Week 7 - Sing & Dance With Them

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…

Do you remember growing up and singing Christmas carols with your family? I unfortunately never got to experience this with my own family but I did get to go caroling with a few friends from church when I was a young teen. I remember having so much fun as we passed out Christmas meals to those in need, and cheered them up with a few Christmas favorites. I will never forget that experience as it was one of pure joy for me. 

The only thing that would've made it even better? Getting to do it with family.

Singing and dancing are very fun (and active) ways to engage your children and make the most of their younger years. My son will be ten next month and we love to sing together. My personal favorite is when we are in the car singing along to KLOVE, or for the past couple months, Colt Slack, who by the way, is an AWESOME Christian rapper! We had the privilege of seeing him in concert recently and purchased one of his cds. My son and I have played that thing so many times I’m surprised it still works!

We also like to dance together at home in the living room. We’ll put in an upbeat cd and just have fun dancing to it. We used to do this ALL the time! To be honest, we haven’t done it as much lately and I miss it! Mental note: add to my to-do list this week. 

For those parents who are thinking “Me? Sing? Dance? Are you serious?!?” The answer, of course, is YES! 

Parents, our children are only young once. What we teach them today will carry on with them into their adult lives, and will be things they teach to their own children. Who cares if you can’t carry a tune to save your life? So what if you have two left feet? Your children will appreciate the quality time together and will have a blast sharing their experiences with others. And if they tell their friends about your singing handicap? Well, you can always LAUGH with them! 

This week:
Find a family-friendly cd and have fun singing and dancing together. Let’s show our kids that we can get crazy and have fun!

Blessed by Him,

Adrienne

Week 6 - Watch Movies With Them

As Christmas quickly approaches, I want to talk about one of my favorite ways to make memories with our children, and definitely form a greater bond with them.

As I think back on my childhood, I remember one special time that really stands out more than any others: watching Christmas movies with my Grandparents. Sipping on hot cocoa while watching Frosty The Snowman was a great way to spend those crisp winter days. Even though “the weather outside was frightful”, “the hot cocoa and movies were so delightful…”

Today, my favorite channel on television is the Hallmark channel. Not only do they have the classic Christmas cartoons I grew up on, but they also have wholesome movies that are great for the entire family. The best part is, Hallmark is great all year, regardless of the season, making it easy for parents to catch a movie with their kiddos before bedtime.

As Christmas comes and goes this coming week, there will be many memories shared. I hope that all my readers will consider making “movie time” one of them. Your children won’t be disappointed!

This week:

Watch a Christmas movie with your children. Feel free to make some cocoa and cuddle on the couch too! J

Blessed by Him,

Adrienne

Week 5 - Take Them Shopping With You

Shopping…A simple word, yet it puts fear in the hearts of many. 

The evil, dreaded grocery shopping. 

The men who have to endure clothes shopping. 

The kids who get bored and say “Are we done yet?” 

The Mom who leaves the store crying because her toddler is throwing a tantrum and she just doesn't have the energy to cope.

Most of us have experienced at least one of these scenarios in our lifetime. We have come to know shopping as a chore...something not fun...a task that needs to be completed quickly, and preferably ALONE.

Sadly this is a common thing for many parents today (myself included). We do our shopping before we pick up the kiddos from daycare, or if we take them with us, we go through each aisle absolutely frustrated with the endless questions:

“Mommy, can I have this?”

“Can you buy me that?”

“I want this!”

“PLEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEE?????”

I think we are getting frustrated because we aren't looking with the right perspective. Our children need to learn from us, especially when it comes to shopping. 

Does your five-year-old know how to tell when a banana is ripe? 

What about your ten-year-old? Does he or she know how to tell how much sodium is in an item, and what sodium even is?

Which is healthier, whole milk or skim?

These are things that our children need to know, because someday they will have households of their own. Wouldn't you like to rest easy, knowing that your children have a good knowledge of healthy shopping?

If your kids are older, you can give them their own list of items to pick up. They can grab all the canned goods while you shop for the dairy and produce. Of course, they will have questions. They may pick up the wrong item. They may try to sneak a candy bar into the cart. Try not to get frustrated. Use this as a quality teaching moment with your child(ren).

If your kids are younger (still sitting in the shopping cart), you can ask them to help you decide which type of an item to get. Do you need three fruits for the week? Ask your two-year-old which fruit they would like, and then show it to them as you put it in the cart. 

Be sure to let them know that you value their opinion.

No longer do shopping trips need to be stressful.

No longer do we need to leave our children out of an essential part of life.

No longer do our children have to feel like burdens.

Now we and our children can have quality time together, learning together, and valuing each other, WHILE in the store.

This week:

Take your kids (all of them) to the store with you. Allow them to be part of the shopping process while letting them know their opinion matters to you. Come back to this post at the end of the week and leave a comment on how your trip went. Have a great week! 

Blessed by Him,

Adrienne