Posts Tagged ‘parenting tips’
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
Extreme Couponing has debuted on TLC. You may have seen episodes where people bring coupons to a new level. Through very calculated clipping and strategy, they are able to bring a $400.00 grocery bill down to $60.00 or less and sometimes end up paying nothing. The way they coupon is obviously extreme and not for everyone (the space alone that they need for their “stash” of supplies is definitely beyond the scope of city living in small spaces!).
We have 5 sites that may not fit extreme couponing, but they certainly help you find the best deals at the click of a mouse.
- CouponMom.com – This is almost a one-stop shop with online coupon codes, printout coupons and free samples.
- Coupons.com – This site has coupon gold with deals that you would normally find in the Sunday paper.
- Coupon Cabin.com – Deals are updated daily so you get the latest and greatest coupons and discounts.
- RetailMeNot.com - This user generated community keeps you up to date on what discount codes work and what are bad deals.
- Smartsource.com - Get the best local deals and printout coupons to maximize savings on this site.
Have you seen the show Extreme Couponing? What did you think? What practical tips do you have to finding the best deals?
Tags: 5 ways to save money with coupons, best deals for moms, coupons, Extremem Couponing, parenting tips
Posted in Wednesday Wonders | 15 Comments »
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
The Journal Of Developmental Psychology published a study that showed that kids who spent more time doing household chores reported greater levels of happiness than kids who spent less time doing chores. They believe that kids who participate in family life through assigned tasks feel more valued and connected to other family members. Chores help define children’s identity and add an early sense of meaning to life.
A few tips to helping your child approach chores:
- Start young – If a child can carry, they can help out. Maybe it’s as simple as getting a paper towel roll when the other is empty or putting away toys after playtime.
- Match their skill level – You don’t want to frustrate them with a task that is too difficult. Be sure that they can comfortably perform what is being asked.
- Value their effort – They might not clean an area as perfectly as an adult would, so be encouraging rather than expecting perfection.
- Give choices - You can rotate jobs, allow them to pick chores or draw chores out of a hat.
- Don’t pay money – Mom and dad don’t get paid to fold laundry, do dishes, walk the dog or mow the lawn. It is what is expected in family life. Keep allowance separate from everyday task completion.
- Choose words wisely – Chores may have a negative connotation for some children. You can call these tasks jobs. This gives the child a sense of accomplishment because they are doing a job that helps the whole family.
What tips do you have for children helping around the house?
Tags: children's chores, chores for kids, parenting tips
Posted in parenting tips, Tip Tuesday | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
We are blogging from Austin where we gratefully have a break from the Chicago cold and are seeing a lot of families outside taking in some play time. (We love all the Kolcraft, Jeep and Contours strollers we are seeing in Austin! They are everywhere!) It made us stop and think about how important play is for children. Remember our friends at NWF who did a study on the importance of outdoor play? Turning off the TV and video games and playing outdoors has so many benefits for your child. It may be difficult to pull them away from the lure of electronics so a few ideas to help.
- Start a garden – Starting a simple garden, be that in a planter or in the yard, is a great way to get your child outdoors and spend special one-on-one time with each other. Together you can plant flowers or vegetables and watch them grow. It also teaches your child responsibility since a garden needs daily care of weeding, watering, etc. It can also be a time to help your child’s science classes become alive.
- Take a neighborhood walk – Walk to different parts of your neighborhood and observe the birds and other animals. See if you can identify birds by their different chirps. Take note of the different trees and flowers you see as well as the cloud shapes. Nature is your canvas to learning!
- Become a stargazer – Get a blanket and gaze up at stars. Get a guidebook on stars from your library or download Google sky. Make a game of seeing how many stars you can find!
- Childhood games – Remember Mother May I, Red Rover, Kick the Can, Red Light Green Light, Hopscotch, blowing bubbles? Teach your child your favorite childhood games, get them moving and share a part of your childhood fun with them.
