Child Sucking Thumb?My 5 year old granddaughter needs to stop sucking her thumb before starting kindergarten in the fall. It is causing dental and speech problems. Mom and I are out of ideas. Any ideas will be appreciated.
Use a Timer for Kids Time Out Buy a $1 store timer and magnet it to the fridge for when your kids need a time out or a little time in the corner. My daughter sets it to 5 minutes, and if her 6 year old acts up, she'll sometimes get 5 more minutes.
Make Picture Cards for a Non-Verbal ChildWe are always needing pictures for our non-verbal son. We have saved greeting cards to cut appropriate pictures, and then laminate them. He can use these pictures to start conversations about birthdays, and other holidays.
Clear Candy Tubes for Small Toy StorageA great way to organize and re-cycle while doing so. Those long clear tubes that candy (ex. M & M's) comes in provide great storage for small toy pieces and can make them more readily available for your child's play time.
Daughter Cries All the Time?My daughter cries about everything. She will cry if she doesn't get her way. She cries when her sister gets something and she does not. She doesn't like to do her homework, but she likes to play. I sometimes think that I am going to go crazy with her.
Is My Son a Vegetarian?My 10 year old son has never really liked meats from the time he was able to eat foods. His doctor at the time said he may become a vegetarian. I have tried everything over the years to get him to eat meats. I can only get him to eat poultry. He loves spaghetti but will pick out the meat.
Fun Snow Toys and GamesWell we had our first snowfalls the last couple of days here in the Rockies and, though enough did not fall to make a snowman, my grandkids wanted to go and play our in the snow.
Homemade "GAK" RecipeMix together 8 oz Elmer's Glue with 3/4 cup water + 2 drops food coloring (optional). Dissolve 1 tablespoon "20 Mule Team Borax" (found in laundry aisle) in 1/4 cup warm water.
Make Christmas Wish Books For Your KidsWhen my nieces and I were younger, my older sister (also their mother) would make up books for us to choose our Christmas gifts. She would take pictures of toys from ads and catalogs and cut them out and paste them in the book.
Chores for a 9 Year Old?I used to have my 9 year old son clean the kitty litter, vacuum and take the trash out but we got rid of the cat and he still cleans his room. Does anybody have ideas on any more chores he could do? He wants me to give him money but I can't figure out things he can do to earn it. How much should I give him?
Anyone Tried The "Defiant Child Program"?Has anyone tried the "Defiant Child" program? It's the Total Transformation Program and they say you can turn a kid's attitude around and get back control. I don't get much info from their web site and wonder if anyone has tried this or knows more about it? Thanks.
Use Play Money To Reward Good Behavior At The StoreGrocery shopping with pre-schoolers can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you're shopping with more than one. I found a strategy that makes the experience easier for both the little ones and me.
Support Your Daycare ProviderIn a feedback to another post, I read something that got me all riled up. The person said that many people are willing to pay more for lawn work than for child care or to have the inside of the house cleaned.
Side Table for Small KidsIf your little one has a pint-sized chair he or she likes to sit in to watch his/her favorite shows, try placing a child's step stool next to the chair to use as a side table. It's just the right size for the chair and can be used for snacks, books, etc.
Dakota's GardenMy best tip, garden with your children or grandchildren. Dakota is 2 and we have fixed him a place to plant the better boy tomatoes he picked out and he planted 2 marigolds to help keep the bugs away.
Display Children's Artwork and Replace WeeklyEvery day when they get home they put the papers they are most proud of in a folder on my desk, at the end of the week, they select the one they like the best and want displayed in the frame for the week.
Using a Swinging Cradle as a Toy BoxI made this swinging cradle for one of my granddaughters. Now it doubles as her toy box.
Poem: A Mother's PrayerGive me patience when little hands tug at me with ceaseless small demands. Give me gentle words and smiling eyes, and keep my lips from hasty replies.
Mr. Peabody's Apples - Book ReviewWant to teach a great lesson on not gossiping or spreading rumors? Madonna not only is a great singer, actress and dancer she is also a good writer. I have used one of her books called "Mr. Peabody's Apples" for my lesson.
Free (and Sugar-Free) Giveaway For PreschoolersWhen my children's preschool had a special occasion that normally meant a lot of sugar (Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween, etc.), I would set a sugar-free example.
Healthy Toys WebsiteHere is a great reference for all of you who are concerned about toy safety this holiday season.
Sneaking Veggies Into Ground BeefI'm constantly trying to sneak more veggies in to our meals and found a good tip. Whenever I have a dinner with ground beef (tacos, burgers, meat loaf, sloppy joes, chili etc) I shred a zucchini into the meat.
Saving School PaperworkI know how precious and special looking back on my children's school work really is. Every day, when we empty his backpack, the 7 year old and I put all his work into a box. Since I check his school work/homework each evening by initialing and dating it, it's easy to sort through and pick the best of each month to save.
