family time

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Cooking with Kids

April 9, 2010 in Family Activities, Playing Together | No comments

Cooking with kids has many benefits.  For one, it allows us to spend more time with our kids while doing something that could isolate us from them.  Another plus is that oftentimes when kids have a hand in making the meal, they will be more likely to eat it.  Cooking also provides countless teaching opportunities, the science of raising dough, using measuring cups, and learning fractions are just a few examples.  There are several great recipes on the Internet that are intended for cooking with children, or you could just involve them in your regular meal preparation.   It does take a little patience, and there will likely be more of a mess to clean up when it’s all said and done, but the memories and learning will be worth the effort.

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Family Night

March 1, 2010 in Family Goals, Family Night, Parenting Techniques | No comments

I recently came across this article on about.com.  The author, Wayne Parker, explains the benefits of holding weekly family night.  He also gives useful pointers to help us get started, so without further adieu…

How Does Family Night Work?

The general concept of a weekly family night is to spend an evening once a week where the family is together having a meaningful experience together. In other words, watching the latest installment of a favorite sitcom doesn’t count! The basic principles include:

The time is set. Having a standard time each week allows better family planning. It is best if you can pick a given night each week (every Monday or every Thursday) and keep it there. At the outset, this might not be possible but should be a goal.

Everyone commits. When a family decides to focus on family night, each member commits to making it work. That means we have to say “no” to conflicts. Teenage kids need to have the night off from work and school activities. Moms and dads say no to work projects, phone conversations, and athletic events. Athletic teams understand that practices would have to not conflict and if it means that someone doesn’t make the team, then the choice is made for family. This is one of the hardest parts of a family night program, but it is essential.

 Time is spent together. Ever been in a situation described by Stephen Covey as a “collective monologue?” This is where everyone speaks or does their activity but in the same room with others. Collective monologues are not acceptable for family night. Television, listening to music or everyone reading something different doesn’t count. Family activities on family night involve everyone together. Activities such as walking or hiking, playing board games, working together in the yard, being involved in community service projects, visiting relatives together and the like are the model.

No heavy stuff. Family nights are not the time for discipline, for arguing, for forcing compliance. If you make it onerous, you will have a mutiny on your hands. Make them light, fun and engaging. And a little variety helps a lot.

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Diary of a Yummy Mummy {Blog Feature}

January 11, 2010 in Blog Feature, Playing Together | No comments

I have semi-recently ran across this fabulous blog, and I just can’t get enough.  Robin, the author of  Diary of a Yummy Mummy is a former prosecutor turned SAHM living in Boston.   After finding her blog, I dove into the archives and read several of her past entries.  It was immediately obvious to me how wild she is about her son.  I’m not going to claim that I know Robin personally, and I’m not trying to pass judgement, but from what I gather, she is a wonderful example of somebody who hasn’t lost herself yet completely relishes her role as a mother.

She has recently begun IVF treatments and actually had 17 egglets retrieved just yesterday.  In a recent post, she mentioned the fact that she felt like she was living on ”borrowed time” with her son before their 2nd child is born.  She’s already planned trips and thought of ways to spend quality time with her Little Man before he gets a new sibling.  I can completely relate to that feeling!  However, it was apparent to me that her little guy gets plenty of quality time with his mum without any extra effort.  

Anyway, after debating over several possible posts to feature, I picked one that I love for many reasons:

Sunday, January 3, 2010

It has pretty much been snowing here non-stop for about 4 days (4 days!) We all know that a little snow can’t stop us from going outside, but it can make getting around much (much, much, much, much) more difficult. Today I tried (emphasis on tried) to make it to yoga but alas Mother Nature got the best of me. My husband was working which meant we were going to have to use our favored mode of transportation, the train. Our normal 20 minute commute to the gym turned into a 90 minute one leaving me with a choice, take the LM to the bookstore (which I promised we would do before class) or head directly to one of my favorite yoga classes. Leaving the house I was sure that we had plenty of time to to both.
This was before I practically ice skated my way to the T (which ended up getting stuck due to the ice.)
Pushing what looked like and empty stroller down the road.

My little man definitely enjoyed the ride despite the white out conditions.

One look at this little face and I knew that there was only one choice.

And we spent the next 2 hours watching the snow fall from inside Barnes andNoble. Hey, there’s always next weekend!
-I love that while Robin got herself, and her son bundled up, braved the cold, and headed out to go to Yoga, one of her favorite things, she put herself aside and took her son to the book store:).  I love it! Besides, how could you resist that little face?  Seriously!
I highly encourage all of you to head over to Diary of a Yummy Mummy, Robin will have you laughing, crying, and leaving feeling inspired.
Thanks Robin! 

