Every year I feel the need to re-assess the current chore assignments, or the chore charts, in our home. With five kids, if done correctly, our family could have a tidy home on a daily basis. Of course, I keep all of our chores age appropriate. My twelve-year-old does things like cleaning the bathrooms and starting laundry, where as my seven-year-old works on his bedroom or sweeping off the back porch. I also don't want to overwhelm them. Each child has 1-2 chores per day. In the last couple of weeks, I've been on the lookout for a chore chart that would be both easy to follow AND fun for the kids. I've come across a few that I think are both practical and fun. I think you'll agree. /1/ Family Photo Magnetic Chore Chart - Create magnet tags with chores and place them on or near the … [Read more...]
Tips to Help a Child with Impulse Control
Are you trying to help your child with impulse control? Impulse control is the ability to stop and think before acting. It’s one of the executive functions children need in order to control their thoughts and actions in family, social, and school settings. It’s important for parents to remember that young children are not expected to consistently control their impulses or their thoughts and actions. They rely heavily on adults to help them control themselves. As kids mature, we expect them to internalize rules and to develop better and better self-control so that they are not at the mercy of their impulses. However, not all children develop at the same pace as their peers in this critical area. If you have a child who exhibits any of the behaviors below, she or he could benefit from … [Read more...]
Kindness and Love with Valentine’s Day Cards (in just 2 simple steps)
(Affiliate) Blissfully Domestic uses affiliate links in some of our content including this post. Is Valentine’s Day about candy or love? This Valentine’s day take the opportunity to stress the concept of love and kindness. Valentine’s day cards are a perfect way to tell someone you care and teach your children empathy. And YES, we can still express thoughtfulness with store made cards. Home-made cards are adorable and lovely but can be time-consuming, especially when you make them for an entire class of twenty plus children. There are many ways to add some extra thoughtfulness to a ready-made card and reinforce the importance of empathy and kindness. This year I’m going to buy my daughter’s classroom cards from minted.com. I personally LOVE minted.com because they now have a … [Read more...]
Easy Printables: Thank You Card Templates
I love my machines (computers) and I love mail, BUT nothing beats receiving a handwritten letter, note or card. Most of them are easy to store and are great mementos. When I receive cards I like to write the date or just the year (in the case of birthday or Christmas cards). They are really lovely to look back on. Download Thank You Bells On Cards Because I like to design things, it is interesting to see each card with different illustration and typography styles. Download Thanks So Much Cards A cost effective and inexpensive way to show your appreciation to someone is to give them a card. These ‘Thank You’ card downloads give you the opportunity to do just that. These cards feature simple design, festive colors and are easy to make; just print, cut and fold along the middle … [Read more...]
5 Easy Ways to Entertain the Kids at Restaurants. (Do I dare say without a screen.) GASP!
We’ve all been there! Your child is hungry and fussy and the food has not yet arrived. What should you do? Yes, it’s tempting to pull out our cell phones or tablets to quickly keep our child occupied, but this doesn’t teach them to sit and behave properly at a restaurant. Teaching our kids how to behave in a restaurant setting is an important part of parenting. We know it’s hard for them to sit still so we need a plan. A go to restaurant plan to help hold their attention span – quiet games and activities to keep them happy and entertained – and yes all screen-free. Here are a few of my favorite ways to keep them busy at restaurants without the screens: Napkin Decoration! I love crayons because it only takes a few and a napkin and you are all set! Challenge the kids to a … [Read more...]
New Year’s Interview for Kids
Capture your kiddos favorite things, special memories, and more with a New Year's interview! This is our third year of interviews and the girls just love hearing what their answers were in the past - lots of giggles! Here's our list of questions: Favorites: cereal vegetable drink toy TV Show game book restaurant holiday animal If you could change your name, what would you choose? What do you love about each person in our family? Where would you like to go on vacation this year? What are some of your wishes for this year? I have these in a little notebook, but this year I want to do something a little more special. I'm typing their answers and printing them out, leaving space for a self-portrait and a photo. I'll put these in a binder or simple … [Read more...]
