So it’s the middle of the week, and if your family is anything like mine – you’ve hit a lull. Even with all of the extracurriculars and social obligations, we get caught with a night when NOTHING is going on. What’s a mom to do?
I suggest…and this may seem a little “off” at first…but just go with it…
How about building A BLANKET FORT?
Forts are a long-time tradition in my house – I have been known to let my daughter sleep in one for the majority of the summer, because it’s fun and more exciting than her regular sleeping area, I suppose. I can’t say that I love the look of furniture draped in blankets and sheets, so as my daughter’s grown older I try to limit the amount of time that they stay up. (My current limit is about a week before I have to remove the mess.)
All you’ll need for this ADVENTURE is as many blankets, quilts, sheets, and pillows as you can scrounge up. Pick a room to build your creation – and consider what you’d like to have inside. One year, we put a small television and video game system inside my daughter’s fort, but that’s not the best idea, in the middle of a school year. You might want to set up a corner of the fort as a reading area with a small lamp and a bunch of pillows.
For support, you’ll need chairs, couches, and tables. Cluster them together in either a square or round configuration, and drape or tie blankets and sheets to the furniture as desired. Remember – the taller the furniture, the more room inside your fort!
Now that you’ve got a fort, what do you DO in it? I suggest playing card games, having a snack, or reading a story. The whole point is to spend time together, and HAVE FUN!
Have you heard about Pitza 42, the new concept pizza parlor in Conway? The mission statement of Pitza 42 is “Eat Good. Do Good.” The idea behind the restaurant is simple: for every meal purchased, a meal (in the form of MannaPacks, which are mixtures of rice, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables and chicken flavoring) is donated to Minnesota-based Feed My Starving Children. This non-profit organization ships food to 67 countries around the world.
Since their opening in September, Pitza 42 has pledged over 20,000 meals, and has a goal to reach 50,000 by April. On Friday, April 13, everyone who has donated by purchasing a meal at Pitza 42 will be able to see exactly what they’ve contributed by helping assemble MannaPacks in Conway. Families are encouraged to attend, and children as young as five years old are able to participate with a chaperone. Volunteers will work two-hour shifts measuring out rice and veggies, as well as filling and sealing packages.
Volunteer sign up will be available as April draws closer, but for now you can (and should!) donate your time and a meal by eating at Pitza 42. Their menu consists of fresh, nutritious foods prepared daily. This is NOT drive-through, so you can feel good about feeding your family. Alongside pizza, you will find gourmet salads as well as hummus and fresh veggies. Children love the pitza “bar,” where they can pick out their own toppings to pile on their pizza before it’s baked.
Pitza 42 is located at 2235 Dave Ward Drive, Conway, and can be found on the web at pitza42.com.
Abundant Life School, which is a mission of the Sylvan Hills First Baptist Church in Sherwood, is committed to assisting parents to train their children to become Godly young men and women by educating them spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially.
The Abundant Life School sits on a beautiful 16 acre plot of land located in Sherwood, Arkansas. Care has been taken in the overall site plan to preserve the natural beauty of the land.
Since 1977, Abundant Life School has endeavored to educate the boys and girls of our community to emerge as academically well prepared men and women of truth and responsibility. To this day they seek to challenge their students to be critical thinkers with a solid foundation of Biblical values.
Abundant Life School is first and foremost an educational institution with specific goals for its graduates. They train the mind and challenge the heart of each and every student. Not only do they facilitate learning, and train critical thinking skills; the school commits itself to truth and to passing it on. They work in partnership with the home, the church and the community to instill the values necessary for making a successful life and living.
The academic program is challenging and prepares students to succeed in college and beyond as lifelong learners and achievers. From preschool through high school, expectations are high and their students grow and graduate as men and women equipped to be responsible, ethical, hard workers whether going to college or entering the work force.
