by bitsofthewilliams | Jul 4, 2023 | LIFESTYLE, PARENTING
Summer is a season of endless possibilities and a chance for kids to engage in exciting activities outside of the school environment. To make the most of this time, creating a well-structured summer schedule can ensure that your children stay entertained, engaged, and enriched. In this blog post, we’ll explore a diverse summer schedule for kids that includes “Make it Mondays, Thinking Tuesdays, Water Wednesdays, Take a Trip Thursdays, and Fun Day Fridays.” Let’s dive in and create a summer full of memorable experiences.
Make it Mondays: Unleashing Creativity
Kickstart the week with “Make it Mondays” to encourage your kids to explore their creative sides. Dedicate this day to arts, crafts, and baking activities. Set up a craft station with various supplies like paints, colored paper, glue, and scissors. Your children can create artwork, make friendship bracelets, or even build a birdhouse. Additionally, baking sessions are a great way to bond and develop practical skills. Experiment with new recipes or let your kids decorate their own cupcakes. The possibilities are endless, and the satisfaction of creating something from scratch is immensely rewarding.
Thinking Tuesdays: Nurturing the Mind
On “Thinking Tuesdays,” focus on activities that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and intellectual growth. Puzzles, brain teasers, and logic games can challenge their minds and keep them engaged. Consider printing out educational worksheets or workbooks tailored to their grade level, providing an opportunity to reinforce concepts from the previous school year or introduce new ones. Reading books, storytelling, and journaling can also foster their imagination and language skills. Encourage your children to think outside the box and explore their curiosity.
Water Wednesdays: Fun in the Sun
Make a splash on “Water Wednesdays” by planning water-themed activities that beat the summer heat. Set up a backyard water play area with a sprinkler, water balloons, or a small inflatable pool. Engage in water games like water limbo, water relay races, or even a DIY slip ‘n slide. Consider taking a trip to a local beach, lake, or water park to further explore aquatic adventures. Water activities not only provide refreshing fun but also promote physical activity and sensory development.
Take a Trip Thursdays: Exploring New Horizons
Thursdays are perfect for embarking on exciting adventures and exploring new places. Plan day trips to local attractions such as museums, zoos, historical sites, or botanical gardens. These trips provide valuable opportunities for learning, exposure to different environments, and cultivating a sense of curiosity and wonder. Encourage your kids to research and learn about the places they will visit beforehand, making the experience even more engaging and educational.
Fun Day Fridays: Quality Time and Relaxation
Wrap up the week with “Fun Day Fridays,” designed to prioritize quality time and relaxation. Start the day with a picnic at a nearby park, where you can enjoy a homemade lunch and play outdoor games. In the afternoon, have a movie marathon with your kids’ favorite films or enjoy a family board game session. Alternatively, you can organize a mini treasure hunt in the backyard or plan a bike ride around the neighborhood. The goal is to unwind, have fun, and create cherished family memories.
A well-structured summer schedule ensures that kids have a fulfilling and enjoyable break from school. “Make it Mondays, Thinking Tuesdays, Water Wednesdays, Take a Trip Thursdays, and Fun Day Fridays” offer a diverse range of activities that engage the mind, promote creativity, provide physical exercise, and foster family bonding. Remember to tailor the activities to your child’s interests and age group, and be open to spontaneous adventures and discoveries along.
by bitsofthewilliams | Mar 23, 2021 | PARENTING
The struggle is real! If you are here for some helpful tips, then you’ve come to the right place.
Both my children used pacifiers from the first day that they were born. My son Nate weaned out of it at about two and he was one kid that loved his pacifier. One day he just woke up and that was it for his pacifier. He had no interest and it was smooth sailing from there. We didn’t had to use any of these techniques on him since he pretty much weaned himself out of it.
My 2 year old daughter Sophia however was the total opposite. She wasn’t as obsessed with her pacifier until she was a few weeks old. I remembered when we first tried to wean her out of it, she did amazing and that lasted for about three days of no interest and then something happened and I believed it was teething. She had a rough few days when her molars were coming in and wasn’t interested in food at all. I remembered she cried for her pacifier and that somehow hooked her back in. We tried quite a bit of things to get her off and that is why I wanted to share with some simple ideas.
