Connect To Your Kids While Driving!

Whether it’s a Road Trip with The Family or an average day driving the kids to school, it isn’t a drive you want to end negatively.Parents may feel they already did all the “Heart to Hearts”,yet do you want to give the three kids in the confined space time to find something to yell about on a Monday morning? Ok… Now you’re thinking, “I’ll just crank the radio”. Will they agree on a station?Will you agree on theirs?.. So Mom & Dad, there ARE still lots of things to teach, or better yet,to learn from the kids during your travels.

·         Music  I know, I contradict myself. But we have to take age into consideration. If you’re driving a toddler or an eight year old, there are still ways to connect. Will it kill you to sing along to “The Wheels On The Bus” or Justin Bieber so that later in life they can look back on your sacrifice and smile? That Mom & Dad is creating a lifelong connection on a not so long car ride!

·          Tell all Tuesday Pick a day of the week just to talk about anything. Make it a particular day so the child\children always have a planned topic they want to discuss. You never know what that conversation will turn into and before you know it everyone has  input. They may do the whole eye rolling routine in the beginning but soon they’ll be subconsciously  taking notes on incidents they can discuss. By doing this connection technique you will learn a lot about your children’s views on life.

·         Homework with a Reward Have you ever wondered, what your kids would do in any given situation? What are their opinions on certain world issues? Are there subjects you want your kids to be more educated on? So give them homework! I know.. The eye rolling thing.. But make it worth their while. Whoever does the most research or puts the most thought into this particular weekly assignment receives $5 or don’t have to do their next chore, whatever reward encourages your child's interest. This will also teach you a lot about your kids.To encourage involvement you can have them take turns assigning topics to each other and you.

·         Drivers Ed Road Trip Let’s face it,a time when you really need the vehicle/child connection to be felt the strongest  will be when you are teaching that same child to finally drive themselves (and perhaps any younger siblings??).So why not when your child is old enough to understand the concept of driving start giving them the training right away. Point out little details and road rules. Explain the signs and the “unwritten” rules. Then eventually have them dictate their way to where they want to go. It’ll be fun, educational and a beneficial connection.

So Mom & Dad, give it a try. Above are just 4 ways to make a lifelong connection, I know you’ll think of even more!!

Creative, Original & Your Kids Will Love It!

Have you ever wondered why it sometimes seems so difficult to connect with Your Kids? Have You noticed that while you enjoyed the video games you grew up with You feel like you need a degree to play your childrens video games?
Sometimes with all the other responsibilities we have we fall behind on kids technology. So let's not make life any more difficult than it already is.. Let's bring our kids back to us instead of us struggling to catch up to them!
I don't want to learn "Mall World" and "Webkinz" and "FarmVille"..So, I decided to find ways to introduce my kids to toys I use to love so that when we do playtime we all enjoy what we're doing. The benefits of this connection in my family is it tends to lead to a lot of old memories that the kids love, they have insite to what Mom & Dad did at their age.

Our Fruit Dish

I will list some of our favorites and hopefully you will enjoy this as much as we do. Better yet,maybe you have some ideas we can add to our family time.

• LEGO Lego is my personal favorite. My siblings and I always had lego and we spent many hours playing with them. At Christmas my youngest recieved micro lego but found it difficult to put together (she is 3 years old). My oldest daughter and I connected immediately. We spend many nights sitting together doing lego. Under normal circumstances we would be spending this time watching TV in silence. Instead we are being creative and having constant conversation throughtout. I eventaully purchased Mega Lego for my youngest, Cupcake Lego to be exact. It's easier for her and She loves it.

Our Valentine's Project

Lego Instructions Helped With This House  

• PLAYDOH My little one loves Playdoh. I also loved it as a child but didn't get to play with it much because it tends to make a mess... So... Have you tried MoonDoh? I love it! Dry and so easy to pick up or vaccuum up if necessary. Often times when I find myself over thinking or stressing I am kneeding it in my hand.. Seems to help.
• OUTSIDE Going outside with the kids isn't always about a park or specific location. I often play games with them I played as a child. We had imagination and a lot less toys. I find My oldest teaching her friends these silly games me and my friends created. Both of My Daughters also loves just to go for a walk. My Oldest likes to leave the car home and walk to the Corner Store instead of driving. It's a small thing but as a child, I walked with my parents a lot, or got to ride on my dad's shoulders.. Either way it created great memories.
• MOVIES When it comes to movie time we hardly ever watch the newest releases. My kids watch the new ones but if I'm sitting down to watch a movie, It will be an oldy and a goody!! Our Favorite that I'd suggest is "Drop Dead Fred" or "The Princess Bride". It's definately a laugh for the whole family even now.
• COLORING Again, I don't mean just any coloring. We print our personal favorites from Googles coloring pages. When we are out of ink, which happens often, we draw or make holiday cards. They get to express themselves and practise writing and drawing. 



My Daughters Nail Art

• NAILS This one I do because I have daughters, but we have Nail Design books My Daughters also received as gifts. They have fun pictures and designs that can either be done alone or some are a little easier with some help.
• SCRAPBOOKING This gives you the oppurtunity to go through the old family pictures which is an activity all in itself. It brings smiles where it use to bring embarrassment.Your kids are now embarrassed while you think you were cute.. It's fun.

I know these are all very simple ideas but sometimes we forget the simple things in life. When we are doing them it gives us time to think. We aren't too busy learning how to do the activity, we are just having a fun relaxed play date with a lot of positive conversation.  
Please share any fun activities you think we would enjoy. We will continue sharing our activities with you!