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positive parenting

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5 Ways To Be More Present With Your Kids

Posted on August 21, 2019

5 Ways To Be More Present With Your Kids

We are in a day filled with screens and lacking personal interactions. The repercussions this is having on our children is HUGE, but there are ways to combat it!

I was chatting the other night with a friend how we want to be intentional about our time with our kids. Now when you are a stay at home (and working!) mom… that’s a lot of time. No matter how much physical time you spend with your kids, quality is the key.

Showing them that you are present, listening and care can totally shape who they become.

The book, Hands Free Mama made a huge impression on the way I think about my time with my kids. All mamas…. run and order this book!

5 Ways To Be More Present With Your Kids

Wake Up Earlier.– Don’t hate me already on option 1. I’m not perfect at this one and it sure isn’t easy when the boys wake up at 6 am, but it makes a huge difference in your day. You can finish some small tasks before they wake up, set intentions for the day, work out, etc. When you spend a few minutes to yourself in the morning it helps to be more patient and present throughout the rest of your day.
Be where your feet are.- This piece of advice came from Christy Wright at her business boutique workshop and couldn’t be anymore helpful. When you are working, be there. Put your heart into and chase your dreams. When you are with your kids, be there. Don’t be thinking about e-mails that need returned or check marks needed on a to- do list.
Stop going through the motions. – Motherhood is exhausting. Plain and simple. It can be so hard to get caught up in dishes, diapers, laundry and tantrums. Making a mindful attempt to realize that these days are numbered and really diving into the sweet moments is so important. Your kids can feel when you are half listening and they care.
Set a block timer for play. This sounds silly, but ever since I started doing we have had so many special moments. Put your phone away and get on the floor until the timer goes off. They will be the precious moments you will remember the most. (I also use this for work. Productivity will sky rocket.)
Spend one-on-one time with each child. This makes them feel special and cared for. It also to help know what is really going on with them in their little minds. It’s amazing what they will tell you when they feel safe.

Whenever I stop and think about how fleeting these sweet moments are where we are our child’s whole world it seems silly to even THINK about wasting them on our phone. Will we remember laughing at a meme on IG or the sound of them laughing? Motherhood is hard, but so worth it. We should all strive to be exceptional and raise exceptional kids. Imagine a world like that?!

Outfit Details:

For my fellow mompreneurs, I have a post about some tips and tricks of balancing stay at home mom life with working mom life. You can read that one HERE.

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5 Books On Positive Parenting To Read This Summer

Posted on May 29, 2019

5 Books On Positive Parenting To Read This Summer

Outfit On Me:

Outfit On The Boys:

Summer is here! These summer days can be long with young ones, but it can be such a fun time to create some of the most precious memories.

I’ve gathered up my favorite books on positive parenting to read this summer and help keep you patient and intentional with your parenting on these trying long days.

We’ve been making an effort to go out and do fun things, take weekend trips and day trips, and get out and about as much as possible.

5 Books On Positive Parenting To Read This Summer

1. Two Thousand Kisses a Day: Gentle Parenting Through the Ages and Stages- L.R. Knost

2. The Gentle Parent: Positive, Practical, Effective Discipline- L.R. Knost

3. POSITIVE PARENTING: The Essential Guide To The Most Important Years of Your Child’s Life- Susan Garcia

4. The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind – Daniel J. Siegal

5. Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting- Dr. Laura Markham

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Positive Parenting: Daily Affirmations For Your Child

Posted on January 22, 2019

Positive Parenting: Daily Affirmations For Your Child

“Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.” – Brooke Hampton

Mom life is hard, but one thing that truly helps me remain patient is knowing the gravity of my actions on the boys life. How you parent in the early years is shaping the way they will act, have relationships, and learn for the rest of their lives. WHOA. That’s some serious stuff.

If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading, THE GENTLE PARENT: POSITIVE, PRACTICAL, EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE .

A simple way you can practice positive parenting, is by giving your child daily affirmations.

The simplest things can make the most profound difference.

Every night, as I carry the boys up the stairs to their cribs, I make a point to tell them things I love about them. Great things they did that day, how proud we are of them, etc. The goal is to fill their minds with positive thoughts before they fall asleep.

In the morning, right when they wake up, we do the same thing. “It’s going to be a great day!” or “I know you will do such a great job sharing with your brother today.” It really starts the day on a positive note.

Again, they are just simple things. The important part is that they believe what they are told at this stage. Imagine what they can do when they are pumped up with positive daily affirmations?!

On the long list of daily “to do’s”, this is the one thing I make a point to NEVER forget. It’s just that important.

Daily affirmations for children has amazing benefits. Positive thoughts create positive actions.

What better gift can you give your child than confidence and self-belief?

Let’s raise a generation of positive, empathetic, strong, resilient, dreamers.

