Mark the Milk

My family goes through about 4 gallons of milk each week. We usually keep the the opened milk currently in use in the door of the fridge so everyone (should) know which one to use. However, this isn't a fool proof plan. Usually, one way or another - somehow there always ends up being 2 gallons of milk open at the same time. My children especially get very confused when there is still milk in the fridge and I buy more. Then the 2 gallons of milk that end up opened are 2 of the new gallons - not the old gallons. I try to put the new milk towards the back of the fridge - that dosn't work. It's almost if they go to great extremes to dig in the back of the fridge and bring forth the new milk I was trying to hide and open that one - instead of doing the more common sense thing - which would be to use the milk sitting right there in the front of the shelf.

I'm done trying to figure out the method to their madness - and I know I will never know.

Then, I came up with this brilliant idea! This past weekend I bought 4 gallons of milk and we still had 1 and 1/2 gallons in the fridge. So I went and got my black sharpie and marked the opened milk with a number 1.

Then I wrote NEXT on the unopened old milk.

I was hoping the visual aid would help them to know or remember which milk to use next - and guess what? It worked!

Sometimes - it's the simple things.

Kids and Video Games

Okay, first let me tell ya my stance on video games. I'm not crazy about them. About once a year I might play pacman or tetris online - but that's it. I especially don't like them when it comes to kids. It spooks me out the way some kids are hypnotized and spend hours completely detached from reality. Sometimes I think my house is the only house left that does not have a video game console. (Are there others out there - please let me know I am not the only one!) But then I also refuse (up until I change my mind) not to have a TV in the children's bedroom either. I say 'up until I change my mind' because once in a while the kids will ask me when they can have a TV and I will tell them, 'when I change my mind'.

So...anyways, I don't like video games and I don't want them in my house.

With that said, I don't mind if the kids go over to their friends house and play video games. (Does that sound hypocritical?) Actually, my son is the only one who ever goes over to his friend's house a few times a week - then about once a month spends the night. I know when he's over there they spend the night, all night, zombied out in front of video games. I never minded that because - hey - get it out of your system. Also, I feel like it's controlled, as to where he only does it a few times a month - not everyday all day, so I'm okay with that.

Tonight while I was getting super ready, my 3 older kids were sitting at the table eating some apples and peanut butter dip. My son was talking something about Grand Theft Auto. When I asked him what he was talking about he asked me if I knew what it was. Uhhh...yeah - do you? He says, yeah - it's a video game my friend got last week.

Okay, never mind - I thought I knew what it was - didn't know it was a video game.

So he starts talking about this video game where you break into peoples cars and steal stuff and - well you get the idea. So, I get a little worried. I asked him if he would break into peoples cars in real life? He said, 'No, it's against the law.' I asked, 'What if it wasn't against the law - would you do it?' He said, 'No, I wouldn't - it's not right to take things that don't belong to you.' After questing him a little more and then finally asking him, 'If something is wrong to do in real life, why would you want to play a game acting as if you were doing something wrong?' To which he answered, 'Mom, I know what's right and wrong - I know what's good and bad. But playing a game about stealing stuff is fun.'

To which I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or how to respond. He's a good kid and I know he knows the difference between right and wrong - but to hear him say that, as if to say 'Don't worry Mom, I'm a big boy now' about brought a tear to my eye.

On the other hand...I still don't know how I feel about this video game. I don't like the idea of a video game where your acting like a criminal. Is this a big deal? Am I being biased because I am not an avid video game lover?

I would love to hear how other parents feel about this topic.

Tackle It Tuesday: Parenting - Kids - Life

This has been a busy summer, starting with the flood and ending with the hurricane – everything else in between. Life has been throwing me some curve balls lately and I’m doing my best to hit everyone of them and trying not to doubt myself along the way.

So, this week, for Tackle It Tuesday, I’m writing about tackling my life and children – not physically – (although lately I have felt like it). Is that bad? I swear, sometimes I don’t know what these kids are thinking or what those voices in their head are telling them – but I know it can’t be good.

