Parenting Archives - Page 10 of 10

Babysitter Information Form

January 29, 2014 by Danielle

I have a confession: I’m VERY picky as to who I leave my kids with. After a babysitter stole our Ipad (passed it to her boyfriend and had it sold) before we even returned home, I’ve become really cautious. When I DO leave my kids, I make sure it’s someone I trust completely. Along with that, I want to make sure they have ALL the information they’ll need for a successful night, for them AND for the kids! This printable Babysitter Information Form is perfect, just in case there’s something you forget to mention, or they don’t remember ALL the stuff they were given right before you walk out the door.

Here’s the different parts of the form:

Home Information: your home address, phone number, etc. In case they need to give an emergency person that info, or are ordering a pizza.

Emergency Contacts: This is where we put a trusted neighbor that’s close by, and near by relatives that can be contacted just in case.

Notes & Instructions: Here we put things like allergies, if someone needs some medicine at certain times, what meals are planned, etc.

Routines: When they play, read, clean up, eat dinner, brush, bedtime, etc.

House Rules: General rules, and what form of discipline to use (we use ‘take a break’ here).

Non-Emergency Fire & Rescue: As it says, put the number for the non-emergency important rescue people. Like dispatch, etc.

What else do you think should be included?

Teaching Your Kids to Tie Their Shoes

January 25, 2014 by Danielle

Do you remember how you learned to tie your shoes? Ya, me neither. Maybe the bunny loop hole thing? Or like on Shrek Forever After ‘into the dragon’s keep’? No matter how we learned, it’s kind of an important thing. For most, at least.

Teaching Your Kids to Tie Their Shoes

When Wonder Woman needed to learn to tie her shoes, I seriously had the hardest time teaching her. I didn’t know how to explain what I just….DID. When I thought too hard about it, I couldn’t tie my shoes! Ugh, it was awful. Then these cute little cut-outs happened, and she learned to tie her shoes So. Dang. Fast. LOVED IT! And when she had no-tie shoes for over a year and needed a bit of a refresher course, out they came and she fiddled with them until she caught on again.

Now YOU can get these little cut-outs for your little (or big, whatever) ones to practice with, without causing where, tear and frustration to their actual laces! All you need to do it print out this page onto a sturdy material (or flimsy, just laminate it).

Make sure you size it to ROUGHLY their foot size. Doesn’t have to be perfect, by any means. Not like they’re going to walk around in them. Cut it out, laminate if desired, and use a hole punch over the dots for the lace holes. Get some yarn (or laces, if you have them and want to), and treat it like a shoe! The side flaps fold right up over the foot, so they get the real feel and angle of shoe tying.

Happy Shoe Lace Tying!

Chore Rewards Treasure Chest

January 18, 2014 by Danielle

Have you noticed that my kids really love pirates? Well, they do! So much so, that we decided to use it to our advantage. If you’ve seen Jake & The Neverland Pirates, you know of their ‘Team Treasure Chest’. They earn gold doubloons to fill it up. We made our very own!We just got a plain, unfinished chest from Michaels. Then put some red and gold paint for details. Finish it off by putting a clear, wood sealant on it and PRESTO….you’re set to go!

Just like the chest on the show, we made sure to include Cubby’s Map on one side….

Izzy’s bag of Pixie Dust on the other side…

And, of course, Jake’s Sword on the front!

How our system works, is that every day they do ALL of their chores and were decently good (come on, they’re kids, I’m totally fine with decently vs perfection!) they earn ONE gold doubloon. If they were EXTRA good and/or did EXTRA chores, they can earn TWO gold doubloons.

We keep track on a sheet how much each child earns. They can then use their individually earned coins to buy fun extras, such as a candy bar or staying up later.

We put their earned doubloons into the treasure chest, and AS A FAMILY earn towards large, family things, such as a trip to the movies or dinner out.

This is our chart that we use so they know how much to earn for what. Notice the Family Earnings are VERY large amounts, but we have 4 kids, so that’s potentially over 200 per month.

Yes, I understand this is a form of bribery, and I’m totally okay with that because 1) it works for us! And 2) life is full of bribery (example, would you go to work if you didn’t get a paycheck? I don’t think so!) So for now, this is what we’re doing for our family.

What rewards systems do you use for your family, or have you used that did or didn’t work?

When your child gets Lice – from Healthline.com

September 4, 2013 by Danielle

This post is sponsored by Healthline.com

What to do When Your Child Gets Lice

Lice are a common problem for kids from the age of three to twelve years. Lice seem to like girl’s hair more than boys, probably because it is typically longer and has a “pretty” scent. Lice are contagious and an annoyance, but they are not dangerous. They do not cause disease. A child’s scalp will become inflamed and itch from the bites. There can be irritation to the skin and infection from the constant scratching.

Head lice spread easily among both children and adults, making it wise to treat them quickly after they have been discovered.

What to do when your child gets lice / Busy Mom's Helper

Signs of Head Lice

Lice are easy to see even though they are very small. A thorough examination of your child’s head by your doctor or yourself might show:

● Nits (lice eggs) before they hatch, nits look like tiny brown, tan or dark yellow dots. The adult lice lay the eggs or nits on the scalp on the hair shafts. They are kept warm by the temperature of the person until they hatch and become lice. They resemble dandruff but cannot be shaken off or brushed out.

It is less common to see lice crawling on the scalp, unless there is a heavy infestation. It is easier to find eggs in the child’s hair. It takes one to two weeks for lice eggs to hatch after being laid. There is a clear or white shell left after the eggs hatch. They remain attached to the hair shaft. They are easiest to see at this stage. The eggshell moves farther down the scalp as the hair continues to grow.

● Baby lice (nymphs) and adult lice are tan or grayish white in color and the size of a seed. It takes one to two weeks for nymphs to become adult lice. Lice can survive as long as two days off the scalp, even though they feed several times a day on blood.

Scratching and itching come with bites from lice. This is a reaction to lice saliva. The itchiness might not be immediate. It depends on the sensitivity of the child’s skin. Children with lice might not start scratching for weeks. There might be complaints of things tickling their heads before the lice are discovered.

Scratching leads to small sores or red bumps. The irritation can be mild for some or a rash can develop. The skin can become tender, red and have oozing and crusting accompanied by swollen lymph glands (bacterial infection) because of the scratching. The infection may be treated with an antibiotic.

Using a fine-toothed comb, separate your child’s hair into sections to check behind their ears, and neck to allow you to see the nits or lice. Rarely are they found on the eyebrows or eyelashes.

You may find that a bright light or magnifying glass helps. There are not a lot of adult lice and they move fast making them hard to find.

You will want to find out if any other children have been treated for lice recently from the director of the childcare center or school nurse. Contact the daycare or school to inform them if you find that your child has signs of lice or nits.

Tammy Mahan has worked in the healthcare field for several years. She has also spent most of her life raising or working with children. When she is not activity wearing the mom or nurse hat, she enjoys sharing her knowledge with Healthline.com .