Parenting Mistakes-We are Only Human!

I'm a parent and I'm not perfect. I make parenting mistakes like anyone else does. What I'm trying not to do is beat myself up over them! For example, one morning my daughter wouldn't eat her cereal. She threw a complete fit in the middle of the kitchen floor because she wanted spaghetti for breakfast. What did I do? Well, I cooked her spaghetti at 8:00 in the morning! Call me crazy but if that's what it takes to get her to stop screaming, then so be it. There's nothing worse than starting off your morning on the wrong foot. It really makes for a heck of a day if you ask me!

Here's where my dilemma about being a parent comes into play. Why I see nothing wrong with eating spaghetti for breakfast if that makes my child happy, I see everything wrong with the way the situation was handled. Instead of me getting her to the point of a meltdown by telling her this isn't a good idea and that I didn't want to cook spaghetti this early, I should have come to grips with the decision myself first and then addressed her. In other words, if I knew I was going to give in and cook her the darn spaghetti, I should have told her so in the first place. I think we as parents rationalize too much about certain situations. We "over think" them. I should have probably handled it like this: "If I make you spaghetti for breakfast, will you promise to eat your cereal for lunch?" I should have made light of the situation.

Some of you may think I'm wrong and that I shouldn't have catered to my child's needs and that's fine! Every child is different and every situation is different. I think my point is that we shouldn't beat ourselves up over the little things. Parenting is hard enough seeing that there are so many opinions out there from either strangers, family or the media on the right way or the wrong way to raise a child.

So, I know I've made plenty of mistakes along this journey called "parenthood." I know that I've certainly beat myself up over the years over things I've said or done along the way too. I guess I wouldn't be human if I didn't! I say if a situation comes up where you are torn as a parent on what to do, go with your heart. Your heart never fails you. The rest will fall into place!

What mistakes have you made along the way as a parent?

Jessica

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by Jessica GPosted in Mothers

5 Fun Pool Games for Kids! Contest Ended!

Winner is Joel Massey, congrats!

Summer is here and what better way to spread some summer cheer than an awesome giveaway! We are giving away this Banzai 3D Shark Lagoon Pool this month. All you have to do is make a comment to the blog and post a summer picture of your child on our Facebook page. The person with the most likes will win!

I have put together a list of some of my favorite pool games for kids. Here they are!

Marco Polo

Game is to be played in a swimming pool.

The idea is to not to get caught by "Marco" (the person who is "it")

One person is chosen to be "it" he/she closes his/her eyes and gets on one end of the swimming pool. He/she counts to 10 and shouts "Marco" and all the others in the pool shout "Polo". The one that shouts "Marco" has to try to catch one of the persons who shouts "Polo". It can be shouted as much as possible. Once he/she catches a person, then that person is now "it" and so on.....

Sharks and Minnows

The "shark" starts in the middle, The "shark" says, "Come, little fishies!"  All the "minnows" run from one end of the "pool" past the "shark" to the other end.  If a minnow gets tagged it becomes a "shark."  Both "sharks" try to tag "minnows" the next time the minnows run. 

At the end of the game, whoever is the last "minnow" to be caught becomes the "shark" to start the next game.  Any "minnow" who goes outside the pool becomes a "shark" automatically, If a "minnow" doesn't run right away, "sharks" must stand on a "safe line" and must count backwards from 10 to give the "minnow" a chance to run.  Then they can cross the safe line.  (This is called the "No Babysitting Rule.")
 

Balloon Toss

What is needed:

• Water balloons
• A group of friends paired off

How to play:
Each pair stands face to face with one holding a water balloon. They toss it to each other and then take one step back. Each time it is tossed they take one step back. The pair that has their water balloon intact the longest wins.

Scavenger Hunt

Choose a variety of objects to strew across the bottom of the pool -- anything that doesn't float, isn't made of glass and has no sharp edges. Make sure there are two of everything (one for each team). Designate the shallow end for little kids, the deep end for bigger ones and grown-ups and give each team a list of items to retrieve. The team that collects the most things on its list in the allotted time wins; the other team has to scour the pool for the remaining stuff. 

Sponge Toss Relay

What is needed:

• 1 large sponge per relay team
• 2 buckets per relay team
• 6 or more teens

Each player on a relay team must be at least 5 feet away from the other players. They can be in a line or a zig-zag formation. Place a bucket full of water near the first player on the team and an empty bucket near the last player in the line. When the race starts the first player soaks up water in the sponge and throws it to the 2nd player who throws it to the 3rd and so on until the sponge gets to the last player on the relay team. The last player squeezes out the water into the empty bucket and sends the sponge back the same way it came. This repeats until the empty bucket is full or until a time limit is met. The team with the most water in their 'empty' bucket wins.

I hope you enjoy these fun pool games for kids! Good luck and don't forget to make a comment to this blog and post your favorite summer photo of your child. Most likes on our Facebook page will win! (Picture must be recent and contest end July 1 ,2012.)

Jessica

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by Jessica GPosted in Mothers, Welcome

Mom's Survival Tips for Summer

We all know that summer is just about here and the kids will be out of school if they aren't out already! My two oldest are finished with school as of today. That means it's crunch time for me to figure out just how to keep my kids busy this summer. What I'm trying to figure out is what kind of plan I want to have. In other words, do I want a plan or do I want to just "go with the flow" so to speak? What I do know is that I want to have a great summer with my kids with great memories. I think every mom has the idea that they need to constantly plan ahead to keep things flowing smoothly. While I'm a believer that planning is good, I'm also a believer that spontaneity is just a little bit more fun! Don't you think?

I've come up with a few tips for moms to keep their sanity this summer!

1. Switch Things up!

Typical routines like breakfast, lunch, dinner and nap routines are great for kids especially when they are used to doing those things at a certain time. I think too much of a summer routine, might throw them off a little. I like the idea of taking their typical routines and moving them somewhere else. Try breakfast outside in the yard or on the patio or deck. Do lunch or dinner at the beach or park. If you have little ones that nap, try a nap in the carriage at the zoo for example. We all know that there are plenty of summer days where you just have to go with the flow. I guess that's why they call it the lazy days of summer!

2. Plan a Little/Live on the Edge a Little!

It is nice to know that you have days planned and tickets purchased for upcoming events. Something to look forward to is always exciting! It's also fun to wake up and say, "Let's go to the beach today!" I think spur of the moment outings are great. You just never know what could happen and that's what's so much fun about it.

3. Stock up!

I think the hardest part about summer is knowing you have to go food shopping with your kids. I love the idea of stocking the fridge up with lots of fruits, veggies, snacks, lunch items, grill food etc. and getting to the grocery store as little as possible. This way you can pack their lunches and snacks and keep it with you all day in a portable cooler. These coolers are great for parks, beaches, zoos, play dates or long car rides.

4. Keep a Calendar

As much as I would like to not schedule something in for every day this summer, we all know things come up. Birthday parties, camps, doctors appointments, vacations etc. In order to save my own sanity, I will certainly be using a monthly appointment book. Preferably one I can throw in my beach tote!

5. Make Memories

Summer is one of my favorite seasons. It totally brings me back to when I was a kid and I know my kids really enjoy it too. What I want most out of this summer is to really take it all in and enjoy it with my family. I want to sit back and relax with my kids and enjoy these moments with them. Wouldn't it be nice to put the idea of messy house, or work away for the day and just be a kid? Heck! Go for a bike ride or do a cannon ball in the pool! Try running through the sprinklers or collecting bugs with your kids. Put everything aside and make memories!

Do you have any survival tips for summer? Are you a planner or do you go with the flow?

Jessica

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by Jessica GPosted in Mothers