Out Of the Box Indoor Winter Activities

It's that time of year again: snow days upon snow days.  And if you are like many of the parents out there, you may be running out of fun and creative things to do with those kiddos before you reach whatever milestone for the day that makes plopping them in front of a screen feel less guilt-ridden. 

We're here to say; first, you're doing a fantastic job.  For real.  Gold star.  This is hard stuff.  And we're also here to share the suggestions posted below are all activities that have been tried by other moms, and may give you a laugh, or may provide you with inspiration.  If one or the other happens, we'll consider our time well spent!

For When You Are Exhausted But Still Have To Be Engaged: 

If you listen to Fresh Air, you may have caught this game shared by Hilary Frank, Creator of The Longest Shortest Time Podcast, called What's On My Butt?  And it's brilliant because when you are exhausted, you are able to lay on the floor with your eyes closed, and your child scurries around the house looking for odd items to set on your butt, and then you guess what it is.  Bonus points for this game because the rules also require your child to put the items back where they got them before finding a new object.  

For When You Are Home From Work, And You Need To Do Some Amount Of Work Still: 

Using masking tape, put shapes on the ground of various sizes, and locations, and make an obstacle course.  When one shape is used, switch to another and get a whole new course.  

If masking tape sounds atrocious to you or is unavailable, sacrificing hand towels and washcloths could work as well.  Call them puddles, hand them an umbrella, and tell them to go puddle jumping.

If age appropriate, let them put the tape down, and hopefully they will enjoy the making of the course as much as the using of it!

For When You Want To Take Advantage Of Having Extra Helpful Hands: 

Chore Race: Make a to-do list of all the things that need to be done before watching a movie, divide the list for appropriate ages, (and the important part...) set a timer for 20 minutes, and GO!  

Everything is more fun when it's a race, and everyone feels better having contributed, even if they don't want to admit it. 

For When You Have Energy, Patience, And Somewhat Capable Little People: 

Get thee to thy kitchen and bake something!  If you have aprons, put them on, and if your kids have been aching for cake/cupcakes, cookies, etc., this is the day to do it.

For When You Were Really Hoping To Not Have A Snow Day, But They Cancelled School Anyway:   

Do anything you need to survive the day.  For real. Have the 5th cup of coffee. It’s cereal for dinner.

Send them outside to play.  Task them with shoveling the neighbor's sidewalk.  Download a guided meditation and make them do it.  Put the Makarena on YouTube and challenge them to learn it.  And one of my favorites...B.O.B time, which stands for Body On Bed.  

When your littles erupt into a fit over the word NAP, feel free to switch to BOB time where they don't have to sleep, but they do have to be on their bed and quiet.  In this house, it still meant nap time for quite a while.  

Is Your Cell Phone Hurting Your Milk Supply?

Hey new moms, if you are reading this on your cell phone in the middle of the night while nursing, here is a quick TL:DR - yes, your cell phone could be decreasing your milk supply.

There are current thoughts on prolonged exposure to the blue light your phone give off and how they can increase your sleep patterns and cortisol levels, both of which directly impact your body's ability to produce breastmilk.

When we say increased cortisol levels, that is a fancy way to say stress. Your body, even when you love what you are seeing on your phone - the memes, shows, timelines, and snaps - your body is slowly absorbing blue light and reacting to it with increased production of cortisol.

Increased cortisol is linked to challenging sleep patterns in adults. And the effects of cortisol in infants require more research, but early studies show that yes, your baby's body responds to the increased levels by making cortisol receivers in their gut with lasting effects, potentially making them more anxious, fussy, and agitated.

But it's hard to blame it all on the milk. A person's genetics can cause predisposed elevated levels of cortisol.

But what is still new, is how much we, as a society are on our screens. And especially for new moms, when holding a sleeping baby, there are very few things you can do with one hand. Between taking photos of your adorable babe, uploading those photos to Instagram, researching sites to understand all the newness of being a parent, and then connecting with other new moms so you don't feel alone - our normal lives put our eyes in front of a lot of screens!

So with all these screens with their blue lights humming along, if you have an opportunity to put your phone down while nursing your child, it could be one way to help your supply, and your stress levels, even if just for a little bit.

Ug...Sick Kids. Colds and Flu are here.

We know you know what is happening, because it may seem you can't escape it. It's sick kid season...er...I mean winter. So here is a handy short round-up of the stuff to consider when you are trying to keep the sickness at bay!

