3 Thanksgiving Tips for Blended Families

Blended families often come with many many challenges and the stress of the holidays can only exacerbate them. 

Here are my top 3 Child-Centered Thanksgiving tips for blended families:

COMMUNICATE- Obviously communication is key. With extended family, ex-spouses, and the lot. But communication with your CHILD is paramount. Explaining the day's schedule, who is expected to attend, where you are going, and how long you expect to be there OR how long you expect others to be at your home will help reduce the anxiety that can build up in your child. This is especially true for children under age 6 and those with physical, mental, or behavioral struggles and those that spend the day with newly blended families as there are likely to be a lot of strangers around. Information should come from BOTH biological parents if possible. It is extra comforting for a child if they also know what the parent that they aren't spending the day/weekend with is doing. The more information they have the better. Leave your feelings at the door and be as factual, logical, and loving as possible.

ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS WITHOUT SHAME OR GUILT- All children- regardless of age are entitled to their feelings- whether you like their feelings or agree with them is irrelevant. Respecting their emotions, even negative ones, teaches them respect in return. It shows them that you love and support them unconditionally, and isn't that what we as human beings regardless of age crave the most? If little Sally misses the parent that isn't in attendance or doesn't have custody that day don't take it personally! This isn't about you. Your child loves you too and would probably be crying for you instead if the tables were turned.  Hug her, love her, acknowledge her feelings ("I can see that you miss your Mom and that makes you sad.") and then reiterate your love for her and redirect her attention to something positive. ("I love you and I'm here for you *hugs* and we'll get through this together... let's go see what Grandpa is doing!)

DON'T BE A SLAVE TO THE CALENDAR- Yes, Thanksgiving is nationally dedicated to the last Thursday of the month, but that doesn't mean that your family needs to celebrate it on THAT particular day. It is important that your child(ren) gets to celebrate that holiday with as many sides of the family as possible. If your ex has them on the national holiday, schedule yours the weekend after, before, or a couple days after/before. The holiday is about tradition, family togetherness, and thankfulness- and all 3 can be celebrated on any day of the year.

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These are just a few tips- but I'd LOVE to hear how you celebrate your blended family Thanksgiving as I'm sure other readers would too.. Sound off your tips and traditions in the comment section below! 

and as always... 

HAPPY PARENTING!

-Poppins

Do You Parent with Strings Attached?

Are you ready to have your MIND BLOWN?!
As you all know... I LOVE parenting. And most of all I love ALL THINGS "positive parenting" related.
Well this article by Alfie Kohn is going to challenge your perceptions on what it means to be a good parent. I read it a few years ago and this, among other books, articles, and childhood development classes like it, completely changed the way I parent. I wasn't a bad parent- but constantly looking for ways to become a better one is in my nature- I bet it's in a lot of parent's natures.

Let me give you a teaser quote before I send you off to read:

"....... loving our children isn’t enough. We have to love them unconditionally – for who they are, not for what they do.

As a father, I know this is a tall order, but it becomes even more challenging now that so much of the advice we are given amounts to exactly the opposite.  In effect, we’re given tips in conditional parenting, which comes in two flavors:  turn up the affection when they’re good, withhold affection when they’re not.

Thus, TV’s “Dr. Phil” McGraw tells us in his book Family First that what children need or enjoy should be offered contingently, turned into rewards to be doled out or withheld so they “behave according to your wishes.” And “one of the most powerful currencies for a child,” he adds, “is the parents’ acceptance and approval.”  (Steph's Sidenote: This makes me so sad. To suggest that you use LOVE and acceptance as a manipulative tool to shape your child's behavior is sickening. )

Likewise, Jo Frost of “Supernanny,” in her book of the same name, says, “The best rewards are attention, praise, and love,” and these should be held back “when the child behaves badly . . . until she says she is sorry,” at which point the love is turned back on." -Alfie Kohn (Steph's sidenote: Again- ridiculous. Attention, praise, and love are NOT REWARDS! They should be unconditional!)

And now I'll send you off to read and ponder:)

Alfie Kohn: Parental Love with Strings Attached

Coursera- Free Courses for Parents

Have you heard about Coursera yet?

