Mother's Day Guilt

Mother’s day- What a great day to celebrate our mothers and all they have done for us! However, I never considered that a mother might feel what I call “Mother’s Day guilt.” I first heard of this while my husband and I were having dinner with my aunt and uncle, who frequently invite us over for dinner. Somehow, Mother’s Day was brought up, and my aunt said, “I hate Mother’s Day.” I was surprised to hear this, who would not love a day dedicated to them and gets to be spoiled? She explained that she sits in church and listens to people talk about how amazing their mothers are and all the wonderful things their mothers did and so on, and feels she does not measure up to these other moms.

Guest Post: Parenting Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress

During the holidays, we dream of making sentimental, joyful memories, but our realities often don’t measure up.  Juggling work and parenthood is challenging on its own. Once you throw the holidays into the mix, tensions can easily flare and blood pressure rises. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce your stress, enjoy your family, and make those dreams become reality.

Service Ideas for the Whole Family

The holiday season is a popular time of year for people to look for ways to serve in their community. If you have children, you know that it can be difficult to find time to volunteer on your own, and that it is also difficult to find service opportunities that you can involve your kids in. Below is a list of service project ideas that the whole family can participate in this holiday season.

5 Ways for Your Family to Give Back This Season!

The holiday season is full of joy, happiness, and giving! It is a time to come together with your friends and families and reflect on the year and enjoy quality time together. Kids are excited about the gifts they will receive and parents are excited to buy them for their little ones! In between all the holiday parties, programs at school, and family obligations, it can be hard to remember that it is also a time for our families to give back to those less fortunate. Here are some easy ways to give back to your community this season while spending some quality time with your family!

Firework Safety Tips

Here in Utah, with the 4th of July and Pioneer Day, July means fireworks! Fireworks are a great activity for the whole family! However, it's important to know how to ensure that you and your kids stay safe when using fireworks. Check out these 10 tips to make sure your firework fun is safe and injury free!

Valentines Cake Pop Bouquet!

With Valentine’s day being right around the corner, what better way to celebrate than making fun, yummy treats with the family! Kids love helping with cooking and making treats, which is a great way to spend time with your child. This activity will be sure to keep any child engaged and attentive! Use your imagination with this activity and be creative. Let the kids choose how they want to decorate and, most importantly, have FUN!

Gratitude during the Holidays – and Beyond!

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A common concern these days is that children are used to having so much “stuff” in their lives that they are not as grateful as we would wish them to be. It’s not just something that affects individual children or families; our society as a whole is just very focused on material things and possessing many of them. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, our mailboxes overflow with brochures that try to lure us into buying more toys, electronic devices, and other ‘stuff’ that would be nice to have. Most of us have to work hard in order to obtain these things. So when our child does not seem happy to receive the things we give them, it comes as a real disappointment! 

The Gift of Christmas Presence

The countdown to Christmas has begun. It’s likely we all remember the memories associated with Christmas more than we remember the actual gifts we received. Help the season be magical by giving gifts of spending time together and creating memories throughout the year. Here are a few gift “presence” ideas I love:

Election Day!

As an adult it's easy to see why we need to participate in election day, we understand the importance of being an informed citizen and being involved. But have you ever thought of using this time of year as a opportunity to start educating your child to be involved in their community?

There are ways that you can talk about voting and government without getting technical or overwhelming your child with specifics. With this year's election day upon us, your child has likely seen billboards, TV and radio commercials, and the ever present "I voted!" sticker. You can use any of these as a jumping off point to start a conversation.

Ask your child if they know what it means to vote. I'm sure they have already formed some idea about the word. After seeing what your child knows, you can explain to them that voting is a chance for them to speak up, share their opinion, and have their opinion counted as one of a whole group.

After you've introduced the idea, help your child apply these concepts in appropriate settings. Perhaps you could call for a family vote on what to eat for dinner one day that week or what fun activity your family should do over the weekend. Make it extra fun and have the vote using actual "ballots".

How have you talked to your child about voting and government? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

-Kali

Teal Pumpkins

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Halloween can be full of frightening sights, especially for parents whose children have food allergies. One in every 13 children are affected by food allergies in the United States. Their reactions can range from mild responses to a severe, and potentially deadly, anaphylaxis reaction. Parents and children can spend a lot of time regularly checking labels and finding alternatives to avoid reactions. Holidays, especially Halloween can require extra precautions to ensure safety.  The fun of trick-or-treating can quickly turn stressful as parents have to sort through candy before their child can have any, often this can be a difficult task, as many fun size candies don't list ingredients of allergens. Other parents face their child's disappointment of not being able to fully participate in the day's activities.

