Parenting Tips

I wanted to share a great website that I found that has A LOT of information for families. The website is Family Zip http://www.familyzip.com/ It has printable worksheets for the kids while they are out of school to help them retain what they learned last year or help them get ready for the coming year, also has fun activities, links to coupons and articles on just about anything. I just read a great article on this site about using marbles as a way to reward good behavior and how kids trade these in for things they want to they have more control over the situation. I am going to try this out and I will let you know how it goes.

www.familyzip.com

I use a similar technique that seems to work really well. I have a jar and a bag of pebbles (like the ones you use for home decorating, I got mine at a dollar store for $1). Anyway, at the end of the day we gather as a family and each child gets to pick out a pebble and name something good that they did during that day and I let them keep going through the day, even little things like putting their shoes away etc. This helps builds their self confidence and I have noticed that they really enjoy going over all the good things they did. Then I make up a silly song to sing to them about how well they did and they get to shake the jar. Once it is filled to the line I have set on the jar then they get a prize like a day at the park or a movie night etc. It really has worked for us.

Parenting & The Economy

Today my kids went to my sisters house for a visit for a few hours. Aunt Melanie just got a new puppy. A Yorkie-Poo or something. She said it was a mix of Yorkie, Shitzu and Poodle. It looked cute in the picture she text messaged me and it came with a price tag of $100 which she said was very reasonable. It was a nice break for me. I cleaned the house, did some laundry and watched the 2-hour movie - 300. Then I got to thinking, man, $100 for a dog just isn't in my budget right now and, even though I like dogs and would love to have one for the kids, I could think of a lot of others ways to spend that hundred right now. In this day and age with nothing on the news but the economic situation etc, I find myself looking into my own financial situation to find ways that I can make my buck stretch further.

A helpful website that I found in a magazine is a great website called Freecycle http://www.freecycle.org/ you can sign up to be a member within your area for free. This website allows you to offer unwanted items to others via the web and allows you view items others are giving away for free - YES, I said GIVING AWAY for FREE. If you see something you like, you can email the person who posted it and it is at their discretion who receives the item. There are also postings called "Free for alls" where the person has a lot of free stuff to give away and has a free yard sale at their home where you are able to browse the items they are giving away and take whatever you'd like. I would recommend this site to anyone. I have used it several times and it gives you a great sense of worth to help out others by giving items you no longer want or need to someone else and when you get a good bargain or something you are in desperate need of, it's something to be truly thankful for. It also helps the environment because these items are being recycled to someone else instead of going into landfills. I have seen everything from clothes & furniture to books, toys and all the way down to paperclips. Just wanted to post this in hopes someone else can get use of the website and help you stretch your buck a little further too.

www.freecycle.org

Parenting & Birthdays

I had to post this pic so the kids will know how much I LOVED my birthday cake that they made me. My birthday was June 14th, Flag Day. Thanks kids for the beautiful cake and flowers all in one gift! Love You - Mom

Parenting & Carnivals

I also wanted to share some pics of the kids at the carnival in Virginia, IL. They had a great time. Carnivals are sooo expensive. It was $2 a ticket and with 5 kids those tickets don't stretch very far. We let them all ride a few rides though and play a couple games and we finished the night off with corndogs and lemonade shakeups. Why do carnival corndogs taste so much better than the ones you get at a store?

Parenting & Potty Training

I wanted to share a pic of my youngest, Brittany, during one of her first sessions of potty training. She LOVES her pink potty and she decided that she would like to take the comfy seat for awhile and read a book. LOL! I bought the pink potty at Walmart for $17, the cheapest one they had. Doesn't have any fancy bells or whistles but let me tell you it does the trick, its durable, easy to clean and has a nice padded seat and will convert to be placed on the regular sized toilet when she is ready to tackle that project. One of my friends bought a more expensive type that plays music and sings when you tinkle in it. It was fun for awhile but then the thing started playing music and singing at 3AM when no one was even in the bathroom and her little girl liked it so much she would find very clever ways to get water into the thing so the music went off - including taking water out of the regular toilet. I'm old fashioned I guess, I want to keep the entertainment out of the bathroom - no butts about it. LOL!

Give me your feedback though - did the fancier potties work for your kids? My boys didn't even use a little potty, they were climbers from the start so they loved hoisting themselves up to the regular toilet from the get go. Now they are 3 & 4 yrs old and I caught them both in the bathroom one day standing side-by-side doing a #1 and they were racing, I heard Noah say "Ok, 1-2-3, Ready, Set, Go!" How fun it would be to remember those times as you grow up to give yourself a giggle - I know I busted a gut when I heard them in there!

Getting to Know the Family

Hello! My name is Tiffanie, I am 30 yrs. old and I am the proud parent of five children. I decided to create a blog about my kids to keep track of some great memories, share pics of the kids with family and to share my parenting world with whoever might listen.

Let me introduce you to my team:

Zachary - Age 9

Loves anything with the word "star" in it; Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica...you name it and he knows it. Wants to be a massage therapist when he gets older. This is a pic of him in his grandpa Bobby's racing helmet.

Amber - Age 8

Loves all things "girly" including makeup, Hannah Montana and being a total drama queen. She likes to rule the roost and is brutally honest as long as she ends the sentence with "no offence".

Isaiah - Age 4

Is a mischevious, bright-eyed boy who is destined for the stars. Loves the moon and anything having to do with outer space. Loves cars and dreams of driving an airplane.

Noah - Age 3

Is the lover of the family. Acts shy until he gets to know you and is in touch with his feminine side; he loves to dress up in his older sister's shoes and loves purses and headbands.

Brittany - Age 2

Loves baby dolls and in this picture she is taking care of her younger cousin Lily. She is "girly" like her older sister and had to wear her "bra" when sissy got one.

That's right folks - stair steps!

In future entries I will give my tricks of the trade in raising such a large fam. and hope you will share your tips from your family experiences.

Family Portrait

Christmas 2008