Coursera is on a quest to change the way that we do Education. And they have some REALLY neat classes coming up to broaden your "parenting" education :)

So what exactly is Coursera?
"We are a social entrepreneurship company that partners with the top universities in the world to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free. We envision a future where the top universities are educating not only thousands of students, but millions. Our technology enables the best professors to teach tens or hundreds of thousands of students."

Through this, we hope to give everyone access to the world-class education that has so far been available only to a select few. We want to empower people with education that will improve their lives, the lives of their families, and the communities they live in." (source)

How it works- According to them... and I quote:

"Choose from 300+ courses in over 20 categories created by 62 Universities from 16 countries.

Watch short video lectures, take interactive quizzes, complete peer graded assessments, and interact live with your new classmates and teachers.

Finish your class, receive recognition for a job well done, and achieve your goals, whether they be career, personal, or educational." (source)

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I perused their site and found some classes that might be of interest to any parent looking to broaden their education and understanding of their child or parenting in general.
Keep in mind- ALL OF THESE ARE COLLEGE LEVEL CLASSES TAUGHT BY TOP UNIVERSITIES (INCLUDING HARVARD, STANFORD, AND YALE...  THEY ARE ALL ONLINE...AND THEY ARE ALL FREE!


CHILDREN ACQUIRING LITERACY NATURALLY
Taught by Professor Dominic William Massaro
 UC Santa Cruz

Synapses: "This course will survey fundamental principles of language acquisition and learning to read. We will explore the possibility of becoming literate without formal schooling and instruction. No prior background in behavioral science, neuroscience, or technology is required."

Next Session: TBD

CHILD NUTRITION AND COOKING
Taught by Professor Maya Adam
Stanford Univesity

Synapses: "Learn the basics of child nutrition and how to make healthy meals for healthy children and families."

Next Session: May 6, 2013
5 weeks long, 2-4 hours a week

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Taught by Professor Steve Joordans
Toronto University

Synapses: This course will highlight the most interesting experiments within the field of psychology, discussing the implications of those studies for our understanding of the human mind and human behavior.  We will explore the brain and some of the cognitive abilities it supports like memory, learning, attention, perception and consciousness.  We will examine human development - both in terms of growing up and growing old - and will discuss the manner in which the behavior of others affect our own thoughts and behavior.  Finally we will discuss various forms of mental illness and the treatments that are used to help those who suffer from them.  

Next Session: May 5, 2013
8 weeks long, 4-6 hours a week

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Taught by Professor Scott Plous
Wesleyan University

Synapses:"Each of us is dealt a different hand in life, but we all face similar questions when it comes to human behavior: What leads us to like one person and dislike another? How do conflicts and prejudices develop, and how can they be reduced? Can psychological research help protect the environment, and if so, how? This course offers an introduction to classic and contemporary social psychology, covering topics such as decision making, persuasion, group behavior, personal attraction, and factors that promote health and well-being."

Next Session: Jul 8, 2013
8 weeks long, 4-8 hours a week

For more information about these classes, or to sign up- visit the links above, or go to Coursera.org

(this is not a paid advertisement, nor am I sponsored by Coursera. I just REALLY like their vision!)

The Child Whisperer

I haven't read this book... but based on this advertisement/guideline it sounds like it might be a good read. If you are familiar with Hartman's The Color Code, it seems to me like it's basically the same idea transferred into parenting. Type 1 kids would be "Yellow personalities", Type 2 kids would be "White personalities", Type 3 kids would be "Blue personalities, and Type 4 kids would be "Red personalities".

To order the book or find out more Click Here

HAPPY PARENTING!

P.S. Check out my new Chore Binder System! You know... so you can free up that fridge and wall space most chore systems take up:)

Teaching Children about Positively Coping with their Emotions

{This article is strictly my non-professional, non-degree holding opinion. Seek professional help in diagnosing your child for overly-emotional behavior if necessary. I am simply a mother of 4 who almost has her degree in Early Childhood Development, and who reads A LOT of books and articles on childhood development and parenting. This article is a culmination of many things I've learned through classes, textbooks, articles, and through personal implementation in my home.}

*Warning- this is a long post as it is a topic that is very dear to my heart! But there are free printables at the bottom and a TON of very informative and liberating information in this post that I KNOW could benefit your family and even you personally as an adult, so I urge you to take the time to read it:)
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This is a topic that I find is often overlooked in childhood development. Unless you have a child who is Autistic or have a "Montessori" approach to raising your kids, this probably isn't something that you have thought about before... in depth.
Come to think of it, I think it's fair to say that this is a topic that many adults could also benefit from!