 In 2014 the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) launched the Teal Pumpkin Project, to make Halloween safer and happier for the 15 million Americans with food allergies. In the past year, the project has spread to all 50 states and 7 countries.

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The Teal Pumpkin Project works to make it easier for families with allergies to enjoy the festivities. A teal pumpkin or sign on the porch indicates to parents and children that a home has non-allergen treats, making it easier for parents to find houses that have a treat their child can enjoy. To participate, simply place a teal pumpkin on your porch or a sign to indicate that you have allergen-friendly treats for trick-or-treaters. You can handout glow sticks, stickers, pencils, spider rings, or other allergen-friendly treats and toys. So while you are out doing your shopping, pick up some allergy-friendly treat options and an extra pumpkin and some teal paint to make the holiday a little more enjoyable for everyone.

 For more ideas and other information on how to get involved, visit The Teal Pumpkin Project.

-Caitlin

Teaching Kids about Independence Day

For many children, Independence Day is an exciting time to celebrate with fireworks, parades, swimming, and barbecues. Without parents and teachers making an effort to explain why Independence Day is significant, some children may never see it as more than a fun time to wear red, white, and blue. This time of year is a great opportunity to teach children about what makes America different, what Independence Day represents, and what it means to be patriotic.

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Here are some ways that can make this 4th of July have more meaning for your children:

The flag: The next time you see an American flag, point it out to your child and explain why it's important. Help them know it shows we're on the same team as Americans and how to treat the flag with respect. Teach about the symbols and meaning of the different parts of the flag. The 50 stars represent our 50 states. The 13 stripes represent the original 13 British colonies who decided in 1776 that they wanted to live freely and govern themselves rather than be ruled by a king.

The Pledge of Allegiance: Your school-age children have likely recited the Pledge of Allegiance before, but they may not understand what it means. Explain that the pledge means we're making a promise to be loyal (allegiance) to our country, because we can vote for our leaders (republic) and stick together (indivisible) so that everyone can enjoy freedoms (liberty) and be treated fairly (justice). The pledge helps us remember and be grateful that we have special freedoms that many other countries don't have.

National Anthem: At sporting events or while watching the Olympics, children will probably hear The Star-Spangled Banner. Help them understand that it's our country's song and that we show respect to honor America while the song is sung. Teach kids that we stand to face the flag and be silent or sing along with our hands on our hearts. You can also share the story behind the anthem. Francis Scott Key wrote the words during the War of 1812 when he saw the flag still flying after a fierce battle. He wrote the words of the song because the flying flag meant that the country was protected and we still had our freedoms.

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Independence Day: Help kids understand that July 4 is our country's birthday. On July 4, 1776, our country was born! A group of American patriots declared our independence by writing the Declaration of Independence, stating we would rule ourselves instead of being ruled by the King of England and his unfair laws. It was risky and dangerous to rebel against the king of England. He had a powerful military and the American patriots had to continue their battle for freedom during the Revolutionary War. They won the war and set our country on the path to where we are today!

Community involvement: Being a good citizen and working together to keep the community running is another important lesson that kids can learn during this time of year. Help them understand the the importance of voting and why you vote. Depending on your child's age, you can take them to city council meetings, neighborhood gatherings, or the State Legislature and then help them write letters to their elected officials. Volunteering or giving community service as a family is a great way to help send kids a positive message about how we all pitch in as citizens of the United States of America.

Happy Independence Day!

Other Resources:

10 Ways to Teach Kids to Love America

10 Things Patriotic Parents Should Be Teaching Kids About America

Fourth of July Crafts and Treats

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, we wanted to share some fun craft and yummy treat ideas. 

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For more fun Fourth of July ideas check out our board on Pinterest!

Thank You Dads

Let's be honest, being a father is no part-time job, it requires love, attention, and work 24-hours a day 7-days a week. Dads don't get enough credit for all that they do (I don't think any parent does). Our team recently came across a great site called The Daily Dad  that recognizes dads for all the good work they do. They have dadvice, a blog dedicated to dads, and a page featuring dads for a job well done. I would like to join them in recognizing all the good that dads do.

