This post is sponsored by Tom’s of Maine and all opinions are my own.The first day of school for little ones is a big deal for the child and for mom. As much as you know your little one is ready, there is a battle of emotions going on in your heart as you drop your child off. In order to ...
Parenting
5 signs your child NEEDS one on one time
There are certain times when your kids need one on one time. Most of you know that we do our one on one time every month for our special nights, but there are other times when I will turn to Mickey and say “He needs some time with just one of us.”We can see it in the way that they act, in the ...
Keep your child in their bed
Today I want to talk about how to keep your child in their own bed. Let me first take a minute to explain that your child will be healthier, do better in school, be more pleasant throughout the day, and just feel better overall, if they are getting enough sleep (no matter where that may be: your ...
The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice
Every morning, it starts over. We get a chance to shape the lives of our children. The way that we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.Think about when your kids make a poor decision... they spill milk on their homework (when they aren't supposed to be eating or drinking near it), ...
Sibling Rivalry
Is Sibling Rivalry driving you crazy? You just want them to get along, right? Fighting Kids is something that parents have been dealing with forever, I'm sure. We all want our children to be kind to each other. In fact, they even invented a National Siblings Day to celebrate siblings and their ...
How to un-spoil a child
Have you ever wondered how to un-spoil a child? I know that this can be hard because you don't even realize that it is happening and then BAM… you hear the disrespect in your child's voice and realize that you need to STOP doing that for your child!With this post in mind, I asked this ...
No Screen-time Until (free printable)
This No-Screentime Until Printable Sheet has been wonderful. If you don't want your kids to get sucked into screentime the second that they wake up... give them something else to do first. Use this chart & avoid non-stop screentime (save it for when you need it!) :)< The main idea ...
The REAL reason Tweens & Teenagers are Cranky (it’s not what you think)
Cranky Teenagers: Biology and Modern Life can Create the Perfect Storm Today's post comes from a sleep expert about the real reason tweens & teenagers are cranky (and it's not what you think) If you're the parent of a teenager, you're probably familiar with some grumbling, a little ...
Should kids have more chores?
Should kids have more chores? Should kids have more chores? Should they use a chore chart? I think that chores are so important to our kids' sense of well-being. It gives them a sense of meaning in our family and teaches responsibility. I have always wanted our kids to have age-appropriate ...
Chore Chart
The Best Chore Chart we ever used (and didn't use). How we Swap Chores For ScreenTime.Chore Charts can be very helpful. We've found this to be the best solution yet. Swapping Chores for Screen Time gets rid of any guilt that is associated with screentime or electronic use... because they are ...
The shocking truth that your tweens & teens aren’t telling you
There is a shocking truth that your tweens & teens aren't telling you. Today, my brother is here to tell the story. My brother, Doctor Timothy Hoffman, is the principal of a wonderful high-school in our area. His wife, Jill, is also a teacher at the middle-school. They have been around ...
Are you too busy?
Are you too busy & too stressed? You aren't alone. Last year, I had read another article titled The Disease of Being Busy by Omid Safi. I came across that article again this week and it spoke to me. To quote from this article:"I saw a dear friend a few days ago. I stopped by to ask ...
10 life lessons I want our children to learn
Every day, we get the opportunity to shape our kids, to literally change their lives. Everything that we say to them sticks with them, our words become their inner voices, our expectations become their goals.If I had to pick just 10 life lessons I want our children to learn… I would use these ...
Drowning doesn’t look like drowning
Today I am working with Nationwide on a sponsored post about their Make Safe Happen campaign to talk about water safety, which is such an important issue.My dad once told me a story about when he was little. He was at the community swimming pool with his parents. His parents were sitting by ...
Say Yes to the vacation.
Always say yes to the vacation. Time goes by too quickly and things come & go. Time together can't be found once it's gone. Days, weeks, months... when they are gone, they are gone and we can't get them back. Say yes to the vacation, to the chance to bond and create memories.I read a ...
What I want our sons to know before they are teenagers
Sponsored post by Mirum. All opinions are my own."I'm coming..." I yell to our daughter, the youngest of our four children. She is waiting for me on the swings in our backyard.I push open the screen door on the back porch and take a step out. I look down, as I am searching for my ...
10 Damaging Parenting Habits
I am working with the Monique Burr Foundation for Children on a sponsored post to spread awareness.We all want our children to be kind, confident, cooperative and assertive. It can be hard to teach our children to handle so many different behaviors. We miss providing learning opportunities ...
Those days when we fail at motherhood
Some days are great. Everyone is ready to go ten minutes before we have to leave. Lunches are pack, dinner is in the crockpot, you have on your favorite jeans and a blouse with your adorable new shoes. You look and feel the part. Those days are great.Some days are not so great... some ...
A Mean Mother
When I was little, my parent's bedroom held a poem titled A Mean Mother, that I often read, but never truly understood, until I became a mom myself. I would walk by this poem on a daily basis and pay it no attention, until my mom gave me this poem when our first son was born. Today I happened to ...
5 Things the kids will always remember
I wanted to share these 5 things the kids will always remember with you today. Those things that they will look back on and remember that lesson that they learned from you, without even knowing it.So many times, we, as parents, put our time and effort into teaching kids to follow the rules, ...