Category: Parenting

Keep A Handle On The Stress As A Parent

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date October 2, 2020
4 Comments on Keep A Handle On The Stress As A Parent

stress as a parent, stressed parent, handle stress, mental health, self care, parenting and mental health

As a parent, it’s easy for stress to reach an overwhelming level. After all, you’re always going to have a lot of things on your mind.

You will want to make sure that your kids do well at school. Plus, you want to make sure that they are provided with the best quality of life. On top of that, you will want to make sure that you keep your finances on the right track.

In addition to your children and your finances, you will experience stress in other areas, too. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you are working to deal with your stress in the right way. Here are some of the options that you can explore.

Effective Ways to Handle Stress as a Parent

Work Out

If you want the best way to burn stress, you should consider adding a workout to your daily routine. The best workout will provide you with everything that you need to eliminate stress for good.

Research shows that the right forms of exercise can be a great way to relieve physical and mental tension. You just need to find the right exercise that matches your personality and the type of workout that you enjoy. Some options include:

walking
yoga
running
dancing
Pilates
kick boxing
bicycling

It’s important you feel comfortable when you’re working out too. There are some great options of kits from stores such as curvesncombatboots.com for every body shape.

Take Some ‘Me’ Time

As a parent, you’ll find that a lot of your time is dedicated to looking after and caring for your children. However, you do need to make sure that you are able to get some time for yourself as well.

Be aware that the time we’re talking about here doesn’t have to mean a trip away or something so grand. It can just be sitting and reading a book or anything else that you might enjoy in your life. If you find the right past time, then you’ll find that the stress melts away.

Think About Diet

You might think that your diet doesn’t play a massive role in terms of your mental health and wellbeing. However, you would be surprised.

Research shows that your diet can impact your mental health in numerous ways. It’s important to understand this so that you can remove things in your diet that are causing you issues.

While you don’t have to eliminate all the sugary junk food, cutting back is always going to help your health. Once you start removing the junk you will see positive impacts on your physical and mental wellbeing. Particularly, when you pair this change with the right exercise routine.

You might think that health meals like this are going to take massive amounts of time to cook. However, if you explore sites like greatist.com you’ll find that they can be prepared in minutes.

Last Thoughts – Stress as a Parent

I hope this helps you understand some of the best ways that you can deal with stress as a parent. You will be able to handle it more effectively, further decreasing your stress.

If you take this advice, you will improve your mental health, allowing you to provide far more support to your kids. You also won’t have to jeopardize your own mental health to do it.

Tags How to, mental health, Parenting

Adulting For the Home Life Parenting

8 Signs That It Is The Right Time To Move Your Family

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date September 26, 2020

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If you’ve been thinking it is time to move your family, there are a few things you’ll need to consider first to ensure that it’s the right choice. After all, moving isn’t an easy feat.

Whether you’re moving around the corner or to a completely different city, it is expensive and takes a lot of planning to get right. Here are the signs to look for that will give you an idea of whether this is the right choice for you and it’s time to book the movers.

Signs That It Is Time to Move

1. The House Has Started To Feel Too Small

Has the house started to feel tight and cramped? This often happens when you have growing kids or you want to expand your family further. Kids barely take up any room when they’re small, but they soon grow and accumulate things that take up space. If your house has started to feel too small, it could be a good time to look into moving.

2. You/The Kids Don’t Have Enough Privacy

Privacy is important, whether you’re a parent or the child. Children need privacy too, and they need to feel like they have a space to call their own. If your kids are having to share bedrooms, it is a good time to look at getting a bigger place. This way everybody can have their own space.

3. You’re Thinking About it More and More

If you’re even thinking about moving, that’s a sign alone that it’s a good time to move. If you find yourself constantly thinking about it, it could be time to look into what you’d have to do. It could be a good time to start exploring movers, and figuring out how this would affect school, work, and the rest of the family.

4. There’s Too Much Empty Space

Perhaps your kids have actually flown the nest. This can leave parents with more empty space than they know what to do with and leave them feeling like they are rattling around an empty home. A smaller, more cozy place could be the right choice in this case.

Infographic Provided by We Buy Houses in Kentucky

5. The Commute is A Killer

Commuting to work can add hours to the working day. If you’re getting fed up with having to be up hours and hours before you start and not getting back until late, perhaps moving closer to your workplace could help.

6. You Want Your Kids To Go To A Better School

You can’t just cherry-pick the best school for your kids – you actually need to live in the vicinity. Some schools offer school-of-choice, but the best schools normally don’t offer that option. If you want to make sure your kids go to a good school, moving might be the only option.

7. You’re Having To Make Too Many Upgrades

If you’re having to make too many upgrades and do too much DIY to make your home livable, then it’s probably costing you more than it’s worth. Consider if moving could save hassle and money in the long run.