Teaching children to regulate their emotions in a positive way is probably
 one of the most important things you could ever give them for their future selves and their future relationships. It is important to note that you MUST let your child experience sadness, anger, frustration, and other emotions that are typically labeled "negative". There is nothing negative about feeling these emotions. They are raw, human emotions that must not be suppressed! They only become negative when you don't have a healthy way to express them.
All parents want their children to be happy. And many parents struggle watching their children get sad, frustrated, or upset. Maybe they lose patience in struggling with an over emotional child and send them to "time-out" or send them to be alone in their rooms. Maybe they downplay the child's emotions and try to overshadow them with "my problems are bigger than yours"... or "there are children starving in Africa!" or "you don't see jimmy crying over this!" or maybe they give in and give the child whatever it is they want. In all these scenarios the child will eventually calm down... but the root of the problem was not solved and therefore the behavior WILL exhibit itself again.  And worse, in many of these situations what the child actually learns, is to suppress their feelings.

Let's talk about what happens when children are taught that it is best to be happy all the time and that crying and getting upset only gets them in trouble.... or in other words... taught to suppress "negative" emotions.

When children have to hold in and suppress natural, raw, human responses to outside stressors major internal confliction can result and in some cases can even lead to physical ailments such as being prone to anxiety, depression, or even Conversion Disorder. This is especially true in children between the ages of 10-18.
Even children who come from really great, well-meaning families with a lot of love and support can learn to suppress their feelings simply because they themselves don't personally like experiencing "negative" emotions and never learned how to cope or get through them. This will typically lead to a child who is quiet or reserved, an overly sensitive child who cries or gets upset easily, or a child who is secretive and whose usual response is, "I'm fine." even though you as a parent know they are not.
Young children will throw a lot of tantrums, or may exhibit seemingly overly sensitive behavior by crying over everything.

Sow how exactly do you teach positive emotional coping skills? It's actually easier than you may think! And it's never too late to start.

Young children typically know 3 basic emotions: Sadness, happiness, and anger. So all other emotions they experience often get miscategorized into one of those 3 basic feelings. For example, When Jimmy wants Daddy's attention and Daddy is otherwise detained, Jimmy eventually acts out with anger. But his true and correct emotion is probably that he was lonely, feeling neglected, or frustrated that Daddy wasn't listening... or maybe a combination of those feelings. Or when Jill cries because her Mother is doing her hair in the morning, she is more than likely not sad, she is probably frustrated from perhaps the lack of independence, or maybe anxious about the end result and how it will end up looking. Even happiness can be misinterpreted as odd as that sounds. Feelings like: proud, loved, excited, or confident could all also be described as feeling happy to a child.

Teaching young children the many other emotions they could be feeling is liberating for them!

Imagine learning that anger is a cover-up emotion. That it ALWAYS is covering up a "true" emotion. In fact, it is often called a "secondary emotion" because it is a defense mechanism and used to cover up your true feelings. (I know adults that could benefit from learning that) So now next time little Jimmy is angry you get to skip that whole "mad" step that often lasts a very long time and go straight to the root of the problem. He's upset- but now you know that anger is a cover-up emotion, so what is he really feeling?
*Communicate with him!
*Ask him if you don't know what's bothering him!
*Teach him that anger is a cover up emotion and eventually he will learn to calm down and regulate on his own... even if that isn't until he's an adult.
Imagine what a safe and healthy place his mind will be as a teen and an adult when, even though he is choosing to be angry and exhibit those feelings (because sometimes hormones are hard to control and hormones play a huge role in how we control and show our emotions) he knows that deep down inside he not angry- because you taught him that anger is a cover up emotion, so he eventually assesses the situation and realizes that in fact he is actually disappointed, confused, jealous, or maybe ashamed. When you get to the root of the problem, you SOLVE the problem. Now that he knows he is actually, let's say, jealous... he can take steps to control or rid himself of the jealousy, instead of trying to cope with the anger.
 Imagine learning as a little child what it means to be embarrassed, and that it's OK to be embarrassed! All this time you thought that you were just another form of mad or sad, when in fact you were actually feeling embarrassment!  Or imagine that you learned what it meant to feel overwhelmed. That is a very real feeling for young children that almost always exhibits itself as anger. Telling, and even helping Jill to clean up her messy room might often lead to her showing feelings of anger and frustration. But now you know that anger is a cover up emotion, so maybe she is actually feeling overwhelmed! 20 toys seems like a quick and easy 2 minute clean up to the very-experienced-you, but to little Jill those 20 toys might look more like 200 toys! And when you don't know how to micromanage, in her little mind she might as well be cleaning a house straight out of TLC's "Hoarders". She is experiencing what it feels like to be overwhelmed but doesn't know what that is, let alone how to cope with it other than to cry and get angry.

