Category: Parenting

Resources and Tips for Gardening With Kids

11/8/2016

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Many kids love to garden. Not only do they enjoy it, but they can be pretty good at it too. My own children do most of the gardening at our house. They prefer it that way. Here's some great tips and resources for gardening with kids.

Invest in a Good Wheelbarrow

Not only will kids enjoy pushing around the wheelbarrow, but generally, the natural soil isn’t good enough to plant in. This means that the kids will need to transport different types of soil. A wheelbarrow is the easiest and most fun way for kids to do this.

Use Colorful Plants

Kids love bright colors. Choose plants with a variety of colors, rather than selecting only one or two colors. This will make the gardening more fun for the kids.

Choose Simple to Grow Plants

Not all plants are easy to grow. Kids get excited to see their gardening results. Choosing plants that are simple to grow will help increase the odds of favorable results.

Choose Native Plants

This goes along with the last point. By selecting plants that are native to your area, this can make the plants easier for kids to grow.

Create a Maintenance Schedule

Creating a schedule of when to feed and water plants can help kids keep track of what needs to be done in the garden. I suggest hanging it near their chore chart if they have one.

5 Ways to Prevent Your Toddler From Getting Cranky This Halloween

10/3/2014

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You dress your toddler up all cute - and maybe a little spooky - and as soon as you get to the first house for trick-or-treating, she lets out a wail. Not a fun Halloween wail, a cranky, possibly scared, wail that frightens the other kids in a not-so-Halloween way. To prevent such a scenario, there are steps you can take before having some Halloween fun with your toddler. Here are five ways to prevent your toddler from getting cranky this Halloween.

Be sure your toddler takes a nap before Halloween events. Ensuring your toddler is rested well will be a big help in lessening the fussiness probability. Rested kids are usually happy kids. But kids who haven't had naps are probably going to whine and cry and complain. Better to have him take a nap first, so your child can have some fun.

Have a snack ready to avoid crankiness about candy that hasn't been inspected. If you are taking your toddler trick-or-treating, let her have two bags. One bag should have safe snacks to eat while having fun. The other is for collecting the treats to save for later. This way, there isn't as much crankiness about candy she can't yet eat.

Avoid itchy face makeup. Face makeup can irritate a toddler's sensitive skin. Instead of using makeup to create that look, go for a soft mask or hat instead. Hoods are even better. That way, it can easily slip down if your toddler is uncomfortable. Toddlers may rub and scratch at makeup and pull off hats or masks.

Make sure the costume is weather-friendly. If it's 80 degrees outside and you put a thick teddy bear costume on your toddler, you better be prepared for some crankiness. Look for fabrics that will fit the weather. When it comes to toddlers, comfort is much more important than style. Wouldn't you rather have a happy, excited toddler than a cranky, hot , and uncomfortable one? Thick costumes are best if it's cold. Otherwise, go for thinner flexible fabrics.

Make the event about the toddler, not yourself. If it's obvious your toddler hates trick-or-treating, then stop. There's no reason for dragging him around house to house if he's upset. The same thing goes for costumes. Let him be what he wants to. It's about him and his self-expression, not about bragging to your friends about your latest trendy creation. When your toddler feels good about what he's wearing, he is less likely to be cranky.

Toddlers often get cranky during unfamiliar or particularly eventful activities. This is especially true if these goings-on last longer than their routine activities. Halloween doesn’t have to be a stressful event. By taking charge with extra prevention and following your toddler’s cues, you can help make this Halloween more fun than stressful.

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network

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Resources and Tips for Gardening With Kids

5 Ways to Prevent Your Toddler From Getting Cranky This Halloween

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