LISTEN UP! Have you added PODCASTS to your fun kids and family activities list ? If you haven't, you are in for a treat! These kids podcasts are perfect to stream during driving time, playing time, quiet time, bedtime, and all-around FUN time! Oh and of course the built-in learning is what this mom is all about, but don't tell my kids, sssshhh! Here are our favorite 10 BEST PODCASTS FOR KIDS list: BRAINS ON Brains On is a science podcast for curious kids and adults. Co-hosted each week by kid scientists and reporters, they ask questions ranging from the science behind sneezing to how to translate the purr of cats. Join them and turn your brains on! All the wonders All The Wonders is a home for readers to discover new books and to experience the stories they love in wondrous ways. It is an entertainment channel, a variety show, and a modern library all wrapped up into one digital home. We LOVE this because it actually includes 4 podcast channels : All the Wonders The Best Book Ever (This Week) Books Between Picturebooking TUMBLE Tumble is another fantastic science podcast for kids, to be enjoyed by the entire family. They tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists! Join Lindsay and Marshall as they ask questions, share mysteries, and share what science is all about. DrEam big The Dream Big Podcast is a family-friendly podcast inspiring kids (and adults!) to pursue their passions in life and take action to make their dreams a reality. Your hosts Eva Karpman (currently 7-years-old in 2nd grade) and mom Olga Karpman interview world-class performers who do what they love and live their dreams each and every day. barefoot books Barefoot Books is a trusted company and movement! They were named by Forbes as one of the Best Small Companies in America. This independent publisher offers a beautifully curated list of books children love and parents (and grandparents) trust! Their mission is to share stories, connect families, and inspire children. Barefoot Books podcast includes stories from carefully crafted children's classics, poems and songs. wow in the world Wow in the World is a new way for families to connect, look up and discover the wonders in the world around them. Every episode, hosts Mindy and Guy guide curious kids and their grown-ups away from their screens and on a journey. Through a combination of careful scientific research and fun, you'll go inside our brains, out into space, and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology. adventures in odyssey Adventures in Odyssey is a 30-minute drama that combines the faith lessons parents appreciate with characters and stories that kids love! The official podcast gives behind-the-scenes information on the show, gives deleted scenes and answers fan questions. the alien adventures of finn caspian The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian is a serialized science-fiction story for kids, told in 15-20 minute episodes for parents to put on when driving around town, or to marathon on road trips, or to bond over before bed. The story centers on Finn Caspian, an 8-year-old boy aboard The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. He and his friends Abigail, Elias and Vale are Explorers Troop 301, taking off from the Marlowe to explore uncharted planets, help the occasional alien, and solve a mystery that threatens to destroy the Marlowe. stories podcast On the Stories Podcast , they perform a new story for your children every week. The stories range from retellings of fairy tales like Snow White to classic stories like Peter Rabbit and even completely original works. Everything is G rated and safe for all ages. The perfect kids podcast for imaginative families. but why But Why is a show led by kids. The kids ask the questions and they find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, they tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world. How Does NASA Drive The Mars Rover? Why Is The Sea Salty? Do Bumblebees Have Hearts? Why Don't Bicycles Fall Over? How Is Chocolate Made? Drop us a comment and let us know if your family listens to these regularly and we'd love to hear your recommendations on some new podcasts to try! Happy Listening! Have you seen how we use the FREE Chemistry Monopoly Game ? Get it { HERE } and start playing! Don't forget to check out our Yuck-Free Favorite Summer Activities Also see our 15 Fall Themed STEM Activities here : And our Secret Weapon to Get The Kids Ready To Go Without Yelling! Want to read more? Sign up to receive our new posts! Share this on Social Media and follow us here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram It means the world to us! This post may contain Amazon affiliate links or other affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #moms #boys #teachable #homeschool #discovery #elementaryhomeschoolcourses #highschoolhomeschoolcourses #middleschoolhomeschoolcourses #mentor #tipsforraisingmyson #BiblicalManhood #Parenting #BibleStudyforBoysf #fatherhood #discipleship #bondingwithyourchild #podcasts #listening #songs #music #stories #storytime #booksforkids

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series. You know those days when everything that can go wrong does, the kids have absolutely not listened all day and by the time you sit down for dinner as a family you are at the end of your rope? Yeah, you're with me. On days like those, the last thing I want to do is sit around that dinner table and have a chat with the family as if nothing had happened and all was bliss. In fact, if I'm fessin' up the real deep truth here, on nights like those I want to skip dinner, send everyone to their rooms with a sandwich and hope and pray for a new day to start over in the morning, because frankly, this one has gone to h-e-double hockey sticks and has no fix! Sigh. Parenting is hard. If you're going for easy, get a plant. So a couple of years ago I came up with an idea to get us all back into a calm, coherent, centered sanity as we sit down for dinner after that type of day. It has been the best way of re-connecting with our kids instead of the alternative fight or flight response mode. Enlisting