I may be biased, but I have one of the greatest dads out there.  For twenty-one years he's been my daddy. He's coached my soccer teams, read me stories, and cleaned up when I've been sick no matter the time of day. He has taught me everything, from how to ride a bike to how to write a resume. He has loved and served unconditionally, and for that I am grateful. He has been so patient (and still is) even through the dramatic outbursts of his four daughters. Whether it was bringing me a drink the middle of the night or driving down to my freshman apartment to bring me pint of Ben & Jerry's during a rough week, he's always been there for me.

Being a dad is tough, and I know I haven't made it easier, but I'm so grateful that he continued to give it his best because it has meant the world to me. Thank you dad for all that you've done!

And thank you to all of the father's out their who do their best to give their families the security and love they need! Keep doing what you are doing and know that you have one of the greatest responsibilities in the world, being a daddy.

Happy Father’s Day!

The Difference a Good Dad Makes

What does it mean to be a father? What distinctive contributions does a father make to their children's lives that are different from a mother's contributions? The idea of "fathering" is quite different from "mothering" and includes important elements such as:

-Roughhousing and other physical activity,
-An interest in having children encounter the world outside of the mother's enclosure, not in spite of it but in addition to it,
-The use of play as a form of teaching as well as entertainment,
-A willingness to allow frustration to build a little bit more than a lot of mothers are comfortable with, in order to teach some life lessons (Kyle Pruett on Fatherhood).

Dad's style of rough-and-tumble play and encouraging risk often can make moms nervous, but research shows that exposure to this paternal parenting style helps children learn how to: be independent, face challenges, and avoid reacting with physical violence (Distinct, Positive Impact).

As I look at my friends and siblings becoming fathers, I am excited for the things they will be able to teach their children. As I reflect back on the things I've learned from my own father, a few important lessons stand out:

• You're not always going to get what you want in life, but if you keep persevering you will find joy and enjoyment in the results of your hard work. 
• You can do hard things. Don't be afraid of taking the more difficult path, because it has greater rewards!
• Always remember the things that are most important. Be firm in what anchors you, especially when the storms of life come.  
• Never stop learning. Always keep a habit of reading and studying to gain knowledge that will benefit yourself and your family.

Thank you to all the dads who are positive influences in their children's lives! It's not always immediately evident, but your example and teaching makes a huge difference!

Happy Father's Day!

Love for Our Mothers

As we're looking forward to Mother's Day this Sunday, its caused me to reflect on my mom and all she has done for me.

I can't imagine where I'd be today if it wasn't for my mom. She is my greatest leader, friend, and teacher. Because of her I learned confidence, a strong work ethic, respect, perseverance, and--honestly--the list could go on and on. With her as my cheerleader, I have been able to follow my dreams. By profession, my mom was a teacher, so it's not surprising that she has taught me to love learning. I can't even guess how many hours we have spent over the years just sitting together, both lost in our own books.

My mom taught me about love by showing love to others and myself. From her, I learned that it doesn't take huge acts of kindness and care to show that you love someone. Many times it is the small deeds that are done that really add up: the way she quietly dropped dinner off at the neighbors when she knew they were sick; how she tried her best to make it to all her children's events as they grew up; how she worked tirelessly at her full-time job and spent the weekends doing yard work, cleaning, shopping, balancing finances, and spending time with us, her kids. I saw these things and love you for it! It is because of your example, I am the person I am today. So, thank you to my mom.

But it doesn't stop there. To all moms: each of you are SO important. You are the first and most important teacher your children will have. They will learn from you and want to be the best of your example. Help them to be the people you want them to be when they are grown. Don't feel that you have to do big and grand things for them to remember you by. Simply love your children. Spend time with your children. Get down on the floor and play, take a walk, go to the park, listen to them. Your children will love you for the time you spent with them.

So moms remember this Mother's Day (and always): YOU ARE LOVED!  As children, we may not always say it or show it, but we truly love and appreciate you. For this and more, I want to wish you all a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Easter Bunny's on His Way

Easter was always so much fun in my family. When we were little, we used to hunt for Easter eggs out in my front yard. The Easter Bunny filled little plastic eggs with all sorts of fun candy and hid them around our yard. Each egg had a number on it and each child was assigned a number. We were only allowed to pick up the eggs that had our number so everyone got the same number of eggs. The Easter Bunny also hid a chocolate bunny, big Cadbury eggs, and Reese's eggs for each of us, but we had to be quick or they would all melt.

When I got a little older and there were only 2 of us left at home, the Easter Bunny started hiding our Easter Baskets, already filled with candy. She was good at hiding them too! One year I searched for almost an hour until I finally found it in the very back of the food pantry. It also seemed that our baskets got a little healthier as I got older as well; sometimes there would be granola bars and fruit leathers along with the Reese's eggs and jelly beans.

