Parenting Advice from UltimateMama

Ultimate Memorial Day Activities for Kids

UltimateMama always likes to be prepared for long weekends!  The best preparation is creating an agenda of activities that your whole family will enjoy.

UltimateMama shares her special list of Memorial Day activities for kids:

- Visit a war memorial, a naval ship, or a historical museum.  In NYC, UltimateMama loves the New York Historical Society as well as the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum.

- Host a BBQ

- Meet up with friends in the park for a picnic

- Catch a baseball game

- See a Memorial Day parade

- Make a Memorial Day flower arrangement with your children 

- Create and wear red, white, and blue bracelets

- Read a book about the meaning of Memorial Day to your children such as Memorial Day Surpise by Theresa Golding  

Ultimate Sneaky Teacher at the Grocery Store - Comparison Shopping

UltimateMama loves to multitask. Every chance she can get she tries to accomplish a task while teaching her children in the process. 

This weekend her oldest daughter wanted raspberries - red, not golden.  Three year olds are very specific as most of you know!  Anyhow, UltimateMama and her daughter visited their local grocer and discovered that raspberries were $6.99 for a small container, way too expensive to purchase.  The good news was that strawberries were only $1.89 for a large container.  However, UltimateMama's daughter did not see it as such and so began our quest for inexpensive red raspberries. 

UltimateMama took this opportunity to teach her daughter in a fun and sneaky manner the following:

- Seasonality of fruits

- Price differences between stores

- Budgeting money

After visiting three stores, UltimateMama helped her child with counting, weight calculations, and comparison shopping.

Ultimate Jobs for Preschoolers

UltimateMama loves the idea of teaching responsibility to young children.  Assigning small tasks or little jobs to your youngster is an easy way for you to teach them to be responsible.  Older children may love the idea of job charts but younger children may just like the independence of completing a spur of the moment task you assign to them.  Many young children are filled with pride when they complete a job that they have seen their mommy, daddy, or older sibling do before! 

Keep in mind that the idea is not to overburden or overwork your youngster! 

UltimateMama suggests the following little jobs for preschoolers or young children:

- Fish feeder

- Watering the plant

- Napkin helper (at mealtime)

- Table wiper (after meals or snacks)

- Mail helper (carrying it to the home)

- Laundry helper (putting their clothing in their laundry basket or even teaching them to fold a washcloth)

- Weather helper or Meteorologist (look outside with them and discuss how the weather forecast appears)

- Calendar helper (talk about the date, day, month, year, significant events)

- Librarian (putting their books on the bookshelf)

- Prayer leader (saying grace at mealtime)

- Time keeper (teach them how to tell time)

- News reporter (discuss timely events with them)

Ultimate Engagement of Children - Be a Sneaky Teacher to Your Kids

UltimateMama wants you to never forget to engage your child (newborn on up) when you are out and about - shopping, driving, walking, inside, outside, etc.  A few tips:

- Always point out interesting sites (buildings, objects, architecture, colors, shapes).  For example, if you see a "star" shape on a building show it to your child and talk about the shape, color, and more. 

- Talk to your child and teach your child while grocery shopping.  Be a Sneaky Teacher and point out the colors and textures of various food items.  For example, show your baby the yellow banana, the red apple, the purple grapes, the orange cheese, the white milk, etc.  Smell the various breads together and discuss the differences.  Encourage your child to use all of their senses!

- Smell the outdoors with your child.  Let your child smell the pretty flowers outside the Doctor's office.  Encourage them to talk about the various textures, colors, and scents of flowers or trees in your yard.  Explore parks with them in a fun manner by taking a drawing pad and letting them sketch their surroundings.

Ultimate Summer Activities and Summer Classes for Kids, Babies, Toddlers - Schedule Now

UltimateMama wants to give you all a heads up on something -- most day camp and spring/summer class schedules are out now and registration has begun!  UltimateMama's three favorite words are "early enrollment discount" and she's seeing those words all over the place - from soccer to language classes to various day camps. 