1. Clothes

If your kid/kids are around other people for parts of the day in enclosed areas (think school, daycare, museums, public transportation, etc.) when they get home get them out of the "germy clothes" and into something clean. This paired with our next item will help with a majority of free transportation your children may be offering those little critters right under your nose!

2. For real, wash your hands, and theirs!

With little people, washing hands is a monumental task. Pulling up sleeves, using the soap, "we're not playing right now," and such. But getting you and your kids into the routine of washing your hands when you get home from being away, AND more often than normal, AND ESPECIALLY after using the bathroom will keep the germs where they belong, in a watery coffin away from your face.

To help with this feat, we suggest making your home handwashing friendly: step stools, easy to use faucet handles, and fun soap. Kids love the kind that foams! And look at this...a cool kick starter for an interesting soap kids would love!

3. Coughing Etiquette

It is never too early to teach your child to cover their nose and mouth when they sneeze and cough. When tissues aren't close, and they need to forcibly explode in this way, help them learn to use their elbow/arm over their face to keep their Ewwww from flying all over the room. (And using that exact terminology can help.)

4. Fevers

Ug, fevers can be so complicated. But let's take a minute to remember that having a temperature isn't all in out a bad sign. It means your child's defense mechanism is working and they are using their own system to help fight those unwanted visitors. If your child goes to a daycare or school, follow their guidelines for when to keep your child home, but usually, anything over 99.2 degrees Fahrenheit means they need to rest and be kept apart from their classmates, AND everyone else! Yes, it can be inconvenient to keep your child home, but please do it. Please. Keep this germ ball in a place to get better, not worse while also possibly spreading it to other kiddos.

*NOTE - consult your doctor for any reason when it comes to fevers. They are the experts. This is a blog.

5. Toothbrushes, Bottles and Bottle Parts

They often get missed, but if your child has been sick, it's time to start using a new toothbrush. A toothbrush is not designed to withstand sterilization procedures, like bottles or nipples. But if your child is not using a toothbrush yet but does use a bottle, here are 7 ways to sterilize baby bottles and parts.

6. Elderberry Syrup

If you are looking for something natural that can boost immunity before getting sick, AND help after sickness arrives in your home, perhaps elderberry syrup is something you would like to look into. *NOTE: do not give to children under 1-year-old if it contains honey. If you’d like to explore making your own elderberry syrup, there are many recipes and various.

"Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, of Hadassah-Hebrew University in Israel found that elderberry disarms the enzyme viruses use to penetrate healthy cells in the lining of the nose and throat."

It can be made easily at home, but can also be purchased as a syrup or gummy!

Defining Your Family's Values: An Exercise to Start 2019

Welcoming a new year and a new baby is a perfect time to take a look at the world you are building each day. While a new year often is a time to reflect on new goals or resolutions, why not take the energy you have to plan and put it towards connecting more fully to your partner and your purpose?

It's not a diet.
It's not an exercise plan.

However, it is not any less work.

Have you ever intentionally defined your family's values?

Perhaps you've seen wall decals on Pinterest that proclaim love, kindness, laughter, and joy. They are beautiful! But are they yours?

Family values do get talked about, but it is typically with bias from media outlets or political parties. What we are talking about is personal work you and your partner will do to give your growing family a framework — the beginning of your family's guidebook.

We mean, when you and your partner are deciding what to do with your time, money, and parenting dilemmas, these core beliefs are there to help guide you through making decisions.

For instance, perhaps you find one of your family values is respect. A way your family may try to instill self respect is to start the habit of making your bed everyday, and helping your children learn to make their beds as a part of their daily routine. Having the language about why you are doing things can relieve tension, and give a person purpose when they are feeling overwhelmed or confused. Having a framework in place allows for connection and belonging, and isn’t that one of the main reasons we are here?

Family values may or may not be the same as your personal values, and that is because a family is itself a unique entity.

If you are unsure of where to start, we like this core values tool by Carnegie Mellon University Start here and look at yourself. Then ask your partner to do the same.

Next, work together and do the exercise with your family in mind. Compare with your partner. Work together to find values that unify your future.

Download our worksheet below for defining your family’s values with a list of 230 personal values

• Download the worksheet below

• As you read through, underline, circle or highlight any that spark your curiosity or feel correct. Don’t limit yourself!

• Then make a list of just those.

• Then go through the list again. Some of the words may be similar so work to pick the word that best describes you and your core.

• Keep working through until you come to about 5, more or less.