So if one of my kids brings home a cold I end up getting their cold times ten. They get the sniffles, I get a fever and chills. I guess being home most the day I am not exposed to germs like I used to be when I was teaching, so any germs that enter my home find my immune system to be a playground. Anyway what amazes me is how messy my house gets in the few hours I stay in bed.
For example, I have been sick this weekend. I was pretty good this weekend about staying out of bed and by doing so the house stayed clean. This morning was another story though. My head pounding, and my chest racked with coughing I stayed in bed this morning. I was able to direct the kids to do their chores and I checked on them occasionally but then sleep overtook me and I was out for about two hours.
When I woke up I was pretty sure I had slept for more than two hours. The kitchen, the living room, my room, the play room, the tv room- about half the house. I was amazed how quickly the kids could make a mess. The best part was it was only three of them and one of them was taking a nap for an hour. This only seems to happen when I am sick though. If I am gone for an hour or even taking an odd nap here or there the house stays fine. I am pretty sure my kids have a sensor that goes off saying "mom's sick, engage mess making." It's like they know I will not have the energy to reprimand them or say anything.
Smart kids I guess, I will just have to make sure I start fighting off the super bugs they bring in...
Showing posts with label Mommy Musings Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mommy Musings Monday. Show all posts
Monday, July 15, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Mommy Musings Monday-teaching kids hygiene
Toilets not flushed. Underwear streaked. Teeth not brushed. Fights at bath-time. Dirty hands at dinner.
It is life as a mom.
One of the responsibilities you have as a parent is to teach your children proper hygiene. It is something that you tackle young and hope that your children "get it" by the time they start school and you unleash them, and their dirty ways on the world. Unfortunately it doesn't always work that way. It appears that reteaching and relearning is a daily process. We are doing that right now. There has been an influx of unflushed toilets, dirty underwear, teeth so gross they have grown orange gunk...need I go on?
The question comes on how do you drive home to older children that this is important stuff? That is the challenge that now faces our household. We have tried reminders. We have tried punishments. Nothing has worked. Last week we stumbled onto something though.
James is a horrible teeth brusher. Just bad. Kids have come up to him at the store and said "you're teeth look gross." and they were right. He told us he was brushing every day and we believed him. We thought the discolored teeth came from a fall he had a few years ago that seemed to loosen some teeth but not enough to pull them out. Then came the day in May when I realized James had been lying. He hadn't brushed his teeth in over a month. He didn't know where his tooth brush was and had just been going into the bathroom during teeth brushing time, turning his timer over, and waiting. When we found out there was the dreaded punishment of dad brushing the teeth. We watched him like a hawk and found he was no better at teeth brushing and there were more times of dad brushings. He went to the dentist last week and our hygienist painted his teeth to show them how bad they really were. It was bad, but it shocked James enough that he was scared what would happen to his teeth. So far so good. over a week later he has pearly white teeth and is flossing- all because he got scared.
So tonight we are having a Family Home Evening Lesson about hygiene. We are going to talk about what happens to you body if you don't wipe well. Or if you don't wash your hands. It is going to be the scare tactic.
I don't know if it will work, but it is worth a try. I guess all we can do is hope.
What way do you teach your kids about good hygiene?
It is life as a mom.
One of the responsibilities you have as a parent is to teach your children proper hygiene. It is something that you tackle young and hope that your children "get it" by the time they start school and you unleash them, and their dirty ways on the world. Unfortunately it doesn't always work that way. It appears that reteaching and relearning is a daily process. We are doing that right now. There has been an influx of unflushed toilets, dirty underwear, teeth so gross they have grown orange gunk...need I go on?
The question comes on how do you drive home to older children that this is important stuff? That is the challenge that now faces our household. We have tried reminders. We have tried punishments. Nothing has worked. Last week we stumbled onto something though.
