Fun Friday: Pistachio Winner!

 


Congrats to Juliana Kyzar! You've won the Pistachio DVD! Just e-mail your mailing address to me at heycarriepartridge@gmail.com, and I'll get your prize in the mail to you next week.

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Fun Friday: Pistachio Giveaway (What?)

That's right--I have a Pistachio to give away! Of the VeggieTales DVD variety, that is. It's a lesson in listening to your parents. Who wants it? (Who wouldn't?!)

To be entered to win, you'll have to tell on yourself this time. Leave a comment here and tell us about a time when you didn't listen to your parents . . . and should have.

I'll start: My mother told me that I would one day regret not sticking with an instrument. Once upon a time (but not at the same time), I played piano, clarinet, and cello. Today I can play none of them. However, I can play a mean egg shaker. Oh well. She told me so.

Your turn. Do it fast, though, because the drawing will be at 7:00 tonight!

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The Gift of Giving: Instilling Generosity in Your Children

I haven't posted any of my articles on this blog, so I thought I'd start doing that from time to time. Here is one I had published in Parents & Kids magazine on teaching your children about giving.

Mama Question: How do you encourage your children to give to others?

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Not Feeling Frazzled

Mamahood is just plain busy. It's constant. There is always something that needs to be done or seen or heard or kissed. And it doesn't really matter how we feel; we still have to tend to it. We can easily feel frazzled and overwhelmed, which is why we must take the time to tend to ourselves. It is essential to the health (and safety?) of our families for us to make sure we take the breaks (even short snippets) that we need and get the rest (with eyes closed or open) that we need in order to be at our best.


Mama Question: What do you do to tend to yourself when you are feeling particularly frazzled?

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Fun Friday: Smelling Like a Man . . . or a Monster

Ever since the first time I saw this commercial, I thought it was hilarious . . .



But this one is even greater . . .

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Helping Hands Week: Creating

Last week I asked Mamas to tell me how they like to encourage their children to use their hands. Jennifer said, "We use our hands to make things the way God made us and our world! Our favorite things to make are drawings and food. Josie especially loves to use her hands to 'help' us make bread."

Using our hands to create, mold, build, design, or fashion is a wonderful way to express ourselves and can also be a beautiful act of worship. What a tremendous way to engage our children in both praising and serving our Creator! Thank you for the reminder, Jennifer.

And for those of us who dread the mess that so often accompanies creativity . . . Well, we just need to get over it, don't we?

 Mama Question: What do you and your child like to create together?

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Helping Hands Week: Hugging, Not Hitting

Last week I asked Mamas to tell me how they like to encourage their children to use their hands. Sherry said, "My son is a hitter. So we constantly talk about how hands are not for hitting. Hands are for helping and hugging and being gentle."

When little ones get frustrated, they don't always know how to handle it. (Neither do I, kids.) Particularly before they have learned how to verbally communicate their feelings, I think it's just instinctive to act on them physically. So it's our job as parents to continually remind our children that hitting is not appropriate.

I like Sherry's suggestion--hugging! Unless they're like my daughter when she was little. She hugged a little too tightly sometimes. Talk about tough love.

Mama Question: How have you dealt with little ones who like to hit?

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