Here are the tips that I found to be helpful on how to help your toddler give up their pacifier. Remember, this is not a one or three day process. Every child is different and the comfort it provides to each varies so be patient and remain consistent.
- Limit The Pacifier: We offered it during naps and bedtime only. This way he or she will have something to look forward to when it’s time to take a nap or bedtime. From our experience, our nighttime routine got a lot easier because as soon as she would get it, she was ready to call it a night. Sweet dreams!
- Create Excitement: The same excitement we created around potty training, is the same excitement we created when weaning her out of the pacifier. She was so proud to say that she’s a big girl.
- Distractions: There were times when you can tell she just wanted her comfort and before she gets the chance to get grouchy, we would distract her by asking if she would like to do some painting or making slime. Find things that she loves to do and that will keep her mind off the pacifier.
- Pacifier Fairy: Similar to the tooth fairy, the pacifier fairy works just as good. Make up a good story and convince them that it is time to give up their pacifiers and bottles.
- Holes: This might sound like a mean thing to do but poke tiny holes in the tip of the pacifier, cut the tip off, or size down so it’s no fun to suck anymore. They might just loose interest.
- Go Cold Turkey: Pick a day and tell your little one that after that day, that is it. This is a lot harder than you might think because they will cry for it and you will just have to stick to it. This has worked for so many mamas.
There you have it, try them all until you find what works for you and your child. Don’t forget that this it is a habit and it can be broken however you need to be consistent and don’t forget to give lots of hugs and kisses in the process. It work wonders.
by bitsofthewilliams | Jan 17, 2021 | PARENTING
Finding age appropriate chores for younger and older kiddos are so important. You don’t need anything fancy and you only need to start out with small tasks. I truly believe that having our children partake in chores from a young age does help raise kids that will work hard in life and in turn will be more successful. No parent/guardian wants a spoiled kid right?
One important thing to remember before starting this journey is that kids need to be taught how you want them to do the chores. They’re not born knowing everything so please keep that in mind and be patient. You need to let them know what your expectations are of them and give them chores that are age appropriate. I’ve listed just a handful to give you some ideas but feel free to incorporate what works for your household.
I started out using chore charts with my then only child Nate, and it worked great for us. Nate knew our expectations and he worked hard. Of course he had days where he just wasn’t in the mood but you have to be sympathetic to situations as they arise. Now with him being seven, the game has changed a bit. He’s your typical gamer/YouTube fanatic so screen time has become an issue. It wasn’t until recently that I made these chore cards specifically for him. To keep it simple in our home, I’ve also started introducing chores to my now two and half year old. She’s getting more and more familiar and of course my little diva loves to help with everything. She has the biggest smile on her face after she finishes her chore and that’s the look of accomplishment. At first, I had the mom guilt of how young Sophia is and comparing her to the fact that Nate was not doing chores at two and half but I quickly realized that not because Nate wasn’t doing it at that age means Soph shouldn’t. One thing for sure is that he was an only child at that time, I never realized how giving chores to kids will help their future self be responsible and not feel entitled.
HOW DOES THE CHORE CARD WORKS vs THE CHORE CHART?
I like both ideas and that’s because I’ve used both. The chore chart is great if you have one child and if it’s easier for you to just write their chores out for the week and have them complete it. If that’s you, go for it. You need to figure out which way works best for your family and use that method.
The way the chore cards works is that he would do chores in exchange for screen time so we don’t have to feel guilty about him just being on electronics all the time. This way, he has responsibilities and once finished, he will have his reward. Nate has asked if he can save his earned time for the weekend and that was fine with us. I swear this has been a game changer.
- Cut your cards up and placed in a jar or container of your choice.
- I keep our jar on the counter where they kids can reach it easily. When it is chore time, each will close their eyes and grab their specific amount of cards. My oldest Nate who is seven gets to pick 2-3 cards whereas my little Sophia gets to pick 1 as she is now starting and is in the stubborn stage. You can figure out how many cards you would like your kids to pull out based on their age. Most of the time, I would “help” Soph with hers because remember kids needs to be taught and it will take a little bit more patience with the younger ones than older.
For the older kiddos, people are usually stuck on what types of chores should their teenagers do. Guess what? At their age, they should be able to do anything and most importantly would need the support from us to build their confidence that they can complete that task.
You can download your free copy of my chore chart by clicking the image below and use as you see fit.
