My daughter's teacher called me today. I am always worried when I see a phone call from the school; not because my kids get into trouble (because I have such good kids). I was worried as mom that one of them got hurt or was sick. Well, that sure was not the case today !
My 8 year old daughter Maria's teacher called today to congratulate me. My Maria Stella won a Young Authors Award for her poetry ! Her poem will be published in a commemorative book that goes to all of the schools in the district and all of the public libraries in the district - plus we get a copy (I asked them if I could get a case !).
So, here it goes - look through the eyes of an 8 year old girl for 2 minutes!
Boys, Annoying, Boys !
Boys, boys they're everywhere.
Boys, boys they're in my hair.
Trying to get under my skin.
Especially annoying when they win,
a game that I don't want to play.
Making me play most every day.
When I say "No!" they tattle on mom,
Mom says, "Honey, I have lots of work,c'mon!"
Boys, boys playing sports like hockey and soccer.
When it comes to the subject of mocking me,
they're quite the mocker.
I think boys should live on Mars.
Instead of stealing all my chocolate bars.
Boys, boys they're boogery and hairy.
Who in their right minds would go off and marry.... Boys ?!
- Maria Stella Lierman
Showing posts with label Kid Time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kid Time. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, December 7, 2009
Make your Kids & Husband feel special during Holiday Break
A lot of us have a week or two off during the holiday season. More important than all the gifts in the world - is your time with your family. I am planning to take one whole day and spend it with each one of my children - just me and that one child spending time together all day doing whatever they want to do. Some ideas could be going to the bookstore, going bowling, going to the comic bookstore, going to the park, going out to eat at lunch at their favorite restaurant.
I do this once a month with each one of my children. We spend time together one-on-one "hanging out". It is fantastic! The kids watch the Family Calendar like a hawk for "their special day". They skip off to school waiting to come home and take off with Mom on our adventures. We have fabulous conversations in the car, on the road, at our destinations, on the way back - non-stop talking. I always tell them they can ask me ANYTHING and I will always answer truthfully. That "rule" makes for some amazing conversations I'll tell you!
Husband-Time - we all need some alone time with our spouse. We struggle with this ourselves and it is a goal we are always trying to improve. During our holiday break this year, we will be looking for a babysitter for all three kids. We live near my husband's family and they are willing to take our older kids, but it has to be a complete emergency for them to take the baby (who will be 2 by the end of year). He is wonderful, sweet, and adorable - however, since all their kids are older - they seem terrified of diapers and little ones and that they just won't know what to do. And unfortunately, my in-laws are just too senior to take care of our kids at this point.
We are also entertaining the idea of finding another like-minded family to trade babysitting with on Saturday nights - back to the "baby" factor - we need to find friends that have a little one too and aren't put off by watching 3 kids!
So, can you squeeze in a special day for each one of your kids and your hubby this holiday season. Isn't that what it is all about - Family ? You will have an amazing time doing the simplest things. The best gift you can give your children and husband is your undivided attention, time, and love.
I do this once a month with each one of my children. We spend time together one-on-one "hanging out". It is fantastic! The kids watch the Family Calendar like a hawk for "their special day". They skip off to school waiting to come home and take off with Mom on our adventures. We have fabulous conversations in the car, on the road, at our destinations, on the way back - non-stop talking. I always tell them they can ask me ANYTHING and I will always answer truthfully. That "rule" makes for some amazing conversations I'll tell you!
Husband-Time - we all need some alone time with our spouse. We struggle with this ourselves and it is a goal we are always trying to improve. During our holiday break this year, we will be looking for a babysitter for all three kids. We live near my husband's family and they are willing to take our older kids, but it has to be a complete emergency for them to take the baby (who will be 2 by the end of year). He is wonderful, sweet, and adorable - however, since all their kids are older - they seem terrified of diapers and little ones and that they just won't know what to do. And unfortunately, my in-laws are just too senior to take care of our kids at this point.
We are also entertaining the idea of finding another like-minded family to trade babysitting with on Saturday nights - back to the "baby" factor - we need to find friends that have a little one too and aren't put off by watching 3 kids!
So, can you squeeze in a special day for each one of your kids and your hubby this holiday season. Isn't that what it is all about - Family ? You will have an amazing time doing the simplest things. The best gift you can give your children and husband is your undivided attention, time, and love.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Make a monthly date with each of your children
Today is June 1st. Mark on your calendar tonite a date this month with each of your kids.