So how exactly do you teach children the many emotions there are and how to positively cope with them? Communication and being an example is KEY. But let me get more specific:

ALL children could benefit from something as simple as a feelings chart or feelings cards on the wall. When your child cries or gets angry, walk over to the chart and ask them to identify how they are feeling.

These free printable cards by Mr. Printables are cute and simple enough for little ones. You can cut them out and use them as cards, or you could simply print it out and post it on your fridge or your wall.

This Emotions Flyer is better for children who are a little bit older as there are a lot more emotions to choose from. 

You could also create your own by taking pictures of your child's face expressing each emotion. Ask them to show you what "shocked" looks like and then take a picture of their "shocked face"

Whichever you choose, when your child cries or gets upset, lead them to your feelings or emotions poster/cards and start asking questions:
How are you feeling? (if they point to sad or angry ask them how else they are feeling)
What made you feel that way?
What can I do to help?
What can you do to help?
Always end with, "It's OK to feel those feelings. I feel that way sometimes too." And then if they acted out in a negative way discuss how they could positively express those feelings in the future.

Of course the younger children will need to learn what those feelings actually are so a great way to teach that are through children's books, or even by getting their attention when you are feeling that way or when you see others experience them, even if it's in cartoons. Here are a few books I highly recommend. There actually aren't very many "feelings & emotions" books on the market sadly enough which gives you an idea of how overlooked of a topic this is in parenting!

Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day

by Jamie Lee Curtis

The Way I Feel 

by Janan Cain

My own children have HUGELY benefited from learning to identify their many complex emotions and how to positively cope with all of them. We use a lot of "how does that make you feel?" statements in my home as I want them to internalize and really evaluate their feelings and what effects them positively and negatively. 

When my 3 year old son draws me a picture, instead of robotically stating, "Good Job! I love it!" I instead say, "Good job! How does drawing that picture make you feel?"

When my 8 year old comes home with a 100% on a math test my statements are usually, "Wow! How does that feel? So studying really hard must have really paid off for you!"

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I have a Niece who is incredibly sensitive. She cried over almost everything. I had never thought to relay this parenting advice to my sister until she cried out for help on Facebook. I taught her about this concept and after just 1 week she said nothing has helped more than simply putting up an emotions poster and directing her to it when she cried. She stated she got results immediately and her little one just keeps getting better and better. Now when she cries, they solve the problem instantly and her little 4 year old feels acknowledged, loved, and is learning how to problem solve, identify, and cope with her emotions in a more positive way.

Because of the lack of free printable emotions cards available online, I myself am in the process of creating some. When they are finished in a few days, I will post them on here!

Happy Parenting or better yet, "Emotion Coaching!"

Family Council Free Printable

Having a monthly Family Council is great way to bond, teach goal setting, and evaluate your needs as a family team.

This printable goes hand in hand with the Personal Interview printable, and is a remake of the original one I posted ages ago.

Read on to see tips and explanations of each step

click here or the pic to print

There are 5 basic steps to a great family council but you can change it up, add more, take out, or whatever to fit your family's needs.

Step 1- Give Praise- EVERYONE likes to be told great things about themselves. It's a great way to set a positive tone to the meeting and in a very subtle way teaches your children to look for the good in others and not the bad.

Step 2- What's working well & What isn't? Is bedtime a disaster? Does your morning routine need tweaking? You'll be surprised at what good ideas you're kids will come up and how much more compliant they will be to obey if they helped come up with the plan!

Step 3- Review Family Goals- Having family goals, as well as personal goals, teaches how to evaluate team performance and how to work together with others to achieve certain things. It's an invaluable tool socially, as well as educationally, and in the workplace! You can have as many or as few goals as you'd like. But I personally recommend sticking with 1 or 2 every month. It's easier to stay focused that way. I've listed several different types of goals to give your family some ideas.