Let’s start with my oldest daughter. She is 14 – ahhh, the teenage years when you knew everything and everyone was wrong except for you. I sure do miss those days. A few weeks ago, we were sitting on the front porch talking and I noticed something different or strange about her. It took me a minute before I realized – half her eyebrow was gone! So, I ask her – shocked – ‘Did you shave your eyebrow?’ Of course, she said, 'I don't know.' So I moved closer to get a better look and sure enough – it was half gone. I asked her again and I could tell she was embarrassed but finally admitted to me that yes, she did indeed shave her eyebrow. The reason? She saw someone that had a unibrow the other day and she wanted to make sure she didn’t have one. Well, honey, don’t think you have to worry about that.

That wasn’t the end. Last week she asked me if she could get a haircut – she specifically wanted bangs. One of the deals I have with my kids is, that because I am paying them to get good grades, they will be responsible for paying extra things that I might have otherwise bought. Is this fair? I have no idea, but my feelings on it is, I shouldn’t have to pay them for their grades and they are not going to have it both ways. Besides, I am hoping it will teach them some responsibility. Anyways, last weekend my husband was outside doing yard work and I left to go do my grocery shopping. The babies were taking a nap, my oldest daughter stayed home and the other two children went with me. After I got back, she came out to help unload groceries and I had deja vu. Something was different about her. Yup, you guessed it – she cut her hair! Well, I guess butchered would be a better word for it. O, my goodness you can’t even imagine – or maybe some of you can. In an attempt to cut her own bangs – she eliminated any chance for potential bangs. All the way – across her forehead – she cut her hair – clear to the scalp. I was speechless – all I could ask is – do you like it? And she said, yes. Uhhhh did you look in the mirror after you gave yourself a haircut?

Moving on, will this laundry ever end? A few weeks ago we lost power for 4 days because of the hurricane. What that really means is – I went 4 days without doing any laundry. And I will be the first to tell you, having a family of 7 and not doing laundry for 4 days is – just – craziness. I am still tackling the laundry pile everyday. The weirdest thing is, sometimes when I look at it, even after doing laundry all day – I could swear it is growing larger, multiplying and laughing at me all the while. Strange huh? I thought so too. Sometimes I am even tempted to drop to my knees and beg that laughing pile of laundry to please – just give me a chance – one day – soon – cooperate with me and let me finish you up. Please let me have one day where I don’t have to look at any dirty piles of laughing laundry.

Then I snap back to reality – or wherever I was before.

My 3 year old decided to flush – oooo – about a half roll of toilet paper down the toilet in the downstairs bathroom. Of course, when this happened on Friday night, all the hardware stores were closed. My husband, spend a few good hours plunging the heck out of it and again, like the laundry, the toilet was not cooperating. To make things more complicated, my husband was scheduled to work all weekend so I got the wonderful privilege of running up and down the stairs with the babies all day because the have bladders the size of a pea and thought they needed to use the bathroom every 5 minutes. And forget going upstairs to the bathroom at the same time. I mean we don’t want to make things too easy here. So Saturday, I went to Ace Hardware to get a plumbing snake so my husband could try to unclog it after he got home from work – that was a loss cause. Not because of my husband – it was the uncooperative toilet’s fault. What the heck did my son flush down there? I asked him but he wouldn’t tell me. Only he knows that confidential information and he wasn’t tellin’. Sunday night is when we bit the bullet and called a plumber. Monday morning, 20 minutes and $99.22 later – the toilet was fixed! I hope that plumber is sleeping well at night.

This is just some of the things that have happened recently, but this gives you an example of what my summer has been like. Everyday. Always an adventure. I am constantly keeping a mental countdown in my head – 4 more years until the first one turns 18.

One positive thing I can say quickly before my novel ends is, my son came home with his mid semester grades which were all A’s except 1 B. When stuff like that happens – sometimes you think your doing something right. I was very proud of him. (and no, I don’t want to talk about the other two’s grades).

