Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Mom, Can I help cook supper

Decided it was time to try some more blogging. One of these days I will participate in a carnival of breastfeeding or something fun like that!

My son is 4 and 1/2 - he just informed me that he will be 5 on his brithday, just like his friend, Elly. Last night I was working on supper and he asked if he can help. So what can a 4year old do to help prepare supper for the family? Tonight we had Open Face Tuna Sandwiches and Broccoli soup - both homemade. (Taste of Home, Quick Cooking 2002 Annual Recipes) He helped to put ingredients into the food processor to make the tuna salad. He helped spread butter on the buns and sprinkled cheese on the tuna before it went into the oven. He was excited to open up the Velveeta box and put the lid back on (of course the reward was a slice of Velveeta to eat!) He eagerly tried to help me open the package, as it was the first time it had been opened. Last night he successfully used the can opener for the first time! Guess I will have to be looking for other things that he can do to help prepare the evening family meal!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Bubbles

Who loves bubbles? Kids of all ages!!!!! Big kids, little kids, adults, infants - EVERYONE loves bubbles. Bubbles are all the rage at weddings these days. I still have "bubble juice" containers from our wedding, somewhere.

When I worked in child care the end of the day was one of the most challenging times. There were tings to clean up, children that needed attention and who were tired at the end of a long day. One of my favorite answers - bubbles. There is NO mess with bubbles. They can be put away quickly after the last child leaves, because at most centers you do not receive pay after your shift is over for clean up time. Bubbles don't hurt the carpet and kids love them.

Bubbles are fun for infants who enjoy watching them.
Bubbles are fun for toddlers who enjoy chasing after and catching them.
Bubbles are fun for preschoolers who run and jump to get them.
Bubbles are fun for schoolages who want to blow them!
Bubbles are fun for adults because they make everyone else happy!


I keep a container of bubble solution in my car all the time. It is a wonderful diversion when stuck in traffic. One wintery evening my son and I went to the store, while we were there a strange weather system moved through coating ALL of the roads with ice. Our trip home normally takes less than 10 minutes, on this day it took almost an hour! Bubbles were the last trick in my bag! The helped us when we were sitting in traffic to have something else to think about other than the fact we were not moving.

What are your favorite bubble time activities?

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Morning Chores

Tuesday I took the boys to the Splash Pad. It was fun playing in the water and on the playground equipment. DS decided that he wanted grilled cheese for lunch - so that was the plan. Walking back to the car I noticed a few familiar faces, turned out I knew the whole group of moms and children and we ended up eating PB&J with them.

One of the conversations got me thinking. The mom mentioned that her children had "Morning Chores" another mom commented that her children have them, too. So I decided today was the day to start Morning Chores. I made a list of 5 things that my 4 year old can do independently. I wrote them and drew pictures of the 5 things that he needs to do in the mornings.

Morning Chores
1. Eat breakfast with 1 spoon [bowl and 1 spoon]
2. Get dressed [shirt and shorts]
3. Make your bed [bed]
4. Take out the recycling [drawings of several recycling items]
5. Brush your teeth (independently) [toothbrush]

He did everyone of them this morning without any nagging! I was most impressed with his cheerful attitude. I did not have a chance to look at his bed until nap time - it was made (wasn't perfect but that is okay.) He did it ALL by himself with NO whining and NO nagging! I was impressed! Thanks for the suggestion Moms!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

101 things to do with a boppy pillow

Ok, maybe I don't know 101 things yet but here is a start...

1. Sit on it
2. Use to to hold a baby who is nursing
3. Prop baby in it for a cute photo
4. Place it behind baby to catch him when he falls
5. Lay baby on his tummy on the pillow
6. Use it as a neck pillow
7. Use it as a back pillow
8. Use it to hold an ice pack on an injured ankle
9. Prop up an ill, sleeping child
10. Use it in the car to hold a book
11. Lay a book inside it when laying down and reading
12. Hold it close and think of all the hours you have spent nursing your child(ren) with a boppy on your lap and how much you will miss not spending so much time with your boppy.

