Mom. Wife. Busy Life.

Category: Family

How to Shop With a Baby

Shopping with a baby can be a challenge for moms! Learn a few tips for how to shop with a baby to help make your trip easier.

Planning the shopping trip, feeding baby first, bringing a friend along, driving to the shops, and choosing the right time will make shopping with babies much easier.

Anyone who has tried going shopping with a baby knows how stressful and difficult the trip will be without proper planning. While it’s best to shop without the baby, sometimes that’s just not an option for most stay-at-home moms.

Most don’t have babysitters to watch their babies while they leave the house for an hour or two to grab some groceries. The solution is to plan ahead before shopping with babies. Here are some useful tips for moms to shop efficiently when they bring their infants along.

How to Shop With a Baby

Plan the Shopping Trip

Ideally, shop only at baby-friendly places. Make sure the supermarket or mall has parents’ rooms, parking areas designated for parents with strollers, wider checkouts to accommodate strollers and carts with a baby seat and harness.

Then, plan what to bring. Some diapers, wet wipes, spare clothing, a change mat, food and drinks, and toys for distractions are items that must be included in the baby bag.

Feed Baby First Before Going to the Shops

A hungry baby is a grumpy baby. That’s why it’s important to feed the baby first or try to fit the shopping trip in between meals. However, do remember to pack some milk and baby snacks in the diaper bag, whether the baby has been fed or not.

Choose the Right Time to Shop With Infants

The best thing about being a stay-at-home mom is that she can avoid peak hours while shopping. This is particularly important when there is a baby to push around in a stroller. Go to the supermarket or shops early when there are fewer shoppers and distractions. Babies can get very cranky when there are too many people and too much noise around them.

Bring a Friend Along to Help Mom

Whenever possible, ask a friend or the spouse to come along. Another pair of hands can be very useful when Mom has to push the stroller or shopping cart, calm the crying baby, change her diaper, feed, and burp her – all while trying to buy groceries for the family.

If your baby is old enough to sit up on his or her own, consider a shopping cart cover for baby to sit in!

Drive to the Shops

Avoid using public transport while shopping with babies. It’s best to drive to the shops. With a car, Mom can put the foldable stroller in the trunk of the car and even use the space in the car to change her baby’s diaper after she has lined it with a blanket or a portable changing mat.

Walk Down the Center of the Aisle

Try not to go too near the shelves when pushing a baby in a stroller or a shopping cart. Wheel the stroller or cart down the center of the aisle to prevent the baby from trying to grab tins, jars, and packets on the shelves.

Consider Using a Baby Sling or Backpack

Instead of pushing the baby in a stroller, try using a baby sling. For a bigger baby who can sit up well, a backpack is a good alternative. The use of a baby sling or a backpack is great because it leaves Mom’s hands-free, allowing her to shop with more ease. Plus, the close body contact will make the baby feel more secure.

It is possible for moms to shop efficiently when infants come along. But they do need to plan ahead. Try to shop only at places with baby facilities, feed the baby before leaving the house, bring a friend along, drive instead of relying on public transport, shop early, walk down the center of the aisle and consider using a baby sling or backpack to leave the hands free.

April 8, 2021
How to Motivate Your Teenager to Clean Their Room

Encouraging teenagers to ‘see what we see’ as parents can be a challenge. We see dirty laundry, dirty dishes, clutter, trash, and junk. They see their stuff. And they definitely don’t want mom or dad intruding on their all-important privacy to get the place presentable once in awhile.

So what are some guidelines to restoring parental sanity?

How to Motivate Your Teenager to Clean Their Room

Ask Teens Nicely First

Before you go flying off the handle and taking away your teen’s iPod, try catching flies with honey first.

Simply casually say (while driving in the car or other non-stressful situation) “Honey, do you think you could please straighten up your room?” Maybe you’ll get lucky and this non-confrontational method will work.

Also, be specific about what you want done: trash out, bed made, dresser straightened up, clothes put away, etc.

A check off list can help your teen understand exactly what you expect of them when cleaning their room vs. just telling them since they can easily forget what is expected.

Second Requests For Teen Cleaning

So that didn’t work? What’s next? How about giving a deadline and a consequence, as in, “It looks like you didn’t get a chance to clean your room. If it’s not clean by Friday, I’m afraid you won’t be able to go to the movies with your friends.”

