parenting

Every Child a Superhero

by Stacy on April 28, 2012

This post was written in honor of National Superhero Day (April 28th) and my friends in Pittsburgh lining up to take a stand against child abuse and trying to break a World Record for the most superheroes in one place at one time, here’s to being SUPER! The cape pictured in our photo is from Power Capes. Quick shout out to them as well for sponsoring the Super Hero Run today, we love our cape, mask and wristlets and that they offer them at great discount regularly on Zulily too!

I’ve given parenting a lot of thought these last 6 years, intentional thought, on how I wanted to raise my children and the type of grown up I want them to become. Having a child is such a monumental event in and of itself, but the responsibility to raise good stewards, kind citizens and contributors of society weighs heavy on me at night. I have a set of basic core values I instill in my children whenever possible, but as I got to thinking this week in the days leading up to National Super Hero Day … I realized really what I am trying to create in my children is the underlying desire to do and be good — a sort of everyday hero, if you will. Then I realized I’m probably not the only one, I mean don’t we all want the same for our children?

So, I came up with 20 ways you can help you child unleash their inner superhero. Simple ways you can instill kindness, inherent good and thoughtfulness and those qualities we look for in a stand up superhero. You might be surprised to find that those qualities we admire most about these fictional characters are so much of what we are looking for in ourselves. These qualities really aren’t that spectacular or superhuman at all, in fact, I’d argue to say we are all capable of living our lives this way!

20 Ways to unleash your child’s inner superhero

- Teach them to have Integrity, do the right thing even when no one is watching

- Give it all you’ve got, no matter what you’re doing give it 110%

- Try to see the good in people, even when it may be hard to find

- Whenever possible, lend a hand. Helping others is fruitful & rewarding

- You can do anything if you try, try, try. Believe in yourself

- In every situation, be the good guy. Trust your instincts and do what feels right

- Be strong in mind — keep a clear head, stay focused, be present and in the moment

- & body — eat to nourish your body, stay active and challenge it constantly with new activities

- Take the initiative- when something needs doing, get up & get started

- Be Resourceful. A little bit of creativity and ingenuity goes a long way

- Solve Problems – saving the day is all about solving problems. Brainstorm possible solutions, talk with others and keep an open mind

- Make a Difference – the smallest of gestures can make a huge difference in someone’s day. Seek out those opportunities and embrace them

- Overcome Great Odds – somethings are difficult, but chances are you will get through them. In tough times, endure and lean on family. In the shadow of insurmountable tasks, break them into bite size pieces and get started achieving your goals.

- Do something BIG – dream big and find a way to bring your dreams to life

- Take Chances – the only way to know if something will work, is to try. Don’t be afraid to fail. Take risks and take them often.

- Take a Stand – there will always be someone or something out there that needs a voice. Speak up.

- Change the World – the tallest mountains are made from the smallest grains of sand, chasms and canyons were carved in to the earth by tiny drops of rain and so can your efforts imprint themselves on the world. No effort is too small or done in vain. Do every deed with great purpose.

- Rock your look , we are all individuals — be your own person. Own who you are.

- Know your talents & USE THEM!

- Be AWESOME.

Note: As with all life lessons, the best way to teach is to lead by example

Got any lessons to add to this list? I’d love to hear them

Special thanks to these Super Mamas for helping me brainstorm this list: Crystal of Growing a Jeweled Rose, Maria of Mama Mia’s Heart 2 Heart, Cathy of NurtureStore, Bernadette of Mom to 2 Posh Little Divas, Laura of Play Dr Mom, and Kristina of Toddler Approved. Looking forward to featuring more great ideas from this post.

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The Swings

by Stacy on January 21, 2010

We all have them, Parenting Strengths and Weaknesses, whether we admit them or not. There just happens to be some things we are inherently good at when it comes to parenting and some things, well, that we must have been absent for the day they passed out parenting skills at school. Oh wait, they don’t teach those types of things at school, do they? Well at least not in an official predetermined class or anything, but I believe we’ve been reading between the lines almost our entire lives soaking up our maternal/paternal instincts and defining our unique parenting styles.

The true challenge for us as parents, is to come to terms with the areas we’re weakest in and devote some time and effort into improving them. For me, this particular time, my weakness is on the playground. It seems, somehow, I failed to teach my children to swing. I can’t tell you the exact moment when I missed my window or even why this has become an issue for us at all, but it has. You see, neither my 2 or my 4 year old have a desire to swing. Occasionally, I manage to get them on the swings – I gently push them – ever so slightly – and with one or two pushes they quickly blurt, “I’m all done Mom, I’m all done”. And that’s it. Our swing experience is over and they’re off – onto something else.

