Potty Training – Open to Suggestions

Potty training…anybody have any good suggestions? You would think since I’ve been down this road two times before, that I would know what to do…WRONG!

My youngest just turned three last week. She has always been very verbal and able to communicate. We never went through that frustrating time with trying to find words and throwing tantrums when said words couldn’t be found. So, I’m thinking…”life has been a breeze with her for the first three years, why would potty training be any different?”

HAHA, was I in for a RUDE AWAKENING!

She has been using Pull-Ups, and pretty successfully, for the last year or so. We’ve been talking about becoming a “big girl” with this birthday and even got some Dora underwear in the stocking from Santa.

This past Friday, I decided it was time. She was home with me for the day and we would have a 3-day weekend to work on it. We traded in the Pull-Ups for Dora. I quickly became aware that my little angel’s halo was slipping and she was going to put me to the test. All of a sudden she became defiant – I would tell her to go sit on the potty…”No, I don’t want to” – EVERY time I put her on the potty this happens. We go through a HUGE power struggle and I’m trying like hell not to let her win.

This is the kicker right here…she goes to a private babysitter 3-4 days during the week. This babysitter has been taking care of her since she was about 10 months old. She’s awesome. Livvie loves her and everything is hunky dory.

I’m getting to my point…the babysitter tells her to go sit on the potty…AND SHE GOES AND SITS ON THE POTTY. She even pulls her own pants down, does her thing, pulls her pants back up, washes her hands and BOOM, she’s successfully gone to the bathroom by herself.

Of course, I’m thinking I’m the biggest failure of a mom who ever lived. This shouldn’t be that tough..I’m smart, educated…and for God’s sakes – I’m 36 years older than this child!

Okay mommies out there – this is an official cry for help.

I’m looking for some great advice…don’t let me down now.

Update: it’s now two days later and we’ve had TWO DRY DAYS!! All day long…even through nap time. Maybe I was wrong…maybe I AM a genius after all 🙂

Update – 8 days later: Okay – I want to thank everyone for the kind words and advice, but I really think we have this thing licked! She has had 1 accident since this past Saturday. She is still wearing the Pull-Up for nighttime (and she’s been dry all night a couple of times), but she’s “big girl underwear” all during the daylight hours. WOOHOO!!

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Enjoy Them While They’re Young

I had the joy of taking my almost 3-yr-old to the Children’s Museum this morning. We were lucky to have a little one-on-one time to ourselves.

We had a blast painting, picking apples, shopping in the pretend grocery store, catching butterflies with our shadows, sending blocks down a water slide, putting puzzles together and marching in a parade with the resident red dinosaur, Seymour!

I just loved watching her face and having a conversation with her through our whole trip.

The moments are fleeting…and FAST! I hope you are enjoying yours as much I am mine 🙂

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Play with Your Child – it Benefits Them AND You!

In our busy hectic lives, it can be hard to work in play time with our children. To properly grow and learn, children need to actively play. By playing with our children, we can make sure they gain everything they need from play.

Physical activity
While you want to let your child choose what they do and how they do it during play time, you can help encourage them to choose healthy physical activities. If they want to play a game, suggest hide and seek, tag, or anything else that will get them up and moving. Play also helps to support physical development. If a child sits in front of a T.V. all day, they’ll never develop their hand eye coordination, balance, or other physical abilities as well as they should.

Important bonding time with parents
There is nothing more important in building a child’s self-esteem and feeling of safety than bonding with a parent. If a child knows that their parent is there for them, they’ll grow up to feel safer and more secure in the world around them. You may think it’s just talking and spending time with your child, but to them it’s the feeling of being loved and protected.

Getting more personalized help with issues
If allowed to direct their own play, a child will re-enact situations that he or she finds important. They may also use play time to vent emotional frustrations that they probably can’t describe verbally yet. By paying attention to your child’s behavior during play, you can determine what their concerns and frustrations are. Once you know the problem, it’s a lot easier to deal with and fix.

While playing with your child is obviously beneficial to them, it can also help you out as well.

Get to know your children
Many parents of teenagers say that they know little or nothing about their child. A good way to know them is to start while they’re still young and work to keep it as they grow. Playing regularly with your children now may actually help you worry less about them when they’re older.

Helps you relax
When children play, they create imaginary worlds and situations. If you are actively involved in your child’s imaginary worlds, it can help you forget the stress of the real world.

