The minute you put on a chipper voice and an exaggerated smile and try to lure them into enjoying whatever grand activity you’ve planned for them, the sooner they would just rather eat dirt then lie down in it. Moms put an immense amount of pressure on themselves to be perfect and do perfectly and look perfect. It’ll never happen, but we still aim for it. That’s the bad news. The good news is this… we can stop aiming so high because kids don’t need Shock and Awe. They just need Your Love and Attention.
# RoutineResearch is nearly unanimous. Children love routine. The end. They may not love every single aspect of your daily routine, but they love knowing what’s next.
# BoundariesLack of boundaries actually causes insecurity in children. So what are boundaries? Essentially, boundaries are what your child can and cannot do. These will be the house rules, the daily expectations, and will align with your values. You don’t need to have tons of rules to raise a responsible child, but you do need to communicate the rules you have to your family.
# SleepingWe mothers may not like staying home a lot to let them nap, and we may not want to take the time to teach healthy sleep habits, but we all want our children (and ourselves) to enjoy the benefits of rest. It may seem like a pipe dream, but those with well-rested kids know… kids who go to bed are much happier.
# Staying at HomeSure we go places, we do things, we see people. We don’t hole up at home and lead boring lives. Okay maybe we do lead boring lives. But here’s the kicker… the kids like it. Yesterday the kids made veggie and fruit stew, they ran through the water hose, they jumped on the trampoline, they made dirt pies, and they just played.