Parenting Archives - Page 42 of 43

I have to sacrifice WHAT?

June 5, 2011 by Jules 2 Comments

It's important for us to teach our children at a young age responsibility. Maggie, my 3-year-old, in 17 days tear :'O( LOVES "chores" or "jobs" that are hers. We've gone through spells of bossiness between her and my younger daughter (18 months apart) so we had several lessons on what her "job" was as a big sister and what my job was as the mamma. Every time I reminded her that something wasn't her "job" she'd ask with a smirk, "what IS my job?" to which I'd respond with her list again or I'd ask her to tell me.

Maggie also has many "chores" throughout the day.

*Lunch and dinner she always sets the table: place mats for all, her and Izzie's (and any added little guests) plastic plates, little forks, sippy cups, as well as my prized fiestaware for adults, big silverware, and canned drinks. Izzie is starting to help with this one and LOVES it. She needs a bit more guidance for placement but getting better and Maggie thinks it's great to help her, since she's sooo experience ya know.

*Sorting laundry is something she helps with as well. Then she puts away things down stairs (i.e. kichen towels, her panties, burp clothes, and bibs) as well as upstairs items (i.e. clothes and big towels), if she happens to be up there with me (usually a chore I do myself).

*Unloading the dishwasher one of the 1st "chores" she was given. She was thrilled to be such a big help to me. Her job? Put away the silverware. She was meticulous at this. Originally sorting by type and size alone until we got new silverware which added the benefit of color sorting, Sweet! Just like any other person, this got boring...I guess. Now she often cons her sister into helping her which leads to mixed types/sizes/colors and sometime just up-side-down. Not a big deal, right? To you non-OCD types.

This was just one hurdle I had to overcome in able to allow my children to assist me as well as for me to be able to teach them valuable lessons on stewardship, service, and plain-ole responsibility.

What are you sacrificing in order to train your children? Leave a comment- lets chat about it.

Filed Under: Cleaning, Parenting Tagged With: children, chores, clothes, dishwasher, job, julie rothacher, laundry, OCD, responsibility, set the table, silverware, towels, train

Why does my child like this?

June 4, 2011 by Jules Leave a Comment

When moving out of my family's home in 2002 and heading to college my access to cable was cut off which carried over into marriage and parenthood. I've never missed it and I think I actually have more fun and accomplish more without it. Don't get me wrong; we often feel out of the loop in silly conversations but we do rent redbox movies, own dvds of favorite flicks and several tv show series we've received as gifts so we're not against sitting and staring. It can be great mind numbing entertainment that requires no though or energy! We also really enjoy no commercials, watching at our own pace and choosing what we view. *exhausting rabbit chasing...

I really wanted to pose the question:
What's the deelio with children's programing? Especially those that call themselves "christian" programing. Today's Saturday mornings cartoons were brought to our family via the ghetto antenna, attached to a converted box, attached to our tv. This is not our customary way of Saturday Morning Cartoons but this morning was one of those audible mornings. Oddly enough, the antenna upstairs and downstairs pick up totally different channels (only 1 of which is worth watching). If we do use the antenna it's in my bedroom as an emergency babysitter (thank you curious george and super why!) while I shower. This morning we chose to use the one in the livingroom...

Now Sunday School Monsters on the other hand...what are we teaching in the precious name of Jesus. Borderline blasphemy. You should NOT be teaching church-isms as biblical principles! Shame on you!!! No wonder we have thousands of drones running around thinking because they are good people who go to church they hold the name Christ follower. Let's stop making modern-day, bible belt pharisees!

Gina's Kids Club- Sorry, I gotta say it, "WIERD!" When was this produced? Why does my child like this? The webpage is pretty 'with it' but the show itself- cheese! Thank you none-the-less for entertaining my children with simple, child-like purity!

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: antenna, bible belt, church-isms, Gina's Kids Club House, saturday, saturday morning cartoons, Sunday School, Sunday School Monsters, Why?

Afternoon Snack

June 3, 2011 by Jules Leave a Comment

It's odd how bi-polar 2 days in the same week can be with a preschooler.

