside sometime, but most of the time, she talks on the phone to her friends, plays on the computer or with video games. (She does get outside time at school at recess and PE, which she loves.)

But with no school, she has a lot of time on her hands, time to be a child and do things she enjoys. With my health issues, the heat can be harmful for me, so I try to set up play dates at our house where she can play in the fenced in yard with her friend, or go to a friend’s house to play outside.

Some of the things she enjoys doing outside:

Basketball – My daughter is into sports of all kinds. We got her a toddler’s basketball set then was given a regular size hoop from a neighbor that didn’t use it any more. It’s a bit tall for her, but she still likes to learn to dribble and attempt getting it into a the hoop.
Playing Tag – Any type of running game is tops on her list. She’s quite fast and loves to let off some energy.
Roller Skating – We bought her a pair when she was tiny. It was more of a walk and roll pair. Those got her started to feel comfortable on wheels and now she can skate with the best of them!
Sprinkler Time – We don’t do this often because of wasting water, but when we give in the smile on her face makes it worthwhile. We set a timer so she knows it won’t last long and we save some of the water in a small pool for later.
Chalk Drawing – Give her some chalk, our driveway and some time and you’ll find colorful pictures everywhere.
Inventing Games – I’m always amazed at her ability to make up something fun to do. There’s no need for toys, just a friend or two, some nice weather and imagination.

Give a child the outdoors and they’ll find a way to have fun. It doesn’t have to cost anything or you can grab few things at the Dollar Store. Go to a park, grab a pail, shovel or a hulu hoop. Surprise them with some snacks and always have some ice water ready.

Teacher Gifts

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Connie

We always show our appreciation for a job well done by purchasing a teacher gift. Even though times are hard, we do something special for our daughter’s teacher. I’ve learned that these are the most wanted gifts in order of preference:

Handmade Gifts
Particular collectibles (but only if the teacher requests or is a true collector)
Teaching Supplies
Gift Cards

How do I know this? I’ve been through preschool all the way to college with my older daughter and have always been involved with her teachers. Of course, not in college! I didn’t want to just buy things that would end up in a closet or be re-gifted so I asked.

Handmade Gifts – For preschool up to about fifth grade, teachers appreciate seeing what their students have learned or a talent they are proud of, be it writing the alphabet or their name,Â a story about their year in school, a thank you letter for the extra help their teacher gave them, or for how they helped them learn about a skill they didn’t know they had. If a child is proud of their art work, a drawing or painting or any other craft item is always welcomed, especially if it can be portrayed or used such as a pencil holder. Be sure that your child puts their full name and the year on their work. Older children can give greeting card with a special message or a letter. Again, if they are gifted in a certain are, let them make somethingÂ just for their teacher.

Collectibles - Some teachers cover their classrooms with coffee mugs, Tinker Bell items or posters of dogs. If they keep adding to their collection or talking about their love of these items, it’s a safe guess that they’d be happy to receive another addition. To be on the safe side, you can mention it to them, such as, “Are you looking for more unique mugs?”

Teaching Supplies – We all know that budget cuts have caused many teachers to purchase paper, pencils and even books. Ask if supplies are needed and what in particular. Sometimes a magazine subscription is perfect. National Geographic Little Kids is good for preschool – kindergarten.

Gift Cards – Sometimes you may get a teacher that will say they don’t want or expect anything, or they are happy with a handmade gift. Either way, gift cards are a wonderful way to say thank you. Since my daughter makes either a card or a drawing, I add a gift card as our thank you. This year we chose to use our grocery store cards. Her teacher has been so grateful. He can get just what he wants and it saves him money on a necessity.

What do you do for your childrens’ teachers? I’m sure it’s much harder if you have more than one child in school at the same time.

Potty Training Trials

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Connie

I’ve learned to never compare children, especially siblings, especially when it comes to potty training. My oldest daughter was easy. She trained like a pro and there was really not much work involved. It’s funny to look back on it now because she was difficult in almost every other way. She had colic for months and never wanted to take naps or go to bed, but using the big girl potty was a breeze.

