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3 Easy Ways to Stop Kids from Arguing

December 16, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

If you have more than one child, I don’t have to tell you how often kids get into arguments at home.

You already know.

My brother and I argued growing up and there were ten years between us, so when I tell you that our four children are all between the ages of 7 and 15, you can imagine what a typical weeknight is like.

We’ve been at this parenting thing for nearly 16 years and we’ve finally found a few easy ways to stop kids from arguing that I thought might be helpful for others.

After all, when the kids are very small, they only argue about toys or elbow room. It’s when they get older that the real conflicts begin.

Read on to see these tips for yourself! And, for more help with parenting in the early years, take a look at five ways to help preschoolers manage their emotions!

3 Easy Ways to Stop Kids from Arguing

Image c/o: monkeybusiness & lufimorgan / depositphotos

Empathize with your kids.

When there’s more than one child in a family, it’s easy for each one to feel that they need to fight for your attention as a parent. It may not be true, but depending on the situation, that’s how the kids may feel.

We can put a damper on many arguments between the kids when we try to see things from their point of view. Then make sure the kids know that we care about their feelings and want to include them as we got forward.

Hold a family forum each week.

Choose one weeknight to hold a regular family forum. This is a time when each child gets to talk about the things that are bothering him or her.

During the forum, each person can speak freely and openly about frustrations, problems, fears, or anything else that has been weighing on their mind. If the kids are getting into arguments about the same issue, the family forum is a good time to address it.

It’s important to keep the environment during the family meeting positive. Focus on hearing everyone’s viewpoint and then compromising to solve the problem. Then agree on a strategy to follow moving forward.

It may even be helpful to post the strategy in writing as a reminder for how to defuse the argument next time.

Be sure to check on how everyone is doing with the plan at the next meeting!

Be consistent.

We have to parent each child differently, considering their age, disposition, and level of responsibility. Which means that nothing will ever be “fair” between them.

However, we can insist that each child follow the house rules. When a rule is broken, each child has to be held accountable, according to their level of maturity.

Consistently enforcing rules is one of the best ways to stop kids from arguing before they even get started.

How do you stop your kids from arguing at home? Share your tried and tested tips in the comments!

Don’t miss these other parenting tips!

Follow my Parenting with Joy Pinterest board for more support!

How to Make Chores Fun for Kids

December 12, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

If you ask kids what their least favorite thing to do is in the whole wide world, a large majority of them will instantly answer, “Chores!”

Actually, I’ve been known to say the same myself.

Still, doing chores around the house is an important part of growing up. But that doesn’t mean it has to feel like chores, right?

There are plenty of easy ideas for how to make chores fun for kids and I’m sharing a couple today!

Keep reading for some great tips on making chores a little more fun for your kids. Plus, grab a handy printable chore chart for kids to help the little ones keep up each week!

Want more ideas for keeping your home in order? Take a look at how to set up a spring cleaning plan of attack!

How to Make Chores More Fun for Kids

Images c/o: antiksu & Dmyrto_z / Deposit Photos

1. Turn up the Music!

When your little ones have chores to do, turn on some of their favorite tunes. You can even make a special playlist for your child to keep their spirits up.

After all, when I have a pile of work to get through, I go to a dedicated “work flow” playlist that features upbeat electronica. Why not try the same for the kids?

Be sure to take a dance break every few songs too!

2. Play A Game

Everyone loves to play games of some kind – kids, in particular. Turn as many chores as you can into friendly competitions.

If you have kids who share a room, see who can get their side clean the fastest! If you have laundry to fold, divide the pile in half and challenge the kids to finish folding their pile (neatly) in five minutes or less.

Shower them with praise for their hard work!

3. Offer A Few Rewards

Giving myself a tiny reward for finishing work often helps me stay on task. And I’m grown!

Kids love rewards too, so be sure to reward your child for a job well done in completing their chores.

Because chores are often daily tasks for a lot of children, you may want to choose to offer a reward at the end of the week, instead of daily. It can be as simple as letting the kids choose the family’s movie for the week or serving a favorite dessert.

4. Use a Chore Chart

How can you keep up with who is supposed to do what each week? Use a printable chore chart for kids!