PS…if you read this whole post all the way through – thanks for listening. If you have crazy kids, feel free to share any stories of things your kids have done. That way I don't feel so alone.

Money Incentive for Good Grades

Last year my children’s grades just weren’t what I wanted them to be. They weren’t extremely bad but they weren’t extremely good either. The main problem I had is that I knew they could do better. I tried talking to them, then asking and finally pleading with them to please bring their grades up. Letting them know, I knew, they could do better than what they were doing.

It didn’t help.

Up until last year, I have been against paying children for grades. The way I saw it was, I shouldn’t have to pay them or bribe them to do something, they should do anyways. I don’t pay them for chores either. It’s their responsibility to be a productive member of this family, and that means contributing to the upkeep of the house.

Then I thought, isn’t that what your job is all about? You go to work and get paid. You do a good job at work and you get raises and promotions and when you do a bad job – you get fired. And what about scholarships? Isn’t that money earned by getting good grades? So, when I think about it like that, maybe giving my kids a little money incentive isn’t so bad.

Therefore, last year, just into the second 9 weeks, I did something I didn’t think I ever would. I bribed my kids with money if they got good grades. Well – that’s not the entire story. As we were having our family meeting, I announced to them that I would be paying them for their grades. Their eyes lit up and sparkled and then the question of, ‘how much?’

Here is our Good Grade Paying Contract:

1. Only the main subjects counted: English, Math, Social Studies, Science, Reading, Health.
2. Payment will be made at the end of every 9 weeks or when I got their grade cards.
3. I will pay you $10 for every A.
4. I will pay you $5 for every B.
5. You will get nothing for C’s.
6. If you get a D, you owe me $10.
7. If you get an F, you owe me $20.

I think they were excited up until #6. Although they usually didn’t get F’s, there was the occasional D, and I wanted to make sure that if that happened, the D’s out weighed the A’s and B’s. Meaning, if they got an A and a D – they get nothing, and if they got a B and a D, they would owe me $5 bucks.

Seem fair? I don’t know but I saw grades coming up immediately, and I was happy! In the end, everyone was happy and that’s what really matters right? I’m planning on using this same grade incentive for this school year also.

I'm thinking this will also give them some experience with saving and spending money. I don't give them an allowance so the only other time they have money is from their grandparents around the holidays or their birthday.

What are your thoughts on paying children for grades? What are some things you do to keep your children motivated in school?

Earn Rewards for Good Grades

Give your kids a little incentive to do well in school, get good grades and have good attendance. A lot of places offer rewards for children who do well in school. Because some places are individually owned and operated, some places may or may not participate in the good grades rewards. If there is nothing listed directly on their site about the program, call ahead and check.

*Blockbuster – Students can receive a free movie rental for getting good grades. Valid only at participating Blockbusters.

*Chuck E. Cheese – Bring in your report card and you can receive up to 15 free tokens per child.

*Country Greens - Cranesville, Pennsylvania. Receive free tokens for good grades. Bring in your report card and receive three tokens for each A, two tokens for each B and one token for each C. Maximum of 20 free tokens per grading period.

*Crown Theaters – Connecticut, Florida, Illinois Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada. Bring in your report card and receive 2 free movie tickets for straight A’s, 1 free movie ticket for A’s and B’s and a free popcorn for all B’s.

*Dairy Queen – Some Dairy Queens will offer rewards for doing well in school.

*Family Video – Some stores will give your child a free video rental for getting good grades. Call ahead to see if your Family Video is participating in this rewards program.

*Fazolis – Each time your child K-6 grade has perfect attendance they can receive a free kids meal with the purchase of an adult entrée.

*Hollywood Park – Crestwood, Illinois. Bring in your report card and receive two tokens for every A and one token for every B. You can also receive bonus tokens 1 for every grade improvement and 1 for every special recognition comment.

*Limited Too – You can bring your report card in, within 30 days of being issued and receive $5 off your total purchase.