When I left to college I thought my Easter Bunny days would be over, but No! She found me at BYU and secretly sent my Easter Basket to my roommates. They were instructed to hide it really well and have me search for it. It was so much fun and I felt so loved all the way up in Provo away from my family.

Our family loved to decorate Easter Eggs during the day as well. Sometimes we would try new ways of decorating like using a white crayon to draw designs on the egg first and then dying the egg. The white design will show up after! Or we would draw on them after we dyed the eggs with colored crayons. Stickers can be a fun way to spice up your design as well. No matter how we did it, we always had a lot of fun together.

We hope you have a great Easter with your family this year!


What are your Easter traditions? 

Check out our Pinterest board for more fun Easter ideas!

Yer Always After Me Lucky Charms!

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and there are so many fun activities you can do with your kids to celebrate! 

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Green Pepper 4-Leaf Clovers!

What you'll need:

• green pepper
• green paint
• paint brush
• paper

While you're making these fun designs, you can share the legend of the 4-leaf clover with your kids! They might find it interesting to know that the 4 leaves represent Hope, Love, Faith, and Luck!

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Edible Rainbow!

What you'll need:

• Fruit Loop Cereal, Skittles, or M&Ms
• Cotton balls
• Paper
• White glue

Learn about the legend of how leprechauns keep their pots of gold at the end of rainbows. If you're good they may share their gold with you!

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Paint the Rainbow!

What you'll need

• Watercolor or acrylic paints
• paintbrush
• paper

You can even help your kids paint a pot of gold at one end of the rainbow! Just be creative.  

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If you have older kids...

Print out fun Crossword puzzles and Word Searches at this website.

Check out our Pinterest Board for even more St. Patrick's Day ideas!
And don't forget to wear GREEN!

What are some of your family's St. Patrick's Day traditions?

The Significance of Family Traditions

For as long as I can remember my family has made a big deal out of celebrating Christmas. We started off December by racing to see who would get to move the piece on the advent calendar each day, made a point to decorate sugar cookies, and we always seemed to have Christmas music playing in the background.

However, one of my very favorite traditions of the season was a tradition that my oldest brother created long before I was even around. I don’t know how old he was when this started, but he somehow pushed our parents into letting him wake up at three am to open his stocking. From then on we set our alarms with anticipation and excitement on Christmas Eve and woke up around three am every Christmas morning to open our stockings.

We would spend the next four hours reading the books we got, eating our candy and jerky, and eventually falling asleep together in a heap on the living room floor because it was only after our parents woke up around seven am that we were allowed to open the gifts under the tree.

This tradition is one that we looked forward to every year, and even after we’d grown and gone to college we still made an effort to continue it because of the fond memories we had from our childhood.

Traditions are important for every family because they help provide the family with:

• a sense of identity 

• strengthen familial bonds 

• offer security 

• teach values 

• pass on cultural or religious heritage 

• create lasting memories 

They don’t have to be expensive, stressful, or take a lot of time or resources, but they can still provide some wonderful memories for your children, and help you feel closer together as a family.

For more information and a great guide to establishing family traditions click here.

What are some of your favorite traditions from your childhood? Which ones will you pass on to your own children?

Tis the Season for "Thanks" Giving

With Thanksgiving coming up in a couple of days, some of you may be wondering, "How can I teach my kids about gratitude?" or "How do I ensure that I am raising thankful children?" Every parent wants his/her children to be thankful for the things they have in their life and not take things for granted. Many children know the simple pleases and thank yous, but how do you guarantee that your children truly are grateful?  Here are some great tips on getting your children in the spirit of Thanksgiving by teaching them about gratitude.

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1. Be a role model. As with many other behaviors children learn best by watching the examples set by parents. Showing children how to be grateful is much more powerful than simply telling children to be grateful. Let your children hear you expressing gratitude to others. 
2. Tell your children thank you. Ellie, from the Musing Momma blog, writes, "Much like 'give respect to be respected,' children learn to appreciate by being appreciated. Thank your child for clearing the table, for playing nicely with his little sister, for waiting patiently while you finish a phone call. Thank him for just being a downright awesome kid. Show him how it feels to be appreciated and have his effort recognized, what gratitude sounds like, and how easily it can be a part of daily life."
   