Issue one to each child and let them fill out their weekly chores and check off their progress along the way. They’ll love the feeling of charting their progress!

If you need a printable chore chart, just scroll down to grab one for your kids – free!

Don’t miss these other home and family tips!

Follow my Parenting with Joy board on Pinterest for more tips for happy parenting!

Dinosaur Free Printable Chore Chart for Kids

I can’t lie. I love a cute printable.

And so do my kids!

With this printable dinosaur chore chart, I don’t have to remember who’s responsible for what. The kids can do it themselves!

To use this printable chore chart for kids, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Laminator (optional)
Dry erase marker (optional)

This chart includes a fun dinosaur theme, a space for a child’s name, and lines for tracking up to eight chores.

Kids can simply check off the chore as it’s completed each day.

You can print the chart, laminate it, and hang it on the fridge for use each week! Just mark off the chores with a dry erase marker.

To get your copy of this dinosaur printable chore chart for kids, sign up for our weekly email newsletter! You can follow the instructions below to get started.

5 Fun Ways to Spend Time Outside With the Kids This Year

May 15, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Confession time: I am NOT an outdoors person.

I wasn’t raised to spend a lot of time outside. I spent most of my afternoons parked in front of the TV watching cartoons.

But my kids love being outside. Which means…I have to find a way to love being out there with them. And that’s why I wanted to share these five fun ways to spend time outside with the kids!

These are easy enough for even the most nature-averse person (AKA me) to try!

We’ve tried a few of these already and, I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed myself each time. So I can tell you from experience that these tips actually do work.

Want more ways to make outdoors fun with the kids? Don’t miss our list of 60 outdoor play ideas for summer!

5 Fun Ways to Spend Time Outside With the Kids This Year

Images c/o: monkeybusiness & Wavebreakmedia / depositphotos

1. Go on a road trip.

Going on a family road trip is a classic outdoor activity for kids. We went on several road trips when I was a kid and I always loved traveling to new places and finding cool stops along the way.

With our kids, we try to take road trips to places we can spend time outside. And we try to find interesting routes so that we can see cool roadside attractions as we drive.

Give yourself an extra day or two on the journey so you can stop and explore natural sights you come across. Bring along a few learning road trip activities to make your trip educational too!

2. Go camping.

Remember how I’m not an outdoors person? Camping is one of those outdoor things that I have always said I’d never do.

Guess what we’re doing this summer?

So far, I’ve bought the tent, the sleeping bags, the charcoal, and the LED lights. And I still feel uncertain about it. Fortunately, though, we’re going with an experienced camping family who will, hopefully, be patient with us as newbies.

From what I hear, camping is a wonderful outdoor activity for kids. I’ll report back after our experience, good or bad.

3. Go for a picnic

Picnics are super fun ways to spend time outside with the kids. You can make some simple meals ahead of time (and let the kids get involved with that too!) and take them to a scenic spot to eat.

Use this time to talk about anything with your family and bring a long a few card games or family board games. When the kids get restless, walk around and see what you can find near your picnic spot. Snap a few pictures to remember your time together.

4. Explore a new park in your area

One of our favorite things to do outside is to take a trip to a park we’ve never visited before. In our state, we have plenty of beautiful state parks to explore and, every time we’ve found a new one, we’ve found something unique that we haven’t seen before.

Take a look at your local area and make a list of the outdoor parks. Then let the kids choose one or two to visit this week. You might be surprised at how much you all enjoy it!

5. Go for a nature walk.

Nature walks are excellent ways to explore science in a hands-on way. All you do is take the kids outside (in your own backyard or neighborhood) and try to learn about the plants and animals that are all around you.

If you find it hard to think about specimens you can discover, pick up a set of our flower identification cards, bird identification cards, butterfly identification cards, or leaf identification cards to see which species you can spot locally!

Did you love the ideas here for fun ways to spend time outside with the kids? Take a look at these other tips!

And don’t miss more ways to spend a summer with the family on my Summer Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

5 Tips for Helping Preschoolers Manage Their Emotions

February 28, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you experienced a preschool meltdown today? We have four children and our youngest is now six, so we’re past the preschool stage. But I remember it so well.