Finding a home that only requires seasonal maintenance could be life-changing for you. Then, you wouldn’t have to worry about things breaking down or needing to be replaced. You could focus on other things and preparing your home will be easier.

8. People You Care About Live Far Away

Living close to the people you care about can seriously enrich your quality of life. If you don’t see as many of them as you’d like, moving closer could be the best thing for your family. More importantly, it would help if you moved closer to your elderly family members like your parents and grandparents. Nothing brings joyful tears like seeing your kids play and enjoy their grandparent’s company.

Unfortunately, life can be demanding, making it impossible to travel miles to spend more time with the people you love. However, it’s never too late to remedy this. Moving closer is the best and most practical option.

If you have a sick family member living in a facility like the Three Oaks Hospice & Palliative Care, it would be best to move nearby for apparent reasons. For one, you’ll be able to spend more time with them and help them live their final moments happily. Secondly, your family, especially your kids, will have a chance to meet and build a relationship with the people you care about.

Although a palliative and hospice center has its benefits like pain management, assisted living, and nursing care, you’d still want to be there for your loved ones. There’s no better time to move close by than when you have a chronically sick loved one that might not live for a long time. This is important not just to your loved ones but to you, too, as it’ll help you know that you were there during their last moments.

The Right Time To Move Your Family

Whatever the reason, it is important to recognize when it is the right time to move your family. It is a big decision that can’t be taken lightly, so recognizing the signs will help with the transition. If you have moved your family, was it for one of the reasons listed here or something else? Leave a comment and let us know.

Tags adulting, family, Home

Adulting How To Learning Life Marriage Parenting

How To Do Right By Your Family

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date September 26, 2020

do right by your family, making long-term decisions, help making decisions, family decisions, big changes for families

Making long-term life decisions can be a very tough task, no matter how old or experienced you may be. Life is unpredictable, and 2020 is perhaps one of the crowning examples of that. However, it’s important to figure out how to do right by your family by coming to the best decision.

These long-term decisions could be anything from where you should live to where you should send your children to school. Even though making the decision might be stressful, it’s important to do it in the right way.

If you find yourself in a situation where you know you’ll be taking care of your parents as they age, have a discussion with your partner and parents to determine how to approach your combined futures. Caring for older adults in the same home may require moving to a new home or using a company such as Home Elevator Service to install an elevator in your existing home to help with mobility and independence. Regardless of what you decide together, communication is essential.

You can’t simply do what other families are doing. Remember that what is right for most people may not be right for you and your family.

While this article may offer insight and give tips, you still have to figure out for yourself what is best. You can only define that for yourself, but the following principles may help you along the way.

How to do Right By Your Family

Consider all Options

Determine which risks are involved with each decision. No matter how small the risk is, each decision you make carries one. Then, you have to consider how those risks might express themselves and how you can limit them.

If you can achieve that way of thinking, then odds are you’ll be more forthright in coming to a conclusion.

What’s Right For Them Now, And In The Future?

It’s important to consider what might be right for your family now and in the future. Those two things aren’t always so apparent. However, thinking along a timeline can help you make those decisions.

Perhaps you might wish to move but if you wait a year, you can have better options. Maybe waiting a year will give you a chance to find a good school for your kids.

It could be that you wish to move to a rural area, but when your children become teenagers, what if they need to find a job? Questions like this can help direct your actions.

Consider Your Finances

When you are trying to do right by your family, you have to think financially, too. After all, you have to be able to support them.

Maybe you could consider debt discharge with DTSS Restoring America’s Freedom. This could help cut back on monthly payments.

Additionally, you may want to consider finding a new job in a new area. If jobs are hard to come by in that area, you can consider making money online. You could start a blog, find freelance work, or find other remote jobs.

You can’t wait until after you’ve made a long-term decision to think about finances. Whatever is the best way forward, planning financially will help you. You have to be able to balance that alongside your perspective timeline.

Staying Unapologetic About Your Choices

There are no one-size-fits-all solutions for all families. What works for your family may not work for another. This is why it’s important to stay unapologetic about your decisions, and instead focus on what’s right for your family.

Studies show that families who stop comparing themselves to others tend to be happier. By staying unapologetic, you will be able to avoid the comparison trap. When you begin apologizing and explaining yourself, however, it can make you feel differently.

Balance Needs, Priorities, And Benefits For All The Family

To the extent that you can, it’s important to balance the needs of all of your family members. Perhaps you wish to move to an area near a brilliant art school, but it requires an hour’s commute to reach anything else. This will be inconvenient for you, and can also cause problems for your teenagers.

Maybe you’re considering a move, but the unpredictability caused by Covid makes it best to wait. Whether this is due to a lack of job prospects or concerns with schooling, it is important to consider.

Another priority to consider is your extended family. If you are close to them, consider how often you would be able to see them. This could be an important factor that should be discussed.

When you balance the needs of your family, you can come to the best compromise. You may not be able to make everyone happy, but it’s important to consider all aspects.