3. Thank you notes. Writing thank you cards may seem old fashioned, but when children write thank you notes they will understand the importance of recognizing and acknowledging kind acts or gifts they have received. They will also be less likely to take the gift for granted.
4. Let kids help out. Jenny from the blog, Mamatoga, says, "The more children contribute around the house, the more they realize how much effort it takes to keep a household running. Giving your child age-appropriate chores like setting the table or feeding a pet (or for teenagers, working a part-time job) will help them appreciate that these tasks require effort and don’t just happen automatically. They will also feel the satisfaction of earning what they have and making a valuable contribution to the family."
   
   

   

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5. Incorporate gratitude into everyday life. When I was going through a particularly rough patch in my life a couple of years ago, my mom suggested we send each other an email every night with 10 things we were grateful for that had happened that day. Surprisingly, it made a huge difference and put me in a much happier mindset than I had been in before; I looked forward to those nightly emails. While Thanksgiving is the most popular day for giving thanks, don't let gratitude only be shown on this one day of the year. Have children keep a gratitude journal or every night at dinner go around the table and have each member of the family share something they are grateful for that day. 
6. Read Thanksgiving books. Many children learn certain concepts best (such as gratitude) by reading picture books. Read one of these fun Thanksgiving picture books with your children.
   
   

   

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7. Give back and volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to inspire children to be thankful. When children have the opportunity to experience another's gratitude, they will recognize and be grateful for the things that they have. This can be accomplished in several ways: donating clothes to a local thrift store, buying and donating a toy for children in need, or something as simple as baking cookies and taking them to the neighbors. There are so many fun ways to get your children involved in service. 
8. Practice saying no. This means not giving your child everything she wants. This can be very hard at times, especially when your child is looking at you with big puppy dog eyes begging for a new toy. Just remember if you do not give her everything she asks for, she will be more appreciative of the things she does receive. 
9. Thankful Turkey Box. If you are looking for a fun way to show what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving, click here to make this cute turkey box. Everyday have each member of your family write down something they are thankful for. On Thanksgiving, open the box as a family and read everything you're grateful for. 

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What are some ideas you find helpful to teach your children about gratitude?

Traveling With Little Ones

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, many of you will be traveling to spend the holidays with your friends and families. Whether you are traveling to your destination by car or airplane, taking an infant or small child with you can be stressful. Here are some helpful tips to keep your stress levels down and help you have a relaxing journey.

Tips for traveling by car

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• One of the most important things you can do before you leave on your trip is to make sure your baby's car seat is properly installed. Guidelines for Utah can be found here.
• Plan to leave around the time your child usually takes a nap. This will ensure that your baby gets her sleep. 
• An extra rear view mirror can give you an extra set of eyes when traveling alone. You can also travel with another adult or an older child who can be an extra set of hands while on the road. 
• Bring a baby/small child specific first aid kit. A few examples of things that you can put inside include medicines, diaper rash cream, a thermometer, tweezers and a list of your child's doctors, allergies, and medical records. 
• Pack a cooler full of snacks, baby food or breast milk and pre-filled sippy cups that can be grabbed easily. 
• When it's time to feed your baby pull over and take him out of the car seat to avoid choking 
• Avoid medications, drinks or food that might cause you to drive impaired. Don't drive if you are tired.

Tips for traveling by airplane

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• Schedule your flight around your baby's sleeping schedule. It is likely that he will sleep through the flight and you might be able to catch up on some rest.
• Know your airline's rules about car seats and strollers. Most likely you will have to leave the stroller at the gate and some airlines require you to keep your child in your lap rather than his/her own seat (depending on age).
• Pick an aisle seat. If your baby is fussy or needs to be changed you can get in and out at your convenience. If you are traveling with another adult consider sitting across the aisle from each other rather than next to each other. 
• Keep your ID readily available. If flying internationally make sure your baby has a passport.
• Diaper bag:
• Be armed with an arsenal of activities for your child. these can include coloring books, toys, stickers, a tablet with games or movies, picture books, etc. Keep items that you will need often at your feet. Sometimes turbulence will keep you in your seat the entire flight and having items readily accessible will be helpful,
• Giving your child a pacifier or something to eat at the beginning of the flight can combat the pressure that may build in your baby's ears.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening requirements for babies and children can be found here

Bonus Tip: pack your little ones clothing in gallon sized Ziploc bags. You can bag by outfit and have everything your little one needs right in one place. No more digging around your bag or forgetting things at home

What tips do you have for traveling with infants or small children?