I’d see one of my kids go running by having the time of their life. 30 seconds later, they’re dissolving into a puddle of tears, generally crying so hard that they couldn’t tell me what was wrong.

Initially, I thought I just had emotional kids. (I can be pretty emotional myself, so it was no secret where they got it from.) But it’s difficult to help preschoolers manage their emotions in general.

After all, understanding emotions can be difficult at any age, but for little ones, it is even more challenging. Between the newness of their developing emotions and their limited vocabulary, it can be very frustrating for them to communicate what they are feeling.

Helping preschoolers understand their emotions and teaching them the right way to express those feelings is an important task for parents and caregivers. Here are some tips that can help as you navigate emotions with your little one.

Read on to get some helpful tips for teaching your preschooler to manage his or her feelings. And if your child struggles with worry, don’t miss our printable Worry Journal for kids!

Images c/o: Yaruta & Kotangens / depositphotos

5 Tips for Helping Preschoolers Manage Their Emotions

Never Refer to an Emotion as “Bad” or “Wrong”

The first thing to remember when you’re helping preschoolers manage their emotions is that there is simply no such thing as a bad emotion. However, there are inappropriate reactions to emotions. By labeling an emotion as bad or wrong, you run the risk of your child taking that label upon themselves.

If your preschooler is worried that he or she is feeling something “bad”, they are far more likely to keep their emotions bottled up and will face even more challenges to understand and cope with emotions.

Take Time to Talk About Your Emotions and Reactions

Using age-appropriate conversation, share how you feel from time to time with your preschooler and what has caused that feeling. If your emotions are tied to something your child did, make it clear that it is about the action and not about them as a person.

For example, explaining that you love her very much, but backtalk when you’ve asked her to do something makes you feel upset and raise your voice, helps to put the focus on your emotion and reaction toward the action. Be sure to explain your happiness and joy, as well as anger and sadness.

Help Them Expand Their Emotional Vocabulary

As your preschooler begins to mature, he or she can begin to explore more words that relate to emotions. Happy, sad, and angry can begin to develop into excitement, disappointment, and frustration as they start to understand that their emotions are more complex.

Use these descriptors as you talk about your own emotions and relate them to those base emotions to help your child make sense of these expanded feelings.

Our English and Spanish feelings flashcards are a great way to help little ones learn to describe their emotions! Pick up a set for your child here.

Guide Them to Identifying Their Feelings

Instead of using phrases like “I know you are angry”, open up a conversation that will allow your child to identify their own feelings and emotions. Sometimes, a reaction might lead us to think our child is angry or sad, when they’re really feeling frustrated or have had their feelings hurt by someone else.

By giving them the power to own and name their emotions, you’ll build the coping skills that will help them along as they move slowly toward adulthood.

Give Them Outlets of Expression Beyond Just Words

Sometimes it can be hard to communicate how a child is feeling through words. If your little one can’t express himself or herself clearly, ask your child to draw a picture of what happened or how they feel. Role playing with dolls or action figures can sometimes be effective for getting to the bottom of a tricky emotion.

As they show you the scenario leading up to an upset or sadness, you can help them by asking questions that lead them to use their words to express emotions.

Helping preschoolers understand their emotions is just the first step in a long process of navigating feelings and reactions throughout their lives. Remember to keep things simple and get on their level, then expand the concepts as they mature and grow.

Stop by to see these other posts for happy parenting!

And get even more tips for your parenting journey on my Parenting with Joy Pinterest board!

3 Ways to Teach Kids to Be Kind Online

October 29, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

If you’ve been noticing that the tone of online messages seems more negative than it used to be, you’re not imagining it. And, worse, it’s greatly affecting our children.

When we teach our kids how to be kind online, we not only stop the spread of negativity on the Internet; we actively promote good citizenship – something that can help protect our children from Internet bullying.

Disclosure: As a member of the Forward Influence Network, I am being compensated by the sponsor for this post.

Is bullying a real problem for our kids? Absolutely.

According to the latest figures, 28% of students have been bullied and 71% have seen bullying happen, including online.

