Naptime Blog

It’s sometimes hard to know what the perfect balance is with kids. Is it best for them to learn to play on their own or should I be there entertaining them and showing them the way at all times? I think it’s a balancing game. I want the kids to enjoy playing with others, interacting and communicating with me and other children, but it’s also a wonderful thing to watch a child make up their own little games while they play quietly alone. I giggle as my youngest son “reads” a book. He won’t be three for a few more months, but he already knows his letters and numbers. He will carefully thumb through a book, talking in a language that only he understands. He’ll stop and point then wave his arms and make faces as if to make a point about the story he is telling. It’s adorable and I love how this individual play is helping him develop his imagination and communication skills. After he has done this for awhile, I’ll go over and read the book to him and he will look up and small smile and clap. He’ll point to animals and people and say the ones he knows.

My oldest son has a developmental delay, but he is very smart. He just has trouble communicating. Lately though, he has shown more interest in mimicking what we say and trying to learn more words. One on one is very important for him, but individual time is as well. He has a lot of intense therapies that are always one on one so that free time is something he really needs. He usually chooses to play with his trains or a game on the iPad. I am amazed at how good he is at navigating and communicating with the iPad. I’ll have to tell you more about that in a future post.

So tell me, how you find balance?

Moms (I am raising my hand, too) are notorious for putting others first. It’s our job and we take it seriously! The one thing I am beginning to realize is that if we don’t pamper ourselves occasionally as well, that well will run dry. You can’t keep giving and never replenish. It just doesn’t work that way. Something has got to give and it will probably be our health.

Doing something nice for oneself can be as simple as taking a 30 minute ride around the neighborhood in the car listening to YOUR favorite music (sans animals singing). Cruise through the drive-through and enjoy a cup of coffee you didn’t have to make yourself (in a cup you won’t have to scrub yourself either). Another idea is to buy a magazine, go to the park and lay on a blanket while reading it cover to cover while hubby or a babysitter plays with the kids for an hour or so. Even a 30 minute nap is doing something worthwhile for you and what mom isn’t sleep deprived and in need of a few winks? Girl time always seems to cheer me up. Call a girlfriend up and take her out for chips, salsa and laughs. Put on a little makeup or dress up a bit and I promise you’ll feel better afterwards.

If you can’t leave the house or don’t have someone to watch the kids. You can still do something nice for yourself. Put on some music and thumb through that magazine during nap time or purchase a bottled coffee drink to enjoy while you lounge on the couch and daydream during that precious nap time.

I know all children are different and they all develop at different rates. Some children also have special needs that make the lights and sounds of a movie theater a bit much for them. My boys haven’t been to a movie in a movie theater yet. I think they would probably do pretty well if Thomas the Train was on the screen or any type of car or train. They really love anything to do with transportation. Even a movie about school buses would be cool with them.

I have read about movie theaters that offer special sensory nights for children who need the lights up and the sound down and who can’t sit still due to autism or other special needs. I think this is wonderful. I am thinking of taking my oldest son to the next one I can find. Have any of y’all been to one? I am curious to see if you liked it and it was a good experience. I have also heard about cry baby matinees where moms can take babies to the movies. I never tried that but I think it’s a neat idea.

My boys love to “read” and they love to watch educational shows and movies when I let them. I think it’s part of the childhood experience to go to a movie theater and enjoy a big tub of popcorn with the family. I can’t wait to take them. Any tips for a child’s first foray into a movie theater?

Where is your happy place? Do you have somewhere calming in your home or nearby that is your place for respite during a busy day?

Is there somewhere that no matter what, you flock to for comfort when you’re sad, stressed or just need a few minutes to yourself?

Lately, that place is my back patio. It’s nothing fancy, just a regular concrete slab with a patio table and chairs. I love fresh air. My house is always loud, full of toys to stomp on and over and dogs barking at the wind. Sometimes when the boys are at their grandparents or at school, I bring my laptop outside and listen to the birds sing. Stray squirrels scurry by to nibble on the corn we place on the fence for them. The trees rustle softly. It’s peaceful and it’s quiet. But what about when it’s really cold or really hot outside? Sometimes I’ll just go for a ride or go sit at restaurant and have a burger alone. It’s the little things.

If I have my patio “me” time, even for a few minutes a day, I am much more calm when the dog breaks a lamp or one of my toddlers turns a box of cereal into confetti for their toilet paper streamer parade down the hall.

Recently, I was reading through my Facebook news feed and it seemed like every other post was announcing sickness in the family. Some had the flu, some had the stomach virus, others were fighting allergies or croup. I could relate since it seems like at least one or more people in my house have been sick since November of last year. We get well for a day or two then the kids go back to school and bring home another pleasant surprise illness.

I realize this is the season for it, but it seems worse than ever, in my opinion. The sicknesses also seem to hang on a long time. I know I have toddlers who are notorious for mouthing toys and things that are full of germs so I shouldn’t be surprised. We wash our hands well and use anti-bacterial soap, but it’s not enough. I joked to my Facebook friends that I was going to request that the entire town be fumigated with Lysol via airplane. I got a lot of “likes” on that idea. At least when I’m sick I have an excuse for eating my favorite comfort goods. Too bad I don’t feel like cooking any of them. My hubby is usually the great cook, but even he has been felled by the nasty tummy virus and is bedridden this week.

