ALL toddlers pitch fits! Here is something I do that might work for your little one…

My daughter is at that age around 18 months where she knows what she wants but she can’t always communicate it to me. She used to point to the refridgerator and whine when she wanted a drink or cry at the bottom of the stairs when she was tired and wanted to go up to bed. Since I have little patience for whining and screaming, I decided that an intervention needed to happen! I knew that she wasn’t just whining to annoy me– she was frustrated because she thought she wasn’t able to communicate effectively to me. All I needed to do was make her feel confident that I knew what she needed or wanted. That’s step one!

When she went to the refridgerator whining for a drink, I repeated to her what she wanted using words she knew. “Do you want your baba?” She would immediately stop whining and smile that I knew she wanted her sippy cup! When she cried at the bottom of the stairs, I would say, “Are you ready to go night night?”

Now that she was confident that she could communicate to me, she started using her words more and more. But now she was crying next to the fridge screaming “BABA! BABA!” Uh-oh… Did I make it worse?

Many times, if a toddler wants something and doesn’t get it RIGHT THEN, he/she become emotional… and since they don’t know how to regulate their emotions, it spirals into a FIT. Now she knew that I knew what she wanted… she was even using words to tell me what she wanted. But she wasn’t doing it in an appropriate way. When she would do this, I would kneel down beside her and say, “Look at Mommy. I don’t understand when you fuss— whisper. Baba.” She would whisper, “Baba.” An amazing thing happens to a toddler when he/she whispers… I have never seen a toddler that can simultaneously whisper and pitch a fit! It is a way that you can teach them to regulate their emotions, even if you can’t explain to them that that is what they are doing.

So then, anytime my daughter started whining for something, I would say, “Mommy doesn’t understand fussing!” And she would whisper and naturally calm herself down. A LOT of the whining disappeared as a result. She now knows how to regulate herself. I will notice her whine, stop, then say what she wants calmly. The whispering has turned into a calm, confident voice. When we’re at the supper table and she wants “more,” she doesn’t whine or shout. She simply says, “More?”

Let’s face it– we don’t all have the money to blow on going to the aquarium, the zoo, or an amusement park anytime we want. Mommies have be creative and find ways to entertain their little ones for FREE!

1. Take advantage of your public library! Most libraries have storytime or something similar for children.
2. Go to the park! It’s a great way to entertain your little ones and let them interact with other children.
3. Go on a walk or a bike ride! Most kids love being outside. It doesn’t matter how fussy my baby is– when I put her in a stroller and walk her down the street, she is happy! She also loves to take the lead and walk around with her mommy and daddy following her.
4. Put on some music and dance! It’s okay to act silly sometimes. Besides, it’s good exercise for everyone.
5. Go swimming! Don’t have a pool around you? Break out the water hose, and let them play around a sprinkler.
6. Arts & crafts! There are a million arts and crafts activities you can do with your little ones. Check out this article called “Crafts by Age” at http://familycrafts.about.com/od/craftprojectsbyage/Crafts_by_Age.htm
7. Movie night! Watch a movie you already have, or head to the library and check one out.
8. Put on a play, puppet show, fashion show, or concert to show the family! Kids love to be creative. If your kids are too young to write their own script, have them sing songs and prepare dances. (Reader’s Theater Scripts @ http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm)

1. Take religious books, coloring books, and toys to your place of worship to entertain small children. From a young age, children need to learn that a place of worship is a place to be quiet and respectful. I usually see parents break out the toys to entertain their tots, and the rest of my Sunday morning is spent being distracted by a little boy driving his race car on the pew or a little girl playing with her dolly’s hair. Instead, keep your church toys church-related so that your kids will be well-behaved while learning about God!
2. Teach your children prayers to say at specific times such as mealtimes and bedtime. Simply telling your child, “say your prayers!” usually isn’t enough until they are old enough to understand prayer. Guide them so feel confident in talking to God.
3. Talk about God at home. Be an example for your child and include religious talk at home. Make sure you give God thanks and praise when good things happen, and ask God to guide you when things are going wrong.
4. When celebrating religious holidays, be sure to discuss the meaning of them to the level of your child’s understanding. I have seen many children that celebrate holidays without knowing why they are celebrating.
5. Teach your child religious songs. Most kids love to sing! So use this to your advantage, and make sure to include some praise songs when singing with your child.

Here are some fun Easter activities to do at home with the little ones! Remember to eat healthy and be active today!

1. Do a traditional Easter egg hunt in your yard but put nuts or Easter stickers inside the eggs instead of chocolate and candy.
2. Get out your fingerpaints! You can make little baby chicks using your thumbprints as their body. Try making an Easter bunny with your fingerprints as his ears.
3. Read an Easter story together.
4. Make Easter bunny ears using a headband and construction paper.
5. Draw Easter cards for family and friends. Inside, write an Easter poem or write a cute saying like ”Somebunny wanted to say, ‘Happy Easter!’”
6. Print out some Easter coloring pages from a website such as this one: http://www.coloring-page.net/easter.html
7. Cut out 10 Easter eggs out of thick white paper. Divide the eggs into 5 pairs. Each pair should be decorated the same way. Then, mix them up and place them in 2 rows of 5 face down. Play the memory game.
8. Have a bunny hop race with the whole family.

Go Green, Baby – Visit babyearth.com for the biggest selection of eco-friendly baby products in the market today.

Today’s mom needs products that are…

Convenient!
- bumGenius 3.0 Cloth Diaper: Just as easy to use as a disposable diaper!