The best way to prevent bullying and equip our kids on how to handle it is to teach them about kindness at home. When we show them how to be good citizens (in real life and online), we can help stop bullying in its tracks.

And that’s why I’m excited to share three ways to teach kids to be kind online and to introduce a brand new (and free!) program to help parents and teachers equip children against Internet bullying.

Take a look at how this curriculum can help kids become good online citizens!

Images c/o: AllaSerebrina & Guas / depositphotos

3 Ways to Teach Kids to Be Kind Online

Model kindness for the kids to see.

We can’t expect children to be kind online if they don’t see us behaving with kindness on the Internet or in real life. Let them see you comment positively on a news story.

Talk about the events and people you interact with in a positive manner. Try to avoid talking about negative online reports when possible.

Another way to model kindness is to teach children about how to be “Upstanders”. Since so many children witness bullying, it’s important for them to learn what to do when they see it.

Becoming an “Upstander” – someone who stands up for peers who are being bullied – can do a lot to stop bullying when it happens.

Talk with your children about how they can safely come to the aid of a classmate or friend who is being bullied. Try a few role-playing scenarios to help them brainstorm how to get the help of a responsible adult or other peers as well.

Encourage them to visit positive and uplifting media sources.

Many Internet bullies hang out around negative or viral media sources. To encourage kids to think positively, show them how to find uplifting media sources and talk about what they see there.

When we give our children positive things to think about, we make it easier for them to spot bullying when they see it and respond in a kind and appropriate manner.

Show them how to be thoughtful online.

An especially helpful resource for modeling kindness online is Be Internet Awesome, a comprehensive curriculum from Google that helps educators and parents show students how to be good Internet citizens. This program features plenty of class activities you can use with kids at school or home that encourage kind words and acts, even on the Internet.

Want to make learning about Internet kindness fun? Let the kids play Interland, where they can make their way through Kind Kingdom, a virtual environment that shows them how to make thoughtful decisions when interacting with others.

Social Media Notes of Kindness

A simple way to be kind online is to be complimentary. If your children are allowed to use social media, let them download a few of these kindness notes to share with their friends!

Sending a quick note of kindness can do a lot to spread positivity. Plus, your children’s friends can share them too!

Just right-click and download each image to save it to your computer.

Looking for more ways to connect with your kids?

And get more tips for raising a happy family on my Parenting with Joy Pinterest board!

Beautiful Georgia State Parks to Visit With the Kids This Year

October 1, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When we first started having children, I thought “I’m going to be the bestest mom on the planet!”. I’m sure many of you did the same.

In my mind, being the bestest mom meant taking my kids to the amusement park every chance I got. After all, that’s where I always wanted to go as a kid.

But something happened as the kids got older. I noticed that they weren’t really *enjoying* themselves at those places. I mean, they had fun, but they always seemed so exhausted and overstimulated afterward that I often wished we hadn’t gone.

So, my husband and I decided to start spending more time outdoors with our kids. And we decided to start with all of the beautiful Georgia state parks to visit in our area.

And I’m here to tell you that there are a LOT of them. So many that I’d never seen, never visited, or never even heard of!

I wanted to share several of these Georgia state parks to visit with all of you, just in case you’re planning a trip to the Southeast U.S. and you’re looking for a relaxing, gorgeous, and affordable way to spend some time together as a family. They’re definitely worth a trip.

Heading out to one of these parks in the summer? Don’t miss our printable beach scavenger hunt to play with the kids while you’re there!

Beautiful Georgia State Parks to Visit With the Kids This Year

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

As a note, this will be a growing list. We’re planning to visit as many of Georgia’s state and national parks as we can over the next few years. So be prepared for this post to get pretty long as we share pictures, experiences, and reviews.

Hard Labor Creek State Park

Just an hour outside of Atlanta is Hard Labor Creek State Park. With a beautiful golf course, a lakeside beach, and plenty of trails, this state park should be on your short list of places to visit.

There are 24 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback trails to explore. Stay in one of the cozy cottages or bring your tent or RV as this campsite has all the modern-day amenities.

This is the cottage we stayed in at Hard Labor Creek state park. It was wonderful. The kitchen is fully furnished (complete with flatware!), the floors are hardwood, and there were two full bedrooms with two beds each.

