Tag: children

  • Back To School: Easy After School Activities

    Back To School: Easy After School Activities

    Finding easy after-school activities can be challenging, especially if you’re a working parent or if you have several kids at different skill levels. Thankfully, activities don’t have to be complicated to be fun. Your child probably doesn’t want to think that hard after a long day at school anyway, so the easier, the better.

    The activity you choose should depend on the child’s skill level, age, and most importantly their interests. Easy after-school activities exist so you can keep your child engaged and so that they can explore their interests in a safe setting. They also help your child expand upon their school day. It’s up to you to decide what journey your child takes. 

     

    Combine An Activity With A Snack 

    Let’s start with a childhood classic, practicing math with food. You can teach almost all areas of basic math with food, so why not reinforce their education at snack time? You can use M&Ms, Skittles, cereal, or nuts, and dried fruit. Kill two birds with one stone by incorporating their math homework. If you can figure out how to use this technique with other academic areas, more power to you! 

    For an activity that your kids might enjoy a little more, have them decorate their snack before they eat it. Of course, this is easy to do with cookies or cupcakes, but you probably don’t want to give that to your children every day. So instead, try Jell-O, ice cream made of bananas, or something like that. Let them go wild with sprinkles, fruit, and whipped cream.

    You can also set up a snack bar and let them create their own snack mix for the day. Creating the snack bar and creating the mixes can be separate activities. You can set the bar up with a ton of nutritious food options for them to pick and choose from every day after school. The best part about this is that you don’t have to worry about their snack all week.

     

    Arts And Crafts Activities 

    One of the best activities your kid can do is artistically describe their day and what they’ve experienced. Give them paint, markers, pencils, or any other medium and some paper. Tell them to get their emotions about their day out on paper. It may spark an important and interesting conversation between the two of you that you usually wouldn’t have. 

    Drawing their interpretation of their day is their opportunity to express themselves honestly and authentically. It also allows you to see how your child feels after their day, which gives you a great way to bond. As a bonus, you can keep all of their masterpieces from the entire year and save them in a scrapbook to look back on. 

    Working with playdough or clay is also a great activity. The medium will allow them to create anything thing they want. They’ll also be able to destroy or transform it in a safe and healthy way. At the very least, it will give them something to keep their hands busy if they fidget a lot. That’s a win-win for both of you.

     

    Keeping Your Child Active

    One of the best parts of creating activities for your kids is being able to introduce them to the games you played as a child. Show them how to play hopscotch, H-O-R-S-E, or how to jump rope. If you sit down and think about it, you can probably come up with a ton of fun outdoor games. 

    On rainy days, it can be difficult to get your kids to be active. If you’re desperate to give your kids an athletic activity, YouTube has a ton of workouts aimed at kids. You can also have an indoor dance party. Put on the kid’s favorite playlist and encourage them to sing and dance along. They’ll be hungry for dinner and tired at bedtime!

    With any of these activities, you can give them a challenge or a goal. Push them a little farther every day. The challenge doesn’t have to be crazy. If they’re using the jump rope, tell them to get ten successful jumps in a row. Then, bump it up to 12 the next day. Make it challenging, but not impossible. 

     

     

    Academic Activities

    Reading should be at the top of everyone’s after school activities list. Having good reading comprehension skills will help your child throughout their life as students and into adulthood. Reading after school will show them that reading can be fun and that the library is not limited to educational books.

    If your child is tired of reading after school, have them write a story inspired by what they’ve read. Have them write a side quest for the main character or let them create an alternate ending. Not only will this improve their writing and creativity skills, but it can enhance their love of reading.

    When you want your child to spend more time outside, but they’re not into athletic activities, send them out on a nature hunt. Let them look in your backyard for birds, animals, and insects. Have them take photos of everything they find. Then, they can come inside and start identifying them and learning more about them. 

     

    Create An After School Activity Plan

    For all of these easy after school activities, it only takes a little bit of time to have one activity extend throughout the entire week. Start small on Monday and have them grow and build on their skills as the week progresses. That way, you can save time by focusing on one activity instead of creating a different plan for every day of the week. 

