Do you have a little boy? Do they love light sabers from Star Wars? Are they constantly borrowing your brooms to stage epic fights? Do you NOT want to buy them one of the expensive light sabers from the toy store, that you know they will break a window with? Want to get your kids outside playing a fun water game? Then look no further, I have all the answers you need!

First you need to figure out whether or not your boys are on the dark side. I know what you are thinking, but it really matters. Your kids will appreciate the extra efforts. Next head out to the store. You need to find pool noodles in red or green, again depending n your kids alliances. The only other thing you need is duct tape. Good ole silver duct tape. Take your pool noodle and trim it to a reasonable size. This will depend on the size of your Jedi (Or Sith).

Take your duct tape and tape the bottom of the noodle. Enough to form a decent handle. That’s it, you have cheap soft light sabers for the kids to fight with. Send them outside and be done.

Of course, around here that wasn’t enough. We needed to add the element of water before my kids were satisfied. Running through the sprinklers while using the Force was a hit. As was shoving the end of the hose into the bottom of the light saber. It squirt water out of the top, and was easy enough to swing around. Super fun!

-Stephanie Wright

We all know that times are hard. This is why it’s more important than ever to teach your kids the responsibilities of money. I don’t think it’s ever too early to begin reinforcing key concepts.  However, we truly began our kid’s education in finances at age three. Can you imagine your kids learning to handle money so that they don’t repeat some of your mistakes? (Can we say credit cards anyone?)

Having fought the credit card battle, and survived, I am eager to help my kids avoid my mistakes. For help with that, we turned to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Junior kit. Dave Ramsey is the guy who helped steer us in the right direction, so it made sense he could help us with our kids. Dave has written six cute children’s books that reenforce ideas such as work, saving, debt, giving, spending, and integrity. My kids love these books to pieces. My daughter also loves the “piggy” bank that came with her kit. It’s not actually a piggy at all, but three plastic envelopes One for giving, saving, and spending. When my kids earn their allowance they look forward to dividing it up into the various sections. Putting money into three separate “banks” makes them feel like they are getting more.

Since starting Financial Peace Junior my daughter has really caught on to giving to others. She truly looks forward to earning her money so she can do something for someone else. She also gets a pretty big kick out of having her own spending money when we head to the store. My son on the other hand, just wants to save every single penny he earns. The concepts are simple enough for a three year old, and interesting enough to engage my six year old. Overall I could not be happier with the kit and the things it is teaching my children. If you are looking for a simple, smart, no nonsense way to teach your kids about money and being fiscally responsible this is it.

-Stephanie Wright

Road trips are supposed to be fun, but we all know that when traveling with kids they can be more of a headache. The key to keeping kids happy on road trips is to understand that they are kids, with short attention spans. Also, it’s important to note that the excitement can absolutely get them more wound up than usual. For us, that means turning everything into a game of some sort.

When traveling we aim to stop for potty breaks every two hours or so. For our breaks we look for Cracker Barrels. If you don’t know about this restaurant, you should. The most important thing to know is that they are often interstate friendly, and have super clean bathrooms (not to mention really good coffee). Be prepared though, kids will want everything in their store. The temptation of the store is worth the reliably clean bathroom, and the chance to stretch our legs window shopping.  We used to stop at fast food joints with play areas but always had a huge struggle getting the kids to leave. The kids like the idea of stopping at a Cracker Barrel bathroom in every state we have visited.

As for actual car games, I like to have the kids draw pictures of the things they see. We also play “I Spy” and the “ABC game.” The ABC game is great for littler kids. Basically you look at other cars license plates and road signs and find each letter of the alphabet. If you are on an exceptionally long trip, its a great idea to find an actual park for the kids to burn off some energy.

Of course you can always opt for the DVD player, but for us those make for grumpier kids upon arrival. And with most things involving kids, planning is crucial, but be flexible if your plans need to change. Oh, and pack of healthy snacks too!

