Chronicles of a Babywise Mom

The Changing Colors of Amos {Giveaway}

2012-02-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today's giveaway is for a fun St. Patrick's Day children's book called The Changing Colors of Amos, by John Kinyon. This is a fun rhyming book that goes through colors. I like that the leprechaun in the story is not naughty (as they sometimes are in these stories). Today you have the chance to win your own copy! Here is how to enter: For Your First Entry: Become a follower of this blog. Then

A Minute For Me {Winner}

2012-02-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

The winner of the A Minute for Me book is... dnvrmama Please email me with your mailing address at valplowman@gmail.com. You have one week or another winner will be chosen. Congrats!

Pinteresting Fridays: Organization

2012-02-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today let's focus on some fun ideas to get you more organized. Child's Art Bookby Kaye Winiecki I try to refrain from commenting on these, but this one needs to be commented on. Something like this is fabulous. You can consolidate your child's artwork, and as your child grows, you will be floored by the massive amounts of artwork that show up in your house. I have a friend that puts the actual

3 Reasons YOU Get To Be In Charge

2012-02-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

Following the Leader There is definitely some trepidation in society from parents on taking the leadership role as parents. I am not really sure why that is. I don't know what led us to this point. Part of it, I am sure, springs forth from the idea of "child-centered" parenting. Putting the child's needs before the parent's or family's on a consistent basis can kind of make you a bit hesitant

Poll Results: WHAT WAS BABY'S INDEPENDENT PLAYTIME LENGTH FOR 10-11 MONTHS OLD?

2012-02-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

5-15 minutes once a day 2 (4%) 5-15 minutes twice a day 6 (12%) 15-30 minutes once a day 9 (18%) 15-30 minutes twice a day 16 (32%) 30-40 minutes 7 (14%) 40-50 minutes 3 (6%) 50-60 minutes 6 (12%) Votes so far: 49 RELATED POSTS/BLOG LABELS:Poll results independent playtime Reminder: You can leave comments on poll results posts if you would like to add to the poll after it has

Surgery and Children

2012-02-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Two of my children have had surgery thus far in life. It is always a scary thing--surgery. While most of the time things go right, sometimes things go wrong and that can be nerve wracking. I think it is helpful to prepare yourself and your family ahead of time and to know what to do to help make the whole process easier. With Brayden, I had months to research and prepare for his sugery. He had

Aahhh Presidents

2012-02-20T10:00:00.002-07:00

A dear friend of mine is married to a man who works at a bank. He definitely was thinking when he chose his profession because he gets lots of extra holidays off throughout the year that the average worker does not get (a fact he likes to remind my husband of with plenty of advance of the day...then my husband makes movies in response...it just goes back and forth...I won't go into the

A Minute For Me {Giveaway}

2012-02-18T08:00:00.002-07:00

Okay guys. This is seriously, seriously a great book--especially for moms. Especially for moms that we all tend to be like: busy over-achievers. It is down to earth and well-written. The point of the book A Minute for Me by Megan McDonough is to help you learn to take a few minutes for yourself each day. To "live deliberately" as Thoreau put it. Here is a great quote from the book: "You can

Exercise and Pregnancy

2012-02-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

image source One of my biggest questions when I got pregnant this time was "What can I do for exercise?" I know several women personally who I have watched do pretty regular exercises throughout pregnancy who all had great deliveries and healthy babies--so I knew it was a possibility. I had never consistently exercised during a pregnancy before. I honestly couldn't even fathom that someone

Love and Logic Magic: Strong Dose of Empathy

2012-02-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

image source Let's take a moment to imagine something. Imagine you are a child--let's say four years old. You just got a soccer ball for your birthday. Your mom explained very plainly that you were not allowed to play with the ball in the house. Temptation gets the better of you and you eventually start to play with it. Play gets more and more intense until you eventually hit a picture on the

Compliments

2012-02-15T10:00:00.001-07:00

I often hear from other women about compliments and how they have a hard time giving them. Not because they don't want to or because they don't think the nice things. I think we all think nice things all the time--we just don't say them nearly as often as we think them. Then the conversation turns to how silly it is that we don't just say the compliment we are thinking because what does it

Best Things...12-15 Months Old

2012-02-14T10:00:00.001-07:00

This can be a hard age--especially if it is your first child. The now pre-toddler is more mobile and has more of a mind of her own, so she is often requiring more redirection and you will likely encounter your first little tantrum during this time period. There are so many things to appreciate in this time period, though, both from what the child is learning and what the child is not yet doing.

