Cool Tips for Moms!

Being a Momma, Celebrating Families, Celebrating Women

Mommas Sticking Together

Okay, mommas, I doubt that I am the only mom out there who sometimes struggles to motivate her children to do their chores, help around the house, or to simply listen. Right!?? Please tell me I’m not! 🙂 We mommas have to stick together and so I would love to share a couple cool tips and tricks and some great books I have read to help to motivate my littles to become responsible little people.

Laundry Tip

I am trying to teach my girls how to do things for themselves, including learning how to do laundry. My 7 year old is responsible for running her clothes through the wash, folding them, and putting them away. She absolutely hates folding and when I told her that if she did not finish her laundry that she would have to pay me to do it with her allowance, she happily handed me her allowance with a smile. Needless to say, my plan did not work. Enter in this handy little contraption (video link) and a “folding party” and problem solved! The girls now enjoy using this awesome little folding helper and we all sit together in a room, put a show they enjoy on the TV, and have a “folding party!” It’s all how you market it, mommas. 😉

Sticks. Popsicle, that is

Nadia Swearingen Friesen is a momma who found a unique way to teach her children to become more responsible. In her book, Sticks!: A Practical Way to Reduce Stress, Improve Discipline, and Create the Family You Want, Nadia gives some great tips on how to create a system using Popsicle sticks to motivate your children to do things without being told. We are working on getting this system started in our family and I know other mommas who have already begun and it seems to be working great for them!

Magic? Why yes, it is

The words, “that’s one, that’s two, that’s three” are magical in our house. Why?? Because if the girls are not listening, all I need to say is “that’s one….” without any emotion and typically, that is all it takes. At three there are consequences, which is simply a time alone to calm down for a few minutes. It is magic and I never would have believed it had I not seen it for myself. If you want the whining to stop, buy 1-2-3 Magic: 3-Step Discipline for Calm, Effective, and Happy Parenting. You will not regret it. You can thank me for the tip later. 😉

Exist in Pictures with Your Kiddos

One last tip, mommas. They are only young once and I know the days can be long but let me tell you, the years are short. Help your little ones to remember these days with you. Get in front of the camera with them. Have them take the photo, use the timer on your camera, take a group selfie, hand the camera to another family member, whatever you prefer – but just do it. Even better, if you are out with other mommas and kiddos, grab your phone, take a picture of them with their kiddos and ask them to do the same for you. These images of me and my girls are not perfect – they are perfectly imperfect and I absolutely LOVE them because they are so authentic of what is “us” right now.