Have you tried using the BORED acronym to win the screen time battle this summer:
Been Creative
Outdoor Play
Read a Book
Exercised
Done Something Helpful
Check out this link from the Better Western Mass show on Western Mass News to learn all about it. (It's OK to let them be bored!)
Since school started I've lost traction with my household helpers. We made a lot of progress this summer with learning new skills like laundry, cleaning the floor, cooking simple meals. I'm pretty sure the labor was harder on me than them. I like my house a certain way, but for most of the summer things looked like this:
But it was worth it, because: life skills. However now that we're back in session and busy with homework and school year activities I've fallen back on the 'it's easier to do it myself' attitude. Especially after the girls are in school all day I'd rather them spend these afternoons enjoying the sunshine in the backyard instead of doing chores. But at the same time....life skills.
How do you keep a balance at your place? The girls do excel at some chores without being asked: taking their dirty laundry to the dirty pile (except for socks....how is it that everyone in my home feels that the place is more beautiful with dirty socks lying all around??), separating recycling from trash, picking up their toys, the big girl babysits the little girl whenever I ask. They're also really good at pitching in when I ask but you know I'd rather not have to ask.
This chart is a good guide for chore suggestions; however, the after school time is so precious. I'm wondering if I need to be thinking weekend chore warriors instead of focusing on daily tasks. I'd love any suggestions. Please use the comments field below. My girls will def thank you for it. ;-) #raisethemup #lifeskills #raisinghelpers
Remember the good ol' days when Halloween costumes were simple, homemade, and didn't have to be Pinterest-worthy? (Like Eden's Underdog ensemble shown here). Sigh. Me too. We were talking all about simple, FREE, environmentally-friendly costume options today on Western Mass News. If your kid hasn't insisted they need a heavily-marketed store option yet, you can check out our ideas in this clip. #halloweencountdown #diycostumes
Leave it to Northampton to provide my girls with the perfect first time march experience. I'm so glad I decided to take my girls to the Join the Voices event today. It was a beautiful, peaceful demonstration of folks made up of all walks of life.
There were women, men, children and dogs of all shapes, sizes, and ages. We were all there for our own reasons -- we were holding signs about the president, women's rights, climate change, healthcare, LGBTQ support, and government spending. There was lots encouragement, laughing, hugs, and spontaneous singing.
I'm so proud of my Western Mass community for coming together in this loving display of voice and unity. There was no anger, no overwhelming chanting, certainly no violence. The street was lined with folks waving and clapping and holding their own signs. It was a group of maybe 1,000 Americans exerting their right to peaceably assemble. We walked from Sheldon Park down Route 9 to Pulaski Park where the march ended with hundreds of voices lifted up in "This Land is Your Land."
We made a family day of it with my sister and three of my nephews joining the march. The sun was shining strong and the thermometer hit 52 degrees....in January. It was a perfect day. Who knows what the next four years will bring? But the one thing I'm sure of is that my America is pretty great just the way she is. #unitedwestand #dividedwefall
I hope some of you will be able to join me two weeks from today on October 25 when I present "Simplify Your Life" in Agawam on behalf of the Agawam Family & Community Program.
We'll be discussing ways to make the most of our time, money and energy. I'm excited to share my best ideas on decluttering our homes and schedules to to find more family time and focus on what really matters.
There will be two sessions:
9:30-11 a.m.
Agawam Congregational Church
745 Main St.
*FREE childcare during the morning session. Ms . Erin is amazing and your kids will have a blast.*
Please park behind the building and use rear entrance.
6:30-8 p.m.
Agawam Senior Center Dining Room
954 Main St.
(NO childcare offered at evening session).
Please park behind the building and use rear entrance.
A few other points:
I could also use some advice: anyone willing to share what aspects of their life could use a simple overhaul? Are you overcommitted? Could your expenses use some chopping? Is your home too cluttered?
I know what I want to talk about -- the ideas that have helped me commit to a simpler life over the past few years; however, I'd love some suggestions from you amazing peeps. What would help you? Where can you use some encouragement?
Please ask/share away using the comments section below. Hope to see you on October 25!
Has anyone noticed this amazing mural that popped up recently in Springfield? It can be found on the side of the Imperial Grocery at 1072 State Street.
The mural was installed as part of the new You're The Mom public awareness campaign -- an initiative that recognizes the fact that moms are the number one influence on how well kids eat. According to You're The Mom:
"In the growing fight against childhood obesity (among many other areas!), moms are on the front lines—they’re arguably the single greatest influencers on their family’s health. But with so much to juggle, many moms take the path of least resistance when dinner rolls around. Making sure their children eat healthy becomes a chore, and fast food is an easy option. An upcoming public art installation in downtown Springfield is part of a new campaign to help moms make small changes in what they feed their kids and reverse the obesity epidemic."