-Stephanie Wright

Little boys are awesome. Not much compares to their energy and imagination. It is completely singular. Don’t misunderstand, I love my daughter and think that she is beyond amazing. However, I prefer super heroes over princesses. (On a side note, my daughter has been getting a real kick out of superheroes lately too!)

I am so excited that my kids are finally getting into the super hero fad. I remember growing up and playing with my brothers. Some of these characters are as beloved to me as the average teenaged boy! This is why I was so keen on helping my son begin his hero journey. Every hero needs a cape (unless you watch the Incredibles and remember why capes are bad)! But for dressing up, and non flying heros I imagine capes are still okay.

I have seen lots of tutorials on how to make a cape. My mom even gave me some pointers. They all had one thing in common though, they all choked my kids. I think I have finally gotten around this major flaw though.  For our cape making, I have two techniques. The first one requires cutting out the shape of your cape, hemming it (I use hemming tape. Easy!) and then attaching the cape to a plain t-shirt. I usually just hand stitch (but you can certainly use your machine, or Liquid Stitch, or whatever other means) the cape right across the shoulder area. This way is fun because the shirt and attached cape become a whole costume. You can use a t shirt that you buy with your kids favorite heros logo on the front for a cool finished product.

If that is too much sewing for you, I totally get it. You should use this next method. I use my husband’s old t-shirts for this, but you can also go to goodwill for some good colored shirts, or even just buy some new. All you do is cut off the sleeves and the front of the shirt. This leaves you with the back and neck. Its a quick and dirty method, but it works. Epescially if you have a rough hero who goes through a lot of capes.

-Stephanie Wright

It seems that every time I go to the store, I see some new product designed to help make taking care of babies easier. I had my first child six years ago, and things are drastically different in just that small amount of time.

My latest and current favorite discovery is that of the squeezable baby food. Basically it is a pouch (similar to a juice pouch) full of various baby foods. Instead of a straw, it has a small spout. Price wise, these seem to be fairly competitive with regular baby food jars or containers. The combinations of what comes inside is diverse. What I really like about these is their portability. When at home my kids always got homemade baby foods, but when out and about I preferred the ease of store bought.

You can buy a spoon that attaches to the spout of the pouch, which I thought was really nifty. It screwes onto the pouch and has a little hole in it so you can squeeze the food right into it. But to be honest, I rarely use it. My son does better when I help him squeeze some into his mouth. I found the spoon to be slightly awkward, and my son couldn’t get much off of it. If you try the spoon it’s good to know that it is universal and fits on all brands of food. Plus it comes in a little carrying case for your diaper bag. My son is already nine months old, so I wonder if the spoon might work better with a smaller baby.

There are several brands out there to choose from, including those that are all organic. Even Target has their Up & Up brand making some. For older kids you can get them squeezable applesauce as well. Both of my bigger kids love these, I love not having to pack a spoon in their lunches for them to get their apple sauce!

-Stephanie Wright

As a mom you never know what you are going to face from day to day. Things often catch me by surprise, and I am left unprepared. Or, I have everything that I need, but things are strewn throughout my diaper bag and I can’t find them when I need them. Sound like you too? You need to check out http://www.inapikle.com/. They sell fabulously cute little bags that contain everything that you might possibly need, no matter what the situation. The bag is about the size of a water bottle, and inside are sturdy plastic bags that contain the goods. All liquids are even TSA approved.

I love that it fits into my purse, or diaper bag easily and I know exactly where to find everything. I just have to wonder why in the world I did not think of this first. The best part is that you can add to the stash with things that are unique to you. For example, I have some gum, and my favorite lip gloss tucked inside.

Here is a list of things you can find in your “pikle.”