James is a horrible teeth brusher. Just bad. Kids have come up to him at the store and said "you're teeth look gross." and they were right. He told us he was brushing every day and we believed him. We thought the discolored teeth came from a fall he had a few years ago that seemed to loosen some teeth but not enough to pull them out. Then came the day in May when I realized James had been lying. He hadn't brushed his teeth in over a month. He didn't know where his tooth brush was and had just been going into the bathroom during teeth brushing time, turning his timer over, and waiting. When we found out there was the dreaded punishment of dad brushing the teeth. We watched him like a hawk and found he was no better at teeth brushing and there were more times of dad brushings. He went to the dentist last week and our hygienist painted his teeth to show them how bad they really were. It was bad, but it shocked James enough that he was scared what would happen to his teeth. So far so good. over a week later he has pearly white teeth and is flossing- all because he got scared.
So tonight we are having a Family Home Evening Lesson about hygiene. We are going to talk about what happens to you body if you don't wipe well. Or if you don't wash your hands. It is going to be the scare tactic.
I don't know if it will work, but it is worth a try. I guess all we can do is hope.
What way do you teach your kids about good hygiene?
Monday, July 1, 2013
Mommy Musing Monday: Mom and the Great Veggie War
The only veggie I remember disliking as a child were peas, I am sure there were more but that is what has stuck with me. I didn't like them but I ate them anyway because my parents told me I had too. They never gave me too much, and never made me have seconds so it was good.
I am not sure what it is about kids and veggies, when they are tasteless pureed disgusting mush they scarf them down, but when it is seasoned and tasty they turn their noses up at them. This problem has led to mom's creating cookbooks where you hide the veggies from the kids to make sure they eat them. I am not sure that I am on board with that plan, I want my kids to become good eaters and eat their veggies. I follow the same rules my parents did, if you don't like the veggie you don't get a lot of it, and there is no need for seconds.
I think these are fair rules, my children however do not. Our home is in the current grip of the Veggie War. With mom, dad, and the veggies waging battle against the kids. There our days our campaign is successful, there are other days where we want to throw up our hands and let the kids eat only processed sugars for the rest of their lives. It is a tough war, one where I can't really see an end, for as soon as we have one child happily eating their veggies, two more will rise up in anarchy. See my problem?
Today was only one battle in this never ending war, and today it was James versus the Zucchini. Here's what I don't get, James likes zucchini, not as much as broccoli or beans but he likes it. Today though when I looked over from the dishes to James still sitting at the table looking sad at his plate I noticed this was the only thing left. By this time he had been eating for fifty minutes and all he had were four pieces of zucchini sitting there and thus it started. Much like other battles, it was a minor incident at first, me asking, James refusing. Then it grew.
"James, you have five minutes to eat your vegetables on your own, if you don't I will feed them to you and you will go to bed at the same time as Matty."
Corporal James gets a glint in his eye, "With Matty?"
General Mom senses a strategical error and tries to correct, "No not with Matty, you will be in a separate room, oh and you won't get dessert."
Corporal James takes a moment to think about it while General Mom continues with the the dishes, "James, you are down to four and a half minutes."
The corporal looks at his food and mumbles something, intelligible only to those under the age of two who he is clearly trying to recruit to his side.
"Jamesy not like his food," Private Matty translates.
"James, two minutes."
The corporal stares at his food, as if looking menacingly at it will make it turn tail and run. Major Zucchini holds its ground.
Time on the offer expires and the General moves towards the Corporal. "Last chance."
Silence.
As the Veggie forces advanced the Corporal held to his beliefs, and at least he had that comfort while chewing the zucchini and going to bed early.
Yeah, the battle was over and will be waged again, probably tomorrow. It is a win for veggies but as the war continues I find myself staring longingly at the veggie hiding cookbooks and wondering when it is I will give in.
I am not sure what it is about kids and veggies, when they are tasteless pureed disgusting mush they scarf them down, but when it is seasoned and tasty they turn their noses up at them. This problem has led to mom's creating cookbooks where you hide the veggies from the kids to make sure they eat them. I am not sure that I am on board with that plan, I want my kids to become good eaters and eat their veggies. I follow the same rules my parents did, if you don't like the veggie you don't get a lot of it, and there is no need for seconds.