Picking up the Tab at Lunch?I just need a little input on what's proper! I'm meeting my 3 adult daughters for lunch in the near future and 2 of them live close by and one lives out of town. It's a treat for all of us to be in the same place at one time. My granddaughter will be included in this get together. She's 15 and belongs to one of my daughters that lives close by.
Colored Applesauce For KidsThis is for applesauce, I am sure everyone has done this. You can add kool-aid of any color and you will have orange, red, grape, etc. We did this at Head Start and the kids loved it.
Teach Kids About Needs vs WantsHelp prepare your children to make better financial decisions in the future by teaching them the difference between needs, wants, and wishes.
Save Money on Kids ClothingKeep kids in nice clothing can be a major expense for parents because kids are always growing. Here are some tips from the ThriftyFun community to help you save on clothing for your kids.
Preserving Friendship when Kids Don't Get Along?How do I tell a dear friend that my child does not want to be friends with her child, and not ruin the friendship?
California Beauty Pageants?Where can I find beauty pageants in California for my two year old son?
A Child's Reminder Of A Working MotherThe picture is of my daughter in her work uniform with a Federal Express box kneeling down by her daughter who is sitting in a stroller. I will frame this picture and when Mommy goes to work, Hannah can get the picture and know where Mommy is going.
Marker Rules For ChildrenSeems like there have been a lot of posts lately about children using permanent markers, and how well I remember those days when my own kids, nieces and nephews were that age. Back then, I came up with a solution that would allow them to express their creativity with markers.
Keep Old Marker Lids As ReplacementsKeep Old Marker Lids As Replacements. When throwing out dried up markers, keep the lids! You can use them later if you should misplace a lid. This comes in handy particularly with children's markers.
Alternatives to High Chairs for BabiesWhen looking into highchairs for babies, think about alternative options. If you already have a dining room table you may not need a typical high chair. . .
Technology Free DaysTechnology Free Days. Our youngest daughter was addicted to the television. She tried to turn the TV on the moment she walked into the house and preferred to watch TV over anything else. We had to find a way to break the hold the Television had on her impressionable little mind. . .
Extra Expenses at the Beginning of SchoolI remember when my children were in school, there were always extra unexpected expenses in the first weeks of school.
Encouraging Children to Not Wear Shoes?Do any of you allow or even encourage your children not to wear shoes. For the last year my seven year old daughter has only worn shoes to school and the rest of the time she is barefoot.
Can Food Coloring Be Harmful?My daughter has discovered using food coloring to color her oatmeal and milk to make it more enjoyable for her to eat. My question is this, does anyone know if too much food coloring is harmful, or unhealthy to children? She likes to use it everyday, and it is now the only way I can get her to drink milk and eat oatmeal.
Helping Grown Sons Be Responsible for Holidays?Does anyone have ideas about how to help grown sons with families of their own to be responsive to holidays, birthdays, and communication in general? I am single and I do most of the calling, traveling, and visiting.
Storynory.comTired of spending money on audio CDs for children. At http://storynory.com/, you can download classic and modern stories read by a brilliant young English actress. They are just as good as any CD, but completely free...
Mom and Dads Helping Their Children SaveIf you have a teenagers who do part time work along with the chores at home. They make up to twenty five dollars per week, if you could kick in with them a few more dollars, you could start them off for the future. I did this with my two sons...
VarTech Phone Card for My Kids?I am trying to locate a phone card that my kids use to have when in school. It is by VarTech, who are still in business. This card ONLY allowed them to dial a specific code that rang our home number. This way I did not have any excuses of a cell phone out of range, or out of minutes, etc.
How to Avoid Eating Nuts?I was just told by my Pediatrician that my 3 year old son is allergic to peanuts, peanut butter and to avoid all tree nuts. I know that starting in January, all food and candy companies have to list all 8 allergy ingredients on their packaging.
Safe Quiz Sites For Kids?My 10 year old daughter loves spelling and math quiz websites. But I am very strict about what she looks at. There are some very weird 'kid sites' out there. Can anyone please advise me of a site that is educational and 'safe'.
Free Child ID KitI have seen on the news that Hurricane Katrina left many children separated from their parents; I cannot fathom being separated from my son, and could imagine that I'd be extremely panicked and would be trying everything possible to locate him.
Baby Safe Cupboard Ideas?I'm interested in suggestions for securing a lazy susan type cupboard. Our toddler is starting to show an interest in opening the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and we are concerned about him pinching his fingers in the lazy susan. Has anyone found a resolution to this issue?
Practice Reading With Your ChildrenPractice reading with your child everyday. If you read one page, she reads one page, the story goes quicker, you and she can discuss the story as it goes.
By Linda
One Day Only SaleI love the idea and tradition of giving one day to each child - during every season, not just the holidays.
