I'm sure I'm not the only person to come up with this. There's probably a whole Pinterest board devoted to it. But it sure is handy...
Eli loves games. Because he has parents who are history geeks, he has quite the collection of old-fashioned toys. Bless him, this boy loves marbles. I think our basement has one or two runaway marbles lurking in every corner. So this morning I went to the hardware store and bought four pre-cut lengths of PVC pipe and four elbows for putting them together. It pops apart and stows away easily when we don't need it and we can take it on the go if we want. You can use three sides as a backstop or put together four to make a complete corral.
For less than ten bucks, I made a pop-together backstop that literally keeps Eli from losing his marbles. It works nicely for tiny ninepins sets (mini bowling) and toy cars too.
In the picture above, Eli was playing with his marble bridge. It is a wooden piece with arches cut in it and each hole has a different point value if you can get a marble to roll through it. (Click HERE to make your own.) Eli also loves Skill Ball where you try to roll marbles into different holes for points.
And he discovered that rolling the marble through the pipe can add a whole new wrinkle to a game. (Please pardon the odd angle. I took the picture upside down.)
The PVC pipes are spiffy toys all on their own. They come in different diameters, but I bought 1-1/2 inch so that a Matchbox car would fit through so Eli can use it like a tunnel or even a ramp. They also come in different lengths and have different types of connectors, so you can make a "toy corral" that completely encircles a play area. I may soon expand our backstop and turn it into a corral so I can teach Eli to play a real game of marbles. (Insert happy sigh here.)
I think about 80% of eating better rests on being prepared. (Note: This statistic doesn't come from science but instead from mulling over my own durn mistakes.) It's meal planning and thoughtful grocery shopping but also sometimes taking the time to peel/chop ahead of time and having the tools you need.
At the beginning of the year, I got a pocket calendar where I plan suppers. I used to plan for the week before heading to the grocery store on Sunday afternoons, but then I found there are too many wild cards in a whole week that could throw me off plus my produce was droopy by Thursday. Now I plan menus for two or three days at a time and make mini grocery trips instead.
Suppers and leisurely weekend meals aren't a big deal for me. Kiddo opinion dampens my enthusiasm sometimes, but Brian is easy to please. Now that Eli can either entertain himself in the late afternoons or effectively help me in the kitchen, I like venturing into the sensual world of cooking for a while -- textures, smells, tastes, and sounds while working through the puzzle of how to get a whole meal to taste well and come out on time. It is an art form if you let it be. For a while I felt like I was in a flavor rut, so I quit "winging it" as often and now turn to recipes more -- Cooking Light magazine and cookbook, Clean Eating magazine, Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson, etc. Nothing gets me excited about eating well as a new recipe! I toss the ones that turn out mediocre but squirrel away the treasures. I add my cooking notes, writing in my cookbooks while sliding print-out/clipped recipes into plastic sleeves and binders. Later, I can flip through my annotated recipes to plan meals. There are some great cooking blogs out there too and many send out tantalizing recipes if you "like" their Facebook page...
What kills my excitement for eating well and throws me for a loop is having to figure out a strategy beyond those planned suppers. Too tired? I'm slowly but surely training myself to turn to frozen leftovers with added fresh salads/fruits instead of eating out. Yet there are also after-school snacks on the playground, suppers pinned together around weekly soccer practice, nights when Brian is out of town, etc. etc. And every day I have to put together a healthy lunch for Eli to take to school and have something small on hand for my own lunch. I needed strategies for being able to pull a small-quantity healthy meal or snack together quickly, often making it portable as well.
My first step was to gather some small, leak-proof containers. When it comes to dried fruit, dips, or a serving of vegetables for a reluctant kiddo, smaller is often better. Now I have a stash of teeny BPA-free containers. (Left to right: Green Sprouts, Sistema, Pottery Barn Kids, Laptop Lunches, and Munchkin. Many of my finds are from TJ Maxx and Homegoods.)
I also picked up some containers that have a freezable panel on the lid to keep produce fresh. These two-cup boxes from Fit & Fresh hold enough apple slices or grapes for a family car trip or snacks shared with buddies on the playground. (Found at Homegoods but they are for sale online as well.)
When it comes to portability, the real "workhorses" in my kitchen are Laptop Lunches containers. We have two sets and have been using them for years. Nothing beats them for a whole sandwich with a couple of sides. Our two sets can hold enough for two adults and a child to have a picnic. (Click HERE for a post about Laptop Lunches along with pictures. Click HERE for the company website.)
I found, though, that I craved more flexibility, more options. Nobody wants a sandwich all the time and meal leftovers often went unused. Also, preschooler-sized portions sometimes rattle around (and fall apart) in the Laptop Lunches containers, yet a lunchbox full of tiny containers is often difficult for a small hands to manage. After some searching, I found that Thermos makes an insulated short, wide-mouthed steel container that I added to our portable foods tool kit. Very nice for soups and leftovers! And I also found the perfect preschooler bento box...