Remember That You are Doing What is Best

Be confident in your ability to do right by your family. As long as you follow these tips and consider all aspects of the decision, you will be just fine. It’s normal to question yourself but, at the end of the day, know that you are doing your best.

Tags adulting, Blog, Dad, Home, How to, Make Money, Making money online, marriage, mom, Parenting

Infant/Toddler Learning Kindergarten Age Learning Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

How Do Musical Instruments Relate To School Performance?

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date September 26, 2020
2 Comments on How Do Musical Instruments Relate To School Performance?

musical instruments, toy instruments, kids, music and learning

By introducing children to the world of music using toy musical instruments, you are opening the door to endless possibilities. You are giving them a great basis for the future and an excellent chance to excel in various areas. This is because the process of learning to play music enhances many other areas of their development.

As stated, learning to play a musical instrument can create various knock-on effects. This means it offers benefits to many individuals, and the best time to start is at a young age. You can find lesson plans (check out https://studentreasures.com/teachers-lounge/lesson-plans/kindergarten/) that you can use at home to blend music and education effectively. For example, use one of the brainstorming sessions as part of your music lesson.

But, why musical instruments?

Improves Math Skills

Learning to play music is very similar to mathematics. The rhythm of the music is based on time being divided into various fractions. Many researchers have found that those children who play toy musical instruments are better at solving mathematical problems. So, it is not surprising that children who have been introduced to music are better at mathematics. This can help them in accounting and business-related areas, as well.

Develops Memorization Skills and Promotes Concentration

Moreover, learning to play different tunes requires memorization skills. A child will enhance their ability to memorize things easily and this will prove especially beneficial during tests and exams.

A child will be able to intake information just as easily as they can memorize a melody. Learning different tunes also requires concentration, so the child will also develop a deeper level of concentration.

Improves Self-Esteem

Another beneficial factor is that toy musical instruments can increase a child’s self-belief, confidence, and self-esteem. These elements are essential for children, especially in this day and age.

Many individuals fail to excel in life because they fear that they could fail and do not believe in themselves. When children learn to play a musical instrument, they realize what they are capable of achieving. They also experience the intense happiness they feel when they achieve it. This will encourage them to take the same attitude towards different areas in their life.

Improves Creativity and Musical Ability

Of course, learning to play a musical instrument will directly improve their creativity skills and their musical ability. They will develop their own musical tastes and may even take a particular liking to the subject.

You may find you have the next Mozart or Chopin on your hands and your child may excel in the area of music. If you had never introduced them to toy musical instruments, then this may have never been the case.

Why wouldn’t you want to give your child an extra outlet and an extra avenue for future success?

Whether they take to the world of music or not you will definitely see benefits in other aspects of their life. Overall the advantages are there for all to see. Musical instruments provide endless amounts of fun to people of all ages and the benefits are too good to ignore.

Tags infant, infants, kindergarten, learning, Parenting, Preschool, Toddler, toddler activities

Adulting How To Learning Life Parenting

New Baby Incoming? Make The Transition Easy With These Top Tips

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date September 18, 2020

New Baby, Baby, Incoming Baby, Great ready for baby, prepare for baby, new mom, new dad, new parent, transition, parenting tips

It’s been a hard year for a lot of people. Job losses are abundant and people are still worried about coronavirus and its effects on millions of people around the globe. If you’re bringing a baby into the world at the moment you might be worried and have reason to be.

However, you can transition to life as a parent just like you would have before. These tips can help you get started and help shift your perspective to one of wanting to be ready and to tackle any issues which come up. Winter might be around the corner, and the baby may be on the way, but there’s always time to set your life up for parental success.

Plan The Events Stuff Now

This is the stuff you do to celebrate your baby coming into the world. This could be planning a little party a couple of weeks after having the baby. Maybe it’s looking at professional newborn photography to immortalize the moment.

Whatever you choose to do, plan it in now so that you can fully focus on the baby when the time comes. Planning events like this is never easy when you’ve got kids to look after. Think ahead and make it easier on yourself.

If you don’t think you’ve got time you might be able to ask friends and family for help, maybe they can arrange things if you’re a bit too busy to do it.

Plan The Hospital Route

Planning the hospital route is a must, especially if you’re getting yourself to the hospital. Of course, you (hopefully) won’t be driving, but whoever is needs to be able to get you there quickly and know the way.

Go on a couple of dry runs and see how long it takes. Knowing how long it takes is important and should factor into your planning. You should also get a go-bag ready, full of what you’ll need at the hospital.

Little things like this take away some stress from what will always be an incredibly stressful day. You should also get a backup. Your partner might be away, busy, or even unwell.

If this is the case, you’ll need someone else to help you out. Always use an ambulance as a last resort because they can cost a lot of money, and they’re pretty much a waste when they could be doing something else.

Guide created by Natera

Scrub The House

You need to ensure the house is clean. Now, it probably is, but when a newborn is concerned it’s always best to be sure.