- Hit the beach – Spend a day at the beach looking for unusual rocks, shells, etc. See which ones you can identify and those you cannot, use your imagination and give them a name! If you don’t live near a body of water, go to a public pool and pretend that you are sea creatures – dolphins, crabs, sharks, etc. You can make your own underworld fun!
What are your ideas for getting your kids outside to play?
Tags: activities for kids, getting your kids outside to play, how to turn off the tv and video games, parenting tips, play and children, video games and child development
Posted in activities for children, parenting tips, Tip Tuesday | 10 Comments »
Monday, April 4th, 2011
Our Baby Matters Blog turned 1 back in March! We wanted to take a look over the year and celebrate by giving you a Baby Matters Blog Birthday present!
We really have enjoyed meeting you through our blog and look forward to another year of fun! To celebrate, we are giving away a product of your choice*.
It’s easy to enter our Baby Matters Blog Birthday contest!
- Look back over our Baby Matters blog posts
- Pick your favorite post
- Write a comment as to why it’s your favorite post
Contest will end on April 11th at midnight CST.
Thanks for being a fan Baby Matters and celebrating our 1 year Birthday!
*Product prize depends on current availability
Tags: Baby Matters Blog, baby products, crafts for kids, Kolcraft contest, kolcraft products, mom, parenting resources, parenting tips, recipes for kids
Posted in Kolcraft Contests, Mom Monday, News from Kolcraft | 32 Comments »
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
Wally shares his breakfast to help kids in need
We truly believe in giving your child a healthy start to her day by having a nutritious breakfast. We know it’s not always easy when you have a busy morning routine so we have had several wonderful interviews with moms who have all sorts of tips for healthy eating. We also love it when companies take social responsibility seriously & help promote healthy living while helping those who are less fortunate. Kellogg’s® is one of those companies.
Kellogg’s is having a Share Your Breakfast campaign where you share a photo of your breakfast and they will share breakfast with a child in need. Kellogg’s goal is to share one million breakfasts by the start of the 2011-2012 school year. It’s really simple. All you have to do is:
- Upload or text a photo of your breakfast to Kellogg’s
- Share a simple description
- Enjoy the fact that your breakfast helped a child!
Wally shared his breakfast of yummy cereal this morning! We think this campaign is a great way to teach your child that sharing helps other people and makes them happy. Will you make a difference for a hungry child by sharing your breakfast?
Tags: healthy breakfast, healthy kids, how to teach your child to share, Kellogg's share your breakfast campaign, parenting tips
Posted in Nutrition and Children, parenting tips, Wednesday Wonders | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
You are all excited about your new bundle of love, but you don’t want your other child(ren) to feel left behind when the new baby arrives. A few tips to helping your child(ren) feel included in the arrival of your new baby.
- Tell your child that the baby is a new person in your family who you are going to love & who will love you back.
- Explain how the baby will eat and sleep giving your child an idea of what babies can and cannot do. Let them know they have to be gentle with baby. This will help set expectations of baby.
- Take your child on a tour of the hospital so they know where mommy and baby will be for a few days.
- Buy a gift for your child from baby that he or she will receive from baby when they first meet.
- Have your child help with baby by bringing you a diaper when it’s time to change, kissing baby goodnight, picking out clothes for baby to wear, etc.
- After baby is born find special activities you can do with your child so he or she doesn’t feel left out. It can be as simple as sharing a special snack or going for a walk.
What tips do you have for preparing your child to meet a new sibling?
Tags: new baby tips, new sibling, parenting tips, Preparing Your Child for A New Sibling
Posted in parenting tips, Tip Tuesday | 16 Comments »
Friday, March 11th, 2011
Normally on Fun Fridays we have a craft, activity or fun-family recipe for you to do with your kids. Because of the tragedy of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and possibly Hawaii and the West Coast of the Americas, we felt it is important to look at how to prepare your family for natural disasters.
Natural Disasters can happen at any time without warning so it is important to have a plan in place that everyone in your family is aware of before tragedy strikes. It is important to have a plan in place for when you are home or on vacation.