I'll never forget my first bento box lunch, purchased for a traveling lunch on a train in Japan. There's something so enthralling about lifting a single lid to find a warren of tiny spaces, each filled with a yummy bite or two. (If this is new to you, do an online image search for "bento.") Bentos have caught on here in the USA, especially for kids, because they really do offer a lot of flexibility and creativity. Whole websites and Pinterest boards have popped up to share bento ideas. But I found that overwhelmingly the most popular bento container is the PlanetBox. (Click HERE for their webpage.) Now, I'm not knocking the PlanetBox. Their stainless steel bento is well-made and they offer various sizes for small kids, big kids, and adults. But unless all the foods inside are dry, you really have to carry it horizontally or moisture leaks between the sections. That's not going to work for us.
Then I found some pictures online of a different type of bento box. After tracking it down, I discovered it is the Yumbox. (Click HERE for their webpage. It comes in green and pink.) The portion size works well for a young child and it seals with a single click! On the picture below, you can see the lid has raised rubber sections that match the lunchbox sections. Just close the box and snap the blue latch!
We now have enough containers/tools for a variety of lunch and travel foods, but Eli asks for his Yumbox almost every day. In the mornings before school, we think about eating a rainbow of produce (see previous post) and then construct a lunch for him. Although the box is plastic, it is BPA-free and quite heavy duty. The clear bento tray pops out and the whole box can be submerged in water for easy cleaning. (Note: They don't recommend putting the Yumbox outer shell in the dishwasher as the heat can misshape the seals over time, but the tray can go in.)
We put the Yumbox in an insulated lunchbox for easier carrying and to keep it cool with a freezer pouch. Add some fun animal-shaped food picks to use instead of a fork, and you're in business! (Click HERE for pick pictures.)
I don't know why the bento box so opened my thinking, but it did. I found myself actually enjoying fixing portable meals and it is fun surfing for inspiration...
Catherine McCord of the Weelicious blog has several printed cookbooks. Her Weelicous Lunches: Think Outside the Lunch Box cookbook has been great. Eli sat on the sofa with me when it arrived, and we picked out some things to make together. We finally kicked the bottled ranch dressing dip habit in favor of dip from fresh avocado and yogurt. I'm finally roasting vegetables with great success. The recipes are easy but offer handy tips to build up your cooking skills and help you think of regular ingredients in new ways. Her "lunches" sometimes end up being our suppers on crazy nights.
Eli and I used up our birthday money for our kitchen/lunch revamp, but it is so worth it. I feel like our food strategies are finally coming together around here. When life gets busy, I can stay balanced. Woo hoo!
I had one of those "Well, duh!" moments over Christmas.
During the craziness of school holidays, it dawned on me how I try to keep things balanced for my son. There are necessities that I make sure are regular in his life -- outdoor exercise, being read to, down time with buddies, quality parent time, and solo play, to name a few. I realized that I keep a loose tally in my head. Most mornings I mentally run through how the last few days have unfolded so I can fit in whatever he's lacking. Food-wise, I do the same. He needs lots of water, vegetables and fruits, quality protein, and whole grains. I also try to pace his treats/splurges, allowing them often enough that they aren't overly exciting but ensuring they don't stack up enough to hurt his body or feel like "the norm" -- eating out, sugary foods, over-processed foods, too much screen time, staying up late, etc. (I also try to never present food treats as a reward or a solace.)
My Christmastime realization was that we'd been sliding a bit on some of the crucial things -- not just over the holidays but since the busy crush of moving last summer and subsequently settling in. We'd been eating out too much, but other details were slack too.
The second part of my big Christmastime realization was that while I strive for balance for my child, I don't give my own needs the same respect. Instead of balance, I kept trying to gather my resolve to "be good," which would unravel as the day wore on until I slid into whatever felt nice at the moment -- opening a chocolate bar, skipping a daily walk, or reading past my bedtime. For myself, I didn't think in terms of balance at all, but rather, "I'll get back on track tomorrow." Only tomorrow never seems to come, does it? And that dual thinking -- "on" or "off" track -- isn't nearly as useful as seeking balance. Dual thinking focuses on perfection and being "off" makes me shrug my shoulders and give up completely until I can find the right moment to get back "on." (Ever noticed how very few "right moments" there are in life?)
In January, I decided 2014 would be the Year of Restoring Balance.
I knew I need to lose weight and be more active, yet I kept over-thinking strategies to the point that it all seemed overwhelming. So I took a deep breath and joined Weight Watchers. It is expensive and plodding, yet I feel their strategies are sound. Their point system nudges me towards quality foods rather than just weight loss, no foods are forbidden, I can attend meetings for support, and their online/app system makes it easy to follow. I'm not crazy about how many products they hawk full of fake sweeteners and additives, but even they recognize those foods shouldn't be the basis of one's diet and I'm free to avoid them. I've lost weight, but I'm also already thinking about food and exercise in a more balanced way. I don't care how long this weight loss journey takes because the longer I actively work towards my goals, the more that balance will become second-nature.
See the photo below? Look at him. How can I not make sure that little body has what it needs for a long and healthy life full of adventure and self-confidence?! How can I risk my health and not be here on this earth with him as long as possible?! And how can I ignore bad choices that erode my own adventures and self-confidence?!
