This is the final post of a four part series on health and staying well, sponsored by PediaCare®. 

When my kids get sick, they go down hard and fast… there is no easing into it. One day they’re fine, the next they are down for the count.

I’ll admit, I love having my kids home, even when they are sick. It gives us a chance to slow down and chill together for a bit. When my friends at PediaCare® asked me to share what my favorite sick day activities are, I’ll be honest… I take extra advantage of the rest and relaxation and snuggle time. When the sick one isn’t sleeping, reading, playing board games, watching movies and just spending the sick day enjoying not having the normal hustle and bustle of our lives is what we enjoy most.  (more…)

I have a skill I think most moms have… I can tell when my kids are coming down with something simply by the way they behave. Things like extra cranky moods, taking a nap in the middle of the day when they don’t normally nap, and coming around for extra snuggles are sure fire signs to me that one of my kiddos doesn’t feel well. Kids like to be happy and are supposed to be happy… and when they are healthy they are happy!

The folks at Pediacare recently asked me to share some tips on how we make staying healthy fun around our house. As I type this, I have two sick kids at home with me, so… well, I’m no expert, but I do know that if we want our kids to be healthy, we’ve got to make being healthy fun. (more…)

I leaned over her bed, late at night, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. As I did, one of my tears fell onto her face, falling down into her wild and curly hair.

I love this girl so, so much I feel my heart physically swelling at the sight of her, but I don’t get her and I don’t know how to get her.

She could easily be described as sweet and kind… but that sweet demeanor can turn on a dime. One moment happy, cuddly and cheerful… the next in a fit of emotion about something small, like the taste of her toothpaste. Even if it the culprit of the fit seems trivial, her pain over it is obvious. She feels so deeply, so loudly, every emotion she has. Whether happy or sad, she feels in extremes. (more…)

The promise of a new dog was under the Christmas tree… something my kids have been begging for for years. My kids came downstairs on Christmas morning and their response to the news of our new family member was underwhelming. It was then, combined with the fact that it was the first Christmas in which the sun has been up before my kids, that I knew something was wrong.

Sure enough, one by one, hour by hour, they were going down… fevers spiked, coughs filled the air, naps were taken instead of playing with the new Christmas presents. We were hit and hit hard with Influenza A. By the 26th and a full day of doctors office visits, we had cancelled our plans to spend a week in Texas visiting my parents, and instead prepared for an isolated, hermit style Christmas break with PJ’s, movies and board games.

(more…)

We sit down and have a family meeting on Sunday evenings. It’s a way for our family of 6 to make sure we are all on the same page for the upcoming week, celebrate accomplishments from the prior week, and more. We assign chores, distribute allowance, plan our weekly menu and share our goals for the week. (I capture it all in my Erin Condren Life Planner… love that thing!)

One thing I’m good at is setting goals. I can set goals all day long… implementing and accomplishing those goals is a different story. As we sit down each week to discuss our goals from the week before, I’ve discovered I’ve passed on that lovely skill to my kids as well. We are all great at goal setting, but tend to fall short of following through and reaching our goals. I decided after several weeks of the same answer of “No” to the “Did you reach your goal?” question, it was time for a change. (more…)

How can she possibly be ready?

I woke up at midnight with a tightness in my chest, grasping for breath. In the dark of the night, it felt like the walls were closing in on me. It was then I realized my pillow was wet and tear soaked.

As a mom who has stayed home with her babies, waking them up every day and taking care of their needs, this has to be one of the hardest things to do… sending them off, away from home for 7 hours a day, letting someone else take care of their needs. How can she possibly be ready?

How can she be ready to navigate the halls of the big grade school, swarming with other children? How will she find her way to her classroom without me being there to guide her? How can she know how to put her backpack away, take her snack to her desk and follow the order of the day without me there to help her? How can she possibly carry a big heavy tray full of lunch food across the crowded lunchroom without dumping it across the floor? How can she be ready for spelling tests, reading homework and math problems? How can she possibly be ready?

I know I’ve sent other kids off to school and they’ve thrived… but I worry about her so much. I worry that others won’t get and understand her quirky little self. I worry that she’ll be the one on the playground alone or sitting at the lunch table with no one else coming to sit by her. I worry that she just won’t get the school work that she’s given, even though I know she is completely capable. I worry about the kids out there who aren’t so kind… and I worry about her tender heart. She is a beautiful, wonderful, spirited, funny, sweet girl… but what if no one else sees that?

I’m leaving her in the hands of a trusted, loving, incredible teacher and I still worry. What if she can’t do it without me there… which is silly, I know, but how can she possibly be ready?

