Tag: toddlers

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How To Parenting

Guest Post: 4 Amazing Factors To Consider Before Buying Toddler Clothes

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*4 Amazing Factors To Consider Before Buying Toddler Clothes is a guest post written by Kiara Waylen at Aussie’s Innovative Business Ideas*

Shopping for your kids must be a fun activity and the most exciting one for the new parents. The cute little shirts, frocks, and shoes look so attractive that you feel like picking every single one of them from the store. As your baby is the most precious gift, make sure that the clothes you buy are comfortable for the little one. The kids should be safe in toddler clothes, and you must be the responsible one for selecting the clothes. 

There are so many brands and options available in the market that it will be an overwhelming task to choose any one outfit. You can follow the following advice that may help in choosing the right clothes for the kid. Whether you have a baby boy or a baby girl, the care should be equal for the babies who cannot express the irritation even if the clothes are uncomfortable. 

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Pick the Right Fabric

When the chubby cheeks and dimpled chin baby joins the family, you cannot wait to deck him or her up in the colourful, stylish, trendy, and bright dresses. However, toddler clothes may cause skin irritation and allergies, and the baby may have rashes all over the body. It indicates that the material is not suitable for the toddler. 

When you buy clothes, remember that the child has overly sensitive skin. It is better to pick only the cotton materials for the dresses. You can also go for the equally good alternatives like the soy-based fabrics which have a gentle feel and smoothness. Organic cotton is undoubtedly the best option, although rayon from bamboo can work. But every child is unique, and you need to check whether any fabric is causing allergies to your baby’s skin. 

Size Factor

Children at the beginning stage grow so fast that they outgrow the clothes within a couple of months sometimes. But that does not imply you will buy a bigger size so that the child can continue wearing it for a few months. Babies feel uncomfortable if you make them wear big clothes that hang loose on their body. But you can purchase one size bigger, as it is not an exaggeration when people say that children grow faster than the weeds. These babies will fit in the one size bigger toddler clothes sooner than you expected. But also remember to check the fitting as kids are uncomfortable in too tight clothes. Moderately loose clothes are helpful in providing the breathing space to the body. 

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Functionality

Your baby will not walk the ramp that you will search for stylish clothes only. The toddler clothes should have the functionality necessary for the age group.

  • The onesies are ideal when your baby cannot move much and only loves to move the legs. It is also easy to change diapers. 
  • Kimono bodysuits are ideal for toddlers who stay comfortable in this style.
  • Front open shirts or frocks that you can easily put on or take off without irritating the baby.

Cost Factor

Buying expensive toddler clothes does not indicate that you are buying the best stuff for the kid. Also, do not opt for the ones that are low in cost with poor quality. You should not compromise with the quality for saving money and buy the top quality for the baby. If you like the quality, then only check out the price. The clothes should pamper the skin just the way you take care of your baby. 

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Conclusion

Finally, make sure you keep the above factors in mind while choosing the toddler’s clothing, also ask the toddler about their choice.

Categories
Family Activities How To Life Parenting

6 Ways to Help Your Kids Be Productive and Happy

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Raising children and helping your kids be productive and happy isn’t always an easy job. With technology becoming an ever-present distraction, it is even harder than before. As a parent, you want to do whatever it takes to see your kids accomplish their daily tasks and live a life that matters. 

Even so, it takes a good amount of time, energy, and patience to instill the necessary values. If done right, however, your kids could have peak performance for the rest of their lives. As a parent, you play a huge role in your child’s enjoyment, satisfaction, and overall development. 

Use the proven tips below to set your kids up for successful and impactful futures.  

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Source

How to Make Your Kids Productive and Happy

1. Make Your Home as Comfortable as Possible

One of the best ways to raise happy kids is by creating a positive environment around them to make them feel loved and respected. Setting the tone for your home can be done by enforcing proper communication channels, using the correct language, and encouraging praise. It is also important to keep the physical space neat and in good shape. 

Notably, kids love cute spaces. Having an exclusive spot for them in the house helps them feel wanted and loved. They will love that you cared enough to create a space just for them.

Plus, it gives them the liberty to decorate their space the way they want to. With additional custom-made designs such as the cabin beds at Cuckooland, you can foster creativity and innovation, making your little ones productive.  

2. Give Them Daily Tasks and Responsibilities

Getting your kids to take out the garbage, do the dishes, or even mow the lawn shouldn’t be seen as a way of reducing the workload. Instead, it is a way of helping your kids live better lives. By making them follow a specific routine with well-defined tasks, they become responsible and, eventually, champions of respecting authority. 

