Wordless Wednesday - Zoo Trip

the artist and her protoge 

mischief

My brother Chis and Annie <3

adventuring!

a beauty, even in 104 degree heat

I see you, Chris!

my pride and joy

precious, both of them

How to get your kids to help tidy the house…and have fun doing it! (Part 2)

Here's the second half from last week's post.  The results can be worth the effort!

Make each child successful - 

-Little ones can do lots of basics, like putting all of one type of item in a container.  Building blocks, playing cards, puzzle pieces, and even game pieces can be sorted individually into a pile by you or an older child, then put into a large box or tub by the younger child. After that, you can transfer the toys to the proper container, which may be harder to manipulate.

-Young elementary children can put away specific types of items (all of the stuffed animals, plastic toys, clothing, etc.) with prompting.  For some kids, it's especially important to allow them to focus only on one kind of item, as they can be overwhelmed by the disorganization of messiness.

-Older elementary kids and teens can take care of miscellaneous items and things which require decision making, like whether a piece of clothing is clean or dirty.  They can also be asked to vacuum or dust after the team cleaning is over.

General Things to Remember:
-It's best to give the kids a heads-up before starting clean-up:  "After snacks, we're going to do some pick-up and earn some quarters, okay?"  Then, at snack time:  "When we're done, we'll do our clean-up and make some money...very exciting!"

-Choose a time when everyone is fresh and no one is hungry or out of sorts. 

-Stop when you feel the momentum slowing down, especially the first couple of times you try it.  If the memory of "fun tidying" is actually fun, it'll be easier to convince everyone (including yourself) that working as a team is the way to go.

Reality Check.  

The day I was originally supposed to post this blog, I had plans for the kids and myself to tackle the house and "have fun doing it."  It was a disaster!  The kids were tired, I was irritated, and we only picked up one room of the house...begrudgingly...instead of the several I had planned. Life works to keep me humble, that's for sure!  But, I'm happy to say we tried again a couple of days later and we were back in our groove. 

I'd love to hear how it works for you...keep your chin up, give grace, and remember...it doesn't have to be perfect!!

Blessings,
Stephanie

Wordless Wednesday - Pear Flower

This is probably the best picture they've ever taken
together!  And all for a pretty pear flower.

Brother is not to be left out!! Grab while the getting is good.

Act fast now.

This is her favorite funny face.

My cute boy!!

Happiness = food, lol!

How to get your kids to help tidy the house…and have fun doing it! (Part 1)

Prevailing upon the children to help with tidying the house can be a chore in itself.  How many times have we moms resorted to doing all the clean-up alone because frankly, it's not worth the hassle?  With a few new ideas in the mommy supply closet, however, it might not be as sweat-inducing as feared.

Here are some ideas that have met with some success around our house: 

Quick bursts - I set the timer for 5 - 15 minutes (depending on the size of the task) and we focus on a particular room or project.  We all work as quickly as possible to see how much we can get done.  I try to keep the tone light, but urgent.  "Hurry, what else can we pick up?"

Reward at each break - When the timer goes off, we assess our progress.  There may be a couple more things to pick up or do, but I try to stop as quickly as possible.  Then we do something fun -  like the chicken dance - or I pass out dimes or quarters.  Stickers or M&M's are also fun and easy.

Work as a team - When everyone is working at the same time, no one feels especially put out.  It's been a learning process for my kids to help clean up each other's rooms and closets.  It feels great to give and receive help...no matter whose mess it is.

Make a game out of it - If there's more than one area to be tidied, we sometimes write them down on strips of paper and the kids take turns picking them out of a hat.  Rewards for the breaks can also be drawn, adding a sense of suspense.

Look for more ideas on Friday's blog about how to tailor the clean-up process to meet the needs of your child's age range.  Also, tips for success and my humbling "get real" moment...

Until then, let me know if you try any of these ideas and how it goes...I'd love your feedback!

Blessings,
Steph

Wordless Wednesday - The Little One Making Frozen Energy Treats

She helped mash the bananas, chocolate
protein powder, and Grape Nuts together.  

In go the peanuts.

Stir it up.

Clean up, Clean up, Everybody, Everywhere

Oops! Did that bite fall to the floor?

Mmmmm
Note: the recipe is on yesterday's blog.

Recipe: Frozen Energy Treats

A summer favorite with my family, these healthy frozen treats are one of the few snacks I'll freely give my kids when they come begging for "sweets"!

These are very easy to make.  Check back tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday to see pictures of little Christine making them.

Frozen Energy Treats

Combine all these ingredients in a bowl:

2 mashed, ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 pouches (or servings) of chocolate protein powder or meal replacement shake powder
1/2 cup Grape Nuts
1/2 cup peanuts, optional

Stir until all the ingredients have become thoroughly combined.  It will have a slimy texture for now. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.  Ladle about 1/4 cup mixture into each cup. Depending on the size of the bananas, you'll end up with 8-12 treats.  They will have a hard, creamy, crunchy consistency when frozen.

Note:  This is a forgiving recipe.  It's easily doubled, halved and stretched with extra bananas. It's a great way to get rid of those pesky overripe bananas that seem to multiply in the summer time.

Enjoy!

Stephanie Ray
New Life Balance for Women

Find New Life Balance for Women on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Life-Balance-for-Women

Parenting with Balance, Retro-style!

Ok, so I learned a new term today from Dr. Daisy Sutherland, also known as DrMommy:  Retro Parenting.  It's "practical parenting with a twist...bringing back the good from the past and incorporating it into our families today." Intrigued, I started thinking about the way I parent naturally, and I think I've morphed into a Retro Parent without knowing it.

Let me explain. Much of parenting today revolves around entertaining, scheduling, and pacifying children, making sure they have plenty to keep them busy and developing properly. I have to admit, I once thought this was best.  I seriously tried to parent this way, but as our brood grew and our family continued in ministry, we found ourselves with less time and money to enroll our kids in ballet, soccer, art classes, etc. We said "no" to the latest video games. We felt bad for awhile, but you know what? They haven't missed a thing.

What do my children do? They look for bugs outside, build forts with the couch cushions, draw enthusiastically, and play Winnie the Pooh Candyland.  The older ones read to the "littles". They help each other clean their rooms and earn quarters by doing chores for mommy. Yesterday the 8 and 5 year-olds learned to sort, wash, dry, fold, and put away their own clothes; the 16 year-old has done this for a long time. Even the 2 year-old helps with laundry, and loves it. Perhaps my favorite bonding time with the children, aside from bedtime reading, is preparing for dinner.  Everyone helps as they can, even though I'm sure it takes longer than it should and often makes a real mess!

There was a time when I worried my kids wouldn't be adequately prepared for life because they aren't experiencing many of the "foundational" activities some suburban families embrace. In pondering what's truly important to adulthood and real life, my eyes are opening to a new truth - that they're getting just the foundation they need.

Here's to Retro Parenting!

Blessings,
Stephanie

For more information about Retro Parenting, visit DrMommyonline.com or find Retro Parenting on facebook.