Mommy's Little Demons and How to Handle Them

We've all been there. That moment where your kid is acting up, acting out, or does something that makes you want to lose your mind. The moment of pure shock that your child would say or do something like that. Whether it is a temper tantrum or just your kid picking that moment to be a complete asshole. I can tell you that I have most definitely been there. There have even been times that I have wanted to move to Canada and change my name. I'm going to give you my advice on how to handle the situation without losing your shit!

1. The most important thing is not to freak out or laugh. Yes, I am definitely guilty of both of these, especially laughing. I try to remember that these types of reactions give the wrong impression to the child. Hardly ever does a situation warrant yelling or freaking out. Laughing makes the child think that what they have done is acceptable. It's hard to make them understand that the behavior is bad because you laughed at it.

2. Remove yourself from the situation, when possible. Yes, I realize how hard this is. Yes, I realize that most of the time you are alone when things like this happen. Put the kid in their room, in their crib, or put on a show. Take a few minutes to collect yourself. It's important that you are in the right headspace to deal with the situation.

3. Take deep calming breaths and count down from 5. Calming breaths not only help you to relax, they help you to start to gather your thoughts. Sometimes, situations can warrant doing this a few times.

4. Sit down and explain to the child, why what they did was wrong. Explain a better way that they can ask for something or tell you that they are having a bad day. Now, this only works on children over 2. For younger kids, you just have to calm them down and continue on with your day.

Every situation and every child is different. There will be times when you are unable to remove yourself from the situation. You will be driving or at the store. You'll be at someone's house or at an amusement park. You have to remain in control or they will walk all over you. We all have bad days and so do they. If you lose your shit, don't beat yourself up. We have all been there as well. Try to keep a level head and stay calm. You've got this!

Parenting In Summer

This is something that every parent has to deal with. Finding that perfect blend of responsibility and freedom that comes with summer. I know that when I was a kid, we had chores we had to do before we were aloud to go out to play. For me as a parent, I allow my kids a little more freedom. Most days, we all have two things we must do in order to gain our "freedom".

1. We must do something productive for ourselves. This can include reading a book, working on a personal project, or anything that improves our daily life.

2. We must do one thing that is good for our household. This includes doing at least one chore or making our house better in some way.

Now, when I say freedom, I don't mean lazing around falling into the blue glow of electronic happiness all day long. Lord knows, I would totally do that. Once in a while, sure, but not every single day. What I mean is enjoying every day for what it has the potential to be. Us as parents, sometimes forget that kids need to be kids. Kids need the freedom to play video games, play water balloons, go to the park, and even just sit on the couch and enjoy their favorite show.

Most of us don't like our kids falling into their phones, tablets or video games for the entire summer. At that point, we need to give them alternate options. Telling a kid to simply just go play all the time doesn't work. Personally, I like ensuring that my house is full of board games and crafts. In the age of technology, there are kids out there that have NEVER played checkers. I'm not even kidding! I have met kids that didn't know how to play guess who or even candy land. How is this possible? Your kids know what Fortnite and Five Nights at Freddy's are but not checkers! Ok, not going into a rant, nope...no rant.

Us as parents need to spend time with our kids doing fun things that they want to do. Here are some ideas that me and my kids enjoy all year long.

1. Play a video game-- pick up a controller and sit down with your kids. Play whatever game they are into currently. Yes, you might suck at it, oh well! Your kids will get a kick out of teaching you how to play! It's good to know exactly how your kid spends their time. Plus, who knows, you might enjoy it!!!

2. Do a craft-- there are so many things out there that you can do together. Even better, the dollar store now carries the majority of the supplies for most crafts. Anything from doing a tie dye to making slime will keep them and you busy and having fun! The best advice I can give is to pick up a table cloth at the dollar store to keep your mess contained.

3. Go for a walk- you can literally do a couple laps around the block and get some exercise. You have time to talk about whatever is on their mind. Also, it encourages them to get out and enjoy nature. I try to do this at least once a week all year long. You can even make a game or treasure hunt out of it.

The main point I am trying to get across is that we all should spend more time WITH our kids and less time sending them away from us. What better way of keeping our kids happy all summer and fighting with us less than to actually hang out with them! Let the kids pick the activity of the day or make a schedule for the week. Keep them and you happy and busy!

Live life to its fullest every day and show them how to do the same.  

Hello to anyone that still follows me on here!

I know I have been AWOL for the last year. So much has happened in my personal life that I have been way too overwhelmed for anything. I have a few blogs that I have been working on that I will be posting soon.


ANYWAYS......

Today, I have officially launched my YouTube channel! I will be doing vlogs, gameplay, and hacks for real people. Please join me! 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRtJfy5JZ3tGocACEwZHxVw