Plan your child's schedule now for the following reasons:

1. You can get "early enrollment discounts"

2. Your child can get the days/times that work best for your family's schedule

3. Classes and camps are most likely not yet booked

4. You will be able to sleep better at night knowing that your child will be active and happy this summer!

Ultimate New Year's Resolutions

UltimateMama wishes all of you a happy, healthy, and safe New Year!  UltimateMama welcomes in 2010 with a list of New Year's resolutions:

1. Try different kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Be exotic.  Spend the extra money to sample an interesting delight and expose your children to a greater variety of fresh food.

2. Read more (for yourself and your children).

3. Organize finances.  Establish a college savings plan, stick with it, and add money to it on a regular basis.

4. Take up a hobby that benefits you and your children (art, exercise, cooking, photography, etc.).

5. Plan all vacations for 2010 right now so that you and your family have something to look forward to every day.

6. Pre-plan meals for the upcoming week...every week.

7. Always shop with lists (grocery, retail stores, etc.).  Do not make impulse purchases.

8. Organize all closets, drawers, and bookshelves.

9. Introduce your children to different types of music.

10. Make a list of all the local places you have always wanted to visit and go with your family!

HAPPY 2010!

Cheers,

UltimateMama

Ultimate Holiday Break Activities for Children

UltimateMama is all about routine and when it gets broken with holiday school break she knows she must keep her little ones busy! Wherever you live, you can always find something fun and constructive to do with your children.  Both you and your young ones will love the bonding experience. 

A few ideas:

- Story time at your local public library or book store.

- Bake together -- banana muffins are always yummy, easy and fun.

- Make a meal together (like pancakes, fancy sandwiches, or soup).

- Hit the museums you always wanted to go to but never had the time.

- Go to a toy train show or antique doll show. For all of you in the metro New York area, the New York Botanical Garden has a terrific train show. 

- See a ballet (The Nutcracker is fun for both boys and girls).

- Attend a musical performance.

- Create an art project that you would normally not do involving many messy supplies (such as paint, glue, glitter.  UltimateMama's children love to paint clean seashells that we collected in the Hamptons or Nantucket over the summer)

- Volunteer with your children at a soup kitchen or another worthwhile place.

- Visit friends you haven't seen in a while. Organize playdates with kids who do not attend the same school. 

- Go to an aquarium. UltimateMama loves The Maritime Aquarium in South Norwalk, CT.

- Have lunch at a pizzeria. 

- Arrange a tea party for dolls.

Ultimate Activites - Trial or Sample Classes & Open Houses

UltimateMama will be the first to admit that she doesn't sign her children up for EVERY class under the sun.  Although UltimateMama believes in exposing children to a variety of classes and activities she doesn't believe it should be done in one season.

Did you order your wedding cake without sampling it first?  Would you order a case of wine without trying a bottle?  Of course not.  So, UltimateMama advises you to ask for a trial or sample class before committing to a whole session or semester.  In this economic downturn many venues are more than willing to accommodate such a request. 

Think outside the box when it comes to exposing your child to classes.  Attend open houses, family days, and special events with your children to gage their interest level.  Examine the following to evaluate whether or not to sign your child up for specific classes:

- Teaching faculty:  Are they engaged? What is the teacher to child ratio?  Are they properly trained?

- Facilities:  Is it clean?  Is it large enough for the class size?  Is it safe?

- Pricing:  Do you pay per semester or per class?  Are there any discounts if you sign up additional siblings?  If your child joins a class mid-session do you only pay for the upcoming classes?

- Make-up Classes:  How many make-up classes are allowed per session?  Do the days/times of the make-up classes work with your family's schedule?

UltimateMama would have never thought to walk 25 blocks to attend a music class UNTIL she saw (and won) a GREAT package for a monthly family concert/class series at a silent auction fund-raiser.  The renowned music institution offered a series of classes that kids of any age could attend.  It was a home run for UltimateMama as the commitment was only once per month for 7 months and both children could actively participate.  UltimateMama was able to support a children's charity as well as expose her children to a variety of music!