Make and Takes » Parenting

Happy 40th Anniversary Sesame Street!

Marie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:49 +0000

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, I’m sharing a few of my favorite classic TV memories.

Here’s my tribute to 40 years of Sesame Street! What’s your favorite memory?

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Embrace Your Inner Trailerpark

Marie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:47:37 +0000

Michelle Lamar, a dear friend and fabulously funny blogger, sent me her book to review, The White Trash Mom Handbook: Embrace Your Inner Trailerpark, Forget Perfection, Resist Assimilation into the PTA, Stay Sane, and Keep Your Sense of Humor. I mean, it says it all in that title.

Michelle is not really “trashy”. In fact, she’s as nice as pie and wicked smaht! But she was tired of living up to someone else’s standards of a “perfect mom” set by the community, especially in her child’s school! I’ve felt it, maybe you have too. So in this handbook, Michelle is dispelling these myth of perfection, in a humorous and real way.

Here’s a few topics of discussion from the handbook. See if this sounds like you:

Faking it for the bake sale
Your kids will be in therapy, deal with it
You and the local pizza guy exchange Christmas cards each year
Your kids think cheese comes from a can
Your child has been the last one picked up from school (me, but only once, it was a sad day!)

Thanks to Michelle, we can feel better about being who we are, a mom who is doing her best, and not conform to a standard set by those who think they are the authority. Check out White Trash Mom’s Handbook and feel better about being you.

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The Joys of Meal Planning with Kids

Jane — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:11:49 +0000

I am currently experiencing two issues with my daughter that I’m sure many parents can relate to. #1: She HATES going grocery shopping with me. This is pretty annoying seeing as how she HAS to go grocery shopping with me, unless leaving a 4-year-old home alone is kosher nowadays? I didn’t think so. #2: She only eats about half of the dinners that I prepare. I know this is a universal parenting challenge…getting your kids to eat!

The other morning I was chatting with some moms at soccer. One of them mentioned that her 9-year-old daughter had planned their meals that week and that it had gone very well. A light bulb went off in my head. I just need to get Cate involved with the meal planning! I don’t know why this light bulb didn’t light up sooner…I mean, I do have a meal planning website, you think this would have crossed my mind at some point.

Last week I gave my new plan a try. One morning I called Cate into the kitchen and asked her if she would help me plan our meals and our grocery shopping list. I had two pieces of paper and two pens ready to go so we could each jot things down. She was all over it! She came up with some great ideas for dinner and was super excited about her ‘list.’ We got dressed and headed to the store. She helped me pick out the food we needed and I kept her involved with the shopping.

The following is TRUE. I will swear on the Bible, the Koran and all seven Harry Potter books if you need me to. As we were driving home from the store, out of the blue Cate said, “That was so fun!” This is major. I don’t think the word ‘hate’ describes well enough Cate’s previous feelings about grocery shopping. I considered Cate’s statement a huge victory!

And as for eating dinner…so far, Cate has eaten the meals that she helped plan. We’re still in the honeymoon phase, but I really believe that we are on to something here!

Of course, I’m always open to more ideas! Please share your own tips for involving your kids in meal planning and/or food preparation.

Jane Maynard, writer and founder of This Week for Dinner, is a wife, mother to two beautiful girls and freelance graphic designer. Jane loves eating, which comes in handy for a food blog. Chocolate, cannoli, and H&H Bagels are her top foods of choice.

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Helping Kids Eat Healthier at School

Marie — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:08:59 +0000

Guest Post by Andrea Garen of Meals Matter.

Children who eat nutritious foods do better in school, but coming up with healthy back-to-school lunch ideas that children will actually eat can be a challenge for many parents. The key is to balance nutrition with your children’s personal taste by getting them involved in the back-to-school lunch preparation process to reduce food waste.

A nutritionally-balanced lunch combines nutrient-rich foods from several food groups, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products and lean meats. Including such foods means they’ll be more likely to get the energy and nutrition they need to learn and be healthy. Here’s a few places to find great tips and ideas.

When your children are involved in the planning process they’ll be more likely to eat what is prepared. From picking which sandwich and fruit they bring from home to buying plain or chocolate milk from the school cafeteria, children do better when they help select and prepare their meals. It’s a simple and effective way to reduce food waste.

If you’re too busy to prepare lunch you may want to take advantage of your school’s cafeteria. The school lunch is another nutritious and economical option for families. Take a look at the school lunch menu with your child and decide which days your child would like to eat the school meal. Remember, getting their input is always important when you want them to actually eat the meal.

Andrea Garen, M.A., R.D., Project Manager with Dairy Council of California, a sponsor for Meals Matter. She’s shares great tips and tricks for how to help our kids eat a healthier lunch at school.

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8 Must Haves for a Family Disneyland Trip

Marie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:42:56 +0000

Prepping for a family Disneyland trip can be quite a task. If you want to have a truly magical time, there are a few things you can do that will help make it perfect. Here’s 8 Must Haves for making your Disneyland trip go smoothly.