Weight Watchers is great and their website has a lot of tools from inspirational stories to trackers to recipes. But I knew I needed some additional tools to help get our whole family in the swing. The first one was a product I discovered a few years ago through a magazine article, but it hung out on my Amazon wish list as I tried to figure out whether to buy it or or build my own version. At age five, Eli loves games and I realized a homemade version might have less credibility, so I dug into the money Eli got for his birthday and bought the "Today I Ate a Rainbow" game.
It is a very simple concept. Everybody needs to eat lots of veggies and fruit to maximize fiber, but that produce should also come from a variety of sources to also give a range of vitamins, minerals, and healthy phytochemicals. (I realized we slid into some big produce-eating ruts in the last few months!) There is a magnetized panel that sticks to the fridge but could also be hung on a wall or bulletin board. There are four different-shaped magnet marker sets with the game, so each person in our family has their own set. When Eli eats a green fruit or veggie, he moves his green star onto the panel's green field. If he eats all five colors, he moves his "Today I Ate a Rainbow" magnet onto the rainbow. That's it. Easy peasy. Yet he loves it. The morning after we put it up, my child opened the fridge at breakfast time and literally said, "What veggies or fruits can I have?" Two weeks later it admittedly isn't quite as exciting as it was, yet he is still eager to play. He's never missed getting his rainbow. I've missed only once.
I know that the game may not be fun forever, so I am determined for our family to get as much mileage out of it as possible. As long as its charm lasts and as long as Eli will keep playing, I want it to help us normalize eating lots of produce, make us ever-conscious of eating for variety, and instill that internal balance system that makes us all think back over our recent habits and readjust for better health. The crucial part is making sure rainbow foods are available to us quickly enough and easily enough that we'll stick with it...
We added produce to the game. Each color has a list of suggested foods, but we added mushrooms and black olives to the blue/purple panel. Our pumpkin waffle recipe has so much puree in it that we decided a half of a waffle gives an orange serving. Etc. Etc.
"Adventure bites" are what we call giving foods a decent try. Eli never has to clean his plate, but he has to have an adventure bite of everything on it even if it is something he's already tried and thinks he doesn't like. (Research says that people sometimes need to try foods nine to eighteen times before their brain decides they like it!) We've stepped up adventure bites for new fruits and veggies lately. Now Eli is already automatically eating lots of things he balked at just a few weeks ago.
We decided which foods wouldn't count. Fruit-flavored yogurt, jam/jelly, and ketchup, for instance, don't move us towards our produce goals.
I shop more thoughtfully! My grocery-shopping habits now include making sure we have a rainbow. We focus on fresh, yet we have some other options available so that we can be successful on the go -- natural applesauce cups, berry applesauce (since blue/purple can be a challenge), veggie/fruit combination "squeezie" puree packets for kids (which help a lot with green...find them in the baby/toddler food aisle), freeze-dried veggies, dried seaweed snacks, no-sugar-added mandarin oranges and other fruit cups, frozen cubes of canned pumpkin to thaw and spoon into morning oatmeal, and dried fruits (raisins, prunes, figs, cranberries, etc.). I checked the "dirty dozen" pesticide list and try to buy organic as much as I can. (Click HERE for one of many articles about the "Dirty Dozen.") But since we're eating out less, increased produce costs still fit in our budget.
I love, love, love the "Today I Ate a Rainbow" game! They say it takes three weeks to solidify a good habit and we're already two-thirds of the way there. And attitudes have really changed around here. Last night Eli had his first soccer practice of the season and we ran late enough that we stopped at a build-your-own pizza place for supper. Normally he begrudgingly accepts thin whole wheat crust but campaigns hard for cheese-only. Last night he ordered three veggies on his pizza without my prompting. And he's largely stopped picking at or picking out bits of veggies during home suppers.
I know at this early point our healthier habits are fragile, but I'm working hard to protect them and feel very hopeful. Hooray! I also found a great cookbook and the perfect veggie-encouraging lunchbox, so please check back for the next blog entry.
What a fierce winter this has been in the South! And it isn't over yet. Our area forecast this week calls for a "one-two punch" of snow and ice. I'm thankful that crews cleared out branches around the power lines in early autumn for our neighborhood and nearby roads. That will help. But if the ice piles up thickly on the lines themselves, I'm guessing they'll snap under the weight and we'll be without power.
We chose our new house partially because we felt it would keep our family safe in bad weather. We have a basement in case of tornadoes and natural gas service that will allow us to cook and stay somewhat warm in winter power outages. (The gas oven won't work because the lighter and internal thermometer take electricity, but the stovetop will work.) Our main heat will not run because the blower is electric, yet our gas fireplace has a key rather than an electric starter, so it will give us a warm spot. The trouble, though, is that one gas fireplace cannot heat a whole house. This morning I drew up a plan to keep us as warm as possible in case the electricity goes off for several days...
While living in a huge and drafty old house near the Smoky Mountains during my graduate school days, I discovered that simply covering up doorways with blankets or plastic can make a big difference. Close off the areas you don't need to keep the main living space much warmer. Thus this morning I went to the hardware store for two heavy duty tension rods, two extra long heavyweight shower curtains, and two sets of curtain rings. Now we can lightly seal off the dining room and master bedroom. (The heavy duty rods can also support hanging a blanket if we need extra insulation.)