    You can also mix and match different activities on this list to incorporate different aspects of your child’s interests. Make sure you take other activities, homework, and available time into consideration when you’re creating your after school activity plan. Remember that you know your child best, and as long as they’re smiling and happy during the activity, you were successful. 

     

  • How To Bond With Your Kids

    How To Bond With Your Kids

    There’s no how-to manual on how to bond with your kids, so you’re going to have to do your own research. To get you started, we put together some of the easiest and most effective ways to form that special family bond with your children. 

    Like anything else in parenthood, it’ll take time and dedication, but eventually, it will work. Good things never happen overnight, and you can’t expect these tips to either. The sooner you start implementing these ideas, the sooner you’ll see results. 

    via GIPHY

    Family Rituals

    Family rituals are different than family traditions. Traditions usually occur once a year, but rituals should occur daily or weekly, like having a family dinner. As the kids get older, everyone’s schedules become hectic with sports, and after-school activities, so you might only have time for a family dinner once a week. If your kids are still young, try to eat together as much as possible. 

    Dinner time is an excellent opportunity to check in with everyone about their day. Checking in once a week is fine too. You can even go around the table and ask everyone what the high and low of their week was. Once kids get used to this, they start opening up more at the dinner table. 

    After dinner, go for a walk together. Leave the phones at home, except one in case of emergency, and talk to each member of your family one-on-one. Walking relieves the pressure of a face-to-face conversation. You can even bring the family dog. Walking after dinner also instills healthy and sustainable habits! 

    Physical touch is a crucial aspect of development and bonding. Studies have shown that an appropriate amount of physical affection from a parent can help regulate a child’s emotions long-term. Hug your kids every morning, but don’t forget to ask for consent. Respecting bodily autonomy is an important way to build trust. 

    A weekly family movie night or game night can be a ton of fun. Not every bonding exercise needs to be full of emotion. Sometimes, the low-key and fun moments are when children feel safe enough to share stories or aspects of their lives that they usually wouldn’t. 

    One On One Activities 

    Of course, one-on-one time is essential, but you should be doing your best to give each child daily undivided attention. This is especially important if you have more than one child. It’s also important to remember that if you have a baby, you shouldn’t hold them while you’re trying to give another child this undivided attention. If you’re holding another child, your attention is divided, and your other child will notice. 

    Plan activities around each child’s particular interest. These activities are an amazing chance to learn more about them while aiding them in developing their hobbies or talents. Who knows, the time you spend with them playing the piano could lead them to become a world-renowned pianist. By playing basketball with them when they’re younger, they could get a full ride to college. You never know. 

    Once a month, take them on a date. Parent-child dates are a classic way to strengthen the bond between the two of you. Take them out to lunch or even just for ice cream. The point is to check-in and give them more one-on-one attention. 

    Daily Tasks

    There are also certain things that you should be doing daily to grow your bond. Even once the bond is there, these daily tasks will help you maintain it over a long period of time. 

    Always practice kindness. No child will feel comfortable confiding in a parent that they don’t think they can trust. Once your child believes that you will judge them and lecture them if they tell you about their life or problems, they’ll stop telling you anything at all. Sometimes, parenting isn’t about discipline; it’s about listening. 

    If you tell your children that they have to earn respect, you’ll have to earn their respect too. No one freely gives respect away, and they shouldn’t. As you’re creating a bond with your child, it shouldn’t be difficult to earn their respect simultaneously. If it is, you may have to do more than take your child on weekly dates to get their trust and respect back.

    Brief daily check-ins are also a massive help in the process. Most parents already do daily check-ins, even if they don’t realize it, but it’s worth mentioning. These check-ins usually happen after school when they get home, and it sounds like, “Hi honey, how was your day?” Bonding doesn’t need to be hard or complicated. It’s about showing your child you care. 

    Finally, a super-easy way to help your bond is writing them notes and sticking them in their lunch box or notebook. It’s a quick way to remind them that you love them, that you’re thinking about them, and it’s an opportunity to send a reminder about anything important that’s going on that day. You can even wish them luck on a big test.