1 hand sanitizer

1 spot remover

3 individually wrapped antibacterial wipes

1 credit card size mirror and floss combo

1 pair of tweezers

1 pair of fingernail clippers

2 emery boards

1 travel size sewing kit

1 retractable mini scissors

1 24″ tailor tape

3 hair bands

5 rubber bands

5 bobby pins

5 safety pins

5 paper clips

1 philips mini screw driver

1 straight mini screw driver

1 mini pen

1 “In A Pikle” sticky notebook

10 adhesive bandages

1 package travel tissues

1 pill box

They only cost $34.95!! In my opinion you can’t put a price on this amount of genius! Refills for your “pikle” start at just $5.99. These little beauties will also make for some fantastic gifts! Perfect for the new mom who has every thing, or for the mom who is seasoned but enjoys form and function!

-Stephanie Wright

Traveling with kids can be very difficult and stressful, we all know this to be true.  I am all about finding ways to make my life easier when traveling with the little ones. Lately my kids have been into drawing and coloring and I know this is not unusual for kids their age.  I began the hunt for an art desk that would work well for long car rides.  That means I needed something that they could easily hold in their car seats, and would hold all their supplies and not fall where they could not reach.

We turned to magnets and Velcro for this project. For the base we purchased cookie sheets.  Okay, I won’t lie to you, I bought myself the new cookie sheets and donated my old ones to the kids and their traveling art desks.  I gave each sheet a nice fresh coat of spray paint just to make things fun, and well frankly, cuter.  My old cookie sheets had seen better days.  Now, because my cookie sheets were metal, they were prime candidates for magnets.  I got some heavy duty ones that can really hold for this.  Two just to hold on paper.  Then I bought a bunch of small magnets that I could cut to size. Then being the über crafter that I am, I hot glued a small magnet to each and every single one of their crayons.  Now the crayons will stay put and not roll away off of their desks.  Saving me many brain cells and from not having to hunt down lost crayons.

If your cookie sheet isn’t metal that is where the Velcro comes in.  Using the same concept attach Velcro to each crayon.  You can attach binder clips with hot glue to hold the paper tight as well.  The best part about this project is how creative you can get with the initial paint job.  Stripes, polka dots, and monograms all add a nice personal touch.

-Stephanie Wright

I cannot lie, I am a nerd, and I love science.  Science rules.  It’s not unusual for my husband and me to quote Mythbusters to each other. My kids have no hope in the matter, they are destined to grow up to be nerds too.  Getting them to accept this early is the key to a long and happy life.  All this is why we frequent various science experiments.  This week my kids were learning about money.  So to go along with that, we took a closer look at pennies.

Here is what we did.  First and foremost I got a brand new penny from our bank.  Then we went on the hunt for the oldest grosses looking penny we could find.  These will act as our “control” for the experiment,  or what we compare our results to.  Once you have your control, empty those piggy banks and find the old yucky brown pennies.  Get as many as you can.  Get your kids to consider why the pennies are different colors.  If your kids are like most, they will simply assume the pennies are dirty.  While this is probably true, it’s not the only thing happening.  Pennies are made of copper (actually they are copper plated. Just FYI.) When copper is exposed to oxygen, you know air, it creates carbon oxide, which creates that brown color.

Next gather a bunch of clear plastic cups.  Fill one with water, one with soap and water, one with coffee, ketchup, vinegar, vinegar and a teaspoon of salt, soy sauce, mustard, soda, and anything else you can think of.  Put two pennies in each cup.  Wait about ten minutes.  Remove your pennies, rinse one of the two from each cup with water while just wiping or patting dry the other. Then discover what happened to each penny?  Which ones look cleaner? The penny in the salt and vinegar that wasn’t rinsed in water, did it turn green? (Just like the Statue of Liberty anyone?) Compare and contrast to your control pennies.  Chemistry and science are fun!

-Stephanie Wright

We had a tragedy at our house last week.  We had a rainy day and had no finger paints.  My kids love to paint.  In fact they cheer when they wake up to cloudy skies because they know i will let them get out the paints and have a ball.  But this time, I had a major mommy fail.  Thankfully my kids have an amazing grandmother who saved the day by giving me her homemade fingerprint recipe.