my husband's help, we came up with a list of Conversation Starters that we could use with the kids at dinner time. This would refocus and reconnect us as a family, regardless of the day's circumstances. We made it fun and typed up several of these conversation starters in the form of questions, thoughts and ideas. We printed and cut them into strips. They sit in a glass square vase in the middle of our kitchen table. (I also have a second one to hold the strips we've already gone through). Each child gets to pick a strip and take turns getting the conversation started. The kids are thrilled to be able to pull out these unknown questions out of the glass and the element of surprise seems to keep the excitement going. I must say, it's the highlight of every night's dinner. Yes, especially on a mother of all bad days dinner! Thought-provoking and hot topics come up, sometimes related to what we've been dealing with in our house. Themes include Shakespeare and Marvel Superhero quotes! This is truly a way to reconnect after a difficult day and make it a pivotal time to be deliberate and intentional as we have each other's undivided focus and attention (and bonus: no one is yelling!). Get ready for deep discoveries, surprising insight and many teachable moments through meaningful topics as well as silly lighter ones. I have made changes to the original list of strips we used as more topics came to mind and appeared interesting to bring to the dinner table. They are quick and easy to put together, just print, cut and fold them in half! I would love to share these printables with you to use at your dinner table! Sign up {here} and we will email you a FREE printable of our Conversation Starters so you can start using them right away! (check your SPAM folder and be sure to add Real Moms Winging It to your safe sender list!) Wanna share our Conversation Starters with a friend? Share this post on Social Media and follow us here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram It means the world to us! How do you recoup from a mother of all bad days in your family? On a side note, I did notice that the What Plants Talk About PBS Video has really high ratings on Amazon...this is a phenomenal documentary that reveals how parent plants have no need for Conversation Starter Strips at the dinner table! Why? because they never have any mother of all bad days! Just sayin'. Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series {HERe} This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links and other Affiliate Company Links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #connecting #parenting #moms #momlife #kids #behavior #discipline #conversation #dinner #family #reconnect #silly #teachable #traditions

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series . My Child Sees Me As Imperfect. As new parents my husband and I had a lot of fears swirling through our heads. We had spent many years trying to conceive and failing, and when finally gifted with this baby we had every intention of being the very best parents we could be. Our main fear was failing at this. Soon (much too soon) we realized: He would see our struggles. He would discover our weaknesses. He would feel our challenges. He would know our setbacks. He would witness our failures. Gasp. I'm so over my fantasizing about ways to go back and make that mom (and dad) of 11 years ago see the light. I'm grateful that we have let him see us in the way we were made . Imperfect. "Mom-om! You gotta do what? You gotta finish a 30-Day Exercise Challenge?" "But you don't like exercising!" [Yeah, rub it in, kid.] Then as he encourages me up the steep hill while we walk together on that first day and I am out of breath, sweating profusely and limping with my bad knee: He sees my struggle. He discovers my weaknesses. He feels my challenge. He knows my setbacks. He witnesses my failure. My first day was not perfect. It was not a success. In this imperfection he is learning that it's not about ability, it's about effort. He is learning about that effort, about resilience, about risk, about self-confidence. He is learning about GRACE. On Day 2 of the Exercise Challenge, I went back. I did it again. The days that followed I went further, I struggled less and I finished the challenge. He was there with me. Both kids cheered me on that final day. This lesson is repeated daily as they face their own struggles, on a personal and academic level. They are worthy. As imperfect beings. We are connecting through their challenges. And through our own. "Daddy?" asks the 6 -year old. "Is there anything you're not good at?" My husband answers: "Yes, c'mon, come with me and we'll talk about it as we drive to the store to pick up a new pair of sunglasses and a new wallet because I've lost mine, again..." See? And more connecting happens... Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series {HERe} Share this post on Social Media and follow us here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram It means the world to us! This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links and other affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #connecting #parenting #moms #momlife #overthinking #failure #challenges #forgiveness #grace #struggle

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series . Getting out of the house without yelling at times requires some divine intervention... A while back, it didn't matter WHERE we were headed, there would be "incidents" that prevented us from being there on time, without major hassle and yelling and/or crying. Even if we arrived on time somewhere, everyone was frazzled and I was a mess. The old "just leave a few (or many) minutes earlier" just wasn't working. Packing everything the night before helped some , but did not eliminate the dragging and what they resent me calling "dilly-dallying" just before leaving. "Did you brush your teeth?" "Why are you still staring in the mirror?" "Where is your jacket?" "Are those the right books you're supposed to return to the library?" "What else should be packed to take with you today?" "What do you mean, you can't find it?"