Disinfect everything. Your baby won’t have the same immune system that you do. Their immune system is weaker as they haven’t had the time to let it develop yet.

When you also factor in coronavirus it makes sense to have a deeper clean than usual. Don’t forget to clean and disinfect the car.

Your baby will be traveling home in the car, so make sure that the car is just as clean as the house. The immune system develops quite quickly but it always pays to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to things like this.

Tags adulting, Dad, How to, infant, infants, learning, Life, mom, Parenting, Plans, tips

Gifts Holiday Kindergarten Age Learning Parenting Toys and Games

12 of The Best Board Games for Kids: Meaningful Gift Ideas

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date August 2, 2020
36 Comments on 12 of The Best Board Games for Kids: Meaningful Gift Ideas

gift ideas for a 6 year old boy, 6 year old boy gift guide, gifts for a 6 year old , best games for kids

I don’t know about you, but I start my Christmas shopping in August. With five kids, it’s essential to begin early and to make sure all my gift plans are in place. My kids love games, so I have been researching the best games for kids.

While I know some of the games they would enjoy, there are so many games out there that I have never heard of. I like to buy games for kids that help develop their skills, and all of the games in this post are ones that do just that.

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Best Games for Kids

1. Race to the Treasure

I love this game because instead of playing against one another, the kids work together to beat an ogre to a treasure. While playing Race to the Treasure, kids will learn strategy, math concepts, making decisions as a team, and cooperation.

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2. 5 Second Rule Jr.

This is a family-friendly version of the 5 Second Rule adult game. When playing 5 Second Rule Jr., kids will read a card and give an answer within 5 seconds. Since it involves quick thinking, funny answers are bound to happen.

With good laughs and light-hearted fun, this game is perfect for family bonding time. If the child can’t quite read yet, playing on teams is fun, too.

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3. Pie Face Showdown

Pie Face is such a fun game, even if it is a little messy. The original game involved players passing the whipped cream covered hand around the table and turning the crank, hoping to not get hit in the face with whipped cream.

Pie Face Showdown is an upgraded version of the original. This one requires two players to both have their faces in front of a whipped cream covered hand. The players have to push their buttons faster to make the whipped cream hit their opponent.

4. Guess Who?

Guess Who is a classic, and it’s one of my favorites. Each player has a card with a person on it, and their opponent has to figure out which character the other one has. The first to figure out their opponent’s character wins the game.

The way you eliminate characters is by asking descriptive questions. These questions can be “Is your person wearing a hat?”, “Does your person have a mustache?”, or anything else that can help eliminate characters and lead you to your opponent’s character.

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5. Buggaloop

This game features a Hexbug that crawls underneath the “backyard” (the game board). It can climb vertically, horizontally, turn corners, and go through loops and tubes. You have to try and get your game piece all the way across the board before the Hexbug appears and takes you out.

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6. Uno

This simple classic card game is perfect for kids because it teaches so many things at once. Color and number matching, taking turns, and paying attention are all skills they can develop while playing.

I play this game often with my 3 and 4-year-old, as well. The only change I make is that we can see each other’s cards so that I can help as needed.

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7. Rush Hour Jr.

To play this game, kids will shift vehicles out of the way to clear a path to the exit. There are 40 levels, allowing for endless fun and brain stimulation. Rush Hour Jr. can help improve logical and spatial reasoning, planning skills, and problem-solving.

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8. Operation

Another classic, the game of Operation has stood the test of time. Kids love this game, no matter which era they were born in.

It helps develop fine motor skills as kids use tweezers to remove ailments from the patient’s body. If the child misses and hits the side of the opening, the game buzzes, and the patient’s nose lights up. The player who can remove the most ailments wins.

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9. Ravensburger Labyrinth

I am so excited to get this game for my son for Christmas. The game changes each time you play it because the tiles move. This ensure that the child won’t get bored with it, since it’s pretty much a different game each time.

They will move their piece around the board, working their way to a treasure. On each turn, the child will also have the chance to change the path of the maze. It’s the perfect game to teach strategy.

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10. No Stress Chess

This game offers a chance to teach kids how to play chess with little frustration on their part. It comes with a deck of cards that teach the rules of the game and strategies that should be used.

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11. Skillmatics Educational Game: Brain Games

This is a game that is fun for the whole family, as the age range is from 6-99 years. It teaches thinking and reasoning, plus logic and problem-solving skills. As the game is played, the boards can be wiped off and done again.

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12. SpringFlower Sight Word Game

My son isn’t a huge fan of working on his sight words the traditional way. I’m always looking for new activities to help him learn them. When I found this game, I was so excited. I only wish I had come across it sooner!

The kids will use the fly swatters to smack the appropriate sight word when it is called out. It’ll help them recognize the word more quickly, and it’ll be fun, helping to commit it to memory.

