parenting Archives – The Pinterested Parent

Tag

parenting

Thu
07 ^th

Poems & Quotes For Mother & Child

Posted by Pinparent — 4 Comments

Mirror, Mirror on the wall… It does not matter if I’m short or tall… If I have skinny legs or my hips are wide… Kim Uliana (The Pinterested Parent)If you do not follow us on Facebook, you might not be aware that I love to write poems. Being a mother is filled with so many different emotions. There is love & joy and also frustration and sadness. The best way to express these for me is in rhyme or just a simple quote.

Here is the most popular of my works that went viral over Facebook this year. Never did I expect my words to have the impact that they did. Several others have made quite a splash as well.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall…

It does not matter if I’m short or tall…

If I have skinny legs or my hips are wide…

It only matters who I am inside…

Blue eyes, brown eyes, black or green…

What makes me most beautiful cannot be seen…

When you look at me, don’t judge me by my parts…

The most beautiful thing about me is my heart.

Kim Uliana (The Pinterested Parent)

Here are some of my other favorites as shared from our Facebook site. I hope you enjoy them.

*All images & words are copyrighted so please do not copy or reproduce.*

Let Me Be A Child

Say Yes

I Am Mother

My Children Are The Reason

A Mother’s Resume

Parenthood Is

The Art Of Raising A Child

You Made Me A Mother

Some Days I’m A Bad Mom

A Small Warning

From The Beginning

Frustration & Beauty

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Fri
04 ^th

20 Star Wars Themed Gifts For The Kids

Posted by Pinparent — 5 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links*

Last week my sister-in-law had asked me to make Star Wars inspired footprint crafts out of my nephews feet. I was so excited being that I am a bit of a Star Wars geek. I was happy with the results & so was she.

The post was very popular & after a lot of feedback on our Star Wars project, I realized that a new generation of Star Wars fans were here. Star Wars is a favorite of both young & old & with the new movie coming out it is just gaining more fans every day. I can remember being a young girl and playing with my action figures. Leah was my favorite, of course. I loved her so much, that my mother had to put my hair in those famous side buns every day.

The holidays are upon us. If you have a little one that embraces the force as much as I did, I know that they will love these great Christmas gift ideas inspired by the movie.

JEDI MIND TRAINING

Use science to suspend and move things in air with this …

Star Wars Jedi Force Levitator

Challenge your mind or a friend with this 3D maze puzzle.

Death Star Maze & Puzzle Box

ITS ALL FUN & DROIDS

Now why didn’t they have these when I was little. I am half tempted to buy these for my daughter just so I can play with them.

Darth Vader Potato Head or Storm Trooper Potato Head

What child doesn’t like Legos? They always make the perfect gift.

Star Wars Legos

FOR YOUR LITTLE WOOKIE

Chewbacca Slippers

TO DECORATE YOUR DEATH STAR

All of these would be great for a Star Wars themed room.

Star Wars Peel & Stick Wall Decals

Star War Night Light

Darth Vader Alarm Clock

Light Saber Motion Lamp

FEELING CRAFTY

I am a huge fan of hand, foot & finger print crafts. This is adorable & all of the creations look like so much fun to make.

Star Wars Thumb Doodles Kit

Make 30 different folded flyers.

Star Wars Folded Paper Flyers

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH FOOD

I am sure a few little Star Wars fans will love waking up to a waffle in the shape of the Death Star.

Death Star Waffle Maker

If your child enjoys helping you cook, check out this adorable measuring set.

R2D2 Measuring Cup s

Star Wars & candy.. two great things that go great together.

Star Wars Jelly Belly Dispenser

This R2D2 lunch box has both light & sound.

R2D2 Light Up Lunch Kit

LUKE, I AM GOING TO READ TO YOU

See the gentler side of Vader in these sweet & funny children’s books.

