Tag: tip

Posted in Blog

Friday Fav: Video Chats and Parties

Posted on by Stephanie Spinapolice

Apps like Zoom, Facebook messenger, Skype, and Facetime have been a lifesaver for me the past few weeks. They have kept me and my family sane by connecting us with families and friends. The kids can have play dates, I can have virtual happy hours, school sessions occur, and my work gets done.

I think many of us were familiar with these tools and used them in various ways, but perhaps not as frequently or with the same groups of people. Now they are often the best way to share and communicate with others.

If you haven’t already connected your young kids to their friends and young family, I recommend giving it a try. I can’t follow Mr. 7-year-old’s conversation about Pokemon or whatever video game, but his friends and cousins can and seem to love catching up. I’ve seen kids playing video games together online, somehow playing hide and seek, connecting via Facebook Messenger for kids, and separately but somehow together having Bakugan battles.

Relatives can read stories, play board games (with the kids taking their turn for them), and sing songs. Sometimes just giving the kids a new audience is all they need to lift their moods (and give mom and dad a few minute reprieve).

My husband even uses such tech for online DnD sessions. We are all finding our way online to stay connected to each other. I hope you are too.

Photo Credit to Sergey Zolkin from Unsplased

Posted in Blog

My Friday Fav: Rubber Wristbands

Posted on by Stephanie Spinapolice

You know those 10 cent rubber wristbands the kids get in birthday goodie bags that usually go straight in the trash when the kids aren’t looking? Well, I found a perfect use for them in our family.

Our young boys are both in school with forever-changing schedules. Sometimes they have after-school activities like soccer or debate, sometimes they have a playdate with friends, and other times my husband or I pick them up at the bus stop. Because we’re not always consistent, the kids can get confused about what they need to do after school. The teachers have good systems for keeping track, but I also realize they have 20+ kids. I wanted our kids to know the plan.

Function over form won out for these rubber wristbands.

To help the kids remember, I labeled the rubber wristbands with various instructions (e.g., mom, dad, activity, etc.). I then attach the right rubber wristband to their backpacks each day and review the plan with the kids. At this point, the kids know what each color stands for. For example, red means that mom is getting them from the bus, green means they are going home with a friend, and yellow means stay after school.

I attach the wristbands with a carabiner or easy-to-open keychain.

This has been a simple and easy tool for us to implement. And, I don’t forget to do it each morning because it’s one of the to do’s listed on our morning checklist.