dental health

10 Tricks for Teaching Dental Health to Kids (she: Jamie)

ByJamie S.

Hi it’s Jamie again, visiting from Prepared Housewives! I know I’ve recently talked about ideas to make going to the dentist easier, but today I’m going to give you some inside tricks on teaching your kids proper dental health. Hopefully after reading this you won’t have to visit the dentist as often, or help finance any more of their cars 😉

First off, children learn their healthy (or unhealthy) dental habits from you, so don’t be embarrassed to practice a few of these tricks & tips yourself!There are a lot of fun and creative things you can do to help teach your kids about dental health! You can download a fun brushing app, learn to make your own toothpaste, or even conduct a teeth experiment!

Be sure to remember that your children look to you and follow your example, so set a good one (no pressure or anything ;)).

15 tricks for picky eaters

15 Tricks for Picky Eaters (she: Mariah)

ByMariah

Hello again! I’m glad to be back today with some great posts that I’ve rounded up that just may make living with your picky eater a little bit easier. To be honest, I don’t have much experience with picky eaters. My baby hasn’t quite figured out how to refuse what I choose to spoon into his mouth yet, so for now, life is good! However, you better believe I’m pinning these posts in case I need them for future reference. I hope you find some of these tricks for picky eaters helpful!

Tips for Parenting a Shy Child

Tips for Parenting a Shy Child (she: Heather)

ByHeather

Heather here from FamilyVolley.com. We shouldn’t be surprised when we have kids, to find that each of our children are different. They like different activities, are scared of different things, and some are more outgoing than others. Today we are talking about those kids of ours who are not quite as outgoing as their siblings and peers. You know, the ones we label “shy.” Here are 9 tips for parenting a shy child and growing to love them more and more along the way.
All kids are different. Instead of labeling our children as shy, work with them a little and you will not only see huge differences in their actions but your relationship will be strengthened along the way as you are patient, understanding, and show love.

teaching kids not to gossip
|

Teaching Kids Not to Gossip: A Great Family Night Topic (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

Hello everyone! It’s Veronica and I’m so excited to be here this month sharing a fun Family Night idea with you: teaching kids not to gossip. I know Mariel has explained the concept of Family Night before, but for anyone new to this idea, we basically gather our family once a week, we have a short lesson, play some sort of game and then have a treat at the end. It’s such a great way to reconnect as a family, but also a great time to teach your children in a fun and uplifting way.
When school gets back in session, I always feel a bit nervous for my kids. I want them to learn new things, make new friends and be happy as they go through their school year. But, it doesn’t seem so easy anymore. The world seems to be a lot harder to navigate than it was for me as a child. They deal with so much pressure, beginning at very young ages. Friendships seem a bit trickier at times and it feels like more kids struggle with a good solid sense of who they are. And with the awesome tool of social media, these things seem to be magnified. One of the other struggles they face is gossiping. It’s been around forever, and always will be, unfortunately. It can be so damaging and destructive to anyone involved. Recently I’ve seen the effects gossip can have, so I wanted to take the opportunity to teach my kids about it. I think it’s a great reminder for ALL of us, regardless of our age.

ABC activities
| |

ABC Activities for Your Pre-Preschooler

ByBrooke

Hello, hello! It’s Brooke from Blissful Roots. How are you all? Finally settling into your school routines? My twins just finished their third week of school, and my preschooler began Thursday, so we’re definitely into the school routine at our house. I do have to say it’s a bit strange not having a little one around all day (although that will be changing in about six weeks when baby boy number four arrives). I miss doing fun and simple educational activities with my youngest. We still do things here and there, but with school and other activities keeping us busy, we don’t have a lot of free time to do some of the activities we used to.
And considering baby number four hasn’t even been born yet, it will be a while before I need to pull out my ABC activites again. But before I put them away for too long, I thought it would be fun to share them with you. Some of these activities date back to my first grade teaching days, and some are ones I’ve discovered recently in this technology-filled world of ours. My boys always loved doing these at home before their preschool years. We only have ever done one year of preschool with our boys because I love doing things like this at home for FREE! I promise if you do just one of these a day (along with reading) with your three-year-old, he/she will be more than ready preschool, and much more. So, let’s get started!

Finding family time during school

Finding Family Time During the School Year (she: Heather)

ByHeather

September already!? School bells have rung and any day now the leaves are going to start changing colors. Heather here, from FamilyVolley.com. I am excited to share with you some tips for finding family time, now that school is back in session.

