family Archives - Page 31 of 49 - Have Sippy Will Travel

How to Manage Your Child’s Daily Schedule

March 15, 2012 by Samantha 7 Comments

Most parents these days are blown away by the demands on their child’s time. When you were a kid, you went to school and you came home. Maybe you played a sport or suffered through piano lessons once a week, but for the most part afternoons were whiled away with friends until dinner time, and then it was on to homework, a bath, and bed. Today it seems like kids are going from sunup until midnight, with a schedule jam-packed with schooling, extracurricular activities galore (sometimes two or more a day), stacks of homework that rivaled your college curriculum, and very little time left over for friends, sleep, or anything else. Play-dates, something you never even heard of as a kid, now have to be scheduled far in advance so they fit into the mix. So when it comes to managing your child’s schedule you may find yourself at something of a loss; after all, it’s not like you signed up to be a personal assistant when you decided to start a family. If you’re struggling to get your child’s crazy timeline under control, here are a few tips to make the calendar manageable.

The best place to start is by paring it down. Your child may be keen to pursue all sorts of interests, but if he’s not hitting the hay until long after sundown and the lack of sleep is starting to affect everyone, then it’s definitely time to take the upper hand and limit his activities. You don’t have to stifle your child’s creativity or drive to do this, either. Simply allow him to choose one or two interests at a time [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, kids

Adorable Kid’s Theater with @MamaDramaNY @FFStrawberry

March 13, 2012 by Samantha 15 Comments

Why take the kids to yet another movie when you can take them to see live theater? Not everyday, but once in a while, at least 🙂
If you read my recent overview of Freckleface The Musical, you know what a cute show it would be to take the kiddos to. My kids, ages 4 and 7, had a great time. They laughed out loud on several occasions, and the loved the cast. The show, while it does tackle the difficult issue of bullying, is very lighthearted and energetic.

Freckleface is a little girl who (in reality) is named Strawberry, but is taunted for her freckles. The show follows a few days in the life of seven-year-old Strawberry, from school, to ballet class, and home. In ballet class, we see that even the most “perfect” of children have problems fitting in and feeling good about themselves.

Strawberry, who we know is being teased by her classmates for having red hair and freckles, is dealing with the issue of being bullied- but the show’s take on the subject is not too aggressive for young children to watch, and is not scary in any way. Most of it is silly, in fact. The other “children” in the show are portrayed as her friends- just insensitive ones. (Note- all actors are adults.) Strawberry feels different from the other children and will try many things to be rid of her freckles, from soap to a ski mask- before she learns that her [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, kids, theater

Freckleface Strawberry The Musical

March 10, 2012 by Samantha 12 Comments

The adorable, best selling children’s book Freckleface Strawberry by actress Julianne Moore has been adapted into a 70-minute musical. The high-energy, family friendly hit can be seen at the off Broadway theater MMAC (Manhattan Movement and Arts Center), located at 248 West 60th Street.
Freckleface Strawberry the Musical has music and lyrics by Gary Kupper, book by Gary
[Read more…]

Filed Under: entertainment, family, kids, theater

How to Reduce Sibling Rivalry

March 7, 2012 by Samantha 9 Comments

Your children may share the same DNA; they may even look a lot alike. This doesn’t change the fact that they are still individuals with their own opinions and insights. This means that there are going to be times when they won’t see eye-to-eye, when there will be disagreements. Traditionally, these instances are called, “sibling rivalries”.

If you’re looking for a book on how to prevent them from ever happening, good luck. The truth is that at some point, your kids will encounter conflict with one another. However, if you desire some tips on how to reduce the amount or level of conflicts that occur, there’s some good information included below.

Encourage their individuality. If you’ve ever been the mediator of a conflict, you may notice that while there may be an actual issue that needs to be discussed, the greater challenge is in getting both individuals to accept the other person’s communication style. One may be vocal while the other is completely non-confrontational. One may be expressive while the other is passive. Usually differences aren’t wrong or bad, they’re just, well, different. In a parent’s job description, “mediator” comes with the title. Don’t make one child feel like they have to express their needs or concerns like the other one does. Let them know that they’re OK just the way that they are and that their feelings (and expression of them) should be equally respected at all times.

