Mommy Motivator

We should all want our children to have some degree of hand-eye coordination. However, it is often difficult to teach a young child to swing at a tennis ball or baseball when the ball moves so quickly. Sometimes this type of play ends up causing a young child too much frustration. So mommies, why not try using a balloon to improve your child’s hand eye coordination? A balloon moves slowly through the air and allows your child to make contact. My kids (3 years old and 22 months) love pulling out their tennis rackets and playing balloon ball. They love to try and keep the ball from hitting the floor. Balloon ball, as we like to call it, is a great hand eye coordination game for kids. It is a fun game for moms and dads too! An added bonus to this hand-eye coordination game is that you can play this indoors without fear that the ball (balloon) will break something

(*Parental supervision is recommended in case the balloon would pop and create a choking hazard if swallowed.)

Summer is here and that means many hours at parks, beaches, and your backyard. Young kids love to discover new things so why not encourage their curious nature by making discovery bags. My boys love to find neat rocks, leaves, bird feathers or anything in nature that looks “cool”. They would usually stuff these things in their pockets or fill my backpack. After getting tired of washing rocks I decided we could make some discovery bags to take with us on our outings.

How to make a discovery bag:

Supplies: a large ziploc bag, hole puncher, and some yarn

Just make some holes in the 4 corners of the ziploc bag and make a back/front pack with the yarn. It works great b/c your child can wear the discovery bag and can easily put the things he/she discovers in the bag. It is an added bonus that the bag is see through.

Mommies, get creative and have fun discovering with your kids. My boys like it when I make myself a discovery bag too!

So mommies, the warm weather is here and that means endless hours of fun in the sun for our kids. Our kids all need a bit of sun exposure in order to get enough vitamin D, but it doesn’t take too much time in the sun to get the vitamin D that their bodies need. Most of our children get enough vitamin D from milk and daily activities such as walking the dog or going to the mailbox. It is important for us to remember that too much unprotected sun exposure can lead to skin damage and even cancer. Many studies have shown that childhood sunburns and exposure are a major cause of malignant melanoma(potentially deadly skin cancer). It is our job as mommies to keep our kids safe from the harmful rays of the sun.

In order to protect our precious children from the sun we must be proactive and be prepared for the sun. Research says that the sun’s rays are the most harmful between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. Even though it will be hard to keep our children out of the sun during these hours, at least we can be aware that the sun’s rays are strong and be extra cautious.

Sun Safety Tips:

• Choose a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays.
• Choose a sunscreen with at least SPF 15. I always buy one with SPF 30.
• Make sure you have sunscreen handy - put a bottle in your purse or car.
• Make sure that you do not forget to apply sunscreen to your child’s ears, lips. and tops of hands and feet(if barefoot) You should purchase a chap stick with sunscreen in it and apply to their lips before sun exposure.
• Make sure that you apply sunscreen even on shady days!! The suns rays still penetrate through the clouds and can cause sun damage. Your children can still get sunburned on overcast days.
• Reapply sunscreen periodically and after swimming.
• Dress your children in sun protective clothing.
• Have your child wear a kids sun hat with a wide rim.
• Purchase a pair of kids sun glasses. It may take your child awhile to get used to wearing sunglasses but it will benefit their eyes in the long run.
• If going to the beach or park take a big umbrella or a small pop up tent so your children can eat and take breaks in the shade. The least amount of time in the sun’s peak hours (10-4) the better for your children.

Moms, don’t let your children down and let them get sunburned. Explain to your children that the sun is fun to play in but that it can hurt their skin if they don’t wear sunscreen. I have explained this to my kids and they are always pretty patient when I am applying the cream.

You cannot expect a young child to be responsible in the sun. It is your responslbility to keep them safe!

So moms, if you are not prepared for the sunny weather make a trip to your favorite drugstore/department store and stock up on sunscreen, chapstick with SPF and sun protective gear!

Now go have safe fun in the sun!

So mommies, it is time to take a moment out of your day and take care of yourself. Have you ever noticed how so many older people have age spots on their hands? Unfortunately, years of sun exposure can play a huge toll on our hands and can result in ugly age spots and possibly skin cancer. We are all aware, or should be aware, that we need to wear a moisturizer with sunscreen on our faces daily. Read the rest of this entry »

Preschool Bug Activities

As moms, I am sure we are all excited that the weather is getting warmer. Warmer weather means more ways to actively engage with our children and at the same time keep our homes clean. Tonight Colbin and Cason (my 3 year-old and 20 month old boys) were so excited that the moths were out. Every window they looked out and at every porch light they could see a moth. Colbin immediately grabbed his bug catching net ( a must for every boy) and started to catch the moths. Cason was trying his best to catch some but at 20 months was not very successful. I think that he was enjoying screaming “I see a moth” just as much as Colbin was enjoying catching them. Read the rest of this entry »

Ok, if you are an American Idol fan, I know you all saw Michael John’s performing Dolly Parton’s “It’s All Wrong, But It’s Alright.”  And I absolutely loved it!  I love Dolly Parton and Michael Johns is an awesome singer.  If you missed it, here you go!

Today, instead of reading or telling your child a story on the couch or at your favorite reading spot, why not change things up a bit and read the story in the dark with a flashlight. Read the rest of this entry »

As moms, we all know that it is important to keep our child’s teeth brushed and to limit juice and other sugary foods. Did you know that eating cheese can also help prevent cavities? At Colbin’s last dental visit the dentist recommended that Colbin snack on cheese to keep his teeth healthy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Getting your family to eat a healthy diet can be one of the most challenging tasks a mommy faces each day. Some of you may be too busy with your day to day schedules that you think you don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal and some of you may be trying to figure out a healthy meal that your entire family will actually eat. My family loves pasta. It is quick to fix and can be a really healthy meal for all of us. I buy the new pasta by Ronzoni called Smart Pasta. It has 3 times the amount of fiber as regular white pasta and as much calcium as an 8 oz. glass of milk. Read the rest of this entry »

Mommies, make Easter especially memorable for your kids by planning some Easter Day Activities for the entire family. Here are some great ideas to fill your family’s day with laughs and excitement. Read the rest of this entry »