Step 4-This Month's Wants and Needs- I'm sure most parents are aware of their kids needs, but addressing these as a family shows you all support each other, and in some cases might actually bring something to your attention that you may have missed. Is Jimmy embarrassed about his black socks and would prefer white ones? This is also a great time to have all your kids bring any "supply lists" from school or recreational activities to the table for you to read and make note of.

Step 5- Family Planning- Break out the calendar and plan your upcoming month! This is great to do as a family because then everyone is on the same page. It also teaches your children the benefits of planning ahead.

{I recommend having Family Council the last weekend of the month. The goal is to plan, prepare, and make goals for the upcoming month.}

Enjoy your time as a family and have fun planning your first Family Council!
If you have additional ideas/thoughts/input on Family Councils leave a comment below! I'm always looking for ways to improve the way our family functions!

Alternatives to Time Out

One of my favorite sayings is,

"Discipline is different than punishment. Punishments are a negative outcome from negative behaviors. Discipline is about teaching!"

Cue my shpeal on TIME OUT's:

Almost everyone  I know uses "time outs" as a form of discipline for their children. 

Be it a corner

a time out stool or chair

or even facing the wall.

My personal opinion is that this is more of a punishment than it is discipline because it doesn't involve any teaching! It is simply a negative outcome from a negative act or behavior. 

(I will say that issuing a time out is better than doing nothing)

But let me give you 3 reasons to consider reducing or even eliminating the Time Out tool in your home:

1. Time Outs = isolation. Isolation teaches nothing of value! This is true from the age of 2 clear up until the teenage years! Isolation in younger children can cause stress and anxiety sometimes causing them to react even more difficult. Isolation in older children causes resentment on top of stress and anxiety. 

2. Time Outs are rarely related to the issue at hand, and young children are rarely able to relate the Time Out to the event that precipitated it.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...

3. Time Outs are usually thrown at children more for the parent than the child. It's the parent who feels they needs a break from the child, but the child more likely needs some instruction, re-direction, role playing, role reversal, and/or guidance.

Q: What are some better discipline techniques that actually involve teaching?

(before you read ahead make note that different circumstances call for different techniques. Using a different technique for different circumstances is more effective than simply issuing a Time Out for any and all incidents. 

The Calm Couch

The calm couch should be a designated area, preferably within sight of Mom or Dad that is used every time a child is throwing a tantrum, or has let their emotions get out of control passed the point of reason. I say this because children usually grow out of the tantrum stage, but teenagers are notorious for letting their emotions get the best of them. Once the child has calmed down, a loving heart to heart should follow with the parent sitting next to the child or kneeling on the floor looking up at the child. Children learn best from example so it is important that you remain calm while placing your child on the Calm Couch, while they sit there, and while you talk afterwards. It is important NOT to send your child to their room! Their room should not be used as a Calm Couch alternative.

CALM COUCH ON-THE-GO / The "Glitter Jar"

  

This technique is great for when you are in the car, on vacation, or even at the grocery store. It could also be used in your home as an alternative to the Calm Couch, especially if you don't have a couch within view of where you are at the time. The idea is to create the jar, {INSTRUCTIONS ARE HERE}and then keep it in your purse or somewhere else handy. Maybe make several! One for the car, one for your purse, etc. When your child needs to calm down, shake the jar and have your child hold it and watch the glitter fall, much like a snowglobe. They will have to sit very still in order for the glitter to fall completely! Once the

                 Source: Creative Little Daisy

glitter has fallen you can have your heart to heart and discuss their behavior.

Repentance Bench/Chair

The repentance chair, or preferably a bench so more than 1 can sit on it, is a place for children to go to discuss inappropriate behavior, say they're sorry and repent. This is a tool that is especially beneficial when there is more than 1 child that is misbehaving such as a sibling argument. It is important to use this tool as a way for the child to acknowledge their inappropriate behavior, say they're sorry, and then receive forgiveness. If more than one child is involved they should acknowledge their part, (NEVER FOCUS ON WHO STARTED IT OR WHO WAS MOST AT FAULT) say they are sorry to eachother, and then say, "I forgive you". to each other. A very important step in the repentance process is forgiveness. And teaching your children to forgive others, as well as themselves is an invaluable thing for them to learn!  If one child does not want to forgive the other, they should remain seated until they are ready. Again, when having your heart to heart, get down to their eye level!