This is why we do this mothering thing, right? To prepare them for the day when they are pushed a little further and begin to really fly on their own.

But I still grasp at the thought… how can she possibly be ready? I know my heart is not.

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We’re going on a road trip…

Actually, we’re headed out on our family vacation at the YMCA or The Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado with a stop at The Four Seasons in Denver along the way.

This equates to fine times ahead, but a long, 10+ hour car ride to get there. Long car rides + four kids = a whole lot of fun, as you can imagine.

People always ask me how I get my kids to travel so well in the car. Long distances are nothing… in fact, each spring break the kids and I take a 36 hour round trip car ride to visit my parents in South Texas. They are little road warriors, which is a great thing.

My secret to a less harried travel experience is snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. I swear my kids could eat the entire trip if I let them (and sometimes I do if it buys me some peace and quiet along the way!)

When I saw this great idea on Pinterest, linked from the Tip Junkie site, I knew it would be a fun way to ration out the snacks for our upcoming vacation. Each kid gets their own box full of a variety of our favorite snacks. How smart is that? This way I don’t have to dole out snacks the entire way and they can snack on what they want, when they want. Pair it with a cold water bottle and I’m hoping we have happy travelers!

Instructions for creating your own travel snack kit for kids:

• A clean, lap size tackle box with adjustable compartments. Choose one that latches closed tightly to avoid accidental spilling.
• Small snacks that will fit within the adjustable compartments
• If you want to get all fancy crafty on your kids, you can use puffy paint or something fun to decorate the outside. In fact get some stickers and let that be a travel activity they can do in the car on the way!
• Simply fill the compartments with snacks, latch it up and surprise them with it once you start your road trip! It’s that easy!

What are some of your favorite tips for traveling with kids? Make sure to check out these other Kid Travel Tips from Tip Junkie!

I’ve always known and hoped that I would be a mom. When I was in Kindergarten, we had a “Star of the Week” program where the star would be interviewed. One of the questions in the interview was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My immediate answer, firmly stated without any hesitation? “A Mommy.”

What I didn’t know when I was in kindergarten was how hard being a mom can be. My mom made it look so easy. It wasn’t until friends of mine started having kids and then I had kids of my own that I began to understand that being a mom is not all singing, arts and crafts, park playing and sprinkler splashing. From the moment a new baby comes into your life, your role on earth changes and you soon discover that you can’t do it well on your own. It truly does take a village.

Luckily, I have a pretty awesome village… full of great friends and family who truly care about the well being of my kids. Well, and the well being of me too. Some of the best advice from my village has been…

My friend Amy, a week before Jacob was due, told me to skip the pretty PJ’s in the hospital and to opt for either just the standard gown or pajamas you don’t care about getting ruined. “You’re just going to be a big, fat, fluidy mess.”

My friend Ami, when I came to her crying because all the parenting magazines were telling me I was doing everything wrong. “Kris… you have great instincts, but on this one, I don’t get it. If you don’t like what the Parenting magazines are telling you to do, then stop reading the Parenting magazines!” I haven’t picked up one since.

Ami also told me that the first 8 weeks of parenting are a blurry, hormonal hell… something no one dared tell me before. You know what? Especially with the first one, she was right.

My sister, when I called after a rough transition from a money making, working professional to a one income family. “There were times when I dug through the couch cushions to gather up loose change to get milk at the store for the kids. Yes, taking a hit in the bank account is hard, but God tends to provide. What you are doing is worthwhile… the most important job you’ll ever have. No salary, even 10 times the amount you were making, could make up for the work you are doing as a mom.”

My own mom, whenever I call frustrated by parenting… “Kristen… go take a Midol and call me tomorrow. Everything will be fine.”

My friend Sandy, when I mentioned that Nick and I rarely have date nights… “For your kids, you need to invest in your marriage in the exact same way you would your 401K. It’s non-negotiable. Take money from your paycheck and put in a monthly date night fund. Keeping your marriage romantic and alive is the best thing you can do for your kids.”

My friend, Kristen… also a mother of 4… “Now is when you need to put your super woman cape away and start asking for help. People want to help… stop trying to be the hero and let your friends and those who love you help you when you need it!”

My closest friends on the block, when they see me outside, dragging a screaming toddler through the streets to take the others to school… suddenly that morning a Starbucks shows up on my porch or that evening a bottle of wine appears with 2 wine glasses and a listening ear.

I have a wonderful village… and it is because of them that my kids are turning out to be the special, young people they are. The advice of my friends and family, the offers to lend a hand, the straight forward truths they aren’t afraid to share… all of that is something I appreciate more than words could ever express.