1 – Good shoes. Bring a good pair of walking shoes as your feet will be stomping all over the place, even running to each ride if you’re like us! Flip Flops might seem easy, but after a whole day walking in them, you’ll be wanting something more supportive. So make sure to bring a good pair of shoes, complete with comfy socks.

2 – Matching shirts. Disneyland tends to be a crowded place. It’s a good idea to wear similar shirts as a family so everyone can be easily spotted. Even if you geek out in Mickey and Minnie attire, who cares, you’re at Disneyland. Or you can be like my sister and her family of 10 and all wear NEON green shirts, making sure they spotted each other in the crowds!

3 – A babysitter for the baby. Yes, we did it. Thanks to the help of close friends and family, we left our 1 year old at home. And oh can I tell you it was worth it as we were able to cruise the park fast and furiously. I just hope one day she won’t say “Remember that one time when you left me home?” But she’ll get her turn one day soon!

4 – Don’t forget the camera. We’re the total camera-at-every-magical-moment family! We take video, use our camera phone, and even the kids get to take some pictures! But I do suggest on one of the days you leave your camera in the hotel room so you can just enjoy the park for what it is.

5 – Snacks and a water bottle. When you’re at Disneyland from morning to midnight and the lines are long, you’re going to find your kids in need of water or snacks. It’s a good idea to bring a Nalgene bottle and a few granola bars in your pack, so when you’re in line or have a break, you can re-fuel. Otherwise you’ll pay $3 for a tiny bag of chips!

6- Fanny pack. You heard me, a fanny pack. They actually sell some cool lightweight packs these days to carry all your park hopping accessories. It was great to have a lightweight pack to keep our traveling supplies in. No loose change will go flying out of pockets on the Tower of Terror!

7 – Stroller. No matter how old your kids are their little legs get tired. So be prepared with a stroller just in case. You can keep it at the hotel or in your car, or rent one at the park. I promise it’s worth it. It will save you from sore shoulders and whiny children.

8 – Bring your appetite. There’s lots of yummy “must have” treats at Disneyland. My husband and I live for the MONTE CRISTO! I think we ate 2 of them during our stay, yikes! But it’s one fun thing we look forward to when we go to Disneyland. There’s also the Pomme Frites (fancy fries) from Cafe Orleans, the Mickey Ears ice cream bars, and the frozen lemonades. Yes, we also starve ourselves the weeks before to make room for all these goodies!! Here are some great places to eat while at Disneyland:

Blue Bayou – just note, their Monte Cristo is only served at lunch
Cafe Orleans – across from Blue Bayou, also serves the Monte Cristo and those yummy fries!
Character Breakfast – you must experience this once. We loved Goofy’s Kitchen.
Red Corn Dog Truck – on Main Street. Soooo good!
Dole Whip – in front of the Tiki Room
Bengal BBQ – yummy bbq skewers in Advertureland

Are you planning a trip to Disneyland soon? OR what “must haves” made your Disneyland trip a success?

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Tips for Journaling with Kids

Marie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:06:51 +0000

Guest Post by Carrie of This Mama Makes Stuff

Journaling is such a great activity to do with kids. I love it because I am able to preserve a little piece of who my children are at a particular moment in time. And like we all say, they grow up way too fast. I also love it because I am terrible at scrapbooking memories. As a busy mother of three, I just can’t seem to find the time.

My kids love journaling because they LOVE talking about themselves. Even more, they love looking back through their journal to read about themselves. What kid doesn’t? Little do they know, they are helping me do the work of preserving our family memories.

“Back to School” is a perfect time to start journaling with your child. Here are some of my best tips for preserving personality with a keepsake journal:

Begin a journal with your child as soon as he/she can answer questions and draw semi-legible pictures (you know, that first circle head with arms growing out of the sides).
Use a simple notebook, sketchbook, or a purchased prompt journal.
Make the journal long lasting and a family keepsake by using acid-free paper, pens and pencils. I really like Memory Colored Pencils by EK.
Interview children who cannot write yet and record their thoughts as verbatim as you can. For example, last Halloween, my 3 year old daughter was “Fancy Nancy”, but I recorded it as “Wancy Nancy” because that is how she said it. She also said her favorite candy was “Kitty Kats” (Kit Kats).
Let children who are new to writing record their own thoughts. Try not to edit their words or spelling. I treasure my daughter’s journal from her Kindergarten year because the phonetic spelling always cracks me up.
Integrate drawing areas into your child’s journal and use creative drawing prompts because many kids are able to express themselves more freely in pictures. Self portraits are a great place to start. My kids love seeing the self-portrait I drew when I was five years old. Make sure to date and label each drawing!
Insert a handful of select photos (school photo, birthday, Halloween, Christmas) but don’t let the adding photos hold back the progress of writing in the journal.
Set aside time each week to work a little on the journal with your child. You will be amazed at the memorable conversations you will have! It wasn’t until I sat down last year with my (then three year old) daughter that I realized her deep desire to be a mermaid when “she grows up”.

So start now and have fun! You’ll love what they come up with and will have it forever!

