Showing posts with label toddlers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toddlers. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Terrible Twos? It Could be Gut Bacteria!
People never used to believe me when I told them that my son cried all the time, but he really did. And I mean, All. The. Time. One time he wanted to play with one of my shoes. I politely took it away and he began throwing a fit. And he proceeded to throw a fit for 65 minutes. I know because I counted the minutes. He followed me around the house, crying for an entire 65 minutes.
Several months later we went on a trip and we didn't have access to a refrigerator and in an attempt to save money, I ordered water instead of milk for the kids for several meals. All of a sudden, I noticed a different kid. He didn't cry all the time. He suddenly had normal, non-runny poops, and it began to occur to me that he might be lactose intolerant. My husband thought I was crazy, but when I brought it up with my doctor, he immediately recommended we get him tested and voila! We suddenly had to worry about Lactaid pills, butter-filled desserts, and pizza nights, but the great news was that life was so much better for our entire family! My heart broke for him when I realized how uncomfortable he must have been those first two years of his life. Along with taking away milk products, we started a daily Probiotic treatment and the combination made all the difference.
While lactose intolerance is pretty rare in kids, general stomach discomfort isn't. Some new research just came out from Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science, that the microbiome of a toddler's gut may affect his temperament and behavior, particularly in boys. The study carefully points out that there is a communication between bacteria in the gut and the brain, but also urges parents not to change diets just yet since they are continuing their research on the subject. However, based on my experience, if your toddler is going through anything like the "Terrible Two's", I suggest that you strongly consider starting Probiotics. It might make all the difference.
Here is our favorite Probiotic Brand:
I hope you will consider checking out my book, The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn
. I give lots of ideas on keeping your toddlers and preschoolers entertained and engaged, so that you can have a stronger bond and even get some work done around the house!
. I give lots of ideas on keeping your toddlers and preschoolers entertained and engaged, so that you can have a stronger bond and even get some work done around the house!
Monday, October 15, 2012
There is Hope Yet: It's All a Process
Last weekend I made an important discovery: My older brother was in town and we sat around one night, telling stories about when we were little. Surprisingly, the boys were telling me things I never knew about them. About fights they'd gotten into and other bad things they'd done and it suddenly hit me: my brothers and I weren't perfect when we were growing up. In fact, we were sometimes real jerks. This is surprising for me because in my humble opinion we all turned out pretty great so I have totally blocked all bad behavior out of my mind. Today we are a family that laughs together, wants the best for each other and adores spending time with each other. But the truth is, it wasn't always this way. Here is a picture of my brothers joking around and making fun of my pregnant stomach (about five years ago).
But we weren't always this fun. I think this is significant because sometimes as a Mom, I cannot understand why my kids just won't listen to me. I am constantly baffled with the way they pester each other and then cry about the fact that the other one has decided to pester back. I think sometimes I expect them to be perfect little angels and honestly they often are. After all, I do all the right things. I am consistent with my discipline, I make them eat healthy food, and I try to have as much fun with them as possible. Yet there are days on the weekends when my husband and I look at each other at the end of the day and wonder what went wrong? Why did we have such a rough day? Why were the kids at each other's throats and why did they do everything they could to annoy us?
The answer is that this whole thing is a process and my brothers made me realize that. If my Mom had written a blog or a journal back when we were growing up, she would have had amazing stories. She would have told about how my little brother loved toy guns almost a little too much. About how he once shoved another Mom and yelled, "Get away you dork! That's my Mom and I need to talk to her!!" And my older brother is now the sweetest, most mild-mannered soul, yet at one point in high school his debate teacher honestly thought he needed anger management counseling (due to a long list of bizarre behavior, which I won't get into right now). And how my Mom once told my Dad about me, "Take her somewhere. I can't take take any more whining. I JUST CANNOT TAKE IT!!!"
These new memories about how we kids weren't perfect at all has really lowered the bar for my own expectations and it's quite a relief to know that one bad day or even one bad week full of whining and fighting doesn't mean that I am failing and my kids are hopeless. In fact, every time I have to discipline and teach them a lesson, I am re-enforcing everything so that one day, hopefully, in the very distant future, they will understand. I am looking forward to telling them some of these stories. I hope they laugh and say they're sorry, they way my brothers and I have done to my parents. My fingers are crossed!