The daily environment of the school is conducive to teaching and learning. This is a place where structure and orderliness go hand in hand with love and close relationships between teachers and students. At Abundant Life School everyone; student, parent and teacher, works together for the success of the student. One needs only to walk the halls, and listen at a classroom door to witness firsthand a school that works.
We urge you to think about making Abundant Life your school. A school which for over 25 years has been a stable influence in our community. A school which has never lost sight of the proven ingredients of successful teaching and learning. A school whose families are committed to providing the very best education for their children.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Abundant Life School.
“The school that works.”
Abundant Life School
9200 Highway 107
Sherwood,AR 72120
(501) 835-3120
Savvy Kids’ publisher, the fabulous Heather Baker, shared a really nice article on pinterest this morning. (If you’re not familiar with pinterest, you really, REALLY need to go sign up at www.pinterest.com.)
The article was entitled “100 Ways to be Kind to Your Child” and was originally posted at http://creativewithkids.com/100-ways-to-be-kind-to-your-child/.
There are SO many great suggestions for ways to make your little (and not-so little) ones’ days happy – I just had to share.
100 Ways to be Kind to Your Child
Tell your child:
1. I love you.
2. I love you no matter what.
3. I love you even when you are angry at me.
4. I love you even when I am angry with you.
5. My love for you can reach you wherever you are.
6. If I could pick any 4 year old (5 year old…) in the whole
wide world, I’d pick you.
7. I love you to the moon and then around the stars and
back again.
8. Thank you.
9. I enjoyed playing with you today.
10. My favorite part of the day was with you when we…
11. The story of their birth or adoption.
12. About how you cuddled them when they were a baby.
13. The story of how you chose their name.
14. A story about yourself when you were their age.
15. A story about how their grandparents met.
16. What your favorite color is.
17. That sometimes you struggle too.
18. That when you’re holding hands and you give three
squeezes, it’s a secret code that means, “I love you”.
19. What the plan is.
20. What you’re doing right now.
Play:
21. Freeze Tag
22. Uno
23. Crazy 8s
24. Gin Rummy
25. Memory
26. Go Fish
27. I Spy- especially in the car when you’re tired and
feeingl snappish.
28. Catch
Pretend:
29. To catch their kiss and put it on your cheek.
30. That their tickle tank is empty and you have to fill it.
31. That their high five nearly knocks you over.
32. That you are super ticklish.
33. That you are explorers in the backyard.
34. That it’s party day! Decorate for no reason!
Try:
35. To get enough sleep.
36. To drink enough water.
37. To eat decent food
38. Wearing earrings or whatever makes you feel pretty.
39. Calling friend the next time you feel like you are about
to lose it with the kids.
40. Giving a gentle touch to show approval.
41. Dancing in the kitchen.
42. To get your kids to bop to the music with you in the
car.
43. Showing your kids that you can do a somersault or
handstand or a cartwheel
44. Keeping that sigh to yourself. Just jump in and help
clean up cheerfully.
45. Using a kind voice, even if you have to fake it.
Read:
46. A book of silly poems.
47. A book and then act it out. (Like “I’m going on a Bear
Hunt”)
48. Your favorite childhood book to them.
49. When the afternoon is starting to go astray.
50. Outside under a tree.
51. In the library kids corner.
52. The comic book they love that you’re not so hot on.
53. About age appropriate behavior so you can keep your
expectations realistic.
Listen:
54. To your child in the car.
55. To that Lego description, and think how important it is
to your child.
56. For that question that indicates your child really needs
your input.
57. A second longer than you think you have patience for.
58. For the feelings behind your child’s words.
Ask:
59. Why do you think that happens?
60. What do you think would happen if______?
61. How shall we find out?
62. What are you thinking about?
63. What was your favorite part of the day?
64. What do you think this tastes like?
Show:
65. Your child how to do something instead of banning
them from it.
66. How to whistle with a blade of grass.
67. How to shuffle cards- make a bridge if you can!
68. How to cut food.
69. How to fold laundry.
70. How to look up information when you don’t know the
answer.