We had cable TV, a fireplace, a screened porch, and complementary board games in the cupboard!

There are a couple of hiking trails and they’re both fairly easy. So you can bring the kids along without packing an entire suitcase of supplies.

There are horse stables and a special horse campground too! Bring your beach toys and have a fun and relaxing day on the lakeside beach. My kids love the beach there, by the way.

F.D. Roosevelt State Park

Georgia’s largest state park was a favorite of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Just 80 miles southwest of Atlanta, these 9,049 acres will easily help you forget all your troubles at home and help you to reconnect with nature.

Go on a day hike or jump on your bike and explore the 40 miles of trails throughout the park. Discover hidden waterfalls, beautiful tall trees, and little creeks where the local animals come out to visit.

Wash off the dust of the trail in the cool spring water of the Liberty Bell swimming pool. Don’t forget your fishing poles or go on a guided horseback ride.

This park is dedicated to FDR and has a life-sized sculpture welcoming you to the park. Visit the Roosevelt Little White House State Historic Site, which is located nearby. The warm spring pools are what brought FDR to this area to seek relief from polio. You can view his home and walk through the museum too.

Amicalola Falls State Park

For those that love the idea of camping, but like the reality of a hotel room facing the woods, head over to Amicalola Falls State Park. You can have a luxury stay on the mountaintop at the North Georgia Lodge with a spectacular view of the park.

For a bit more privacy, reserve a secluded cabin that is perfect for a mountain getaway with all the comforts of home. Stay close to the waterfalls at the campground that can accommodate both RVs and tents.

Amicalola Falls State Park has some pretty unique features as it is operated by a private company and not the state. Enjoy ziplining, archery, a climbing rock wall, survivalist camp, and a GPS scavenger hunt.

Personally, this is one of my favorite Georgia state parks to visit. The falls are beautiful and the hike up to them is pretty easy. On one of our visits, I was pregnant and the hike was still a breeze.

Cloudland Canyon State Park

One of Georgia’s most treasured places for spectacular nature formations is Cloudland Canyon State Park. This is the place to go if you love discovering hidden caves, cascading waterfalls, sandstone cliffs, and thousand-foot deep canyons carved out of the mountains.

Mountain bikers will love the new Five Points Recreation Area and Cloudland Connector Trail. Hikers can spend the day exploring the waterfalls and taking the West Rim Loop Trail to drink in the views of the gorgeous landscape. Bring your tent or RV, stay in a yurt, or relax in your very own cottage in the woods.

Cumberland Island National Seashore

Camping at Cumberland Island National Seashore is like no other experience in Georgia. After you have taken the 45-minute ferry ride to the island, you are ready for your adventure! For those that want clean restrooms, a fire ring, a food cage, stay at the popular Sea Camp Campground.

If you want to try your hand at camping in a situation when you have to boil your water first, stay at the Stafford Beach Campground. If you’re an experienced primitive camper, you can wilderness camp in secluded, beautiful areas of the island!

The history of the island and wild horses make this camping experience perfect for those looking for something off the beaten path.

Those are the Georgia state parks to visit that have made our must-visit list so far! But we’re looking forward to plenty more we can share soon!

Get more ideas for ways to spend time with the kids in these posts!

See even more ideas for reconnecting with the kids on my Parenting with Joy Pinterest board!

How to Prevent the Summer Slide

June 11, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I started to write this post about how to prevent the summer slide, I realized that this may not be an issue that affects homeschoolers as much as public schoolers. If you’ve ever had a child in public school, you might have heard of the “summer slide”. Basically, it’s the brain drain that occurs when kids follow a traditional school year and take summers off from structured learning.

I don’t necessarily follow a traditional school year, because we have school lessons during the summer, but we do take breaks from our homeschool during the year. And, trust me, that’s enough time for my kids to start forgetting things.

If you’re nervous about how to prevent the summer slide, don’t worry! There are plenty of things that your kids can be doing to continue their education while also having fun.

If you take an actual summer break, you don’t want to make these activities too “schooly”. You can keep them fun and engaging, while using them to help kids remember some of their skills. If you homeschool year-round, these are nice, low-pressure ways to keep them learning.