I also want to say thank you so much to all of you out there! I love writing my blog and I love having so many visitors! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the support on my book too! I have been so honored by all the wonderful comments we have gotten! One of my favorites was from Dawn@Prickly Mom:
I also want to say thank you so much to all of you out there! I love writing my blog and I love having so many visitors! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the support on my book too! I have been so honored by all the wonderful comments we have gotten! One of my favorites was from Dawn@Prickly Mom:
Love your book! Seriously, I rate it up there with my heroes Elizabeth Pantley and John Rosemond in terms of day-to-day usefulness. Bravo!
You can download the first chapter for free on Kindle to make sure you like it!
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. You can also enter your email address below to receive all my updates! I really appreciate your support!!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Melting Crayons: A Great Indor Game for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Monday, October 8, 2012
Our Own Fall Tradition: Bonfire and Ice Cream
I do love the Fall. I swear. But there is something about it that always bring lots of pressure for me. I think it's the fact that I can't resist scrolling Facebook and I see so many smiling families picking apples, on hayrides, and doing all kinds of "Fall Activities". For some reason I just can't get into Apple Picking. It's such a long drive out there, it's hard to find the right apples, and then they don't taste that great anyway. But mostly it's because Hubby often has to work on the weekends so it's hard to plan a several hour trip in advance. Yet I feel like I'm doing my kids such a disservice by not going apple picking. Will they feel deprived for their entire lives if I don't give them the pleasure of Apple Picking???
So, last Friday night I had this grand idea that we would go for a family bike ride when Hubby got home from work since it was such a beautiful Fall day. I even thought we could bring a picnic! Then life happened. He got off work late, got stuck in traffic, and was tired after a long day. So we improvised. Instead, we ordered pizza and had a bonfire on our back patio. The kids were beyond thrilled. Then I decided to treat them to something yummy. Yes, it would have been ideal if I'd planned ahead and had stuff for S'Mores. But I had to work all day and I didn't plan ahead so they had to settle for a bowl of plain vanilla ice cream. They absolutely thought this was the most fun they'd had in weeks. Poor kids. I guess they don't get out much.
So now we have our own new Fall tradition: "Bonfire and ice cream". I'm sure they won't feel deprived at all. Right?
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. You can also enter your email address below to receive all my updates! I really appreciate your support!!
Monday, October 1, 2012
A Whole New Perspective on Siblings
Let me tell you the story of two very different little girls. The first little girl is whiny. She often takes toys from her brother and makes him cry. She pushes him down when no one is looking. This little girl isn't a monster, but is often looking for trouble. For example, if she realizes it irritates her brother to call him a coconut head, she will do it again repeatedly and giggle with evil laughter.
The other little girl is an angel. She never whines. She never takes away toys. She asks sweetly for people to play with her. She waits patiently and plays by herself by reading a book or playing with her dolls. This little girl goes with the flow. If she doesn't get a nap, she doesn't get whiny. She might be a little tired and not as perky as usual, but she doesn’t whine or complain. This little girl is fun. She laughs a lot and the people around her are constantly smiling at each other with her adorable antics.
Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking the first little girl must have terrible parents, right? Wrong. These two little girls are both my daughter, but under very different circumstances. You see, I recently took a trip to Charleston to visit my brother but Little Buddy stayed home and this gave me the unique chance to interact with my daughter by herself. I was astonished at the change in her. She never whined. She never cried. She never had fits of any kind. My family and brothers were enamored by this little angel and it was truly one of the most special trips of my life.
I've thought a lot about why this trip was so different and I have it narrowed down to 2 reasons:
1. There was no competition for her. She was the only kid on the trip.
2. We were on vacation so the normal hectic schedule didn’t apply. We actually had time to watch her and play with her and we took her fun places and went out to dinner.
Unfortunately, this isn't real life. She does have a brother and Mommy and Daddy have to work to pay the bills and actually, I think the daily grind of siblings and schedules is important because it teaches kids that they aren't the only people in the universe and it helps them prepare for real life. This became very evident toward the end of the trip when she started demanding that people play with her constantly. She was still polite and cute about it, but it was clear that if our daily life was always full of trips to the beach, ice cream no school and no work, my daughter would probably be a very spoiled little girl.