We have a hallway that I also needed to close off, but it is too wide for a tension rod. I got a large dowel along with hardware needed to install it horizontally near the ceiling and some clip rings that will allow me to hang a tarp from it. My plan isn't foolproof, but this will help hold more of the fireplace warmth in the living room and kitchen area. We'll put mattresses on the floor and live mostly in this one space if we need to do so.
Below: The dowel is installed at a diagonal so that the doorway from the kitchen is open.
The dowel hangs by a decorative hook and a hardware eye. It drops into place easily, which is nice if the power goes off in the middle of the night.
Floating curtain rings with clips allow me to hang a thick blue tarp that we have ready.
This morning I also dug through my emergency supply box to see if we were up to speed:
Battery-powered radio
Flashlights and lanterns (with batteries but also some crank models)
Lightsticks (to save on battery use but also so Eli can have non-battery light with him at night in case the power goes out while he's sleeping)
Lighters/matches
Backup camp stove with small propane tank. (For warm meals when the power is out, a fondue pot over a lit can of Sterno/denatured alcohol is also an option as is an outdoor barbecue grill.)
Firewood for our patio fire pan
Nonperishable foods including some items that can serve as cold meals -- canned goods, rice n' beans, cheese, crackers, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk, etc. (If you have a pet, make sure you have food for them too.)
Bag of rock salt or sand for slippery driveways/sidewalks
Tarps, old towels, and buckets in case pipes burst, limbs fall through your roof, or other wet, messy emergencies
Several gallons of drinking water in jugs
Other details?
I'm working getting caught up with the laundry tonight so we'll have plenty of warm clothes.
I walked around the house to make sure the insulation on our outdoor faucets is still in place and checked for any tree limbs that might come down in a dangerous way.
I filled the car gas tank. (I'm told that less air in the system helps winterize the car. Also, if a power outage is a long one, we may also need to turn on the car to repower electronic devices or warm ourselves up. And once we start driving again, we may find hazards that leave us idling on the road for a while.)
I juiced up our computers/phones and will make sure they won't run down as long as we have power.
If you need prescription medicines, make sure you have enough to last.
I'm told that if the power goes out, water service in some locations will be a problem because of system pumps. Just in case, I fill the bathtubs with water for washing and flushing toilets.
We've got plenty of books and games. If the power stays on, we've got DVDs too. I also made sure we had the makings for hot chocolate, snow cream, and candy-on-snow. (Click on the links for recipes.)
We've got some more winter crafts we may try. Want some ideas for winter recipes to make and projects to do if you're snowbound? Click HERE!
Ready as we'll ever be!
(The pictures are from this weekend. We visited Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain for some snow and sledding fun.)
It's a raw potato after a five year-old got to it.
I suppose this toy is politically incorrect. But, boy, is it fun! (We are fine with squirt guns around our house and this is in the same mode.) This Christmas not just Eli, but all the grown ups in the house -- including visitors -- have had their fun sending potato bits flying into the wind. The potato shooter is fairly accurate and thus fun for competitions including just trying to better your own aim. And, hey, the winter squirrels love grazing on the tidbits!
Santa found our Schylling potato shooter at Hobby Lobby in the stocking stuffer section, but I've also seen them in Cracker Barrel. (Local friends, email me if you want one because I've seen them here in town too.)
This past week not one...not two...but three mom friends contacted me after seeing a camera for kids in a picture of Eli that I posted to Facebook. I know the feeling! Before we bought that camera for Eli for his fifth birthday last week, I contacted some friends for feedback and read lots of reviews too. Since Christmas is coming, seems like it might be handy to post a product review. If anybody wants to add their thoughts or experiences in the comments section, that would be great!
Why buy a camera for a kid? I adore photography, so in part I simply love sharing my hobby with my child. But as someone with a bachelor's and master's in Art Education, I know it is important to give children creative outlets. My son doesn't seem to like drawing very much (at least right now), so a camera of his own invites him to look closely and record things that interest him. Sometimes if I'm looking for a way to coax Eli outside or get him interested in a new place, we'll do a "Camera Walk." We both have our cameras while we wander and then look at our photos when we get home. Sometimes we'll pick a theme together for these walks -- taking pictures that show the season, objects of a certain color, things that move, etc. (Click HERE and HERE to see examples as blog posts.) Another reason to buy a kid a camera is to help with transitions. We got Eli a toddler Fisher-Price camera when we moved from California to Georgia when he was three and a half years old. He loved it and it did seem to help. (Click HERE to see more about that model camera or about using a camera as a "good-bye tool.")
So why did we buy another camera if we had the Fisher-Price already? The photos are fairly grainy from that camera and it is chunky enough that Eli never wants to carry it around. (Frankly, I'm not happy hauling it either.) It also has no zoom and looks more like a young child's camera. It was great when Eli was a toddler. In fact, I'd recommend it for a younger child or one rough on toys. Still, a few months ago Eli started asking for something more and we knew it was time to move on.