Darth Vader & Son or Good Night Darth Vader

AND FOR THE STOCKING

If your child is anything like mine than they love Bandaids. My daughter fakes boo boos just to be able to put them on & just a plain Bandaid won’t do.

Star Wars Band Aids

Add a little fun to tooth brushing with these cool toothbrushes.

Star Wars Toothbrushes

Thank you as always for stopping by.

Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Mon
07 ^th

10 Things That Your Mother Was Right About

Posted by Pinparent — 2 Comments

Raising a child can be difficult. We are at that age with our daughter where she tries to challenge us at every turn. She does not understand why we don’t let her do certain things & thinks that we are unfair. I have been thinking about my own mother a lot during these trying moments.

I can remember being a difficult child. I can remember every eye roll and wise ass remark. I thought that my mother was so unfair & just enjoyed being a nag. Oh, how I wish I could go back & tell my young self that my mother was right about almost all of it.

Here are 10 times that my mother was right.

1. When you have kids of your own, you will understand. – This is ringing so true to me right now. A great deal of clarity comes with having a child of your own. You will never appreciate your mother more than when you have your own children.

2. Your Middle School boyfriend/girlfriend is not the only person you will ever love. – Can you remember being young & thinking that your crush was the beginning & the end of your life? For a few this might have been true, but for the majority of us, that “love” eventually passed & we crushed & were crushed several more times.

3. Study hard.- When you are young, you do not realize how important your studies will be for you when you grow up. Your parents do.

4. Wear your jacket. – If you drive by any bus stop with pre-teens or teens standing there, I am sure you will notice the lack of outerwear. It does not matter if there is a blizzard in the heart of the winter, it is just not cool to wear a jacket for some reason. We know that you are cold. Put on your jacket.

5. This too shall pass – It does not seem it at the time, but it will. As you get older, you will understand that some things are beyond your control. In time, heart aches & disappointments fade & later may even seem insignificant.

6. Just because all your friends jump off a bridge, it doesn’t mean that you have to. – A classic momism spoken by mothers for ages. This goes hand in hand with “If they don’t like you for who you are, they are not really your friend.” Mom was right. Be true to yourself. Those that like the real you will stick around.

7. Eat your vegetables. They will make you big & strong. – Food plays an important part in your all-over health. The right foods fight diseases, give you energy & just make you feel better. Mother want you to start a healthy lifestyle right from the beginning, so do them a favor, eat your broccoli.

8. Money doesn’t grow on trees. – How unfair it was of your parents not to buy you that new bike that you wanted. Why didn’t they spring for the brand name jeans? Because dear children, money really does not grow on trees. Life is expensive. This is an early lesson in financial responsibility & entitlement. You’re welcome.

10. Everything I do is because I love you. – Every decision that a mother makes, even the ones that turn out to be wrong, are because they think they are acting in your best interest. Mothers always worry. We will worry until the day we die & then we will continue to worry about you from above.

So the next time you are aimed with an eye roll or a snarky quip, remember that your mother is usually right. Listen to her.

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Fri
19 ^th

Set Up Your Yard for a Backyard Camping Adventure (Guest Post)

Posted by Pinparent — 13 Comments

I have great memories of camping with my parents as child, but as I have gotten older the idea of lugging coolers & chairs into the woods & sharing a bathroom with a whole campground of strangers has somehow lost its appeal. Thanks to some great ideas in this guest post from Danielle from Modernize.com, you can enjoy the fun of camping without ever leaving your backyard.

Set Up Your Yard for a Backyard Camping Adventure

By: Danielle Hegedus

Via Modernize

Backyard camping is a great idea for families with young children (or parents) who aren’t 100% sure about camping. You get to enjoy the fun of being outside and sleeping beneath the stars, without having to worry about wild animals or having to use the bathroom outside.

While your kids may sulk about not being able to play video games or watch Netflix, get them excited about cooking outdoors, storytelling, fun glow-in-the-dark games, and if all else fails, start talking about the s’mores! Your enthusiasm will be contagious.