"Why are you reading a book?" "And why don't you have any shoes on??????????" "We are late! Get in the caaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!" We would manage to pull out of the garage, tires shrieking, and nerves wrecked. Talk about total chaos. I've tried explaining the plan-ahead concept, I've used simple analogies, I've drawn pictures, I've made charts, I've set multiple timers, programmed alarms, on and on and on. I also tried letting them be late so that they would suffer the consequences, but really I couldn't let that happen more than a couple of times because not only was it reflecting poorly on my own time management, but the fact was that I was not equipping them with the right tools to achieve success or master that skill! We just couldn't carry on that way anymore. It was time for a new start. One night after many bouts of preparation failure all week, I came up with a new system. It was what I hoped would help me connect with them through the daily chaos, reach each one in a way that would be effective and bring an end to the tardy struggle --ALL WITHOUT YELLING! My Secret Weapon: The Golden Ticket. The kids were thrilled when I handed these out the next day. You guys, believe me on this: not only do I no longer have to yell, but I don't even need to TALK! I simply (and calmly -- what????) hand out the Golden Tickets!!! They each get one and start the routine, mostly all on their own! No dilly-dallying, they now have a purpose, a plan, a ticket that gets punched only once we are ALL in the car (I keep my hole puncher in the car's center compartment - this part is key to getting them IN the car with their Golden Ticket in hand) and that is a huge accomplishment! They proudly keep their collection of completed Golden Tickets in the car and once EACH kid has 10 perfectly punched-out tickets, we head out to get a treat! Sometimes it's frozen yogurt, other times it's a family movie from the red kiosk. It's always something simple and inexpensive, but offers a huge impact when we are able to connect through the chaos with no yelling and reinforce the positive outcome with a simple reward! The Golden Ticket has eliminated the stress and the tardiness, and created a FUN way to be on time! The design is simple with picture icons that even the littlest non-reading kids can follow. Yes, start them early. this can be a successful discipline strategy starting at those early ages! I won't pretend like we don't have days when a certain child makes it to the car with his shirt on inside-out (can I get an Amen from those Moms who know my pain?) but I'll tell you that despite the wardrobe malfunction, his Golden Ticket is ready to be punched out completely because he's completed all of the steps! And that's a really great day in our book! Sign up {here} and we will email you a FREE printable of the Golden Ticket so you can start using it with your children right away! Wanna share the Golden Ticket with a friend? Share this post on Social Media and follow us here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram It means the world to us! Tell us what your routine to get out of the house on time looks like! Do you have some creative ideas you can share? We love hearing from you! Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series { HERE } This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links and other Affiliate Links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #lateforschool #beingtardy #secretweapon #goldenticket #getready #parenting #kids #momlife #backtoschool #connecting

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series. "... He lets the hyper hybrid power source take over and maneuver its way through the nefarious Hull-filled atmosphere...Abort. Abort! Danger ahead! ..." This goes on for several more minutes, as I hold my morning mug and try to stay alert to grasp the foreign language brick adventure lingo my 11 and 6 year olds use daily to communicate. I listen. I frown. I nod in agreement or shake my head in disbelief (the bad guy has done whaaat???) I ask questions, even if they are Lame Level 10 questions. I will admit there have been times I was less than amused by all the silly fantasy, loud unruly shenanigans all over the house, and just their quirky activities. Do you have the children who show profound interest in a topic or activity and pursue it passionately? My dear friend Carol is uber-talented at sitting on the floor with my boys and talking Legos, and she's the queen of conversation extenders! It appears second nature to her, as I've seen her do this with other children and other interests. She engages as if nothing else is happening in the world at that very moment, because she is IN THEIR WORLD. My oldest son said to me the other day when Miss Carol was reaching into his Lego bins and I followed along pretending to be up on my hip Lego swagger, "I love it when you talk Legos, Mom!" Yes, there was a total tone of surprise in his voice because let's face it, who CAN remember the different names of all the