Kid Camera vs. "Real" Camera -- I debated about whether to just get Eli a cheap real camera. There are some reasons why cameras for kids are not as good. First, none of the kid cameras I found have a flash, so indoors the pictures are always going to be blurry. To get any kind of indoor image at all, you'll have to teach a kid to stay very still while pushing the shutter button -- hard for them to remember in the moment! Also, kid cameras have fewer megapixels. That allows kids to snap away without taking up too much digital space, but the resulting images are somewhat grainy rather than sharp and clear.
So why chose a camera made specifically for kids?
Sturdiness -- The main benefit of a camera made for kids is that it should last longer. Since my kid is pretty gentle and careful, a grownup camera might be an option. Still, the chances of him (or his buddies) bonking the camera against something, dropping it, or falling down while the camera is in hand are high enough I thought a kid one was a better idea. If we are inside and Eli wants to take some pictures, he can use my point-and-shoot camera for a little while.
Safer Batteries -- The battery compartments of most adult cameras pop open fairly easily and most are on the bottom of the camera, allowing the contents to fall out. You don't want to lose the batteries. More importantly, swallowing batteries (particularly the "button" batteries in some cameras) can kill a child. Kid cameras have child-safe battery compartments.
Designed for Kid-Thinking -- Another big reason to go with a kid camera is ease of use. It can be frustrating to kids if they can't understand their own camera. They may not be able to read the menus or understand some of the vocabulary on regular cameras. Also, many of the buttons on regular cameras have multiple uses, which can be confusing.
Viewfinder Options -- Kid cameras usually have a viewfinder for both eyes. That's handy because closing one eye doesn't come easy for a lot of kids. They can also use the digital screen on the back to compose their images.
Size -- A real camera can be too small for young hands to hold securely.
Eli in Canyonlands National Park last summer...
After talking to some other moms and reading reviews, I settled on the VTech Kidizoom Camera Connect. Why?
Price -- In November I found Eli's camera for $30 online. (It is more than that now.) There are some kid cameras with more features but that cost quite a bit more.
Features -- The VTech Kidizoom has a camera, video/movie camera (with playback), and voice recorder. It also lets kids get a little creative, editing their pictures or using downloads to add fun backgrounds, clip art, or animation. The camera also has three games on it, which I'm not as thrilled about. I hope the camera will increase his interest and interaction with the world around him rather than encourage him to sit on the sofa like a lump playing electronic games. Sigh.
Ease of Use -- The VTech is particularly intuitive, in my opinion. The icons make sense and added sounds give kids cues about what the buttons are doing. Before we even fished the manual out of the box, Eli was doing well with this camera's various features. In particular, Eli seems to like having a zoom. He pushes the button with the large tree on it to bring objects close and the button with the small tree on it for the image to "back up." A thumb toggle (like a gaming console) makes it easy for Eli to scroll through old images or chose more complex features. A multi-step process makes sure he doesn't accidentally erase photos.
Batteries -- This camera uses four AA batteries. For a kid camera, that is helpful because you can either buy regular batteries or use rechargeables; you're not stuck with some dead odd-sized, rechargable-only battery when your kid is suddenly dying to use the camera. (Note: The camera comes with a brief user's manual, hand strap, and USB cable but no batteries, so add batteries if you give this as a gift.)
Size -- Eli's old Fisher-Price camera was so chucky that it was like carrying a small brick around. The size of the VTech is just right. It is admittedly heavy enough that Eli doesn't want it in his hand all the time on long hikes, but he carries it in his small backpack quite easily. I can carry it in my coat pocket or back jeans pocket for him too.
Want to see some pictures from Eli's new VTech? Scroll down past the product links.
Comparing the VTech (top) and the Fisher-Price V2751/V2752 (bottom): (Sorry that the cameras aren't quite flush with the ruler. I had a small person "helping" me take these reference photos.)
The VTech Kidizoom Camera Connect:
Older Model:
Newer Versions of Eli's Old Fisher-Price Camera:
Eli's VTech Photos (Unaltered)...
We're happy with our purchase. We hope to use this camera for a few more years before getting Eli an inexpensive "real" point-and-shoot camera.
Today I donated Eli's convertable crib-to-tot-bed. Sniff! Such good memories! I think my favorite one is that as soon as Eli could scooch around well enough, he'd wiggle his way to sleeping parallel to the headboard and right up against it. He looked like the last cigar in the cigar box! The first time he did it, it gave me quite a fright. The headboard was nearest to the door, so it wasn't until you were fully in the room and looking down that you'd see him. At first glance, it looked like he'd vanished! And poor Eli. He tried sleeping against the headboard even after he was too tall for it. We'd check on him in the middle of the night and he'd be up against the headboard, bent like a pretzel.
Good memories and happy kiddos aside, there comes a time when a four year-old who is 95th percentile for height just ain't gonna fit anymore. We would have gotten Eli a new bed a long time ago, but we wanted his sleeping place to be deeply familiar to him before and after the big move from California.
One weekend we all went furniture shopping. Soon a truck rolled up to our door...
Big truck. Friendly workmen. Tools. Lots of banging. Boy bliss.