However, this special glimpse into a different little girl really helped me. After we got back, my daughter was whining at the kitchen table about something. My first reaction was to be irritated and demand that the she quit whining. Then I thought back to our trip and it hit me. Her true spirit was sweet and helpful and kind. Life interfered and it was frustrating to have to learn life lessons like patience, and that is what makes her whine. I know now that I just need to keep on doing what I'm doing so she can live up to her full potential of the girl I knew in Charleston: the girl with a lovely, sharing spirit who simply wants to please the people around her.
Now when she acts whiny and demanding, I just think of her as Little Miss Jeckel and Little Miss Hyde. They are the same person, but act very differently. And I love them both.
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. You can also enter your email address below to receive all my updates! I really appreciate your support!!
Friday, September 7, 2012
A Glimpse Into My Grown-Up Daughter
Sometimes I'm so worried about whether my kids got enough breakfast and whether I put on sunscreen, that I forget that life isn't always going to be like this. My kids will be grown-ups someday. I got a special glimpse into that this week.
My best friend Dani has been one of the few constants in my life. Neither of us has sisters, and I truly feel that she is the special sister that life has given me. However, she is a moron and decided to move away from her friends and family. Okay, now before you yell at me, I'm just kidding. I guess this doesn't make her a moron, but it sure makes me sad because she is very funny. Here we are at my own rehearsal dinner and she was the Maid of Honor:
Dani has been visiting her parents for the last few weeks and we have gotten to see each other several times. The kids have played together since her little girl is three and is right in the middle of my kids' ages. The three of them are like three little peas in a pod....until Little Buddy decides to start growling at the girls and acting like a "Monster" and then they run away screaming, but that is a different story.
So, the last time we saw each other, I said, "Okay, what should we plan for next week?"
She replied, "I can't! We leave on Sunday!"
"B-b-b-but, I thought we had another week! I'm going to miss you guys so much!" I sputtered. We hugged and said our good-byes and I got the kids strapped into their seats and we went on our separate ways.
As we were driving home, Munchkin Girl started kicking my seat and yelling "Mommy!"
"Yes?" I said.
"Mommy I'm sad for you," my daughter said. "I don't want your special friend to leave. That will make you too sad."
And that's how I got a glimpse into my grown-up daughter. I suddenly saw vividly how my daughter could support me. She wasn't worried about her own friend leaving (although she is obsessed with Ella and talks about her constantly). She was worried for me and her concern for me truly touched me. Plus, I'm so thrilled that she has learned the importance of having a good friend. She has seen how much Dani means to me. I really don't want these early days to end because I love picking out her outfits and hearing her say funny things, but it's nice to know that I have a lot to look forward to as well.
I also want to say thank you so much to all of you out there! I love writing my blog and I love having so many visitors! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the support on my book too! I have been so honored by all the wonderful comments we have gotten! One of my favorites was from Dawn@Prickly Mom:
Love your book! Seriously, I rate it up there with my heroes Elizabeth Pantley and John Rosemond in terms of day-to-day usefulness. Bravo!
You can download the first chapter for free on Kindle to make sure you like it!
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. You can also enter your email address below to receive all my updates! I really appreciate your support!!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Learning Letters Using Rocks
When my daughter was about 18 months, we were at a party with a bunch of kids. One of the kids was only about two years old and he was going the room, pointing at everyone's shirt and identifying each letter. He would yell, "T! O! R!" Everyone was very impressed, including me. I will admit that I filed away that image for later use. I really wanted my daughter to be the "trick pony" at a party someday and be able to impress everyone with her knowledge of letters. I asked the Mom how her little boy already knew all his letters. She laughed and said, "Because I make him do flashcards every day!"
As a new Mom, I didn't know any better. This seemed perfectly normal and wonderful to me. I went out that day and bought a bunch of flashcards and started trying to drill her. The only problem was that she wasn't interested. At all. I waited a few months. She still wasn't interested. I didn't want to force her so I eventually put them away, but I was puzzled. Why didn't she want to learn letters? Isn't that what little kids do?
A few months later, I met a wonderful former Kindergarten teacher, named Susan Case. She explained to me that my thinking was totally wrong. Flashcards weren't the answer. Here are her thoughts:
Young children love to learn by using their five senses and movement. Sensory integration is the ability to take in information through the senses of touch, smell, taste, vision, hearing, and movement, and to combine the resulting perceptions with prior information, memories and knowledge already stored in the brain. In other words, children learn by exploring and discovering using their five senses and movement. You don't need flashcards or expensive products to teach. Of course, flashcards can supplement learning. And it is very important to read books every day possible with your children. But young children may be more interested in the pictures and movable gadgets than focusing on squiggly lines and circles that make up letters. However, there are ways to grab a child’s attention to help them learn the letter sounds and names:
Begin with a child’s name – which is the most important word to them. Help your child form the letters in their name using interesting materials such as beans, pasta, rocks, marbles, buttons, PomPoms, playdough, and pipe cleaners. Always supervise young children when they are using small objects.