ON GEORGIE:

ON ME:

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Enjoying The “Small Stuff” – Wilder’s First Haircut

Posted on December 10, 2018

Enjoying the “Small Stuff” – Wilder’s First Haircut

Yesterday I had all intentions of coming up with another “Christmas outing” to take the boys on.

You know, Christmas lights, Santa, Ice Show, Polar Express.. the list is endless.

The weather was terrible and Wilder was recovering from an ear infections, so we made the decision to just stay in instead. By “stay in” I mean we never got out of our pajamas until bath time. To change into a different pair of pajamas.

IT.WAS.MAGICAL. The boys were so fun as we built forts, cooked together, snuggled, danced to Christmas music, and truly enjoyed each others company.

If only I could have pressed pause on the life control remote…

But we can’t. In fact a lot of times it feels like we are running in “fast forward” instead. What we CAN do to savor these precious moments (whatever that stage of life is for you) is slow the rush and enjoy the “small stuff.”

Recently, we all went along for Wilder’s first haircut at Barbour 3. It was a special “small stuff” moment that we could have just rushed through like any other haircut.

Instead, we went as a family. We ate suckers, cheered him on and made the most of it.

This holiday season, if you have a bit of time off from the normal hustle and bustle, I hope you can relish in the “small stuff.” Stay in your pajamas all day. Serve your community with a group of friends.

Truly be “present” and relish the quality time with family and friends.

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Positive Parenting – Simple Tips To Be A More Patient/Positive Parent

Posted on September 17, 2018

Positive Parenting – Simple Tips To Be A More Patient/Positive Parent

Let me start by saying, mom life is hard. It’s that simple. Putting someone’s needs before your own 100% of the time, dealing with mom guilt, and feeling overwhelmed is just plain hard. However, you can make an intentional decision to practice positive parenting and patience. This can be beneficial to everyone involved!

There is sometimes a misunderstanding that positive parenting equates to children that are not respectful or not accountable for their actions. It’s actually quite the opposite! Instead of belittling children with yelling, you talk to them in a calm and respectful way.

Children mimic the actions and words of their parents. You can tell them how to act all day long, but at the end of the day they will emulate your actions. That’s some powerful stuff when you stop to think about it!

Every family and child is different and what works for one family may not work for another. These are some practices we use in our household that work for us!

10 Tips To Positive Parenting-

1. Try to understand why your child is acting out and acknowledge their feelings first. It’s so hard as a mom to deal with temper tantrums (especially when they are in public.) I try to remind myself that it must be so hard for them to have all of these feelings, and not understand how to properly express them. Start by saying, “I understand it must be so hard to ______.” This teaches empathy and understanding.

2. It’s ok to step away. Sometimes it just seems too much to handle. Instead of letting the problem escalate, step away. Take a deep breath. Re-access the situation and then walk back in the room to handle. So simple, but works!

3. Talk, don’t yell. I’ve found anytime I yell, they hear nothing I am saying. It reverts their focus to the yelling. Simply talking with them and helping them understand is far more beneficial.

“Yelling silences your message. Speak quietly so your children can hear your words instead of just your voice.” – L.R. Knost

4. Before bed each night we make a point to fill the boys up with positive affirmations. Letting them go to bed feeling proud and loved is so powerful. Here are some simple ones:

– I’m grateful for you.
– You are so loved.
– I was so proud of you for sharing your toys with your brother today.
– You are so creative and did a great job coloring today.
– Great job being so patient at the grocery store.

5. Start each morning with positive affirmation/gratitude.

– It’s going to be a great day!
– I’m so grateful to get to play with you today.
– Let’s be kind to our brother today.

6. Replace negative language with positive language. (This one is hard at first, but once you’ve made the switch it comes second nature.)

Example:

“No running!” = “Walk, please.”

7. Surround yourself with like minded parents/children. This is like the age old saying, “You are who you surround yourself by.” Finding other parents who are positive and surrounding your children by them is crucial! If they are seeing discipline that contradicts yours regularly, they find that to be the norm.

8. Acknowledge when you are wrong. Let’s be real, we are all going to slip up. If you do yell or snap, be sure to acknowledge and apologize. They will mimic this when they are in the wrong. “I’m sorry mommy yelled, I know that isn’t kind and is disrespectful.”

9. Empower your children and teach them to empower others.

Phrases like, “I know that was a hard tower to build, but you stuck with it and did a great job!”

10. Show your child respect. Seems simple, but we often don’t think of children to deserve respect in the same manner as adults. When we are respectful and nurturing to a child, not only do they learn this behavior, but it helps them with learning, coping with stress and even memory.

I HIGHLY recommend the book The Gentle Parent: Positive, Practical, Effective Discipline . Also, the TV show “Daniel Tiger” on PBS (based off of Mr.Rogers) is great on showing positive behaviors and kindness. I have another blog post on raising kind kids that you can read HERE.

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