How to Stop Your Kid From Whining
Is all the whining driving you crazy? Are you wondering when you should go back to work to get away from it all? Before you do anything drastic, check out this short article on how to stop kids whining with positive behavior and modeling.
One of the examples that I use as much as possible is praise.
Praise is another way of encouraging specific behaviors. When a child does speak nicely or makes a polite request, a parent could say something like, “That was a very nice way of asking for a snack.”
Does More Money Equal More Happiness?
Does more money equal happiness for you?
If so, then a single-income lifestyle might not be the way to go. We often ponder this question in our home. Money (or lack thereof) is often a thought haunting the back of my mind. I think about how our life would be easier (housekeeper, gardener anyone?) or nicer (vacations to somewhere other than the in-laws’?) if we had more money. But would those things really make me happier? God knows I don’t like cleaning the toilets and mopping the kitchen floor, but I think those chores do allow me to appreciate the moments when my house is clean. Or clean enough. And vacations to the in-laws’ are really not that bad. The kiddo gets to be spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa for a few days.
Carl Milstead, Jr. wrote an article for The Free Liberal last month questioning the GDP. He presents the question of whether we (as a nation) are happier than past generations that were not as wealthy as a whole. I’m taking the question to a much smaller, more local setting: my own home.
Our income was slashed in half when I decided to become a stay at home mom. Going into this new single-income lifestyle was very scary. It still is some days. Especially days when we have to pay the bills. Or have a termite treatment. Or get the air conditioning replaced. However, all that aside, I do believe that we are happier than we were before. I cannot speak for both of us, so let me amend that to say that we are at least as happy as we were when we were DINKs (double-income no kids).
We have had to make changes to our lifestyle. We do not eat out as frequently as we did before. Now we eat together as a family and the food we eat is much healthier than what we’d be getting at a restaurant. We do not travel as much as we did before. However, we have found several great playgrounds near our home and have come to savor our own backyard.
Yes, there are still days when I do not want to open Quicken or look at the budget report. There are days when I long for a new pair of shoes (frivolous shoes) or a weekend at Disneyland. But overall, I think I have come to appreciate the smaller things in life like our backyard, a bike ride, home-made bread and line-dried clothes. While more money would be nice and might bring me more ‘things.’ What really makes me happy is watching my kid play in the sandbox in the backyard, going down the slide at the park and reading in our rocking chair. Oh, and I guess my husband makes me happy too. 
No Mess Snacking
Yesterday we drove to the local airport to watch the airplanes (another great, free activity) and I was reminded how much I love the Snack Trap. This handy contraption allows kids to eat their snack without big spills. The top is soft plastic and allows pudgy little hands to reach in and take out a cracker or two, yet keeps those crackers safely in the cup if it is thrown or dropped. It is just the right size for snacking too; it holds about 1/2 to 1 cup worth of cheerios, goldfish, or whatever is the snack choice.
The Children’s Menu as the Downfall of Western Culture
Before you hand your kid another chicken nugget or more mushy baby food, head on over to parentdish.com to learn about how you should be giving them curry chicken, tofu, or any of the other spices of life!
Let your kid experience all the different types of food out there and don’t limit them to the “normal” ones. You might be surprised by what your children like to eat once they are encouraged to diversify their eating habits.
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