family Archives - Page 2 of 2

Category: family

16
Mar
2015

How do you motivate your kids?

Motivating kids is not an easy task. It takes a lot of patience especially when they are not interested in what they are doing.

Most kids are not aware that education is an important part of their life’s. We cannot blame them, they are kids. As parents it is our task to motivate our kids to study. To keep them focused so that they can grow. Without pushing them too much. Yes, at times parenting can be a tough job.

Listening to our kids is important. What are their thoughts, what are they struggling with? Kids who are demotivated cannot just be motivated overnight. We actually need a happy child so that we can motivate her or him. Or, so that they want to be motivated. Just telling them they have to do homework is not going to motivate children. Explaining them the whys will make your job easier.

Explaining the whys to older children can be done over a cup of hot cocoa and cookies. Sit down with your child and ask them what their goals are? What do they want to do in the future. Explain to your child that school is important if they want to achieve their goals. Let them know that you are there for them when they face difficulties doing their homework. That you want to help them. Comfort your child with your words. Let them know that they are not alone, that you as a parent want your child to succeed. Let them know that you want to help them whenever they are struggling with school. But at the same time you have to let them know that they have to do the actual work. They have to take action.

If you as a parent are having difficulties to help your child with homework you need to solve that problem. If for instance fractions are difficult to you, you need to learn it. YouTube has some great tutorials on math. Like this one:

Or you could ask a friend, relative or any other person whom you trust (and who understands the subject, this goes without saying) to help your child with their homework.

When your child doesn’t get it, by any means do not call your child stupid. For a child it is important that their parent have faith in them. Remember, practice makes perfect.

How do you motivate your kids?

22
Jan
2015

Maharadja’s eczema caused by a food allergy

categories: family, Food, My babbles, Tips, Uncategorized

My little Maharadja eczema was caused by milk and the additives in our food.

Just before Maharadja turned two we went on a holiday to dream destination Mauritius. We booked our accommodation and trips thru Island Explorer & Tours (www.islandexplorertours.com), I highly recommend them :-).

During the holidays Maharadja had milk for breakfast which he gulped down much to my surprise. At home he did not want to drink any milk. I was one happy mom. Because they say milk is healthy, right? I was wondering why he did drink the Mauritian milk and hated the milk at home. I took a small sip and tasted the milk, it was sweeter then what he got at home. Now I understood why he drank the milk without any tantrums.

At the end of our holidays he started to scratch severely . But there were no sign of eczema. When we got home the eczema appeared. He started to scratch but little did we knew that the dairy, sugar and food additives were the culprits. So I kept feeding little Maharadja cheese and yoghurt drinks, which he loved.

We took our Maharadja to the doctors. They prescribed him hormone creams. Since these creams have many side effects I refused to use them for my two year old. I am surprised that doctors are not interested in what causes the eczema.

I tried every cream and gel on the market. I walked into every store which sold creams to find a solution. And I tried a lot of creams and oils. Maharadja turned 3 and I was searching the internet for a solution. Meanwhile I did find out that if he had sugars and foods with additives (like a stock cube which contains MSG or a juice with additives or sugars or both) he started to scratch right away. So these foods were banned. I also introduced spelt bread into his and our diet. I used and still use hemp oil and coconut oil and neutral crème the doctor prescribed. Maharadjas clothes were and still are washed with a perfume free detergent. We also got him perfume free soap. Then right after his 4^th birthday I found the culprit by accident. One night I was watching some videos on YouTube about eczema. By accident I stumbled upon a documentary about eczema and allergies. There was this one boy who had a dairy allergy and severe eczema. Once these foods were removed from his diet the eczema started to disappear. The next morning I removed all dairy products from his diet and in the next few days, he stopped scratching! We were so happy for our Maharadja. He slept through the night. Usually he woke up because he was itchy. We told our Maharadja that he cannot have any dairy products due to his allergy and he understands now.

By accident we found out that my Maharadja can have sheep cheese. So he is one happy Maharadja because he just loves cheese soo much! He is a real Dutch boy ;-)!

