This post about how to find a good babysitter has been sponsored. All opinions are my own. When my children were younger, my husband and I had no idea how to find a babysitter we could actually trust. I mean, these were my precious children, right? I couldn't leave them with someone who I didn't know. What kind of person were they when they weren't in front of me saying 'Yes, ma'am' and 'thank you'? Finding good babysitters isn't easy but with a few of these tips and some help from Predictim, it IS possible to find someone trustworthy … [Read more...]
Advice for my Son: Those First Few Steps Are Always the Hardest
October 8, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
This advice for my son is part of a paid campaign with The Mission List and the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. All opinions are my own. The last two months have been incredibly emotional for me. I sent my first born off to college 2 months ago. There were tears (both mine and his), the worry over college costs, and the chaos of shopping and moving. Where did my baby go? How is this college kid the very same boy who struggled to read in kindergarten? Then and now.... how did we get here so fast? Advice for my … [Read more...]
What To Do for Teens Who Need Help with Getting a Job
August 28, 2018 by · 2 Comments
Is your teenager struggling to find a job? While a lot of the responsibility is on them when it comes to employment, there are things you can do to help teens who are looking for work. Not sure how you as a parent can help? Well, if you are wondering what to do for teens who need help with getting a job, I thought I would share a few easy suggestions! Teen Employment: Then vs Now When I was a teen, I walked into the grocery store at the age of 15 and was hired immediately. I had been babysitting and delivering newspapers for years. … [Read more...]
Back to School Teen Shopping Tips for Less Stress and More Fashion!
August 27, 2018 by · 3 Comments
Gone are the days when I could go out to the store and leave my kids home with dad while I shopped for their clothes. Back to school shopping used to mean that my husband spent a couple hours playing with the kids and I headed to the mall for some peace and quiet. Yes, when you have small children, malls are considered QUIET places! If you are blessed with teens like I am, you have probably learned that they are not as easy to shop for as smaller children. So, in an effort to keep the peace in my house I have come up with a few shopping … [Read more...]
Turn Summer Chores for Kids into Smart Money Management
June 19, 2018 by · 6 Comments
This post about summer chores for kids and smart money management has been sponsored by BusyKid. All opinions are my own. Ever since my kids were young, they have been given chores. Since we live in the burbs, they aren't out milking cows at 5 Am but I try to make sure they have a few things to do most days. Since they have a lot more free time during the summer, they have more chores to go along with more free time. Summer chores for kids are a great way to teach them responsibility. It also lightens your own workload at the same … [Read more...]
Balancing a Plentiful Life with Community Volunteering Keeps Kids Grounded
April 16, 2018 by · 7 Comments
This post about balancing a plentiful life with community volunteering has been sponsored by Reward Volunteers. All opinions are my own. I look around the area I live in and am both awed and slightly shocked by the wealth that surrounds us. My teens’ friends have homes with actual media rooms in them. Many had the newest iPhone by age 8. They often get brand new cars for their 16th birthday. This is not the way we raised our children. I don't want them to think this is common for most people. My husband and I are financially stable but … [Read more...]
A Message for my Daughter About Acting Her Age
January 22, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
I am writing a message for my daughter about acting her age as part of the #DisruptAging campaign. This post is made possible with support from AARP’s Disrupt Aging. All opinions are my own. When my children were young, they were very tall for their age. That means at age five, they were the size of an 8 year old. Which meant that when they ACTED five, they got some very nasty looks from people who wanted them to 'act their age'. The age they ASSUMED my children were, anyhow. It created a lot of stress for me and probably unreasonable … [Read more...]
Make Time for Music No Matter What Your Age
January 16, 2018 by · 6 Comments
Thank you Fender for sponsoring this post about why you should make time for music. Learn guitar at home with Fender Play! One of the first formal classes I joined with my children was a small music class at our church. The kids were babies and toddlers at that point. The instruments they used were wooden maracas and brightly colored shaker toys. We sang and we clapped and generally had a grand and glorious time for a solid hour. As the children grew up, they brought home the dreaded recorders from school. We signed them up for formal … [Read more...]
How to Stop Bullying in Schools: What Can Parents Do?
October 30, 2017 by · 1 Comment
Have you ever wondered how to stop bullying in schools from affecting your child? Kids of all ages can be mean. Bullying in schools happens more than teachers, parents or administrators can even imagine. Teachers have their hands full trying to instill order in their classroom. If they have a line of 30 kids to walk down the hall, they may only see what the first 10 are actually doing. That shy kid at the very END of the line? He may very well be getting bullied and no one even notices. Do you have a kid on social media? Cyber bullying … [Read more...]
Teenagers and Technology: Negotiating their Expensive Wish List
September 11, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
Teenagers and technology seem to go hand in hand nowadays and it can be a pricey combination. When my children were small, their wish list was relatively easy to handle. They wanted small things that were fairly inexpensive. I bought tons of LEGO (ok, not THAT cheap!) and art supplies (thank you, Michaels coupons!) and they were happy as clams on Christmas and Birthdays. But, now I have teenagers and all of a sudden my gift budget just isn't going to make a dent in the wish list they have in their heads. The primary desire of my teenagers is … [Read more...]
