Talking about Tough Topics with Your Children

(www.lds.org)

This is the best article I've ever read about how to parent well.  I LOVED it.  I wish everyone in the world could read it.  Click the caption to go there.

Grocery Shopping Help!

Loved this!  Wanted to share!  Click on the caption to go to the site.

(tinysidekick.com)

10 ways to Find Joy in Motherhood

(new.mi9.com)

Does this seem impossible?  Does your life feel like one never-ending stream of giving consequences and feeding, chasing, and changing?  There are ways to find joy in the mundane parts of motherhood, and there are also ways to help you feel fulfilled.  Here are some of the ways mothers I know have done it over the years.

1.  Exercise:  One word.  Endorphins.  I started swimming laps recently and I am scaring people with my cheerfulness, especially right after I swim.  It really helps keep your mood up.

2.  Eat Healthy:  I can tell when I'm not eating healthy because I feel tired and blah.  Eating healthy will help you to get more joy, and feel more energy to do the things that will bring you that joy.

3. Don't be too busy:  This causes stress that will stop your enjoyment of motherhood.  Be a guardian of your precious time.  Stand up for your family and say no to things that will distract you all from the joy of spending time together.

4.  Plan outings:  Getting out of the house each day with the kids will get you into the sunshine and soaking up that vitamin D that is so good for you.  Take day trips and family vacations.   Do it with a friend so you can have some human contact other than your kids.   It really helps...and it makes life more fun.

5. Lower your expectations:  Do not expect to finish your whole list.  Do not think your house has to be spotless.  Do not feel like your kids have to be perfect.  Just be happy if you get a few things done and your children are happy.  There is a time when you will be able to finish that list, but right now, try to enjoy those little ones before they grow older and don't want to spend time with you.

6.  Listen to Music:  This is a huge mood lifter, and it can bring a feeling of peace into a busy home.  Or some upbeat music can help chores be more fun, especially if you are dancing with your little ones while you clean.

7.  Make a list of things you want to learn.  Just because you're no longer in school doesn't mean you can't keep learning.  Make a bucket list of things you want to learn, like playing the oboe, painting a room, writing an article, making stained glass art, gardening etc...  You will find little nooks and crannies during the day, like during naptimes, that you can start reading books or watching tutorials, and even practicing new skills.  This will make you feel like you are still doing things for yourself.

8.  Create something:  I love this video that talks about the joy of creating.

9.  Read Parenting books.  Your happiness grows when you feel more confident that you are doing the right thing with your children.

10.  Smile.  It works.  Smile at your children.  Laugh with them and chuckle at family mishaps.  See the glass half full.  Make a gratitude journal.  Help other people.  Invite a friend over.  When you proactively look for the blessings in your life and help others, you will begin to feel happier.


Here's another article about Happiness in Motherhood:  17 Habits of Very Happy Moms

Getting Kids to Be Active

(source: lifefitness.com)

In today's world it's harder and harder for kids to stay active.  With cell phones, internet, ipods, and television, kids have a lot to do before they even think about moving.  The good news is....children like to exercise.  They get grumpy without it, so it doesn't take much engineering to help them become more active.  Here are some tips we have used in our own family.

1. Limit electronics.  We limit this to 30-60 minutes per day and we use it as a reward for getting their jobs done.  Kids are not motivated to move if they have the option of t.v., so we have to limit this so they will find other things to do.

2. Have them exercise while they watch t.v.  I know one mom who doesn't let her kids watch t.v. unless they are on the exercise bike or treadmill.

3. Have exercise equipment around.  We have a trampoline and that helps get the kids motivated.  Swing sets, kiddie pools, sprinklers, and even a good climbing tree are all things that kids love to do.

4.  Make exercise one of their jobs to do each day.  We like to put it on our job chart.

5. Go to the park.  Take your kids to the park and you can read a book while they run all around.

6.  Be a good example.  Kids learn that exercise is important when they see you doing it.

7. Send the kids outside often.  If they have trouble coming up with things to do, write a list of outside activities that they can choose from.  The list always gets their brains fired up and they think of things.

8.  Have a family night at the local track.  My kids think it is so fun to race and to jump in the pit.

9. Take them swimming.  I use swimming at a local pool every day to reward them for getting their jobs done.  I take them and read a book while they swim.

10. Do active things as a family.  Camping, hiking, fishing, biking,skiing, and sledding are all active things that you can do as a family.

11. Go for a family walk in the evenings.

12.  Take your teens on a run in the morning with you.  This is great "talk" time!

(Source: parentsforhealth.org)

Here are more articles on getting the family active!

Make Family time Active Time

Eight Tips to Get your Kids Active

Active Families

Healthy Eating for the Family

No time to post until next Monday as I am babysitting my sister-in-law's kids, but hope you enjoy this site with a ton of great articles on healthy eating for the family that I found interesting!  See you next week!

My Favorite Recipe Book

(source: firstoptiononline.com)

You may have been wondering why I never post any fast recipes for busy families like I do on my writing blog.  Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway because it's going to CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!  And after I posted about how important family dinner is to families, I needed to give some practical advice on how to make that happen!

The reason I haven't been posting fast recipes for the busy mother is because I no longer NEED them.  Because I found the greatest recipe book on earth. (That may be the humorist exaggeration taking over in me, but it's how I feel.)  The book is called, Slow Cooker Revolution, by America's Test Kitchen.

I do not exaggerate when I say I cook out of this every day.  It is full of slow cooker recipes that do not look and taste like mush at the end of the day.  They use real ingredients and the spices they use give it amazing flavor.  My kids LOVE everything I have made from this book, as does my husband.  No, this is not an infomercial, this is just a mother saying to all of you people like me who struggle to get dinner on when we are so busy parenting and writing;  this will solve your problem!

I just put it on in the morning and go.  One less thing to worry about....and there are tons of recipes for every taste, which is why I can cook out of it every day.  You will also save money and increase your family's healthiness  by cooking things from scratch instead of relying on ready-made foods.   I hope it helps your family as much as it helped mine!

Happy parenting!  You'll have much more time to do it now!

Family Dinner: A Must!

(source: nwmetroparents.com)

Studies have shown that children are more stable and do better in a home where the family eats dinner together at the table regularly.  This is not where everyone eats watching a t.v. show.  It's where people are talking and interacting with each other every night.  Family dinner is a time when you can find out about each other's day, what everyone has learned, and also where you can teach things like values and good character.  It is bonding time.

A friend of mine starts the conversation off every night by asking each person at the table what the "Best and Worst" thing about their day was.  This is a great conversation starter!  Here are some links to articles with other good ideas about family dinner.

1. How to Have Better Dinner Conversations with your Family

2. Families that eat together are Healthy Together

3. Creating a family Meal Time

4. The Benefits of Family Meal Time

5. Five reasons why Family Dinner is Vital to your Kids