This mural features Natalie Parrish, 30, a life-long Springfield resident. She is mom to seven-year-old Trenton Johnson who attends Sabis International Charter School in the city. Parrish knows a thing or two about the urge to seek quick meals -- in addition to caring for her son, she not only works full-time as a personal care assistant, she is also pursuing a BA in Healthcare Administration with a full course load, and is active in her church.
"It's a struggle to prepare meals that are healthy and affordable," Parrish said.
She said she encourages her son to make small changes to be healthier, for example, to eat the apples in his fast food meal instead of the french fries. She also tries to frequent the mobile farmers market in her neighborhood and tries to incorporate fresh fruits and veggies into every meal.
Parrish said she also tries to cook with more of an international flavor instead of relying on quick packaged meals and she is always encouraging her son to actually eat what she makes.
"He's picky," she said. "Of course he likes fast food -- all kids do -- but I encourage him to eat the meal I cook because there is nothing better he can do than put healthy food in his body."
Other simple and healthy swaps recommended by You're The Mom:
Parrish was overcome when she got her first glimpse of the mural, which was painted by Victor "Marka27" Quinonez of Brooklyn, NY. (Check out more of his work at Marka27.com -- so beautiful!)
"I struggled with image issues when I was younger so this is overwhelming," she said. "I hope this mural inspires people to be great."
A second mural will be installed this weekend -- July 9 & 10 -- at 461 Main Street in Springfield. Stop by if you have a chance -- it's fascinating to watch!
You're The Mom is being piloted in Springfield through the summer, and a national launch is planned for next year. You can find out more at yourethemom.org, or on their Facebook page. The campaign is being launched by ChildObesity180 at Tufts University Friedman School with assistance from community organizations including Partners for a Healthier Community, Square One, and Springfield Food Policy Council. The campaign includes a digital resource hub at YoureTheMom and public art installations portraying real local moms, as well as billboards, radio spots, bus advertisements, and social media.
And of course Parrish credits her own mom for helping her be the best mom she can be.
"My mom inspires me. She is my A1-Day 1. I have the tools necessary to be a good mom because of my mom. Communities are stronger when moms are stronger."
Amen to that, Sister! #YoureTheMom
We've got MCAS in the house this week and someone is freaking out! Not me. Or my husband. But the kid! UGH! I seriously can't talk about MCAS anymore. I understand that the teachers and administrators have to prepare the kids for the tests but I kind of wish they didn't tell them the test dates. Like, when I "surprise" Eden with a trip to the dentist. "Oh! My bad. We're not actually headed to the library. I just remembered we've got a dentist appointment today. We'll hit the library right after!"
The morning announcement at school could just be be like, "Whoppee! We get to do MCAS today! Aren't we lucky?! It's MCAS Day! It's MCAS Day! What a great surprise!"
I'm not taking sides on the standardized test debate here. I'm just saying -- the mood can get a little stressful in the home if you have a worrier for a kid and it's test time. And, since we moms are only as happy as our unhappiest child....a few tips to lighten the mood:
In her book on simplifying your life, The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work, Christine Carter, PhD, has many great suggestions on how to scale back your commitments, implement new habits, and rework all of your drudgery-filled "must-dos" into only "want-to-dos." She teaches us how to make changes to create our Sweet Spot to carve out the life we want, not the one we feel chained to.
In the book's introduction she discusses the fact that even though we have created many technological advances that make our daily lives easier, those automated processes have also made it easier for us to think we should be working more, not less:
"Life today is a pressure cooker. Even the most talented -- and privileged -- people are struggling to "balance" relentless work with family commitments, to manage a constant flood of information and emails, to cope with extraordinary stress levels.
"Most people have actually lost time for pleasure compared to our ancestors a hundred year ago -- despite the fact that in the olden days, they had to hand-wash their laundry."
"This common sense is so widely ignored that overwork -- and the problems with health, happiness, and productivity that it brings -- is epidemic. At the same time that our lives have gotten easier in many ways -- with devices to wash the dishes, learn just about anything, have our groceries delivered -- it has also gotten easier to work more."
Although she is speaking here of employment -- working for money -- many of us today are overworked with other types of commitments as well: community work, kids' scheduled activities, social events. So, how to fight the epidemic? Carter suggests:
These are just a few easy-to-implement ways you can begin to find your sweet spot in life. Small changes add up to big changes.
Valerie Smart is a wife and mom living in Western Massachusetts. She is loving this blog life.
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