Teaching Children Responsibility

This post was written by Jo and I hope you’ll enjoy it!

I have always said that I am a Marketer by Trade and a writer by nature. I have always dabbled here and there along the way but being a writer for me is not an option but rather an inherent part of who I am.

– Jo Whitehead

Teaching Kids Responsibility

One of the things that all parents have in common is that we want the best for our children and for them to grow into responsible, confident adults, but unfortunately don’t always know quite where to start. Responsibility is a life skill and not necessarily a personality trait. It is something that can be taught. Something that can be instilled – but it’s our job to teach it to them.

It would be unfair of us one day to expect our teenage child to behave responsibly if he or she was never taught the basics and given the opportunity to put it into practice. The trick is to start early and as they grow older to increase the level of responsibility accordingly. A good age to start is when your child is a toddler.

As long as there is housework to be done, there are plenty of teaching opportunities available. Make housework a team effort and make it fun. Yes, the chores may take longer, but not only will you land up with a clean house, but children who realise and understand that they are part of a unit and need to pull their weight too.

If you want your children to act responsibly you need to act responsibly too so that they are able to model your behaviour. For example, once you have finished eating dinner, insist that each family member takes their plate through to the kitchen and places it in the sink or the dishwasher. Make sure your child sees you placing your soiled clothing in the laundry hamper and help him or her to do the same.

Reflect on your behaviour and see if there’s anything that needs changing. If you are the type that enjoys being at the mall shopping, at the bowling alley or batting cages playing, or any other place for hours on end, don’t force your child to stay with you while you ‘unwind’, but rather spend some time with them and once they’ve gone to bed  you can shop or play games online.  There are many apps available for shopping and several for playing games. Or perhaps you have the opposite problem. Perhaps you spend plenty of time online shopping and keeping up to date with social media on your mobile phone? Schedule a time each day when the children are at school or having a nap to check your newsfeed and not while you should be spending time with them. Your children need to realize that they are important and that you take your responsibility as a parent seriously.

And finally, remember to praise your children for acting responsibly. Children thrive on praise and when you praise them, suddenly chores don’t feel so much like work. A positive attitude goes a long way.

Visit TheHappyHousewife.com to get a printable list of age-appropriate chores for children.

Sammy the Skunk

Sammy the SkunkIf you are a parent or teacher looking for more reading resources for your kids, you need to check out a brand new children’s story book series entitled The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk. This delightful, and beautifully illustrated four book series allows children to explore the Deep Woods with Sammy the Skunk and his other forest friends.

 

Each book contains three stories in which the animals of the forest find themselves in dangerous and funny situations and Sammy often comes to their rescue. At the end of each of the twelve stores, there is a short Life Lesson section including a Bible verse, thought provoking question, and a truth about God. The stories work well for elementary age children to read on their own or for a mini-devotional to be read to pre-school and kindergarten age children.

 

You can purchase The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk easily online at http://sammytheskunk.blogspot.com.

 

Throughout the month of May, as a promotion for the books’ release, Adele is hosting a contest in which you can win the entire four book set! Be sure to visit the May Giveaway Page to participate! As a points based contest, you can increase your chances to win by following all of the simple steps.

 

About the Author

 

Adele Roberts has been in education for over 50 years working with pre-school through elementary aged children. Adele’s students often begged her to tell them stories, and The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk actually began in that story telling form long before they were published. Adele loves to read these stories to children using her Sammy and Mr. Fox puppets as props, and she’s already been ablet to read for libraries and schools with more events coming up. If you live in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, be sure to check out the events section of her website to see where she’ll be next.

Amazon: 101 Children’s Songs Only $1.99!

Childrens 101

 

Right now on Amazon you can get 101 popular kid’s songs for only $1.99!  I just bought this and I think you’ll want to too if you have little kiddos around the house.  You can preview the songs just to make sure you like them.  Each song regularly retails for 99 cents so you’re getting $101 worth of music for only $1.99!  That’s a tremendous savings!  Please note that Amazon prices change all the time, so hurry if you’re interested and double check the price before purchasing!  Go now to see the current price on Amazon here: 101 Children’s Songs.

 

Thanks, Wheel N Deal Mama!

Children’s Classic Hardcover Books for Only $1.70 Each!

childrens books

ShopTasteofHome.com has a collection of 10 Classic Children’s Hardcover Books for only $14.99, plus $1.99 shipping!  That means that each book is only $1.70!   A few of the book titles include Good Night Moon, Curious George Gets a Medal, Mike Mulligan & the Steam Shovel and 7 more!  To get this amazing deal for your kids or as a gift simply add the collection to your cart and you may or may not need to use the coupon code LS105.  When I purchased my set I didn’t need to use the coupon.

 

Plus,  if you shop through Ebates you’ll get 5% cash back!

Thanks, The Krazy Coupon Lady!

8 Ways to Save Money on Kid’s Clothes

Clothes Money

As I’m shopping for new kids clothes I’m finding that it is both a fun yet painful experience.  Kids clothes are cute but not worth going in debt for!   In order to save money I have sat down and tried to think of several ways that you can still dress up your little prince/princess without breaking the bank.

 

Here are a few suggestions I came up with but please, let me know if you have anything to add to this list!

ThredUp: Kids Clothing SwapThredUp

This is an online website that helps parents swap kids clothes.  ThredUp has extensive list of available boxes that you can buy.  They have a review system similar to eBay that allows users to be able to find popular swappers.  Many of the boxes I looked at included a picture along with detailed description of what was included (brands, sizes, etc.).

