Today is a prime day to share some of the comments readers have sent in regarding some blog posts. Keep the feedback coming…names have been withheld for privacy. Comment re. Birthday Party Season; I totally understand the dilemma of one child being invited and not the other. I have once asked if my non invited…
parenting
Parent Club tip: Blankets in the car
Keeping blankets in the car is a useful item for chilly winter nights. When you venture out at night with the kids (for later-day playdates, dinners, etc…) take the car blankets indoors with you to warm up. Then, when the kids are tired and you are ready to go…you will have warm covers for the…
Getting Together…Virtually
Are you trying to get the playgroup/extended family/book club/PTA meeting together this month? Is the coordination getting in the way of…life? This article, part Parent Club’s on-going series of “information to make life easier for you“, is one for you to read! www.campfirenow.com (Chicago based) is a great solution to the head co-ordinator of a…
The Potty Train
Potty training is the third biggest commitment in my life (my education and marriage are 1 & 2 – but not in that order). It takes true dedication to get a toddler on a toilet seat. If you have started potty training anyone you will know what I mean. This part of parenthood is when…
Three Cheers for Dirty Little Secrets
Hip Hip Hooray! I am a secretkeeper. I have hoodwinked, mislead and – yes – fibbed to my children (for their benefit mind you). Three cheers for guilt-free, hurt-free, dirty little secrets! Yesterday I grated zucchini and worked them into beef and spices for homemade hamburgers. When it came time to eat…the littliest LOVED the…
Where to Donate?….
Make a list of some super quality used kid items you have and e-mail it to your circle of friends. Someone might have a use for the stroller or the snowsuit that’s in your basement. Take your stuff to Once Upon A Child or your neighbourhood consignment shop to earn some cash. I took a…
Recycle Your Stuff
My house is brimming with stuff. Everywhere I look, in every nook and cranny there is stuff. We just don’t need this much stuff. So at the end of the winter school break, I took the children into the toy room and asked them to sort out what things they think they should give to…
The Waiting Game
Parent Club tip: To make shopping a bit nicer – I plan the children’s snack time to coincide with shopping. Of course, they are a bit grumpy getting into the cart as they are hungry. But once the cheerios, fruit slices or homemade muffin is in their hand they are content to munch while I…
Quiet Time
Parent Club tip; re-introduce quiet time into the schedule – even for school aged kids. The cold weather, the hectic holidays, the change in routine — tires everyone out. Choose your arsenic hour (4pm here) and turn on a movie to entertain and relax the children. Take this time to step away from the kids…
Party kids
With many festive meals approaching…here’s a kid-food-hint; relax. To start, why not have them help prepare the meals rather than rush them out of the kitchen. OK – infants and toddlers are excused from servitude this year. However, preschoolers and school aged kids can certainly lend a hand – and really, don’t they love having…
Are your kids tired?
Does anyone else find that their children are completely wiped out at the end of the day? Perhaps, it’s the extra energy spent in chilly recess hours. Perhaps, it’s the nervous tension of school ending next week and the surprises of the season which follow. Whatever the reason…my kids are tired. The emotion, over-tired anger…
Now be on your best behaviour…
The first time I took my kids to the movie theatre; I was very unsure of why I planned the adventure? They certainly wouldn’t sit still for two WHOLE hours. They will obviously need to go to the bathroom more than once. There will definately be loudish giggling — they are kids, of course. The…