Category: busy parents

Easy Chores Kids Can Actually Help With

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Parents and guardians have a great deal of responsibility, and on top of caring for children; there are plenty of chores involved, too. That doesn’t even include providing for the family, supplying food and other necessities, running errands, and countless other things. Kids should focus on growing, developing and learning, but actually having kids pitch in with the chores and cleaning can be helpful! Kids should not be forced to do labor, especially nothing that is unsafe or unreasonable for them to do, but giving children a household responsibility helps them develop that skill, as they get older. It can also help teach lessons in patience, gratitude, and discipline. Here are some chores that you can assign your kids from time to time, or have them help you with.

Vacuum

Kids shouldn’t handle any heavy, large vacuums, but slimmer appliances can actually prove to be fun! They make toy vacuums for a reason, right? Giving kids a light task like vacuuming the kitchen or the bathrooms provides them with some activity yet is still small-scale enough that they can handle it. Knowing that they have a small hand in the household chores can help them feel more important as well as responsible without feeling overwhelmed.

Sorting the Recycling

Going through bottles, cans and plastics can actually be turned into a fun game if you’re creative enough! Focusing on recycling is good for any household, and it can help provide a lesson for kids about being environmentally conscious. By giving them a hands-on role in the recycling, they can develop a better understanding of the impact they have on the earth, and what can be done to prevent pollution and other damages that trash or certain materials can do to nature over time.

Help with Laundry

Laundry is a pretty stress-free task, though time consuming. That’s what makes it a great group activity. Whether you have your child assist you with folding and sorting or you disperse the tasks among several kids, laundry can be done in so many ways that no matter who helps, the whole process goes faster. Kids will also appreciate more and realize the time parents take to wash, fold and sort laundry. Plus, laundry usually allows for some multitasking, too. You can fold laundry and watch a movie or a show at the same time. That way you get to spend some quality time together while still being productive.

Two brothers helping father to wash and dry dishes in kitchen

Doing the Dishes

This is a classic, but it works! It’s a great idea to have kids help out with the cooking prep if you can, especially since kids are more likely to try new foods (even veggies!) if they had a hand in making it, but helping with the dishes is a great chore to task them with, too. Having kids do the dishes can also help them be more mindful of the appliances they use, and it may inspire a desire to wash dishes as soon as they’re done being used. Even if you have a dishwasher, tasking kids with filling and emptying the dishwasher can help with organizational skills.

Dusting

An easy chore, but still necessary! Dusting is an essential skill, even if it’s not at all challenging. The problem is remembering to dust. Dust buildup can cause a number of different things, but allergies especially. It’s something quick and easy that kids can accomplish, but also helpful. Plus, your kids may be able to get into those hard to reach places you can’t quite get to!

Refilling Supplies

This task is another good observational and organizational skill-builder. Ask kids to refill soap bottles, resupply toilet paper and paper towels, and take inventory of other such essential goods.

Having kids help around the house can be beneficial to the both of you. Not only is it important for kids to develop a healthy sense of responsibility, but helping out with the chores can help them develop a better understanding and appreciation for what you do for them all the time as well.

How To Keep An Active Toddler Busy

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Taking care of toddlers is notoriously difficult. They’re called the “terrible twos” for a reason, right?

Between the ages of 1-3, children can be difficult, especially since they are still learning to speak and communicating with them effectively can prove to be a bit of a challenge. Kids are constantly on the move, and their overactive minds are alight with questions and general inquisitiveness that keeps their hands roaming, their feet moving, and their energy levels at full capacity. As a parent, it’s important that you encourage their inquisitive nature while also keeping them in line, making sure that they stay safe and that they are also preoccupied so you can get what you need done, too. Here are some ways you can keep active toddler’s busy when you cannot focus 100% of your attention on them.

Kinesthetic Activities

The more stimulation you can provide for your child, the better. Try giving them colored blocks, playdough and other similar items to keep them occupied but learning, too. Color matching games are great for teaching children colors, which seems obvious, but it can also teach them basic organizational and special skills as well. Same goes for shape matching games as well. Playdough is a unique substance, and similar goos and slimes can work just as well, but the texture and appearance of these types of toys can introduce kids to their innate sense of creativity while also providing them with a highly stimulating activity.

Finger-painting

Finger-painting seems like a cliché toddler activity but it is a great way to encourage kids to be creative and explore their own modes of expression and exploration. There are plenty of mess-proof finger-painting kits out there, too, and you can even make your own. Place different colored paints into freezer bags and lock them up tight while eliminating most of the air from the bag. Place them on a window or a white surface so kids can play around with the paint, creating images with the negative space without making a mess!

Puzzles

Puzzles provide great exercises in logic, allowing kids to solve problems while actively using their visual imagination at the same time. Personalized puzzles is an added benefit because not only will the puzzle itself provide many benefits to your child but they will also learn their letters and spelling of their name. You can find personalized puzzles for kids on our website. You can also create puzzles of your own by printing out pictures from movies or shows that your child loves, or even make a copy of a piece of work that your child has created themselves, and cut it into sections for them to rearrange and place back together.

Get Creative

When you’re out of toys, games, and are wary of turning to television or mobile games, there are plenty of DIY solutions that you can whip up within minutes to help keep your toddlers occupied and actively using their brains. Doing a search on Google on Toddler Activities can return a plethora of blog sites with creative and unique suggestions that can easily be implemented at home.

Are Your Kids Too Busy?

Posted on | by KD Novelties

When people think of “busy” the image of a parent with a full schedule is usually a common image. With more and more families containing working parents these days, it is no wonder parents are seen as the busy ones. Between taking care of the family, running errands, keeping up with a career – and not to mention hobbies or passions if one has the time – parents are often running around, maintaining their hectic lives. But when people think of kids, they tend to think of bygone, carefree days full of imagination and play time, right?

Along with busy parents, there are busy kids. With more social and academic pressures in our society urging parents to keep their kids active, to have them participate in sports, after school activities, take up an instrument, learn a language, or join a variety of different clubs, kids may be overworked, too.

For teens, activities are a great way to bolster a college application and is something that many establishments look for when it comes to choosing prospective students. Younger kids may be along for the ride, especially if mom and dad, as well as their siblings, are constantly busy.

Whether kids are part of a club because their friends are or simply because there is no one to pick them up after school until one parent or the other becomes available, kids may feel stress and pressure from constantly running around as much as their older family members do.

Some kids are simply active and energetic, and that is completely normal, so how can you tell whether your child is stressed? Here are some warning signs:

● If your child often expresses or visibly shows symptoms of tiredness, anxiety, or even depression (loss of interest, appetite, apathy, etc.)
● If they complain of headaches or stomachaches (these can be due to stress, missed meals or lack of sleep)
● If they fall behind on school work, if their grades drop

If you notice these issues, then it is important to take action – but what is there to do? If your child’s busy schedule relies on the general activeness of the rest of the family, then you may need to make some adjustments, but overall it is important that you discuss these things with your child and understand what it is that they want. Here are some things that you can do to help:

● Agree on activities and arrangements ahead of time, and check in with them periodically to see how things are going
● Establish carpools and other things that can help make life easier
● Try to balance activities for your kids, and yourself
● Make room for quality family time
● Set shared priorities
● Know when to say no

However, keep in mind that it is important to SLOW IT DOWN.  Take a moment and think about your child’s life and what they may be experiencing. If it’s hectic, sit down together and decide where you can cut back. If it’s overly structured, set aside time for blowing off some steam.  Downtime is crucial for these times and staying home, relaxing, reading a book together is probably much needed rest a child needs.