Follow these simple steps to make your backyard camping adventure a great success.

Clean Up Your Yard

Enlist your family’s help in getting your backyard ready for camping. Make sure your grass is freshly mowed. Attend to any potential pest problems like ant-hills and make sure the lawn is clear of animal waste.

Set Up Your Tent

Unless you think you’ll be camping in the woods relatively soon, you don’t have to worry about investing in an expensive tent right now. However a simple tent will give you a little bit of protection from mosquitoes and other pests that can quickly make sleeping outside miserable. Assembling a tent can also be challenging, so it’s a great opportunity to teach your children how to work as a team, and to practice before you go on a camping trip further away. That said, if the weather is nice, a plastic tarp or even a bed sheet strewn up between fence posts will suffice. If you don’t have sleeping bags, try using an air mattress or pool floats (we’re not picky).

Don’t Forget the Food!

Even though you’re close to your kitchen, try to pack foods that you could make in the outdoors. You probably don’t want to start a campfire, but a small charcoal grill is great for grilling hot dogs and melting marshmallows for s’mores. Bring some healthy snacks like baby carrots or peanut butter and crackers to quell late night hunger pangs. Make sure that everyone has clear responsibilities when it comes to the food. For instance, who is managing trash? Who is packing up leftovers? These simple tasks will help your children learn responsibility and make your camping adventure that much easier.

Tell Spooky Stories

Part of the fun of camping is passing around the flashlight to tell scary stories. Encourage your kids to use their imagination to invent or recall their favorite ghost story. If scary stories will keep your kids from sleeping, consider sharing funny stories about your childhood. Your kids will be interested in hearing about your past camping trips or what you were like when you were their age. You could also sing songs, just be careful not to drive your neighbors crazy!

Play Games

Sure, your family may love cornhole or Jenga, but you can play those games anytime. Make the most of your time outdoors at night with games like flashlight tag or glow in the dark water balloons! If you’d rather stay dry, wrap glow-in-the-dark tape around inexpensive hula hoops that can be used for giant ring toss or hopscotch.

In addition to not having to pack your car or navigate community showers, taking your family on a backyard camping adventure this summer will raise money for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Sign up for the Great American Campout and NWF supporters will donate $1 to the fund for every participant up to $100,000. What are you waiting for?

For more ideas and inspiration, head to Modernize.com.

Thu
28 ^th

8 Reasons Why Dads Are More Fun Than Moms

Posted by Pinparent — 16 Comments

I have always considered myself to be a pretty fun person or at least I thought I was. My daughter & I have a lot of fun together. We do arts & crafts together. We go on fun outings when daddy is at work & we have a lot of smiles & laughs. For some reason though, it seems as if those smiles are wider & those laughs are louder when daddy is around. I know that I am not alone in this either. What is it about daddies that make them so much fun?

1. Dads like to rough house. They will throw you up in the air & swing you around by your arms, as mommies cringe in the corner watching. They are freer with their play & not as cautious. A scraped knee to a father is a lesson not a catastrophe.

2. Dads aren’t afraid of a little dirt. They are not afraid of mud pies, puddles or messes quite as much either. Dads know that the bigger the mess, the more fun that is had.

3. Dads have no problem serving Doritos & jelly beans for dinner. I am constantly stressing about what we feed our daughter. While I am grinding up vegetables to try to sneak into meatballs & smoothies, my husband does not bat an eyelash about bringing home a box of munchkins for breakfast & McDonald’s for lunch. What kid wouldn’t prefer a Happy Meal to a strawberry/spinach smoothie?

4. Dads can act like big kids themselves. I can get pretty silly & goofy, but my husband can always take it to the next level. Whether he is climbing into a crib to read a bedtime story, jumping on the bed or riding around on our daughter’s tricycle, his inner kid comes out to play & our little girl loves it.

5. Dads don’t care what you wear. If you want to wear pajama pants with rain boots and a cowboy hat to school it is fine. Who cares? Mommy does a little. I laid out a perfectly cute outfit.