Need more ways to make summer educational? Don’t miss our list of 50 summer books you can share with the kids!

10 Ways to Keep Kids Learning During Summer Break

Images c/o: StockUnlimited & konradbak / depositphotos

Garden.

Gardening is a great way to teach your kids responsibility. Not only will they learn about how to grow foods and plants, but you may also get some free fruits, vegetables, and flowers in the process!

Go theatrical.

Have your kids write a short play to put on for the neighborhood. Or, if they are shy, they can just perform it for the family. Tell them to get their friends involved. The other parents will love that you’re providing something fun for their children to take part in.

Birdwatch.

Put a bird feeder, bird bath, and a lot of strings and nest building products in your yard by a window. Hopefully, you will attract some different birds that your kids can study. You may even see the entire process from nesting to baby birds flying for the first time!

Create a summer reading list.

Take your kids to the local library and have them pick a book that interests them. After each book, have them give you a little presentation or just talk to you about the story. You can even let them dress up as one of the characters from the book.

Learn another language.

Summer is a wonderful time to explore a new language! Choose a few simple illustrated books from the local library that are written in Spanish, French, or another language and see how many vocabulary words you and the kids can learn together. Find some videos for learning American Sign Language and try to practice a full signed conversation with our ASL2U curriculum!

Try some educational apps.

Take a virtual spin through an app store and let the kids pick out an educational app they’d like to try. If you limit screen time (like we do), give them a set amount of time to play it each day. Try to choose one that works on a skill your child needs help with, such as reading fluency, multiplication tables, or history facts.

Create musical instruments.

Find items from around the house and see who can make the best musical instrument! Good materials include toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, oatmeal containers, cereal boxes, plastic spoons, and jars filled with water. This is especially fun for little ones!

Write and illustrate a book.

Your kids need an outlet for creativity. Have them work on a story all summer and let them draw all of the pictures. Older kids can try a photo editing program to design cover art on their own!

Start a rock collection.

There’s no better way to learn about Geology than to start a rock collection. Challenge your kids to see who can find the most unusual rock in the neighborhood, then do some research to find out what kind of rock it is and how it is formed.

Study the stars.

If you have a telescope, put it to good use! Learn about a few constellations, such as the Big Dipper or Orion the Hunter, and take the kids outside to see if they can spot them!

Wondering how to prevent the summer slide? There are plenty of things you can do for and with your kids this summer to help them continue learning. Which one of these seems like the most fun and helpful to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Need more fun summer ideas? Don’t miss these posts!

$Learn about the science of beaches, plus get fun math, language, and geography practice, in this printable beach unit study!$

And for more summer activities, follow my Summer Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

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7 Ways to Help Kids Prepare for A First Summer Camp

May 31, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Going away to summer camp can be a little scary or intimidating for some children. And it’s not just children who may be a little uneasy. Parents can be too!

Our oldest is going to summer camp for the first time this year. Well, actually, she’s doing three of them this year: tennis camp, STEAM camp, and web development camp. And both she and I are a little nervous.

As homeschoolers, we can get so used to spending time with one another that going to “class” can be a strange experience. Actually, that’s one of the reasons why my husband and I have decided to enroll her in camp in the first place. It’s time to start spreading her wings…just a tiny bit.

So that’s why I wanted to share these seven ways to help prepare your child for a first summer camp. If your child is dreading the day they leave instead of counting down the days, try these tips to help them calm down, look on the bright side, and get excited about what they’ll learn!

Summer camp is a beautiful time for kids to come together and learn and grow, and make lasting memories they will cherish for a lifetime. It’s entirely rational for a child to be scared the first year or two. These tools below can be used to help your child see the possibility of the best summer ever.

Looking for more ways to make summer awesome? Don’t miss our list of super fun, super easy summer crafts for kids!

Images c/o: sernovik & pyotr021 via depositphotos

7 Ways To Prepare Your Child for A First Summer Camp

Personal Experience

Sit down and share your own experience of summer camp from when you were a kid. Let them know what a fun time you had, and the memories that you still have today. Don’t focus on any negatives but let them know how fun it was. You can also share if you were scared at first and how good it turned out for you.

