family

Help kids have healthy eating habits

May 6, 2022 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I have one kid who loves to eat meat. I have one daughter who loves vegetables. And I have a third daughter who grazes but eats a variety of foods. I’m not a strict mom when it comes to food choices, but I do prioritize sitting down to dinner together. Of course, those dinner meals aren’t always smooth, people often have complaints about food, and I have to remind at least one kid to sit down.

In addition to prioritizing family dinners, I also want to champion healthy eating at our home. Here are some ways we can do that:

Make cooking a family activity

Most of us take more interest in meals we have made ourselves, and we’re more inclined to give new dishes a go if we’ve played a part in their creation. There will be times parents (me definitely included!) want a quick, easy dish for the family with minimal hassle, but it’s a great idea to let your children help out if you have time. Make cooking a family-friendly activity, let your children help out in the kitchen, and encourage them to share ideas for dishes they’d like to try to cook with you. When I need meal ideas, I often find inspiration in my kids’ suggestions. They know how to add foods to our grocery list, thanks to Alexa. Of course, sometimes I Google quick, simple ideas like a garlic aioli recipe or other side dishes.

Talk to children about nutrition

When promoting healthy eating, nutrition not dieting should be the focus. Each body is reliant on the nutrients it needs to function properly. Talk to your kids about why healthy eating is beneficial, highlight the benefits of eating different foods, and explain what different ingredients and products offer.

I try to include a fruit or vegetable with almost every meal we make at home, even if that’s sliced apples with the Red Baron pizza. I know my youngest two kids are less likely to eat sauteed vegetables with the rest of us, so I will often cut up a cucumber for them to share. Feeding your family doesn’t have to be complicated!

Of course, food fuels us physically, but I believe food can be the catalyst to deep, meaningful relationships too. I wrote a whole book about that.

Make mealtimes enjoyable

It’s important for children to have a positive relationship with food, but it’s not always easy to achieve this goal. If you’re eager to encourage your kids to embrace healthy eating, make mealtimes enjoyable. Sit down together as much as possible, chat about the day, catch up, and put phones and devices down. Take this time to engage with each other. This month we’ve started an “Attitude of Gratitude” activity during which each person names what they’re thankful for from that day. I record the gratitude gifts in a journal. (And, yes, I’ve referenced Ben Rector’s song “Thank You” as we do this.)

Most parents go through times when getting children to try new foods or eat healthily is a challenge. If you’re keen to encourage your kids to take an interest in healthy eating, cook together, try new recipes, talk to your children about the importance of nutrition, and make mealtimes a fun, regular part of the day.

Also, I need meal inspiration, if anyone has any easy, delicious recipes to send my way!

How to organize your home

April 28, 2022 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I love order more than everyone else in my family, but life is busy and messy. Even so, I’m always trying to implement habits and routines that help bring the chaos of five people living together under one roof to some kind of structure.

Create Positive Morning Routines

Oh, this may be the hardest habit to create here. A couple of the extreme extroverts love the mornings. They sing and play and pester those of us who aren’t as chipper in the morning. My work-before-play is also in full force each morning.

Even so, creating a positive morning routine for the whole family is definitely a must when you want to enjoy your time together and set yourselves up for the day ahead. We cross paths in the kitchen as we’re eating breakfast and packing lunches or snacks for the day. One kid doesn’t come out of her room until she’s ready to leave. The youngest has to be kept on task the most.

But one thing that has been good for all of us is reading a devotion together once we’re in the minivan together on the way to school. We worked our way through “Roar Like a Lion” by Levi Lusko recently and it helped us individually and collectively so much as it prompted conversations about home and school life. (Here’s a review I wrote about “Roar Like a Lion.”)

Put events on a calendar

Using a noticeboard in the family home is definitely something that you should think about doing if you want to make sure that your whole family stays on track. It takes a little bit of the chaos and confusion out of the equation if you know when upcoming events and appointments are. Right now, my kindergartner likes to mark off the days on the wall calendar we have hanging in our kitchen. It helps give her some perspective on days.

A shared Google Calendar has greatly improved the communication between Greg and me. I can see his work calendar and add things he needs to know about to our family calendar. He can choose whether to see my own personal appointments and commitments. It’s definitely been a good way to keep us on the same scheduling page.

Make meal plans

I like to meal plan, and I like to ask my husband and kids for their ideas while I’m making that plan. Sometimes they have really good food inspiration! Planning meals makes our afternoons flow a little easier. Often, I plan a few different meals with the freedom to swamp which day I use them. If I know I’m going to have to leave for an evening meeting or prep dinner quickly after soccer practice, I may plan a Crock Pot meal.