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Final Thoughts on 12 of The Best Games for Kids

With as much as my kids love games, I always want to choose the ones that they will love. The best games for kids are the ones that offer a learning opportunity or help develop skills.

What are some of the games your kids love? Do you have any games for kids that you want to buy as a Christmas gift this year? Leave me a comment and let me know! I’d love to hear about it.

Posts Related to the Best Games for Kids

Tags big kid, big kid activities, Birthday, Christmas, Family Activities, fine motor, funny, Gift Guide, gifts, Holiday, kindergarten, learning, little kid, numbers, Parenting, Preschool, sight words, toddler activities

Parenting Teenager

World Emoji Day – Do You Know What These Popular Emojis Really Mean?

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date July 16, 2020
15 Comments on World Emoji Day – Do You Know What These Popular Emojis Really Mean?

World Emoji Day, What emojis really mean, what emojis mean to teenagers, online safety

July 17th is World Emoji Day, so what better way to celebrate than learning all about what these popular emojis mean when teenagers use them! As a mom (step-mom, whatevs) to a 16 and 12-year-old, I’m always trying to keep up with what they are talking about.

Emojis made this especially hard because what they meant to my teen and pre-teen was completely different than what they meant to me. This made for some awkward text conversations when I sent something innocent and they got offended. Oops.

Anyway, our teenager was kind enough to fill us in on some of these. Other ones I had to learn on Google. I put together this useful guide to help you understand what your teenager is saying when they use emojis.

What These Popular Emojis Mean

🐍 The snake emoji can indicate a real snake, or it can be an insult. Used as an insult, this character means that someone is being a backstabber, deceitful, or duplicitous.

🍆 An eggplant emoji is sometimes used to reference male genitalia. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it used to represent an actual eggplant, honestly.

🍑 The peach represents a butt. To be honest, I don’t think it’s even shaped like a peach, so I’m sure the butt representation was intended all along.

❄️ When a snowflake is used when it’s not winter, it’s likely an insult. This insult means that someone believes they are more unique than they are, feels entitled, or is overly-emotional. It also indicates that someone is easily offended and unable to accept opinions that are different from their own.

💨 I always thought this emoji was smoke, but I found it in the ‘nature’ section so maybe it’s supposed to be wind. Either way, teenagers use this emoji to represent vaping.

🐸 A frog means something or someone is ugly. This emoji is never a good sign unless you’re talking about a real frog.

🎥🍿❄️ If you see these three emojis together, it means Netflix and chill….. and we all know what that means.

It can be hard to keep up with our teenagers in a world that offers them so many communication methods. One of the best ways to get around that struggle is to understand their forms of communication. Then, you’ll be able to watch for red flags and keep your child safe on the internet.

Check Out This Emoji Book to Learn More

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

What Emoji Did I Miss?

I didn’t cover even close to enough emojis in this blog post! Do you know any hidden meanings of your teen’s favorite emojis? Tell me about it in the comments!

Before I go, I want to share my favorite emoji (no hidden meaning here!). I love this 🤣 laughing emoji because I’m always laughing and telling jokes. It also reminds of me Cartman from South Park, but I think that’s just me.

What’s your favorite emoji? Tell me about that in the comments, too!

World Emoji Day, What emojis really mean, what emojis mean to teenagers

P.S. Check Out This Blog Post to Help Keep Your Teen Safe Online

Teenager Cell Phone Contract

Tags big kids, online safety, Parenting, Teenager, tween

Big Kid How To Kindergarten Age Parenting Teenager

Too Much Screen Time? Try This!

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date April 17, 2020
12 Comments on Too Much Screen Time? Try This!

Too much screen time, screen time, screen-free activities, screen free, no screens, parenting, covid19, coronavirus, stay safe, stay healthy

So, life has changed drastically for most of us in the last month. At our house, this means we have five kids at home while I’m also trying to work from home. I hate to admit it, but that leads to way too much screen time for the kids.

My mom guilt has been eating at me every time I see the kids with a tablet or a video game controller in their hand. Even worse, when I’ve witnessed them sitting on the couch for 2 hours straight staring at the TV.

I know that their life could definitely be worse. I just can’t help thinking of all the memories they are missing out on when they’re constantly getting screen time.

The Struggle

When you’re working from home, there is no super simple solution for keeping your kids occupied. They constantly interrupt, need something, or just begin fighting in the other room. I ignore it as much as I can, but it’s not always possible.

This is when I find myself saying, “do you want to watch YouTube?” or “here, play Talking Tom”. Otherwise, I just simply pass the tablet over without a second thought.

While this struggle is hard to overcome, it’s isn’t impossible. Plus, once you get it figured out, it’s even easier than passing the tablet over.

Pros and Cons of Screen Time For Kids

Don’t get me wrong, there are MANY good things about electronics for children. There are even more bad things, however, if we don’t play our cards right.