You will want to protect your family by:
- Getting informed
- Planning for emergencies
- Assembling a disaster supplies kit
- Getting your children involved
FEMA has a very helpful website with tips on how to do all the above plus much more. They also have a very helpful website for kids with information on natural disasters that is presented in a way that informs children without scaring them.
Our thoughts are with all the families impacted by this recent natural disaster.
Tags: parenting tips, preparing your family for natural disasters, tsunami Japan and Hawaii
Posted in Fun Fridays, parenting tips | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
Tomorrow we celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday & Read Across America Day so today we want to take a look at some tips for reading to your child.
Reading aloud with your child for just 20 minutes a day strengthens relationships, encourages listening and language skills, promotes attention and curiosity and establishes a strong reading foundation. These skills are essential for success in school and in life.
A few tips for setting your child on the path to literacy:
- Field Trips – Take field trips to your library or local bookstore. Help your child feel at home among books and take advantage of they many free programs your library or bookstore offers.
- Read to your baby - Use books with different textures and pictures. Soon your baby will associate words and pictures with meaning.
- Go beyond words – Point out specific objects and illustrations in books to your toddler. Ask them, “Where is the mouse? Where is the green tree?” This will help your child increase his vocabulary.
- Encourage – If your child wants to try to pronounce a word, encourage her and take the time to let her recognize and pronounce words.
- Have fun – Your positive reaction to reading time will signal to your child that books are fun.
Enjoy opening new worlds of learning with your child through books!
Tags: child development and reading, language and children, parenting tips, reading to your child, teach your child to read
Posted in Tip Tuesday | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
Moms today are on the move. We are juggling schedules, work & home life, school – you name it, we are juggling it. Thankfully technology can give us an extra hand every once in awhile. Recently Maternity & Style put together a list of mom-friendly apps that can help us with everything from sleep & potty training to fitness & calendar keeping. We wanted to share this mom-friendly list of apps with you.
Hopefully with the touch of a screen, you may get some mom relief in your busy day.
Tags: mobile phone apps for moms, mom friendly apps, parenting tips
Posted in Tip Tuesday | No Comments »
Friday, January 21st, 2011
For those of us battling below zero temperatures, it can be difficult to find indoor activities for our children. Even if warm beach days are rare in Winter, you can bring the beach indoors with this fun activity for your kids.
What you need:
- Deep blue construction paper, felt or material (even a sheet will do)
- Light blue construction paper, felt or material (again a sheet will do)
- Tan material, sheet or blanket
- Yellow construction paper, felt or material
- Beach Towels
- Non-toxic glue or safety pins
- Beach umbrellas (optional)
- Various colors of green & blue tissue paper
- Beach/Hawaiian music, sounds of waves crashing or anything else that reminds you of summer
- Summer snacks
- Summertime reading books. If you don’t have any at home, take a trip to the library.
What to do:
- You and your kids can create your own indoor beach by hanging up the light blue material or construction paper on a wall for the sky.
- Make a sun out of the yellow construction paper and hang in the “sky”.
- Put the tan blanket or sheet on the ground as sand.
- Next to the “sand” put down fish and waves that you cut out of the tissue paper.
- Turn on the music & start your beach party.
- You can read to your kids, lay out on the beach towels, snack on summertime foods, etc.
- Have your kids wear their favorite summer outfit and sunglasses. If it’s too cold in the house to do that, you can have them put a bright colored summer t-shirt over their winter shirt.
We love this Pink lemonade pie recipe for your beach party sent to us from @StepanieCHicks on Twitter:
Pink Lemonade Pie:
- Ready to use graham cracker pie crust
- Mix together 1 small can frozen pink lemonade
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tub thawed Cool Whip (do not add water for lemonade)
- Mix together
- Pour into crust
- Refrigerate until set
Enjoy!
Tags: easy kid activity, easy recipes for kids, indoor activities for children in winter, Indoor Sunny Beach Day Activity for Kids During Winter, parenting tips
Posted in Fun Fridays | 12 Comments »
