AMP Up Your Summer Fun and Learning!

Our Wise Parents, Wise Kids series is all about getting more out of the summer.  Awhile back, we had an idea-filled conversation with Dottie Miller, Teacher and Mom, and Angela Woodrow, Parent Advocate and Mom.  We discussed ways to easily and enjoyably turn our kids “Brain Drain” into “Brain Gain”.  We shared a lot of great ideas, so listen in on the recording: bit.ly/29gM7ei

The good thing about summer is that it is a break from the regular ‘grind’. The tricky part is to create a structure for the family that allows for relaxing and easy organizing of fun and engaging activities.

Here are my thoughts for inviting the whole family to get the most out of summer:

Grab a cool snack and call a family brainstorming meeting. Invite each person to share an idea or two he or she would still like to do in the days ahead . Discuss and jot down the best ideas and post them somewhere visible. As you do each one, be sure to check them off and see what else remains.
Towards the end of that meeting, you might also mention a few things you'd love to get done. The kids have probably outgrown clothes and may be ready to let go of some toys. Purging and reorganizing those items will get their rooms in better shape. Are there other projects inside the house or out in the yard you'd like to do?
Kids like to have a say in planning family fun. They appreciate having everyone listen to their ideas. Kids also like to know what family projects are coming up. Having a few days notice gives any "reluctant" helpers time to adjust to the idea of contributing. 

Watch for more great ways to engage your kids and enjoy your summer in other Wise Parents, Wise Kids conversations, including:

- A great summer resource that is free and fun: today's public library 
- "Yes" Day!  How one MOPS Mentor makes a summer day fun full of adventure 

- Geocaching-- a great way to explore your area on foot and introduce and refine your seek and search skills...what kid doesn't want to be on a treasure hunt? NOTE: this version is not POKEMON.

 

Share with me your thoughts and ideas for a great summer by connecting on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/janet.bonnin

Reduce Stress & Create Postive, Lasting Change!

What does it look like to EASE your way into the New Year while creating positive, lasting changes?  What does it look like to gently pursue your goals for 2018, without adding undo stress to your already busy lives?

Let’s look at an example, using my weight loss goals.  If you are like me, you may have enjoyed the holidays a bit too much - in the area of eating lots of delicious foods.  One of my goals for 2018 is to lose the few pounds I gained over the holidays, plus about 20 pounds more! 

   

Wisdom from health experts and my own experience have taught me that I can take two routes.  The more stressful and less successful one will be to cut way back on calories and really ramp up my exercise.  This leads to me feeling starved and deprived and can lead to injuries.  In other words, I’d be setting myself up to fail.  On the other hand, if I EASE my way into this – cutting back gradually and eating healthier foods, along with increasing my exercise levels a bit at a time, I’m much more likely to embrace and create lasting healthier habits.

We spent a good bit of 2017 in our community talking about adopting a Marathon Mindset (also known as Taking the Long View) in how we raise our kids.  Each year, we have a whole 365 days to make changes and growth and develop new strengths. Let’s pace ourselves and make the change lasting and effective for the long haul. 

So ask yourself:  What gentle adjustments can I make over the next several weeks that helps my family EASE toward our goals??  How can I break down these large goals into manageable steps that don’t put additional stress and pressure on us?

I’ve got a great way to engage your loved ones in creating a vision for your family, identify what matters most and identify a few areas to gently work towards better habits.  

Click this link and I’ll send it right out to you: http://vid.us/8n752w

 

I know you and your family will enjoy the engaging conversations and activities and feel proud of your Family Vision Board and Values Exercise!

Need Gift Ideas For Your Loved Ones? I Can Help!

With three kids and numerous other loved ones to buy for, Christmas and birthdays are often a challenge for me.  Over the years, I’ve realized everyone is happier if we spend a bit of time planning and shopping around. 

First, let’s focus on your mindset.  Decide a budget and number of gifts and stick to it!  Try to release any guilty feelings – most of our kids have too much already, right? Also, DON'T expect every gift to be a hit – what pleases one kid will turn off another. 

Decide what you’d like to encourage with each gift. Examples are a love of reading, love of learning, creativity, getting outside and being active.  Spread the gifts around in different categories like books, bikes, board games, computer games, outdoor toys, etc. The variety is important for their development and they will appreciate the variety over time. Consider non-traditional and homemade items.  You might create a coupon book with passes for specific events they would like – “free coupon for ice cream with Dad”, “free coupon for playing cards with Mom”.

Here are some gift ideas by category:

             - Books – Giving kids books at Christmas and birthdays encourages a love of reading.  Look for lists of award winning books, such as Texas Bluebonnet awards, Newberry and Caldecott Medals. In addition to popular books, consider classic, age appropriate books like the Dr. Seuss books and “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” series.

             - Educational gifts – Giving kids educational items at Christmas and birthdays encourages a love of learning.

             - Science projects, art supplies, hands on projects, fun and messy things

Kids get a lot of benefits developmentally out of hands on, messy, creative projects – it encourages their curiosity and creativity; educators highly encourage this sort of play.

Consider a science book or simple kit with at-home experiments. For artists, create a kit with paints, brushes, an apron and an easel.

            -  Hobby items – Look for kits or other items from your local craft stores.

             - Fun, active gifts – Get out there and play with your kids with kites, frisbees, scooters, and soccer balls.

            -  Classic gifts – These are classics because of their lasting play-ability.  Slinky, dominoes, play doh and playing cards are great examples.

            -  Board games - Try to choose games that most of the family can and will play and schedule special game nights.

            - Electronics – If you are like most of us, you will choose to give your kids some electronics.  If so, make sure it is age-appropriate.  Ratings (P, PG, PG-13, etc) are there for a reason.  Otherwise, this can start to snowball on you.  Use ratings as a guide and then read up on product reviews and check with other parents to make a final decision.

            - Gift certificates – As I mentioned above, create a coupon book for special times with mom, dad, and other loved ones.

Here are some of my favorite websites:

Toy and game reviews:

http://www.toyportfolio.com/                Oppenheim Toy Portfolio 

http://www.toymanglobal.com/pr.php#!/pageReviews

https://ttpm.com/                                 From Time to Play Magazine

GOOGLE "TIA Toys of the year 2017" to see toys that won awards for 2017 awarded by the Toy Industry Association

Educational Software Reviews:

http://www.toptenreviews.com/software/education/

http://www.softwareforkids.com

http://www.superkids.com

Great websites with unique gifts:

http://www.spilsbury.com                    3D puzzles, unique games, crafts

http://www.youngexplorers.com          Great selection of educational and fun toys

http://www.hearthsong.com                Unique toys and crafts

www.scholastic.com                           Great books and other items

www.highlights.com                            Books and fun, educational toys and crafts

http://www.hobbytown.com                 Variety of items for older kids, great hobby sets and games

https://www.fatbraintoys.com              Educational and fun

AMAZON.COM is a great place to see what other parents think.

REMEMBER – If, like me, you want the focus to be more on celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, exercise a bit of restraint in how much you give your kids. We encouraged the attitude in our kids of "look at the great gifts you got from everyone" rather than "I don't like this" or "why didn't I get more gifts".  Otherwise, like Harry Potter's cousin Dudley, they'll count and compare and complain instead of appreciating what they get!

Please share this post with other parents who might find it helpful.  Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Your Kids Got Gratitude? Get Ideas and Inspiration for it HERE!

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." -- William Arthur Ward

As parents, we desire that our kids appreciate what they have and are willing to be of service.  Awhile back, I sat down with my dear friends and colleagues, Ricardo Flores-Clar and Angela Woodrow for an amazing “Wise Parents, Wise Kids” video chat on this. 

We talked about fostering an “attitude of gratitude” and internalizing it.  Then we moved on to look at wonderful yet simple ideas for putting our gratefulness into action.   Listen in to hear, among other things, stories about a “High Five Fest”, a family in El Salvador who gives back to the homeless, and a magical moment when Angie’s kids invited their friends into their family gatherings.

“Gratitude should not just be a reaction to getting what you want, but an all-the-time gratitude, the kind where you notice the little things and where you constantly look for the good…”  --Marelisa Fabrega

Good habits become great traditions, fostering awareness and a spirit of gratitude.  If you do these things often enough, they become ingrained in who you are, even spreading outside the family to help make our world a better place.

I’ve got to say this is one of my favorite “Wise Parents, Wise Kids” video chats ever!  Not only will you come away with ideas, you’ll enjoy and feel inspired.  So grab your favorite beverage, a pen and paper, and JOIN US by clicking here:    http://bit.ly/2B8YvXX