Playing games, surfing the net, watching YouTube, googling and socializing – Do your kids understand Internet safety and netiquette? If you sometimes feel as if you’re losing control over your kids in this digital world – you’re not alone! We all want our kids to grow up to stay safe and respectful online, so here’s my 8-step plan to teaching kids how to be a good digital citizen: 1. Spend Time with Your Kids Online As parents, we’re all guilty of using technology as our ‘break’ from the kids. They’re entertained, and we don’t have to worry about where and what they are doing. But here’s the thing: We DO need to worry about where and how they are interacting on the Internet. Our first step is to understand where they are going online. 2. Review Private and Personal … [Read more...]
Encouraging Kindness in a Game Format {Free Printable}
As I dropped off my kids for the first day of school, I thought of how important it is as parents to foster and build our children's character. Kindness is a big part of great character! The definition of kindness is the quality of being generous and considerate. Wonderful thoughtful kids are made not born. That inspired me to create ways to remind my kids to spread kindness this year! Why not make a fun game format that challenges them to perform simple acts of kindness in school? Here are 13 acts of kindness to teach children to be nice and generous one good deed at a time: Hold a door open for someone. Thank someone for something they do. Clean up after someone. Help someone today. Say "Hi" to someone new. Push in someone's chair. Give a nice compliment. Make a card … [Read more...]
Summer Playdate Essentials
Do you ever wonder what your children are like when they go over to a friend’s house for a playdate? Do they remember to take off their shoes? Do they say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’? Do they follow the rules? We have all had that nightmare playdate over. The kid who runs around your house with dirty shoes, rummages through your pantry, leaves toys and food all over the house, etc. How do we prevent our kids from becoming that nightmare playdate? We begin by teaching them the rules of being a great host and guest. And then we practice, practice and practice! Fingers crossed, they remember to follow these rules on the next playdate. Good social skills make playdates fun for everyone. The most important rule to teach your kids is to always make everyone feel welcome and … [Read more...]
Summer Picnic Hosted by Your Kids!
What better way to take advantage of a sunny day then with a picnic? Ready to inspire your kids to host it? Kids of all ages love to feel empowered by taking over grown-up responsibilities. A summer picnic is a fantastic simple meal for kids of all ages to host. And to top it off, it’s also a great boredom-buster! Here are the steps that you need to get your kids started: Create a menu. The kids do the planning! Click these templates for a FREE or just a that can be colored in by young ones or written out by older kids. Offer suggestions from easy bite-size nibbles, fruits, veggies, dessert and more. The goal here is to encourage them to plan a meal, learn to cook and be independent. Need a new cookbook? Check out this great list of suggestions from childrensbooks.com: … [Read more...]
The Giggle Bag to Cheer Up and Entertain
Is there anything better than laughing with your children? Laughter really is an amazing stress release and a feel-good therapy for all! Not only are there scientific studies that indicate that laughter truly is a great medicine, but we all know from experience the endless feel-good benefits of a fantastic belly laugh. Here are just a few reasons to encourage smiles: Release Stress Teach your children to cope with daily tensions and ease conflicts with giggles and laughter. Problems will always come our way in life, but laughter helps us cope with problems and gives us perspective to take a step back and ask ourselves, “Is it really that bad? How can we find a solution?” Stay Healthy Research proves that laughter releases endorphins that can actually temporarily … [Read more...]
5 Benefits of Summer Activity Books
Ready to turn off the television, put away the iPhone and iPad, and get back to basics with activity books? Activity books are my go-to resource to minimize my kids’ screen time and to feel confident that they are learning new skills. There is something wonderful about relieving stress, re-charging the brain and sparking inspiration. All you need is an inviting activity book and the benefits are countless! Here are my five reasons why you should break out summer activity books: Boredom buster (without technology) Simple markers, pencils and pens along with activity pages offer hours of entertainment. As a busy parent, there’s something refreshing and guilt-free about bringing out tried-and-true workbooks. Travel friendly These books can be thrown in the backseat, in a … [Read more...]