My youngest daughter, was a dream baby. She slept through the night at four months old. She was on a schedule most of her infant and toddler life with naps, feeding, (then eating) and bedtime. But potty training was completely different. It took us over a year to get her to pee in the toilet. If we went anywhere outside of our house, familiar homes, or church, she’d still need a pull up because she had a fear of “public toilets”.

potty So at the age of five, with kindergarten approaching, she still wasn’t fully trained. Thankfully she was able to attend a summer school class for two weeks before kindergarten. The teachers worked with her and by the time the school year began, she didn’t consider the school bathrooms “public”.

But we were still in trouble when it came to the other part of training. We ended up having to take her to a counselor who worked with us on behavioral training methods. It was a long, difficult journey for all of us. But she’s a normal girl who just had some issues at that time. We’ll never understand what she was afraid of, but it’s done and over.

When this was going on, I spoke to so many other mothers who had problems with toilet training. That’s where the Potty Project, from Huggies, comes in to help you. Learn from experts and other parents as they go through similar issues as you.

Thanks to The Parent Bloggers Network for providing the information on this resource.

By writing this post, I am compensated with a gift and an opportunity to win a contest.

A Glimpse of My Family

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Connie

My family is my life. They are keep me going, make me happy, help me want to strive to be a better person and keep myself as healthy as possible. I do these things for myself too, but knowing that they are the most positive force in my life is the key to endeavor on.

If you’re a mother and/or a wife, you most likely understand me. But, sadly, maybe you don’t. Maybe you put others things first, or are just overwhelmed with it all. I hope that I can show you a view of what my family life is all about and hopefully you can set yourself off in a more positive direction.

Proud Family

F un – We attempt to do fun things together. Spending time together, even if it’s just talking, reading silently together or eating dinner together is a priority. It doesn’t have to cost money and can even be something as silly as telling old stories that we’ve heard a thousand times before, but still keep us in stitches.

A lways stick up for each other – We are our best allies. Even if one of us has done something wrong, we (my husband and myself) may punish or at least point out the offense if it’s something small, but we help each other through the tough times. We know that forgiveness is always possible. That’s unconditional love. Forgiveness doesn’t mean letting someone get away with their wrong, but forgiving them from our hearts.

M eeting friends – We make an effort to get to know each other’s friends. Our home is open to our children’s friends. We love to spend time with them, but not get in the way. We do give each other space, but it’s important for our children to feel comfortable bringing their friends to us. This helps them to feel comfortable telling us about their problems and worries.

friends

I mportant – We work at making everyone feel important to gain self-esteem. This is done in many ways but one of the ways that work best for us is providing responsibilities. They are not only chores, but things such as doing our best at school and workÂ and doing our best at being kind and courteous.

L ove – You were expecting that weren’t you? This is the most important ingredient in my family. We may not like each other all the time, but we always love each other. We try to show it every day in different ways. We say it every day, give hugs and kisses and help our children see that we (my husband and I) love each other too.

Y es – Say it as often as possible! Now it doesn’t mean that we give in to everything. In fact we are very strict parents. But, if one of our children asks to sleep over a friend’s house and we’ve never met the parents, instead of saying “no” we would say something like, “How’s about we go out to the park with your friend and her parents instead?” If we’re asked about doing anything educational, it’s yes! We think of ways to be more positive to each other all the time.

The Parent Bloggers Network has teamed up with Windex Outdoor All In One to introduce you to this new product by sharing Your Best View.Â I hope you’ll share your words and photos about anything that relates to Your Best View. It can be something that makes you happy from nature, like the view of a sunrise, a smile of someone you love, or a hobby that you enjoy. Have fun!

Book Review: The Beach Street Knitting Society And Yarn Club

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Connie

I promise not to go over the top on The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Clubbut it’s going to be difficult. I totally enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down.

The main character, Jo, is going through a major life change due to her husband being killed in a car accident. This accident happens right after he tells her that he wants a divorce. She feels like she is alone due to this unusual circumstance. She becomes a widow, a single parent, a home seller and new home owner, a knitting store owner and much more.

beachstreetknittingbook Although this is an emotional book, it is not overdone. I “got” the feelings, but I didn’t have to read through descriptions of each and every sad moment. The author, Gil McNeil, was able to present them through the character’s discussions and choices. Even though there were many characters, I was able to get to know them all. I wasn’t confused about who was who because each one was written as a real person.