A new school year means family life gets a little crazy and a lot busy, which means family time can easily go out the window. The question is, how can we focus more on family and less on the hectic lifestyle we are living?

I have eight suggestions for you and your kids that will help you find more quality family time during the school year. Some are simple, like establishing a set bedtime for everyone in the family, eating a meal together regularly, or reading together. Others, like limiting technology time every day as well as weekly extra-curriculars, may be a little more difficult. But I promise it’s worth it!

inspiration for moms
| | |

Inspiration for Moms… “You Are Enough” (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

Hi my friends! It’s Veronica, and I’m so excited to be back this month with some inspiration for moms (and kids)! Here in Tennessee, we have been back in school for two weeks now. So life has been pretty chaotic around here!

Over the past little while I’ve seen the saying “You Are Enough”. It seems to be all over Pinterest and the internet. After the past couple weeks I’ve had, I think I’m beginning to understand why! I’ve needed this great little reminder.

dealing with a bossy child

Dealing with a Bossy Child (she: Heather)

ByHeather

Happy August Everyone! It’s Heather from FamilyVolley.com. I’m excited to be here today to share some parenting tips to make things a little bit easier in your home. And although today’s post is geared toward toddlers, the parenting tips can be used when parenting kids of any age. When our oldest child was nearing 2, I clearly remember my mom telling me that the twos were terrific, not terrible. I have always been grateful for her counsel. I ignored all the people telling me “to brace myself for the terrible twos”, went into parenting a two year old with an open mind, and you know what, she was exactly right. Now, five kids later, two is one of my favorite ages. As much as I love all the toddler developments, there is something that comes with being two that isn’t terrific. Two year olds tend to be a little bossy. Toddlers in general seem to be a little bossy and want things their own way.

what to do when kids lie

What To Do When Kids Lie (she: Heather)

ByHeather

Happy Summer! Heather here, from FamilyVolley.com. Today I am excited to share parenting advice to make things easier in your home.

Call it what you will, Fibbing, a Whopper, Tall Tale, Story Telling, it is all the same. Lying. And it can be really frustrating when our kids start to tell them.

First, it is good to understand lying by age and stage. Young children tell fibs based on fantasy, and they are usually made up stories of who they wish they were (princesses), or what they wish they could do (today I ate 10 popsicles and didn’t get sick). Elementary School Children start to tell “smarter” lies to get out of punishment, to sound “cool”, and to get what they want.

play time with toddlers
| |

Tips for Surviving Play Time With Toddlers (she: Heather)

ByHeather

Happy Mother’s Day to you, and to all the special moms in your life. It’s Heather, back to share a few ideas to help you as you play with your young children.

Spend a few minutes with your little ones and you realize how much they love to play. Play is vital to their emotional, physical, and social growth. It helps them build confidence, self esteem, and even teaches them to control their emotions. But… their games and activities can start to grate on moms. The next time you wonder if you can spend one more minute playing kitchen or Candy Land, remember all the benefits that come to kids from playing. And use the following suggestions to make things a little easier during play time with toddlers. Remember, you are not alone. These feelings are very normal.

Family Night – Teaching Kids Their Words Matter! (she: Tonii)
| |

Family Night – Teaching Kids Their Words Matter! (she: Tonii)

ByTonii

Hello everyone, it’s Tonii again and I am so glad to be back with another fun and simple Family Night! This month, I felt inspired to talk to my kids all about the importance of WORDS. The words that we use, and the way that we use them. It’s so important to spend time teaching kids their words matter.

To get started I whipped up a simple printable with the words I say to my kids every day before they head off to school… Check it out!

toilet training

Toilet Training: Is Your Child Ready? (she: Heather)

ByHeather

Toilet training our children can be one of the most challenging things we have to do. One of the reasons it is so hard, is because we often start training our children before they are ready. Regardless of the method you choose to use when you train, knowing if your child is ready is the first step.
Remember, our goal shouldn’t just be to get our children to go to the bathroom in the toilet and not in their pants, but to teach our children to go to the bathroom in the toilet by themselves. Here are a few simple tests that can help you gauge if your child is ready to be toilet trained. Most children 20 months and older are capable of being toilet trained. But remember, every child will be different. Three simple tests (Bladder Control, Physical Development, and Instructional Readiness) can help you assess if your child is ready.