You more than likely have everything you need already on hand ready to do this.  You will need about six or seven old containers.  I used old baby food jars and a few of the empty paint jars that I had not thrown out yet. Three table spoons of sugar, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 2 cups of water, a half teaspoon of salt, and some food coloring.  To make your paints combine all ingredients except the colorings into a small sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat just until the mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once everything is room temperature divide the liquid between your containers.  Add in food coloring.  There is no exact measurement here, just add enough to get the colors you want.  This is pretty fun for the kids too.  I like to add the colors, fasten on the lids and let the kids shake them until the food coloring is all mixed in.  It can be a great lesson on mixing colors.  Or grocery store sells both regular food coloring colors and neons.  Both make for some pretty fantastic paints.

If you are worried about these being washable, you can add a dollop of dish soap to each jar and mix in. Don’t forget though, that if you add the soap, these are no longer “edible.” I haven’t had much trouble wasn’t up without the added soap, but I have heard others say it’s much easier with it.  For us though, we skip it.

There you have it, home made finger paints for a fraction of the cost!

-Stephanie Wright

Sometimes during the spring months it can be very difficult to tell if your kids have caught a cold or simply have allergies.  The problem is that they can be very different when it comes to how you would treat them.  So how can you possibly tell if your kids have allergies or a cold without shoving daisies under their noses to see if they sneeze?

I have spent many nights listening to my kids cough and sneeze wondering which is which.  I took my dilemma to our pediatrician with some hope of sorting things out.  The first distinction is snot.  Gross, I know.  But if your child’s runny nose is clear opposed to yellow or green then you probably have allergies. Got that? Clear snot most likely equals allergies.  Another fair indicator is the presence of a fever.  Cold symptoms without a fever also point to allergies.  Those are the main two things to look for.

However, using your mommy gut can also help too.  A lot of times kids who have allergies act mostly normal.  They play happily, just sneezy.  When kids have a cold they will often times be slightly subdued.  You will know they don’t feel well.  Another thing to consider is the pattern of sickness.

If your child is consistently sick each spring you might want consider getting checked out for allergies.  As with anything, it’s never a bad idea to as your child’s doctor for advice.  If you can’t tell one way or another, or want some direction on what to do next don’t hesitate to give them a call.

-Stephanie Wright

We all know that jet lag sucks.  What sucks even more is dealing with kids who are jet lagged.  Tired, cranky, and all around difficult kids can be a bummer on vacation (and again once you are home). There are some ways however, to ease the effects of jet lag on your kids.

First, the week before yo leave try to adjust your child’s bed time closer to the time zone of your vacation spot. We often travel from the south to California, it’s a two hour difference.  Those two hours don’t affect me much, but my two year old feels differently.  Normally my kids go to bed at 7.  Therefore, the week before we leave I try to subtly inch bed time to seven California time.  I do the same thing with our eating schedule as well.

Once you arrive it’s important to get on the proper time line as soon as you can.  Jump in and stick with it. Of course if you have an infant, this may not work, but kids over twelve months will adapt.  Spending time outside, or where the kids can really see the sun can help get their bodies to notice the change.  So if you can, spend a day or so outside when you first arrive.

If you aren’t going on a very long trip, it’s also an option just to keep your kids on their regular schedule.  When I visit my parents in Pennsylvania this is often our way to go.  The time change there is only one hour.  Our bedtime of 7 at home is eight in Pennsylvania.  No big deal, we just let the kids stay up.  To make things easier, always continue with your normal bedtime routines, and don’t forget any special blankets or toys that your kids normally sleep with.

You’ll find that you’re kids will be adjusted to the new time zone faster than you!

-Stephanie Wright

Summer months mean warm weather. Warm weather can mean being out in the sun too long causing the dreaded sunburn. I am a huge sunscreen advocate, and lather it on my children and myself religiously. I am the one likely to tell you that the absolute best sunburn treatment it to in fact avoid the sunburn in the first place. But even I, the sunscreen queen, know that even the best prepared can still have the occasional sunburn. Even worse, when your kids are suffering the effects of a burn they need relief.