*Long John Silvers – Some Long John Silvers will give rewards for perfect attendance and good grades.

*McDonalds – Call and check to see if they offer any rewards for good grades. Not all locations participate.

*Sbarro’s – Students can receive a free slice of pizza for getting A’s & B’s.

*Topps – Bring your report card in to the manager and get a free trading card.

*Wendy’s – Students who receive good grades on their report cards can receive a special treat. Some stores may not be participating in this promotion so call ahead to check.

Summer Reading Tips for Kids

Here is some summer reading tips to keep your kids motivated this summer.

Make A Book List - Get your kids off to a good start by creating a book list. Have them write down a list of their favorite authors and any books they would like to read.

Lead By Example - If your kids see you are reading a book, it will encourage them to want to read a book also.

Make A Reading Date – A few times a week set aside a time where everyone reads for 20 minutes. Afterwards everyone can talk about what they are reading and what is happening in their book.

Magazine Subscription – There are a lot of interesting kids magazines out there like, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Highlights for Children, American Girl, Boys Life – just to name a few. Kids love receiving stuff in the mail, especially if it’s something just for them and on a subject they love.

Books and Movies – Find a movie that is based on a book. Have your child read the book and then watch the movie. Afterwards you can talk about which was better and why. What things were in the book but not in the movie?

Read Anywhere – Encourage your child to bring a book anytime they will have time to read. If you are going to grandmas house or a doctor’s appointment make good use of this time and read a book.

Vacation Journal – If you are planning on going on vacation this summer, buy your child a special journal. Then they can write down what they did each day, what they saw and what happened. At the end of the vacation, everyone can swap journals and read about everyone’s experience.

Pen Pals – Before school ends, encourage your children to get names and address of some of their friends. Over the summer, they can take turns writing to each other. They can also get new suggestions for books their friends are reading and let their friends know what books they have read.

Visit The Library Often – Most library’s have lots of summer reading activities for kids. Check with your local library and see if they have a calendar of events.

Summer Reading Journal – Have your kids keep a special journal about all the books they have read over the summer. Which ones were their favorites and what they liked about each one. When school starts again, have the child give the journal to their teacher. Any teacher would be proud to read about all the books their student read over the summer. It will also give your child a positive feeling and start with his new teacher.

Teenagers - *sigh*

This is my oldest daughter, Kelly. She just turned 14 years old. Isn't she beautiful? Ahhh, I remember being a teenager and thinking I knew everything. It's a hard job being a teenager. You have to worry about who your friends are, if they are the right friends, what your going to wear and if it's in style. All the while trying to find your own identity and figuring things out on your own. One thing I have always tried to teach my children is to be their own person. If your friends say your favorite shirt is out of style and you still like it - keep wearing it. There is too much pressure on kids to try and 'fit in'. Trying to make sure they look a certain way, act a certain way, wear certain clothes. Just be your own person. Don't be a puppet.

Kelly struggles with this sometimes, but I think overall she does pretty good. She never gets in trouble and every year she has perfect attendance for the school year. Sometimes I have trouble with her doing her chores, but I think that's just kid-dizziness-stuff. However, her grades had been dropping and the last 9 weeks I had grounded her until I seen some improvement. She was heartbroken cause she was invited to go to this indoor swimming park with her best friend. "It's a chance in a lifetime, Mom!" <---- Those were her words after I told her she wouldn't be going.

*sigh*

We had a long argument yelling match talk over the fact that this was her chance in a lifetime. She won't have another chance to do this part of her life over again if she gets on the wrong track or starts slacking off. She will be entering high school next year and that's when her grades will really start to matter.

Of course she thinks I am the meanest mom in the world and she hates me. That being said, she still isn't going to the indoor water park, and that didn't go over too well with her.

As I was talking to my brother later that night, wondering if I was being too strict or if I was doing the right thing, he gave me some words of .... wisdom?

Remember, if your kids hate you, your doing a good job.