     

    You Got This

    Remember, bonding doesn’t happen overnight, and the older your child is, the longer it might take. Still, taking the time to bond with your child is more than worth it. That relationship is meant to last a lifetime. You have to start now. Hitting a few bumps in the road is normal; what truly matters is if and how you bounce back from them. 

    If you can’t do anything else, then prioritize listening to them. Listen to your kid’s complaints, under their breath mumbles, and their screams. If you pay close attention, they’ll probably tell you what kind of support they need. 

    via GIPHY

    Once you’ve worked so hard to create this bond, please don’t assume it will be there forever, and don’t let it slip away from you. Keep working on it every day so it will become strong and continue to grow with your child. Your bond needs to grow and develop as your child develops. If you do it right, you might even get lucky and have an amazing relationship with your teenagers. 

  • Creative Ways to Include Your Kids in Your Wedding Photos

    Creative Ways to Include Your Kids in Your Wedding Photos

    Whether it’s getting married, remarried, or renewing your vows, incorporating your children into your wedding photos is a great way to bond and create everlasting memories. If you are remarrying and your partner has older children, it can be tough to gain their trust and approval. Weddings are celebrations of the relationship you are creating and committing to not only your partner but their family as well. 

    If this is your first wedding with your children, then you’re one of the lucky ones! They get to see their parents celebrate their love and declare their partnership for life. They get to be part of something bigger than them, and they’re undoubtedly flooded with excitement. 

    Here are some ways to include the little rascals in your pictures, and let them be part of the best day of your life. 

    Show Some Love

    Mommy’s little girl always had a better ring to it for me. Daughters are an absolute blessing, and it’s on days like these that they repeatedly prove the love they carry for you. Other than the dresses, flowers, and pretty shoes, daughters love watching you prepare for your big day. Capture the moment with a group hug and endless kisses. 

    Lapis de Noiva

    Mommy and Daddy and Me

    I was tempted not to say this, but this can also apply to pets. Hey, some people consider their pets their kids, and that’s plausible. If you are the parent to an only child, photos like the ones below will look incredible in a frame or hung on a wall for the world to see. It’s your new family, your new beginning, and what better way to say we’re in this together than a family photo on a wedding day? 

    Wedding Forward

    Here Comes the…Stroller?

    Yes, your ring bearer can also be rolled in by your flower girl. Or by your other kids. That way, everyone can be in the photo and play a role in the ceremony. Decorative carts like the one below are lovely ideas for your crawlers. You can hang a sign on the back or the side, with a simple quote or name of the bride and groom. Really, anything goes. 

    Inside Weddings

    A Kiss for Both

    By the end of your vows, you may kiss the bride, but how about saving a peck or two for the little joys in your life? 

    Just looking at these photos is making me emotional because what goes on behind the scenes is much more meaningful. Some parents are genuinely superheroes because their children’s happiness goes above all else. If you know anyone that’s remarried, you’ll know that their children’s approval is crucial to them moving forward with the decision. Your new partner’s love for your children can only mean one thing:  the kids do come first. 

    Wedding Forward

    And They Lived Happily Ever After 

    A witness to an unforgettable moment. 

    No matter how much time will pass, your children will always remember this moment as their own as well. What more could you possibly want from such an exceptional day? Children holding up signs add that unique element to the photo. They can be stood to the side, in the middle, or even sitting on a parent’s shoulder. Some ideas for signs are “And They Lived Happily Ever After,” “It’s Our Wedding Day!” and “Unlimited Drinks for the Bride and Groom!”.  

    Hold the sign up high and smile big! 

    Carrs Photography Confetti Daydreams

    Don’t Cry, Don’t Cry Don’t Cry

    There a quote by Sally Mann, “Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.” 

    I feel like this picture captures the raw reality of weddings. I think of weddings as portals for both the couple and their kids (if they have any). It’s a day to leave the past behind and start building a future together with your family. Father-daughter dances and mother-son dances (or vice versa) can be implemented into your wedding planner as an intimate way to connect with the children. If it takes an emotional turn, don’t be too surprised, as they always end up with someone crying. 

    When love overflows, a few tears are bound to spill. 

    Junebug Weddings