Is your child ready to make a great first impression at school this year? Don’t let technology take over your child’s social skills and manners. These vital life skills are the foundation of kindness and respect and making others feel comfortable. We all want our child to be THAT child – noticed for all the right reasons! Here are ten important lessons to prep your kids to get an "A" in social skills this year! Inspire social skills learning through play and doing. Don’t just tell your kids how to behave, challenge them and encourage them to practice! These simple lessons will lead you and your child in a collaborative effort to bring back a little civility to a new generation. Lesson #1: Make a Great First Impression – Handle yourself with good manners and you will leave a … [Read more...]
A Bully-Free Childhood!
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. This is an important time to remind your children to not judge or act mean to anyone and to always appreciate differences. How do we prepare our children for a diverse world and teach them to celebrate differences? We can raise children to respect and value people regardless of the differences between us. Teaching acceptance may be easier than you think! Model Acceptance and Tolerance – Be the first person or family to try to help someone who looks like they feel out of place. Encourage your child to have many different friends from different cultures and interests. Walk the Walk- Create opportunities for your children to interact and make friends with people who are different than them. A powerful lesson is to ask them to imagine … [Read more...]
5 Top Items to Put On Your Wedding Registry
(Sponsored) This blog post was sponsored by Macys ® but the opinions are all my own. Marrying the love of your life is one of the most amazing moments you will ever remember. As you start this new chapter of your life, you and your fiancé need to start making the wedding registry list – an essential list of wants and needs for your new life! Right now receive an Extra 15% off your wedding gift purchase with code WEDDING. Shop now at macys.com! Valid 9/1-9/30 I still remember how excited I was to get my registry gun and conquer this important task with my fiancé! A memorable pre-wedding activity, before walking down the aisle and saying ‘I do’. We considered many different registries but Macy’s amazing registry capabilities definitely took the cake! The great selection of brands … [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...]
Tried-and-True Thank You Notes
A little note can make such a difference! There are many reasons why thank you notes are so great. The note doesn’t have to be complicated. I know, I know….We are busy. We don’t always have cards on hand. There’s always an excuse. The truth is it only takes about five minutes to write a note. (I actually timed writing one the other day!) Plus, today we can also find modern ways to express gratitude. The most important part of the thank you is to let a person know how much his or her generosity or kindness is appreciated. Let’s make an effort and teach our children why thank you notes are important. Why write a thank you note? Do you still hang on to thoughtful thank you notes? In our hectic lives, when someone takes the time to send you a little gratitude it means so much! And … [Read more...]
The 8-Day Table Manners Boot Camp!
Have you ever seen pigs eat at the farm? The farmer pours the food down and the pigs all swarm the food in a feeding frenzy. They will grab, push, snort and gulp down as much food as possible. Do you ever feel that your kids resemble the pigs? How do we tame our kids table manners before the holidays? To prep your kid and remind them to mind their table manners, we have put together an 8-day boot camp! Eight essential skills to work on each day and then a final day to put it all together. Ready to get started? Day 1. WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE IS SEATED TO START This is sometimes really hard for kids, especially when they are … [Read more...]