Promotes physical activity
We all know how hard it is to stay active when there are deadlines to meet, bills to pay, and everything else to do. If we strive to keep our children active through play, we will end up being active with them.

Playing with your child is as simple as setting aside a block of time everyday. It may be difficult to rearrange your schedule, but it will be well worth it for you and your child.

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Have a Romantic Evening With Your Spouse on Valentine’s Day

Do you want to put the “spark” back in your romance? What better place to start this Valentine’s Day than the bedroom?

Let’s take a look at a few easy steps to set the romantic mood in the place where we spend 1/3 of our lives!

Step #1 – (my husband would KILL me for writing this)…Get rid of the TV!…or at least hide the remote for the evening. Unplug the telephone and rid the room of anything that may distract you and your spouse. Put away anything that’s out of place.

Step #2 – Buy some romantic decor…buy a red comforter and/or red satin sheets. Pick up some soft plush pillows also. Buy some scented aromatherapy candles in different scents.

Step #3 – Get some other fun essentials! Pick up some strawberries and chocolate and some whipped cream while you’re out. One more thing…if you can pick up some rose petals, add those to your shopping cart.

Step #4 – Set the mood. Make some chocolate fondue for later. Place the scented candles around the room. Turn down the comforter, and place rose petals on the pillows. Either soften the lights or turn them off. Ensure there are no sounds coming into the room via the windows by closing them shut. Set up a bottle of wine near the bed. Put your favorite music on nice and low. Lay out your favorite night wear for you and your spouse.

Now stand by the door, and take a look! Is this a romantic bedroom or what? No matter what mood your husband comes home in, once he sees the bedroom his mood will quickly change. While these are some decorating tips, you may come up with your own imaginative style. Whatever you choose, the key to keeping your bedroom romantic and inviting is to get rid of all the distractions which would interfere with maintaining the ambience and mood of the room.
You can be certain that one night spent in this romantic setting will help the two of you remember why you married each other in the first place 😉

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Whew! Live TV Wasn’t So Bad

I wouldn’t want to do it every day, but it wasn’t so bad! Thanks to all of you who were sending me positive vibes through my first appearance on TV…in my bathrobe no less! Well, at least I was comfortable 🙂

I’ll be getting a dvd here soon and I’ll post the link so y’all can take a gander and see for yourselves.

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

I’m going to be on TV!!

I first talked about my upcoming TV spot here. Now I have all of the details.

I’m going to be on Channel 6 (local Richmond, VA station) on Virginia this Morning at 10am IN MY BATHROBE! This is going to be so much fun. You see, Monday, February 12th is International Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day and I’m going to be interviewed in my bathrobe on a live show talking about the wonderful benefits of working from home!

If you’re in the Richmond area, please try to watch…if not I’ll try to get the spot in digital form up on my website in the very near future.

Wish me luck!

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Maintaining a Positive Relationship with Your Ex

Unfortunately, the statistics for divorce are high. If you are divorced, or in the process of getting one, the people most affected are your children. The importance of keeping a positive relationship with your ex, and how single parents’ attitudes towards one another affect the children should be of utmost concern. Here are some tips to help you cope.

Never use the children as pawns in your battle
Keep your relationship as positive as possible when dealing with the divorce proceedings. If joint custody is awarded, never talk unkindly about your spouse. Never ask questions about any activities your spouse may be involved in. Putting your children in the middle will only cause them more emotional pain. Remember, they are trying to understand why this happened, but more importantly need to be reassured it’s not their fault.

Keep the negative thoughts to yourself
Don’t whine around the children or talk about your spouse begrudgingly to your friends. You are more than likely having negative thoughts and feelings. If you need an outlet, join a support group (like a divorce recovery workshop at your church) or seek help from a counselor.

Keep the lines of communication open…
with your kids and your ex. Keeping a dialogue open with the children will show them that you aren’t hiding anything and help to reassure them they are loved by both parents and that the break-up has absolutely nothing to do with them. Be as honest and open as you can – AND GIVE THEM AGE-APPROPRIATE ANSWERS! They will no doubt have a lot of questions – just be there for them. Keep an open and positive communication line open with your ex as well. Remember, it’s not about YOU…it’s about THE KIDS!

Give them time
You may notice some acting out or inward reflection by your children. This is their way of dealing with the situation. Give them time; don’t push it. If they need you, they will come. There are usually great resources to help your kids in their school system. Ours had a nice group session with the counselor called “divorced kids” in the elementary school. Both of our kids really opened up in this group setting.

