My son recently learned how to blow kisses, give kisses and give hugs. There is nothing like when you are not having the best day and your child comes up to you and gives you a hug and a kiss. I am loving all the hugs and kisses that he gives! (April 2012) Do you have any things that your children do that melt you … Continue reading Heartwarmer
Post Partum Depression(PPD) affects between 11 and 20 percent of women. It can be a mild case or a severe case, but usually goes away on its own over time. PPD is a disorder that occurs after the birth of a child, usually due to hormone imbalances. Some symptoms of PPD are loss of appetite, sadness, feeling worthless, feeling rejected, loss of interest in the … Continue reading Dealing with Post Partum Depression
Do’s: Let your genuine concern and caring show. Express your sorrow about the death and acknowledge your friend’s pain. Remember: sayings something is better than saying nothing. Be available to listen. The grieving person needs to express their thoughts and feelings about what has happened. They may long for the opportunity to go over all of the events that have occurred and express their feelings of loss. Offer to help … Continue reading How to Help a Friend who is Grieving
Place a Flashlight instead of a candle inside of a carved pumpkin for safety. Delegate when there are several jobs to be done. Enlist the help of children by giving them a choice. For example: to the first child: Do you want to sweep the floor or would you rather water the plants? To the next child: Would you rather water the plants or vacuum the rug? … Continue reading This Works for Me!
It is not your responsibility to get your children out the door on time. It’s theirs! Your only contribution is to complete your assigned tasks on time (making their lunch or combing their hair). As long as you are not hindering your child’s progress in the morning, you can not be blamed if they miss the bus or the carpool. Once a child realizes that … Continue reading How to Empower you Children to get to School on Time
Picture Credit: Vernon’s Blog Go to a Pumpkin Patch. Pick your favorite. Take it home and decorate or make pumpkin seeds and pumpkin bread. Go on a hayride! Stuff a scarecrow. Do leaf tracings. Find out what types you’ve collected. Have your children rake up leaves (for money?). They jump in! Have a harvest party. Include scarcrow making. Everyone brings an old shirt and pants. You … Continue reading Ideas for Fall Both Indoor and Out
Do you want to raise healthy, well-adjusted adults? The beauty of having 3 twenty-somethings is that I can see the fruits of my labor. Through reading, trial and error and my basic belief systems, I raised my children on the following 10 premises: Read about each phase of childhood BEFORE you get to it. You won’t be surprised when you get a call from the … Continue reading Top Ten Parenting Tips – Part 1
The first question people asked me about homeschooling was “What about socialization?” By that I suppose they meant, “Would my son be isolated?” My response to this is that there are many ways to socialize and sitting in the school for 6 hours a day with the same children in the same age group is just one way of socializing. It’s not better, it’s not always the most positive … Continue reading Moms to Moms: Homeschooling
Start young. I let my 2 year old choose her clothes. I would put out 2 outfits on her bed to choose from. As she got a little older, she would pick out her own outfits. Some days I might say, “Ok. You can keep the top or the pants on.” Then she would run back to her room and change either the top or … Continue reading Teaching Children the Art of Making Decisions
Trade Skills with another mother. Swap lessons in cooking, arts and crafts, sewing, make-up. You teach her children and she’ll teach yours. Straws: Use “fun” straws, bendable or looped ones, to encourage kids to drink more fluids. Save popsicle sticks and make planes, crosses, photo frames. Use your imagination! Use baking soda to remove skid marks on floors, stove tops. Works great! Play CD’s during … Continue reading This Works for Me!
ART with Angela DiCicco, The Italian Grandmama's Guide 