Personally, neither my husband nor I went to summer camp as kids. But we did go to public school and we’ve used those experiences to help prepare our kids for their time away from us. It always seems to help.

It’s OK To Be Nervous

Remind your child it’s okay if they are a little nervous to go. It’s natural to miss home or be a bit anxious to leave your parents. But once they arrive at the camp and settle in, they will start having a great summer.

For our daughter, we went with a first summer camp that is located at a center she’s already familiar with and offered by instructors she already knows. Some of the kids in those classes will also be at the camp, so she’ll have a warm welcome right away.

Let Your Child Have a Say

If you’ve decided that summer camp will be a good experience for your kids, don’t be quick to let them talk you out of it. BUT – it is wise to let them have some input in what kind of camp they’ll attend and where it is located.

In our family, we chose camps that covered topics our daughter was already interested in. So, while she’s a bit nervous for the first day, she’s also looking forward to learning more about topics she knows she likes.

Camping Buddy

Consider talking to your child’s best friend’s parents and see if they are going to camp. If they are you can reassure your child, they will know someone. Or talk to other parents and find a few people your kiddo will know that is planning to go to summer camp. Just like entering anything, you feel safer if you know a few people.

Communication

When your kids come home in the afternoon, stay positive and let them know you’re proud of them and that all is going well. Encourage them to talk about what they’re learning, who they’re meeting, and even the parts of the camp they don’t like.

If your kiddo begins expressing concerns about camp, stop and let him or her speak freely. Truly listen to the fears or stresses about camp to see if you can help alleviate that stress. Be careful not to dismiss their fears.

Build Enthusiasm

If your child is still not really “feeling” the idea of camp, you can build their excitement by letting them find a new outfit to wear on the first day. (This alone is going to do wonders for our teen.)

You can also plan some cute lunches for them to take along or let them get involved in making a special treat to share with their fellow campers and camp leaders.

Walkthrough

Sit down and give your child a walkthrough of what they will experience. How are lunches and snacks served? What if they get hungry and it’s not snack time? What kind of activities can they participate in? How many kids will potentially be there? Try to find out as much out the camp as you can in advance and share this information with your child.

It’s a good idea to visit the center where the first summer camp will be held and let your child get a look at it. Seeing where they will spend their days can do a lot to reduce fear of the unknown and ease their worries.

Just remember to focus on the positives they can take away and listen to their concerns. They won’t know what to expect till they arrive at camp. And who knows? Maybe they’ll come away with a new outlook on learning!

How did you help your kids get ready for their first summer camp? Did things work out well? Share your experiences in the comments!

Need more summer fun for the kids? Check out these ideas!

And, for more summer fun, check out my Summer Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

30 Ways to Be a Happier Mom

May 15, 2018 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Parenting. It’s both the sweetest and hardest job in the world.

There isn’t a day when I don’t love my children – all four of them. But there are definitely days when I feel a little burned out on the routine of it.

There is so much giving involved in parenting that you can start to feel all given out, in a way. After all, there are only so many pieces of us moms available.

On days when I’m in need of some parenting pick-me-ups, I like to read suggestions from fellow moms who “get it”. And that’s why I’ve rounded up these 30 ways to be a happier mom to share with those of you who are feeling a little burned out too.

I hope these give you a little parenting inspiration! And, if you’re feeling burned out on homeschooling, read what I do when homeschooling feels like too much.