plastic molded thingies that litter his bedroom floor on any given day? But those are his creations. They are part of his world. They are important to him. And I show that I'm embracing his individuality and speaking his language (well, sorta, on the language part). Regardless of their age, whether their passion is the outdoors, nature, crafting, sewing, baseball, cooking, building, singing, dancing, drawing, computers, comic books, Math, History, being superheros... Step into their world and give them the affirmation, the security, the affection, the unconditional acceptance they long for when they show you their uniqueness and what makes them one-of-a-kind. They are inviting you to see it through their eyes. You are being afforded a glimpse of their sense of wonder and excitement, a glimpse of what could likely be their gift to the world. At that very moment, it is their gift to you. Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series {HERe} Share this post on Social Media and follow us here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram It means the world to us! This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #connecting #parenting #Summer #moms #momlife #overthinking #imagination #play #building #hobby #bricks #makebelieve #pretend #dressup #creativity

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series Around this time last year I was having the most difficult time in my relationship with my oldest son. To say we were in crisis would be accurately describing it. I had tried all the ways I knew how to motivate him to do what I thought was best and had failed. Yeah, did you catch that? Our interactions became so stressful. He was frustrated and I was unyielding. I didn't know what else to do (punishment, positive motivation, prayer). Have you been there? A dear friend rescued me. Aware that I was going through this, she showed up on my doorsteps, un-announced, during one of my desperate attempts to fix it all, one day. I am so grateful I have beautiful amazing friends to grow wise with, as we wing this Mom gig together. Cherish those friends in your lives, be that friend, dear Moms! Her visit was a turning point for me (because I don't wanna call it an intervention). I realized my son's love language is what I needed to KNOW and LIVE OUT if I wanted to reach him. Yes, I heard it straight from him. Knowing this and taking action has been transformative. [read some of my other Connecting With Your Child posts for more on this.] Then just last month, I found something that perfectly fits his love language. The Between Mom & Me - Mother Son Journal . I've known that my son always saves every little note I write to him. He hangs on to every heart shaped post-it that I stick on his laptop screen. But I was not prepared for this. I read through the journal and decided to introduce it to him and start using it this week. Honestly, I just hoped I could keep it together and not bawl through every page I wrote or read. We've done four pages. So far just ONE page lacked bawling. The other three, forgetttaboutit. Katie Clemons , a brilliant author and mom herself, created this journal so Mom and Child can record memories together, swap stories, compare perspectives and explore common and unique interests. Letters back and forth and interactive lists invite you both to reflect, write, and doodle about topics timely to your life as your son builds self-confidence.
The intro has a Mom's Perspective note with great ideas on how to implement this. I love that Katie writes, "...boys can also feel uncomfortable or embarrassed to share intimate things aloud --like "hey Mom, I have armpit hair now!" I laughed and imagined that type of randomness out of my son making its way into our journal...which of course, I would be totally open to! Of course. [Putting in my request now for Katie to work on a Dad and Son Journal next, please and thank you!] Here are some inside pages where you can see some of what you and your son will be writing/drawing: Katie also has a NEWLY Released Mom & Daughter Journal , called Love, Mom and Me . Besides the writing itself, my son's other favorite part of this is that we get to pick a special spot (read: no little brother meddling) where we place the journal in order to pass it back and forth when we're done with our entries. We decided that when he finishes writing his page he places it in between the stack of books on my night stand. When I finish reading what he wrote and replying, I place it in between the stack of books next to his bed, too! See it there, three books down from Luke Skywalker? Yellow pencil tucked into his page? Guess what is the first thing he does when he wakes up in the mornings? Twice now he came running to wake me up and I got the best, most heartfelt I-love-you with a hug. But the first time it was followed by some eye-opening, heartrending words. After hugging me, he said: "I always knew you loved me, but it makes me feel loved when I read all of that and know that you took time to write it, not just say it."
Seriously, people. Am I just too busy or caught up in the days that I couldn't see this before??? Yes, since my last stress crisis , I had definitely slowed down from the frantic scheduling and accomplishment-driven mode in hyper academics, volunteering commitments, and everything else in between, BUT I had NOT taken that very same energy and determination to focus on the heart matters. I had NOT given it priority. Have you been there? If I would prioritize tending to his heart as much as I prioritize tending to his academics, his sports, his extracurricular, his faith, his volunteering, his social life... The journal is not just back and forth individual writing, some of the pages you and your son get to do together! We have made time to sit together, uninterrupted to work on the pages at the same time. I can't tell you how precious those minutes were! I also imagine, as Katie very much intended, what it will be like to pick up this journal in 5 and even 10 years. Don't even get me started. The waterworks. I saw that one of the pages we haven't done yet has this prompt question from your son to you: "Tell me about a relative I didn't get to know well." My own Mom. I get to write the best funniest, fun, loving, and treasured memories about her to my son who was so little when she went to Heaven. I'm gonna need to do this one during deep sobbing, shuddering-shoulder, ugly-cry day when I'm home alone. Penciling it in now, right after my pedicure. I purchased this journal myself and received no monetary compensation for it or for writing this post. My opinions here are truly because we love this and the additional emotional connection and bonding it has provided my son and me. Now here is the page of our journal I am able to share with you because it was funny and I only teared up a little bit as I smiled writing it to him. His page with the same question about me, however, did me in. Yep. Not gonna lie. But he did write that he "gets his sarcastic humor from me." Which I thought was hillarious. No idea what he's talking about! This is my page, writing to him: UPDATE: I have included some additional pics of pages my son agreed to share here. The one about Growing Up was SO key to our chat about his feelings on the future (what he feels nervous and worries about). Of course, the puberty part is just a whole other post, eek. We were interviewed and featured in The Wall Street Journal article " The Secret To Getting Your Teen To Talk " -- fun! I truly hope you get this and/or the Mother and Daughter Journal and start crafting these special stories with love, fun, and goofiness! Katie also offers some exclusive resources such as inside cover, fun printable pockets and bookmarks, embellishment techniques and more, to enhance the mother-child "story-catching" as she calls it. You can access those via a special link printed inside your journal. As for us, we will continue the journaling throughout the next school year. I think it will be crucial to maintain this momentum my son and I have going, and it will remind me to tend to his heart FIRST when the high-stress demanding scheduling starts again. Also available on Amazon here: Read more posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series { HERE } This post may contain Amazon affiliate links or other affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #moms #boys #teachable #gratitude #connecting #bonding #journal #challenge #love #communication

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series. I was talking to a friend who is a mom of boys and she was expressing concern over how little physical contact she was making with her sons, now that they were growing older. They were so independent all of a sudden that they never really seemed to have the need to be hugged, held, touched anymore. I get it. They've become discoverers, curiosity-led beings, too busy thinking of the next thing. And yes, many of us don't have the naturally touchy-feely child, OR aren't naturally touchy-feely ourselves! But, this is what we must keep in mind: It is IMPORTANT that you DELIBERATELY touch your child every day. Studies provide much evidence pointing to the importance of touch. It is a critical factor in growth and development; not just when studied on human children, but positive effects of touch have been demonstrated in a wide range of organisms, from worm larvae to rat pups! For babies, touch is easy to incorporate because you are not only providing it in a functional way, but also emotionally. Secure attachment bonding is critical to communicate with your baby. But they grow older and this becomes a challenge as children, both boys and girls, develop preferences and you are forced to read their cues more closely. Here's a key point to make it simple: Touching can occur in the form of high fives, pats on the back, friendly bump, hair stroking, back scratch, hand hold, hand squeeze, rough and tumble play, wrestling, and many other forms! The important thing is that they feel your presence and the physical touch is nurturing and affirming. Appropriate and consistent physical contact is crucial in healthy bonding and connecting with your child. How do you maintain a physical bond with your child? Image: Freepik Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series {HERe} Share this post on Social Media and follow us here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram It means the world to us! This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #fruit #cooking #connecting #parenting #Summer #moms #momlife #overthinking

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series. I am guilty of overthinking projects I am about to start, have started or am about to complete. I get all worked up in the details ensuring I will have grand, elaborate, meaningful, tangible results so our time and efforts will be deemed worthy -- by my impossibly high standards...which I myself often can't meet. #truthbomb Really, that is NOT the Real Moms Winging It way. Think about it. I am not making ANY connection whatsoever with a child who is on the receiving end of all this overthinking. None. At times I rationalize it by saying "there's nothing wrong with wanting to have everything planned so that your child is successful in xyz project..." Oooooh, yes there is. The best projects are the ones that provide spontaneous deep connections, both educationally and emotionally. How spontaneous and connecting is all of my overthinking, overplanning, overstressing? You don't have to build a nuclear fusion reactor in your kitchen, even if you think your child could. You can find spontaneous deep connection in a simple project of building a cardboard solar oven, cooking hot dogs and eating them together. Build a scrapbook and share pictures you can reminisce and laugh about. Build a silly board game that's easy enough the whole family can enjoy, little ones included. Build a fort out of cardboard boxes and sleep in it with the kids. Learn to play an instrument together. Design and plant a garden. Research a country's cuisine and create a menu to cook together and enjoy. Whatever "project" you choose, make sure it's not about the results and instantly turning it into a pass or fail scenario in your mind (a-hem, I'm in recovery). There will be plenty of those in his/her life. And the truth is, if you really wanna talk results-oriented, uh, well, all the formal processes and scrutinizing, overthinking and analyzing will NOT result in the spontaneous relatable special moments your child will remember! Just sayin'. Go and start a project, will ya! Tell us what project you're working on or have completed that brought a spontaneous deep connection to your relationship with your child. PSSST, because it's Summer, you may also wanna check out my list of 15 Favorite YUCK-FREE Summer Activities! I had to whip up this list quickly because my boys were way early in bringing me their first "surprise" gift of the season! Find out what it was and how we are having SO much fun and staying [mostly] sane so far this Summer! Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series {HERe} This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #cooking #connecting #parenting #Summer #moms #momlife #overthinking #project #spontaneous #diy

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series. Don't Leave, Mom. Like many moms, we are almost always on the go. Last year I faced big challenges and stress and have been recovering after making some life-changing compromises. I often encourage my kids to go do something or they find something to do on their own and become occupied so that I can go accomplish a task, or ten. Time passes and I'm cramming things in while they are off entertaining themselves. Yes, I'm quite proud of the fact that they can be resourceful and come up with activities on their own. Yes, I'm glad they are somewhat self-reliant and can problem-solve and carry on with a project on their own. Yes, I'm thrilled that they can be content with the simplicity of our home and spend hours creating, crafting, make-believing and don't need a Disney-esque house or backyard to explore. But you know what I find myself doing that I am NOT proud, nor glad, nor thrilled about? Dropping and running. Sending them off. Setting up and dashing away.
So recently, I have started to change that. [Confession time: You guys, this is HARD!!! I am the person who blocks out chunks of time just so I can power through high productivity and attempt to "do it all" even if I know I can't . Changing that is NOT my nature!] Making this change has literally shocked them. In a nice surprise kind of way. Wanna know what I make it a point to do more of now? I linger. I don't run to get my ten tasks accomplished in a mad efficiency-driven frenzy, hopefully uninterrupted. I watch them navigate through their choices and begin an activity. Then I just stay. Their initial reaction is "uhhh, aren't you gonna go be busy now?" , "what are you still doing here?", "wait - are you just paying attention to me?" Engagement and play is important. But do you ever think that our children may just need our wholehearted presence? Not the helicopter-mom type. That's not what I mean. Just the I am here, I am glad you are you, I love being here more than anything else in the world right now, type. WHEN I LINGER, THEY KNOW THIS. Even if it's just for ten minutes, my lingering is a gift to me, not just them. When I linger I am available emotionally and physically. Unconditionally . It does not require me to do anything, in fact it requires me to do exactly nothing . Nothing else on my list. Just linger. Nothing in my hand, nothing on my lap, nothing on my mind. I occasionally get a glance and a wink from the oldest. And the little brings me a Lego head, smiles and goes back to play. Their eyes are full of wonder, their mannerisms, their little quirks, it all changes so quickly. Look into their eyes. Revel in those fleeting moments. I am not hurrying off to do more important work... I am lingering. Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series {HERE} photo credit @aaronburden Happily featured on: This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #connecting #parenting #moms #kids #stressfree #gratitude #grateful #overscheduled #overworked #underpressure #hyperparenting

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series , and I really thought this one was going to be a WIN, a breeze, easy-peasy because ya know, simple is good. It's Summer and my youngest LOVES cooking. He squealed when opening his box of Kidstir , the Award-Winning Kids Cooking Club subscription. He can spend hours in the kitchen with us reading the recipes, filling up the measuring cups, mixing and watching the oven! It is truly a great bonding experience and one that is unique to his personality (my oldest son has absolutely no interest and will only learn to cook so he doesn't grow up and starve to death). The bonding and connecting through an interest your child displays, such as cooking together, offers numerous benefits. It strengthens self esteem as they are able to "do it themselves", builds and reinforces Math, Reading and Science (Chemistry) skills , develops fine motor skills , and increases their sense of discovery and willingness to try out new foods ...more on that later (yeah stay with me, it will be epic). So, I suggested we whip up a fun Summer treat together! Since we're outside in the heat playing for a good part of the day, I asked his opinion on making homemade fruit pops, ya know the kind without the artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. He LOVED the idea and so I ordered these nifty fruit pop bags , bought some seasonal fruit and got started! In a blender my Happy Little Chef added: 3 cups of chunks of watermelon , 3/4 C water, 1 tbsp Maple Syrup. I made a separate batch and added chopped-up mint leaves because we adults love fruit with mint, we're fancy that way. Once liquefied, we filled the bags, tied them and placed them in a bowl in the freezer. Easy-peasy, just don't make my mistake of overfilling the bags or it can be tricky to tie them. A few hours later they were ready and my son was THRILLED to pull them out of the freezer! We played chefs in the kitchen, we learned, we chatted, we bonded, we connected... Best afternoon ever, right? I handed out the fruit pops and we all began to pierce the corner of the bag and enjoy the fruity deliciousness. Or so I thought. I turn around and my son, yes the Happy Little Chef, is BAWLING his eyes out! WHAAAAAAAAAAT? Have I poisoned my child, did he swallow a bug, have I missed something terribly or caused him fruitpop harm in some way??? What is the big catastrophe happening before my eyes? I hold him while prying his mouth open to assess any emergency maneuvers I may have to perform. Nothing. All clear except for the waterworks. He finally manages to get out a sobbing "I - I - I - I Just don't like watermelon AT ALL!" followed by the most heart-wrenching I-just-lost-my-best-friend type of hip-cupping. The biggest disappointment of his 6-year-old life has just unfolded in the form of a WATERMELON Fruitpop, really? Sigh. Another #momfail [those are watermelon tears] We're going on a special fruit-shopping trip to the Farmer's Market tomorrow, to pick out a less traumatizing ingredient. Hopefully, this will also be a bonding and connecting experience and my Mom of the Year Award will not be revoked. I'll keep you posted. DISCLAIMER: No children were harmed in the making of this post. No, really. He's totally fine. We've bonded and connected over many other cooking experiences since. Try some Homemade Fruit Pops and let me know how the kids enjoy them! And for pete's sake, help me out and post their favorite fruit combinations in the comments, will you please? Thank you, friends! Read MORE posts from our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series {HERE} This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #fruit #cooking #connecting #parenting #Summer #popscicles #moms #selfesteem #bonding #Math #Reading #Chemistry #discovery #food #fruitpop

