What kind of parent do you think you are?

Ok got your attention, you know what this blog is about, you've heard it all before. But just in case.

What is a parent, or a mom? Is she the chief organizer of the kids schedule (it is a popular activity in our house). Lists are made, clutter is attacked. Kids are asked what they want for dinner, what activities they want to do, what they want to wear, where they want to go, etc. this style is all about options. Ok I do allow my kids some options but some are not negotiable such as dinner and some activities, etc.

C 2012 Mt Hotham VIC, Australia

Or is she a kids guidance leader and authoritative (but not authoritarian)? Can someone ask my kids if this style is ok with them please? She gives the kids too much information and overloads them with knowledge. She will tell them that they should follow the rules because what if everyone did what they wanted, etc. sometimes this works for some kids but others may need concrete rules.

C 2012

Is she a hip mama, all about appearance and latest parenting strategies? This parent seems approachable and wears her baby, sleeps with her baby, buys organic food (prefers from her garden or local farm) and mills it herself. Kids are given plenty of freedom (after all she is too busy gardening and milling).

C 2012

Or is she a student of child behaviour where kids behavior is studied ad infinitum. Therefore nothing is the child's fault but a symptom of some other thought or behaviour. Maybe she is reading child development books and obsessing over the implications.

C 2012

Perhaps she is a girl mom or a boy mom? She is an expertly in one gender and perhaps insensitive and generalizing the opposite gender? ie boys will be boys, or all girls are moody? Or assuming all gender specific behavior is the parents fault and not genetics or nature. Or vice versa assuming no responsibility to work with kids to challenge gender behaviors.

C 2012

How about the absent parent either physically or mentally? Ie disengaging when divorced etc. (tricky stuff as divorce is still so prevalent thesedays). Do these parents eliminate some responsibility to the kids also?

Brooklyn Bridge C 2012

Or lastly and least (IMO) the do as I do parent, who eats well, has a fulfilling occupation, treats people nicely (not just on Sunday's) doesn't assume gender roles (remember the bra burning days? People assumed too many gender specific behaviors back then). Has morals and ethics and isn't apathetic? Let me know where these people are? But it is definitely worth striving for.

XO

Review & comparison of craft kits for a rainy day

We love and use lots of craft kits but we are not craft gurus so we love the easier types of kits.  There are lots to choose from and a couple were in my house so we decided to do them one rainy day.  I thought I would share our experiences for all those other parents wondering what to do with the kids on a rainy day.

CrazArt Funtastix. 

 

The box looks bright and fun.  Inside you will find baggies of wax sticks in different colors.  The box we had didn't have instructions on how to make those shapes do there was lots of trial and error and some pictures on the back of the box.  However a step by step sheets would have made all the difference.  Below are some of the shapes we did together.  So a fun kit but not one for just kids alone. Maybe good for older creative kids.

 Alex Window stickers.

 This is more our style, a color and cut type of activity. However not too neat as the paint takes a long time to dry and painting is not a neat activity anyway.  The plastic is a colorform type and once dry, clings on to windows.  Below is a sample shape made at home that my 8yr old made, it was too fiddly for my 4yr old to finish alone so we are still working on his.

 Make your own wooden vehicles.

 Not really make your own as the vehicles are supplied but you paint and stick on to personalize your own vehicles.  Boys love this activity, and paint again is fun but never too neat.  But you can set the area up with newspaper, smocks and let them at it.  Not as fiddly as coloring plastic with the kit above.  And my 4 & 8 yr olds both made a vehicle easily enough.

We got these kits ourselves and wrote this post for the blog.  All comments and experiences are my own for the purpose of sharing experiences.

XOXO