I should have known that when my doctors office was literally shoving books and pamphlets into my hands about how to change a diaper, how to feed my baby and “What To Expect When Expecting” that those were going to be as close to owners manuals as I was going to get.  Since then I have found some great books with wonderful advice, and I have found some that have just been a load of fluff.  After blogging recently about rules and discipline I remembered a great book that I read that really helped me when I was at my wits end.  It’s called “Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood – Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years”.  If you’re not familiar with Jim Fay and Charles Fay Ph.D. they have many books, seminars and classes that teach about “Love and Logic” with regards to raising kids.  I haven’t read a ton of their material (there’s a lot of it) but I have to say with regards to this book I found their advice very useful and practical.  There are seminars I have listened to on CD that have also been funny, entertaining and helpful.  I would recommend purchasing their books, instead of borrowing them from the library, so that you can highlight and take notes in them.  If you’re anything like me I have to refer back to it at least a dozen times and that’s just for my first kid, not to mention when my second, third and fourth came along.  Amazon sells it for around $17 new and about $14 used.  I would let you borrow my copy but chances are I’ll need to reference it again tomorrow.

            If you have a favorite parenting book you like please let me know about it!  I’m always trying to stay one step ahead of my kids, but usually I find myself saying “That’s a new one . . . I wonder what that would fall under in an owner’s manual” and then I run to my computer to find a new book, or a helpful Mommy blog.   :-)

            Chores are one of those things that fall nicely under respect.  We respect our things by taking care of them.  Putting away our toys, making our beds, cleaning the bathroom, are all ways that we show respect for the things we have and for each other.  I have this amazing dream that there will come a day when my boy will show his future wife respect by cleaning up after himself!  Some day she’ll thank me.  

            By the way Susan . . . THANK YOU!!!

            Good manners also fall under the respect rule.  We show respect by saying please and thank you and not talking with our mouths full of food.  Again, I have a dream that one day my boy will politely hold the door open for an adorable girl and she’ll take notice.    Better yet, I hope my daughters take notice of the respectful young man that holds the door open for them!

            Again Susan . . . THANK YOU!!!

            Taking care of our bodies also falls under respect.  We respect our God given bodies by grooming, taking baths, eating healthy foods, getting enough rest, and exercising.  We believe that our bodies are a blessing from God and that when we properly take care of them life is richer, fuller, and longer.  Yep, I have a dream that when my kids grow up they will respect their bodies by not smoking or doing drugs.

            Susan . . . THANK YOU!!!

            As you can tell respect for me and my family is pretty important.  It does take extra time and effort to teach our kids the deeper meaning behind “please don’t fart at the dinner table”, but in the end it really could mean that mother’s dreams do come true.

            (By the way, for those of you who didn’t know, my mother-in-law is Susan.   )

~

OOOHHH, say can you see, by the evenings fading light,

what so loudly had wailed was my toddler not sleeping.

Whose small feet were kicking the walls, thru his perilous fight.

O’re the tantrums we watched our son gallantly screaming.

And the neighbors did stare, since they easily heard me swear.

Giving proof through the night that our son wasn’t sleeping.

Oh, wont that kid ever give up and let us be saved.

In the house of no sleep and the home of the depraved!

~

Every parent will inevitably experience a bedtime battle with their child at one point or another.  At what age it will happen is hard to say, and if it hasn’t happened to you yet then prepare yourself, it’s coming.  If you have been, or are in the middle of the battle field, take heart!  The backup troops are here!  It’s called “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by Mark Weissbluth, M.D.

In my experience every kid is different (even kids in the same family) and so certain things work with one kid that won’t necessarily work with another.  That’s the beauty of this book.  Dr. Weissbluth gives you easy to follow step-by-step directions on what to do no matter what type of non-sleeper you have.  His comprehensive book takes a look at sleeping issues all the way from newborns to teenagers.  Through his research and pediatric practice he supports his methods with scientific evidence and first hand accounts from parents of “non-sleepers”.

I have read, marked and re-read this book with each of my children and I’m still using it as a useful parenting tool.  No, not to throw at my kids when they don’t go to bed, but to keep one step ahead of them and sleeping well.

You can find new and used copies at Amazon.com from $11 to $17 and it qualifies for part of their free super saver shipping.  If you have found yourself singing your own rendition of “Ode to the Bedtime Battle” and have now learned tips and tricks on how to prevail, please comment below!  Now, play ball!

My seven year old son loves to get a set of Legos, put it together the first time by following the included directions, and then takes them all apart and has an even better time building something new and imaginative.  There is no limit to what he can build until he runs out of pieces.  I am all about multi-task toys.  What I mean by that is, the toys can be used in hundreds of different ways and lets a kid freely use their imagination.  Even my husband uses the Legos.  He built a custom fit stand for his MP3 player and portable speakers so that they stand up. 

We keep my sons Legos under his bed in a large rolling drawer so he doesn’t have to dump them all over the floor to play with them.  It saves my feet from the pain and agony of stepping on Legos when I have to get him up in the morning.  It also, conveniently, pushes in quickly so baby can’t get to any of the pieces.

My younger kids love the Duplos (the large Legos) and I love to share these at play groups since they can be easily disinfected.  Just dump them all in the bath with some hot water and liquid dish soap, swish them around, rinse them off and let them air dry in the tub.  Better yet, throw the kids in with the Legos and just use baby soap!

There are all different types and sizes of Lego sets so you can easily find one that your kid is in to and with in your budget.  I do have to admit though that Lego sets can get pretty expensive, so here’s my recommendations on how to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to shopping for Legos.  Start with the basic tub of Legos that has the primary colored bricks.  See what your child likes to build with them.  Do they like to build houses?  Do they like to build boats?  Do they build castles for the princess?  Take a cue from that on what set to buy next.

Always check places like Craigslist and resale shops for Legos.  You can get some great deals on massive amounts of Legos this way.  Also check online at Amazon.com.  They have been known to have some amazing deals on certain sets of Legos.  Lego.com also has a clearance/sale section.  I bought my son a Custom Car Garage set for $30 when it was originally $70!  If you have a Lego store nearby be sure to check out the ‘wall-o-Legos’ for cool individual pieces that can be used to build your own custom creations and be sure to ask them if they have any coupons.  Tip: let the Lego Store host your kids birthday party!  Another cool tip:  the Lego Store has a free Lego night where your kid can build a mini set of Legos that usually coincide with the holiday that month.  Check lego.com for more information.  Lego also has a free magazine and catalog your kid can sign up for (my son loves to get mail).

Can you tell we love Legos?    If you have other questions or tips about Legos please feel free to share.  I’m always looking out for more fun ideas!

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