Category: preschool

Bedtime….

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Okay….I know a lot of you out there with little ones always have this topic on your mind. Sleep is a hard thing to come by when kids are involved especially with children under the age of three. I have two!  One is turning three in June and the other under a year!  Recently my two year old has decided sleep is not a necessity…hmmm not sure how I feel about this yet!  Yep well this mommy is starting to feel the effects of MOMMY INSOMNIA which basically translates to the “ZOMMY”.  I have become the living mommy that looks like a zombie…or should I say more feels like one.

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From experience I have learned that routine is key when it comes to bedtime.  I have two out of four on a good consistent schedule but have slacked on my younger two.  As I write this I am scolding myself for the slack in routine just as much as I know my dad would be too lol.  That should have never happened, me slacking on the kids bedtime that is.  Well it looks like I am going to be having to really work hard this summer to retrain my two year old soon to be three and start training my eight month old.

…I will be keeping you all updated on the progress!  Hopefully it won’t take too long to get them on a well-adjusted schedule.  I will post some tips for you all as I learn them myself!  Maybe my experience will help other moms and dads avoid the struggle because the struggle is real!!! Toddler life can be an adventure that’s for sure, but well worth it!! Never a dull moment at this house.

I am SuperMom Hear my WORDS!

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As you know being a parent can be a challenging task.  Yep. Most likely everyday!  For instance when you hear the word “Mom…Mom…Mom…Mom…MOM!!!”  over and over again.  Don’t get me wrong I love hearing my name called but when you hear your name and you know that there is a whine behind your name….yeah…that’s the part of parenting I start to really really dislike.  I think its true when they say nagging is definitely a trait passed on to your young ones.

I know my kids take after me.  They are head strong and curious…two strong traits that can lead to a lot of interesting turn of events.  For instance the time when Timothy and Shirley got locked in the car and just sat there as I tried my very best to figure out how I was going to get them out.  Yep. That happened.  Kids. They have their moments…but they take after the ones they call “MOM” and “DAD”.  We tend to forget the younger years because of the hustle and bustle of adulthood.

Today I had a thought. We are Super Heroes.  I never really thought about that but as a parent I now get it.  Being a parent makes me a super hero.  We are the light to our child’s eyes.  They don’t see the bitterness, the pain, and the bad like we do.  We fix everything, we make things right.  I love this and feel now that we have been looking at parenthood in the wrong way.  WE ARE SUPER HEROES.  We fix the problems.  We kiss their booboos.  We tell them its going to be okay even when it grim.  So parents hold your head high, we are the light to the bad.  I never thought about it but we are the examples and we are the ones that make them feel safe.  Embrace parenthood, remember even if you are having a bad day, you have the love of your child.  You are golden to them and will always be.

Always remember your words are extremely important.  “I Love You” are the three most powerful words a child can hear!

To Read or NOT to Read….That is the QUESTION???!

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…Yeah me and books…well I got to say we don’t get along very well.  Between me having dyslexia and the attention span of the dog from Disney movie “UP”…..”SQUIRREL”…Yep…me and books have no relationship what-so-ever.  Ever since I became a parent though I have become a little more active in the world of reading, especially when it comes to children’s books.  Got to say I love the Eric Carle books, during the years teaching preschool I got hooked on those books.  “The Hungary Caterpillar” is one of my favorites.

Growing up I never picked up a book and always avoided reading at school due to the fact that they loved to make you read out loud… Yep not my idea of fun and thankfully that is not a concern anymore.  The Kindle turned out to be my best friend in the long run though.  It wasn’t as intimidating as a big thick book. I ended up picking up a habit of reading once I discovered the “Hunger Games” series!  Once I read those books I became hooked and even started a habit of writing dystopian fiction myself and am even working on a book as I write.
When I became a preschool teacher that really helped with my dyslexia.  I was reading out loud a lot with the kiddos allowing me to improve on my reading skills while doing what I love most besides parenting of course.  I now enjoy reading kid books, I still don’t want anything to do with reading big books but have decided to try and embrace it at a slow and easy pace.  I need to at least give it a shot, so I decided to GO BOLD and join a book club at our local bookstore with a friend.  I can’t wait to see how this turns out in the long run!!!!

Potty Training at it’s BEST….correction WoRsT

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Potty Training.  Yep Potty Training…the stage where the child takes the reigns and the parents watch in horror.  Days where pooping and peeing becomes an hourly concern…yep that’s right Potty Training.  Everyone has their CrAzY, funny, embarrassing, serious, and ambitious moment to tell when it comes down to the toilet training lessons.