This approach may have a better chance of working, since there is a direct consequence if the work is not done. Plus, you wouldn’t feel guilty if you did have to ground the teen since you had already tried the pleasant approach first.

Don’t forget: if he doesn’t clean the room by Friday, you really have to stick to your guns: no movies. Otherwise, you will lose your credibility and authority with your teenager.

Regularly Scheduled Cleaning

One thing that also might help is a regular routine. If you have a cleaning person come, for example, you can simply tell your teen that on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, the room will need to be cleaned and picked up so the cleaning person can dust and vacuum.

Encouraging your teen to do smaller cleaning more often helps avoid the big battle when the room is completely a wreck.

No More Nice Guy: Disaster Room

If your teen has not responded to your earlier quests, the ultimate ultimatum that can often have speedy response is to simply say: If your room is not clean tonight, I am spending the day in there cleaning it myself tomorrow. Teens often cherish their privacy above all, so they will not want you spending the day in their room finding who knows what.

If this doesn’t work, clean it yourself and ground them for two weeks with a total unplugging: no cell phone, no computer, no iPod. Perhaps next time they’ll listen when you say it’s time to clean the room!

If you have a teenager, check out more great tips below:

Facts About Internet Safety for Teenagers

Fun Activities for Parents and Teens to Do Together

Nature Activities for Teens

How to Shop With a Teenager

Birthday Party Ideas for Teenagers

20 Best Gifts for Teens

April 8, 2021
How to Help Adopted Children With Food Issues
Is your adopted child having issues with food? Learn how to help adopted children with food issues with these tips below.

Food issues may be one of the most frustrating challenges experienced by adoptive parents, especially for those families who have adopted internationally. What makes food issues so complex is the spectrum of challenges that adopted kids display, from not being able to use cutlery properly to underlying emotional issues.

How to Help Adopted Kids Answer Adoption Questions

How to Help Adopted Kids Deal with Separation Anxiety

Sleep Issues with Adopted Kids

The most common eating issues among adopted kids are hiding food for future consumption, gorging on too much food at one sitting, refusal to eat and being extremely picky about food choices.

To help a child manage these food issues, adoptive parents need to understand why their child has these issues, develop strategies for addressing the eating disorder and know where to go for help and support.

How to Help Adopted Children With Food Issues

Reasons Adopted Kids Have Eating and Food Issues

Each adopted child has a unique life experience that affects thoughts, emotions and behavior. Often their life experience has taught them that life is unpredictable and most of the time, out of their control. When placed in a permanent adoptive home, many adoptees do not trust the security of their new life and therefore behave in ways that can puzzle new adoptive parents.

Food issues tend to be one of the first challenges that adoptive families must address. Some of the reasons adopted children present with food challenges and eating disorders are because they:
Are seeking control over their environment due to an unpredictable life before adoption.
Suffer malnourishment from overeating unhealthy foods or overall lack of nutritious foods.
Have undiagnosed allergies and sensitivities such as lactose intolerance.
Are struggling with cultural and dietary differences such as new foods and expectations at mealtimes.
Have physical and medical conditions that prevent proper eating.
Adoptive parents can look at what is known of the child’s case history to help determine possible reasons for the child’s food issues. If the problem is not apparent, it is advisable to take the child to a medical professional specializing in eating disorders of adopted kids.

Strategies for Helping Adopted Children Eat Properly

Adoptive parents need to look at the food issues their child struggles with as an opportunity to help build positive attachments. It is not uncommon for a child with food issues to also have attachment issues, so in some cases the best strategy is to start by meeting the child’s basic need for food, much like parents do for infants.

Depending on the age of the child, the following strategies are also effective.
- Keeping a cupboard or container of snacks accessible to the child at all times.
- Preparing meals they are used to until they are settled into the adoptive home.
- Experimenting with textures and presentation, such as pureeing food or making food easy for the child to eat with fingers.
- Being flexible about table manners while demonstrating pleasant meals the whole family participates in.
- Avoid having battles over food by setting realistic expectations for the child.
If the child is refusing to eat, allow the adoptee to practice chewing and swallowing skills by encouraging him to experiment with a clean toothbrush and praise him for any small development in his eating habits. Older children may also respond to role-playing kitchen and eating experiences as a game to help reinforce what they are learning at mealtimes.