71. Affection to your spouse.
72. That taking care of yourself is important.
Take Time:
73. To watch construction sites.
74. To look at the birds.
75. To allow your child to help put ingredients in the bowl.
76. To walk places together.
77. To dig in the dirt together.
78. To do a task at your child’s pace.
79. To just sit with you child while they play.
Trust:
80. That your child is capable.
81. That you are the right parent for your child.
82. That you are enough.
83. That you can do what is right for your family.
Delight your child:
84. Clean your child’s room as a surprise.
85. Put chocolate chips in the pancakes.
86. Put a love note in their lunch.
87. Make their snack into a smile face shape.
88. Make sounds effects while do something.
89. Sit on the floor with them to play.
Let Go:
90. Of the guilt.
91. Of how you thought it was going to be.
92. Of your need to be right.
Give:
93. A look with Kind Eyes to your child.
94. A smile when your child walks into the room.
95. A kind touch back when your child touches you.
96. The chance to connect before you correct so that your
child can actually hear your words.
97. Your child a chance to work out their frustrations
before helping them.
98. A bath when the day feels long.
99. A hug.
100. Now it’s your turn- how can you be kind to your child
today?
Email paige@arktimes.com or comment on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/SavvyKids
It’s Friday, and that means we’re all thinking about how to fill those long-awaited hours between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening. Here’s a rundown on what’s going on so you can squeeze in as many as possible!
FRIDAY
Today at 4 p.m., it’s the 26th Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake at Professor Bowl West, 901 Towne Oaks Drive in Little Rock. This benefit will last until 7 p.m. and will raise money for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Arkansas. Teams of 5 are asked to work together and raise $500 to help match children with positive role models. Money is raised when the team members ask family, friends and co-workers to donate to the team by giving cash, check, or a donation through the team’s “friends asking friends” webpage. Teams select a day and time below to participate in the bowl-a-thon as a celebration of all the money raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Each team bowls one game and each member gets a T-shirt, drink, and shoe rental. To find out more, contact Lakethia Glenn at 374-6661, ext 221 or email lglenn@bbbsca.org.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is playing at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre! Although this play isn’t for young children, it’s a must-see for young teens, as they’ll be studying the book in 9th grade english if they haven’t already. Based on the novel by Harper Lee with a script by Christopher Sergel, this compelling story is told through the eyes of Scout, the tomboyish young daughter of Atticus Finch, who is a small-town lawyer defending a black man in court. For tickets and additional information, visit www.therep.org or call the Box Office, 501-378-0405 or toll free 866-6THEREP.
SATURDAY
On Saturday, Family Fun Saturday – Tommy Terrific Magic Show will be at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center at 1:30 p.m. Admission is FREE! Come see an amazing magic show full of mystery and history! Families will learn about the Tuskegee Airmen through fun and engaging magic tricks featuring things that fly! More information, visit www.mosaictemplars.com or call 501-683-3593.
Rascal Flatts Thaw Out 2012 Tour W/ Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes, 7:30 p.m.at Verizon Arena, #3 Verizon Arena Way, Little Rock. Tickets: $25.50-$60.25 and are available at Verizon Arena Box Office, any Ticketmaster location, charge by phone, 800-745-3000 or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B004752E28973BC?artistid=806203&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=2.
The Rhea Lana Consignment Sale starts at NOON on Sunday at the Conway Expo Center in Conway! Don’t miss your chance to find name-brand clothing, accessories, and baby gear for a fraction of the cost! They anticipate 1,000 Consigning Families and 80,000 items at our Spring/Summer 2012 Event featuring children’s, junior and maternity clothing, toys, books, puzzles, baby equipment, electronic gaming systems, sports equipment for kids and furniture pieces. Volunteers, Consignors, Expecting Moms and Military Moms can attend a pre-sale event this Saturday, Feb 11. A pass is required. See http://www.rhealana.com/cardinal/homecss.asp?init=irlwthrhwa for more information. Sale continues through February 18 and admission is free.