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Family Night

January 11, 2010 in Family Goals, Family Night, My Family, Playing Together | No comments

Our family tries to get together once a week, completely unplug, and spend some quality family time together.  We usually hold a little family meeting, let the kids teach lessons about values we want to instill in them, play board games, or read stories.  I love the time we spend together and our kids still look forward to it every week.  We usually have our family night on Monday nights.  So, I have been thinking a lot about our plan for tonight.

In honor of the new year, tonight we are going to set goals to accomplish.  We will set family goals, and individual goals.  Most will be shared with each other, but there will probably be some personal ones as well.  We also review the goals we set last year and evaluate how well we did with them.  We do this every year, typically the Monday directly following New Year’s Day, but last week we had a get-together with the extended family so we are a bit late.

I really enjoy this tradition.  I feel like it gives us a sense of direction and allows us to have something clear and concrete that we would like to accomplish as a family.  That way, when we are faced with a decision, we can determine whether or not it fits in line with our family goals. 

For instance, this morning my husband and I were talking about the goals we might set this year.  We wanted to propose a family trip to Hawaii at the end of 2010.  Doing so would force us to put extra money away to save for the trip.  Shortly after that conversation, my husband said, “we really need to carpet our basement.”  I was able to point out that if we want to go to Hawaii, and that is our chosen goal, we should get the money we’ll need for that trip saved and stashed away, then if we have extra, we could finish the basement.  Without the concrete goal of going on a family vacation, it would be easy to spend a little money here and there, then by the end of the year we wouldn’t have the money we’d need for the vacation. 

We aren’t always good at reaching our goals, but at least it gives us something to work towards:).  I guess our best is all we can expect.

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Making the Holidays Meaningful

December 12, 2009 in Christmas | No comments

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I found this great article on childrenshospital.org.  It has some great pointers for all of us!

Make Your Holiday Season More Meaningful and Less Stressful 

Holiday parties, shopping, baking, cooking, wrapping presents and decorating are just a few of the activities and obligations we face during the holiday season. The list doesn’t stop there and it’s no wonder why people find themselves stressed and overwhelmed toward the end of the year. Here are a few tips to help you manage expectations, save money, have more fun and avoid holiday stress factors. 

Be realistic

Setting realistic expectations for yourself and your children can help you to avoid a lot of stress and disappointment. Here are some ideas to help.

  • Learn to say no. Don’t feel obligated to make it to every holiday party or event that you or your children get invited to. And if you don’t have time to make eight dozen cookies for your daughter’s school Christmas party, just say “no.”
  • Set a budget before you go holiday food and gift shopping. Decide how much you can afford and stick to that amount.
  • The advertisements that kids see during the holidays can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment if they don’t get everything on their wish list. Ask your children to pick out one or two toys or gifts they want, instead of making a long wish list. If you have older children, do a family gift exchange. Get more tips about making the holidays less materialistic. 

Focus on giving, not getting 

This year, encourage your family to think about ways you can give back to the community, instead of focusing on what presents you’ll be getting. Volunteering or donating can really boost a child’s self esteem and make them more appreciative of what they have. It’s important to teach them that even just one person can make a difference. Look into volunteering at a soup kitchen, giving blood, visiting a senior citizen’s home, or donating old toys and clothes.

View The Children’s Hospital Wish List for ideas of ways to donate. (.pdf)

Learn more about “getting rid of the gimmies.”

Get crafty

Some of the most special and meaningful gifts are those that are homemade. Helping your children make gifts for friends and family can be a great time for you to bond and have fun as a family. Arts and crafts can also be a therapeutic activity to help you unwind during times of stress or high activity. Read more about creating gifts for family and friends.

Here are just a few ideas for some craft projects that would also make great gifts.

  • Family photo album
  • Homemade ornaments 
  • Painted pottery 
  • Custom artwork
  • Decorate picture frames

Get active and avoid the junk food

For most Americans, the holidays last from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day; during this time our homes, offices, schools and churches are usually full of unhealthy holiday treats. It’s important to teach your children healthy eating habits and to lead by example, even during holiday celebrations.

Get some healthy Thanksgiving recipes and tips.

Read more about getting your child the proper nutrition during the holidays and year-round.

In addition, make it a priority to stay active with your kids and encourage them to play outside, even if it’s snowy – bundle up and build a snowman. Some other festive activities could be ice skating or walking around the neighborhood or city to see holiday lights.

Perhaps most importantly, remember to get plenty of rest and take the time to relax and enjoy being around your family and friends!

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