Happy Parenting!

P.S. If you want to read a great article on how to teach your children to learn to cope with their emotions CLICK HERE. It is based on a parenting technique called "Emotion Coaching Parenting"

Randsome Rubbage Box

Sick of picking up after your kids ALL. DAY. LONG?!

Look what this Mom invented?

A Randsome Rummage Box!

If she finds something on the floor, it goes in the box.
And they can't get it back until the EARN it back by picking a job from the envelope on the lid.

She includes an entire list of job ideas for you to use.

I've also seen this idea called a "Gunny Sack" or a "Monster bag" that "eats" all the toys found laying about.

FYI:
Halloween is a great time to buy a "monster bag". This is what we've used in our house and I got our cute blue canvas bag with a monster on it at target last Halloween for $1!

But I think I'm going to switch over to this "randsome box" idea. I like that they have to do chores to earn it back. I'm hoping that will encourage them to stop leaving their things all over, as opposed to just having their stuff taken away for a while in the Monster Bag.

Happy Tickets!

Look what I found!

I've told you guys how much I love scouring mommy blogs for parenting advice.

well this is why!

What a great way to teach kids to be positive!

Look on the bright side of things!

Look at the glass half full and not half empty!

Have a good attitude while doing something they don't like (chores come to mind)

I have a child who has a bad habit of dwelling on the negative.

We are SO going to give this a try with her!

CLICK HERE for a link to her printable

Reward Cards

I made these "Reward Cards" aka Entitlement Cards, to reward the kids for good behavior.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT

Simply cut and laminate!

{If cut around the black these should also fit into those pre laminated name tag pouches that come as badges or attached to lanyards. You can buy them at Walmart for cheap!}

I made mine into necklaces with yarn. 

This way if Daddy comes home and finds them playing games, watching TV, or staying up past bedtime he can instantly see that this is "earned time" which avoids accusations and assumptions :) 

This also let's the siblings know to leave them alone.

Happy Parenting!

Encouraging Good Behavior in the Car

Can I just say that I LOVE scouring blogs/Pinterest for good parenting ideas! So many Moms out there have the best ideas!!

Take this one from Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss for example:

Road Trip Clips!

This lovely lady scrapbooked some clothespins but you could also just buy some different colored clips and coordinate with your child's assigned color (pink for jane, blue for john, etc) 

(which is what I'll do as my kids are color coordinated)

You'll have to head on over to her blog in order to see how she fully incorporates them 

but in a nut shell... if you fight, whine, or make a bad decision your clip comes down. If your clip comes down you don't get a treat at your next stop. 

She used these clips for a 16 hour road trip with much success! However, I see no reason why these couldn't be utilized for a 10 minute car ride to the grocery store!

Teaching Table Manners

Here's a great parenting tool I found on an adorable blog!

Introducing..... MR. PIG!

(source: Madsens Memories)

While eating dinner, if you eat or act like a pig..... you get passed Mr. Pig!

and if you end up with Mr. Pig at the end of the meal

you get to clear the WHOLE TABLE!!

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Be sure to establish some clear "table manners guidelines" before the meal so everyone knows what's expected of them.

Here are some of my personal suggestions but feel free to edit it according to your own personal preference:

*No bodily noises (burping, slurping, smacking)

*Chew with your mouth closed

*Don't start eating until the cook (usually Mom) is seated

*Sit in your chair properly and don't tip your chair

*Say "PLEASE pass the..." NO reaching

*ALWAYS compliment the chef! regardless of if you like it. If you   don't like it, TAKE LESS.

*Eat everything off your plate. Take less if you aren't very hungry.

*ALWAYS ask to be excused from the table when you are finished. Do not leave the table until being excused.

*Take your plate and utensils to the sink once you are excused.

*Always offer your help with cleanup. ESPECIALLY when you're a guest in someone elses house

Lunch Box Choice Cards

I stumbled across this cute idea a while back and boy oh boy am I in LOVE! My children attend a charter school where no hot lunch is provided so I have to pack them a lunch every day. These free printable cards give your child a chance to pick their own lunch while still ensuring they get a healthy meal!