Tea & Tiaras – A tea party benefit in support of the Waner Foundation will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Country Club of Little Rock. There will be crafts, photos, brunch, and a fashion parade. www.wanerkids.org or 501.680.0973 for tickets or information.
SUNDAY
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presents POPS LIVE! Valentine’s in New York. What could be more New York than Broadway? And what could be more romantic than the combination of two of Broadway’s favorite leading performers: soprano Melissa Errico, who the New York Times has called “the voice of enchantment” and the handsome baritone Ryan Silverman from Phantom of The Opera. Enjoy an evening of the indelible romantic hits from the Broadway stage, including favorites from Mamma Mia, Funny Girl, Chicago, Hello Dolly! and many more. Sunday’s matinee at 3:00 pm is FREE for children aged 5-18, and all other tickets are between $27 – $57. Call 666-1761 or visit arkansassymphony.org for more information.
What can play do for your family? You might be surprised. Many parents and educators think of play as being a recreational activity only, a way to relieve the tedium of daily life. This may be so for those of us who work for most of the day, but for children – play is more than a leisure activity – it’s a method of learning. Babies, toddlers, and young children are all constantly gathering information from various aspects of their environment. Everything they do is a learning experience, from putting on their shoes to walking to the mailbox. Play is an essential part of child development, especially when parents and children play together.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education recommend families playing together for several reasons. Family play teaches communication skills, math concepts, nature, and problem solving. Roleplaying with family members and friends teaches valuable social interaction skills and well as how to be creative and use imagination. Taking trips outdoors teaches about the community and the work that people do every day. Spending time with children lets them know that they are capable, competent, and deserving of respect and attention.
Singing and dancing with your children make them feel happy, lets them learn about how to move their bodies to the beat, and teaches them about different types of music. It’s also a great way to connect with your children and expose them to music that you enjoy, teaching them more about who you are.
Reading together makes children feel special and important, lets them develop a lifelong love of books and reading, and gives them ideas for writing their own stories. Reading allows kids to develop their imaginations as they discover new worlds and friends within storybooks.
Playing games, whether patty-cake with an infant or Monopoly with a 14 year old, lets kids have fun, develop muscles, learn to cooperate and share, and take turns. Games will be an integral part of their childhood and school life, so it’s important to start playing structured games at an early age so they will understand the social dynamics of game-playing.
Whatever activity you choose, the important thing is the time you spend with your kids. Find things that you all enjoy doing together, and make a regular date to spend time as a family. Once in a while, find something new and unexpected to add a little variety into your play, and develop new interests for everyone.
While indulging my significant other’s reality TV addiction over the weekend, I was introduced to a new show called “Bayou Billionaires” – airing on CMT. This show follows the life of a Louisiana family who were fortunate enough to have natural gas discovered on their land, and who now receive copious amounts of money every month, changing their lives forever. Prior to their multi-million dollar windfall, the Dowdens were just an ordinary family living just outside of Shreveport. The money (which they charmingly refer to as “mailbox money” because it appears like magic in the mail,) has enabled them to fulfill dreams such as building a pool, acquiring dozens of pets, and taking lavish vacations.
The second episode focused on the parents’ encouraging their adult children to open their own businesses, which ranged from a martial arts studio to a ridiculous scheme involving daughter Chantel’s boyfriend Albert’s wish to become a professional fisherman. Albert’s plan was to use Jet Skis to rush fish into a net, therefore minimizing effort and (theoretically) maximizing the amount of fish he could catch at a time. When presented with the business proposal, instead of laughing it off, Mr. and Mrs. Dowden decide to finance his plan and give him the money to prove that he can be a pro fisherman, and therefore support their daughter. This scene really stood out to me and made me think about what kind of parent would do such a thing – WHY are they giving this fool money? I have several theories.