Provide them with the right tools. If there’s a 3 and 5-year-old fighting over a toy in their bedroom, screaming out “Stop all of that yelling!” may make you feel better, but it doesn’t really teach them anything. They’re fighting for the toy because they don’t know how to get it any other way. Go to them and speak about the importance of not just taking turns, but awaiting their turn too. Let them know that there are alternatives to having that particular toy and that while they wait, they can use those other options. Of course, you’ll have to say all of this on a level that preschoolers understand and they probably won’t “get it” on the first try, but if they learn how to argue well as children, it will definitely make adult life a lot easier.

Try not to take sides. This one is a bit tricky because obviously if one child hits another, then it’s [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, kids

Columbus, Ohio- Plan your next trip

March 5, 2012 by Samantha 17 Comments

When you are looking for something to do in Columbus, Ohio, you won’t have to look far to find something amazing. My husband recently decided he would have no problem living here- you can thank the fact that this is a real “foodie” town, and that there are many, many varieties of micorbrews and local and well known beers available here (you know he is an enthusiast, he even brews and is in a beer club) and to the fact that it the people are so very friendly. Can I tell you- even in a sports stadium, when their team was losing, fans were still cool? I love Ohio. And you will, too!

Even in the dead of winter, when it has done nothing but hail, snow, and sleet for the past few days, there has been lots to see and do, both indoors and out. And don’t let a little “weather” stop you! Get going- there is a lot of fun to be had in Columbus. Not to mention, Spring is right around the corner, and this is a great time to plan your spring vacation.
Some fun ideas for your trip?

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, voted #1 Zoo by USA Family Guide (and Jack Hanna’s zoo!)

In the spirit of the Spring Season, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is ready to create some EGGstreme fun this year. This two day event will feature tons of exciting attractions, but there are always fun things to see and do (as you know from my previous posts!)

Take in a hockey game at the Nationwide Arena
Fans can win weekly prizes by watching “Jackets TV” on Blue Jackets.com, following the team on Facebook and Twitter, or signing up for Jackets Alerts courtesy of Verizon Wireless. Every week, one of the platforms will provide game tickets, an autographed jersey or other autographed items to one lucky winner.

This is a great bonding event with the family- and a great way to take in some local [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, travel

How to Feed a Big Family on a Small Budget

March 3, 2012 by Samantha 10 Comments

It’s quite the conundrum. Food prices continue to go up, but your growing family is hungry! And if you’ve
got a big family, keeping everyone happy and fed can be a real struggle. Salaries are not keeping pace with
inflation, and the sluggish economy isn’t helping anyone. So what can you do to feed your big family well,
without breaking the bank?

Get a bigger shopping cart. The big box stores aren’t simply a fad, they’re a lifesaver for big families.
Buying in bulk will save you a ton over buying the same products in a regular supermarket. And most of
the big box stores have membership programs designed to save you money, and branded credit cards that
help you earn points towards purchases. So when it comes to any of the staples in your house, buy in bulk.
Not only will it save you money, it will save you shopping time.

Have an eye for circulars. Every week, there are countless items on sale in every grocery store in the
country. But you’ll have to become an expert coupon clipper if you want to take advantage. Seek out the
circulars for every supermarket in your area. Make sure you have each of their club cards, so you can
take advantage of their daily savings. But beyond newspapers and circulars, there are now tons of online
sites packed with coupons to national and regional supermarket chains. Do some research and bookmark
the best ones. Make it a weekly habit to scour the web for all possible coupons before you shop, and the
money you save in your budget will be more than worth the extra time.

If it grows, it’s free. It may be time for you to try out your green thumb. Growing your [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, food

BBQ Blitz Game Review

March 2, 2012 by Samantha 5 Comments

Why wait for summer when you can BBQ now? Maybe not outside if there is snow on the ground where you live but definitely in your living room.

BBQ Blitz! is a fast action patty matching, burger-building fun filled game from Educational Insights. It was a ‘BIG’hit and a game we will play again and again!

I played it with my grandchildren and it worked perfectly because the age level is for 4+ and required 2-4 players.

The bottom of the box is the pre-made grill. Arrange your burgers and buns on the grill, pass out the plates and spatulas to the players and your ready to start ‘flipp’n those burgers’

The race is on and now each player needs to keep flipp’n burgers until they see the design of the burger that matches the picture on their plate.

It is a fast paced matching game that produces a lot of giggles and determination to be the one that finishes first. The winner is the one that gets his top buns on all four correctly matched burgers before the others.
It [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, review