As my daughter got older, I took Susan's words to heart. I found these colorful rocks at the Dollar Store and we use them for lots of different things but this is my personal favorite. I love it because I feel like I'm doing my job, helping her learn her letters, and she loves it because it's fun! All I had to do was draw out some letters using circles. Then I gave her the colored rocks and we talked through each letter as she did them, so she knew what letter she'd made. I found that she was more interested in letters that spelled words she liked, such as her own name, Mom, Dad, or her friend's names.
If you enjoyed this post, you will really enjoy reading my newly-released book! I teamed up with Susan Case (who is also the one who commented above) and we wrote the book together to give a Mom and a Teacher point of view. You can watch a video that explains more here:
We give you dozens of other ideas on how to keep your kids busy, but in a productive way, so they are actually learning while they are also having fun! Here is what one of my readers wrote on Amazon after she read our book:
This book seriously saved my sanity. I've read a bunch of parenting books but this is literally the only one that actually gave me real and specific advice and ideas for things to do with my daughter. I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 2-year old and I was at my wits end trying to come up with ideas of fun, easy, creative things to do with her that will keep her busy and occupied and help her learn. I wasn't very good at following through on ideas that I heard about from friends or read in other books or online because they seemed too complicated (aka: messy!) but this book broke it down and made it so simple. I highly recommend it!
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. You can also enter your email address below to receive all my updates! I really appreciate your support!!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Just Be Glad You're Not Me Today
We all have bad days, but my friend Dani had the worst of all possible days. The good news is that she has a superb sense of humor so she was laughing about it almost immediately after it happened and she sent me the email below about it. I thought her humor/misery might make your day seem better. And she told me I could share it with you because she's awesome. Here is what her email said:
Katie,
Just for fun, I'd like to document my day. Go on. Read it. And be happy you aren't me today:
- Went to the dentist and paid $760 for an exam and a night mouth guard
- Dentist told me I have gum disease and I need an extensive cleaning at an additional cost of $860
- Didn't get my teeth cleaned at all because the hygienist's husband came in to get her because of a family emergency
- Picked up Ella and told her we were going to go have a nice girls lunch at our favorite coffee shop
- After I parked in the parking garage Ella told me she peed in her car seat.
- Left coffee shop without eating and without getting our parking ticket validated
- Came home and let Ella in the house so I could take her car seat out of the car
- While I was getting the car seat out of the car, Ella got her lunch box out of her backpack and proceeded to eat heavily seasoned salmon on our freshly washed white couch. She got salmon everywhere.
- I put the couch cushion cover in the washer
- Ella got mad at me because I wouldn't let her take a dump in the measuring cup she was playing with
- Went back outside to wash off car seat
- While I was outside, heard Ella screaming. She was jumping on the couch (she said Daddy told her it was ok) and she hit her head
- Calmed Ella down and went to take some medicine for the migraine I have
- Dropped the brand new bottle of pills spilling all 300 pills on the floor of our pantry
- Put Ella down for a nap
- Heard Ella yelling not long after and went to check on her
- She had taken off her pull up and peed all over her bed
- Put the couch cushion cover in the dryer and put Ella's bedding in the washer
- As I'm typing this at the desk in the guest room, Ella is going potty in the toilet right next to me. I hear a loud gushing of liquid and look over to see her sitting on the toilet, leaning way back with her legs propped up on the toilet seat in front of her and her pee shooting straight out into the air and splashing to the floor like she has a wiener!
I WANT A CUPCAKE AND A VACATION!
I was rolling on the floor laughing when I read this and I hope it made you smile too. I will tell you that it was shortly after this that my dear friend asked me for some ideas on keeping her daughter busy. At the time, I hadn't published my book yet, but I gave her the rough draft. She has held her hand on her heart and she is slightly biased since she is my dear friend, but she truly says all the ideas I had on keeping your kid busy, such as sand, water, fine motor skills, etc., have really helped her and her daughter. Maybe they will help you too! I wrote the book with former Kindergarten Teacher, Susan Case, and we give a Mom and a Teacher perspective on why it's so important to keep your kids challenged and how it can truly make your life better.
