A Gumball Machine Creates A Learning Experience

My kids had some extra spending money left over from the Holidays.  The other day, trying to utilize some time during a very long weekend, I decided to take them shopping.  They each had $25 to spend on something special.  We discussed some options on the way to the mall-sea monkies, football gloves, nail polish, the possibilities were endless.  So off we went to shop!

My daughter loves all things sparkly so it was difficult to keep her focused.  But she told me in no uncertain terms that she would not be going to Claire’s to get the Elsa baseball hat with a braid.  She didn’t need it.  But she did need a special book with a Frozen theme.  It had some word searches, places to “write in the word bubble”, and the old scratch pictures that I remember from my childhood.  (Remember when you colored with crayons, making sections of color, and then covered it with black paint?  Then you carefully scratched away the areas you wanted the color to show.  They make whole books like this now.  It makes me smile remembering my own art experiences.)  Truthfully, I was not enchanted by this gift choice since we already own a LOT of art stuff, but it was her choice to make.  But it was all worth it when she made a family portrait!  I just LOVE children’s art.

My son, on the other hand, made me walk around the mall so he could make an informed decision.  The irony-he hates shopping and he hates the mall.  But this was an important purchase, at least to him.  We walked around looking at all of the crap that kids love and parents hate.  Guess what he picked?  A gumball machine!  (Yes, another great item to compliment our cotton candy machine.)  He was bursting with pride as he showed it to his Dad.

Today he informed me that he was going to sell gum so he could make more money.  He concocted this business plan that included selling hot cocoa and gum in order to purchase more gumballs.  When I informed him that we don’t have enough cocoa at the moment to meet the demand, he said he was going to hire assistants.  The assistants will bring the cocoa. The other steps to his plan include making his own money and an invitation to the sale.  We are going to mail these out soon, so keep an eye out in your mailbox.  But the idea that he made a fairly elaborate business plan after purchasing a gumball machine is kind of awesome!

One gumball machine utilized my child’s creativity, math skills, reading, writing, working cooperatively with peers, and it was fun.  I thought my children picked out more junk for me to keep track of, but there was so much more to the $17 that we spent that day.

Giving Makes Your Heart Feel Full

“When your kids grow up in a house where giving is a priority, they start to see themselves differently because they see other people differently.  Other people become significant, and doing things for others becomes a priority.  The antidote for selfishness isn’t a theory; it’s an action, and that action is giving.”

-Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze

As the dust settles and life returns to normal after the buzz of the holidays, it is often a time for reflection.  There are a few days left of this year and people start thinking about new year’s resolutions. There are the goals that are attainable and the reaches that seem a little lofty.  But none the less, it is important to think about what can be accomplished if you try.  For these are the lessons that we can pass on to our children.

One of my favorite memories from the holiday preparation was from my son.  He decided on his own to use his own money to buy a present for his Dad.  He carefully selected a small notebook at the school book fair.  He wanted my husband to have a place to write important notes in.  It was priceless, as was his face when he gave this heartfelt gift.

This morning, my daughter told me she wanted to give some of her older toys to kids in at a Children’s Hospital who did not have any toys.  So as she clutched her new doll and waited patiently to paint her nails with her new nail polish, she thought of someone else.

The concept of giving is a difficult one for younger children because they are so egocentric.  According to Saul McLeud egocentrism refers to the child’s inability to see a situation from another person’s point of view. According to Piaget, the egocentric child assumes that other people see, hear, and feel exactly the same as the child does.  This stage generally is most commonly seen between the ages of 2 and 7, but still exists well beyond that time frame in some form.  This explains why we are faced with our children’s “it’s all about me” mindset-to some extent they just can’t help it.

I have started to think about my resolutions for the coming year.  I hope to be more patient, more understanding, and more physically fit.  I hope my children will have similar ideas about their goals for 2015.  But I will lead by example  first.  I will make sure that thinking of the needs of others-family, friends, neighbors, or complete strangers, is a part of our daily routine.

So as you clean up the wrapping paper, eat the last few Christmas cookies, and watch the kids play with their new games and toys, consider making a resolution about giving that will last the whole year long.  It makes your heart feel full and that is magical.

Mom, did you see that commercial?

It’s crunch time and everyone is rushing around trying put all of the finishing touches in order.  Filling out the last minute holiday cards, baking goodies, and wrapping presents-it’s exhausting!  And then you get the call from the other room.  “Mom, you need to see this commercial.  Come quick.”  You think to yourself-what is it this time…

As adults we have learned to tune out commercials designed get us to spend money.  We don’t really need the next best thing they are advertising.  But I have to hand it to the people who know exactly how to reel in the kids.  They come up with wonderful jingles (you know the tune to 677-241-LUNA.)  They sell items that “Control the Mess” (thank you Snackeez.)  And of course, the items that make them want to watch MORE television!

But the best part is when they advertise days before Christmas, Hannukah, birthdays, etc. and you already completed your shopping.  That’s what happened in my house.  So there I was trying to fulfill a little girls dream and make sure Santa brings a cotton candy machine.  Yes, you read that correctly.

If you know me, you know how much I am dreading a)finding a cotton candy machine, b)the mess that will come with it, and c)the fact that it totally unhealthy.  But in the spirit of Christmas I unlisted my husband’s help to find this treasured item.  And you know what happens days before Christmas when the cotton candy machine commercials are on-people buy them.  (Translation-you cannot find them in stores and most online stores are out of stock.)  Yay!

So as I watch the snow fall, admire my Christmas tree, and eat cookies, I pray that the cotton candy machine arrives.  You see, it was supposed to arrive 2 days ago.  But they say that Santa is magical so I have to believe that everything will work out in the end.

Note to self- do not let children watch television for a month prior to any major event.  Or have kids sign a letter with their top 3 desired items and make sure they understand they cannot change it at any point in time!

Good luck fulfilling all of your last minute holiday to-dos!

Don’t Miss the Magic!

As I lay in bed thinking of my extra long holiday to-do list, I had a realization.  They get it.  My children are actually grasping the concept of giving and brightening someone else’s day.  It is not just about their own lists to Santa.  (The bells inside my head began to chime in symphony!)

I had barely crossed the threshold on my way home from work last night and my son asked me for a gift bag.  My response went something like this- “Buddy, can I take my jacket off before the requests start?”  He couldn’t help himself, he kept asking until I had produced a small bag for him to use.  As I puttered around the house, I didn’t notice that he had gone outside.  When he came home he had a big smile on his face and told me he just left some candy on the doorstep of our neighbor secretly to make her smile.  It was his hand-crafted random act of kindness!

Last year we completed a random act of kindness for each day in the month of December.  It was my attempt at getting my children to understand about giving to others instead of getting caught up in the “gimmes.”  This year, I am sad to say, that time got away from me and we did not do it.  But my son and daughter have been talking more and more about what to buy for the special people in their lives.  They have asked about helping others.  They have made crafts to give to special friends.  They have demonstrated to me that they understand the magic of this season and want to share this with people.

Maybe this is typical for this age.  I knew this year Christmas would be big since my children are at the perfect ages to grasp more of the traditions.  Their memories from holidays past are more vivid.  They can conjure up the warm feelings from years past as a way of preparing for this season’s festivities.  But I have been so busy thinking about the gifts to purchase, the cookies to bake, and sending out the cards, that I almost missed it.  I didn’t stop and take enough time to absorb their knowledge.  And this wasn’t the first time…

I am guilty of always having a to-do list.  I am also guilty of wanting to cross things off the list.  I get so caught up in getting it done that I forget to stop and smell the roses.  I have forgotten how to stay focused on what really matters (taken from the title of Carla Naumburg’s new book Parenting in the Present Moment.)  And I know I am not alone.  I keep telling myself not to get caught up in all of the mundane household tasks that surround me (and my husband is my constant reminder of this, to his credit.)

So I have decided that with 13 days to go until Christmas and a New Year right around the corner, I am going to make some changes.  I am going to leave the guilt at the door.  There isn’t enough room in my world for it.  And I am going to stop and be more present with my children.  I am going to sit, snuggle, and watch a holiday special on tv with them.  Did you ever stop to recognize that virtually all of the holiday shows, Rudolf, the Grinch, Charlie Brown, depict dramas of acceptance?  (I missed that too.)  I don’t want to look back on these special years and recall the sibling rivalry around gingerbread houses fueled by being overtired from staying up late a Cocoa Night.  I want to delight in the traditions.

This morning my daughter gave me a hug and said “Mom, can we do something special as a family today?”  As I hugged her warmly my reply was simple, “YES!”  We are going to get our Christmas tree.  We might make some cookies, we might get those cards out, and we might make some ornaments.  But I am most certainly going to make a concerted effort to take a moment to enjoy the magic of the season with my own little elves.

And I challenge you to leave the guilt at the door and enjoy the season as well!

The Hidden Dangers of Toys

Toy safety, thinking about the hidden dangers of toys, is not for the overprotective parent.  Did you know that if you child swallows more than one magnet it can cause the intestine to twist and cause serious damage?  Did you know that latex balloons cause more choking deaths that any other toy?  Did you know that I had to go to the ER as a child because I stuck a rock up my nose?  (The last item is not on the “bad toy” list.  But you should remind your children not to stick any items up their nose, in their ears, well you get the idea.)

We don’t want to hover over our children while they play.  Independent play is slowly becoming something that kids are forgetting how to do.  We want the kids to be able to explore, create, and learn without a lot of adult intervention.  So choose the toys carefully!

Refer to Claire McCarthy’s recommendations in the attached article.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/mdmama/2014/12/the_trouble_in_toyland_report_read_this_before_you_shop.html

Nothing says the Holidays like Elf on the Shelf

Did you ever imagine your life as a parent with a doll that needed to be carefully placed each night after the little people went to bed?  It is one of the many things I never thought about before I became a Mom.  We were given our elf, Jack Cereal  (the cereal part of his name is because he looks like one of the guys from the Rice Crispies box), four years ago.  At that time, I had no idea of the allure or the mystery an army of elves could add to Christmas.

Jack is a part of our holiday traditions that I love in the beginning of December and loathe by the 20th.  Trying to remember to move him around each night and be clever in the process is a bit taxing.  But my kids LOVE Jack!  Watching their sense of wonder as they look around the house to see where he has been and what mischief he has found is what makes it all worth it.

We don’t use Jack in a punitive way to report to Santa.  I know that is part of its design-to keep the kiddies in line as the Christmas chaos ensues.  But we do it for the fun!  Threatening doesn’t generally work at any time of the year.  And if you threaten the toys from Santa doesn’t that work against the spirit of the season?  Besides, it gets a little creepy to watch the kids with their eyes bugging out trying to determine if the elf is going to report them.  We don’t really need a conspiracy theory to add to all the holiday drama.

So I will try to be creative with my Elf on the Shelf.  I will use props like toilet paper, dry erase markers, and powdered sugar all in the name of making my children smile.  And to inspire my fellow Moms and Dads who actually like dreaming up silly Elf antics!  Not to mention the fact that my husband and I like to collaborate to make the kids laugh.

As you dream up the perfect location each night for your elf to land, remember these memories will last a lifetime.  You are giving your children and yourselves a magical holiday gift.  Perhaps your Elf creativity will help inspire your children in some way.  And if you lack inspiration, remember that if you google “Elf on the Shelf”  you can find all kinds of good ideas.  (We can discuss life before google at another time.)

Feel free to share your elf pictures if the spirit moves you!