April Making Family Ties

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES

I emerged from March into April feeling somewhat defeated and now quite possibly embarrassed. My goal to laugh more in January rewarded me with the ability to let things go. Life is a series of complications. It is how we react to those complications that determines our character. Learning to relinquish the guilt often times associated with being a mom gave me the freedom to accept what may come. The house did not have to be spotless all the time. Celebrations were less about the fluff and more about simple fun. If the kids had a meltdown in public I was under control. In return I became a more relaxed mom capable of giving more.

February’s goal was to express my love more. I am convinced that I could not have accomplished my February goal without having successfully reached my goal in January. Research has shown that when we (parents) are high strung our kids tend to act out more. The more our kids act out the more frustrated we become and the less likely we want to tell them how amazing they are and how much we love them.

Then came March. I thought January and February were stressful. I playfully accused the Gods for trying to test my resolve. I certainly was not expecting what happened in March. March started out on the positive. We were still ill and unable to make plans with our friends most of the month. The times we could come out and play our friends were busy juggling hectic schedules. I was not successful in fulfilling my resolution and that worried me. As I write this I have come to the understanding that not all of March was a failure. We faced some pretty tough days. Had I been the business-like realistic perfectionist of 6 months ago I am not sure I would have escaped with only a terrible migraine. The ironic thing is I had to go through March to better understand my son so that in April I would know how to better meet his needs as his mom.

Which brings me to my April resolution- Family. In April my goal is to help my family reach their potential emotionally and mentally. Even the most loved kid or spouse will feel as though they do not matter. When we feel important and worthy we have the confidence to succeed. Knowing we are loved and that our feelings count is the first step to feeling important.

– Make sure they know they are loved. Express your love and admiration daily. Do not just say it….mean it! For some this may not be an easy feat. With practice you will begin to find the words and the emotions needed to connect with your loved ones.

– Leave little love notes filled with encouragement. Express what you admire most about them.

– Take time to really listen. It takes a loving ear to distinguish what is really going on.

– Linger a little longer. Make one on one time a priority. Allow your child to choose the activity. Keep the mood light and fun. This is not a time for reprimands. Value weekly dates with your spouse as a time to reconnect.

– Provide opportunities. Be cognizant of the hobbies, interests and talents your family members have an interest in. Provide opportunities to help them grow in these particular areas. If your son is into science you might want to search for science projects you can do together one on one or as a family. If your daughter dreams of being a ballet dancer rent movies or enroll her in dance class.

– Encouragement. For every time you have to correct negative behavior in a child you must find 5 positive things to praise them for. Be very careful when correcting a child that you do not cross over into criticism. Positive encouragement gives them the confidence to want to do better. A marriage and family counselor once said that men are actually weak inside. They need our encouragement to help strengthen them not our nagging and negativity.

Technorati Tags: family, goals, love, New Years resolutions, parenting, potential

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April Website Review: Let’s Explore

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE BOOKSHELF

Let’s Explore is one of my all time favorite kid sites. There are tons of ideas and links to help your children learn, create and explore. It is ok if you are not crafty there is something for everyone from sewing, gluing, cutting, pretending, cooking, games and more. Once you have exhausted the ideas on Let’s Explore there is a mile long list of blogs and websites to keep the fun going. Many of the games and projects can be done with items you probably already have in your home.

We are going to make treasure ice today using some of the items we find on our nature walk this morning.

Technorati Tags: crafts, creative play, education, fun, games, holidays, homeschool, Let's Explore, preschool, projects, RECIPES

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Making Time for the Family: An Easter Celebration

Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES

Consolator by Carl Bloch

In our home we celebrate Easter in both secular and non-secular ways. For us the Easter Bunny is not an integral part of our Easter holiday but rather becomes a fun pass time for the children like hunting for eggs while waiting for the Easter feast to cook. Historically Easter coincides with a few other cultural traditions such as the Iranian New Year, Jewish Passover (that recounts the escape of the Israelites from Egypt in addition to the removal of all leaven bread), Catholic lent, and the celebration of the Spring Equinox. Worldwide traditions provide a cache of ideas to pluck from religious and secular alike.

Women at the Tomb (Author unknown)

The Journey:
Holidays that originate in another country have educational potential. We can learn about the traditions, customs, types of food they ate, their sleeping conditions and games they played. On the Eve of Easter we take a journey back in time. We unpack the tent and roll out our sleeping bags for an indoor family camp out. We sing, dance and play an ancient Roman game of Knucklebones (similar to Jacks) using pebbles. For dinner we enjoy an earthy Eastern meal followed by a short devotional recapping the last few days of Christ’s mortal life.

“Spring Bunny” by Carolyn Bell

The Spring Bunny:
The Easter Bunny was first introduced in the US by German immigrants. Their culture believed the egg to be a symbol of rebirth. The idea for the Spring Bunny came from a friend of mine. To keep the spirit of Easter focused on Christ the “Spring Bunny” comes hopping around their home on the morning of the first day of Spring. He delivers eggs filled with money and baskets filled with candy and surprises. For Stephen it is a sacrilege not having the Easter Bunny on Easter morning. To appease us both we agreed to adopt the name “Spring Bunny” leaving Easter out of it.

Our Spring Bunny will arrive Easter morning to hide plastic eggs filled with stickers, beads for our reward system and money. The baskets contain a few pieces of candy, a wind up toy (to have races with), bubbles and a small something geared toward each child like a bucket and shovel, a ball, stuffed animals or a book. The idea is to keep it light and fun.

The Easter Feast:
Our Easter table is laden with the fresh bounties that spring has to offer. A white linen tablecloth, symbolic of the cloth that Christ’s body was wrapped in, drapes the table. A bouquet of herbs adorns the table in recognition of the spices that were carried to the tomb to dress the body of Christ. Our meal is meager with spring vegetables, crusty bread and a fruit flavored pork roast.

Photo of  painted Czech Easter eggs by: Norman Millauer/Getty

Easter Delights:
After Easter service the kids are thrilled to paint Easter eggs, bake cookies, make crafts and hunt for eggs. After hours of hiding and finding eggs we all sit down to watch “Veggie Tales: An Easter Carol.” Before we had kids we always watched “Jesus of Nazareth,” directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Robert Powell is amazing in his gripping portrayal of Jesus the Christ.

A few ideas for families with older kids are:
–Plan a Spring picnic. Pack a lunch and head to the park or country.

–Watch the sunrise. Climb to the roof of your building or set out for the mountains. Bring along some nibbles for breakfast and some blankets.

–Plant a garden. Gather some of your neighbors to plant a neighborhood garden or keep it private in your own backyard.

–Make an advent calender using plastic eggs and an egg carton. Fill the eggs with a scripture from the last days preceding Christ’s death and an item represented in that scripture; leaving the last one empty). Read one each night beginning 12 days before Easter. Some items to include might be 3 dimes, a cross, white linen and so on.

–Make fun decorations like a banner or a special tablecloth.

–Host a neighborhood parade or festival.

–Devise an Easter egg scavenger hunt.

–Play egg relays.

–Pin the tail on the bunny.

–Make oversized Easter Bonnets to wear in the parade.

–Buy a new spring outfit for church.

–Take a family portrait.

Technorati Tags: easter, eggs, family, food, fun, games, kids, Spring Bunny, traditions

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