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. You can also enter your email address below to receive all my updates! I really appreciate your support!!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Using Sand to Learn Letters for Sensory Fun
We've always had lots of fun with sand, but this time I decided to try something new. I hid a bunch of magnetic letters in the sand while Munchkin Girl had her eyes closed. She had to dig around and find them, one by one and once she pulled them out, she arranged them on a cake pan. Since they were magnetic, they stuck nicely to it.
Once we got enough letters, we started making words with them. We made CAT and then pulled off the C and replaced it with a B and so on.
Now you might be wondering if this sand in the house made a mess. Not really. Every once in awhile a little bit of sand gets flicked out, but she has worked with sand enough to know that if she makes a mess, we stop playing. I even have a small dust pan handy so that she can clean up her own messes!
Honestly, she didn't stick with the letters for long though...she ended up filling up that butterfly with sand and pretending she was making cookies. I have learned never to interfere with her imagination! In fact, I got out a few more cookie cutters so she could make even more cookies. If she's playing happily, I make it a point never to interrupt! Even if I was secretly trying to get her to work on letters!
If you liked this post, you will LOVE my new book (which is currently ranked#4 on Amazon in the category of Motherhood!). If you have ever asked yourself questions like, these, then this is the book for you!
- Why do my kids drive me so crazy sometimes?
- Why do they just want to watch TV all day long?
- How am I ever supposed to get anything done when my kids won't stop pestering me?
"This book seriously saved my sanity. I've read a bunch of parenting books but this is literally the only one that actually gave me real and specific advice and ideas for things to do with my daughter. I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 2-year old and I was at my wits end trying to come up with ideas of fun, easy, creative things to do with her that will keep her busy and occupied and help her learn. I wasn't very good at following through on ideas that I heard about from friends or read in other books or online because they seemed too complicated (aka: messy!) but this book broke it down and made it so simple. I highly recommend it!"
Friday, August 3, 2012
Toddler Games: The Importance of Watching for Frustration
Poor Little Buddy. He often gets stuck doing what Munchkin Girl is doing, especially as far as arts and crafts are concerned. I guess that's the nature of being the little brother. However, last week Grandma was spending the afternoon with Munchkin Girl so I had the afternoon to myself with him. I pulled out all of our craft and project supplies because I really wanted to give him the chance to do whatever HE wanted to do.
He picked colored Poms and at first I just picked what Munchkin Girl would have used: a clothespin. The idea was to dump out all the colored Poms and let him put them into the tin. My daughter loves this game and counts as she goes and it's great for her muscles strength. At first, he was thrilled.
As you can see, he kept getting confused about which way was up, and which way was down. He would pinch it, and then when the other side opened, he would turn it upside down.
It wasn't long before he was whining and I was feeling sad that this wasn't turning into the fun bonding afternoon it was supposed to be! But then I realized that I was seeing first-hand something that my co-author and former Kindergarten teacher, Susan Case covered in our book. On the chapter about fine motor skills, she said:
It wasn't long before he was whining and I was feeling sad that this wasn't turning into the fun bonding afternoon it was supposed to be! But then I realized that I was seeing first-hand something that my co-author and former Kindergarten teacher, Susan Case covered in our book. On the chapter about fine motor skills, she said:
Developing fine motor skills can be frustrating and challenging for some children. Watch your child’s level of frustration. Gradually
increase the time of activities. This play/work time needs to be pleasurable, attainable and rewarding so that your child will continue to
engage and make progress.
Then it clicked. Using clothespins just wasn't attainable for him. It's not something he is capable of so I simply made a switch. I put the clothespins away and pulled some tongs out of our kitchen drawer. They aren't something I've used before, but I realized that if Munchkin Girl had been then, Little Buddy probably would have just wandered away to find something else to do so I wouldn't have realized that he wanted to participate but simply couldn't. Since he was alone, I was more in tune to him. The difference was amazing. He was able to use the tongs very well and was SOOO proud of himself. See how in the first picture none of the Poms were in the tin? Check out this picture! He had them in there in no time and did it about three times before he got tired of it!
Not only did we have a great time, but I now fully understand the meaning of "developmentally appropriate activities".