Learn how to be authoritative, but at the same time, not too strict or hard on your kids. Once in a while, give them huge responsibilities such as making dinner or deciding where to hang out. Then, watch how it will slowly cultivate confidence and decisiveness. 

3. Inspire Core Values and Good Habits

According to scientific studies, if you want your kids to be dedicated to their studies, or lead straight lives, present yourself as one of the best role models they could have. Core values such as kindness and managing emotions go a long way in shaping their mental health. Make sure these values are instilled in your children by letting them see you practice them, too.

Teaching kids to respect the environment is also essential. Educating your kids on how to save energy and make eco-friendly choices is a great way to encourage them to develop positive values around protecting natural resources. This provides lots of excellent learning opportunities to teach them about renewable energy sources, such as those used by CleanChoice Energy, and to educate them on how renewable energy is generated.

As a caregiver, be sensitive at all times and make decisions from an empathetic point of view. Your kids are more likely to respond to this form of parenting than an authoritarian one. What most parents don’t understand is that kids absorb all their expressions, and those expressions shape and influence their young self-esteem.  

4. Make Time for Them, Set Limits, and Be Consistent

Sometimes, it’s not about what your kids do that counts, but about what you do. How many times a week do you spend quality time with them? Are you a consistent parent, or do you always have excuses and reasons in-store? 

Being a present parent enhances the productivity of your child by making them aware of parental authority. It also helps with adhering to rules and regulations. Setting limits ensures proper management of time and resources while enforcing discipline. 

5. Make Your Happiness a Priority

Energy can be reciprocated and entertained by your kid’s ever-growing mind. Let’s face it – you also have needs, responsibilities, and expectations to meet. It can be hard to be fully present while managing the pressure, but you have to take it easy on yourself. 

Getting everything done should not be seen as selfishness but as a means of enjoying quality time with your kids. Taking care of yourself and meeting all your desired expectations gives you a clear and relaxed mind to handle kids. 

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Mistakes You Should Avoid When Raising Your Kids

While it may appear easy to implement the above tips, it is also easy to make mistakes when raising your kids. Some of them include:

  • Shaming your children 
  • Imposing micromanagement rules
  • Failure to give them a solid emotional base
  • Correcting your kids constantly without giving them room to make mistakes
  • Encouraging limited play instead of unstructured play

As parents, you should strive to provide the best for your kids. Transforming and molding them might feel like an uphill task and could cause some disagreement or stress, but it helps them grow into young, responsible, and productive individuals. 

Help Your Kids Be Productive and Happy

Implement these tips, and you will be sure to play your part in helping your kids be productive and happy. With some concentrated effort and discipline, you can make it happen. Would you add anything to this list?

Categories
Craft crafts Infant/Toddler Learning Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Paper Plate Sunflower Craft – An Easy Craft For Kids

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I don’t know about you, but sunflowers just make me happy. They remind me of long, sunny, relaxing summer days. That is why I decided a paper plate sunflower craft was the perfect one for us this week.

How to Make This Easy Sunflower Craft

Materials

Directions

1. Cut out the petals.

I created a template for this so that we would have the correct shape. You can cut them out without a template, but I always need a guide. There are three different sizes for the petals because the petals on a real sunflower are always different sizes.

I printed the template onto white paper and then cut the leaves out. Then, I traced the cut outs onto a piece of yellow construction paper. Once I had covered the construction paper with traced sunflower petals, I began to cut.

I didn’t cut just one yellow page at a time. Instead, I put five pieces of yellow construction paper in a small stack and cut through them all at once.

sunflower petals template, sunflower template

2. Glue the petals to the paper plate.

You will want to put the paper plate upside down for this part. Glue the petals to the edges of the bottom of the paper plate so that they stick out from the back when you look at the front. Do this all the way around the plate.

3. Cut out squares of yellow paper and glue them to the center of the plate.

Glue small squares of yellow paper all over the middle of the plate on the front. This will be the yellow center of the sunflower.

4. Make black dots on the yellow center to show the seeds.

Use a marker to make random black dots all over the yellow squares in the center of the plate. These are supposed to represent the sunflower seeds.

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What do You Think About This Paper Plate Sunflower Craft?

This paper plate sunflower craft was so easy, and the kids loved it. Plus, it’s super cute so I can hang it up for a while!

What crafts have you been doing with your kids lately? Tell me about it in the comments!

Categories
Craft crafts Infant/Toddler Learning Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Tear Art – Little Red Riding Hood

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This tear art based on the book Little Red Riding Hood was so much fun for my daughter! It was easy, allowed her to be creative, and can be done over and over again with different books. Before I get into the details of that craft, let’s catch up!

I hope you are all having an amazing summer! I know things are a little different this year since lots of things are closed/canceled. Plus, the things that aren’t canceled or closed likely have new rules and guidelines to follow.