Many over the counter products, such as the ever trusty aloe lotions are great for soothing your burns. They can help to ease the pain, and slightly soften the skin. I have heard that a paste made of baking soda and water can have a similar effect, but try not to scrub. Another favorite of mine is to apply baby oil. It can also sooth the burn and soften that top layer of skin.

My all time favorite remedy is actually more sunscreen. Anytime i have gotten a little red in the sun, I have applied sunscreen right to the affected areas. The next morning nearly all the redness is gone and I’m mostly looking normal. If you find a good quality, non oily sunscreen (try ones make specifically for babies) you will not be able to really tell you are wearing anything. You can simply keep applying until you are back to normal. The biggest bonus to this method is that you are putting on more protection against the sun and making sure that you don’t further the damage from your burn. However, if you want to avoid all this trouble, just opt to wear the sunscreen in the first place. All the cool kids are doing it.

-Stephanie Wright

During the summer months my kids get especially dirty. All that extra running around outside is bound to get them caked in grime.  My daughter loves bath time, she would bathe herself twice a day if I let her. My son on the other hand, is quite the opposite. The boy shreiks at the sight of the soap, and cries at the sound of the running water. Maybe it’s just one of those many differences between girls and boys, but he is just not a fan of bathing. I have had to do my best to make bath time as enjoyable for him as I can. And I will tell you now that this has been no easy feat.

Some of my tricks might help get your reluctant bather scrubbed and clean too. I found an ice cube tray that’s shaped like little rocket ships at the dollar store. When I put water into the tray I add a few drops of food coloring as well. The colored ice cubes make a fun little game for my guy while in the bath. He chases the rockets around, and as they melt they leave little food coloring trails. Not enough to stain his skin or anything, just enough to induce giggles.

Another favorite of ours is to have what we call glow baths. Our dollar store always has small glow sticks for sale. They are the kind that are meant to be worn as bracelets. The pack comes with about twenty. If my son is good while I wash his hair I will put a few active glow sticks into his bath and turn out the lights while he plays and I wash the rest of his body. I even do my best to dry his hair and comb it while he is still playing with his glow sticks. It’s the longest period I have when he is completely still!

-Stephanie Wright

Sometimes it can be easy to know when you are ready to have kids. Or when you are ready to “try again” to have more kids. We have all met those people who were able to say things like, “we will have two kids, and that’s it!” and sure enough, that’s what they do. And some of the rest of us aren’t so decisive. It took me ages to decide when I was ready to start a family. It was easier to jump on the gun for the other pregnancies, but that first one took me a while.

Now I’m faced with the question, am I done having kids? Again, for some of you, this might be the easiest question you have ever answered. I applaud you if you can confidently proclaim that you’re done. But perhaps the are a few of you, like me, wondering where you stand.

Here are some things to ask yourself. Why do you want a baby? If you answer because everyone else I know is pregnant, you might consider holding off. But if you say to yourself that having a baby is the greatest joy you could imagine and you love having them around, you could be on to something. Can you afford it? Of course, you could make things work, lots of us do. However, going from two kids to three for example, can require a new vehicle. Logistically, can you have another child? Is there room? Does your husband want one? You are a team and really need to be on the same page here for sure.

My last advice, is that if you are unsure and have a young child at home reevaluate on your youngest child’s birthday each year. It is amazing how much just a year can make in this decision. With each passing year kids grow more and more independent leaving you more energy for babies. If that’s the plan. Most importantly, I would recommend going with your gut. Mommy gut has served you well before, and it will again here too. As for me, I’m still on the fence for now. But then my youngest is only 9 months. I’ll give myself a bit more time.

-Stephanie Wright

If you are on Pinterest, and let’s face it, nearly everyone is.  You are probably bombarded with other peoples crafty ideas and creations. One of my favorite discoveries was an Etsy shop that turns your child’s artwork into a stuffed animal.  At first I was extremely skeptical, but after doing some research and gallery pursuing I was pretty impressed.  These stuffed animals would make a super nifty gift for any kid, especially one who fancies themselves an artist.

