Parenting Tips from Hearts At Home

Parenting

Leaving Notes
Leave notes or awards for kids at the table, in lunch boxes, backpacks, and their rooms. Dad might even appreciate one in his briefcase or luggage.

Losing Teeth
This tip is helpful for those children who are beginning to lose their teeth. The dentist urged my son to “keep wiggling” his loose teeth, but at a certain point it was a little painful for him to do that. He became a little anxious thinking losing teeth will hurt. I learned to put a little Oral gel around the gum of the loose tooth, which helped the pain and his anxiety. Thus far he has lost four teeth pain free!



Saying Yes instead of No
Instead of saying "no" all the time, change it to a "yes." For example, little Johnny asks "Mommy, can I watch an Elmo video?" Instead of saying "No, not right now" say "Yes, you may watch an Elmo video after nap time." This way, the word "NO" doesn't lose its effectiveness.

Internet
Kids of all ages are using the Internet now. You can use parental settings based on your children's ages to block inappropriate sites from coming up, as well as e-mail blockers. You can also program all the addresses that your child can receive email from, i.e. family and their friends. Monitor 'chat' rooms carefully as true identities in chat rooms are impossible to verify. If you have more than one child and only one computer, set a time limit. Designate a specific hour of the day for each child to use the computer...and don't forget to include computer time for yourself as well!

Morning Routine
Mornings are the usually the busiest part of the day. To help relieve morning hassles, try a few bed time tricks the night before to help your morning run more smoothly! Depending on the age of your child, either help them pick an outfit or have them lay out their clothes for the morning. This way they can get up, get dressed and go. Try making school lunches in the evening and put them in the fridge, hand them out as the kids are off to school. Decide what's for breakfast the night before and set the table before you go to bed. It makes take you a few more minutes in the evening, but your morning will be much easier!

Bath Time
My two-year-old son developed a fear of taking a bath so I came up with the idea using of bubbles in the tub. I made sure they were the non-toxic kind and blew bubbles at him until he quit crying. When he noticed they stuck to his wet belly and laughed, poked them, and has loved taking a bath ever since.

Being Thankful
Full-time mothering can be exhausting! After a tough day, after your children are all tucked in bed, spend a quiet moment in prayer thanking your Heavenly Father for each sleeping child. Take a moment to really enjoy them asleep and marvel at the miracle of your child.

Chores
Assign a different chore and/or an educational challenge, and designate a trip and/or a treat for completing it. Post the list for personal responsibility and teach kids to ask for treats and trips after chores and challenges are complete. This keeps homes cleaner, brains brighter, and fun funner!

Copyright Hearts at Home 2006, used with permission. For more information about Hearts at Home: 1-309-888-MOMS or www.hearts-at-home.org.