Getting Help for Adoptees with Eating Disorders

There are many professionals who can assist adoptive families as they navigate the complex food issues that affect their child. As the child’s mental, emotional, developmental or physical health can manifest through a myriad of eating disorders, it is suggested to consult with a variety of practitioners, including:
Medical doctor
Child development specialist
Nutritionist
Naturopathic doctor
Occupational therapist
Adoption social worker
Psychiatrist
It is also advisable to seek support from other families experiencing the same challenges and work with adoption specialists such as Adoption Learning Partners which offers webinars on the topic.

Ideally, the food experts an adoptive family consults has experience working with adopted children and is able to provide ongoing support to not just the child, but also the adoptive parents.

When food issues are viewed as a symptom of a bigger obstacle being experience by an adopted child, adoptive parents are better able to tap into resources that will be effective in the long-term.

Albeit challenging, food issues can be managed in a positive way by approaching the problem as an opportunity to strengthen the parent-child bond.
April 8, 2021
Kids Playroom Ideas

Are you planning to create a playroom for your kids? Check out these Kids Playroom Ideas and tips to help you plan a fun place for your kids to play!

Playroom decorating can seem like a daunting task. The room should be fun, and a place that kids want to be, while remaining safe, easy to clean and stain resistant.

This makes finding playroom rugs and floor coverings, as well as kid’s playroom furniture a double edged task.

Kid Playroom Ideas

Playroom Wall Ideas

While it can be tempting to paint walls in fun and whimsical designs, the best wall coverings are both those that can protect walls, and those that can be easily removed.

Covering walls with chalkboards, cork board and built in bookcases, can help make the walls of the room interactive, while allowing the walls behind to remain relatively unscathed. As children get older, and the playroom is converted to a recreation room, the chalkboards and cork boards can be easily removed.

Any remaining wall space, like that above chalk boards, or on small, uncovered walls, can be decorated with vinyl wall art.

With bright colors, and countless designs, vinyl wall art coverings can be safely applied to and removed from nearly any surface.

This can help brighten a room, adding color and detail, that can be easily and inexpensively removed and replaced as children grow, and their tastes change.

Bookshelves and built in cubbies can help organize the room, allowing children to keep art supplies, toys and games separate. Be sure to bolt any large or heavy wall furniture directly to the wall to help ensure safety.

Playroom Rugs and Floor Coverings

Playroom floor coverings should be inviting to children. This means keeping the floor coverings soft and warm, to allow for floor play, tumbling and rolling.

If installing wall to wall carpeting in the room, consider layering inexpensive throw rugs on top. This will help preserve the permanent rug from paint, stains and spills, while adding additional cushion to the floor.

The throw rugs can be removed for easy cleaning, or replaced as needed, with little difficulty or expense.

Another great option for playroom floors is to use carpet tiles. Carpet tiles are pieced together of multiple squares, and can incorporate many different colors and designs.

One of the great things about carpet tiles is the ability to replace single tiles if they become stained or damaged beyond repair.

Foam, interlocking floor tiles in bright, primary colors also make great floor coverings, particularly for toddlers and other young children.

The foam tiles are easy on the knees of small children who spend a great deal of time on the floor, and they can be easily pulled apart and reconfigured into different color patterns, changing the look of the room.

When they are outgrown, the foam tiles can be pulled up easily, exposing the under floor covering for older kids.

Kid’s Playroom Furniture

Kid’s playroom furniture should be easy to clean, and light enough to be easily moved around the room as needed.

Bean bag chairs make excellent seating for small children, as they can be dragged about easily, often have removable and washable covers, and can accommodate kids falling and rough housing on them.

Kids play tables should have tops made of materials that are easy to clean, such as plastics and vinyls. Save the wood and glass furniture for when they are older and use the highest set of tables and chairs that the child can safely use, as this will help prolong their use as children grow.

Keep lighting and lamps hung from the walls and ceilings as much as possible, to avoid having lamps and fixtures that could potentially be knocked over and broken during play.

The room should be inviting and comfortable; avoid any materials or furniture pieces that would require care.

A Kid’s Playroom

A kid’s playroom should be able to grow with the child, accommodating their changing needs. In time, the playroom can be converted to a recreation room that the whole family can enjoy.

In the meantime, the playroom can serve as a place for kids to reign, while keeping the rest of the house clutter free.