Their crafters who make these stuffed animals are both in 2d (cool) or 3d (über cool!). The price ranges vary from shop to shop, but you can look to spend anywhere from $15-$50.  If you plan to get one of these fantastic little creations for your little artist keep in mind that these stuffed animals are mostly hand made.  You have to allot time for planning, color mating, and the fact that you might not be the first order in the queue.  Be sure to inquire about turn around time before ordering.

Ask your kids to pick out one of their favorite drawings that they would like to see as a stuffed animal.  Better yet, go ahead and inspire them to create one just for this purpose.  I think it would make a super fun gift for kids to design their stuffed animals to give to a grandparent, or friend.  These things are so adorable that I want to draw a picture and have one make for me out of my own work.  Or maybe have everyone in the family create one for a whole family of creatures.  The possibilities are endless! Here are a few of the crafters that stood out to me:

http://www.once-upon-a-drawing.blogspot.com/

http://bevcre8.blogspot.com/

http://www.whimseycraft.com/

-Stephanie Wright

For all you conscious mom and dads out there, The Honest Company, is ready to provide you with eco-friendly, non-toxic, and did I mentioned adorably packaged family essentials.  Get ready to get your baby’s buns in the cutest diapers ever.

Mom-cum-actress Jessica Alba recently launched The Honest Company with partner Christopher Gavigan.  The company began when new mom Jessica, found herself compromising with available products.  Well compromise no more!

The Honest Company has tasked itself with providing parents with, what they deem not only “effective, but unquestionably safe, eco-friendly, beautiful, convenient, and affordable” products.  And because they know just how busy new parents can be, they promise to deliver the best family essentials to your doorstep; they’re like the follow up stork, stocked with musts.

Their products are sold in two different bundles (diapers and family essentials) and you sign up to receive them on a monthly basis. Items include: diapers, wipes, shampoo, hand soap, body lotion, surface cleaner and laundry detergent. To start you answers a few short and fun questions about your baby and chose from there. A bundle per month will run you $85.00, about $30.00 over store brands. They have a price comparison on the site. You can test out the products for free and see if it’s worth your dollars.  But once you see your little ones tush in diapers that are just about as hip as baby diapers can be, and are plant based and free of synthetic chemicals, you’ll probably be hooked.  Plus, for those of you who tried and failed with cloth diaper delivery services, the Honest Company bundles are an ideal alternative.

They have also partnered with Baby2Baby – a non-profit that provides families in need with essential baby needs.  What’s more honest than that!

-Arianna Schioldager

Dying Easter eggs are a tradition for just about everyone.  But there is no reason why your eggs have to be boring.  Gone are the days when your only option was to use gross dyes that made a huge mess.  Try some “Mod Podge” eggs.  Buy some paper napkins at the grocery store that have a design you like on them.  Cut out the design that you want on your egg and glue it down with the Mod Podge.  This makes a super easy, but extremely beautiful egg.

I also enjoy taking markers with a very fine tip and drawing all over my eggs.  All of that doodling I did in high school math pays off here. If you have any old silk ties you are itching to get rid of(check out thrift stores if you don’t) you can silk dye your eggs.  Wrap each egg in a piece of silk as tight as you can and secure the end with twine.  Wrap each silk wrapped egg again in an old sheet of pillow case.  Next put your eggs into a pot and cover them with water.  Mix in about 1/4 white vinegar.  Bring to a boil and simmer them for about 20 minutes. Drain your eggs and allow to cool before unwrapping.  These make for some pretty amazing eggs!

My daughters favorite method is to paint on her egg with school glue and then dip it into glitter. Finally, you can use Kool – Aid to make super saturated dyed eggs.  In small cups mix one packet of Kool-Aid and 2/3 cups of water.  Next get the kids to dip the eggs.  I have found that Kool -Aid works relatively fast compared to other dyes, and the resulting colors are super saturated and bright.  Of course the eggs smell pretty fruity too.  Do not worry though, once your eggs have dried completely the fruity smell goes away.  My daughter reports that they taste just like any other dyed egg as well.

