Tag: parenting

Tug-o-War

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As a parent we sometimes feel just a little bit uncertain on how to approach certain situations regarding how your kids are going to react to it. That is perfectly spot on for most of us, to be honest for me I really try to do my best at preparing my kiddos but usually fail miserably. This is because I overthink the situation or I overstep. Allowing our kids to grow and learn is important. Hovering over them and constantly dictating how they should react or just act in a situation can be more harmful than helpful. I say this because I am definitely learning this with my ten year old, he is so ambitious, and very particular about many things. I have had to really take a step back and talk more with him about situations so he can make the better choice instead of me making it for him. For instance, like when he upset with his brother, how should he handle it… should he fight back by hitting or coming and talking to mommy and daddy about it so we can help him? This topic has just been really heavy on my heart because I see so many parents trying to overwhelm their children and themselves because they are holding on and fighting for so much control. Just like tug o war you fight for to much control they are going to resist and fight back. Go with the flow, allow your kids to experience, live, have fun…with boundaries of course, just understand you have to be able to let them be kids.

Understanding Autism

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Being a parent can be very difficult especially if you add autism to the mix. For me that is a challenge, one I am not too fond of. Today I find out if my third son is on the spectrum, which in a Way makes me nervous. If he is diagnosed that will make it three for three. I have five kids, three boys and two girls. None of my boys have escaped the burden of autism so far and the first screening we had with our last was not good at all.

It is so discouraging at times to watch my sons struggle everyday. My nine year old struggles the most and it just breaks my heart. Knowing that he gets bullied at school doesn’t help at all either. It is definitely a hard transition for my babies when it comes to interacting with their peers, strangers, or other social experiences. It’s sad to watch them get overwhelmed when I take them out into the store knowing many are probably viewing him as a bad kid and not one that needs comfort and understanding.

My goal here is to help bring awareness for Autism. So many don’t understand it!!! I hate when people say ‘they don’t look autistic’, well no duh, Autism is so much more involved. Every child, adult, person is different on the spectrum. First ask questions, do research but don’t judge. Until you know the struggle and heartache just pray and be more understanding. Also feel free to check out my website, The Family Way

Can’t Believe it is Almost Fall

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Fall is literally around the corner. Yikes! It seems like just yesterday we were just abandoning winter for Spring and summer. Time is truly flying like it normally does. Kids are back in school, normalcy is starting to arrive once again. Too funny on my part though, I am absolutely not used to the quiet that is going on in my house. Usually I have five and now only two at home because the rest are back in school. It is funny, there are days where I even feel out of place because I am so used to the madness.

Looks like I am going to be getting back into my freelancing and novel writing again. During the summer it seems like my groove just gets thrown off. So looking forward to the holiday season too. This is literally my favorite time of the year. The decorations, emotions, and all together awesomeness of Fall is absolutely epic in my book!

Here are some pics to brighten your day!

Publishing a Book

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Today I am really working hard to publish one of my ebooks that I have been working on. I’ve got a lot to do but I am feeling confident that I will finish by the end of the day. Publishing a book is not as simple as I thought. To be honest I love writing, hate editing, and well yeah I am sure you get it. Billy, my husband, thinks it’s funny because it has taken me this long to even get a book out.

Right now I am just spending time with the kids while an AT&T technician works on our internet. It has not been user friendly at all for over a month which has also caused me a lot of time as well. Hoping it will be back up soon!

To be honest it has been nice to take a break from the digital world. I can’t say my kids agree but it definitely has encouraged them to be more adventurous! It has forced them to use their imagination and has pushed me to get tons done around the house. There is a lesson to come from this too! It is so easy to get caught up with our digital devices that we forget what’s truly important in life. Hope everyone is having an amazing Wednesday! Feel free to comment below as well 🙂

Interesting Movie

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Last night me and Billy had a movie night at the house. It’s a tradition when the kids go to sleep that we spend time with each other either playing board games, talking, Bible Study, or even Movie Nights. We decided on Escape Plan!! Such a great movie, it really had my mind going. Scary thought that their are people who could possibly be that smart savvy to figure out how to break out of every prison built by man. It was definitely interesting and I do recommend it for a date night for couples! Not recommended for kids though! Hope everyone is having a great day. Here is the trailer below!

www.youtube.com/watch

A Divided Family

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Truly I find it amazing the impact of a superhero’s leadership has on a small child.  Kids these days really love their superheros.  In a way I think adults are having the same child-like mindset as our children when it comes to the Superhero persona.

*Spoilers** AHEAD* YOU ARE WARNED, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MARVEL MOVIE: INFINITY STONES, THEN STOP READING NOW!

So if you have made it this far then you are about to be blown away by a sad reality that kids were heartbroken over the deaths of so many beloved superheros like Black Panther, Spider-man, Scarlet Witch, Gamora, the Winter Soldier, and so many more.  My kids watched in horror as they faded away as Thanos snapped his fingers.  Yep, such a tragedy.  Luckily there a major rumors that this is not the end for most of our beloved Marvel characters.  Just like with Superman when he was killed in Batman Vs. Superman, he was brought back to life.

In our family apparently there has been a lot of heartbreak.  We are a divided family here.  Half of us are DC fans and well the others…are of course Marvel fanatics.  Watching these characters go through their ups and downs in their own universe has been a touching especially with how we have grown attached to our favorites.  I am personally excited to watch how far they will go with both the DC and Marvel Universes.