Keep an eye to the changing needs of the children, and be sure to use materials that can be easily washed or removed as time goes on, and create a playroom any child can call their own.

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April 6, 2021
How to Manage the Angry Child Outbursts
Do you have a child that shows signs of anger often? Read our tips on how to manage the angry child outbursts.

All children occasionally demonstrate unreasonable anger. The child might be tired, or over stimulated, or nervous, or just plain crabby. These children are easy to manage and a simple consequence is enough to stop them from doing it again (at least for a few months) and the rest of the time, the displays of anger are typical of their age and stage.

Some children, however, have frequent anger outbursts that are not managed by typical parenting strategies and these episodes leave the parents, or the targets, feeling emotionally distraught and even abused. Some of the ways these children show anger include:
- hurting others (including animals) by pinching or hitting or pushing
- throwing objects
- using verbally hostile and threatening words
- yelling and ranting
- not taking any responsibility for how they are feeling or what they are doing
- not able to respond to typical parental attempts at de-escalation
- angry for long periods of time
- deliberately provoking others to anger
- using anger to manipulate a situation
- believes that whatever she is feeling is true
Children generally develop anger problems from a combination of how their brain is structured and what they have experience in life. Most, but not all, children who display unusual levels of anger have had some kind of negative life experiences, such as early neglect/abuse, or early abandonment, or pre-natal exposure to toxic substances.

They may lack the capacity to form a healthy attachment to the parents and the anger creates even greater damage to the parent/child relationship.

How to Manage the Angry Child Outbursts

If you are raising a child with atypical anger issues, here are some strategies to help you manage:
Have a thorough psychiatric assessment to determine if there are underlying organic causes
Observe the child’s day to day activities to learn what triggers her (not all children have apparent triggers but most do)
Learn his early warning signs that indicate this is going to be a day in which there will be an anger explosion
Don’t take the anger outbursts personally, remember that this is a child with self-regulation problems
Don’t be triggered to an escalated emotional state – remain calm but firm
Remind the child of a pre-planned consequence, but make sure it’s short and simple
Walk away if possible and let the child wear her anger out
Remove the audience – people are a source of stimulation for the anger
Remind the child of his choices at the moment
Change the environment if possible – having the child follow you from the kitchen to the back yard can provide enough distraction to being a de-escalation process
Children with this type of anger problem can learn to manage the rage over time, but they require patience and a firm, consistent, and reasonable response to each outburst.

How to Deal with Temper Tantrums in Toddlers

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April 6, 2021
How to Plan A Family Activity Night
Spending time with the family is important for building connections with one another. Learn how to plan a family activity night! A family activity night is a great way to engage with each other.

Busy families can benefit from spending time together on a regular basis. Setting aside one night a week for family activities is a great way to start.

Outside commitments such as jobs, school, and other extracurricular activities can cause family members to lose touch with each other. A good way for families to reclaim some quality time together is to organize and commit to holding a Family Activity Night on a weekly – or even monthly – basis.

How to Plan A Family Activity Night

Make Activity Night a Priority

The first step towards implementing a family activity night is to commit to making it a priority. Family members should decide on when and how often to hold it, mark it on the calendar and stick to the date as close as possible. If a night needs to be rescheduled, it should be done as soon as possible so that it is not completely forgotten.

Planning Basics for Family Night

A family activity night should reflect the interests of all family members. It can be a structured event that follows a predictable routine each time, or it can be as unstructured as waiting to decide the activity after the family sits down that specific night.

The first activity night that is held should focus on deciding what type of activity night would best meet the needs of the family.

Planning a Structured Format

Structured activity nights follow an agenda. The order of the agenda items and what the agenda should include is determined by the family during their first meeting.

Family members can take turns leading the evening’s events. Young children can also lead the evening with prompting from an older sibling or parent. Here are some ideas for planning a structured activity night.

Prepare and serve a simple snack.

Even very young children can help by placing chopped cheese or veggies on a tray for munching.

Share highlights of the week.

Each family member should be given an opportunity to share something from their week or month that stood out for them.

Watch a video or play a game together.

Families with children can use this opportunity to promote something educational or help their children learn a skill. Families with grown children or couples without children can take this opportunity to enjoy a good laugh over a comedy, plan a trip, or try out a new hobby together.

