Tip Me Tuesday

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Welcome to Tip Me Tuesday! The Blogisphere is full of wonderful people, willing to share great advice. We just have to ask for it. That is why I have started Tip Me Tuesday. An easy way to ask for tips and suggestions about any problem you might be having. Nothing is off limits and everyone is welcome to participate. Or just share a great tip of your own. Just make your own Tip Me Tuesday post and return to leave the link below...

Toddler Tips

When my kids' bodies and messes outgrew a standard bib, I started using a large T-shirt to protect their clothes, during mealtimes and crafts. The trick is to get a larger shirt that still has a fairly small neck. For Ross, who is two, I use a hand-me-down size 8-10. But I am sure that pinning the neck of an adult shirt to make it smaller, would work just as well. The great part is that, not only does it protect her shirt from stains, but it hangs low enough to protect her pants as well.

This tip is sneaky, but has worked on all my kids, when they were small. When a toddler falls, a big portion of their crying is a result of being frightened. I learned early on that, instead of screaming or sounding panicked, when I saw my child take a tumble, I would try to stay calm and say, "Weeeeeeeeee!". The result was that, unless they were truly hurt, they would simply smile, dust themselves off, and go right back to having fun.

Kids can learn almost anything more quickly, if you turn the information into a song. Don't be embarrassed to make up and sing silly songs with your kids. Once, when my oldest son was in grade school, he informed me that he had a test on states and capitals, that he had not studied for, and the test was the next day. I sat down with him, started in the upper right corner of the map and, working my way up and down in rows, made up a song for him on the spot. We spent the rest of the evening, following an imaginary trail through the states, and singing that song. The next day, when he was presented with a blank map to fill in, he quietly sang that song to himself and made a 100! Now, even at 20 years old, he still recalls that song word for word. LOL

No travel funds this summer? Have your kids take turns each week, closing their eyes, spinning the globe, and putting their finger on it. Where it lands is where the family "travels" to that week. Or, for more control, write the names of places your family would like to visit on little slips of paper and let a child pull one from the hat each week.

Find information about the location on the Internet or at the library. Prepare the local foods for dinner. Have fun with craft and costume projects, based on the local culture and way of dress. It's almost as good as actually going there. Not to mention, educational.

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