If you haven’t watched any of the superhero movies I completely recommend all of them.  Give them a try.  They make great family night movies especially when you got kids!  They really get into it and it truly brings out your inner superhero.

 

Sensory Play

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Sensory play is important to a child’s development.  When I was teaching preschool a few years back I really enjoyed doing sensory play with my kids.  It helped them engage more with their senses and children that have sensory disorders really do well when doing projects that involve lots of sensory play.  Sensory therapy is something I do with Joseph my third child, A LOT!

Ever since he was itty bitty he struggled with water, the sensation of water.  Baths were a disaster, he would literally scream at the top of his lungs and panic when it came to bath time.  It was very sad actually.  Me and Billy really hated to see him so distressed when it came to taking a bath.  It took us until he was four to actually get him comfortable to sit in a bathtub.

Sensory play with water was his best bet, we had a lot of help through the Pre-K program at our local Elementary School also.  Showers are still an issue sadly but at least baths are okay now.  Right now I add color tablets into the bath water and bubbles and he absolutely loves it, especially when the water changes color. I strongly encourage other moms to try water play with their little ones, most kids find it awesome and really get into it.  Sensory play can also include play dough, moon sand, or anything with texture.  Feel free to message me below and I would be happy to send you some fun recipes to try with your little ones.

Having Fun in the Sun

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The last two weeks have been quite funny, especially because it seems like everywhere you look kids are so caught up with their electronics.  The first week of July our internet went out and I have got to say hands down my kids’ reaction was priceless.  They didn’t know how to react.  It was a shock, it’s like they couldn’t figure out what to do next.  Every minute they would ask “when will it be back on?” or “is it fixed yet?”, it was quite funny.  We sent them outside to play while the At&t worker did his magic.

It really had me thinking of when I was as a child and how I was always outside running around getting into mischief.  My kids need time to use their imagination which had me thinking I really need to cut back their time with their electronics including the television.  Recently they have been thriving from the time away from all the media and have bonded more with each other.  They interacted more with each other which is great overall for their social development.

In the long run I will be setting up a schedule that will allow so much time for them to choose if they want to watch television or play a video game.  Choices are good but should be limited when giving options.  You don’t want to overwhelm your children which will end up in disaster.  That is also why I posted about movie night with the kids, that is a great way to encourage the kids to enjoy family time while watching one of their favorite movies or shows.

For instance, when I was a child we would go out and play hide and go seek, tag, freeze tag, football, and jump rope.  There are endless games that can be played it is just that our children have been born in an era where it has been overshadowed by media and electronic devices.  When I went to the store the other day I made sure to buy them a soccer ball.  In my younger years I loved kicking around a soccer ball so my first thought was ‘I am going to get my kids one’.  They absolutely love it.

Exercise is so important for children, getting them outside to play, it’s crucial for their physical development and also their mental status.  On another note I have decided to work out with my kids, for instance, like taking daily walks or playing games outside with them.  This helps me and the kids bond and get our blood pumping.  When outside though, especially in the summer, it is good to make sure you have access to water, so you can stay hydrated.  The heat index can be a lot hotter than usually predicted and that can be a problem for you and your children.  During the summer months I always make sure my kids have access to a Little Tikes kiddy pool so that they can also have water play even with water guns when we are outside.  This helps them stay cool and have fun at the same time.

Affiliate Marketing

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When I started blogging I never really thought about affiliate marketing or anything of that nature in general.  But recently I decided what the heck its worth a shot.  Well now that I have been looking into it I seem to have figured out how hectic it can be to really start blogging full-time and the stress that it brings when you don’t really know what you are doing.  That is why I have now turned to YouTube and Pintrest.  Both sites have been amazing at explaining the ins and outs of affiliate marketing and so much more.

Never did I think I would be trying to blog full-time anyway.  I kind of started it as a hobby years back and really didn’t take it serious until recently.  Ever since I got back into writing I have become more involved with my Pintrest account.  It has been a blast going through Pintrest anyway.  It truly is addicting and there is everything and anything you could possibly imagine on that site.  I don’t see how you could run out of ideas when searching that site.  If you are interested in getting started on a blog and need help with affiliate marketing feel free to contact me, check out my pintrest board, or check out my website also.

Taking a Time Out

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parenting

Today I got a lot of one on one with my kids.  It was nice considering I normally seem to be caught up with so much unnecessary stuff throughout the day.  To be honest I just get busy and forget how important it is to spend time with the kids.  Our children need attention, it is important to give them that.  It helps there imaginative play, their social skills, and overall mental health.  Kids thrive on having their parents attention.  Me and my daughter got to play with her barbies, it was quite fun to go back in time and pretend to be a kid again.  With my boys it was war, playing with army men.

As an adult I feel like all I do is stress and dwell on the negative but when my kids play with me or vice versa I actually feel much better.  I am able to actually be myself and enjoy some quality time with my kids.  Also I have really gotten to love the outside time with them also, especially with the water guns.  My boys are very sneaky and have gotten me good many times this summer.

I think taking a  time out and taking a break from adulthood is good.  It helps me take a breather and feel refreshed.  My kids are happy and truly enjoy the time as well.  Just seeing their face when I am there spending time with them brightens my day.  I encourage all parents to try it, take some time to just sit down and spend some quality time with their little ones.  You might actually find it to be an amazing experience an a chance to make unforgettable memories.