Camp season is equal parts excitement and stress. Your kids may be nervous, and youβre probably overwhelmed. It can be tricky to know what exactly to pack for your kids. Here is a sleepaway camp pack list that may reduce your stress a little bit; the list comprises notes from experienced camp moms and kids. Labelsβ Before ANYTHING goes into your bag, make sure it has a name label! This is non-negotiable. Here’s the best option. TOILETRIES: Toiletries Caddyβ A waterproof caddy for bringing all their items to the showers; itβs ok if it gets wet. And it means they always have everything they need for the shower with them. Bug Sprayβ make sure itβs something youβve used before so your child doesnβt discover an irritation at camp. Hydrocortisoneβ or something similar to soothe itchy skin. Sunblockβ Donβt leave home without it, ever. Make sure itβs waterproof (not just water…
April is Cesarean Awareness Month. Considering Iβve had six of the damn things, I thought Iβd take some time to share my learnings.
You know youβve turned the page into spring when you pull out the seasonal storage bin, to re-discover the outdoor toys that have been out of sight, out of mind all winter. Goodbye, snow shovel β hello, Frisbee! Your kidsβ activity and gear choices will vary from year to year, depending on their age and interests. Hereβs our round-up of canβt-miss outdoor toys for spring and summer β coming soon to a park or sidewalk near you! Toddler Bubbles. Chasing bubbles has always been, and will always be, a hit with young kids. Be prepared to draw a crowd if youβre playing in a public space. Get more bang for your bubble by choosing an oversized wand or a battery-operated bubble blower. If your bubble liquid supply is dwindling, try mixing up a DIY recipe at home. Wheeled transportation. A sturdy wagon, jogging stroller, or bike trailer is handy to…
We often hear about the benefits of sending kids to camp. Even here in the Mabelhood, we talk about it a lot. Like this, and this. Sleepaway camp is indeed so beneficial for kids. But what about moms? Being a mom is hard, and we rarely talk about how we need a break. So summer camp also has enormous benefits for parents, and itβs okay to admit that. Here are the ways that moms benefit from our kids going to camp. Β 1) Recharge Β Relax, take a walk, meditate and do the things you always dream of doing but never have the time or the privacy to do. Β 2) Eat what you wantΒ Β Enjoy the chance to cook meals that you love without complaints. Eat the spicy foods, the healthy meals, or the junk food you want without needing to share! Β 3) Reconnect with your spouseΒ Β Go on dates, enjoy the…
Iβm not a regular mom; Iβm a cheer mom. My daughter started cheerleading a few years ago, and weβve found our new family. Our cheer family. It hasnβt always been easy for me (or my daughter, but today Iβm just speaking to the cheer moms). I have had many things to figure out, from what to pack, to how to navigate competitions to hair and makeup and everything in between. So here are some tips to being an organized cheer mom. Here is a crash course on what Iβve learned about staying organized (being a cheer mom can be a full-time job on top of a regular full-time job). I learned through experience, and I want other newbie cheer moms to have an easier go β so follow these tips and you’ll go from rookie to All-star in cheer-mom organization! There is much more to cheer than I imagined before…
Weβre often trying to limit screen time, weβre trying to be the parents who donβt use the TV as a babysitter, but letβs be real, sometimes we just need to finish up work, do the laundry or make dinner and the TV can be the best babysitter to allow us to do that. Β Instead of feeling guilty about doing that, know that everyone does it, and select Tv shows that make you feel a bit better. Here is a list of the best educational TV shows for kids in 2023 that you know they can watch guilt-free! 1) Storybots Answer Time Little Kids Rated ***** on Common Sense Media Netflix Every episode answers questions sent in by real kids, questions and life and the world that kids are curious about. The Story Bots work together to find the answer to the kidsβ questions. The show includes fun musical elements; in…
Β Itβs great to have hobbies, but hobbies such as video games seem to be creeping into some dangerous territory for many parents these days. Many parents, especially after lockdown days, have been seeing an increase in screen time, and have been asking themselves about video game addiction, how much it too much? Itβs difficult for parents to know when a harmless hobby is no longer harmless. How much is too much and can gaming become an addiction? Β Recently, on a Facebook momsβ group, the question was raised,Β how do I know if my son is addicted to video games, the comments came flooding in. This is a concern in many families. Itβs difficult to know when your child is crossing into the area of no longer controlling themselves or whether they enjoy the game.Β During pandemic days, screen time has significantly increased. However, with families spending so much time together, sometimes…
As parents, we often feel overwhelmed and mentally exhausted and feel bursts of guilt for not doing enough for our children. Sometimes, we may find ourselves replaying our reactions to our children’s actions and wondering if we should have reacted differently. In my opinion, millennials carry a heavier parenting burden than the previous generation because they are the first generation trying to break the cycle. We are the first generation that must deal with an abundance of information about how to raise children, making us question how we were raised and form our individualized parenting style. We are the generation of social media. We are more self-aware and realize the importance of mental health and how our children’s formative years will impact their future relationships. Therefore, comparing our parenting style with our parents’ is natural. However, our children are growing up in a very different time than ours, and consequently,…
Courageous. Determined. Passionate. Aries is the first sign in the zodiac, and they have a lot of great qualities. If youβve got a little Aries at home, youβre probably thinking youβve got a stubborn little human on your hands since their symbol is the Ram. However, when researching this sign, stubbornness wasnβt mentioned in the list of Aries traits. Trust me, I looked. So maybe Rams arenβt as stubborn as we think? They might have quite the temper though. More on that laterβ¦ Over the years, Iβve known quite a few Aries. I dated one back in college, my good friend was born at the end of March, and I know a handful of others as well. So, I had quite a few people to keep in mind when I was reading about the stereotypical characteristics Rams are traditionally known to have. Turns out β most of the Aries I…
Letβs be honest, kidsβ parties are expensive, and the host often spends a lot of money on the most controversial part of a birthday party β the loot bag. Why are we sending kids home with a load of junk that will be thrown into a landfill days later!? Canβt we all agree that we need to change this with some unique loot bag ideas? Iβm not sure where the trend of giving away plastic junk started, but itβs become out of hand. Each holiday my kids come home with little plastic bags of erasers, games, or candy. None of them get used; they clutter up the house for a week and then end up in the landfill, not to mention all the packaging!Β Β Here are our choices- we can either agree that a loot bag isnβt required, letβs prepare our kids not to expect one (letβs stop feeling guilted…