Take a moment, like I did, and share an unexpected card with your friends to say thank you. They may not even remember what they’ve said to impact the way you parent, but letting them know you remember will mean the world. Oh… and drop by with wine or coffee. After all, it’s important to keep your village nice and fueled.

Disclosure: I am honored to be a 2012 paid brand ambassador for Hallmark Life is a Special Occasion. All opinions expressed are my own. For special discounts, product offerings and news about Hallmark, feel free to sign up for their newsletter.

A few weeks ago I reached out to those of you who follow Dine & Dish on Facebook asking for advice on chores and allowance. We have struggled since day one finding a consistent method that works for our family. With 4 kids at 4 different ages, it’s difficult to figure out something that works for everyone.

Our oldest two are also at an age where we believe they should be earning a small allowance… mostly so they can begin learning at an early age how to be financially responsible with money.

Enter Tykoon… a website devoted to helping parents raise money smart kids. Someone mentioned how much success they’ve had with Tykoon on Facebook and a few days later a campaign opened up to give Tykoon a try. I’d call that perfect timing, wouldn’t you?

We have now had a couple week to try Tykoon out, and although it won’t work for my youngest two quite yet, the older two have really enjoyed being able to log in to Tykoon to access their chores and their “rewards” account.

Tykoon Parents Portal

How Tykoon Works

“Tykoon enables kids to make smarter decisions through an application that is based on real money and real-life experiences.” Tykoon website.

The Tykoon website and application is a FREE, safe and secure place for parents and kids to log in to assign and monitor chores. It also gives kids the opportunity to make smart decisions about the money they earn from chores. From savings to giving to charity to spending on something special, Tykoon covers it all in an simple interface for both parents and kids.

Tykoon Kids Portal

What We Like About Tykoon

My favorite feature of Tykoon is that you can assign non-monetary rewards to chores as well as leave the “expectation” chores free of being tied to any reward. It’s extremely customizable for your own family or even within your family for different kids. Have a child who struggles with reading? Add “Read 30 minutes a day” to their Tykoon chore chart and reward them with 15 minutes of screen time in return. Is setting the table an expectation? Add it to their chores but don’t tie a reward to it. Your child will know that it is an expected chore they are asked to do simply as part of the family.

My kids love that they can easily see how much money or non-monetary rewards they have simply by logging into their own portal. They can set goals for earning, saving and giving (and can research charities through the Tykoon website and develop a passion for helping others).  In addition, if set up by the parents, kids can view “safe and appropriate” products on Amazon and once they’ve earned enough money can order items directly from Amazon and have it delivered to their doorstep. My kids thought that was pretty cool! (Note – kids cannot move or spend money without parents final approval…which is a good thing!)

Right now, if you complete the free signup with Tykoon and if you invite 5 friends to sign up, if they stay on for one month, you will get a $25 Amazon gift card. That’s a great incentive to give the Tykoon system a try in your household! If you do, please come back and let me know how it works for you.

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Tykoon. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

I have four kids and you’d think by the time Leah came along I’d have this whole parenting thing down.

What no one seems to tell you is that whether you have 1 or 10 kids, God sends you a different one each time. You get the experience of starting over, learning the ropes again with each new little being. If it were only so easy to read a manual and have parenting down pat… you know how to raise one? You know how to raise them all. I’ve learned, that’s totally not the case!

Four kids and Leah has been my only one to…

Smear blood red vampire Halloween makeup on the couch…

Have an obsession with lotions, shampoos and sunscreen… and therefore continues to waste bottles of each and all, all the time…

Dump hot honey wax (for eyebrows) onto the carpet…

Eat over half of container of butter all in the matter of a few minutes while I was on the phone…

Give herself her own haircut…

Color on walls, have insane fits in the car every time we go someplace, etc. The list goes on and on and on and on.

Her siblings have nicknamed her “The Disaster” which is about as fitting of a name as you can get for her.

She is also the absolute only one who can do all these things, turn around with a twinkle in her eye and a grin and instantly melt our hearts, causing us to smile at her rotten behavior. She’s spunky, smart and full of life… and too darn cute for her own good.

I tell myself that someday this behavior of hers is going to suit her well. She’s headed into an all boy preschool class next year. Most mom’s might be worried about this but I have a feeling those boys won’t know what hit them when Leah walks into the room! She will hold her own, now and forever.

And all I can hope is that someday she’ll be blessed with a little disaster all her own… so she can be the one trying not to crack a smile when her daughter is too cute for her own good.

Disclosure: I am honored to be a 2012 paid brand ambassador for Hallmark Life is a Special Occasion. All opinions expressed are my own. For special discounts, product offerings and news about Hallmark, feel free to sign up for their newsletter.