Create something together.

Families can work together on a craft or scrapbooking project or even start a Family or Generational Journal and use this time to discuss what to include in it.

Set and confirm the date and time for the next meeting. It is wise to finish up the night with a quick confirmation of the plans for the next activity night. If a specific activity is on the schedule that requires any pre-planning (such as reserving a bowling lane), this would be the opportunity to assign tasks to ensure there are no last-minute disappointments.

Using and Unstructured Format

An unstructured activity night does not follow any particular schedule other than it should occur on a regular weekly or monthly basis. The family gathers at the predetermined time and then decides what to do for the evening. The first night should be devoted at least partially to working together to create a list of activities the family likes to do. Some ideas for Unstructured Activity Nights include the following:
- Picking a board game of interest from the games cupboard.
- Planning a family vacation
- Watching a movie suitable for and of interest to all family members.
- Going for a walk together – such as to a park or along a walking trail – and observing nature. Young children should be adequately supervised during the activity.
- Picking a topic everyone is familiar with and having a good-natured mock debate (more suitable for families with older children)
- Singing songs together or creating a never-ending story.
Holding a Family Activity Night on a regular basis does not only give families a break from busy schedules. It provides family members with specific opportunities to get to know each other better on a deeper level and allows them to share their skills and knowledge.

Most of all, it helps families to strengthen their relationships with each other as they spend more time together.
April 6, 2021
Safety Tips for a Child’s Backyard Swing Set

Are you purchasing a swing set for the backyard soon? Safety first! Read these important Safety Tips for a Child’s Backyard Swing Set.

When proper safety measures are taken, a backyard swing set can bring years of joy to young children.

A backyard swing set is a great source of fun for kids, but this popular outdoor play structure can cause injuries if it is not installed and maintained properly or when it’s not used as intended. Minimize the risk of your children getting hurt on a backyard swing set with these tips.

Safety Tips for a Child’s Backyard Swing Set

Keep Your Children’s Swing Set in Good Condition

Inspect the backyard swing set regularly for protruding edges, rusted or loose screws, broken pieces, and worn or missing parts. If you have a wood swing set in the backyard, check it periodically for splinters, decay, and large cracks if there are damaged pieces, either repair or replace them.

Space and Install the Backyard Swing Set Properly

Oversized children’s playsets can swallow up yard space and sit too close to the house or other structures in the yard. Space the backyard swing set far enough away from structures so that kids have enough room to swing without bumping into anything.

Anchor the swing set into the ground properly before allowing your children to play on it. Also, install and tighten bolts so that the structure won’t collapse while youngsters are swinging. If you don’t know how to assemble and install a backyard swing set, hire a professional to do it.

Use Soft Surface Materials and Enforce Safety Rules

Soft material underneath a backyard swing set can keep kids from suffering serious head injuries and broken bones if they fall. The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends using a minimum of nine-inches of wood chips, mulch, shredded rubber, sand, or pea gravel underneath children’s play equipment. These surface materials compress over time, so the CPSC suggests refilling them from time-to-time.

Never put a swing set on asphalt or concrete. These surface materials are dangerous and can cause serious injuries or death if a child falls on them. Lawn turf is also not recommended for use under play equipment as weather conditions can cause wear and tear and reduce its ability to absorb the shock of a fall.

Never allow children to walk in front of or behind a swing set when others are swinging on it – they may accidentally get kicked or knocked down. Children should sit in the center of the swing with their full weight on the seat. Also, don’t allow youngsters to stand on the seat of a swing or jump off a swing while it’s still moving.

Dress Children Properly and Provide Supervision

Scarves, ponchos, hoodies, and clothes that have drawstrings are not appropriate for kids to wear on swing sets. These types of garments can get hung up on play structures and cause strangulation. Children’s shoes should cover the entire foot to prevent stumped toes and other foot injuries.

The best way to keep children safe on a backyard swing set is for an adult to supervise at all times. When an adult supervises, she can usually avert danger and minimize the risk of injuries on the swings.

Swing sets are popular outdoor play structures for kids, but when these structures are not installed and maintained properly or when they not used as instructed, they can be dangerous. When adults take the initiative to reduce hazards on backyard swings, they can be a source of wholesome fun for kids.

Outdoor Activities for Toddlers

Water Activities for Toddlers

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April 6, 2021