I think these are fair rules, my children however do not. Our home is in the current grip of the Veggie War. With mom, dad, and the veggies waging battle against the kids. There our days our campaign is successful, there are other days where we want to throw up our hands and let the kids eat only processed sugars for the rest of their lives. It is a tough war, one where I can't really see an end, for as soon as we have one child happily eating their veggies, two more will rise up in anarchy. See my problem?
Today was only one battle in this never ending war, and today it was James versus the Zucchini. Here's what I don't get, James likes zucchini, not as much as broccoli or beans but he likes it. Today though when I looked over from the dishes to James still sitting at the table looking sad at his plate I noticed this was the only thing left. By this time he had been eating for fifty minutes and all he had were four pieces of zucchini sitting there and thus it started. Much like other battles, it was a minor incident at first, me asking, James refusing. Then it grew.
"James, you have five minutes to eat your vegetables on your own, if you don't I will feed them to you and you will go to bed at the same time as Matty."
Corporal James gets a glint in his eye, "With Matty?"
General Mom senses a strategical error and tries to correct, "No not with Matty, you will be in a separate room, oh and you won't get dessert."
Corporal James takes a moment to think about it while General Mom continues with the the dishes, "James, you are down to four and a half minutes."
The corporal looks at his food and mumbles something, intelligible only to those under the age of two who he is clearly trying to recruit to his side.
"Jamesy not like his food," Private Matty translates.
"James, two minutes."
The corporal stares at his food, as if looking menacingly at it will make it turn tail and run. Major Zucchini holds its ground.
Time on the offer expires and the General moves towards the Corporal. "Last chance."
Silence.
As the Veggie forces advanced the Corporal held to his beliefs, and at least he had that comfort while chewing the zucchini and going to bed early.
Yeah, the battle was over and will be waged again, probably tomorrow. It is a win for veggies but as the war continues I find myself staring longingly at the veggie hiding cookbooks and wondering when it is I will give in.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Mommy Musings Monday: Chores
"I'm the only one of my friends that have summer chores." It was just stated, no anger behind it, simply a statement of fact.
I wasn't quite sure how to respond, how does one respond to that question, "You'll thank me one day", "Well aren't you glad your not their daughter," or "Well maybe the other mother's don't care if their daughters and sons are productive citizens in the future."
I give my kids chores, I know some people think that a six year old can't wipe up a bathroom or vacuum, but to them I say poo-poo.
In our house doing a chore is how you contribute to the household, it is how mom and dad prepare you to be a productive member of society. What the kids don't understand is it is not so mom doesn't have to do the chores. I have redone chores before, when the kids aren't looking of course, I know that I am able to get the chores done quicker and better than the kids can, but that isn't the point. The point is that they learn.
We have job charts and some jobs stay the same each week (cleaning your room, making your bed) others change. One week you might vacuum and do the dishes, the next you might clean the bathrooms and clear the table. The point is that the kids learn and they learn what it takes to really make a family work, it isn't about mom and dad doing everything, it is about everyone pitching in and helping one another.
So we will keep doing chores, even if I am the only mom that assigns them.
What chores do you expect your kids to do? How early did you start them?
In our house doing a chore is how you contribute to the household, it is how mom and dad prepare you to be a productive member of society. What the kids don't understand is it is not so mom doesn't have to do the chores. I have redone chores before, when the kids aren't looking of course, I know that I am able to get the chores done quicker and better than the kids can, but that isn't the point. The point is that they learn.
We have job charts and some jobs stay the same each week (cleaning your room, making your bed) others change. One week you might vacuum and do the dishes, the next you might clean the bathrooms and clear the table. The point is that the kids learn and they learn what it takes to really make a family work, it isn't about mom and dad doing everything, it is about everyone pitching in and helping one another.
So we will keep doing chores, even if I am the only mom that assigns them.
What chores do you expect your kids to do? How early did you start them?
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