Peace-keeping Sibling Activities

Looking for some calm in your household? Kids getting on eachothers’ nerves? Here are our top picks for activities to keep the peace between siblings:

1) Make believe library: It has to be quiet in the library, right? Gather up some books and comfy chairs (aka stack of pillows) and let them flip through the pages

2) Make homemade playdough: Let each child pick out the color they want (use food coloring to eliminate any sharing problems) and give them a few cookie cutters. Great way to use some creative juices and allow for some independent play.

3) Focus on others: Does a neighbor need some cheering up? Maybe you can bake a cake and deliver it? Is there a local pantry that could use a donation? Brainstorm together, gather what you need to brighten someone elses’ day.

4) Get in shape: Try some yoga positions to calm tensions down. Stretches work well too.Lead them in a few and join in. It may help you stay de-stressed too.

5) Get visual: One of my kids’ favorite peaceful activities is helping them imagine something peaceful. Have them lay down and close their eyes while you paint a picture of one of their favorite places and things to do. My kids love a beach scene with flying kites and all the ice-cream in the world.

Grandparents Day is Coming!

It hasn’t made the scene quite as big as say, Valentine’s day or Mother’s day but it is slowly becoming a “holiday” in the lives of many families. Grandparent’s day is on September 12th! There are many ways that you can celebrate this day. For starters, your children may want to create a “brag book” for the grandparents in their lives. Heather and I have used recycled CD cases as frames and have had the kids draw pictures of their grandparents to place inside.  We have also helped the children paint bird houses purchased at a local craft store. But perhaps it is important to remember how this whole day originated….

“The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.”

 Many nursing homes would love your family to visit, not just on Grandparent’s day but on any day. It will give your children an opportunity to brighten the day of elderly people who might not get visitors on a regular basis. Just call ahead to pick a good time and just be ready to smile and to listen.

Please read on for more guidelines for a successful visit…

Back to School Fun

Cool school days – Let’s pretend game – create a classroom at home.

Grab a table for the desks, a chalkboard and chalk (or a piece of cardboard with markers), some paper and pencils and host your own classroom!

This is a great way to prepare your older children for school and fill in the younger siblings on what fun is ahead of them.

Make sure to take a turn being the student!

Don’t Overlook The Best Business Partner – Your Sibling!!

Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal

Jessican and Ashlee Simpson

During the ’70s and ’80s, no less than six Sutter brothers reached the NHL.

The Jonas Brothers

Beyonce and Solange

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are just some of the most famous sibling teams out there. They combined their strengths, love and family bonds to rocket into stardom.

For this purpose – I chose some familiar faces but there are endless siblings that created small businesses, wrote books together or made inventions that changed the world (Wright Brothers!)

Think about the magnitude of this and all that may lay ahead for you and your siblings or the siblings you are raising!

Meet Four Sisters in Business!

We just LOVE happy sibling stories and had to share this one with you.  I’m also a fan of their products. Maybe you’ll be inspired to start your own family business!?

What do you get when you cross an entrepreneurial-minded mom with four creative daughters? A growing company whose motto is “Funky Soaps 4 Funky Folks”!

4 Sisters Soaps specializes in unique handcrafted soaps all made (as the label on each
states) “With Laughter & Love” by four sisters, ages 1-11, and their mother. Ellen
Zagorsky Goldberg, the “Founder and Mom” of the company says “we work together,
and it’s a crazy-but-fun experience for all of us”.

Hiking with your Family

Hiking can be a lot of fun and there are many reasons to do it. They include being one with nature, great excercise, amazing views and even for the challenge of it all. Just because you have small children does not mean that you have to miss out on this past time.

After my recent hike on Mount Monadnock got me thinking on how this can work for even the smallest children. Follow these tips and have a great time.

Having a sister makes you a better person

Definitely a study worth mentioning!

Do you have a sister?

Did you know it can be good for your health?

Having sisters is nothing less than a blessing, says a new report published in www.dailymail.co.uk. According to a new study, people who have sisters have less risk of being depressed. It has been proved by the research that sisters have a role to play in making us nice. The research says that one can do away with the feeling of loneliness if he grows up with one female sibling in the family.

Read more…

Have Fun with Nature!

 

Create a stained glass creature using nature to inspire you!

You need: newspaper, glue, black construction paper, a white crayon, tissue paper (lots of colors), and scissors.

1.) Take a look out at nature, a family pet or even a fun nature book to choose the animal you would like to create.

2.) Cover you work area with newspaper and trace a design of your animal onto black construction paper. Use the white crayon to do this!

3.) Add on any spots your animals has with the white crayon too. Cut out the outline and spots with your scissors.

4.) Place glue around each hole on your animal and stick tissue paper pieces to the back of the outline. Use lots of colors!

5.) Allow to dry and hang it up on a window.

Everyone in your family can participate in this great activity!

Stargazing!

Stargazing is fun as a planned event or as a spontaneous opportunity! More often than not, cook-outs, special events or late night ice cream nights keep my family out later than usual on summer evenings so our stargazing can sometimes happen unexpectedly. Just a few nights ago, we were walking inside from a night at the movies when we stopped dead in our tracks to observe the night sky. No matter, your age, stargazing can capture attention on those clear summer nights.

In our Outdoor Adventure chapter we have an activity that will give each of your family members something to think about while gazing into the sky. Your baby can be held or be laying on her back while she listens to the sounds of her family’s voices or the animals that can be heard only at night. Ask your toddler what he notices in the sky. Have him point to the brightest object and tell you what shape he thinks it is. Your preschooler and school age children might be more intrigued with a little preparation on your part. Using a constellation map, help them spot the North Star and other exciting constellations.

Whatever it is you decide to talk about or point out while lying with your family will be valuable. We all know it is important to “stop and smell the roses” but it is just as important to stop and gaze at the stars!

Keeping it Fair

Everyday, I am learning about this whole parenting business and the other day, Heather reminded me of something both powerful and simple when it comes to treating your kids fairly. I am not sure why I struggle with this so much. I have read over and over again (like you are about to do right now) about fair not being equal, however, I am so tempted to even things out with my two sons, that I find myself on the verge of making a darn checklist to keep it all straight.