Clean out regularly

Clutter stresses me out. Often I have a pile of items to donate going. I’ll toss in clothes the kids have outgrown or items we no longer need. You can sell Barbies and other old toys that are no longer used by your older kids as you get rid of clothes that are now too small.

Give belongings homes

“Each thing has a home” and “Like items go together” are things I’m often telling my kids. Books go with books. Clothes with clothes. Toiletries in the bathroom. Shoes in the closet. Jackets on the coat rack. For a long time, we stored wintry accessories in a catch-all storage closet, but then I realized making them more accessible in the drawers in our foyer meant people would be quicker to put away their hats and gloves.

The world is messy, so having a structured home is efficient and brings peace. Routines help bring about that order in ways that work for your family.

3 Ways to Enhance Kids’ Cognitive Skills

April 25, 2022 by Kristin 2 Comments

Our kids don’t have a ton of screen time. Sure, they watch some TV and my older two have to use Google Chromebooks for school work sometimes. Cate has a Gabb phone and Ben has a Gabb watch. We want to create safe, healthy technology habits while enhancing their cognitive skills.

Your child’s cognitive skills enable them to think critically and retain information as they grow older. The skills also boost their analytical abilities by helping them understand the process of cause and effect and the relationship between ideas. Cognitive development is essential for your child’s academic success, making it important to prioritize it.

Here are three ways to help achieve that:

Motivate them to read more

Various studies indicate reading is beneficial for children, regardless of age. It increases their attention span, vocabulary building, and emotional and social development. A 2013 study revealed that babies whose parents read to them scored higher in problem-solving and other cognitive activities. Other benefits of reading include a broader attention span, improved listening skills, and creativity. It’s important to invest in the right books to see the full benefits. For instance, educational resources such as summer bridge books can prove helpful.

I’m thankful to be raising readers. I have one child who loves fantasy and dystopian novels, another who loves non-fiction books with lots of facts, and the youngest child who is doing a good job learning to read. We have multiple bookshelves with more books than probably necessary, visit the library often, and keep books near in case we have unexpected waiting times.

Even so, I have a confession for you: I don’t keep summer reading logs. Mostly I just don’t want to fool with it, especially on Summer Break. But I also know I have readers who have learned the value of books and don’t need prizes at this point. I’m not opposed to reading logs and understand they may be just the reading motivation some kids need.

Let them dabble in arts and crafts

Arts and crafts keep kids engaged and entertained. But did you know that they are also instrumental in developing their cognitive skills? Arts and crafts enable children to acquire and practice valuable things like patterning and critical thinking, according to the Michigan State University Extension Office. Likewise, they develop language, math, and fine motor skills. Crafts also create an avenue for your kids to explore their creativity and self-expression. If you haven’t already, you want to encourage them to participate in arts and crafts.

My youngest girl loves to paint, color with markers or crayons, and use stickers. She wishes I’d hold onto every paper she creates or brings home from school. The sad reality is I end up trashing many things, although I keep plenty of her creations in her designated binder of memorabilia. She also loves when her older sister helps her make slime! (Yep, another confession: I don’t do that, but I don’t care if they do!)

Giving kids the space and freedom to create while offering some parental guidance is a great way for them to develop cognitive skills without even realizing it! Spending time in the museum helps introduce your kids to art and develop an appreciation of what others have created.

Encourage them to play outside

I love those afternoons when the kids come home from school and spend hours outside. I love the springtime when they have to wash off all the dirt and outdoor smell even if they just took a shower the night before. We have plenty of wide-open spaces for our kids to roam, ride, and explore. The trampoline has been one thing all three of my kids have enjoyed for years, and we actually just have had to replace the one we got more than five years ago. They also like wading in the creek, swimming in our pool, fishing at our pond, hiking through our pine forest, and playing games of hide-and-seek with their friends.

Kids aged 8 to 12 spend approximately four to six hours on their smart devices, while teens spend nine hours, according to the AACAP. I’m thankful my kids aren’t the norm there! While screen time can be entertaining, it leads to issues like lower academic performance and less time for physical activity. The National Institute of Health says children who have more than two hours of screen time have lower thinking power.

On the other hand, Harvard research indicates that outdoor play helps sharpen their troubleshooting, planning, multitasking, negotiation, and prioritization skills. Moreover, it also increases their attention span, stimulates their multiple senses, and improves wayfinding abilities.

Of course, there are benefits to getting outside, keeping a book close, and creating artwork. I’m thankful for these experiences for my kids and encourage you to incorporate these activities into your life too.