I’m working on myself a lot this year – being a better Mother included and I’ve decided, 2010 will be the year my children learn to love to swing. I watch from a distance admiring the relationships of other parents and their children as they move back and forth in a rhythm that exudes a personal connection – a secret they both share – about the joy of swinging.

Before
Before

I’ve started already – choosing to experiment with my middle child [age 2] first. We make our way to the swings as the afternoon sun is still high enough to warm our faces. I place her in the harness, start singing a favorite song of hers and follow her with my body as I push. To my surprise, this time she’s feeling it too. She allows me to push her like this for some time before declaring, “I’m all done Mom, I’m all done.

Small Victory

Day 2: Today, I suggest we try the swings again – my daughter is a little more cuddly after nap time and enjoys being close to me a little longer than usual [love this time of day]. So she agrees and we bebop on over to the swings. Again, I start off by pushing her following with my body, but today I substitute the words of her favorite song with her name and a few catchy jingles related to swinging. Success! She loves it. It turns out she’s also more confident with swinging if she can hold my hand while we do it. We spend at least 10 minutes continuing in this manner, singing, swinging and holding hands [we're cute, I know]. I’m happy, feeling as if I am finally beginning to understand the swing connection between a parent and a child.

Day 3: This morning, we stopped by a local park to let her burn off some energy. They have several swings there but very rarely do my children even notice them – and if they do, they prefer to use them for flying [lying on the swing instead of sitting, arms flailing, feet dangling]. We play on every play structure, every slide and check out everything else but eventually, she suggests, “Mom, can we swing?” [rejoicing on the inside] I plop her in the swing, this time … she begins to sing, we continue on like this for a very long time.

Now
Currently

I see a light at the end of the tunnel, I’m feeling confident I can conquer this parenting weakness, until a father and son sit on a swing next to us and begin to swing. Higher and higher they go, the boy laughing all they way. Turns out, I still have a long way to go before my children learn all there is to enjoy about swinging, but the important thing is we’re on our way And we’re ALL feeling better already.

He’s still not sure, but I’m hopeful

Do you feel like a failure when it comes to a common part of parenting? Getting kids to bed, choosing healthy snacks, finding alternatives to TV … if there’s something you feel like you could be doing 10x better, rest assured, you’re not alone. You’re just normal

~ Stacy

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Making the most of the New Year

by Stacy on December 31, 2009

I thought I’d share a fun tradition for New Year’s Day that I like to do with my kids, it can be as simple or as extravagant as you make it and it gives you a reason to think outside the box and indulge in a few sweet treats before you crack down with your New Year’s resolutions.

There are lot of food traditions on New Years – black eyed peas and collard greens in the South, noodles and citrus in China, cakes and pastries in Sweden and Germany but as nice as all those sound, they just weren’t silly enough for our family.

Instead we created a fun play on words in regards to food, for this one particular day we regard everything we eat with its literal meaning. Hershey kisses ensure a year’s worth of kisses, Laffy Taffy means the house will be filled with laughter, Mr. Goodbar means we’ll do lots of good for the year … you get the point.

Anyway, this is a fun tradition I’ve been doing on my own for years and I’m so excited to start sharing it with my children. I see this tradition getting more and more fun as years go by.

Our Menu this year includes:

Breakfast: Smart Start Strawberry Oat Bites Cereal

Snack 1: Honest Kids Berry, Berry Good Lemonade Drink Pouches & Laffy Taffy

Lunch: Happy Meals & Friendship Tea

Snack 2: Hershey Hugs & Kisses & Quaker True Delight Granola Bars

Dinner: A Pasta Bar Buffet w/ Good Luck (Broccoli Spinach Alfredo) & Lots of Love Sauce (Marinara)

Dessert: A Dream cake

You can read more about how I started this tradition on my page at MySanAntonio.com

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Earth Day for Kids

by Stacy on April 20, 2009

Looking for some wholesome ways to spend Earth Day with your family? Here’s KSW’s Top 10 list of ways to celebrate this valuable tradition with the ones you love.

1. Spend a few hours at home decluttering your belongings. Gather up canned goods, old clothes, magazines you’ve already read, toys your children have outgrown and more. Then take a road trip with your kids to several donation locations in your city to help make the biggest impact. You’ll all feel better after helping others and hopefully you’ll all want to do this together on a recurring basis.

