And You Will Have Kids

Dear “And You Will Have Kids”,

My children are starting their winter break.  They’ll be off of school for 2 weeks! I’ve no idea how to keep them busy and out of trouble.  HELP!

Frazzled Mom

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Recently, my husband and I took our family to the movies as the kids wanted to REALLY see a movie that was just released. Since we usually keep our entertainment costs to a minimum due to budget concerns, it is a special treat for them to see a movie in the theater. 

I have to say that I was astounded at how much it cost for our family of 7 to have the privilege of seeing a movie in the theater when it was first released.  In my opinion, the movie was not worth the price tag. We are going back to our frugal entertainment plan. More →

Do you remember how you loved snow days when you were a kid? There was “nothing” to do but stay at home all day long.  When I became a parent, I found that I no longer loved snow days.  Snow days meant that the kids were cooped up all day in the house!  They also meant making alternative work arrangements so that I could spend the day in the house cooped up with the kids.  

Preparedness is half the battle when dealing with snow days.  Just like you prepare for winter weather by stocking up on pantry items, you should also prepare for snow day activities by stocking up on supplies.  I’ve found a few things that worked well with our large family during snow days.  I hope they work for your family! More →

Long car trips with children can be horrible.  They can also be fun if you spend some time planning activities to keep the kids amused.   I find that if my kids are bored, they are more likely to start fights amongst themselves or complain during the car ride.

There are many games and activities that you can play in the car in order to keep your children amused. Because my children range in age from almost 2 up to 15 years and have learning disabilities, we need to keep our games simple.  I’ve found that the following games work the best for our family because of those restrictions.  More →

Do you remember how magical the Christmas season was when you were a kid?  Now it seems, at least to me, that it’s all about consumerism.  As parents, we need to decide how we want our children to experience this holiday season.  Will the emphasis be on getting? Or will we teach them about giving as well?

Here are some ideas about “giving back” this holiday season. More →

Christmas will soon be here and perhaps you’re wondering exactly how you’re going to find the money to buy all the gifts you need to buy before Christmas.  As a parent, I know that it can be difficult to stretch the budget at this time of year.

It is possible to save money if you decide to create your gifts by hand and creating crafts together with your children can be a very rewarding experience.  It’s can also be very time consuming!  Before you decide to have a crafty Christmas, it’s best to honestly evaluate the amount of time and your crafting abilities.  Also be aware that there are people who honestly don’t care for handmade gifts.  Yes, for some people, nothing says “love” like an expensive professionally wrapped gift from a high end department store.  In order to avoid disappointment for yourself and for your relative or friend, it’s best to not gift this person with a handmade item. There are other people, however, who would absolutely be thrilled to receive a handmade gift! 

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Yesterday, we celebrated Veteran’s Day.  Since we live in an area where most of the population is military or former military, Veteran’s Day is a big event.  This Veteran’s Day, many of my husband’s friends are serving in the military.  Many of them are in or will be going to Iraq.

As the kids had off from school to celebrate the holiday, we talked about how grateful we should be to the men and women who have served with the military.  We also talked about ways we could show our appreciation, especially during this holiday season.  We decided to make cards for family friends who are serving their country to show our appreciation.

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Raising thankful children in today’s world isn’t easy.  It seems as if there is a never ending amount of stuff being presented to children by the media, their friends and even extended family.  It’s easy for kids to look at what they don’t have instead of being grateful for what they do have.

My husband and I have really tried to help the kids develop an attitude of gratitude.  We found the following things to be helpful. More →

Recently I received a parenting question via email which I’d like to answer with a post.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to share some wisdom that I’ve gathered over the years. If you have some advice for MG, please feel free to post it!

Dear MS,

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I was talking with a friend recently who was trying to find a pet for her children.  She had gone to several shelters and was turned away because of the age of her children.  She was slightly shocked and I was too when she told me.  We’ve always had kids and pets co-exist peacefully in the same house.

We’ve adopted strays from the local shelter, and we’ve purchased pure bred dogs.  I’ve also adopted “rejects” from guide dog programs.  Having kids and pets is possible, but it is something you want to approach with caution.

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