Mealtime Offenses (and Defenses)

2012-02-13T10:00:00.002-07:00

Mealtime can present a wide array of problems in behavior from your child, but luckily there is plenty you can do to stop it if you have a plan in place. On Becoming Babywise Book Two dedicates an entire chapter to coaching you through this process(starting on page 65). I will encourage you as they do: consistency is key. Some common problems that come with mealtime are: flipping plate,

Prep for Parenting winner

2012-02-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Preparation for Parenting book is... Kyle and Amber Please email me at valplowman@gmail.com with your mailing address. You have one week or another winner will be chosen. Congrats!

Pinteresting Fridays: Fun Family Activities

2012-02-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

Here are some fun ideas for activities to do with your children! 10 Fun Things to Do for Every Month of the Yearby Let's Explore Play Every Day! Marshmallow Fight by Celebrate Every Day With Me Table Playhouseby Miss Pretty Pretty Etsy shop 100 Free Things to do with Your Kids this Summerby Digital Reflections 101 Things to do with Your Toddlerby Counting on Me To see more great ideas

Top Sleep Tips

2012-02-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

by Rachel Rowell from My Baby Sleep Guide This list will work for any age child, but it is especially made for younger children and newborns. I hope it helps! Avoid overtiredness. I can't mention this enough. Pay attention to your baby's waketime, pay attention to your baby's sleep cues and consider keeping a sleep log. Keep in mind that newborns are often up only to eat and have their diaper

Time Change Warning...already!!!!!!!

2012-02-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah...I can't believe it either. Where I live, the time change is March 11, which is just over a month away... especially since February is short. Here are my posts: Reader Time Change Questions:http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2009/10/reader-time-change-questions.html Time Change Strategies:http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2008/02/time-change-strategies.html Time Change Strategies (again) :http:

Poll Results: WHAT WAS BABY'S INDEPENDENT PLAYTIME LENGTH FOR 8-9 MONTHS OLD?

2012-02-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

5-10 minutes once a day 4 (6%) 5-10 minutes twice a day 3 (5%) 10-20 minutes once a day 10 (17%) 10-20 minutes twice a day 13 (22%) 30-40 minutes 19 (32%) 40-50 minutes 3 (5%) 50-60 minutes 6 (10%) Votes so far: 58 RELATED POSTS/BLOG LABELS:Poll results independent playtime Reminder: You can leave comments on poll results posts if you would like to add to the poll after it has

Potty Training: How I Do It

2012-02-07T10:00:00.001-07:00

As discussed in On Becoming Toddlerwise, there is no one right method to potty training. There are lots of ways to do it (see Potty Training: More Than One Right Method). I think it is helpful for parents to hear how other parents do it, because that parent might just have a certain method that you think will work for your child. The way I potty train is pretty simple and pretty unceremonious.

Preventing Whining

2012-02-06T10:00:00.001-07:00

If you do not yet have a child old enough to whine, let me assure you it is one of the most frustrating habits a child can pick up. I have a few posts on how to handle whining once it is a problem, but as in all things, preventing bad habits is easier in the long run than trying to fix bad habits. On Becoming Babywise Book Two discusses how to work toward the prevention of whining, starting on

Preparation for Parenting {Giveaway}

2012-02-04T08:30:00.001-07:00

Today Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo have provided our giveaway! They are giving away a copy of their book Preparation for Parenting. This is the non-secular version of On Becoming Babywise. It includes discussions on scripture and on practices like scripture study and prayer in your day. I know this is one you will love! For Your First Entry: Become a follower of this blog. Then leave a comment. If

My Memories Winner!

2012-02-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

The winner of the My Memories software is: liz22 Please email me at valplowman@gmail.com to claim your prize. Congrats! If you did not win, remember all of you can use this special coupon code: STMMMS3906. This coupon provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!

Morning Sickness

2012-02-03T10:00:00.001-07:00

image source There are several places to start when talking to a mom about pregnancy, but I think one of the most helpful places to start is the topic of morning sickness. Being sick is not fun at all. Add on top of that the job of being a mom and it makes it even less fun. Personal BackgroundWhen I was pregnant with Brayden, I was super, super sick. To throw up only five times a day was a good

Sleep Problems: Morning Wake-up Time is Too Early

2012-02-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Chapter three in Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is all about common sleep problems and how to fix then. Today we will be talking about your child's morning wake up time and what to do if it is too early (this starts on page 119). Causes of Early Waking (and the solutions)The Sun: Two of my three children are easily woken by the sun in the AM, so I know this is a reality. Get some

Be Thankful for Everything We Do Have

2012-02-01T10:00:00.001-07:00

My friend Mindee pinned this on Pinterest a few weeks back. I keep thinking about this idea of "attitude" and how it impacts our lives. Since I am a mother with young children, I especially think about the idea of attitude impacting this role in my life. I am not really a complaining type of person. There are a couple of special people in the world who get to hear the majority of my complaints,