Benefits of Screen Time For Kids

Encourages engaging writing (it’s easier for them to get the words out when typing)
Can be used as a tool for communication or school work
It can be educational
Children can learn responsibility if they have set tasks they have to do BEFORE getting their screen time
They can play with friends

Cons

Can lead to obesity
Causes a lack of sleep
It leads to lower grades in school
Increases the chance of behavior issues
Connected to mental health issues in children
Causes eye strain and headaches
It makes children irritable
Prevents the development of proper social skills

What We Can Do When Our Kids Have Too Much Screen Time

1. Set an example.

Kids aren’t the only ones who spend so much time staring at screens. As parents, we do it, too. Of course, if you’re working from home it may be unavoidable at times.

If you’re not working, though, try to be more aware of your screen usage. Children learn from example, and they watch us way more than we think.

2. Give them a screen time limit.

Make sure your kids know they’ll still get to watch their favorite videos and play their favorite games. The only change is that they have a time limit. This will help with the transition.

Give them a 10 and 5-minute warning. This helps them prepare for the end of their screen time. They can finish up what they’re doing or watching.

Plus, it reduces the chances of a melt-down. These melt-downs can be pretty tragic. Especially if the child feels they had no warning before having the device ripped from their hands.

3. Be upfront about the dangers of too much screen time.

Kids do hear what we tell them. Depending on their age, they may be able to understand why screen time rules have to change.

4. Don’t allow screens at certain times or in certain areas.

At our house, there is no screen time at dinnertime. The littles aren’t allowed to have screen in their bedrooms, either.

I’d have that same bedroom rule for the big kids, but they already had TV’s in their rooms when I moved in. My husband knew from the beginning that I wasn’t at a fan of that, but I wasn’t moving in to change their life-long rules so the TV’s stayed.

The big kids aren’t allowed to have their phones at bedtime on school nights, either. We actually have a cell phone contract that they have to follow.

You can make whatever rules are appropriate for your home. Everyone’s rules will be different.

5. Let your children know about the change ahead of time.

You shouldn’t just wake up one day and enforce new rules that yours kids have never heard of. They need time to get used to this idea. So, maybe tell them that after the weekend, the rules for screen-time will be changing.

6. Put it away where they can’t see it.

We’ve all heard the saying “out of sight, out of mind”, right? Well, think of that when screen time isn’t allowed. If your kids can see their device, they’re going to ask for it.

Asking for it and being told ‘no’ will cause a melt down. I promise it’ll be better to hide it until it’s time.

7. Play with them.

Ok, so I know you’re busy. But, when your kids will not stop interrupting you, something has to be done.

Don’t cave on the tablet unless it’s 100% necessary. Instead, take a 10-minute break to do a quick activity with your kiddo. Get them started on something fun, then get back to your work.

That little bit of time will make both of you happier. You can play Barbie’s, Lego’s, or anything else that you know your child will continue doing after you stop.

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Screen-Free Activities For Kids

These activities can mostly be done on their own. You may have to do prep work for some of these independent activities for kids, but that’s about it.

Play soccer or basketball outside
Play catch with a family member or neighborhood friend
Blow up some balloons to play catch with or to smack around
Write or color with sidewalk chalk
Blow bubbles – Try this dinosaur bubble gun
Build with legos
Play with a deck of cards
Use play-doh
Color
Play Barbie’s or superheroes with a parent
Explore a sensory table or bucket
Play with the family pets
Make up a dance to your favorite song
Create a card for a loved one
Put beads on pipe cleaners to make jewelry
Play “The Floor is Lava”
Create an obstacle course
Make paper airplanes
Play school or doctor
Build a fort
Play with empty boxes
Do a puzzle
Make a collage from old magazines
Play dress up

Too Much Screen Time? It’s Not Too Late

I’m the first parent to admit that my kids get too much screen time. I’m working to alleviate this issue, though, and so far it seems to be working!

Are you having the same problem? Do you have any tips? Leave a comment and let me know!

Tags big kid, How to, little kid, Parenting, Teenager, Things to Do

Big Kid Family Activities Free Activities How To Kindergarten Age Life Parenting Teenager Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

15 Fun and Easy Ways to Keep Kids Busy at Home

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date March 22, 2020
13 Comments on 15 Fun and Easy Ways to Keep Kids Busy at Home

keep kids busy at home, things to do at home, how to work from home with kids, social distancing, family activities, independent activities for kids, stuck at home, how to survive no school, have fun with your kids at home, things you can do with kids at homekeep kids busy at home, things to do at home, how to work from home with kids, social distancing, family activities, independent activities for kids, stuck at home, how to survive no school, have fun with your kids at home, things you can do with kids at home

When you’re stuck at home with your kids, you might all go a little stir crazy. You can avoid it and have some fun by learning how to keep kids busy at home.

Some of these ideas will require assistance and/or participation from you (or another adult or older sibling). Of course, I know you will need ideas for how to keep kids busy so you can get stuff done, too, so there is plenty of activities for that on the list, too.

