Energy Tips For Hard-Working Parents

Energy Tips For Hard-Working Parents

Being a parent is hard work, often stressful even in the midst of joy. And if you’re not careful, the pressure and pace can drain you of energy (and patience) when you need it most. For stay-at-home moms and dads trying to keep it all together, here are tips for conserving your health, energy, and sanity: • Always eat breakfast. A cup of coffee isn’t a meal. Eat a solid, nutritious breakfast to give you the energy you need to face the day. • Follow a routine. Don’t reinvent the wheel every morning. Have a regular plan for your days with the family so you don’t stress out trying to think of something new to do. Just don’t chain yourself to the schedule—be flexible when problems and opportunities arise. • Drink lots of water. You can get dehydrated without realizing it, and suffer from headaches and fatigue as a result. Keep a bottle of water handy and drink from it throughout the day without waiting until you feel really thirsty. • Get fresh air and exercise. Try to get out of the house for a walk once a day. If the weather is too cold or rainy, at least open a window to get the air circulating in your house and in your body. • Eat healthy snacks. Don’t run yourself down by starving between meals. Some fruit or a few nuts can help keep you going. • Connect with people. Get together with some other parents for a playdate. Even a quick session on Facebook can help you feel like an adult again. You need mature conversation to stay centered. • Take a break. Give yourself permission to let the kids watch a video for a half-hour. You’re not a bad parent for taking time for yourself. • Get your rest. Have a regular bedtime for yourself, not just your kids. Getting the sleep you need will help you stay healthy and calm

pledge of allegience 300 1

Reciting the pledge of allegiance is almost a thing of the past. I remember saying it every day in elementary school followed by The Lord's Prayer. Yeah, that won't happen today but at Little People's Academy we think it's important to teach our children to be proud patriots. We are even brave enough to keep "under God" in it. We observe all the national holidays and help the kids understand how blessed they are to live in a free country. And we're not ashamed of it.

3 Important Questions

The three most important questions to ask yourself every day: Have you loved fully? Have you lived fully? Have you made a difference? A powerful blog post on the subject: tinybuddha.com/blog/3-important-questions-ask-yourself-every-day

Free Haircuts!

Yesterday was our first FREE haircut day and it was a huge success! A great big thank you to Kami Lynes from Salon 1920 for sharing her talents and making our kiddos adorable. We will do it again next month so watch for our post for time and date.

Teaching Your Kids the Value of Money

Schools may well teach your children how to add and subtract, but learning the value of money is one lesson that has to come from home. Unless you teach them otherwise, they will continue to think that money grows on trees and that banks just give away cash – until they have to make their own way in the world. While financially indulging your children might feel like kindness at the time, you could be doing them a grave disservice by not teaching them valuable lessons for life. Here are a few ideas on how to teach youngsters the value of money. Children are not born understanding how paid employment and banks work. Explain these things to them simply as soon as they are old enough to understand. Help your children to distinguish between needs and wants. Teach your children the principles of spending and saving money as well as those of making money grow. As soon as they are old enough, give them an allowance of their own to permit them to put principles into practice and learn from their own mistakes. Open an interest-bearing account for your children so that they can watch their money grow. Put aside an allowance for essentials such as clothes to help teach your children how to budget and save for more expensive items. Explain how credit cards and loans work; otherwise your children could grow up thinking that these are “free” money.