And then getting to try it out...
Eli will say that the coolest thing about his new bed is the high reading space where he can touch the ceiling. (We've told Eli he can't sleep up there until he's older. I don't want him scaling a ladder in the darkness while sleepy! In the meantime, he has a basket of books up there.)
As a mama, I love that bunks will make sleepovers easy and gives Eli's room more usable space. And because we found a floor model on clearance, we ended up getting a much better set-up than we planned. I love the built-in desk with reading light, chest of drawers, and shelves.
Here are three products that are making family life easier for us these days...
A few days ago I posted about Eli's new picture chart that helps him remember his tasks in the mornings before school. (Click HERE or at the bottom of the page.)
That chart works wonders. I no longer have to remind Eli what to do! But before I can do a happy mama dance, I have to admit that timing is another matter. Sigh.
Eli wakes up early enough that we have plenty of time to get ready for school. We're both "morning people" and there are just two of us, so the couple of hours between wake up and school arrival are fairly cheerful. Yet there are times when dawdling bogs us down. Next thing you know, I'm Mama Nag -- only slightly more attractive than Baba Yaga. "ELI! I've told you five times to get your shoes on..." If I have plans for after his school dropoff, I'm suddenly scurrying. There has to be a better way.
1. The Time Timer. My friend Anjahni told me about a special timer that is working miracles with her girls (ages 5 and 3). It works like a regular timer except that the countdown is visible as a shrinking red zone. For kids who can't tell time well yet, the passage of minutes suddenly makes more sense. We've been using it for over a week now and it is working great for us too!
Although the Time Timer has its own website, it is far cheaper on Amazon. I read through the reviews before I purchased it (as well as looked at some similar products). As many of the reviews pointed out, this product is lightweight and thus doesn't feel very sturdy. So far, though, it is working great. Just in case, I told Eli it is for me to operate with my hands but for him only to look at with his eyes.
One of the best things about the Time Timer is that it has an on/off switch for the audible signal. There are times that the only way I can get Eli to go play by himself is to set a kitchen timer. He'll fuss about it, yet will soon become absorbed in his toys or books...until that timer sounds. No matter how happy he was playing, he wants to be entertained again as soon as he hears the beep. Now I use the Time Timer with the sound turned off instead. He can check as often as he'd like to see if the red is gone, but usually he forgets and just keeps playing. Hooray!
2. Sand Timer When I ordered the Time Timer, I also ordered a set of one-minute and two-minute sand timers. There are times I need Eli to understand the passage of time on a small scale -- how long to brush his teeth, for example. This, too, was money well spent. Instead of dragging along while getting his shoes on, now he races his sand timer. So nice to have the task done quickly and with giggles these days! I don't know how long that will amuse him, but so far, so good. And at least we've broken the dawdling cycle.
3. Color-Changing Clock While we're on tot time-telling aids, one of the best purchases we've made for Eli has been our American Innovative brand Teach Me Time talking alarm clock. We started using it shortly after he turned two and the dark winter mornings had him confused about when to get up. You program the clock to change its color glow and/or turn off its light. For instance, Eli knows that when his clock turns green it is okay for him to get up and read books. When it turns off, he can come climb into bed with us. This clock saved us from that wavering little 4AM voice, "Is it time to get up yet?"
Now that Eli is older, the dual-style clock face is helping us teach him time. He can press a button to hear the clock say the time, reinforcing his learning.
It seems like there are just those instances when a little technology goes a long way towards making parents' lives easier. To help us all get good sleep and to keep us from arriving places late and ragged, it is worth it! And I'm hoping Eli will develop a better sense of timing with the help of visual cues but also embrace finding tools to help him be an organized person.
Thanks, Anjahni, for sharing! What would I do without parent friends?! (And if anybody else has ideas to help with teaching kids organization skills and time-telling, please share!)
Now that Eli is in preschool on weekdays until early afternoon, I have regular home office hours. It had been four years since I had predictable work time beyond a handful of hours a week. Exciting! Yet now I have to be more productive and accountable. (Insert small inward groan here.) Being organized, of course, is key. Thus I made a trek to the office supply store for a few basics to help me juggle my manuscript, future writing projects, blogging, volunteer work, kiddo craft projects, and household tasks. A combination of online calendar, to-do lists, and action folders brought more control and efficiency. I'm still a little wobbly, but much better. It feels good.
A couple of weeks ago, while wandering through a charity book sale, I came across a battered little book called A Children's Book About Being Forgetful by Joy Berry. It talks about consequences but also gives some ideas for things kids can do to solve the problem. Wonderful! I'd been mulling over the concept for a while but wasn't sure how to start. I often think of a childcare provider we had in California who we loved, but she was terribly disorganized. It brought her lots of stress, got in the way of her career, and often frustrated those around her. She confessed she grew up with an organized mother who did everything for her so she never got in the groove of organizing herself. Scary thought!
One of the main problems around our house is getting ready for school in the morning. Eli wakes up early enough that we have plenty of time, yet I'd get back home from dropping him off and remember he hadn't brushed his teeth. Or the remains of his breakfast would be drying up at the table. Or...