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Well I have a secret…yeah that’s right a secret.  Your going to hear advice, stories, and old-wives tales about potty training a child…well I am here to tell you now, don’t take the advice.  Go at your own pace, go at your child’s own pace.  Listen to their bodies, let them embrace potty training.  Do not make it a chore, make it FUN!  As a former preschool teacher I saw a lot of progress but at home with my kids it was like…Yeah well NOT HAPPENING.  It was really overwhelming for me especially when it came down to my first two.  My oldest son has been diagnosed with Autism disorder and ADHD.  Both=Interesting moments let me tell you.  From my experience I have learned never rush a child into submission of Potty Training it will only lead to disappointment and a lot of frustration.  Comparing your kids to other kids=BAD IDEA as well.  To be honest from my years of working with kids of ALL ages and having four of my own I have learned no child is the same.  They all have their own agenda to fulfill at their own pace.  I’m not saying to stop your efforts…I’m just giving a little nudge at the idea of letting your child explore and become familiar with the potty at his or her own pace.  ALL CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT IN EVERY WAY, that’s what makes each and everyone of us unique!

On a Rainy Day!

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Rain Rain Go AWAY, Come Again Another Day…. We all know that song way to well from our own childhood. When we were kids that was a song heard loudly among our peers on those dreary rainy days we often dreaded.  Well today is the day that I am now playing that song in my head silently as the rain pours outside.

I have learned that no matter how hard you try to plan for a rainy day when you have kids nothing ever goes according to plan. Finding activities can be interesting especially when you have children under the age of ten years, in my case that makes four!

Between me multi-tasking and trying to keep the peace they all (referring to the kids) have managed to pull out everything in existence and some in the house… Kids they can find anything even the things you don’t want them to find and for us parents that can be a real challenge especially because the summer is upon us. Rainy days have become a problem, like this week here in Wichita they are saying rain ALL week long. Yeah that is going to be super fun (as I write this post in sarcasm) the kids are fighting over a plastic Easter egg… The joys of sibling rivalry???!

Oh yes…Rainy Days! It looks like me and the kiddos are going to be tackling this weather with a few inside activities!  The best way to deal with a day like this is to enjoy that valuable time with your kids if able. Read a book. Write. Do some crafts!

Here are a few fun activities that have been really helpful for me when I am stuck in the house with ALL four of my kids.

1. Sing Silly Songs… the three year old loves this one!

2. Read books- My older two favor this activity due to the silliness of the story or the creativity that goes into the effort of telling a story.

3. Baking YUMMY treats!- No kid can deny they don’t love baking with Mommy 😉

4. Playing Board Games

There are so many creative ways to pass the time. It may seem hectic at times but remember no matter how trying the day can get on a rainy day try and take a deep breath and try something different even if it is out of your comfort zone. Kids are resilient and usually don’t notice when you are out of your comfort zone. Have fun, be creative, and let loose!!!

Morning CrAzY!!

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….Mornings…..starting to wonder if it is a trend but mornings….Ugh! Summer has begun, kids are out of school, and the fun has just started. Today I came to the realization I tend to forget even in the crazy how precious every moment is. With the television noise blaring in the background, the baby crying, the three year old screaming “cereal” as he is running throughout the house only wearing his diaper…Yep those are the moments we take for granted. I take for granted but shouldn’t. I forget as many other parents out there do that no matter how crazy your day can get there is always beauty in every moment. One day I am going to look back on what I know as ‘Morning CrAzY’ and laugh because overall they are funny and beautiful moments that you as a parent share with your kids. Trust me one day you will wish you could go back to those insane moments when they are all grown up.

 

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Communication is Key 

This is the excerpt for your very first post.

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Parenthood is never easy, there’s always going to be hills to climb and obstacles to avoid.  Communication seems to be my biggest issue when it comes to parenting. For example as the parent of four the thought of communication goes right out the window either due to kids yelling, throwing fits, and mommy pulling her hair out lol!!!

I am far from perfect.  Today I realized that we all have major faults as parents we just don’t see it until others point the flaws out.  We become blind-sided by our comfort.  When we become comfortable with a habit, it becomes hard to break.

Here are some tips that have been working for me over the last few months.  Taking deep breaths and remembering to take in the memories and don’t sweat the little stuff has become important…..hard lol…..but important!  Speaking from experience here: Always embrace the moment because time doesn’t slow down.

Being SuperMommy!

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Everywhere you go there are going to be challenges when you are a parent.  I have four kids, three boys and one girl and my days are always full of entertainment lol.  There are crazy days where I feel like pulling out my hair but there are also days where I am reminded of the gift of Motherhood and Fatherhood.  Those two roles are never easy, working or non-working, either way there are challenges along the way that you have to face and overcome. I have done both, worked outside the home and have had the luxury of being home with my kids.  I am currently at home with my kids right now and sell Jamberry Nail Wraps and Avon.  I also am registered at some freelancing sites as part-time work. I encourage all parents to embrace parenthood with an open-mind.  It is a different experience for everyone but extremely rewarding!!! I want this website to be for parents to share with other parents about their ups and downs of parenthood.