6. Dads don’t say “No” quite as often. My husband often refers to me as the “No” mommy. If I am the “No” mommy, I guess that makes him the “Yes” daddy. If my child wants to stay up late, or have that sugary snack before supper, it isn’t mommy that she is going to ask. Dads don’t mind bending the rules a little bit.

7. Dads build & fix things. When you get that new bike for Christmas or one of your toys breaks, it is daddy that is the hero. This does not mean that mommy can’t do it of course. We just let him handle the tools.

8. Dads think farts & poop jokes are funny too. Toilet humor is a favorite of little kids & dads alike. They share giggles with every passed gas & chuckle about stinky poops. My daughter even has her father’s toilet lingo down. Last week at daycare, she said to her daycare provider “Miss Laura, I need to go squeeze one out. It’s going to look like a strawberry.” She is her father’s girl.

Mon
04 ^th

Surviving A Road Trip With A Toddler

Posted by Pinparent — 2 Comments

Vacationing with a child can be difficult & stressful. Before our daughter was born, my husband & I were big travelers. We wanted our travels to continue as a family after her birth. We have traveled by air, by ship & we have traveled by road as well. Road trips with a small child can offer some challenges, but they are possible & can be an enjoyable way to take your journey.

Our most recent trip was to the Kentucky Derby. My husband has a goal of completing a marathon in all 50 states, so we worked the Derby marathon into a fun filled vacation with the Kentucky Derby as our final destination. This trip spanned 2000 miles round trip. With that much driving time, it is important to make sure that you keep your young ones happy. Here are some tips for the road.

Packing

One of the advantages of road tripping is the ability to pack more freely. You don’t have to worry about the restrictions that come with commercial travel.

Pack all of your essentials. Check out our vacation & packing tips.

While most of your luggage stows away in trunk, there are many things that you should leave accessible for your travels.

Have snacks & drinks within arm’s reach.

Have a trash bag, hand wipes & napkins on hand to clean up spills & messes.

Leave out a change of clothes & diapers if still needed.

Pack books, IPads, movies & your child’s favorite blanket or toys to snuggle up with.

Itinerary & Timing

As they say, timing is everything. This is true with most things & especially when traveling with a small child.

If you are driving great distances that might require a full day of travel, traveling before their bedtime might help alleviate any travel disasters. Getting an early start or leaving at nap time will also take some stress off your journey. We had a 15 hour drive ahead of us. We woke our daughter early & let her sleep in the car for a couple of hours while we began our first leg.

Plan to stop at great points of interest along the way to break up your drive. Add this into your vacation plans.

We made an overnight pit stop in Niagara Falls en route to Kentucky.

Food & Drink

Stop for quick meals to stretch your legs & refuel. Eating on the run will work too if your child is content. Snacks will be your friend on a long trip. Just make sure to watch your child carefully when they are eating. Be sure to also have drinks on hand, but if possible try to limit their fluid intake while on the road to avoid frequent stops.

Our snack selection included:

Juice boxes

Bottled water

Fruit snacks

Granola bars

Doritos

Animal Crackers

Dry cereal (Fruit Loops & Cinnamon Toast Crunch)

Bananas

Hershey Kisses for emergencies & a little bribery

Boredom Busters

It is your job to keep your little ones entertained. You might have to get creative.

I amused my daughter for a half an hour just by blowing bubble gum bubbles. If you find something that works for you, go with it.

Our daughter is a music lover. It was actually quite funny to hear our 3 year old request Matchbox 20 as we drove.

Climb in the back seat & read your kid/kids a book.

Play a game. Depending on your child’s age there are many fun games to play on the road. We played eye spy with cell phone towers & silos.

Talk to your child. Now is a great time to teach them things. Are they learning to count or their ABC’s? Point out animals & buildings along the way. There are many lessons that they can learn from the car seat.