Inspired by Berry's book, I had a talk with Eli about what we could do to be less forgetful. I'll be honest that I already had an idea, but I wanted to talk it through so Eli would feel ownership in the idea. Since he is just now beginning to read, a written to-do list wasn't the answer. Still, he can follow a list if it is visual. Thus he and I negotiated which tasks needed to be done before school -- eating breakfast, putting his dishes by the sink, dressing himself, brushing teeth, and tidying up his bed. With lots of giggling and suggestions, Eli helped me stage a photo of himself doing each task. I then used the online photo software at Walgreen's to create a collage. (Photos pasted to posterboard would work fine too.) At the bottom of the collage are photos of Eli reading a book and playing a game, reminders of fun rewards if he's done early enough to have spare time.
Last week was our first run with the chart. How did it go? I kept catching myself, beginning to remind Eli but finding he was already done! And if he forgot something, all I had to say was, "Go check your chart." Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it feels better to him that he helped make the list and agreed to the tasks. I think he also likes being more self-reliant. Finally, after using the chart for several days I noticed he wasn't depending on it much. He was remembering all on his own. Yay!
Walgreen's has frequent sales in the photo department, so I can easily and cheaply update our chart when need be. I'm already thinking it would be helpful to add a photo of objects he might need to have ready when he leaves in the morning -- rain boots, jacket, hat, school bag, etc. We may also glue Eli's chart to posterboard so he can enjoy decorating the edges.
Do you have any ideas for helping preschoolers (or older kids) get organized? Any good books or DVDs to recommend? Please share!
California is the only home Eli has ever known and, at three and a half years old, he's reached an age where he really enjoys his friends -- he "met" many of them when he was just a few weeks old. He's also used to glorious summer weather and 1,001 interesting things places to explore from beaches to city museums to amusement parks. A small town in North Georgia is going to be a big change. We're trying to be proactive about making this a positive transition for our son. I sought out some mothers I know who have moved with preschoolers and peppered them with questions. I found some good information online. And this book has been both helpful and comforting...
Once I collected information, it was my job to sort through it and figure out what was right for our situation, our family, our child. No easy task.
The first thing I realized is that there is a fine line between giving the topic of moving adequate attention and giving it too much attention. Moving involves grief, so I tapped into my experiences losing my parents and the moves I've made in the past. I also went back to the training I received as a hospice volunteer. Grief can be overwhelming, so you have to "breathe." In other words, it helps to alternately focus on the loss and then let the loss completely go for a while. As the move approached, we gave Eli information periodically. At one point when Eli started to get upset about moving, Brian and I realized we should take a break from talking about it when he's around. I also emailed all my closest friends and asked them not to mention the move in Eli's presence unless he brought it up. After a week or so of no discussion about the move, Eli started bringing it up again but with less frustration.
We found a balance that seemed to work for letting Eli know about the move. But there were still so many details in getting a kid ready..
I've never seen it "spelled out" like this anywhere, but I've come to feel there are three parts to making this change a peaceful and productive one for Eli. The first is helping him with closure in his life here. The second is helping him understand what the transition will be like. The third is helping him see the good things about his new life in Georgia.
1. Closure -- Eli and I talked about goodbyes and how they may make a person feel. We worked on a list of people we wanted to see for goodbyes, but also places and things. It feels kinda weird to drive up to a playground, get out, and then say, "Goodbye, playground! We enjoyed you and will miss you!" but we've done it. Since I'm not working and Eli is out of school, we're probably doing more goodbyes than we would otherwise, but we're trying not to go overboard. These gestures do seem to help. Eli will talk about a person or place quite a bit but then seems cheerful and drops the topic after an official goodbye. We've also been making collages and other photo projects for dear friends as well as for neighborly people from our lives here. (Click HERE for a post about our collages.)
2. Understanding Moving -- We found a handful of picture books about moving that Eli enjoys reading. We were then able to discuss how the experience is alike/different for characters from book to book as well as how our move is alike/different. Picture books helped Eli with the transition to preschool, and I do think they have been super helpful with the move too. I surfed Amazon reviews before purchasing. I wanted books that addressed the characters' feelings but that didn't focus on fears and loneliness.
Some details about our favorite moving book follows below. The others are also good, but fairly similar. One thing I wish were different... Every single darned book shows new neighbors instantly showing up in welcome and they always bring a cake! I've tried to warn Eli that it will be hot when we get there so people won't be outside much and that we may have to take it upon ourselves to get to know our neighbors. And in all the moves I've made, nobody has ever brought over a cake, so I've stressed that to him too. (Hmmm. Three year-olds are notorious for getting stick on details. Should I buy a cake and leave it on our new doorstep for him to discover?!)
A. Big Ernie's New Home: A Story for Kids Who are Moving by Teresa Martin is our favorite. One nice detail is that the characters are moving away from San Francisco, so Eli knows first-hand some of the things Ernie will miss. Also, the characters move to another state. So many children's books are about local moves. I think the real genius of this book, however, is that Ernie is a cat! Ernie is worried and hesitant, but the little boy who owns him, Henry, is competent and helpful. Thus Eli can identify with both!