The book takes place in England and there are many phrases that I didn’t understand, but I liked learning more about them. There is a bit of everything in this book. Some of the lessons I learned were: the need for family and close friends even when you are not going through difficult times, how to accept change in a positive way, that being a perfect mother isn’t important, but being a loving mother is and most important of all, that life goes on even when horrible things happen.

Note: This book includes some adult language, in fact a lot of it.

Review courtesy of Parent Reviewers.

How Not To Panic About Swine Flu

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Connie

No Germs If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’re heard about the Swine Flu that has hit Mexico City and certain areas of the US including Texas, Kansas, California and possibly New York City. Over 60 people have died in Mexico as of now. In the US there are no casualties but 2 people have been hospitalized.

How do you not panic about your children, or you getting the Swine Flu?

Keep in mind that the people in the US who have this type of flu have been to Mexico or have had close contact with someone who has.
This is not considered a pandemic at this time.
“Symptoms of swine flu include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, the CDC said.” (per CNN.com) But in the US, Tamiflu has been able to work against it.
If you are healthy, don’t be afraid to go out, send your children to school, go to work, etc. Use precautions like good hand washing and staying away from someone who is noticeably sick. Also if you are sick, remember to sneeze or cough into your elbow not your hands.
If you have any concerns about your children or yourself being sick, call your physician. Of course, any time you have a fever, you should not go to work and you should keep your children home from school.
I believe that the government is prepared for a pandemic now since 9/11. From local communities up to the Federal level, the CDC and Homeland Security have worked on these types of emergencies.
Keep informed online, with newspapers and TV withÂ reliable sources.
If your child questions you about Swine Flu, give them the information they can understand based on their age.

How do you feel about this situation? Do you think that enough is being done? Are you more worried by what you are hearing? If so or if not, what sources are you getting your information from?

Report Card Rewards

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Connie

I don’t reward my daughter for her good grades on her report card. Call me a mean Mom. To me, that’s a compliment. Her reward for good grades are just that, her grades.

: Image by rochelle, et. al. via Flickr

You see, my daughter understands that she has to go to school. She enjoys learning because it is something that we’ve instilled in her since she was a baby. I read to her as an infant, we surrounded her with educational and fun toys, we took her everywhere with us. She had a library of books before she was born and a library card before she could read or write. She’s been to story time, parties, children’s festivals, parks, plays, etc.

When she began school, it was a huge deal for all of us and we let her know that this was her “job”. We are involved in her school work and her school. Her homework and studying comes first before TV, telephone calls, playing games.

Believe me she has fun! She loves being on the computer, playing video games, reading and playing with her friends. She gets to enjoy all those things in moderation. And many of the rewards she gets for good behavior at home include these things.

We also don’t push her to get good grades, but to try her best and to enjoy the process of learning. If she has a problem with something in school, for example, math, we find some games to help her with it. I let her teacher and the school reward her for her grades. I love her for her effort and for her curiosity.

I do understand that there are circumstances when rewards for grades are necessary so this is not a post to judge anyone who uses them for their children. This is what I have done with my daughter is now 22 and in graduate school and will continue to do with my 10 year old daughter because it’s what I believe is best for us.

What do you do with your children when they get they good grades?

Spoiled Children

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Connie

How to know if your child is spoiled:

You run out to the store when your child says he wants a piece of candy that you don’t have at home.
When you open your child’s closet there’s more shoes than in your closet. Fill in any kind of clothing.
You buy a toy every time you’re at the store.
You serve candy, cookies or cake as a meal for your child.
You do your child’s homework and school projects.
You agree with your child when she says that her teacher is unfair or mean.
If he doesn’t like what you made for dinner you make something else.
At any gift giving occasion it takes an hour or more for your child to open all of his presents.

What are some signs that you have seen in spoiled children?

spoiled child

*Image – painting my Jean-Baptist Greuze,Â Spoiled Child.

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