I have 3 children - ages 10, 7, and 17 months. My older kids are just fantastic with the younger one and love him to pieces ! However, one of the things they told me about 2 months after the baby was born was that they love him, but that it seemed like I no longer had time for them !
Well, if you are a mom you know you cannot even see straight those first 6-8 weeks. Well, I started a new tradition in our family that once a month each kid gets a night with just mommy.
They get to pick where we eat for dinner - within limits. I am a big fan of coupons and deals - so we look for specials and coupons and put them on the bulletin board as possible choices for our "date night". They pick something that is interesting to them like bowling, going to the bookstore, going to the comic book store, getting gelato or ice cream and sitting outside and talking.
We do it on a school night and leave at 5pm and return at 9pm so we can really get some quality hours together. The only thing that we do not do on this night is the movies. Though that would be time together, that is not time together for us to talk and for me to learn and listen to what is going on with their lives.
My kids LOVE this night. My 10 year old son, came in our room after our first Mommy Son date and said "Mom, I sure had a great time tonite and I hope we can do it again sometime!" How Sweet !
So, give it a whirl! Consult your June calendar now & block off a date night with each one of your children !
I have 3 children - ages 10, 7, and 17 months. My older kids are just fantastic with the younger one and love him to pieces ! However, one of the things they told me about 2 months after the baby was born was that they love him, but that it seemed like I no longer had time for them !
Well, if you are a mom you know you cannot even see straight those first 6-8 weeks. Well, I started a new tradition in our family that once a month each kid gets a night with just mommy.
They get to pick where we eat for dinner - within limits. I am a big fan of coupons and deals - so we look for specials and coupons and put them on the bulletin board as possible choices for our "date night". They pick something that is interesting to them like bowling, going to the bookstore, going to the comic book store, getting gelato or ice cream and sitting outside and talking.
We do it on a school night and leave at 5pm and return at 9pm so we can really get some quality hours together. The only thing that we do not do on this night is the movies. Though that would be time together, that is not time together for us to talk and for me to learn and listen to what is going on with their lives.
My kids LOVE this night. My 10 year old son, came in our room after our first Mommy Son date and said "Mom, I sure had a great time tonite and I hope we can do it again sometime!" How Sweet !
So, give it a whirl! Consult your June calendar now & block off a date night with each one of your children !
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Send Your Kids Outside for 1 "Green Hour" a Day
Send kids outside to get close to nature and appreciate the world around them. Remember when we were kids. We ran in from school, grabbed a snack, and then ran back outside to play until our moms called us for dinnertime.
The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a "Green Hour" every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play.
Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, refers to this nature-child disconnect as "nature deficit disorder." One of the primary symptoms is the replacement of the green space by the screen space as the occupier of children's free time. Indeed, a Kaiser Family Foundation study found that the average American child spends 44 hours per week (more than 6 hours a day!) staring at some kind of electronic screen. Studies have linked excessive television viewing to obesity, violence, and even lower intelligence in kids. Now, a growing wave of research indicates that children who spend time outdoors are healthier, overall, than their indoor counterparts.
Children who regularly spend unstructured time outside:
- Play more creatively
- Have lower stress levels
- Have more active imaginations
- Become fitter and leaner
- Develop stronger immune systems
- Experience fewer symptoms of ADD and ADHD
- Have greater respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment
Turn off that television, computer, video games and kick the kids outside until dinner to run around, get some fresh air, soak up some vitamin d, and have some good old-fashioned outdoor fun !
SOURCE: http://www.greenhour.org/, http://www.moregreenmorelife.blogspot.com/
The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a "Green Hour" every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play.
Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, refers to this nature-child disconnect as "nature deficit disorder." One of the primary symptoms is the replacement of the green space by the screen space as the occupier of children's free time. Indeed, a Kaiser Family Foundation study found that the average American child spends 44 hours per week (more than 6 hours a day!) staring at some kind of electronic screen. Studies have linked excessive television viewing to obesity, violence, and even lower intelligence in kids. Now, a growing wave of research indicates that children who spend time outdoors are healthier, overall, than their indoor counterparts.
Children who regularly spend unstructured time outside:
- Play more creatively
- Have lower stress levels
- Have more active imaginations
- Become fitter and leaner
- Develop stronger immune systems
- Experience fewer symptoms of ADD and ADHD
- Have greater respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment
Turn off that television, computer, video games and kick the kids outside until dinner to run around, get some fresh air, soak up some vitamin d, and have some good old-fashioned outdoor fun !
SOURCE: http://www.greenhour.org/, http://www.moregreenmorelife.blogspot.com/
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