B. The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day by Stan and Jan Berenstain
C. We're Moving by Heather Maisner
D. Moving House by Anne Civardi
E. The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing. We are vacationing while heading to our new home, so this book is helpful about the chaos and excitement of getting ready for a road trip. (Several sources have pointed out that extended vacationing on the trip between homes can help ease the transition for kids, especially young ones where it sort of serves to "erase the memory banks" of former routines.)
3. Picturing a New Life -- We always told Eli that California was temporary and would move home to Georgia. When we visited Georgia, we talked about moving there someday. The problem is that it has been a year and a half since his last visit -- almost half his lifetime ago! Thus we've been looking at photo albums and video clips of his Georgia family as well as his visits there. I've been online, looking up YouTube videos and pictures so Eli can see some of the neat things about our new town and state. We also ordered some picture books about Georgia. Most state-related books are for older kids, but the Good Night Our World series is for preschoolers. The books visit important landmarks, historical spots, and cultural details page by page. Now Eli knows about ZooAtlanta, Stone Mountain, peach orchards, and other aspects of our new lives.
Family is the main reason we're moving back to Georgia, even though it means leaving behind some dear California family in the process. (Brian's brother and his family live about an hour south of our California home.) Eli will have uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents living close by once we get settled. I also have longtime friends (and their parents) who live in the area and are eager to embrace Eli. The hard part, though, is that there aren't any kids in the family Eli's age. Thus I put the word out at Eli's new preschool, a local mothers' group, and Facebook that I was looking for penpals for Eli.
Through the kindness of one of my former high school teachers, we found Wyatt and Kody. Eli falls between the brothers age-wise and they live just a few minutes from the house we are renting. Their mother, Kristine, has done a wonderful job helping her boys send Eli cards decorated with handprints, stickers, and kiddo scribbles. She sent two batches of photos of the boys too, which we posted in our house at Eli's eye-level. Eli talks about Wyatt and Kody often, and can't wait to go play in their backyard wading pool (seen in the photos). He loves picking out postcards and photos to send in return. We'll be sending the boys postcards from our homeward travels too.
We've never met Kristine yet her efforts have truly helped Eli make a more positive transition to Georgia. That puts an even more positive spin on this move for Brian and me too. We feel so grateful.
I'm thankful to see that the steps we've taken to make this move easier for Eli seem to be working. After a bit of bumpiness a few months ago, he is now excited about the move. We list a few daily blessings every night as part of our bedtime routine and Eli often says he is thankful for Georgia, Wyatt, and Kody. In these final days in California, he is cheerful and happy all day even with all the moving chaos.
BUT...
This post wouldn't be truthful and complete if I didn't write about our nights. They have become exhausting and chaotic. A few weeks ago Eli started crying out after bedtime. For most of Eli's life, we've been able to kiss him goodnight and won't hear a peep from him for eleven hours. Earlier this month, his cryouts escalated to him getting up many times, finally coming to sleep in our bed in the middle of the night. He's so tired by this point and so emotional, that just being firm isn't the cure. Now we are at the point where he won't sleep unless we are with him. Even as a baby, Eli didn't like to sleep in our bed, so this is quite new for all of us. We're all sleeping poorly. It also makes it difficult for Brian and I to have relaxing, rejuvenating down time in the evening.
If anybody has ideas, we're all ears! We've tried adjusting bedtimes and naptimes. We've tried getting extra exercise and fresh air during the day. Eli eats healthy and sugary treats are few. The hours leading to bedtime are almost always peaceful and Eli's bedtime routine includes a massage, calm books, lullabies, and lots of affection. We're at a loss for what else to try.
As much as we'd like to completely solve Eli's nighttime problems right now, from the reasearch I've done, I know that this is normal and will pass. It seems like sleep disruption and potty training regression are the two "norms" for preschoolers who move. At least we only have one of the two (so far)! So we'll keep adjusting until we find a livable solution, but we've got to be realistic. We know Eli simply needs to show his feelings and work through the transition. We're pouring on the love and affection (even if quite often we're gritting our teeth too).
Many thanks to many of you for information and support!
UPDATE: We had a wonderful almost-month-long trip across country and Eli settled well into his new life in Georgia. We finally discovered that during the transition period (about two weeks before the move, the road trip, and about six weeks after), it was just better for the whole family to let Eli sleep in our bed. To preserve our sanity, Brian and I took turns sleeping in the guest room while the othe parent slept in the big bed with Eli. Our blow-up bed rail placed between Eli and parent wasn't popular with Little Guy, yet it helped the parent sleeping with him get good sleep without lots of accidental kicking. After we had been in Georgia close to two months, we transitioned Eli back into staying in his own bed all night. We did this by talking to him about it about a week in advance, letting him know the change would be coming. It went surprisingly well. Now Eli only sleeps in our bed if he's had a bad dream. He goes to bed easily and happily stays in his own bed all night. The one difference between here and California, though, is that Eli's room is right off our den and yet he still will not fall asleep if the door is closed. Thus we have to use a sound machine in his room and dim the lights in the den during evening hours. But that's certainly workable.
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