Give yourself some time
Give yourself a break, too. You are certainly under a lot of stress. Adding guilt to the mix will not help either you or your children. Take it one day at a time. Rid yourself of undue pressure. It’s hard, but definitely necessary. If the children need you for any reason and you are unable to cope or help, you’ll cause more harm.

Keep as positive an outlook as you can. While some divorces can be messy, you do have some control over the situation. Remember, what you do directly affects your children. Use caution.

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Thumbs Up Thursday – Mommy, Inc.

Today’s “thumbs up” goes to Shannon at the Mommy, Inc. blog. She a “mompreneur” with twin girls who just turned 1 this past week (Happy Birthday Girls). Shannon shares what she calls ‘survival tips’ for other moms who work at home and try to balance it all, including frugal ideas, make-ahead meals, business promotion ideas and success secrets from other moms. Here’s something that she posted on Monday for the Thrifty Mom:

* Thrifty Mom: Child’s Play
What’s the best way to save money on children? Well, some people will simply tell you not to have them. But guess what? Raising kids doesn’t have to be expensive. Just take the kid’s-eye view of the challenge and use you imagination instead of always reaching for your wallet. During the month of January, I’m sharing secrets to save while enjoying your children.

Ways to have fun with kids, while on a budget
1) The library has more than books. Don’t forget about all the videos and books on tape. Plus some libraries even have free passes to museums!
2) Grab an empty appliance box and let the kids decorate their own play house, club house or secret fort. (We actually did this 2 summers ago for the little Livvie – I put the older kids to work painting and decorating a huge box. We put it in her room and she got a TON of mileage out of it!)
3) When they’re stuck inside, how about bringing the outdoors in and having a Teddy Bear Picnic n their bedroom?
4) Need some clothes for dress up? Now you can finally get rid of all those ugly bridesmaid dresses. (Kids don’t care they’re too big.) Think also about old uniforms, costume jewelry and hats.

Every day Shannon has something pertinent to a mom’s life…make sure you check her out!

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Confidence and Self Esteem Go Hand In Hand

Confidence is a crucial part of our lives – both as children and as adults. Without it, we are left with: low self-esteem; feelings of unworthiness; and we are vulnerable to the pitfalls life sometimes doles out. Confident moms = confident children and this, above all else, is the very foundation which will determine the future success or failure of your children. Here are some tips on how you can increase your child’s confidence:

Be a role model for your child. If your self-esteem is high, your child will pick up on that part of you and absorb it. Keep a positive attitude in everything you do. Think back to the happiest memories from your childhood, and use it as a catalyst in your own life. If you become worried or frustrated, avoid outwardly expressing it. Negativity in the home is unhealthy, especially for children.

Counteract their exposure to the unpleasant things in life by having frequent talks invoking the positive aspects. Help build your children’s self-esteem by giving them certain responsibilities around the home, and rewarding them for a job well done. Give them the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. Encourage them in anything they wish to achieve, utilizing a positive tone.

Be open to their thoughts and feelings. If they have been confronted with a particular situation, listen and be attentive and comforting. However, try not to tell them what to do but allow them to work it through in their own mind. This will give them the tools they need to learn how to interact with others. It is a crucial step in their development. Allowing them to solve their own problems will boost their confidence immeasurably and give them the independence that they need as they grow toward adulthood.

Be sensitive to their needs; don’t brush aside what may seem trivial to you. Remember when you were going through the same phase; be always mindful of it.

Children mirror what they see in their home lives and day to day activities. If you exude confidence, they will pick up on it and begin to display the same confidence in their own lives!

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »

Mother/Daughter Relationships

Do you have a good relationship with your daughter? Do you wish it could be better? Here’s a great resource for you to take advantage of…whether you don’t know where to start or are trying to mend a broken relationship, this is the book for you.

A good colleague and friend, Sandy Heinz of Good 2ba Girl, put out this ebook – 4 Blocks to Building a Lifelong Relationship with Your Daughter – in 2006 and it is available to you for free!

In the book, Sandy describes in detail 4 essential blocks that help build the relationship you’ve been wanting between you and your daughter:

1. Trust
2. Communication
3. Effective Listening
4. Letting Go

Click here to get your free copy.

This book is among many “freebies” that Mom’s Niche has to offer. We have newsletters and ecourses, ebooks and reports…all for free. Check out the other FREEBIES available at MomsNiche.com!

MomsNiche.com
Find your niche…be all you can be!

Read Full Post »