Carrie is a mountain biking, minivan driving, wardrobe refashioning, public school advocating, church going, square-foot gardening, dog owning, mother of three living in the OC who blogs at This Mama Makes Stuff, tweets as thisiscarrie and created This is Me – a kid’s first keepsake journal.

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Fun Ways to Practice Writing the Alphabet

Marie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:39:34 +0000

My little girl is now interested in writing and drawing lines, so I figured she’s ready to start forming those lines into letters. We now take time everyday to practice writing letters of the alphabet from A-Z!

As she’s just starting out, we go slow and easy. We play this little game that she loves. I write 5 letters at a time on a piece of paper. Sometimes it’s just the uppercase letters, sometimes lowercase, and sometimes both. I make sure she watches me write each letter, helping her see how I formed them. Then I put a large rectangular box under the written letters and tell her to try writing each letter in the box below. This lesson also helps with learning to follow directions too.

The first time we did this, I helped talk her through writing each letter. I say “For the B, try drawing a line and then two round bubbles next to it”. Sometimes just saying “Draw down and around and around” isn’t enough for someone writing letters for the first time. It’s not a letter B until you are told it’s a B. As a parent, you have to see things like a child would for the first time.

She tries her best and I give her praise for her efforts. I say things like: “That’s pretty close” or “I can tell you are writing an A” or “Great job writing that letter M”. I make sure to let her know “it’s okay that it doesn’t look just like mine, you’re still learning and it just takes practice.”

This activity is great simply using a scratch piece of paper, something laying around. Or I’ve just bought a dry erase board for my son to practice his handwriting on and I let my daughter try it on this too.

After she gets through the whole alphabet, then she loves to take a turn having me copy what she’s written down. She writes down a few different letters or shapes or squiggles, and then I copy what she’s written in the box she’s provided. I love this!!

We try to do “writing time” everyday. I’ll be sitting at my laptop on the table and she’ll be practicing her letters next to me. Or even church is a great time to work on this, it keeps her occupied for at least 10 minutes! She’s starting to recognize a few letters on her own now and it’s fun to watch her eyes light up as she does!

What activities are you doing to help your child learn to write?

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What’s Your Back to School Tradition?

Marie — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:38:00 +0000

My son has just started 1st grade and we’re now back in the school routine of things. Bed time is earlier, breakfasts are bigger to last him through until lunch, and homework has to get done before playtime. I see there are a lot of you too who are gearing up for Back to School. Here’s some fun links with great Back to School ideas and essentials.

Back to School Guide by Cool Mom Picks
Teacher Appreciation by The Teacher Tales
Back to School Portraits by Art Projects for Kids
Back to School Traditions by Tip Junkie
First Day of School Fairy by Make and Takes
Back to School Picture Books by Make and Takes

Make sure to take our Back to School Poll located on the sidebar! We’re asking, “What’s your favorite Back to School purchase?“

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Giving Your Kids Choices

Marie — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:53:43 +0000

As parents, we want to know that we’re in control. But our kids tend to beg, plead, and whine about the choices we make for them. So I try to give my kids choices without letting them choose. This is a great way to let kids have a choice without giving up all the parental control. But you don’t have to make it a choice between something they want and something you want for them, like cookies or an apple. Choose the apple for them, but they get to choose how they’re going to eat it… in slices or with peanut butter.

Here’s a few examples of giving your kids choices without letting them choose:

You need to eat your broccoli as it’s good food for your body. But are you going to eat it like a monster or a puppy dog?
You can play with the toy cars, but you only get to choose one so everyone can share. Which car are you going to pick, the red one or the blue one?
You need to wash your hands so we can wash away the dirt. Do you want to wash them while we sing the ABC song or while we make silly faces in the mirror?
You can have chips, but not the whole bag as it’s almost dinner time. Do you want to have 4 chips or 5 chips?
You can play video games, but you have your chores to do first as we need to all help keep our house picked up. Are you going to take out the trash or make your bed first?

When giving kids these type of choices, first tell them what it is they need to do – the end result. Then tell them why you’re making that choice for them. Then give them some sort of choice to make that will help them with that end result. Kids need to hear a “what” and a “why”, then let them choose the “how”. But for the “how” choice, don’t always leave it open ended. Still make the choice for them, but offer a couple different options. This way you still have control and your child won’t feel as resistant to complete the task. Kids will feel as if they’ve been given some of the responsibility, helping them take ownership. They’re then learning to problem-solve and make decisions, a life long skill. “You are going to do ___ because of ___, but you can either do it this way or that way”.

BUT… what do you do when they don’t want to do either of those choices? They will say this at some point! You can try saying, “That wasn’t one of the choices” or try giving a few more choices for the “how”. But if those don’t work, here’s what I tell my kids, “The last choice is taking a time out!”

In what ways do you allow your kids to make choices for themselves?

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First Day of School Schultüte

Marie — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:16:04 +0000

I’m contributing over at Alpha Mom’s – Once Upon a Holiday again today. Come see how I made my first grader this school cone called a Schultüte!

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