Images c/o: bst2012 and pixelheadphoto / depositphotos

30 Ways to Be a Happier Mom

1. Five Ways to Show Love to Your Defiant Child – Look! We’re Learning!

2. How to See Beauty in the Mess of Parenting – What’s Up Fagans

3. 11 Tips for Being a Good Mom – Little Sprouts Learning

4. How to Teach Preschoolers to Cooperate – Days with Grey

5. How to Encourage Autonomy in Kids – Mosswood Connections

6. 2 Family Rules to Become a Better Parent – Coffee and Carpools

7. How to Listen to Your Inner Voice As a Mom – Mama Instincts

8. Why You are the Perfect Mom for Your Kids – The Soccer Mom Blog

9. How to Run an Efficient Home – Empowered Single Moms

10. How to Be a More Patient Mom – The Moments at Home

11. What to Do When Your Tween Shuts You Out – Look! We’re Learning!

12. 7 Ways to Be a More Peaceful Mom – Kid Minds

13. 7 Powerful Ways to Turn a Parenting Day Around – Little Sprouts Learning

14. How to Raise Siblings Who Get Along – Mama Smiles

15. 5 Steps to a Positive Bedtime Routine for Kids – Kiddy Charts

16. How to Inspire a Culture of Family Togetherness – Kara Carrero

17. 10 Ways to Spend Quality Time with Your Child – Fireflies and Mudpies

18. How to Give Kids Quality Time – Sloely

19. How to Reset When Family Travel Goes Wrong – Bambini Travel

20. How to Overcome Mommy Anger – What’s Up Fagans

21. How to Slow Down Parenting In a Sped-Up World – Look! We’re Learning!

22. How to Reclaim the Joy of Motherhood – Kori at Home

23. How to Manage Time with the Kids – Simple Everyday Mom

24. How to Stop Yelling – Parenting from the Heart

25. 7 Habits of Good Enough Parents – Sloely

26. 15 Ways to Be a Fun Mom When You’re Stressed – The Moments at Home

27. How to Become a Parenting Team – Bambini Travel

28. How to Grow as a Mother – Fireflies and Mudpies

29. Tips for Parenting with Compassion – Kori at Home

30. How to Discipline Without Getting Angry – What’s Up Fagans

Did you like these ways to be a happier mom? Don’t miss these other parenting tips!

Get more parenting pointers on my Parenting with Joy Pinterest board!

20 Fun Family Night Ideas

January 11, 2018 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

How many times have you heard the kids say “I’m bored” over the past month? I couldn’t possibly keep count of how many times my kids have said it. My best estimate is 982. And I think I’m guessing too low.

We are pretty conservative with screen time, so we only allow the kids to play on tablets or individual electronic devices a couple of days a week. Instead, we try to use our evenings to spend time talking about our days. Which is great.

But sometimes you just want to have an entire evening when the family has fun. And that’s why I’ve rounded up these suggestions for family night! These fun family night ideas are perfect for spending the evening together, no matter how old (or young) the kids are! Read through them and see if you can find a new way to spend time as a family!

Are you a board game fan? Be sure to check out this list of fun family games under 20 bucks!

20 Fun Family Night Ideas

1. Head to the driveway to play this Sidewalk Chalk Math Game!

2. Help the kids practice recognizing emotions with this How Am I Feeling? Social Skills Game!

3. Let the kids go “wild” with these Printable Animal Charades!

4. Relive your own childhood with these Classic Backyard Games!

5. Challenge the kids to engineer their own projects with these STEM Minute to Win It Games!

6. Play the classic Flour Game with all the kids!

7. Too cold or wet to play outside? This indoor Ping Pong Toss is simple to set up!

8. Make this Chocolate Popcorn Snack Mix for a sweet and salty treat!

9. Then let the kids make up these DIY Printable Popcorn Boxes to share their snacks!

10. Can’t have popcorn without a good movie! Plan a family Doctor Dolittle Movie Night!

11. Have some simple sensory fun with this stretchy DIY Flubber!

12. Do you have the board game Jenga? Turn it into quality time with this DIY Conversation Jenga idea!

13. The kids will love snacking on these Homemade Corndog Bites as you share a few games!

14. Bake a cake with the children and then let them try this lovely Cake Painting art activity!

15. Combine candy and popcorn in these crunchy M&M Popcorn Brownies!

16. Break out the earmuffs and play this exciting Balloon Stomp Game!

17. These easy peasy Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies are simple enough for the kids to bake!

18. Try a simple Family Storytelling session together!

19. Put together several simple games for a family Minute to Win It Party!

20. This sweet Peanut Butter Popcorn would be perfect for a movie marathon!

Want more ways to have fun with the kids?

See even more ways to spend an evening on our Indoor Play Pinterest board!

Plus, you can get even more family and parenting tips in your inbox when you sign up for our email newsletter!