Soup Kitchen or Homeless Shelter: Canned Goods, Non-Perishable Items, Old Blankets and travel size toiletries

Ronald McDonald House, Dress for Success, Red Cross, Salvation Army, or Goodwill: Gently Worn Clothing

Hospitals, Doctor’s Offices, Retirement Homes: Magazines and/or paperbacks

Women’s Shelters, Orphanages, Daycares: Toys, school supplies, jackets, shoes, blankets

2. Spend a day at the movies – Disney’s Earth Movie is opening on the oh-so appropriate Earth Day and is planting a tree for every ticket sold between April 22-28. They have already made plans to plant 50o,000 trees in areas identified as critical based on the advanced ticket sales they’ve had so far. Your ticket purchase will provide an afternoon of fun and education for you family, as well as piece of mind that there are several trees being planted in the rainforest with your families name on them.

disneysearth

3. Take your children to the Zoo or a nearby Aquarium: Focus your attention on endangered species and talk with your children about why they are in danger of going extinct and what you can do as a family to help.

4. Stop by a local Starbucks (be sure to bring your own coffee cup, and they’ll give you a cup of Jo for FREE – Free for all Canada locations and @ participating stores in the US. Check your local Starbucks to be sure) – chat about life with your kids and ways they would like to make an impact by going green. Are they interested in recycling, composting, carpooling … get their real opinions. On the way out, ask the person at the counter if you can have the old coffee grounds to start your own compost pile. If you don’t feel comfortable having an open compost heap in your backyard or a can in your kitchen, use a rubbermaid tote in your backyard. This will keep the smell/mess contained and the critters out and provide a warm insulator that will aid in decomposition. Fill it with items your comfortable with working with, mine will have:

- Coffee grounds

- Shredded paper

- Grass clippings

- Banana and Orange Peels

- Egg Shells

- Rich Soil

5. Organize a Say No to Litter March in your neighborhood or a Rubbish Game for just your kids. Bring along wagons, trikes, gloves, and plenty of trash bags, sing this song along the way:

Pick up Litter - From Everything Preschool

(Sung To: “If Your Happy And You Know It”)

If you see a piece of litter pick it up
If you see a piece of litter pick it up
You will make the world look better
If you pick up all the litter.
If you see a piece of litter, pick it up

6. Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt – As you collect items of all colors, talk with your kids about the beauty that exists in nature. Describe your favorite sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings that exist effortlessly in nature. Examples would be: Watching a beautiful sunset, The sound of the ocean bereeze, The smell of wisteria in my grandfather’s backyard, The taste of fresh picked blackberries, and the feel of water rushing between my toes as I stand on the edge of the beach where the water meets the sand.

7. Take a trip to your local Farmer’s Market – Have a blast picking out your own fruits and veggies. Let the kids pick all of the items that will be used to create their dinner. Your menu could include a nice green salad or gazpacho as a first course, homemade pizza as your entree and a delicious smoothie for dessert. (Click on photos for these recipes or create your own) Either way, I guarantee your kids wont complain about eating their veggies tonight.

8. Repurpose items meant for the trash into something wonderful, make something special just for grandma and grandpa. They’ll get the biggest kick out of what you create.

Younger kids will love this Bottle Cap Magnet project

Older Kids & even adults will adore this unique soda can jewelry how-to

9. Plant, pick, or tend to something outdoors. You’ll be amazed how much your children love playing in the dirt and giving something life. If you don’t have a garden, try planting a sunflower or some potted herbs for your windowsill. If planting isn’t possible, take a walk around the neighborhood and collect branches, leaves, and flowers to display in your home. Another option, trim some bushes or spend time weeding in your yard. By the end of this exercise, you and your kids are sure to be more relaxed and in tune with nature.

10. Feed the birds: There are several easy options for making bird houses with materials you probable already have in your home. Try a coat hangar + popcorn version you can style yourself or a pinecone + peanut butter + bird seed option you can whip up in a jiffy. The kids will love making these and will be delighted to see the fruits of their labor when the birds come round to taste their new treats.

Here’s wishing you and your family a wonderful Earth Day. As for me and my home, we’ll be trying a few of these and thinking of ways we can make it Earth Day, Every Day at our house.

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The Pleasure in Today

by Stacy on March 23, 2009

KSW Spring Mosaic

A Prayer in Spring

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Excerpt from The Station: A Reminder to Cherish the Journey , Robert J. Hastings

“It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are thieves who rob us of today.”

“So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less.”

“Life must be lived as we go along.”

What a perfect motivation for Spring 2009, I’ll have no problem keeping up the eating ice cream and going barefoot part of the deal. I’m even looking forward to swimming in more rivers (although mine might be swimming pools) and laughing ALOT more, The part I’ll be working on this season, letting go of dread and regret. How about you? Ready to take a leap of faith and enjoy your life?

A brief moment for reflection and praise in honor of springtime- courtesy of all these wonderful folks on Flickr