Simply have your child place their lunch box order by picking out a few cards. The cards are color coded by category so to ensure a healthy meal tell them they must pick at least 1 Blue (Entree), 1 Green (Vegetable), and 1 Yellow (Drink). The cards are color sorted as follows:

Blue-main dish

Green-vegetable
Red-fruit
Purple-side dish
Brown-dip or sauce
Orange-treat
Yellow-drink

UPDATE: This printable is no longer available :( The owner pulled it. HOWEVER..... I made some cards nearly identical to these along with a post about organizing your lunch time. CLICK HERE for the post. 

Car Travel Games

I found these travel games for kids over at my new favorite blog Prepared NOT Scared. She put together an entire travel kit for each kid and designed these awesome (and adorable) car games for you to print for FREE! With summer vacation time slowly creeping up on us these are a sure fire way to keep your kids entertained for those long car rides to reunions and vacations.

 Complete with "Car Bucks" and all!! The car bucks are earned for good behavior. She has TONS of free printables many of which I will be spotlighting over the next little while, so be sure to head over and check her out!

Personal Interviews and Family Council

Here are a couple printables that are sure to enrich your family and children! Hop over to Creating Better Habits and read my article about how to incorporate them into your family :)

I also have some great tips and suggestions about hosting your first Family Council HERE
and your first Personal Interview HERE

These printables go hand in hand with the teachings of Linda and Richard Eyre- parenting experts who have blessed my family beyond anything I could have ever hoped or imagined. It is their books that got me started on my love (instead of frustration) of Early Childhood Development and all things parenting related.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE DOWNLOAD

If you like these, check out my Family Planner printables as well. These go great hand in hand. I keep my Family Council and Interview pages behind the Sunday section so that I remember to do it that day.

p.s. if you can't get my free printables to download (for whatever reason) email me (email is under the contact tab above) and I'll send you the PDF's directly.

Family Planner

If you don't already have a family planner.... YOU NEED ONE! {in my humble opinion} :)

I got these super cool planner pages for free from Prepared Not Scared and they literally changed my life!

(To get the free printable pages COURTESY OF PREPARED NOT SCARED  CLICK HERE

Why have a household planner?

I'll give you 2 good reasons!

1- It'll help you get organized and then STAY organized!

2- It'll  help your house run smoother and will enable your spouse, babysitter, or nanny to take over and run your household like you run it in your absense. 

Every household planner should be divided into at least 4 sections:

Cleaning {your weekly, monthly, and yearly cleaning schedule}

Cooking {Menu planning, recipe ideas, shopping list, coupon section, etc}

Planning {daily, weekly, and monthly planning.}

Basic Info {authorization papers, goals, babysitter info, family dr & medical info, etc} ***Think of how beneficial it would be to your family to have medical release forms, list of allergies, important medical information, and Dr/Dentist apt schedules and phone numbers in one place! {not to be confused with birth certs and other vitals... as those belong in a fireproof safe} If something were ever to happen to you or if a medical emergency arose while you were on vacation and grandma was watching tending the kids ALL that info would be at her fingertips. INCLUDING medical release forms!  
{something to think about}

and if you have kids or pets I suggest a section for them as well.

I also have a section for each of my kids. It includes:

*a page about their personal information (current sizes, etc)

*a personal interview page {read about that important family tool here}

*and a folder which holds loose papers that pertain to them such as soccer schedules, school forms, etc.

I also keep a folder to hold MY loose papers
{like the stickers I use for my kid's reading logs}

You could also add a:

finances section

and/or a

Contacts & phone numbers section.

I also have a blog section where I keep track of ideas and such.

Divide all your sections up with tabbed dividers.

and FILL the sections up with the following printables:

To get the original ones displayed above go to Prepared Not Scared!!

I revised her idea with a different font and changed it to fit my families needs. You can access those below.

CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT:

 If you like having a Family Planner--- Imagine a CHORE Planner!! One that is personalized to each child (via color coding)- and one that puts the chore charts OFF the walls and INTO the hands of your child(ren)!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INSTANT DOWNLOAD!

OR 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!

Decision Dice

Here's a fun easy project! 
Prepared Not Scared made Decision Dice for her family and some girls from my church decided it was such a great idea we decided to get together to make some as well!

There are only 5 members in our family and 6 sides to the dice so we added a "Try Again" side!

Head on over to her blog for instructions!

Linking up at: