Create a 'No Yelling' Summer Routine For Kids

It's summer again and the kids (and their teachers! Woot!) are home! This means loads of opportunities for more family-fun time and memory-making moments. Annnnd more chances for whining, fighting, cleaning up messes, getting burnt out... well, you get the picture.

So here's our summer challenge this year: use a few tricks and tips to create a fun, enjoyable summer for both our kids AND for us. Let's go!

Challenge #4: Create a smart "no yelling" daily routine

A great summer day can spiral downhill fast if mom or dad feels like all they do is yell at their kids all day (ironically, that was my day today with one of my kids. Sigh.) We might not be able to avoid all the tense moments in each day, but we can try to get rid of a few of the predicable ones by creating a smart daily routine for our kids.

Just like in the classroom, kids thrive on having a routine. Now, we're not talking about a rigid, never-changes schedule... more like a 'this works for us' schedule. 

Here's how to create a smart schedule:

Step 1: Make a to-do list.

Make a list of things you want your kids to do each day that they don't like to do unless you nag or yell. For us, this list includes four categories:

• the general daily clean up of all.the.stuff. 
• jobs that need to be done daily (empty dishwasher, wipe down the bathroom sinks)
• a few random, every-once-in-a-while chores that need to be done (strip down beds, dust)
• the activities that they don't always choose to do, but are good life-skills (daily reading, playing board games with siblings)

Step 2: Add "When___, then _____" moments to your day. 

Identify the predictable parts of your day that your kids enjoy: mealtime, snack time, screen time, friend time, time with parents, etc.

Before each fun moment in their routine, add an item from your to-do list. For example, in our house our  "When______, then _______" moments look like this: 

• "When you get your morning chores done, then you can watch a PBS kids show while you eat breakfast." (morning chores: in our house, each big kid has a daily job and once-in-a while job that they have to do when they first wake up. They also have to clean up their bedroom and the upstairs basket. This is what we call their 'morning chores.')

• "When you clean up all the kid's stuff from the downstairs, then you can eat lunch"

• "When you empty the baskets, then you can have your screen time." (We have a large basket on each level of the house... throughout the day, I toss kid stuff into the basket to keep things sort of picked up. The kids are in charge of emptying the basket before any special events can happen.)

• "When you take a shower and get your pjs on, then you can have your dessert"

Step 3: Identify the rough parts of your day and target them.

There are three parts of my day that are predictably hard for me: 

(1) The dinner hour, because I am trying to multi-task and my kids are melting down. 

(2) Nap time when my two big guys- who don't nap- want to be loud and/or play with me during my typical 'quiet time.' 

(3) Allllll the time between meals where all I hear is 'can I have a snack?' 'is it time for snack?' 

Once I figured out these few times needed adjusting, I was able to brainstorm some solutions and put them into our routine. The dinner-prep hour became the 'play outside' part of our schedule (or a bonus screen-time moment if it is a rare rainy day). 

To get the quiet-time I needed during naps, I made the rule that the big guys had to do their 20 minute of reading then, followed by playing a game together (cue evil mom laugh) in the guest room. It knocked off two of my to-dos (reading and games) and gave me an hour of quiet time. 

I assigned specific times for snacks (10 and 3) so that they didn't have to wonder when the next treat was coming.

Are your early-risers creating stress for you? Tell them that if they can tip-toe into the playroom when they wake up without waking up mom and dad (after they clean their room, maybe) then they can watch a morning show before breakfast.

Is lunch a mess-creating, stress-causing moment? Maybe assign one kid to be in charge of making and cleaning up lunch each day. Or spread a blanket outside and have a picnic each day to minimize the mess. Or give yourself the luxury of paper plates and cups to make lunch clean-up easier.

Step 4: Write it all up and hang it where the kids can see it.

Like I said, I'm not telling you to write a minute-by-minute schedule..... but knowing what's coming next and what is expected of them helps your kids (and you!) navigate the day better.

Just to give a real-life example, here's what our schedule looks like:

---------------------------------------------

Wake up

Do morning chores / clean up the upstairs.

Watch PBS Kids show & eat breakfast.

Do a 'whole house clean up' - downstairs cleaned up and baskets emptied.

Play

10- eat a snack (if baskets are empty)

Lunch (if baskets are empty)

Quiet Time: naps / reading & game time

3- snack (if baskets are empty)

outside play time

dinner

showers / pjs

family time / dessert (if we have it)

bedtime

---------------------------------------------

Just a note: we don't always follow this to the letter. Life looks different here each day, but a good chunk of our routine usually stays the same. If we find that one part of our schedule isn't working well for us, we scrap it and change it. There are no hard and fast rules here :) 

Want to continue to create a fun and stress-free summer? Check out all the Summer Challenge posts here.

FREE Online Summer Camps (K-12)

It's summer again and the kids (and their teachers! Woot!) are home! This means loads of opportunities for more family-fun time and memory-making moments. Annnnd more chances for whining, fighting, cleaning up messes, getting burnt out... well, you get the picture.

So here's our summer challenge this year: use a few tricks and tips to create a fun, enjoyable summer for both our kids AND for us. Let's go!

Challenge #3: Register your kids for FREE online summer camps.

VarsityTutor.com is providing free summer camps for kids in grades K-12 this year and they look awesome! My oldest two have already done a few of their free classes and LOVED them, so we're really looking forward to their week-long summer camps.

Most are done in an interactive webinar style: the kids can see and hear the teacher and communicate by typing questions and comments in a text box. (If you are looking for an online camp that looks more like a traditional Zoom call with smaller class sizes, check out Outschool.com. It's not free, but the classes are reasonably priced and look really interesting). 

Some of the camp themes on Varsity Tutors:

• cooking  healthy snacks
• coding games
• creating a Lego movie
• arts & crafts
• dinosaurs
• fairy tales
• creating Minecraft storyboards
• foreign languages
• theater
• creative writing
• book clubs
• building structures

... and sooo many more.

Tip #1: Check the site each day as they add new classes to their list constantly. 

Tip #2: You can easily un-enroll by clicking one button (and no credit card info is ever required, so no worries of getting charged for anything)... this makes it it a very flexible program if your plans change last minute.

Tip #3: You can have multiple kids participate in the same class from the same computer- just sign up one child. The ages are also 'suggested ages' and VT has stated that if a child is interested in a topic, they can join a class even if it's out of their age-range (which is AWESOME for our gifted or special needs students who like to work up or down a level). 

Want to continue to create a fun and stress-free summer? Check out all the Summer Challenge posts here.

Summer Challenges

Woot! Summer vacation is finally here! If you're like me, I have a million great plans for how I will spend my summer. It's usually a mix of relaxing things, bucket list items and productive projects from my to-do list. 

Then August gets here and I'm like- wait- summer is almost over and I haven't accomplished ANYTHING!

Well, not this year. I've created a few different summer challenges for you to choose from, depending on what you want to accomplish this year. I thought I would create one post with all of them so it's easier to find for those who want to follow a challenge. 

Choose a challenge below, read through the posts and start making small, but meaningful changes that will help your house and classroom run more smoothly. 

Summer Challenge #1: 

Set yourself up for success next year

 

Summer Challenge #2: 

Have a Stress-Free Summer with Kids

        

        

Don't want to miss out on the next challenge and all the great tips we'll be sharing before then? Subscribe to the YTA feed or sign up in the sidebar to receive free email updates.

Best Backyard Toy for Kids

It's summer again and the kids (and their teachers! Woot!) are home! This means loads of opportunities for more family-fun time and memory-making moments. Annnnd more chances for whining, fighting, cleaning up messes, getting burnt out... well, you get the picture.

So here's our summer challenge this year: use a few tricks and tips to create a fun, enjoyable summer for both our kids AND for us. Let's go!

Challenge #2: Give the backyard a boost!

My 4 kiddos have been home from school for a few months now (thanks Covid!) and with the rest of the summer still stretching before us, I am become more and more grateful for any toys that entertain my kids outside. It keeps my house clean(ish) and gives them an outlet for that never-ending energy kids seem to have.

One of my favorite backyard additions this year was a ninja slackline. We hung it between two trees back in December and it has been the toy of choice since then.

Why do I love it?

So glad you asked ;) 

Reason 1: It's WAY cheaper than a swing set and you can adjust the height for any sized child, so it grows with your kids.

This is similar to the one we have...though ours came with less accessories. You can buy a complete set or the line and accessories separately. 

Reason 2: You can unclip and switch out the accessories as the kids grow. We have this disc swing and it's the one that gets used the most:

(I love that multiple kids can play on it at the same time. Yay for less fighting!)

I've also been keeping my eye on this skate board swing. It looks like something my 9 year old son would love.

Reason 3: If we move, it's so much easier to take this down to take with us compared to a swing set.

Need more backyard entertainment ideas? Check out this post for 10 more toys your kids will love.

 

Want to continue to create a fun and stress-free summer? Check out all the Summer Challenge posts here.

{Distance Learning} End-of-Year Celebrations

It's here... or almost here... or almost-almost here (depending on which state you live in). SUMMER VACATION!

With Covid-19 on the loose, this summer is sure to look a little different than past summers, but that's no reason to stop celebrating the end of another school year and the start of some well-earned weeks off.

I've put together a few fun end-of-year ideas that are also social-distancing approved.

1. Do a Zoom End-of-Year Party

• Do a class award presentation (email the rewards right after the call so they can print out their own). Find fun and silly class awards like these free ones:

Printable Awards:

Digital Awards: 

• Play a game with the whole class. An easy one is a scavenger hunt. Just name a common item (ie- stuffed animal) and say GO! The first kid to come back with the item gets a point. Another great game to play if you have a small class is Drawful2 on Jackbox.tv. 

2. Have students create a sweet memento of their year.

This sheet is specifically designed for this Covid-19 distance learning time. It gives students a chance to document their favorite parts of the school year and to brainstorm fun things they want to do with their family this summer.

3. {For your own kiddos} Bust OUT of the house for summer.

Usually we bust INTO the house to celebrate coming home from school on the last day of school. This year, we thought it might be more appropriate to bust OUT of the house. We just taped party streamers and a WELCOME TO SUMMER construction paper sign over the door.

3. Send a postcard to each student. 

Kids LOOOOVE getting their own mail (as evidenced by my almost-8 year old daughter who has stalked the mailman every day this week leading up to her birthday)

Use this free (and SUPER CUTE) distance-learning postcards:

....And if you are looking for a fun way to keep kids writing this summer while creating a time capsule of their thoughts during this unique time, check out this:

The Traveling Teacher: Tips for Flying with Kids

It's summer again and the kids (and their teachers! Woot!) are home! This means loads of opportunities for more family-fun time and memory-making moments. Annnnd more chances for whining, fighting, cleaning up messes, getting burnt out... well, you get the picture.

So here's our summer challenge this year: use a few tricks and tips to create a fun, enjoyable summer for both our kids AND for us. Let's go!

Challenge #2: Have no-stress flights with kids

I saw a meme the other day on Facebook that said "July is the Wednesday of summer." That is so true- we're halfway to the start of a new school year already! (nooooooo) 

I don't know about you, but between traveling to see family, taking our kids on vacation and all the little one-day summer events,  it seems like our summer fills up so fast and we are always on the go.

As we gear up for another trip next week, I thought it would be a good time to share some tips for flying with kids. With each kid we've added to our family (we currently have 4), we've tried some new strategies for making flying as a family slightly less chaotic. 

Some worked. Some didn't.

I'll just be sharing the ones that did work with you today ;) 

1. Have bigger kids carry a book bag.

You have enough to shlep through the airport, time to get a little help from your kiddos. If they are old enough, having them carry a backpack (we really like these Land End's ones) with the items they will need for the travel day. 

Some things we include in each bag:

• light jacket/hoodie in case the plane is cold
• headphones (we LOVE these soft headband style ones)
• tablet or kindle
• Ziploc baggie full of snacks (though the have to ask first before eating one)
• mechanical pencils and a small notebook for playing games or drawing
• empty water bottle to fill after we get through security
• Ziploc baggie with one change of clothes in it for any emergencies that might happen

2. Create beds or 'couches' for kids.

We looooove this inflatable footrest. Blow it up partway to rest your feet on it (great for saving parent's backs or resting short legs)

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OR inflate it all the way and it will sit level with the seat and creates a mini chaise lounge or bed for your kids to curl up on.

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One tip: hold the air hole- wait. Does it have an official name?? Oh! Valve. Hold the valve up to the air vent above your seat and the footrest will inflate in seconds. 

3. Pack meal baggies.

Airport food is insanely expensive. Instead of spending my layover time wrangling kids while standing in line at the News 'N Deli, I pack a Ziploc bag meal for each child to eat on the plane. Not only does this save us money, but it is one more thing for kids to do that will keep them entertained on the plane. 

Here are my go-to items when making a Ziploc baggie meal:

Breakfast:

• bagel
• apple
• banana
• clementines
• breakfast bars
• water

Lunch/Dinner:

• apple or clementine
• granola bars
• Uncrustables (or any PB&J- Uncrustables are just a special treat for my kiddos) 
• lemonade or propel drink powder packs to turn their water bottle into a flavored drink
• fun snacky dessert thing: gummies, cookies, etc.

4. Avoid lost bottles and cups.

After a flight that involved me reaching under the seat 40 times for run-away cups and having to ask neighbors to retrieve said cups after an especially successful roll, I decided it was time to strap those suckers down. 

I jumped on Amazon and bought one of these cup strap things and hooked it to the seat belt the next time we flew with our toddlers. Then I sat back, opened my book, and... closed my book to grab the toy that fell off my son's seat. So yeah, probably needed to buy a strap for the toy too. Sigh. 

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You could always use a strong ribbon or rope to tie toys and cups to the seat... in a pinch, I will tie a ribbon to a hair thing and put the hair thing around the cup. Usually works okay. 

5. Contain young kids with a seat belt harness.

We took 6 flights last summer with a 7 year old, 6 year old and two 2 year olds and this seat belt harness is the sole reason I am still hear to share the tale.

It was invaluable for keeping squirming toddlers in their seat during take-off, landing and those times in between when we needed them to be contained (like during meals). 

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6. Compact booster seats to the rescue!

With two kids in booster seats still, we needed to figure out a way to safely travel in transport vans and rental cars once we got to our destination.

We decided to get these foldable booster seats that fit in the small pocket of my carryon luggage. 

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Bonus: We keep them in the glove compartment of my minivan for the random last-minute friend that needs to ride home with us. 

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7. BRING THE STROLLER!

I can't tell you how VERY MUCH I love having a stroller in the airport. It gives me a place to put my cup, carries my book bag for me in the storage basket and gives my youngest kiddos a place to sleep, eat meals and just be contained when needed. 

We just gate check it and then pick it up at the door when the plane lands. 

One handy tip we learned was that if you have a 4-wheeled carry-on bag, you can use bungie cords to strap it to the back of the stroller, under the handle. The whole things just wheels around as one unit- we can even push our loaded-up stroller with one hand like this. 

Just a note: it will get a bit banged up when stored on the plane... I've never had anything break, but there are usually a few little scratches on it that weren't there before. We have an older stroller we love using for trips because we don't care if it receives a little 'airline love' when flying. 

8. And this nifty little guy is for the parents. Because our comfort matters too.

I tend to get pretty bad back aches when I sit a long time in one position- like car trips or when flying. This foot sling has been a great way to shift my position and give parts of my back a break. 

It just slips over the seat-back tray in front of your seat.

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Want to continue to create a fun and stress-free summer? Check out all the Summer Challenge posts here.

(I mean: Happy Traveling!) 

Christmas Round Up 2017

It's time for our annual YTA Christmas round up!

But first, just a quick PSA for a less-stress Christmas:

A few years ago, I shared that we were trying to be really intentional this year about building in some breathing room into our holiday schedule as a family. I love that I can look back on that post and think "ahhh, we're there." Don't get me wrong, it's still a super busy season and we are still out of town every weekend from Thanksgiving to New Years. But. We are being intentional about how we spend our time with our family and it just feels right.

Do we have a perfectly decorated Christmas tree? Nope. We let the kids decorate this year and it looks like they had a bead silly string fight and the tree was the victim. But they had fun and we have great pictures that will be fun to look at 20 years from now.

Did my kids go see Santa? Not this year. But we stayed home in our pjs and drew pictures of what we wanted for Christmas...and in case you're wondering, my 5 year old daughter would lk to av u bbe- like to have a barbie- and punie- pony.

These past few years of Christmas seasons have been busy, but fun and joy-filled for our family. And I love that.

So in the hopes of making your holiday season just a little less stressful, here are some ready-made ideas from past YTA posts to put a little Merry in your Christmas.

Plan the perfect class Christmas party:

Christmas Party {Games}

Christmas Party {Crafts}

Christmas Party {Student Gifts}

Christmas Party {Picture Books}

Ooo! Another super fun and simple party game is the Candy Ball. 

Teacher recommended Christmas gifts:

Here are some of my favorite gifts for I would LOVE to get I think kids would love to get this Christmas. Needless to say, I had a blast making these lists!

Toys That Get Kids Outside!

Toys That Get Kids Moving!
Toys That Get Kids Thinking!

Toys That Get Kids Creating!
Toys That Get Kids Reading!
Toys That Get Kids Imagining!
Toys That Get Kids Exploring!

(Can I just say that I am so so so happy I spent the time making this list? I have come back to it repeatedly to get gift ideas for my kids and I'm happy to say that many of these toys are extra time-tested and YTA Mama approved now!)

{RAKs} Random Act of Kindness ideas for Christmas:

Each month, we did a random act of kindness in our classroom. Find out more about how to start a RAK club in your room.

Two RAKs you could do this holiday season:

   1. Create decorations to give away (see pic above).

   2. Collect food for a food bank.

Last minute gift-giving idea: 

Here's my secret to fool proof last-minute gifts! 

And two bonus non-teaching related tips:

1. We took the stress out of spending money at Christmas by creating a special Christmas account that we have an automatic amount drafted to each month. I know it's *really* our money, but it ends up feeling like bonus money by the time Christmas rolls around! I highly recommend something like this for Christmas, or really any annually occurring expense you might have.

2. Turn on that Christmas music! (Disclaimer: I have a slight obsession with Christmas music and believe it can cure almost any ailment.) Any style you prefer will do as long as it leaves you with a renewed sense of excitement about the holiday. Because, c'mon people, a sparkly Christmas is so much better than a stressed out one.


Are you a Christmas music newbie? Let me give you a few suggestions of where to start:
For King & Country
Pentatonix
Hillsong