It definitely takes some getting used to, but we’re still enjoying all of our favorite activities! We’ve spent a lot of time at the Lake (Lake Michigan is our favorite), and spent time exploring places we’ve never been before.

The kids have loved it and they haven’t even complained about missing out on things we would normally do.

It’s been rainy here lately, though, so we have been stuck inside a little more than we’d like. That’s been fine, though, because it gives us plenty of time for reading stories and making crafts.

Little Red Riding Hood Tear Craft

My daughter is obsessed with wolf stories, which has been a theme for her for more than a year now. Lately, we’ve been reading Little Red Riding Hood over and over again.

So, when she wanted to read it for the fourth time in a row the other day, I came up with a better idea. We decided to make a craft based on the book! I love to do that anyway, so this was a perfect time.

My little lady is currently grounded from scissors (a few too many mishaps with her hair, her Barbie’s hair, and now her toy horse’s hair… along with clothes and anything else she found). I wanted to stick to my guns on this one, so we settle for tear art.

Tear crafts are awesome anyway because they help with fine motor skills and using pinching skills. This one was even more fun because we had to copy the book while tearing our paper.

Plus, when you do a craft based on a book, it will help the child remember the book better. That means, if there are any lessons involved in the book, the child will remember those better, too.

Materials:

Directions:

  • Read the book
  • Choose a part your child wants to re-create
  • Gather the necessary colors of construction paper
  • Begin tearing out the shapes
  • Glue them to the paper
  • Use crayons, a pen, or a marker to add final details if necessary
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Use Tear Art to Occupy Kids While You Work From Home

So, I’ll be completely honest here. One of the reasons I’m trying to get my kids to enjoy tear art based on books is because I often work from home. As many of you are probably realizing, working from home when you have kids is incredibly difficult.

I did this craft with my daughter, but I’m hoping that it’ll help her stay occupied on her own when I’m working. Since the materials are basic, you’ll be able to feel comfortable that your child won’t hurt themselves without your guidance.

They can choose any book they want, even ones they haven’t read before. This opens the door to so many ideas and possibilities. You’ll be able to suggest tear art next time your kids are bugging you while you are busy with work.

Your kids don’t have to only create the characters in the book, either. They can re-create the scenery or any other aspect of the book. I think rainbows and other nature-related themes would be so much fun to re-create!

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Final Thoughts on Tear Art – Little Red Riding Hood

This is a craft that kids of all ages can do. They get to use their creativity to create what they are seeing in the book.

It doesn’t matter how close your child (or yourself) gets to an exact re-creation. Just going through this process will help them remember the book and the lessons it has taught.

It’ll also keep your kids busy for a while, and they can do this craft without scissors.

What book would you want to recreate with your child? Tell me about it in the comments!

Check out this similar craft:

Big Bad Wolf Paper Plate Craft

Categories
crafts Decor Gifts Holiday Winter

Easy DIY Snowman Christmas Tree Ornament for Kids Are Great for Gifting

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There is nothing more special than a homemade Christmas tree ornament, especially when the ornaments are made by kids. A few years ago, my dad said that he wanted Christmas tree ornaments made by all of his grandkids, so these are the ones the kids made for him! The DIY snowman handprint ornament was a hit because not only did Papa love his handmade gifts, the kids also loved making them!

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How to Make a DIY Snowman Handprint Ornament

Materials:

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Directions:

For the jar lids, I used lids of spaghetti and Alfredo sauce jars and painted them red with acrylic paint. I had to do several coats of red paint to cover up the words on the lids completely because I didn’t want to see anything through the paint.

Once the lids were completely covered and dried, I used white paint on the kids’ hands to make the snowmen. I painted their fingers (3 fingers for Sylas and Peyton, 4 fingers for Josie and Liam) to create the snowmen. I also painted the top of their palm to make a snowy hill underneath the snowmen.

Peyton’s hands were too big for this (he was 10-years-old), so I had him do the top half of his fingers and use a paintbrush to create the snowy hill. Once the white paint dried completely, I added the scarves with green paint, hats, eyes, buttons, and mouths with a black sharpie and the noses with orange paint. Peyton did his own, but I did this part for the babies.

Once everything is dried and ready to go, you will spray one coat of clear spray paint over the front and back of the ornament. This ensures that the paint doesn’t flake off.

Finally, you will use a hot glue gun to glue the string or ribbon in a loop at the top of the ornament. Make sure you put the glue on the back so that it is hidden from sight.

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Final Thoughts On DIY Snowman Handprint Ornaments

I love the finished product SO MUCH that I wanted to keep them for myself. My dad loved them, and the kids really enjoyed making them and giving them as a gift.

