Make a ʺBefore You Freak Outʺ list. I never knew I had a temper till I had 3 boys, and two of them toddlers. The toddlers like to nip at my heels all day...I usually reach my limit at around 4ish in the afternoon and a freak out ensues. As much as I'd love to put myself in time out, I can't. Hence the ʺBefore You Freak Outʺ list. I try to include things on there that are a little more rare for them like pulling out the special train set or stickers or paint. But most importantly items on the list need to be something they can do without my supervision, so I can take a breather. My favorite go to activities are a bowl of ice, for some reason they love this. And a shower for my 3 year old. He is especially clingy so those 15 mins are heaven.
--Amanda Frost
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Don't know if anyone else has had this problem, but we think it stems from our encouraging our 3 1/2 yr. old in her earlier age, to bless our food before a meal... Now, it's gotten to the point where she blurts it out before anyone else can volunteer, and our older son pouts because he doesn't think it's fair, and our 2 yr. old starts shouting NO NO, because he wants to say it. Well, enough was enough, so I painted an entire dining room wall with chalkboard paint and trimmed it with wood trim. Then I added our weekly menu, daily reminders, family business, AND YES FINALLY, a Prayer Chart- so everyone knows when it is their turn to ask a blessing on our meal...It's working great and incidentally, our 2 yr. can recognize his own name now. It's been a blessing.
--America
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Reading is not my forte; I know it's important and I want my kids to be good readers but I am not a big reader. Besides the Ensign, scriptures, and occasional things online, I'm not usually caught with a book in hand. My husband is a reader, and in fact learned to read when he was 3. In his busy schedule he is often fitting in time to read a book. I hope my kids inherit his love for and speed in reading. He is usually the one to read bedtime stories or take time to read to them after work. As the school started this year I have my first kindergartner and so I've been reading with him for 15 min/day as prescribed by his teacher. As a result I've read more to my 3 yr old as well. Even if I have to interrupt folding laundry, preparing for a lesson, or even skip an attempt at a nap, I'm doing my best to read aloud more to my kids, esp when they bring a book to me and ask me to read it. This is hard for me because I don't have a lot of energy these days and it takes energy to read to them. But I know it will pay off! My mom read a lot to me as a child, and listened to me read as well. She was not a fast or avid reader but she did her best to help us like reading. Hopefully I can help my kids in the same way.
--Amy
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I have found that if I am rushing to get things ready to leave the house in the morning and my kids are squabbling and generally irritating one another (aged 1 and 3), if i put on the cd of children's songs it really calms them down. The pushes and shrieks don't completely stop but they do lessen and I am more likely to find then quietly looking at books than fighting. It could be a complete coincidence but I don't think so! I just need to remember to use it as a tool more often!
--Angela
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I have always been very deliberate in what I put on my walls. I use a lot of the blue painter's tape, and if there are things I want to remember to teach my children, I often have reminders hung down where they can see. For instance, I have ABC cards and pictures hung up by where I blow dry my hair. Without fail, my 1-year-old comes over and I can talk to her about the pictures while I'm getting ready for the day. I have pictures depicting the Articles of Faith by my kitchen table. I have pictures of farm animals behind my daughter's crib, my kids' names above their beds, and pictures of the Savior and temple in key places. I have a calendar closeby. I have maps on the wall I can use whenever talking about places comes up (across from the chair where we normally read books - they're often very handy). Anyway, I've found that when things are out and accessible and visible to me and the kids, I use them more often because of the reminder they are to me and because the kids are naturally curious about them. And, I've seen their learning increase.
--Brittany
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"The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.ʺ --Pablo Casals
--Carolyn
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One thing I have found to help me keep the SMILE on is to play with my kids. If we are at the park they think it is great if I swing with them or try the monkey bars. They get a laugh; I get a bit of exercise and we bond having fun together. On of my children is motivated by fun and feels love when we have fun together. It helps to have spend the day playing together when it is time to get everyone motivated to finish the housework.
--Jana
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ʺWe sometimes fail to understand that the everlasting peace Jesus promises is an inner peace, born in faith, anchored by testimony, nurtured with love, and expressed through continual obedience and repentance. It is a peace of spirit that echoes through the heart and the soul. If one truely knows and experiences this inner peace, there is no fear from worldly disharmony or discord. one knows deep down inside that all is well as far as the things that really matter are concerned.ʺ --Elder Ballard
I had a friend in college who came from a big family. Once we were talking about her parents and how she never saw her dad lose his temper. Even with teenagers. I was amazed. That is quite an accomplishment. She told me that his ability to keep his cool really made all of them respect their dad so much it really helped keep them in line. When he disciplined they new they deserved it and they didn't want his disappointment. That has always impressed me and is something I try to remember with my children.
--Jen
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