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Top 5 Tips For Raising Readers

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  Have you ever thought that some parents get the jackpot pot when it comes to kids reading?  Maybe they did or maybe they did a few simple things to shift the scale in their favor.  So what can we do to help and encourage our kids to read?  Here are 5 simple tips for raising kids who enjoy reading! 1.  Go to the library .  If you're like me you spent a lot of time at the library for Story time when your kids were little.  (I'll write another post about Story time soon!) We wanted our kids to socialize, listen to stories and see cute little puppet shows.  As they got older and were no longer at the age for Story time, trips to the library slowed down or just plain stopped.  But the experience of going to the library, looking through books, stumbling upon an author you've never heard of - is priceless. Not to mention, discovering the librarian's picks that you've never heard of.  At the library you can go looking for a particular book but...
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Mom's Day Off

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When I had my first baby everyone gave the same advice.  Sleep when the baby sleeps.  Of course I did not listen right away.  She fell asleep, I tried to clean the bottles, empty the diaper genie and take a shower.  It didn't take long before I realized that I had to get some rest.  So the house got messier as I took naps or didn't wash clothes or dishes right away.  Then on the weekends when my husband was home, I'd go on a cleaning marathon.  To be honest I kept up that cycle after I returned to work.  I tried to create systems and schedules that would make it all easier or manageable. And sometimes it worked for a while.  But overtime I still became burned out and cranky! Last year when I decided to leave my job I thought for sure it would be so easy and I'd have lots of time to rest.  Stop laughing.  It didn't take long to find out the truth.  I have plenty to do even without a job.  Again, I made a system and a schedu...
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I Stopped Helping With Homework

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  In our house the kids have to do their homework right away when they return from school.  For my third grader this means reading a few pages and answering about three questions.  For my fifth grader though, this can be an arduous process.  Offering help often adds to the frustration.  So, what can I do?   Nothing. The most helpful thing I can do when it comes to homework is nothing.  Ok, you're thinking I'm crazy or lazy or both.  Hear me out though.  The first thing I do is make sure I give the kids a tasty snack before they begin their homework.  They can eat it all first or nibble while they work.  Then I make sure they are sitting at a table.  Preferably in close proximity.  They start working and I do nothing.  I don't turn on the T. V. , or tidy they house.  I simply say "let me know if you need my help".  Then I sit close by,  looking on (in a not creepy way).   I do ask if they ...
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How I Teach My Kids to Balance Their Screen Time

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  We've all been there.  The kids have a week off from school and they expect to spend the whole week playing video games and watching shows and Youtube.  That was the dilemma I was facing as Fall Break approached this year.  I knew there was no way to take away their electronics without a fight. I am so tired of fighting that battle.  So I stopped to think, what am I really trying to achieve when I limit or take away screen time from my kids?  Balance.  The simple answer was balance.  It's not that I don't want my kids to use electronics.  I know the value that being technologically savvy will have in their lives.   What I want is for them to balance out how they spend their time.  That means I am not the one planning out every minute of the day.  For me, it also means I don't have to tell them what to do or when to do it.  I've seen blogs about making a list of things they must to do before using their devices....
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