How to Keep Your Kids Busy at Home

1. Help them or encourage them to set up an obstacle course.

The older your kids are, the more likely they will be to do this independently. Be prepared to have to attempt the obstacle course in the end, however.

For younger kids, you may have to assist them in the setting up process, and then teach them how to get through the obstacle course. You may be able to back off eventually and let them make their way through the course on their own.

2. Do a craft.

This doesn’t have to be hard! One of my favorites this week was using old magazines to make collages. All of my kids loved this craft, even the teenager.

Simply supply each kid with a magazine or two, a glue stick, and scissors. Then let them have fun and create whatever they want. Likewise, other engaging activities for kids include face painting. Interestingly, you can buy face paint for kids from online stores; these colors are safe for children to use. It pushes the kids to explore their creativity and try out new crafts.

There are so many other crafts, however, so be creative and do whatever you think your kids will like. You’ll also have to decide how hands-on you want to be during the craft, too, before deciding on one.

3. Set up a sensory bin.

I love sensory bins!! You don’t have to have a sensory table to enjoy sensory play. All you need is a container such as a medium-sized tote or a large bowl. Then, fill it with whatever you think your kids will enjoy for a while.

Sometimes I just go with soap and water in the sensory bin, or I will dye rice. Other times I get fancier and do a shark-themed sensory bin. Oh, another favorite was our frog sensory bin! There are so many options.

4. Make something out of paper mache: How to keep kids busy

A few years ago, our son had to do a project where he created a 3-D animal. He chose to make a paper mache diamond-back rattlesnake. This project ended up being one of the best he’s ever done, and it gave us all a new-found love of paper mache.

These types of projects are so much easier than they sound and actually require only a few ingredients. Kids can make whatever they want, or you can challenge them to make something specific.

Click here for an easy paper mache recipe.

5. Have a push-up competition: How to keep kids busy

I’m excited for this one! My kids love to compete with one another, and I think even our 12 and 15-year-old will have fun with it. Actually, it may keep my husband busy for a while, too. If you have a gym or workout space, you could even make a day of it. Or if not, creating a purpose built space to entertain your kids could be great.

With a great contractor and basement waterproofing company, it will take no time at all and give you the exact space you need to have more fun as a family. Either way, spending time having a mini olympics or sports day can be fun for the whole family. Make sure someone is counting out loud, too!

6. Have them work on puzzles.

While I’m working from home, puzzles are one of my go-to options when the kids want to be right next to me. I get out a few wooden puzzles for them to choose from

One of the choices is always an alphabet puzzle and as they put it together I’ll call out a random letter that they have to find next. It’s helping with letter recognition along with keeping them busy. I’ve also been having my littles practice their name with the letters.

7. Let them play with and write on sticky notes.

So at first, I was completely against this idea. I didn’t want my sticky notes wasted. htat quickly changed when I realized that my kids left me alone for a bit when I let them use the sticky notes. A small price to pay.

My son has been having me write math problems out on sticky notes for him and then he solves them. My daughter has been practicing writing her name on them. Other times they make random pictures and stick them in random places, but that’s okay, too.

8. Write a letter on a piece of paper and have your child write it in different colors.

My kids love this one because I pull out my “special” markers for it. Really, these markers are just the ones I hide from the kids so they don’t get lost or dried out.

Sometimes I even let them use glitter pens or a mixture of many different writing instruments.

9. Challenge them to build a Lego or block tower.

Tell them to make it bigger or wider than they ever have before, and to keep it a surprise until they are 100% finished. This should buy you a little time to get things done with kids in the house.

After that is done, you can always challenge them to make different things out of Legos. Be creative and come up with fun ideas that they’ll be excited about.

*Check out my Pinterest board called “Legos” for ideas!”

10. Set up an art center.

Before you get busy doing your own thing for the day, set up a small art center for your kiddos. This could include blank paper, markers or crayons, glue, some colored paper, or any little add-ons you can find to put in the bin.

If you want a themed art center, just go with whatever holiday or season is coming up and offer colors pertaining to that. You can use whatever you have around your house, or you can head to a dollar tree to grab a couple of seasonal items that they can use for artwork.

11. Find a free electronic resource for your kids to use.

Right now, many companies are offering free online resources for kids. This is to ensure every child has the chance to learn something new. A few good ones are Scholastic and ABC Mouse.

My 12-year-old has been loving the Scholastic lessons because they are about things that are interesting to him, and my 3-year-old has been really enjoying ABC Mouse. I think finding the right online source for your child based on their interests and their age group is important, but there are resources for all kids right now.

12. Blow up balloons: How to keep kids busy

No, I’m not kidding. This keeps ALL of my kids busy for a while. There are so many different things they can do with balloons. From playing indoor volleyball or balloon soccer to simply throwing the balloons at each other, they have fun for such a long time when I randomly blow up balloons.