Safe!
- GumDrop Pacifier: cheap, safe, and cute!

Helpful!
- Baby Bjorn Soft Bib: catches extra food so you don’t have to clean the floor after every meal!

Adorable!
- Rolled Waist Pants:  styled like yoga pants, these will be a cute addition to your baby’s wardrobe!

It’s hard to keep the spark alive after the little ones, let alone leave the house alone together! So here are some romantic things you can do at home with your partner.

1. Take a bubble bath together. It’s cheap, it’s fun, and it’s sooo relaxing!
2. Give each other his and her massages. You don’t have to be a pro to give an enjoyable massage. Here’s a link to help you out: http://www.ehow.com/video_8066_give-back-massage.html
3. Have a romantic dinner for 2. Eat a late dinner after the kiddies have gone to sleep. Make sure to buy some wine, too!
4. Curl up and watch a movie together. Date night can be at your house! Just put some popcorn in the microwave and pop in a romantic movie.
5. Lock the bedroom door. Enough said

It’s all about making time for each other. You may have to sacrifice an hour of sleep here or there, but it’s ultimately worth it!

Let’s face it… most of us buy our kids fast food from time to time. But when you stop and think about what you are really feeding them, it seems like the convenience of fast food isn’t as appealing as it used to be. Well here are some healthy healthier fast food options for you and your little ones…

At Wendy’s, try:
- Grilled Chicken Go Wrap
- Ultimate Chicken Grill & side salad
- Chili

At Chickfila, try:
- Chargrilled chicken sandwich & fruit cup
- Hearty breast of chicken oup & side salad
- Chargrilled & fruit salad
- Chargrilled chicken garden salad

At Subway, try:
- 6″ Turkey, ham, or veggie sub on wheat
- Any salad with fat free Italian dressing
- Chicken noodle soup

At KFC, try:
-Roasted chicken caesar or BLT salad with fat free ranch or light Italian dressing
-Original chicken wing or drumstick, green beans, & corn on the cob

Here are some fun things to do for St. Patrick’s Day!

Be active!
- Create a treasure hunt with a “pot of gold” at the end
- Cut shamrocks out of green construction paper and play hopscotch

Eat healthy!
- Cook a healthy Irish stew with lots of veggies
- Make some sugar free green jello for dessert

Be creative!
- Print some St. Patrick’s Day coloring sheets and make them your dinner placemats
- Draw a picture of a rainbow or some shamrocks

Learn!
- Find as many green things around the house as you can
- Read a story about the history of St. Patrick’s Day such as this one: http://www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/sphist.html

The intention of the women’s rights movement was to provide women with the same rights that men had. One of these was the right to join the workforce. However, somewhere along the way, it became less of a right and more of an obligation. In today’s society, it is becoming more and more difficult for a family to support itself on one income. Some women that stay at home to raise their children are even ridiculed for not providing for their family financially. I believe the purpose of the women’s rights movement was ultimately to give women the freedom to decide what to do with their lives. If a woman wants a career, she should be able to have it. But if she wants to be at home with her children, she should be able to do that too!

Deciding to stay at home to raise your children can be one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make as a mother. On the one hand, you want to be the one with them all day—raising them, watching them grow, comforting them when they need someone. But on the other hand, you want to be able to provide for them financially so that they have everything they need and deserve. If you are thinking about staying at home with your children, you have to be willing to make some changes in your lifestyle.

Women and men share the same rights so they are expected to play the same role. As women were struggling for the same rights as men, they somehow equated it to being the same as men—wearing pants, being dominant, or working outside of the home. All of these things are wonderful IF you still can still celebrate the differences between the two genders. Men and women can be equals without being the same. Women that wish to stay at home to raise their children should be empowered rather than ridiculed.

And on that note, fathers should be able to be stay-at-home dads, too!

During this recession, everyone has been clipping coupons… I know I have! Here is my coupon routine that is saving me at least $100 every month.

• I go once a week to the grocery store since there are different deals each week.
• I put my coupons in order by their expiration date so I will be sure to use all of them BEFORE they expire.
• I ONLY use coupons for things I know I will use.
• When I have a coupon, I make sure that the reduced amount is not still more expensive than a generic brand’s cost. For example, if I get a “$2 off body wash coupon” for a $6 product, it will still cost me $4. If the generic brand is cheaper than $4, I will buy that instead.
• I stock up on things. The best deals are the ones that let you buy in bulk like a 10 for $10 deal!

Then, it takes me about 10 minutes a week to go through my coupons and make my list. Here’s what I do:

• I go through the coupons I have received in the mail and at the grocery store, save the ones for products I use, and put them in order. I add the ones I am going to use this week to my list along with the coupon amount (so I can compare prices at the store).
• Then, I go through the weekly ads for my grocery store (I don’t wait for the paper— I go right to their website!). I write down the items that I use on my list with the price next to it (so I can compare prices at the store).
• I go to my websites to print and download coupons. I am signed up for: www.couponmom.com, www.coupons.com, www.pgesaver.com, www.shortcuts.com, and a few others. I add those products to my list with the coupon amount next to them.
• I check my email for promotions from different companies. (I buy diapers a lot so I am signed up at Huggies.com, Pampers.com, etc. to be sent special offers).

Optional: Save your receipts for a month. You can see how the prices of different products change and then buy those products when they are at the lowest price. There are some items I refuse to buy unless they are on sale!

Good luck