Category: Kids

A Pocket Full of Pennies

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If you are close to me then you might hear me jingle when I walk. You might also wonder why or how I’ve come to have a pocketful of pennies. Well if you were one of my kiddos there is a good chance that that jingle means that I’ve caught them being good.

As part of my newest positive parenting technique I’ve decided to start carrying around a pocketful of pennies. Every time I catch my kids doing something good I’ll give them a penny. My kids love money as do most kids and this is a fun way for them to earn a little bit to put in their piggy banks.

Some examples of catching them ‘being good’ would be if big sister is helping little brother put on his shoes without being asked. Maybe little brother found some stickers stuck to floor and he is working on scraping them up without being told. Also I’ve caught them taking care of their chores without being reminded.

Also we have been working a lot on making ‘good choices’. I have one child, in particular, who is extremely impulsive and will make some really ‘bad choices’ on a daily basis. When I see that the kids are making good choices when it comes to something we’ve been working on I may be able to catch them in the act and reward them with a penny or a hug. They love this extra bit of attention and the fact that their piggies are getting quite fat.

Now sometimes they just get a big hug or some kind of ‘atta boy’ in exchange for the deed. I don’t want them to think that they will always be rewarded monetarily for every good behavior that they display. I just want to try to focus more on the good than the bad as sometimes we can get stuck in a parenting rut where it feel like we are just spinning tires and going nowhere.

Please note that I am not an expert in the field of parenting but I do have a little bit of experience in the area.This method of rewarding good behavior seems to be working, for now. I am hoping that this will help to encourage them to demonstrate kindness to one another on a regular basis and learn that being responsible can and will pay off.

 

Weekend Wrap Up: June 9, 2018

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**This post does contain some affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission if a purchase is made through the link. These help to support our blog.

So this week has been really good. We’ve made a lot of progress as far as finally getting the house organized and getting our routines simplified. I feel like I can finally breathe. It has never taken me so long to get unpacked and organized after a move before. Just a word of caution to anyone trying to downsize…. it’s probably gonna be a lot harder than what you think!

We have had quite an exciting week that has been packed full of all kinds of planned and unplanned surprises. Keep reading for a brief summary of what we’ve been up to. Continue reading “Weekend Wrap Up: June 9, 2018” →

10 Tips For Water Safety

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It’s officially summer! It’s hot and has been for the past couple of months here in Florida. This means many of us are seeking some cool comfort in the water. Our kids have been learning to swim this summer and they have had plenty of chances to practice our water safety guidelines.

We’ve also been out on the boats a couple of times which can be a bit scary with youngsters but we make sure they understand the rules, and the importance of following the rules, BEFORE they get in or near the water. With so many reports of dry drownings and accidental drownings I wanted to share some of our water safety tips.

  1. NEVER go near the water without an Adult’s permission!
  2. ALWAYS wear your life jacket!
  3. NEVER swim alone or unattended.
  4. ALWAYS get out of the water when you see lightning.
  5. NEVER roughhouse, push, or run around the water.
  6. ALWAYS call for help if you get scared.
  7. NEVER dive or jump in without checking with an adult.
  8. ALWAYS follow the adult’s instructions.
  9. NEVER use the water as a potty.
  10. ALWAYS practice good manners and common courtesy.

While we don’t have a pool we do live on a pond. I’d love to make a sign similar to this one to display our rules. If I do come up with something I’ll update this post. Also remember when choosing a life jacket that you get one specifically designed for your child’s weight. We like to use the ones with the ‘butt-strap’ as my kids call it. It helps to prevent them from slipping out. We like these here and here.

We always make sure to keep a close eye on the kids while swimming and an adult is always within arm’s reach of any child. I read somewhere where a doctor said that most of the drownings he had seen had happened because of a distracted adult! Many times at group gatherings drownings occur because everyone thinks that someone is watching the kids. I try to keep this from happening by making sure everyone knows that they are responsible for their child’s safety.

Have fun and be safe! Remember to wear your sunscreen and bug spray while outside too! Our favorites are the Mineral Sunscreen Spray from Honest and the Babyganics Insect Repellent from Grove Collaborative.

I also posted links to my favorite girl’s swimsuits in this post here, if you are interested.

**This post does contain affiliate links.

 

Kirby’s Kids: Homeschool June 2018 Updates

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

I’ve been working quite a bit lately on planning our homeschool and put out several homeschool related posts. If you haven’t had a chance to check them out you can click on the links below.

Kirby’s Kids: Making The Decision To Homeschool

Kirby’s Kids: The Who, How, Where, and When of Your Homeschool

Kirby’s Kids: Choosing, Buying, and Organizing Your Homeschool

I also put out a FREEprintable here in this post:

Kirby’s Kids: Our Favorite Homeschool Supplies and Printable Checklist

If you missed the sneak peek of some of the items for our 2018-19 school year then check out this post here.

Have you started your back to school shopping yet?  Continue reading “Kirby’s Kids: Homeschool June 2018 Updates” →

Kirby’s Kids: Choosing, Buying, and Organizing Your Homeschool

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

OK, So this is the third part of this little series that I’ve been working on. If you missed the first two you can check out Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. If you’ve been following along I know you are ready for this part.

This part can be extremely overwhelming but very exciting at the same time. It also requires a bit of control if you are like me. I tend to see so many things I like I often go overboard and end up with an abundance of supplies and resources that we can’t use.

Researching and Buying Homeschool Supplies

This can be so overwhelming but if you’ve done your homework from the previous post then that will help out a lot.When you really know what your child likes and how they learn it can make the world of difference when choosing the curriculum. You also want to consider your teaching style before selecting the curriculum.

Think about your priorities. Does your child need more help with math or reading or maybe they have special needs and you should focus on motor skills? Keep these things in mind when making your decision. Also as you compare jot down what you like and dislike about particular options. This will help to narrow down the choices.

Continue reading “Kirby’s Kids: Choosing, Buying, and Organizing Your Homeschool” →