13. Have a board game day.

Pull out yours and your child’s favorite board games and spend a few hours (or the entire day) playing games together. This is great bonding time, and your kid will love the time you spent with them. If you can’t play for such a long time, play a game or two and then suggest that they play with their siblings.

Since I have big kids and little kids, this gets a bit trickier, but it’s still possible. The other night we played Monopoly Voice Banking, which is our 12 year old’s favorite game. The littles wanted to play, too, of course, and instead of sending them away we formed “teams”.

Each little (there’s 3 of them) chose one big person’s team to be on. The little was responsible for rolling the dice and moving the piece (with help when needed), and the big person was responsible for the rest of the turn. We had very little argument or whining during the game and everyone had a good time!

14. Remember, it’s National Reading Awareness Month.

There are TONS of ideas out there to celebrate reading month. This could be as easy as pulling out your child’s school calendar and copying what your child would have been doing at school that day to celebrate. Otherwise, you can check out my blog post about Fun Ways to Celebrate National Reading Month.

15. Play hide and seek

We’ve already played in the house, in the backyard, and in the front yard since our social distancing began. The kids love this game and its one that can be played with parents or with siblings. Even better, it’s actually fun for everyone.

Recap: How to Keep Kids Busy

There are many ideas for keeping your kids busy, but it’s sometimes hard to think of them when you need them most. This post can help.

What do you do to keep your kids busy? Leave a comment and let me know!

Tags adulting, big kid, Family Activities, How to, kindergarten, little kid, Parenting, Preschool, Teenager, Toddler

Family Activities Holiday How To Parenting

March Momma-razzi Box: A Review

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date March 15, 2020
5 Comments on March Momma-razzi Box: A Review

Momma-Razzi, MommaRazzi, March photo ideas, St Patrick's Day Photo Ideas, Easy Photo Shoot, Easy DIY Photo Shoot, cute pictures of kids, how to take good photos of kids

If you’re anything like me, you love having cute, themed photos of your kids, but you hate paying the price for a photoshoot with a professional for each holiday. This is where the Momma-razzi box comes into play.

Because I don’t want to have to pay for seasonal and holiday photos each and every time, I always try to take my own cute holiday photos of my kids, and they always seem to be lacking. I realized it’s because I don’t have enough props!

Professionals always have the best props, right?! Luckily, I learned about something called a Momma-razzi Box. This box is full of cute props and other items to make these candid photoshoots something to remember and treasure forever!

*Disclaimer: I received the March Momma-razzi Box for free in exchange for this review. The opinions in this blog post are 100% my own, and I stand behind everything I have written.*

Inside the Box

I received the “mini-box”, and I was pleasantly surprised by all of the stuff inside! It was a cute added touch that the balloons were placed inside classy gold envelopes, too. Let’s start at the beginning, however, and not just with the cute envelopes.

I opened the box and the first thing I found was an envelope with directions for using the items in the box, and a list of everything I’d find inside.

Then, as I dug deeper into the box, I found the following items:

a white backdrop/flooring
white balloons
colored, twisty balloons
gold coins
green shamrocks
an air pump for the balloons (definitely appreciated!)

Setting Up The Momma-razzi Box Photo Shoot

This was so easy to set up! I actually used thumb tacks to hold the backdrop up on a wall. Then, I blew up all of the balloons.

The colorful balloons were intended to look like a rainbow once they were all together, so I set them up that way. I taped them together because they wouldn’t stay in place otherwise.

I popped so many balloons trying to do this, and that was the biggest issue I ran into. At one point, I had a full rainbow with all colors, but I kept losing balloons as we went along. You’ll notice that I have no red or blue in my rainbow in my photos! Oops.

Then, I twisted 3 white balloons together and added them to the ends of the rainbow. I also randomly laid out some of the white balloons, the gold coins, and the shamrocks. It was that easy, and the photoshoot was ready.

What My Kids Thought

My kids actually love having their pictures taken. They think it’s even more fun when it feels like a real photoshoot, so this was so exciting for them.

They loved seeing the photos afterward and wanted to keep taking more and more pictures. It was definitely a hit.

Once we were done, my 5 year old had fun making designs out of the props.

Final Thoughts on the March Momma-razzi Box

This box made our holiday photoshoot so easy and so much fun! I’ll definitely be ordering these for many other holidays and photoshoots to come. It would be easy to add additional items to the photoshoot, too, to personalize it even more.

The only issue I had was that the balloons popped SO easily, but that could have been on me LOL. Next time I’ll be much more careful with them. I plan on using the little props in a sensory table now that I’m done with them, especially since the kids are off school for three weeks!

What do you think?! If you want to order a box for yourself, check out Cassandra Barksdale’s CrateJoy website at www.cratejoy.com/subscription-box/life-lit-up/.

Tags Holiday, How to, Parenting