If you want to read more about activities that are good for toddlers and preschoolers, you love my new book (which is currently ranked #6 on Amazon in the category of Motherhood!). Here is one of the reviews on Amazon so please consider buying your own copy!
This book seriously saved my sanity. I've read a bunch of parenting books but this is literally the only one that actually gave me real and specific advice and ideas for things to do with my daughter. I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 2-year old and I was at my wits end trying to come up with ideas of fun, easy, creative things to do with her that will keep her busy and occupied and help her learn. I wasn't very good at following through on ideas that I heard about from friends or read in other books or online because they seemed too complicated (aka: messy!) but this book broke it down and made it so simple. I highly recommend it!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Mommy Needs a Break! From Guilt, from Diapers, From Everything!
After my daughter's birthday party last week, I was completely exhausted and then we had to go to a wedding and two more birthday parties that weekend. By Sunday night, I looked like death warmed over and I was seriously on edge. Every time I heard crying of any kind, I had to resist pulling out my hair and screaming, "STOP IT!!!"
Monday morning came too quickly and it was time to go back to work and I looked at my schedule and realized that I had an overnight trip planned for Tuesday. I don't have to travel for work often, but every time I do, I am racked with guilt. I worry that the kids won't sleep well, that they'll fight for the baby-sitter or my parents, or that Hubby will be awake all night before he has to go operate on humans the next day. The irony is that they always do fine, but the list of why I worry goes on and on and it's all I can think about. But then something funny happens...I get to my hotel and it hits me that I'm alone and can do whatever the heck I want and I am suddenly thrilled beyond belief. Then I feel guilty again for being so happy to be alone so I punish myself by working all evening on my computer and going to bed early.
Monday morning came too quickly and it was time to go back to work and I looked at my schedule and realized that I had an overnight trip planned for Tuesday. I don't have to travel for work often, but every time I do, I am racked with guilt. I worry that the kids won't sleep well, that they'll fight for the baby-sitter or my parents, or that Hubby will be awake all night before he has to go operate on humans the next day. The irony is that they always do fine, but the list of why I worry goes on and on and it's all I can think about. But then something funny happens...I get to my hotel and it hits me that I'm alone and can do whatever the heck I want and I am suddenly thrilled beyond belief. Then I feel guilty again for being so happy to be alone so I punish myself by working all evening on my computer and going to bed early.
Intellectually I know that feeling guilty is a stupid waste of time. I can't change the fact that I have to go out of town. My worry doesn't help anyone and I know deep down that sometimes I lash out when I'm feeling guilty and it's no wonder. There is well-documented evidence that guilt and depression are a bad idea:
- A Study in the Journal of American Obstetrics and Gynecology finds that maternal depression can result in premature babies
- A Study finds that Mothers Who are More Patient Have Children with Larger Brains
- The book Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman documents how French Women resist the feeling of maternal guilt because they feel that is it a damaging emotion for the entire family
The next day when it was time to go home, I noticed something very interesting. I was absolutely thrilled to see my kids. My irritation and exhaustion were gone. We had a wonderful evening together and I realized that I had just learned a very important lesson in how to be a better Mom: take a break. Not just from kids but from guilt. Of course, my situation of being out of town is unique and rare, but we can all find a way to get a pedicure, read a book, get a massage, whatever makes us happy, because we work hard and our kids deserve a happy mommy.
I want to say thank you so much to all of you readers!!! Because of you, my book keeps climbing in the ranks on Amazon and it feels so wonderful to know that we are helping some Moms out there!! If you haven't checked into it yet, I would love it if you would. It has a unique perspective because I co-wrote it with former Kindergarten teacher, Susan Case, and we bring you hundreds of ways to keep your kids busy and we even tackle this subject of Mommy Guilt! I would love it if you would check it out!
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. You can also enter your email address below to receive all my updates! I really appreciate your support!!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
A Low-Maintenance Princess Party? Yeah right!
When I woke up yesterday morning, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Or maybe been out all night partying until 4am. Yet I'd gone to bed by 9pm. Why was I so exhausted? Two words: Princess Party.
Yes, I elected to have a princess party for my four year old, but I was determined to make it a low-maintenance birthday party. There were going to be no bounce houses or rented ladies dressed up as princesses at our party (Not that there is anything wrong with that. In fact, I felt certain my party wouldn't measure up to others who truly went all out, so I didn't even want to try.) The only problem is that it turns out there is no such thing as a low-maintenance birthday party because you can't get around the fact that at a bare minimum, you still have to provide cake, food, gift bags, entertainment, and presents.