Or get the 66 age appropriate chore cards below
by bitsofthewilliams | Dec 30, 2020 | LIFESTYLE, PARENTING
The new year is upon us and I don’t know about you but this is something that I’ve been working on with my kiddos.Teaching our kids how to be thankful is something that we shouldn’t focus on only around Thanksgiving, we need to reinforce it all year long. I truly believe that our children needs the proper guidance and honestly folks, it starts with us and the values we instill in them at home.
No one said that raising grateful children is a walk in the park, but as parents/guardians, it is so important that they understand the blessings around them and learn to appreciate the little things.It is a proven fact that practicing gratitude increase our happiness and will help our children take on life with a more positive attitude whether that is at school or home.
I don’t want to overwhelm you with 100 activities so let’s take baby steps. Practice these 6 activities with your little ones and then grow from there. These are the basics that will help your children be thankful and not complain about life when things don’t go their way.
Here are 6 activities that will teach your children to appreciate both big and small moments, turn their mistakes into learning lessons, and be thankful for their families and friends.
Gratitude Mason Jar
This is one of the easiest DIY you can do and you only need a few supplies. Here is what you need to make your very own gratitude jar.
- Mason Jar (I use a recycle spaghetti sauce jar)
- Label or card stock
- Printer to print your label or you can even handwrite and tape it to the jar.
This is super easy and there isn’t a right or wrong. You make it however you want because it is for you and your family.
Now, if you prefer to buy a gratitude jar, check out the ones I found below. (Click on the image)
Now that you’ve made or bought your jar, each day simply have the kids write down three things that they’re thankful for.It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be anything from them being grateful they have a favorite toy to them being grateful that they enjoyed a meal with their sibling.It can be anything! Remember, you want to encourage and make it fun so that they will continue doing this every day. Once they’ve written their blessings for the day, fold it up and place it in the jar. You will be surprise to see how fast the jar is filling up over the weeks and months to come.Whenever someone is feeling a bit down, just remember that that they have a jar filled with reasons as to why they need to turn that frown into a smile and that things have a way of working out with a positive attitude.
Gratitude Tree
If your littles are visual creators, then this is perfect for them. Although many practice this specific for Thanksgiving, you can make this tree anytime. It’s really simple and the kids will have a blast using their coloring, cutting and gluing skills.
All you need are some
- Construction paper
- Paper to draw the leaves or a printer to print my free leaf printable
- Sissors
- Glue
- Markers
- Clear tape
And there you have it, You’ve made a Gratitude tree and your children will contribute and watch it grow by adding their blessings to it.
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt Game
Who doesn’t love a good Scavenger hunt game around the house? Our family sure do. This is sure to keep them moving and busy for a while.
The way this works is that you can simply print out our free Gratitude Scavenger Hunt game printable for each child by clicking on the image below. All they have to do is grab your printable, a pen/pencil and a camera and let’s go on an adventure.
The kids would go around the house and try to find as much as they can and the first one to finish would normally get a treat. Give it a try in your home and I promise the kids will truly enjoy spending time together.
Thank You Notes
It doesn’t need to be complicated friends. Just simple Thank you notes to those that made your littles feel special. My son loves writing thank you notes especially to me and it melts my heart every single time.
Gratitude Journal
I bought Nate a gratitude journal and it was so simple to use. He used it over the summer months and it has made such a difference in his life. He would write down the blessings of his days each night before bed. He looks forward to doing this every day. We’ve since gone through 3 journals so far and I will keep getting them for him as long as he’s interested.
Gratitude Game
There are so many games that you can choose to incorporate but this particular one is very simple and the kids will have no problem understanding what is required. Click the image below to download your free copy.
We play drawsticks (pickup sticks or whatever you might call it) with this particular game. It is so simple. I went to the dollar store and picked up some color straws. With the printable above, i used the same colors to keep it simple.
Each child closes their eyes and pulls a straw. Whichever color they have, they will then correspond the color on the printable. For example, if they pull a “blue” straw, then they would have to name a place they’re thankful for. Everyone takes turns and it’s a great way to get the littles talking and having fun at the same time. Not to mention, it is bonding time that you will cherish forever.
I hope you enjoy these recommendations and don’t forget to make it fun so that the children will not get bored and it will be something that they look forward in doing.
xoxo