Cookies and cakes I make myself. When I go to a birthday party I make a cake for my Maharadja and take it along. For his 5^th birthday I made dairy free muffins which the kids could decorate. I found out that he can have chocolate as long as it is 72%. White bread is a no-no and so is white flour. Sodas are also a no-no. Maharadja drinks water and 100% apple juice. He can have real butter. The culprit is the milk protein in dairy products. If you have a good brand of butter there are hardly any or no milk proteins in it. I buy organic food as much as I can. I do read the labels because some organic products contain milk protein or even palm oil! I am one lucky lady, I buy organic flour at an authentic Dutch mill. I bake pancakes with coconut milk or almond milk.

The eczema is disappearing now, Maharadjas skin has to heal over time.

Do you have any experience with eczema?

18
Jan
2015

How to get tasks done

categories: family, Get organized, My babbles, Uncategorized

We all have tasks to do. Some are easy and a necessity (unloading the dishwasher). Some are fun(baking a cake for your grandma’s birthday party or crochet a scarf) and some tasks are somewhat more difficult (writing an essay). Some people do their tasks immediately without any postponement. And then there are those who postpone them. Tomorrow . And when tomorrow is there , tomorrow or next weekend. Does this sound familiar?

Why do we postpone our tasks? The answer is simple. Because we just don’t feel like doing them (now or ever). Not only the tasks around the house are being postponed. Work related tasks are also being postponed. That dreadful presentation you have to write, paperwork that needs to be filed or _____ fill in the blank.

Let’s face it. We will never like doing certain tasks. We just have to them. When your garage is all piled up with boxes you have two options. You can leave the boxes forever in your garage or you can start now and organize your garage. Once the task is done you will feel better. One task you don’t have to think about anymore. Moreover it declutters your mind.

Same goes for work related tasks. Do not postpone, it will cause stress when the deadline is there. So why put yourself into that situation? Or are you one of those people who like to work under pressure?
You are aware that stress can lead to health issues right?

How to get tasks done whether is it work related or personal related. Make a to do-list. A personal to do list and a work related to do list. Write down the most 5 most important to do’s and start doing them. Please note: By just writing them down they aren’t done, you really have to take action. If you have the urge to do a task, do it right away. Because within a few minutes the “I don’t feel like doing it” will crawl into your mind. With the end result that nothing has been done. And will be done for a long time.

Are you one of those people who think that making notes in a notebook is ancient. There are lots of Apps you could download like Evernote, Springpad, Simple and the list goes on.

What is on your to do-list?

06
Jan
2015

Can we entertain our kids with no technology?

categories: family, Kids, My babbles, Tips, Uncategorized

When we were younger we did not have tablets, iPads, Playstations, Xboxes, Nintendo’s. And still we were not bored and we were able to entertain ourselves.

It is winter and it is getting colder outside. My little Maharadja does not want to play outside. It is too cold he told me the other day. There are a lot of activities kids can do during the cold winter months. They don’t need to go outside and no TV, tablet, IPad and so on are involved! Yes, we can entertain our kids with no technology.

Coloring

Almost all kids love to color. And it is such an easy activity to set up. All you need is a coloring book and pencils. You don’t have any coloring books? Google for free coloring pages or buy some cheap coloring books at stores like Dollar store, Action. Where do you buy your coloring books. Please share your tips with us.

Playing with Lego or Wooden Blocks

My little one loves to build, with Lego, Wooden Blocks or Kapla. It is a great way for kids to use their imagination. If they are clueless what to build, give them some tips what to build. An house, aircraft or…. The options are endless.

Moon Sand

It is winter and the kids can build sand castles. What more joy can they have? It is easy to make Moon Sand. Don’t rush to the toy store to buy any. You might need to rush to the grocery store. The recipe for Moon Sand is as follows:

8 cups of flour

1 cup of oil.

Mix these Ingredients and voila you have Moon Sand!

Give the kid some plastic cups and let them build castles.

Painting

Get some paint, brushes and paper and let the little artist start.

Bake something

Baking is always a hit with kids. Ask them in advance what they want to bake. Search for an easy recipe on the internet. Let them help you weigh the ingredients, mix the batter and help you clean up.

