The words “children” and “food” are often synonymous with the phrase “picky eaters.” So, how do you create your family meal planner to where it isn’t a complete nightmare and still include healthy meals for your kids? It all starts with establishing routines that will essentially do the hard work for you. Yes, even you working mama!
You’ve probably heard the “teach a man to fish” instead of just “giving him a fish” analogy, but have you ever considered applying that to your family habits? We live in a “now” society which makes it hard to delegate or even think of letting someone complete a task for us that we could possibly do better and faster. We understand monetary investments, so why is it so hard to apply the same strategy to time? Ultimately, taking an extra 10-15 minutes a day now to empower your kids will pay off in the future as well as teach them to be confident and courageous in their own skin. Here are 3 ideas for family habits that will help in regard to empowering children.
While school will start back up soon, we are currently still in the thick of summer. As we near its bittersweet end, it is likely that “bored” monster has reared its head a time or two. What kids activities are left to do? At this point you’ve probably already taken your family vacation and are mentally gearing up for fall. Unfortunately the weather is still heating up and your kids aren’t cooling down wanting last minute summer activities or family friendly games for kids. Your summer schedule worked, but you’re likely looking for some last minute things to do, without much effort or much money. Sure you could pinterest “sensory kits” or subscribe to those cool toy services, but those take time and budget you’d rather not spend. The key is to look around your home and use what you already have. Here are 10 ideas for keeping your children occupied through the end of summer or whenever they need an activity.
Oftentimes when we think of a family calendar or a shareable calendar in general, it instills a sense of structure and rule following; however, have you ever thought about using your family planner as a way to incorporate fun and memories that will last a lifetime? You’re probably familiar with Benjamin Franklin’s quote “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Sure it rings true for major life decisions and such, but it also is relevant for family traditions that help make everyday moments memorable. We go into each year with good intentions both professionally and personally, but those don’t bear fruit unless we make a plan. This is specifically important with leisurely moments, as those tend to get overlooked due to the business of our over-scheduled lives. Don’t feel bad, do something about it! We struggle with it too, which is why we suggested performing simple actions like blocking off your lunch hour on your digital calendar, as a reminder to take time for yourself and avoid burnout.
Hearth Display is built to be the first ever comprehensive family operating system.
What exactly does that mean, though? An operating system, or "OS," is a technology term defined as “the software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals”, or “software that communicates with the hardware and allows other programs to run”.
Having just moved from Washington D.C. to Denver, Colorado, we were so excited to have some of new mom Carrie Radford’sprecious time. Besides caring for her daughter Margot and her husband Ben, she is a photographer and marketing guru, currently leading marketing efforts at Metalmark Fine Jewelry. Keep reading for her take on thriving through the madness of life and bringing order (and fun!) to her family.
Summer fun isn’t just on the horizon. It is here! While parents and kids alike are excited for the sunshine and lazy days, don’t sleep on the importance of keeping a summer schedule for kids even throughout their time away from school. We have already discussed how daily schedules for kids can reduce stress and anxiety. During the warmer months it is no different. It may be tempting to just up your child’s screen time, but avoiding brain drain is a little more complex than that. Don’t worry - it doesn't have to be harder, just a little more thought out.
You’ve got your family planner, now what? While it may be fun for some, organizing everyone’s lives can be somewhat daunting. Hearth has your back with five tips to help you and your family’s calendar out.
Before we dig into those, we have to ask. Is your schedule online? I know some are addicted to their paper planner, but it is time to ditch it or at least supplement it with a digital calendar. Using a calendar app or online calendar makes it accessible to all. The best planner is the one that will actually be used, so go ahead and make the switch. If you like having a “hard copy”, our Hearth Display serves that purpose and goes far beyond your average bulletin or white boards. It syncs with everyone’s phone and ensures that your family has all of its information at their fingertips
It is no secret that books are key in development for your children. Besides helping nurture imagination and increasing vocabulary knowledge, books are also great for teaching life lessons. Not only do they make learning more fun, but they also educate on skills that may have been harder to understand if you were just to explain them yourself. Children’s books are written in a way that kids can relate to and apply to their lives. Over the past year there’s been a lot of turbulence as little ones have likely had to adjust to different schedules and routines. Here are a few resources to help create family routines that help ease worries and empower kids:
It isn’t a matter of if you will be stressed, but when you will be stressed. The same goes for your children! They will learn that it is part of life, but the earlier we teach them coping skills, the better prepared they’ll be.. One of the most important lessons you can teach them is that it is okay to be stressed. Let them know that stress is natural, but should be dealt with and prevented when possible. They might ask their favorite question of “but why?”. The short answer is that too much stress can negatively impact not only mental health, but our physical health too. Want to practice stress management techniques with your family?. Here are five easy ways to prevent stress in your children’s lives:
Let’s face it. The internet can be a scary and dark place; however, it wasn’t created to be that way. There are lots of benefits of our increased use of screens, so how do we focus on those, while creating important boundaries? Screen time for kids can be tricky! Here are some ways to help your children learn time management and balance in our ever changing world of technology, all while keeping their data safe.
We’ve all been there. You want to get your family planner organized and teach your kids time management skills in one fell swoop, but life happens. It gets messy and before you know it, you’re further behind than you were when you began. Here at Hearth, we aim to make your life easier and more full. No, not in a pack your calendar kind of way, but in a more enjoyable kind of way! Whether you’re a working mom or a busy parent on the go, here are some time management tips and tricks to kickstart your family planner.
