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As part of The Mommies Network, JohnstonMommies.com is a free community for moms in Johnston and Northeast Harnett Counties, North Carolina. We realize that all moms need local support -- and who can't use another friend? JohnstonMommies.com offers a simple way to connect with local moms for friendship, support and fun. Members meet on our private discussion forums to share information on everything from where to get the best haircut to tips on transitioning to a "big kid" bed. Each month, we also offer many face-to-face events for our members, their children and their families.
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We teach our kids to be polite: ?Yes, sir?, ?Please? and ?Thank you?. We teach our kids to wash their hands and to pick up their dirty socks. These things are expected of parents. However, how do you teach your child not to say everything that pops into his/her head?
There are things that you can teach and some you can teach by example but I am unaware of how to teach my child to engage the filter between his mouth and head. The folks in our neighborhood are sweet and my friends are very tolerant but some days I feel like the parent that has not done her job.
My son is 10. A wonderful age for learning to go out and play without supervision. However, as I have learned, as soon as my son leaves the house he would rather converse with adults than play with his peers. I have scolded, given punishment and even pleaded with him not to share his life story with every adult in the neighborhood, to no avail. I have explained that not all adults are good and I have talked to him about being polite and letting other people talk. Still, this has no effect.
It seems that he has so much in his head it just spills out of his mouth in a gush of information. He has no idea that sharing all of this information is not a great idea, no matter how many times I tell him. It seems that he is unable to stop talking. He talks to himself, to his computer and to people. We call it his ?running commentary on life?, but it is not always cute or endearing. Some days it's just frustrating and upsetting. It's not like he does not get attention. He gets lots of social interaction and parent attention, but this seems to be something we have to deal with.
I am not opposed to any ideas, suggestions or advice that you might have. It seems to be a never ending battle. One I might have to choose not to fight.
Heather Garcia, Promotions Manager
www.johnstonmommies.com
miio.com @H
February is Cultural Awareness Month!
February is Cultural Awareness Month at The Mommies Network, and we're thinking globally! Share a love for foreign language and different cultures with your child in our Multicultural Mommies forum on our National Chapter. Each week, we'll feature several languages and cultural tidbits. You may also participate and strengthen your language lingo in a special webinar. Additionally, our sponsor will provide information on how you can continue your language-learning experience after the month is over.
According to Associated Content, brain research shows that children are at an optimal age for language learning. Although language study is effective at any age, some studies suggest that the human brain is more open to learning a foreign language from birth to preadolescence. Fortunately, researchers have not found an age in which the language window closes completely, especially in the areas of grammar and vocabulary.
Take advantage of this opportunity to think globally, and join us as we learn about foreign languages and different ways of life during Cultural Awareness Month at TMN!
Upcoming in hospitality It's hard to believe we have almost finished a whole month of the New Year! As always, with a new year comes new ideas, plans, and goals. Your Johnston Mommies Hospitality Committee is no different! We have some exciting ideas floating around and hope you will enjoy them on the boards and in person. Be on the lookout for a Meet and Greet and Mommy's Night Out each month. We also have some fun forum ideas in the works. How would you like to win a Mommy Award? Or play some fun hide and seek games? Stay tuned to the forums to find out what these are all about! As always, I encourage you to be active on the boards and attend events if at all possible. We would love to hear from you and see you! Feel free to PM me if you have any fun ideas or suggestions. Happy New Year from your Hospitality Committee!
Lori, Hospitality Committee
www.johnstonmommies.com
Picky Eaters
I have a huge number of friends with picky eaters. This is a situation that I did not have to deal with much in my own home. I got lucky and have kids who will eat just about anything I put on the table. In doing my research for this blog I found that some of the stuff I had done was the recommended strategy for feeding picky eaters. One of the things that helped is that my oldest could not have sugar so we never kept sweets in the house. I have been fighting with my weight for years, as a result I make healthy meal and snack choices for me and my kids.
I see the frustration and anxiety on the faces of my friends, when we talk about meal times. They express to me the battle over foods and the seemingly never ending struggle to get their child to eat a healthy meal. On such conversation put me on the path to see if I could offer any worthwhile advice. Here are some tips I found to help the parents of picky eaters.
Clear out the junk food ? offering healthy choices for snacks and treats will build a lifetime of healthy eating
Water vs Juice ? offer water not juice or milk off meal times. Juice and milk can decrease appetite and make your child less hungry at meal times.
Focus on the meal ? Turn off the TV and sit at the table. Not only will you start good eating habits bur getting rid of distractions and commercials that often encourage the eating of sugary foods.
Dip it cover it ? Use favorite sauces and dips to help introduce new foods.
Be a good example ? if you are eating candy bars and fill up on mashed potatoes that is the example your setting for your child. If they see you choosing lots of vegetables and lean protein, you will be setting a much better example.
One meal ? Don?t be a short order cook. You make a healthy meal, that is what is for dinner if your child refuses to eat it then they can choose to go to bed hungry. No snacks, no treats. If you?re worried about how much your child is eating keep a food log.
Small children have small tummies - a child?s stomach is about the size of his fist, giving out small portions and letting them ask for more may be a key to meal time success.
Routine ? Keeping meal and snack times consistent can help your child?s system adjust to being ready to eat when you?re serving meals.
Don?t forget to make it fun. Letting your children help make meals and pick out foods at the store will get them involved. Making funny faces out of veggies or using cookie cutters to make meals entertaining can be a great way to introduce new and healthy foods to your child.
I hope the above tips help meal time become less stressful at your house. To often I think we forget that the world will not end if they refuse to eat and go to bed hungry. That just means they will eat a bigger breakfast the next morning.
For more information on this topic check out the following sites:
