Parenting Children

Believe me I know how hard it is to be inside with kids all day. New Jersey weather can be terrible sometimes and this winter was no different. It wasn’t snowy so we didn’t have that outdoor fun, but rainy and dreary. I have had to use my imagination when coming up with indoor fun without buying any other toys!

Stand outside a closed door in your home and ask your child to imagine what is behind that door. Is it a prehistoric land with dinosaurs? Is it a place where everyone can fly?

There is nothing better then a big box that can be a play house. Cut out little windows and maybe even a door. Let your child color or paint he outside of the “house”.

Give your child a deck of cards. Let them sort it by color, symbols or numbers. this is a great way to introduce math.

Put a blanket over a table or a couch to make a “tent”. This is also a great way to get kids to nap since they will nap easier in their play tent then in their beds!

Keep a box with old Halloween costumes for dress up play. When you clean out your old clothes or jewelry let your kids use it for dress up. Old hats, belts, jewelry or shirts are great for this. Have a fashion show or dress up for a tea party.

Let your child “paint” the sidewalk or driveaway with a paint brush and water. See how fast it evaporates in the sun.

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Dinner time or meal time can be hectic for any family. Getting kids to eat, getting everyone to sit down together and keeping children from fooling around are all hard tasks for my family. Today I am going to share with you some great tips for keeping mealtime sane and fun.

Make a placemat out of old mats. Cut them to size and cover with clear contact paper. This is great to get kids learning about our country or our world while waiting for dinner.

If your child has a friend over have them play “restaurant” and let them make their own snack. One of them can place their order and the other can “cook”. Little sandwiches or fruit skewers would be great.

Introduce new foods with ones your kids already like and call them “extras”. Make sure they try one new food a week.

At dinner ask everyone for their “news”. Go around and tell your favorite part of the day or if something exciting happened that day. Make sure you listen to your children’s day. Make sure they listen to you also, listening to each other is an important skill to learn.

Be creative. Let your children chose what they want in their burrito, salad or sandwich, even if it does not sound good to you.

Teach manners at the table by using them. Tell them why it is important to say “please” and “thank you”.

What tips or tricks do you have for dinner time with your family?

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I am usually not a fan of children’s music. I don’t want to hear the Doodlebops sing kid songs or Elmo sing nursery rhymes. Our kids love music and want to hear the same songs or CD over and over again. It is torturous to listen to, so most of the time our children listen to what we like. I was curious to try the That Baby CD and That Baby DVD because I wanted to see if it was better then “traditional” children’s music.
It SO is.

That Baby DVD and That Baby CD are acoustic cover songs of popular artists like Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon and The Beatles. I love acoustic music and this does not disappoint. Don’t believe me? Check out samples of the songs on their website. My children were delighted to hear their favorite song “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley. This CD is on constant rotation in our car! I admit that I have even listend to it without the kids.

The DVD got my children up and dancing. OK, so I was dancing too.
My kids love to dance and seeing the kids on the DVD bust a move, inspired my kids to really get down! It really is a very cute DVD.
Check them both out today and Enter the coupon code “MotherTalk” when purchasing and save 20% on your entire order!
From now until May 18th, all orders using the coupon code “MotherTalk” will be entered in a drawing to win a new iPod nano.

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In honor of Earth Day we are trying to become more environmentally friendly in our home every day and we are stepping it up a notch today. We do what we can in this house and every month we are trying to do a little more. Educating our kids on Earth Day is one of the things we are doing. Here are some ideas for what you can do with your kids today:

When they are brushing their teeth, teach them to turn off the water while they are brushing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Sense program, Americans use an average of 170 gallons of water per day. Saving water will help your pocketbook too.

Plant a tree today. Teach your children to respect and preserve the wilderness and wildlife. Buy a bird feeder and bird bath, plant flowers that butterflies like and plant some organic vegetables or fruit. Don’t use pesticides on your lawn or garden.

Visit your local farm or recycling center and teach your kids where their food comes from and where their garbage goes. Make sure you recycle in your home and let your kids help you.

Learn online, check out www.localharvest.org, ams.usda.gov., epa.gov or fishandwildlife.org.
Also check out this website for Earth Day coloring pages.

Finally, get outdoors! Go hiking, camping or to a park. The best motivations for protecting the planet is to enjoy it. What is a better time than Earth Day?

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We are always searching for family things to do. We luckily live in an area of NJ where there are a ton of family friendly events but they are scarce in the winter. A great resource for families are museums. Your children will appreciate them in different ways as they grow and they are perfect for families with kids of varying age differences.

Natural history museums are the best to check out dinosaurs and most kids love dinosaurs. Some great museums are the American Museum of Natural History NY, NY (they have the only intact velociraptor skull!), Museum of L.A. County in California and the National Museum of Natural History Washington, D.C.
Art museums usually have great programs for kids to spark their interest in art. Check your local museum for children’s programs. Let them create their own art when you get home. If you hate the mess, (like I do) then let them paint outside or paint in your husband’s old t shirts. Have them recreate some of their favorite pieces of art they have just seen.

Our favorites are our local children’s museums. My kids never tire of visiting! They can pretend they are a news anchor, learn about electricity and animals and dance on a stage.
Some of the other museums that are cool are the Matchbox Museum in Newfield, NJ, Ripley’s Believe it Or Not Museum Orlando, FL and the World’s Largest Toy Museum Branson, MO.

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Kids love to play in water. If you are a parent, you know that already. we have even let our kids run around in their clothing in the rain. You are only young once and what is the harm of a little water? here are some ideas for fun with water for your kids:

-Squirt shaving cream into a disposable muffin tin. Add a couple of drops of food dye into each cup and stir. (only use a small amount, you don’t want a green kid after soaking for awhile!)
Let your kids paint themselves and the walls. Hose them and the walls down when everyone is done!

-Help your children build boats and rafts from craft sticks, Styrofoam blocks, aluminum trays, egg cartons, etc. Put your boats to float in a wading pool, sink, or bathtub.

-Pair off children and have them face their partner. Have the kids toss a water balloon to each other. Every time the balloon is caught the child that caught the balloon takes a step back. When they miss they usually get splattered with water.

-If you are having a sun shower break out the slip and slide, you don’t even need the hose!

-Play “tag” with the hose. Who ever gets “hit” with the spray of water from a hose or a water shooter is it.

-Use eyedroppers to drip watercolors on stiff clear plastic. Let the paint dry in the sun, then hang the art in a window.
With a Group

-Dig for worms outside, there will be plenty on a rainy day.

Sometimes I just get bored with sandwiches. Sometimes I just don’t have deli meats or bread in the house. (Hey, cut me some slack I just had a baby!) My kids get bored with sandwiches every day too, so I try to be creative and unique with lunches, or dinners for that matter, and give my kids variety and it gives them an opportunity to try new foods too! Here are some of our favorite ideas:

Veggies and dip. Put string beans in a hallowed out pepper, bake some pita to make your own pita “chips” and if your kids hate raw veggies cook and cool them first.
DIP
1 greek plain yogurt (7oz)
1 garlic clove, pressed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2C mayo
1 tablespoon dill and mint chopped
1/2 cucumber
1 teaspoon lemon juice

To make:
Grate the peeled and seeded cucumber and squeeze dry in paper towel and add to bowl
Add the rest of the ingredients and combine
Serve with veggies

Try chicken salad or egg salad in a lettuce leaf instead of bread
Try hummus or guacamole (two of my kids favorites) instead of dips
Go pick your own at a local farm, your kids will be more likely to eat the veggies if they see where they are grown and pick them themselves!
Don’t forget about edamame, kids love these and you can even buy them chelled in teh frozen section of your grocery store

What are your favorite substitutes for sandwiches or traditional lunches?

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This year we are dyeing eggs early because I can go into labor at any time and if I do not, I have a c-section scheduled for March 18th. I want to participate with them so we will do it this weekend. I always try to stay away from too much candy and junk for Easter. This year will be no different and we are trying to keep our Easter “green”. Here are some alternatives to candy and junk and some tips to be more Earth friendly for your Easter.

Say no to plastic grass. Grow your own. This is easy and looks great in a basket or for a table centerpiece. I have seen edible grass in Target that you can use as an alternative. Have your kids color or paint some paper and shred it for their baskets.

Use natural dyes for eggs. Boil your eggs in water with vinegar and one of these ingredients below, then let simmer for at least 15 minutes:

Purple grape juice (for lavender)
Red cabbage (for blue)
Spinach (for green)
Carrot tops, orange peels or lemon peels (for yellow)
Yellow onion skins (for orange)
Beets or cranberries (for pink)
Red onion skins (for red)

Skip the candy. If you have to use plastic eggs (we use the same ones every year) fill them with coins, almonds or raisins. Or you can just hide the dyed eggs.

Skip the toys. Instead maybe buy books, puzzles, outdoor chalk, phthalate free bath toys (bunnies or ducks are perfect) or bubbles (you can even make the bubbles yourself).

Here are some more ideas for Easter and Easter craft ideas. What do you give your children in their Easter baskets?

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I am looking into buying my kids new movies because I want to occupy their time once the baby comes home. I don’t normally let them watch more then two 25 minute shows or one movie a day, but these aren’t normal circumstances. We will be bringing a new baby home in eight days unless this baby wants to come sooner (please baby come sooner!) and their routines will be messed up along with their lives. I think some new movies will be in order and maybe even new ones from the Easter bunny.
Here are some new releases that maybe your child would enjoy:

The biggest one is 101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition. It’s been re-released from the Disney vault as a double disc with improved colors and sounds from the original feature. It has a bunch of bonus features added, including a virtual dalmatian game for kids.

Little Einsteins: Race for Space - My kids love the little Einsteins and so will yours!

Thomas and Friends Engines and Escapades, perfect for any Thomas fan and only $9.99.

Handy Manny: Fixing it Right - Cheer on Manny and his tools as Rusty heroically overcomes his fear of heights to repair a jungle gym

Enchanted is a movie that will be released on March 18th. It goes from animated to non animated through the movie. On Amazon it is selling for $15.99 as a pre-release price.

I know I will be renting some movies for my husband because I don’t know the next time we will get out of the house.
What are the new movies you or your kids are waiting to come out on video?

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I love play doh and just the smell of it can bring me back to my childhood. My kids love it too and since it is a overcast, boring day here and I am waiting for a human to come out of my body I decided it was a play doh day. We will be breaking out the doh and some fun accessories after nap time.

Of course there is old school traditional play doh or you can get this awesome organic play doh set. It comes with six 4 oz scented playdoh tubs in strawberry, lemon, blueberry, orange key lime and grape and tools! You can also order refills for this kit. At $38 it isn’t cheap but makes a very cute gift.

This value play doh accessories set is great. I think this is a steal at $21.99 for all that you get. It comes with four textured rolling pins, one smooth rolling pin, four patterned clay mallets, four double-ended wooden modeling tools, a rolling wheel cutter and six sticks of modeling clay. Endless fun!

If you have cheap plastic cookie cutters around your house like I do (really I am a terrible cookie cutter baker, and I need to use metal cutters) they are perfect for play doh. If you don’t, do you want 100 of them? You can get them for $9.99 on Amazon.

If you don’t have any dough and want to make some there are a ton of recipes out there.
Put 1 part flour, 1 part water and 2 parts oatmeal in a bowl and mix. OR
put 1 C salt 1 C of water and 1/2 C flour in a saucepan and mix and cook over medium heat, until thick. When it cools add flour until it makes dough.

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When our family dog died it was a terrible time for us. Not only for E and I because she was our first baby but for our kids who just started to really enjoy her. They were only three but had loved her so much. Granted we still have two cats at home (only one actually comes out and socializes with us) but we still miss our dog. I believe kids should have pets, like I did when I was a child. After this baby is a little older then we will get another dog for our family.

Kids look to their pets as companions or friends when they are upset. I remember crying in my room cuddling my family dog to remind me that at least someone loves me. Pets also teach kids responsibility, if you let them learn. Let kids pick up the dog poop from the backyard or clean the cage. Teach them to change the food and water every day. That shows them that their pets need love and attention, but they need to be taken care of too.
Lastly, having pets in the home can lower your children’s risk of having certain allergies like dust mite and ragweed allergies.

What pet is best for your house or child? Dogs are probably the hardest to care for, but could build the strongest bond. They are man’s best friend. Cats are great but scratch often when they are kittens. They require slightly less care then a dog and are more independent. Many kids are allergic though.
Birds are great but are messy. Some live a VERY long time so research what type of bird you would like before going to by one that is pretty.
Don’t ever underestimate fish. Maybe best for younger kids new to pets. Of course many don’t live that long so unless you are ready for the long march to the toilet, maybe this isn’t the right choice for you.

Tell me what type of pet you have in your house and do your children help with your pet(s)?

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Is it really on February? This winter is going as slow as any I can remember and being almost nine months pregnant doesn’t help matters. It is all I can do to keep my poor five year old twins entertained in this house all day. Plus we haven’t even had the fun of snow to play in all winter long! Here are some ideas of fun indoor things you can do to keep your kids bodies and minds moving:

Hullabaloo My kids love this game. Think of it as a more motion filled Simon Says game. Players move from one colorful shape to another and use their bodies to perform the many Hullabaloo move, when you hear “Freeze!” the player on the lucky pad wins! I love this because even one child can play by themselves. 1-6 players, ages 4 and up.

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Wondering what else you can do to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your family or make it more special for your children. You can make it more then just a Hallmark holiday. Here are some ideas for some mid week Valentine’s fun for everyone:

-Wear all red or pink. Dress everyone in head to toe in the colors of love.

-Eat only red foods! Spaghetti and sauce, tomatoes, red velvet cake, apples, pomegranates, red peppers with dip, shirley temples and champagne with grenadine, etc

-Write love notes on napkins. Write little notes about how much you love your child or your spouse and send them off to school or work with them, or put them around the dinner table.

-Eat by candlelight. You can have a nice special dinner with your whole family not just your husband.

-Eat only finger foods. Tea sandwiches, crudite, mini quiche, shrimp cocktail or mini burgers. Melt some chocolate for dessert and have everyone dip in their favorite fruits like strawberries, pineapple or grapes, marshmallows, graham crackers or even their fingers in!

-Make rice krispie treats for your kids but use strawberry marshmallows instead of plain ones, so they will be pink!

-Give everyone Valentines tattoos.

Looking for some ways to decorate your house for valentine’s Day? Maybe you are just interested in some arts and crafts or snowy day activities to do indoors with your children. Either way, I have great ideas for you.
Here are some ideas for Valentine’s day or any day to keep the boredom at bay.

Decorate Branches
What you need:
branches
colored paper
crayons or markers
colored yarn or string
scissors

-Gather some branches in your yard
-cut out some heart or cupid shapes
-color them or decorate with glitter or what ever you have around the house
-cut out a hole in the top and string yarn through
-place on your branches and put in a vase!

Lollipop Hearts
What you need:
colored construction paper
scissors
lollipops
glue

-Fold a 12-by-3 1/2-inch piece of construction paper in half vertically, and trace four half-hearts along the fold and cut out hearts
-stack hearts and punch a hole 1/4 inch up from bottom
-position petals to form a flower, making sure holes line up. Secure by applying glue around holes then let dry.
-insert lollipop
-then you can write classmates names on them and give them out or display in a small vase!

Love Coupons
what you need:
construction paper
scissors
markers or crayons

-Cut out “coupons”
-write what they are for (massage, hug, extra story at bedtime, favorite dessert etc)
-color and decorate

Then hand them out to family & friends. Perfect for kids who want to give something to their loved ones!

I hope you like these ideas and check back on Wednesday for more Valentines day fun ideas!

Staying home all day with twins is hard, staying home all day with twins when your husband has to go away for work, is the worst. It has happened dozens of times over the past five years. The worst was when he needed to go away for a month. He flew home on weekends but I was on my own with TWO, two year olds. He did something I would have never thought to do though, he joined the Disney movie club for us and had them send us movies.

We are not huge believers in television for kids, but when you are alone with twins for a month, anything goes. He picked out which movies he wanted, paid a small fee and the next week we had a surprise stack of new movies to enjoy. All of E’s favorites were on the list like, Lady and the Tramp, The Lion King and The Incredibles. We had to buy a couple of more movies (that were no more expensive then buying at the Disney store or Best Buy) over the next year so then I got to pick my favorites like Aladdin and Cinderella.
If you are looking for something to give your kids this Valentines Day or for summer vacation or just because this is a good deal. They have over 1,000 Disney titles, including new releases, animated classics, preschool favorites, and live-action features. You can now get 3 Disney movies for only $1.99 each and FREE SHIPPING! or, you can give the gift of Disney movies for as low as $14.95 each and FREE SHIPPING by signing up for Disney DVD Gift Express.

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