Being the mom, I have to carry on and keep the family going and make sure there is an abundant supply of white rice, toast, applesauce and tea. It’s my job after all and it didn’t come with a vacation package or sick days. Thank goodness the benefits plan is top notch other than those two oversights.

Have you been as unlucky as us this cold and flu season? If not, tell me your tricks for staying healthy!

I was just watching a popular daytime show and they were giving tips on how to reduce clutter in your home. The one thing in, one thing out approach seems simple enough. If you have a lot of clutter built up (like I do) though, you will need to get rid of a lot of that stuff first to actually reduce clutter before working on not adding to the clutter.

I liked the tips they gave that said to have a box for donate, a box for keep and a box for trash (or recycle). They also said if you haven’t worn an item in a year to get rid of it (I have heard different type frames for this, but the point is if you haven’t worn it in a long time, you probably won’t). If you are a stay at home mom now and have a closet bulging with business suites, why not consider donating them to an organization who helps dress women looking for jobs? Maybe your baby or toddler is outgrowing their shoes and clothing quicker than you can keep up with. There are plenty of kids out there that would love those gently used items. Same goes for toys!

One of my big issues is piles. No matter how hard we try, we always seem to accumulate piles of mail, notes from schools, artwork from the kids, etc. I am going to try and start sorting things as it comes in the door so that it doesn’t turn into a huge unmanageable pile. I think the best tip is to spend 10-15 minutes a day decluttering and organizing. I don’t do that and I need to. I spend whole weekends catching up and that’s no fun.

Any tips to make the process less painful?

We scored two trees that were selling for $39.99 before Christmas for $3 each at a local store. We bought two to put on our porch next year. I love buying Christmas decorations after the holidays for upcoming years. We do this with decorations, wrapping paper and gift bags, too. Saves us a lot of money! I’ve gotten cute holiday baskets for 10 cents. Sames goes for wrapping paper.

I know a lot of people do this, but how many do the same for food items? Silly, Shannon, you may say… you can’t keep food for next year. That is a true statement, but you can enjoy it now. Our local store had the seasonal peppermint mocha, pumpkin and caramel cream creamers on sale for 75 cents (regularly $2.99) the other day. Most of it stays good for several months. I love to use these creamers for “fancy” coffee drinks. It’s even good splashed in your kid’s chocolate milk. We have also found things like cream cheese, canned pumpkin, cranberries and turkey on sale. Except for the cream cheese, most of those items keep for a good while. You can make all sorts of yummy dishes with those items.

 What kind of sales did you find after the holidays this year? What was your biggest save?

I am a stay at home mom. I love being home with my children. I really do! The one thing I occasionally miss is adult conversation. I think that’s why I enjoy and rely on outlets like Facebook, Twitter and blogging. I can write a post or update my status with a little blurb about my day and this sometimes starts a conversation with other moms and adults. It feels really good to have that outlet.

I think I really didn’t realize how much I needed that. I used to eat lunch with my co-workers almost daily and we’d chat about our days and our lives. That was before kids. Many days, I feel like I am talking to myself. It’s hard when you have very young kids that can’t have conversations with you yet. I sometimes think back to when our ancestors were raising kids. At first I wonder how they did it before cell phones and internet. Then I remember the “it takes a village” approach of that time period. There were always other mothers and family members stopping by and they helped each other with the kids, cooking and day to day life. They could chat about their days while shucking corn or hanging laundry.

I guess that even though times change, some things don’t. Most of us need other mothers and friends as a support system. Sometimes it takes a bit of creativity to find that support, but it can be done, even in this crazy fast-paced world we live in in 2011.

Watching my kids play, I like to observe them closely and see what types of things they gravitate towards.

I sometimes am amazed that they will play with a fancy car or other toy for just a few minutes, but then play with a television remote or read a car ad in the newspaper for an hour. My 3 1/2 year old loves pointing at every single car in a full page car ad. He’ll look us in the eye (he isn’t verbal so this is one of his way’s of communicating) to request that we tell him the name of the car. He then wants us to ask him to point at the cars as we name them by model, color, etc. Who knew that a part of the paper I would usually throw away, could be such an educational tool?

Both of my boys will also take a remote control, cordless telephone or cell phone and bring it to us. They want us to point out the numbers and then they’ll do it over and over, teaching themselves to count. It’s pretty amazing to watch household items turn into toys, isn’t it?

And of course, who can deny that pots, pans and wooden spoons make the best toddler band instruments? What is your little one’s favorite household “toy”?

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Christmas was a good time and we enjoyed visiting with family and friends. The boys really enjoyed the Christmas tree, presents and carriage ride through our neighborhood. This is a new tradition for us (the carriage ride) and they got very excited at all of the creative yard displays and lights.

 Did your kids get a lot of gifts? Have you thought of putting some of them away? I am not sure if this is possible for older children, but for toddlers and preschoolers it is possible. With so many gifts, it can be overwhelming (not only to the kids but the parents too who trip over them). We usually leave out a few of the items that they initially show a big interest in and put the rest up in the closet and bring one or two out every so often. This way they have new toys and fun gifts throughout the year to enjoy. I also like that there are great sales at Christmas so we can stock up for birthdays too and put those away.

 The boys loved the books, cars and trains that they received and I think they enjoyed opening the boxes, too. What was your favorite part of the holidays?