I’d love to see the Christmas crafts you’ve done or are planning to do with your kiddos this season!! Please share them in the comments. 🙂

Categories
Craft crafts Sensory Play Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Foil Printed Fall Art For Kids

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*This post was originally written for my old blog, and was dated September 28, 2017. It was one of my favorite posts and we have done this exact craft or one very similar each year since. Foil printed fall art for kids quickly became a favorite in our house. If you like this one, come back in December for a foil printed winter craft!*

Chris took the little boys with him to Peyton’s football practice tonight, so Josie and I had a little one on one time. I literally never get alone time with JoJo so the minute the guys were out the door, Josie and I got started on our mommy-daughter time.

We painted first, which she was pretty excited about. She isn’t a HUGE fan of painting, but she is a huge fan of making a mess and gets excited when she sees me get it all out. The goal of our artwork tonight was to create fall artwork using foil as our “brush”.

Fall Art For Kids – a Simple Fall Craft

I gave Josie a small sheet of foil and told her to crumple it up. It was a fun sensory part of our craft and she loved it. I let her crumple mine up, too.

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I quickly painted the tree trunk before I let her begin painting. She’s a bit too little to paint her own trunk and I wanted her to sort of understand where to put her painted “leaves”.

Once the trunk was painted, I showed her how to create the leaves and let her go to town. She loved it and had so much fun with this one.

foil printed fall art

When we were done painting, we baked some cookies. I used my go-to cookie recipe that I’ve been using for years (click here to try it yourself!). Josie really likes dumping the ingredients in the bowl and eating the chocolate chips when mama’s not looking.

The guys were excited that we surprised them with cookies, and Josie & I had a blast bonding. It was such a good night.

I’d love to see some of your guys’ fall art creations! Share them in the comments so we can try them, too!

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Categories
Craft crafts Free Activities Holiday Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

4 Simple Fall Handprint Crafts For Kids

**I originally wrote this Fall Handprint Crafts post for my old blog, which I do not post to anymore. I decided to move it over here when I realized it was still being shared.**

Years ago, I worked as an infant/toddler teacher. I taught one-year-old toddlers, which was so much fun. Between my classroom of Wonderful One’s and my own babies at home, I did lots of simple crafts that could be used as keepsakes for years to come.

Handprint crafts are always my favorite because, let’s face it, what parent doesn’t want to see their tiny toddler’s handprint when that tiny toddler grows to become a not-so-tiny child, teen, adult, etc.? I know that my little’s won’t be little for long, and I want every memory possible of how little they once were.

Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite simple handprint crafts for fall.

Simple Fall Handprint Crafts

1. Frankenstein handprint craft

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For this cute little Frankenstein, you’ll just paint 4 of the child’s fingers black (do not pain the thumb), and the rest of the hand (not the thumb) green. Then, place their hands flat on the paper. Once the paint is dry, use a sharpie or other black marker to draw the face and the lines.

2. Handprint pumpkin with fingerprint stem

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For this fall handprint craft, you will paint your little one’s hand orange and place it flat on a white piece of paper. Then, paint their pointer finger green and place that flat on the same sheet of white paper. While you wait for the paint to dry, cut an orange pumpkin shape and a green stem shape out of construction paper.

Once the paint is dry, you’ll cut around the handprint and around the fingerprint. Have your little one help you glue the handprint to the pumpkin shape and the fingerprint stem to the green paper, and then glue the stem to the pumpkin.

3. Handprint leaves

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I love, love, love this one!! You’ll paint the child’s hand 3 separate times, once for a yellow handprint, one for red, and once for orange. You’ll put all 3 handprints on the same page, wait for them to dry, and then draw “stems” through the handprint leaves.

Check out my post about this craft here —-> Fall Crafts for Kids – Handprint Leaves – Mom Wife Wine

4. Handprint spider

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This one was so much fun and the kids really loved it. You’ll paint your child’s hand black (excluding the thumb) and put it flat on the paper but sideways. Then, you’ll do the same with the other hand, overlapping the palms of the hand. Once the paint is dry, add a white smile and googly eyes. You can even add a spider web to the craft, too.

Side Notes on Fall HandPrint Crafts

*If you don’t know what kind of paint to use, here is the link to what I use!

*Always remember to write the child’s name and the date somewhere on the craft (this could be on the back).

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

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Final Thoughts on Simple Fall Handprint Crafts

You could really turn any Halloween or fall-themed idea into a fall handprint craft of some kind. You just have to be creative and use your imagination (or Pinterest, of course).

What do you think? Which ones are your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know!

Do you love fall as much as I do?

Check out my free fall bucket list printable!