I know many parents are not too keen on their children using electronics, but there are many wonderful learning apps for small children that will teach & entertain. An IPad can be a lifesaver on a long car ride. We saved this as a last resort, but it was successful in keeping Mai engaged on our full day’s journey home. Our daughter used a coloring & drawing app that had her talking and smiling for hours on the way home.

Our road trip went off without a hitch. Our little girl did great. We enjoyed every minute of our family time together. I can’t wait for our next trip. What are some of your best tricks for the road?

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Sat
11 ^th

Coping With Night Terrors

Posted by Pinparent — 6 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links*

Being a mother is filled with worry. This worry begins before your child is even born. When you are pregnant, you are afraid of complications with your pregnancy & the birth. After you bring them home, your fears continue & broaden. With each new stage brings a new set of worries.

One of the most terrifying of events that we have encountered as parents was the first time our daughter experienced a night terror. In the most frantic of screams she called out for us in the middle of the night. When I went to see what was the matter, I found her sitting up in her bed. I crouched down beside her & let her know that I was there. She looked right through me with wide eyes. I called out to her & she began to scream. My husband & I tried to hold her to comfort away whatever it was that was disturbing her. She began to shake & seize until she almost fell out of our arms. We laid her back down & she started to throw herself into her bed rails. It was as if she was possessed by some sort of demon. We placed her on the ground and surrounded her with pillows as she shook & slammed her head down. Terrified that our daughter was having a seizure, we called our doctor & began to prepare to bring her to the emergency room. With tears in my eyes, I continued to watch my daughter thrash on the ground while my husband spoke to the on-call doctor. Suddenly, our daughter stopped. She put her thumb in her mouth, rolled over and fell back asleep as if nothing had happened.

This was only the first of many other incidents. Each episode is different. Some are more dramatic than others; some are strange occurrences of sleep talking in which it sounds as if she is speaking in tongues. Very usually, we can predict when one is going to occur. Her terrors are usually brought on after a sickness or several days without sleep, but there are other factors that can cause a terror such as stress, sleep disruptions, sleeping away from home or in some cases, a medical condition.

Our daughter has been battling a nasty cold this week. Between the sickness & the lack of sleep due to the sickness, I knew a terror would be coming. I was right. Last night, I was awakened by frantic cries, a blank stare & the all too familiar thrashing around the bed.

What you can do:

Make sure your child is safe. If they are thrashing and flailing around, place them somewhere safe so that they don’t injure themselves.

Do not try to intervene. We learned this the hard way. Trying to hold or touch them will only prolong the episode. Talk in a hushed voice or sing softly and let it ride out. Be sure to stay close by until it is over & they are no longer in danger of injuring themselves.

You may also try products such as Lully Sleep Guardian. Check out what people are saying about this system.

Have you had any experiences with night terrors? Please share.

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.
<br />

Tue
07 ^th

10 Parenting Truths That We Are Guilty Of

Posted by Pinparent — 35 Comments

As much as we would all like to be super mom or dad every day, the truth is there are times that we are less than perfect. There are moments in parenthood that we are not always proud of.

1. We use our children as excuses not to go places. – “I would love to come to your Tupperware party, but unfortunately the little one has a sniffle.” Not only have we used them as an excuse not to go somewhere, they give us a great out when we want to leave somewhere early.

2. We have left our kids in pajamas for the whole day. – We have even been known to stay in our jammies all day long with them. Don’t judge.

3. We have fed our children snacks for a meal. A bowl of Goldfish, some fruit snacks & a couple of blueberries is a good lunch, isn’t it? I hope they are not still full from the handful of saltines with peanut butter & the box of raisins that they had for breakfast.

4. We have skipped over pages in a bedtime story. – I have skipped over words, paragraphs & even full pages to get through a story quicker when I was tired. Unfortunately, as they get older they begin to realize this trick.

