What Do You Do When Your Kid Throws a Whiny Fit?

How many parents have the beginnings of gray hairs due to a whining toddler or preschooler? What causes your child to whine? Why does the sound of whining drive parents crazy? Why do I feel like I’d rather hear someone run their finger nails down a chalkboard right now!?

Battling with a child that constantly whines is no fun — for both the parent and the child. Trying to stop the whining using threats or time outs probably won’t work either, and most likely end up in a screaming match of “BUT I WANT TO!“  And I’m not sure which side (in our house) wins.  Sometimes I have to give in to my 3 1/2 year old son because I just can’t take the constant whining. I know…this only leads to future whining. And I know it does. We just battled it out today with Boo because he wanted to ride his electric 4-wheeler but the battery was dead from the previous day’s riding (and Mommy and Daddy forgot to recharge the battery overnight). Read the rest of this entry »

Another Mother’s Day Gift Idea - Creative Wall Portrait

As I mentioned in my previous post, Mother’s Day Gifts that Will Make Mommy Cry, another neat idea for Mom this year is a wall portrait. Check out a web site called myDaVinci.com, Art that clicks and you’ll see all of the different styles that the artists offer in terms of creating that perfect, lasting memory for your wife and child’s Mommy.

Now going this route may cost a few extra bucks but if you are searching for that perfect gift this might just be it. As you can see from the sample image, the artists are very good at what they can do — replicating your photo into a perfect work of art.

How myDaVinci.com works:

1. You send the photo(s) via mail or email to myDaVinci.

2. They start the artwork. They use actual artists, a network of over 100 artists to be exact!

3. They evaluate the artwork, and email it to you if it meets our quality standard.

4. You can request for modifications if necessary after reviewing.

6. You approve the artwork online once satisfied with the artwork.

7. The artwork is delivered in a well protected package to you.

Pretty simple, huh?  Definitely sounds like a great gift idea for your mother and/or wife.

So again, visit  myDaVinci.com and check out all of the different ways they can create beautiful art from your photos.

Mother’s Day Gifts that Will Make Mommy Cry

Source: WikipediaHey Dads and kids here are a few ideas for Mother’s Day (May 11th, 2008) that are sure to make her smile and may even make her shed a tear of joy.  I was flipping through an old copy of Parent’s Magazine (May 2007) and found two nice ideas for your kids to give mom.

The first is a craft that would take an hour or two one weekend afternoon while Mommy was out running errands or something.  It is creating a Love Note Message Jar.  I’ll write another post about the second idea later.

What you will need for this project (no, not a hammer!)

• an empty jar, like a spaghetti sauce jar or even a plastic rice container
• paint
• foam brush
• colored paper
• markers, Crayons
• stickers
• ribbon

Read the rest of this entry »

Keep a quick-grab snack bag packed | Parent Hacks

One of my favorite parenting blogs had to be Parent Hacks. I think it’s the cool logo they have on the site, BTW, where did you guys find that? I recently found a short article about having a snack bag packed for a “grab-n-go”.

Keep a quick-grab snack bag packed | Parent Hacks
We keep a reusable lunch-type bag in our cupboard stocked with various nonperishable snacks (one of each type per child) so that we can grab it at a moments’ notice.

We do this as well, we keep what I call a “go bag” or the “no meltdown bag”. We keep it stocked with Goldfish, cereals bars, juice boxes, extra spoons, napkins and whatever else I can throw in it. Our kids are always in need of a drink three minutes after leaving home or day care and having that juice box works wonders.

Oh also, having a pair of pajamas is great in case we decide to stop over to a friend’s house after work/day care. We can then get the kids ready for bed before we leave and if they fall asleep just carry them to bed (if we’re so lucky!).

Is Your Preschooler Stubborn, Frustrating and Rebellious

“Autonomy is the independence a toddler strives for from caregivers. Toddlers’ autonomous behavior is a way of forming their own identity away from their caregivers” (Bigner, 2006). This stage is a time where a toddler has the “will” to become independent.

Most parents of toddlers and preschoolers start to experience their child’s attempts at autonomy between their second and third birthdays. At least this is true with our son, Boo. It’s this autonomous actions that make your child out to seem stubborn, frustrating and often times rebellious but in reality they are just learning that they have independence and are an individual. I am having a difficult time dealing with this period in his growth and development. I am looking for a way to better deal with things so I don’t get so anxious, tense and downright grumpy when he’s being defiant. I guess from all that I read he’s just trying to learn to be himself and wants to take most situations into his own hands and deal with them in his methods and ways. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy Easter

My wife and I decided to have the kids wake up and hunt for their Easter eggs and baskets today, Saturday, instead of Easter morning. We just thought that it would be a smoother Easter Sunday if we had the egg hunt out of the way and let them find the eggs when it was just the four of us.

Our kids are 3 1/2 and 19 months old. Our daughter is the youngest and this year was fun to watch both kids interact while hunting for their eggs.  Our son was so good at being a “big brother” and helped K-Bop find all of her eggs.

We got a lot of good video and photos to share with family and friends.

It was a good pre-Easter day!

Nighttime coughing keep the whole house up?

Source: FlickrHow many households have at least one child or parent with a cough or other head cold? I’m guessing quite a lot since about 90% of my friends and family I talk to have one, including our preschool son. His cough seems to get worse in the evening and of course goes away each morning around 9am! So in my search for some peace and quiet at bedtime I Googled and found a few “home” remedies for soothing and hopefully quieting the nighttime cough. Read the rest of this entry »