 

ThredUp.com also allows a listing of toys that fit in a USPS box so this may be a good way to look for children books or small toys.

 

Currently, ThredUp.com has a promotion going where you can get 2 months free of PRO membership when you use coupon code “mysavings”.  While ThredUp is free to use, the PRO membership does cost extra.  The PRO membership feature allows you to view detailed pictures of the items as well as a few other personalized features that are still being developed.

 

When I signed up a few days ago they gave me a $5 credit to use on my first box purchased.  I used the coupon code and the link above and I got an extra $5.  I’m not sure how long this extra bonus will last so if you are considering ThredUp you may want to go and sign up now.

Children’s Consignment SalesConsignment Mommies

I have had my fair share of exploring children’s consignment sales recently…and let me tell you, I scored big!  I think that consignment shopping is great way to shop for gently used clothing for yourself or your kids.  If you love to search and hunt for a great bargain then this will be right up your alley.  I’ve noticed that children’s consignment sales come twice a year, once in Winter and once in Spring.  So check local bulletin boards and church signs for consignment sales in your area.  You can also check ConsignmentMommies.com for consignments that have been posted in your area.

 

My only warning with consignment sales is to check and double check each garment for stains or holes before you leave.  The policy is usually unstained, like new items but some moms don’t listen or perhaps don’t notice and a few stains appear throughout the racks.

 

This is also a great place to score used pack n plays, books, toys, high chairs, etc.

Zulily: Daily Deals for Moms, Babies, & Kids

Zulily

Zulily is a daily deals site for mom and the kids.  It’s a free membership site where each day, you will be able to buy great products from brand you love at 50-90% off.  That’s right, 90% off!  I think this is a great place to buy fancy baby shower gifts at a fraction of the cost.

Once you are a member you can invite others and if they join you get $15 per person!

One of my favorite things about Zulily is that they have mom’s clothes too (even maternity clothes!).

 

 

Yard SalesYard Sale

Try not to turn up your nose at yard sales, they often have great items for amazing prices.  Baby furniture, books, toys, and decor are also usually for sale for peanuts.  This is the ideal place for play clothes here.  You may be able to find t-shirts or shorts for a dime or a quarter that have a lot of life left in them.

 

 

Totsy

Totsy

Totsy has been in the back of my mind for a while but I’ve recently checked it out for myself to see what all the excitement was about.  Totsy is a site that hosts flash sales – that is a sale that lasts a limited number of hours (usually 72 hours for Totsy) and where you can score an amazing 40-90% off retail on higher end goods that might otherwise be outside your price range.  This is great for companies who need to sell of their extra inventory, for Totsy who runs the company, and for the moms and dads who shop and score fantastic deals.

 

Totsy claims to be 100% and for every sale they make they plant a tree.  How nice is that?

 

Totsy has a great referral program, for every friend that you refer who makes a purchase you get $15.  For disclosure, my referral link is included above so if you sign up and make a purchase I will get $15 credit in my account.  Win-win!

Buy Quality ClothesQuality

Buying sturdy clothes will only save money if you get a good deal on those long-lasting clothes.  Be ready to shop ahead for next year, check out my post The Best Time to Buy Everything for a few more details.  Shop the clearance racks and become familiar with your favorite store’s sale patterns.  If you have your eye on something that isn’t on sale watch and wait approximately 6 weeks from when you first spotted it and come back on a Thursday for the best chance of hitting the clearance rack first.  Weekend sales usually start Thursday afternoons.

 

If you buy clothes online be sure to never, ever, ever shop without a coupon code or without shopping through a cash back site like Ebates.  Many online retailers often have good sales and clearances with a wider selection than a local store.

Care For The Clothes You HaveClothes pins

 

When you take care of the clothes you have you give them a longer life and a larger value.  Go back to the old-fashioned idea of play clothes and dress clothes.  At our house we often wear jeans a couple of times before they get washed.  Another way to care for clothes is to treat stains right away so they don’t have time to set it.  If you have a long sleeve t-shirt that gets stained beyond repair just layer a short sleeve t-shirt over top.

Trade with Friends or FamilyClothing Swap

 

This is probably the most obvious way to save money – don’t spend any!  If you have friends or family that are willing to pass on to you their hand-me-downs, graciously accept!   Do the same for them if they have another child that could benefit from some other clothes you have.  This is also a great way to encourage a new mom and get rid of clothes you just have sitting in storage.  My sister-in-law gave me some of her maternity clothes (2 big bags!) and I am very grateful not to have to buy too much else.

Sew t-shirts for the Children of Japan

I know that there are a lot of  us out there that would love to do something for the people of Japan.  I’m sure that many of you have prayed and sent money, which is wonderful and is definitely still needed.  However, I just came across something that I think is really a wonderful and simple idea  for people to do.  Susan from Living with Punks will be holding a Sew Along to make t-shirts for the children of Japan who were effected by the dreadful earthquake/tsunami and current nuclear evacuations. These shirts are cute and they look fairly simple to complete. There is NO sewing machine necessary and the supplies are pretty basic and easy to find.  There is a girl pattern ready for download and the boy pattern will be coming March 28th.

Chloe Mieko

The goal is 500 shirts, can you donate one or two?  This looks like a fun project to do with your kids so maybe together you could make 3 or 4 and let your son or daughter keep one and donate the rest to the children of Japan.  This could be another great opportunity

As a bonus for participating in the Sew Along, Chelsea from Pink Fig (pattern designer), will give you a 50% off coupon towards Pink Fig’s new doll pattern that will be released in May.