Salt dough

Make some salt dough with 1 cup salt, 1 cup flour and 0.5 cup water. The kids could make shapes using cookie cutters. If you don’t have cookie cutters you could use plastic cups. They could make Christmas, Easter, Divali, ____Ornaments. Bake them on 200 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. The next day the kids could paint the ornaments. Or you can make the ornaments in advance and have the kids paint them.

100 cup challenge

Buy cups at a dollar store and have the kids make a tower cup.

Indoor camping

Kids just love the idea of camping. If you have a small tent put it up. No tent? Just throw a sheet over your kitchen table and the tent is ready. (if you don’t want to put up the tent this is an excellent alternative!). Let the kids pack the things they want to take with them for their camping trip. Give the kids a picnic basket to enjoy their camping. If you really want to, let them sleep in the tent!

Playdough

Which kids doesn’t love to play with Playdough? What fun it is, to build a zoo or a fruit basket with good old fashioned playdough. Let the kids imagination go wild!

Making Greeting Cards

Start with folding a colored piece of paper in half and let the kids start decorating. There are many ways to decorate Greeting Cards. The kids could decorate them with glitter, ribbon, stickers, colored paper, fabric. In short there are many option to decorate Greeting cards.

There are many more options to entertain our kids without technology. These are just a few. How do you entertain your kids?

04
Nov
2014

A battle between two wolves inside us all

categories: family, My babbles, Uncategorized

An old Cherokee told his grandson, “My son there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.”

The boy thought about it, and asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The old man quietly replied, “The one you feed.”

– Author unknown

30
Sep
2014

Was it easier In the “old days”?

categories: family, My babbles, Tips, Uncategorized

Not so long ago, once the children were born mom stayed home. Dad would provide for the family. It was mom’s responsibility to raise the kids and to take care of the household. Now this has all changed.

Nowadays it is normal that both parents work. Some of them want to because they enjoy working. And some of them have to because they need the money. Life is getting expensive. And we all notice this. No matter which part of the world you live.

When both parents are working a lot of organizing needs to be done. Who will pick up and drop of the kids. Where will they have the lunch. And then who will make the lunch boxes? In Holland for instance it is normal that children have lunch at home if they are in primary school (age 4 -12). So there is another pick up and drop off moment. ( Although this is changing, some schools end at 14.00. The kids have lunch at school.) Where will they go after school. Who will bring them to the soccer practice, who will help them with their homework. Things get even more difficult when you’re a single mom or dad.

And then there are chores to be taken care of. Once you arrive home after you picked up the kids, you start with dinner and tell the kids to do their homework. Meanwhile husband comes home and he may help you. Several studies have shown that most men do not help around the house.

Then there needs to be vacuumed, bathrooms to be cleaned, bed linen to be changed, laundry to be done, floors to be scrubbed and….. well the list is endless!

How to manage all this effectively? First of all we must acknowledge the fact that we cannot do all chores at once. There are just too little hours in a day.

Would you like to have some bonus time during the weekends? Extra few hours to spend with your family. Or just some time for yourself (to try out that new make-up tutorial) ? Without feeling guilty. Without thinking I have to do this or that. The only option to do that is doing some extra chores during weekdays. You can for example do 10 minute chores during the morning and 10-15 minute chores during the afternoon. What? 10 Minutes chores in the morning? We are already very busy! True. If you really want more free time during the weekend you have to wake up 10 minutes earlier. I totally agree with you. Waking up in the mornings is hard. And getting out of bed earlier is even more harder. But remember practice makes perfect and we do get free time during the weekend.

A few morning chores examples: cleaning the bathroom, emptying the dishwasher, load the washing machine or ______. Fill in the blanks. And let us know what chores you do in the morning.

A few afternoon chores examples would be: changing and washing the bed sheets, vacuuming, sweeping dusting, unload the washing machine or ________.

Ask your hubby to help you with the chores. Together Everyone Achieves More.

Be creative with your time. You could do chores during commercials, 10 minutes before you will have dinner. Let the kids help you. Let them shine the microwave or oven for you. When they are bigger they could even unload the dishwasher for you or some other chore.

Set a time for each chore. Did you know that you can get a new load of laundry in the washing machine and fold the washed laundry in 15 minutes? You can for instance iron for half an hour. Or pluck weeds for 15 minutes.

Do you do all your chores during the weekend? Please comment and let us know.