We are attempting to train our 3-year-old (on the 22nd- tear) to stay in her bed for naps. We have tried lots of methods but are currently weaning her off of the "parent sit in the room 'til she's alseep" method. My husband is about to leave for Super Summer AR for a week, I will be trying to anchor the ship while he's gone a week (I need my suitable helper!), and it will be impossible for me to sit for ~30 leaving the other babes (1.5-years-old and 5-6 months old) unattended. Ugg.
With that being said, yesterday went GREAT! She got up with a couple minor excuses but stayed in bed and went to sleep! Our afternoon was Be-A-U-tiful! Yummy shared snack of crackers, cheese, juice and DP (for me of course-we want her to sleep at night too ;O). Veggie Tale movie topped it off. Singing, bob'n heads, more crazy dancing, smiles, giggles, munch munch munch, and good old fashion goofiness- awe the Life!
TODAY- (pouty face) Not So Much! She slowly but surely lost all privileges for each sorry attempt at getting out of bed. This was supposed to be the funner day. My middle child was having a "Nanna Day" leaving me with just 2 sanely spaced in age children for the day. NOPE! Man, I don't get it. She finally passed out from excessive energy exertion she was putting forth in the battle of wills. WHY?
Well, we ended up having a lovely evening with a couple of friends because God's cool like that and there is always tomorrow... oh no, my hubs is gone all day tomorrow. Maybe it won't be all that bad. Practice for the week of Super Summer I guess.

*insert disclaimer: we have sought out, heard, and considered tons of advice from tons of source on this manner and as a couple, my hubs and I have decided she Does still Need a nap and we will work at making sure she gets one for her own good. It's not for my sanity; it would be a lot simpler to just let her run 'til she drops or something because it doesn't really give me a break. It's actually a little harder. She has a younger sister still taking 2 naps so they alternate awake time and the youngest is still working out his routine.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: cheese, crackers, DP, juice, snack, veggie tales

Teaching Character to Toddlers/Preschoolers

June 2, 2011 by Jules Leave a Comment

I truly believe teaching Jesus and the character He desires us to have is the MOST important thing we could be teaching our children; especially at such a young age! What better time to start instilling these foundational truths?
curriculum for those of us just learning to learn so we can share with our kiddos:

https://www.thelearningparent.com/products.asp?cat=58
http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/anniversary-day-4-who-wants-some-character-concepts-for-their-babes/comment-page-9/#comment-22450
http://www.10millionmiles.com/

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: character, contest, preschoolers, teaching, toddlers

Our Town

May 25, 2011 by Jules 3 Comments

Last Year's "1st Time Around the Block"

Last year around this time we were living in a different town, in a different house, with only 2 babies instead of 3. This was my original idea for something fun to activity play with my (then) almost 2-year-old. Masking tape on carpet + big blocks= roads and buildings. I mapped out the town while she was down for nap, using the tape as an outline for the roads and the Xed out sections where of course going to be the city blocks where building were. Silliness. Although it was a good exercise in sorting by color and then stacking/building blocks, it was not practical, especially for her age. She could care less about the "buildings" and it only made sense to drive ON the tape...not in between.

We did have fun though. "We" even used other toys in our town:

Curious George by the YELLOW buildings of course

Our King Kong on a tall tower

And every town needs a flying Superman!

My perfectionist self did finally let my kid play...hehe

A year later we tried this fun activity again.

This is NOT our "1st Time Around the Block"

- Stress - Expectation - Details - mom-input + a sibling= FUN!

bahaha Roads, roads, and more roads for all of our cars and little people. This is a product of a rainy day, 2 energetic toddlers, a desperate mom (who was trying to make lunch), and 1/2 a roll of painters tape. *Bonus: it's Still on the floor~ covered by the playroom area rug. I'm love'n it!

My 3-year-old (in June, as she'd tell you) daughter, Mags kept coming to the kitchen to tell me, "the cars keep 'getting' the little people." She had to help each, individual, little person go to bed so they'd be safe from the cars "getting" them (yeah, I know...I don't get it either). and Yes...entering the kitchen each and Every time she successfully helped a little person make safely to bed to announce her accomplishment. That's a LOT of little people to help in one morning.