Quick Parenting Tips:

Kids and Food

If your kids are picky eaters, try giving them an "out" once a week to reduce the chance they'll complain at dinner time. Jeff and Jennifer VanNoy let their three boys choose a hot dog and an apple once a week--but only once. If they don't like the dinner on Monday, they better be sure there isn't a dinner coming up later in the week that they'll hate more! And what do you do if they complain anyway? Take the food away. Let them get hungry. Eventually they will learn to eat what you serve!

Kids and Mess

If your kids are forever leaving things all over the floor, create a "jubilee" basket. Get a big laundry basket, and after the kids leave in the morning, or at another suitable time, go around the house and pick up everything that's on the floor. You can then allow them to "redeem" the items for 25 cents each (or whatever you feel is fair), or everything can be redeemed on Sunday for free. Soon they'll learn not to leave their prized possessions everywhere!

For other hints on kids and mess, see my book, To Love, Honor and Vacuum.

Keeping Toddlers Entertained

If you're going out and you need to keep your toddler entertained--say to a doctor's office, the grocery store, or to a meeting--consider making a bag of special "outing" toys. Include new board books, small, bright coloured toys they enjoy, or some crayons and paper. Don't get these toys out for any other reason except when you're going out, so that they're considered special! Then your child is more likely to be calm!

Bringing Home Baby

It's time to bring home the new baby, but you're worried about how your toddler will react. Try to make sure there's some time each day that you spend especially with your toddler. Recruit dad or grandparents to hold the baby so you can cuddle with the older child. Especially when moms are nursing, toddlers can feel very left out, often trying to climb on mommy's lap when mommy needs to feed the baby. If you reserve the time right before you nurse to read your toddler a story or play with him or her, you help prepare them for the separation.

Building Family Togetherness

We all know we want more time with our kids, but often the things we do with them aren't that fun for us (like playing with their toys) or don't really build family togetherness (like videos). So try building family memories by doing things together that you do like! Invest in some board games, like Monopoly, Sorry, or Life. Buy a game of dominoes or checkers. Go for a jog, a bike ride, or a walk in a forest. Try reserving one night a week just to be together as a family, and turn the TV off and have fun! 

For more ideas that incorporate Christian principles, click here.

I also devote a chapter to building family togetherness in my book, To Love, Honor and Vacuum. For more information, click here.

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