Everyday I get an email from Productive Parenting, that gives me an activity to do with Haven. Sometimes they are activities that we already do, some she isn't ready for yet, and some are perfect. You can pick an age group and get an email for your child.
They now have a blog, facebook page, and other family resources available. Check it out.
www.productiveparenting.com
http://productiveparenting-emily.blogspot.com/
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
organizing
"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." A.A. Milne
Friday, September 11, 2009
School Keepsakes
Keepsake Portfolio from www.ttgo.comIn honor of school starting, I wanted to remind you all of a few things about storing school keepsakes.
1. Sort carefully. Don't keep everything, only your favorites.
2. Store properly and orderly, so your children can help with the process. Let them help decide what stays because they will be the ones digging through it as they get older.
3. Take pictures of large projects and make digital scrapbooks or just store the pictures on your computer.
The All-in-one from schoolfolio.com Thursday, September 10, 2009
Saving a few bucks
For the past year, I have been cutting my dryer sheets in half because I kept reading that you really only need half of one to do the job well. So, that has been a great way to save a few dollars on laundry. However, I just realized that the same idea would work for paper towels. You can buy the select-a-size towels and that is what I have being doing. They last so much longer that way. But, I made a huge mistake and thought I was saving money by using a coupon on a roll of expensive paper towels. I really didn't save myself any money because they were still too much and they were single sheets. So, I unrolled about 10 sheets the other day and cut them in half vertically and then rolled them back up. Now it doesn't look really neat, but it works. I am determined to get my money out of these paper towels.
Another fabulous money saver that I was reminded of over the weekend is the "All You" magazine from Walmart. You can go to www.allyou.com for coupons, plus there are $83 worth of coupons in the magazine itself that only costs $2 or so. The coupons are great ones too, not your regular Sunday paper coupons.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Toys R Us
I just found out today that Toys R Us has a toy guide/catalog for Differently-Abled kids. How great is that? I am looking at it on there website, but you may be able to get it in the mail as well. I couldn't find it online. Don't they normally come out in Sunday papers? Pass this along to any families you know with differently-abled kids. I like that term!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Truth from good ole' Ben Franklin
"For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned." Benjamin Franklin
Friday, July 31, 2009
Be Intentional
I just finished reading The Duggar's new book, "20 and counting." I know some people don't agree with their methods, but I think their outcomes are hard to beat. The book was very informative and inspirational. I finished the book feeling inspired to be an intentional parent. It is important to not get so busy with all the "stuff" that I forget to teach, train, and enjoy the precious gift God has given us.
The Duggars shared about the way they make, save, and spend money. They also wrote about their family practices, discipline, and education. They talked a lot about consistency when training their children, which got me thinking about this new journey I am on and where I have already been.
I am new to being a mom, but as a teacher I learned a little bit about consistency. I had to crack a few tough cookies as a teacher. While working with children with disabilities, I dealt with a lot of behavior issues that I had to figure out and received lots of advice and assistance. The greatest lesson I learned was to be consistent. I had kickers, hitters, cussers, screamers, fighters, criers, etc. If my assistant and I stuck with our plan consistently it worked. Behavior plans are not easy because situations change, it is time consuming, and just plain hard to stay calm. However, it always amazed me that at the end of a two or three week period our problem was normally completely fixed or manageable. Some plans consisted of time out every time a behavior occurred, another plan might have been to read a book, and another would be me being consistent with my tone and answers. Managing unacceptable behavior isn't easy, but it is necessary.
What always amazed me at the end of one of these behavior modification issues is that the child would always hug me at the end of the day, give me a huge smile, and tell me they would see me the next day. Now if you had seen me sticking to my guns during that long 7 hours of the day that may have lasted for weeks, you may have thought that I was mean or that the child would be angry with me. Nope. Children love to have boundaries. They love consistency. They love knowing that you care enough to correct them. In the heat of battle I may have gotten hit or screamed at, but at the end of the day I would hear, "I love you, see you tomorrow." WOW!
Back to the Duggars. Some people may think they are too strict or that some of their methods are a little foreign, but I can promise you that most children would thrive in that atmosphere. Not an overbearing or strict atmosphere, but a home filled with a balance of freedom, love, consistency, and intentional parenting.
The Duggars shared about the way they make, save, and spend money. They also wrote about their family practices, discipline, and education. They talked a lot about consistency when training their children, which got me thinking about this new journey I am on and where I have already been.
I am new to being a mom, but as a teacher I learned a little bit about consistency. I had to crack a few tough cookies as a teacher. While working with children with disabilities, I dealt with a lot of behavior issues that I had to figure out and received lots of advice and assistance. The greatest lesson I learned was to be consistent. I had kickers, hitters, cussers, screamers, fighters, criers, etc. If my assistant and I stuck with our plan consistently it worked. Behavior plans are not easy because situations change, it is time consuming, and just plain hard to stay calm. However, it always amazed me that at the end of a two or three week period our problem was normally completely fixed or manageable. Some plans consisted of time out every time a behavior occurred, another plan might have been to read a book, and another would be me being consistent with my tone and answers. Managing unacceptable behavior isn't easy, but it is necessary.
What always amazed me at the end of one of these behavior modification issues is that the child would always hug me at the end of the day, give me a huge smile, and tell me they would see me the next day. Now if you had seen me sticking to my guns during that long 7 hours of the day that may have lasted for weeks, you may have thought that I was mean or that the child would be angry with me. Nope. Children love to have boundaries. They love consistency. They love knowing that you care enough to correct them. In the heat of battle I may have gotten hit or screamed at, but at the end of the day I would hear, "I love you, see you tomorrow." WOW!
Back to the Duggars. Some people may think they are too strict or that some of their methods are a little foreign, but I can promise you that most children would thrive in that atmosphere. Not an overbearing or strict atmosphere, but a home filled with a balance of freedom, love, consistency, and intentional parenting.
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