1) They want Albert to prove himself a failure, and to demonstrate to their daughter that he is not an acceptable mate. This is probably the most likely scenario, because no one who has ever fished before would consider a Jet Ski as an effective device. I kind of like this plan, as it allows the parents to support their daughter’s wishes while letting Albert crash and burn under his own accord. (Spoiler alert, fishing with Jet Skis does not work.)
2) The Dowdens really believed that Albert could pull off his combo of net/Jet Ski fishing. There is no way this was the case.
3) It was all a dramatic setup for television. Of course this is probably the right answer. ”Reality” TV is more scripted than you’d expect.
Whatever the Dowden’s motivation for funding this mockery of a “job,” I was riveted to the television waiting to see what would happen to Albert and Chantel as they attempted to prove their skills. Things…did not go well. For one, Albert was unaware that a tube-shaped net should run horizontally in the water, not straight up and down. Even Mrs. Dowden, who is adorably named “Kitten,” knew better than that. The very heart of this show is the relationship that the Dowdens have with their children and grandchildren, and their endeavors to share their “mailbox money” with them to fulfill dreams. To me, that is what parenting is about. We may not all have the resources that this family has, but we would all undoubtedly extend ourselves as far as possible to see what our kids are capable of.
I decided to ask my daughter what she would use an unlimited amount of money for, if I had it available to help her start her career. (Granted, my daughter is only twelve, and so has the worldview of a twelve-year old.) She thought about it for a bit, and brought me a proposal for a sanctuary for homeless and abandoned exotic pets. It probably goes without saying that I would happily fund this project.
I encourage you to talk to your own kids about their dreams for the future and how they would choose to proceed if there were no limitations. You’ll be surprised and amused at their answers, and maybe this abstract brainstorming session could help develop some real, attainable career goals.
Chantel and Albert try out Jet Ski fishing
Photo courtesy of cmt.com.
Rhea Lana’s is a long-time favorite for savvy Central Arkansas shoppers. This consignment sale, held several times a year, gives you an opportunity to both clear out your closets of gently worn clothing and to refill it with season-appropriate styles from name brand clothiers. With four convenient locations, there is definitely a place for you and your family to stock up on spring and summer fashions!
The dates for February and March’s sales are as follows:
February 12 – 18, Conway Expo Center in Conway. 2505 East Oak Street, Conway, AR 72032. Contact Rhea Lana at rhealana@rhealana.com or call (501) 499-0009.
March 4-10, Bowman Plaza in Little Rock. 12120 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock (next to Little Rock Climbing Center.) Contact rhealana@rhealana.com or call (501) 499.0009,
March 6-10, White County Fairgrounds in Searcy. 802 Davis Drive, Searcy, AR, 72143. Contact Stephanie at (501) 827-4246 or email kristie@rhealana.com.
March 7-10, Former Mid-state/Creative Foods Building in Saline County. 24351 I-30 at Raymar Road, Bryant. Contact Laura at (501) 520-7527 or email to laura@rhealana.com.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital has a fundraising program to let kids get involved with collecting money to benefit the ACH and its Champions for Children Radiothon, which takes place March 8-9, 2012. Change Angels sign up and collect donations from customers, coworkers, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and teachers, in the weeks leading up to the Radiothon on March 8-9th.
How do you get started? Register online at www.archildrens.org/changeangels and a kit will be mailed to your home. When all donations are collected, you can mail in a check by March 1st or drop off your change in the ACH’s lobby during the Champions for Children Radiothon.
Try to have fun – make this a friendly competition between family members or friends! See who can collect the most money by March 1st!
To find out more about the Change Angels program, please call Danelle Laumeyer at 364.1074 or email her at LaumeyerDL@archildrens.org.
It’s time to register for the Arkansas Dietetic Association’s 2012 Going Bananas for Nutrition & Fitness 5K Fun Run/