We are SO excited to announce that in just 10 short days we will be joining an incredible group of moms to bring you the BEST of 10 Days Series ! Real Moms Winging It will be featuring 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child, a series of posts that will touch on the challenges of relationships between moms and kids and ideas on how to reach and connect! Be sure to LIKE and follow us on our Facebook Page {here} to stay up to date. Check out our daily posts here: Day 1 - Connecting Through Cooking...and Crying. Day 2 - Connecting Through the Lingering... Day 3 - Connecting With Your Child: Start a Project. No, Not That Kind . Day 4 - Connecting Through Conversation [when you've had the mother of all bad days!] * Includes exclusive FREEBIE ! Day 5 - Connecting Through Touch. Day 6 - Our Most Difficult Bonding: Mother - Son. Day 7 - Connecting Through Their World. Day 8 - Connecting Through the Challenges. Day 9 - Connecting Through the Chaos: the Secret Weapon to get kids ready to go without yelling! * Includes exclusive FREEBIE ! Day 10 - Coming Soon! Visit these 10 Days Series Bloggers: #parenting #connecting #family #kids #stress #challenge

I sat quietly on the edge of the couch, wrapped by a soft fuzzy blanket my 6 year old brought over. For three weeks I've watched my husband discuss growing into manhood topics from The Journey Into Manhood Father's Starter Kit by Manhood Journey & City on a Hill Studio , sent to us by the company. This is a review from their experience and a humble lesson from my ever-so-grateful motherhood perspective. Many of you have noticed the blog has been quiet lately. (Thank you for your love and kindness). My family and I have struggled through my health problems, medical procedures, and most recently my husband's job loss, which was unexpected and completely unjust. We have felt wrecked. As I watched this man I have been married to for 25 years usher our two sons through a study of growing into a Godly man, I wept. This study couldn't have come at a better time, I silently gave thanks. The six week nondenominational program for fathers and sons can be used one on one or with a group. (If used in a group setting, the leader would take on the role of a male mentor). This first module is titled Embarking and focuses on preparing for the journey ahead and gathering The Five Big Rocks they will carry into manhood. The kit also includes a copy of the poignant book Wise Guys by co-founder Kent Evans . As women and moms we are constantly attacked by feelings of inadequacy and the fear of not being good enough . I can not fathom the devastatingly similar experience faced by a man and father. This week I learned valuable lessons as I watched my husband, who had been rejected and deemed unworthy by men, leading with all the confidence beyond the uncertainties. I watched him paradoxically stand as this powerhouse of fatherhood and fall to his knees as the example in humility of manhood. Because in his brokenness, he leads. Paradox. Irony. Incongruity. Absurdity. Whatever I choose to call it. It seems incomprehensible, but so is his faith. Unshaken, he leads. The fun activities (The Five Big Rocks) were a great hands-on visual for the kids. The discussion time shared afterward was an opportunity to really focus on the meaning and purpose of everyday words and actions. Here are bits of a more in-depth discussion they closed with: The following week, while they worked on their journal, I showed up and of course was all too happy to opine (micromanage) right up on their activity. Yes, yes I did. My husband politely gave me the look and when I didn’t quite get it, he held up the cover of the book and pointed to the word “ MAN hood”. Why, whatever could he mean?!! I continued right on with my helpful input . Finally, he looked at the boys and said, “C’mon boys, I think we need to take this MAN- ly meeting to the next level." And so they did. [Excuse the Winter glow and unashamedly gratuitous shirtlessness, but there was a point to this. Whatevs.] Kid on the left is clearly practicing posing with his herculean six-pack without taking a breath. Man-ly. That’s right, guys. Go on wichyobadself. We do what we do best. I do Mom. He does Dad. I laughed out loud. Knowing this precious time of acceptance, nurturing, bonding, affirmation and love will have a lifelong impact on our sons, I smiled. What is the true measure of a man? I watch as he boldly leads them in humility and integrity through the storms of life. Find out more about what's included in the kit from Manhood Journey & City On A Hill Studio { HERE }: Group Discussion Guide 1 on 1 Discussion Guide DVD for all 6 modules 10 Maprochures Free Book: Wise Guys Price: $29.99 Have you seen how we use the FREE Chemistry Monopoly Game ? Get it { HERE } and start playing! Don't forget to check out our Yuck-Free Favorite Summer Activities Also see our 15 Fall Themed STEM Activities here : And our Secret Weapon to Get The Kids Ready To Go Without Yelling! Want to read more? Sign up to receive our new posts! Share this on Social Media and follow us here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram It means the world to us! This post may contain Amazon affiliate links or other affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy. #moms #boys #teachable #homeschool #discovery #elementaryhomeschoolcourses #highschoolhomeschoolcourses #middleschoolhomeschoolcourses #mentor #tipsforraisingmyson #BiblicalManhood #Parenting #BibleStudyforBoysf #FatherSonBibleStudy #fatherhood #discipleship #bondingwithyourchild