There you have it, a good start on getting creative with those Easter eggs!

-Stephanie Wright

It’s spring, and you can imagine what that means. Rainy days! Rainy days always bum my kids out. Especially when the weather has been nice enough to play outside for several days before. But don’t worry, you don’t have to resort to the television if you do not want to. I’m always on the search for fun new activities for my kids, and lucky you I’m here to share what works (and maybe somethings that don’t too!)

I originally saw this idea on a food show, where the chef made floated clear plates on top of dishes with this “milk paint” inside. I thought to myself, “forget dinner parties, let’s talk kids!”

Here is what you need:

• Milk (preferably whole milk, but any kind of milk will in fact work. Our experience was that whole milk worked the best however)
• Dish soap
• A shallow dish
• Food coloring
• Q-tips or toothpicks
• Some paper
• Paper towels for any spills.

In your shallow dish pour the milk. Then spread some drops of food coloring throughout. We did several dishes, and did two colors in each dish to reinforce primary and secondary colors. But you can put as many colors in your dish as you please. Next your take your toothpick and dip it into the dish soap, then put it into the milk. When the dish soap means the milk, it dissipates, and forces the food coloring to almost jump away from where you put the tooth pick. Your end result is swirly artwork. Eventually, the colors mix completely and the fun of watching the milk color run away ends. That’s where your paper comes in handy. I let my kids “finger” paint with the colors that they created for another hour or so of entertainment.

-Stephanie Wright

I’ve tried many different chore charts over the years.  Ones with stickers, and rewards, others like lists or charts.  Your options are endless.  However, there are a few things you can do to get your kids more interested in their chores.

First of all, our chore chart is on a chalk board.  I like the flexibility of the chalk, verses printing something off the computer.  I also encourage you to let your kids help decide what their chores will be.  For younger kids, allowing them to pick each day helps them feel more involved.  Kids are more likely to complete tasks if it was partly their idea.  Give them the choice of three things out of six for example.  Older kids can choose too, but obviously they will have more to do.  I am a big fan of not having to ask kids to do things, especially not more than once.  If kids are choosing their chores you should not have to ask them to complete them.

In our home we only give incentives to kids who did their chores without being reminded, and did them right.  For my little kids, when they do chores right without the reminder, they get points.  Points can later be redeemed at mommy’s goodie store.  I have a box that I keep stickers, dollar store toys, small packs of cookies and crackers.  All “sold” for different points.  My kids really enjoy going shopping, so they do their chores quick and to my standards.  Bigger kids would probably prefer money over the store idea.  But, you could change the amounts based on how the task was preformed.  Or you can stick with the store and put gift cards or movie tickets inside.

Remember incentives are only earned if you do not have to ask for chores to be completed, and if they are done to your standards.

-Stephanie Wright

As much as I love going new places with my kids, I loathe the actual travel.  I am paranoid about losing one of my kids.  I’m not sure why, it’s not like I have ever been really lost.  But I have great anxiety when it comes to large crowds and my children.  Kids like to wander, and don’t always pay attention to their surroundings. Combine that with the fact that they are little and sometimes hard to see, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

I’m not big on those leash backpacks, but they can be absolutely handy in air ports, or amusement parks if you have a little wanderer.  I also am a firm believer in identification bracelets for kids too.  Lots of Identification bracelets can also specify medical issues too.  These are especially fantastic if you have a child who needs medication, or is allergic to something.  This way, if you are ever separated, whoever finds your child will be better equipped to help them.

Along those same lines are bracelets or necklaces that include your cell phone number on them.  They are super practical, just about any mall will have a store that makes charm bracelets.  Just choose the numbers of your cell phone.  Allow your child to choose a charm or two so that they are more likely to wear the bracelet without a fuss.   You can also add their name on the bracelet as well.  This way, if you are separated from your kids and someone finds them, all they have to do is call the number on the bracelet.  Just a small thing for a huge amount of peace of mind.  Hopefully you will never have to use it!

-Stephanie Wright