PS My boppy is homemade - it has 2 pockets. They are WONDERFUL. The pockets are a super place to stash a burp cloth, the phone, remote and all those other things that are helpful when nursing a newborn. The pockets help to make the nursing station be portable.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Lids!


Some of my children's favorite "toys" are not from the toy section of the department store. We all know how much fun a big box can be (more on that in another post). I have been collecting lids off and on for years. They are inexpensive, come in a HUGE variety of colors, and are generally safe for children of all ages. At the moment we have an oatmeal tub that is about half full of yogurt lids. They have so many bright colors to explore.

What can be done with lids?
-sort by type
-sort by colors
-sort by size
-stack up the lids to build a tower
-us the lids for patterning

What kinds of lids can be saved?
All kinds!
Milk caps (for preschoolers and older - great for counting games)
Yogurt lids
Lids that screw on (such as peanut butter or jelly jar lids)
Shave gel has lids that are deep

One child care center that I worked had a basket full of lids in the Infant room. When we needed something new to explore out came the basket full of lids for exploration.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

ABC Ideas - part 2

I found my list of ideas and it had 3 more ideas for fun ABC activities to do with children. These activities are fun for preschoolers and school agers!

- Sign language. I began using the ASL signs for the alphabet when my son was 2. When we would sing the song we also signed the letters. Signing the letters helped to make the song an active event. My 4 year old knows his alphabet song. Now he is learning to spell words. We often use finger spelling (the ASL signs) to help spell words.

- A fun game for older children is to draw on their back (or reverse the game for a fun backrub). The drawings can be simple items such as alphabet letters or more complex drawings. This is also a fun way to include touch in a child who needs extra touch or has be come "to old" for hugs and kisses.

- Another fun substance to draw in is shaving cream. Many early childhood centers are going away from using shaving cream because it is not formulated for children's skin. The concept is still fun with other safer substances! Be creative.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

All Gone

I was starting to clean up from lunch and looked at my 7.5 month old son. He had finished the finger food on his tray and made a two syllable sound that sounded like "all gone". I looked at him and asked, "All Gone? Are you all done?" He waved his hands in using the sign I have been using for a couple of week for 'all done.' This is the first time I have heard him communicate in sign/verbally. (Not including crying & coos, of course).

After lunch we were playing and we finished the game. I said all done and he looked at me and signed it again. He did it several times! I am so excited to see him signing. We have been signing off and on since he was born. I have been trying to do the signs for 'more', 'all done', and 'milk' at the appropriate times for the last few weeks on a consistent basis. He responds to the 'milk' sign with a big smile, because he knows that he gets to nurse.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Fun Summertime ABC Ideas

Some fun Ideas to help your preschooler remember their letters this summer

*Use ABC magnets to spell out important words such as the child's name, mom, dad or other important words in their life. Magnets are fun on refrigerators, metal doors and even old sheet pans!

*Write letters in the sand

*Foam letters work great in the bathtub - they stick to the wall when wet

*Letters and names can be written in finger paint, or for a yummy solution chocolate pudding!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Summertime Laundry

One of the best things about summertime is the decrease in laundry. In the wintertime there are shirts with long sleeves and pants with long legs - not to mention multiple layers of clothing. The summertime is nice because shorts and t-shirts take up less room and LESS TIME in doing the laundry!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Tip of the day

Tip of the day:
When my son was potty training he did not like to use public restrooms that flush automatically. He was afraid of falling in and he did not like the sound of the toilet flushing. A friend gave us a great tip - cover the electric eye with some toilet paper. This worked GREAT! It gave him the confidence and freedom to use the bathroom without fear and time to have him move away from the toilet before it flushed.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Welcome to Batteries Not Included

Batteries not included is my blog about parenting, motherhood and life in general. I am a mom to 2 wonderful boys - a 4 year old and an almost 8 month old. My blog is inspired by my dislike of how many toys on the market today don't do anything if they don't have batteries. I want toys that work, even if the batteries don't!

I have a degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. Currently I am doing what I always wanted to do, raising my children. My philosophy lies somewhere between crunchy and mainstream, where depends on the day and what I"m doing. Please respectfully leave your comments and suggestions!

Welcome to Batteries Not Included!