First, the kids "helped" me get ready for the party. I blew up the balloons and they stole them and batted them around the house. Then they insisted on putting the crowns on and decorating pieces of paper, but that did keep them very busy while I got everything ready. And I will admit that I enjoyed watching them play with the balloons so I even put on music for them and helped them bat the balloons around.
Everything was finally ready. We had 7 little crowns and 7 little wands all ready to be decorated with jewels, glittery letters, and stickers
Seven little girls arrived at 4:00, all decked out in their favorite princess dress and I have to say that my little Munchkin Girl was in her element. She was the quintessential hostess to her friends, making sure they each had a crown and a wand to decorate. Keep in mind this was a "drop-off party" so all parents were gone and the seven little girls were left in our care. My daughter grinned from ear to ear while her little friends used the glue, glittery letters, jewels and stickers that she helped me organize.
Since I wanted this party to be low-maintenance, I planned on all this part taking quite awhile and I didn't plan much else, other than the cake and stuff. I had set out a bunch of bowls with plenty of supplies so when they were all done by 4:20 with this project, we were a bit baffled. Now what? The party was scheduled to last until 5:30. I started to feel a bit panicky, but luckily my Mom is an elementary PE teacher, so she stepped in. Between 4:20 and 5:00, we played:
- Hide and Go Seek
- Favorite Animal Game: Each kid got to take a turn saying what their favorite animal was. Then they demonstrated what that animal did, such as hopping (bunny), crawling on all fours (horses), etc. and then all the little girls had to follow. They loved having turns with this!
- Freeze Dancing (Play music until it stops and then everyone FREEZES!)
- Fall down dancing (Similar to freeze dance, but when the music stops, they all fall down)
Then we decided it was time for pizza and cookie cake, and luckily we killed time by also having them decorate the cookies.
Then we did the presents and voila! It was 5:30! Each little girl went home with a personalized crown on their head, a decorated wand, and a bag full of princess stickers. Hubby and I were exhausted, and Munchkin Girl had never felt so special in all her life. The problem was that I couldn't believe that I had to face this year after year. Not only that, the following morning we had two birthday parties to attend, and they were both also princess parties and I didn't know how I would have the energy.
We arrived at the first one and I couldn't believe my eyes. This woman had made a Barbie cake, something I've only ever seen in magazines...it had a real Barbie inside, and an intricate web of icing for Barbie's dress. Not only that, a tent was outside, filled with balloons and decorated with streamers and what appeared to be wedding veils and they had stations set up for the girls to have their nails done, faces painted, and even make-up done. The Mom seemed cool as a cucumber and I suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed. I was still completely exhausted from my own party the day before and I hadn't done any of this fancy stuff! I commented to the grandmother how impressed I was with everything and she replied, "Well, she about kills herself doing it and everyone around her too!" The Grandma rolled her eyes.
"Really?" I replied. "She looks so calm!"
"Don't let her fool you honey. It's all an act!" She winked at me and I felt much better because I felt certain that she would be just as tired as I was and I realized that there are no Super-Moms. We're all just trying to do our best to make our little girls feel special but it isn't easy no matter how talented you are.
We arrived at the first one and I couldn't believe my eyes. This woman had made a Barbie cake, something I've only ever seen in magazines...it had a real Barbie inside, and an intricate web of icing for Barbie's dress. Not only that, a tent was outside, filled with balloons and decorated with streamers and what appeared to be wedding veils and they had stations set up for the girls to have their nails done, faces painted, and even make-up done. The Mom seemed cool as a cucumber and I suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed. I was still completely exhausted from my own party the day before and I hadn't done any of this fancy stuff! I commented to the grandmother how impressed I was with everything and she replied, "Well, she about kills herself doing it and everyone around her too!" The Grandma rolled her eyes.
"Really?" I replied. "She looks so calm!"
"Don't let her fool you honey. It's all an act!" She winked at me and I felt much better because I felt certain that she would be just as tired as I was and I realized that there are no Super-Moms. We're all just trying to do our best to make our little girls feel special but it isn't easy no matter how talented you are.
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- Why do my kids drive me so crazy sometimes?
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- How am I ever supposed to get anything done when my kids won't stop pestering me?
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