5. We have completely tuned out something that our child was saying. – We do not do this intentionally, but let’s be honest; we have all done this at least once while distracted by another task. A few head nods and a carefully placed “Reeeaally?”‘ or two while you are fixing dinner and you have missed a whole conversation.

6. We have called our children by the wrong name. – For the longest time growing up, I thought my name was Linda-Kim. My mother mixed up me and my sister so much that she just started calling us both by the two names combined.

7. We have kept our children awake in the car, so that they would nap at home. – Let’s face it, a nap in the car is a waste of perfectly good quiet time for mommy & daddy. I have tickled my child’s feet, sang or given her a snack when I saw that she was starting to doze off. Stay awake kiddo, mommy wants a nap too.

8. We have lied to our kids. – Whether it is perpetuating the myth of Santa Clause & the Easter Bunny or trying to convince our child that brussel sprouts taste good, we have all told a few white lies.

9. We are not above bribery. – We know we should not do it, but we do. In a pinch I have pulled out a bag of Skittles to get through a meal out at a restaurant. I have offered treats to get her to smile for a family photo. Sometime desperate parents crack under pressure.

10. We don’t like other people’s kids. – This does not apply to everyone of course. There are exceptions, but on the whole other people’s children annoy us. You can admit it.

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Sat
04 ^th

Finding Calm In The Chaos

Posted by Pinparent — 8 Comments

Let none of us mommies kid ourselves, motherhood is hard. Anyone that says differently either has the patience, energy & halo of a saint or they are on really great pills. For somebody like me, who suffers from chronic anxiety, it can be nearly impossible on certain days.

People often ask me why I am anxious. It is difficult to explain to people that it is nothing specific that causes it. It just comes on without warning. One of my biggest problems is I think too much. I fill my mind with one million & one thoughts & all of those thoughts start fighting with each other for my attention. The trick is to try to quiet all of those thoughts and get them to all stay silent long enough for me to regain myself. When you have a rambunctious toddler running circles around you & trying to push the boundaries, it just adds to the chaos in your head.

It is essential to a mother’s sanity to allow herself a few minutes of peace to recharge her batteries and get back to super-mom status or semi-super at least. One thing that used to help with the everyday stress of life is meditation. Before we had our daughter, I would do it for 10-15 minutes twice a day. It is amazing how just a few minutes can clear out the clutter in your mind.

With the uncomfortable rise in my anxiety levels as of lately, I thought it might be time to try to re-incorporate it into my daily routine. Yesterday, I retreated to my bedroom for a little bit to try just that. I found it very difficult to concentrate with my daughter laughing and screaming in the next room. After a few moments, I gave up & returned to the craziness that is our home. I was still feeling edgy and Mai was still operating at a high volume. I grabbed my daughter by the hand & asked her,

“Would you like to come & meditate with mommy for a minute?

“Ok”

I told her to sit down & do the same as mommy. She sat down next to me and followed my breathing. I could feel her calm. I could hear her breaths. The silence was golden. It was divine. Even though it only lasted only for a minute.

“Mama, can we open our eyes now?”

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Wed
01 ^st

The Mommy Wars (A Poem)

Posted by Pinparent — 25 Comments

“So you are just a stay at home mom?” “Are you ever going back to work?”

Questions that are meant as accusations are asked with a judging smirk

“Working mom” is uttered as if it were a dirty phrase

What kind of mother would leave their child at this early stage?

A mother nursing in public makes people turn away their heads

While others look in disgust at a baby that is formula fed

Dr. Spock, The Ferber Method or channeling Dr. Sears

Women trying all they can to get through these formidable years

Courage of the keyboard comes out at home at night

With social media perpetuating the mommy wars fight

From disciplining your child to what you’re serving on their plate

The opinions flung out towards you, are full of judgment & of hate

Mother against mother, each thinking they are better than the rest

Just because it is your way does not mean that it’s the best.

You raise your child your way & I will raise my child mine

When it is all said & done, I bet they’ll both turn out just fine

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Older Posts →