A Few Tips for a Stress Free Fun Home

Just thought of a couple things that really help keep stress levels low for me, so I wanted to share it with other young moms & grandmas (as I know they entertain kiddos a lot too).  We all need tips to assist in keeping our home a haven of peace.  So please, send your good ones my way!

First:

Get a toy drawer in the kitchen!  Fill it with toys and safe kitchen utensils.  I have 2 children, my oldest could have cared less about toys as a toddler, all he wanted was the "real thing".  He played with utensils, so make sure you have the drawer stocked with kid-friendly ones.  My daughter loves to play toys, so to have both real and pretend things make the drawer work for both.  Garunteed to keep them busy for at least 20-30 minutes while you cook. (If you can't cook in that amount of time, you are gonna want to check out the button to the right "20 Minute Meals", a cook book I am affiliated with, and am now cooking from! Seriously, whole dinner start to tabletop, 20 minutes LOVING it!!)

Now the most IMPORTANT item to keep in the drawer, is the "chip clip".  I pulled this idea out of a magazine years ago and declared "BRILLIANT!"  FASTEN THE CHIP CLIP TO THE SIDE OF THE DRAWER and it keeps it from slamming as small children open, shut and lean on the drawer.  Many a finger have been spared from pain using this system.  No pinched fingers, kids kept busy and happy, stress free meal prep for mommy.

Second:

Playdough.  What an awesome creation!  We have so much fun with play dough. If you are having a day where you are at home, maybe things are getting a little stressful, either A) pull out play dough and get to creating with your kids. or B) make play dough with your children.  My mother in law always says "A change refreshes." So change up what they are doing: go outside, stick them in the bathtub, make playdough.   Here is a website with great playdough recipes, including edible versions. 

My son got a bunch of colored playdough for his birthday last year.  I was encouraging him to keep the colors separate so we could put them neatly back in the matching buckets.  He was not listening and I started to get bugged and then I thought, "Seriously who cares?!" He certainly didn't, so why did I?  It was his playdough, he was having fun, and I can store a big mixed-up lump of it a zip-lock bag.  Do I want my kids to remember me as the mom who was uptight and didn't even let them mix playdough colors together, or the mom who just had fun, and hey even mixed the playdough with them.... and enjoyed it?! 

 I felt  like a rebel!!  

So my advice for stress free play: LET THEM MIX THE PLAYDOUGH

Third:

 Bake with your kids.  My children love to help in the kitchen, and obviously stirring the pans on the stove isn't an option, so the family friendly option in our house is baking and mixing together.  Now I have played out (literally) two different scenarios of this.  One where they measure the ingredients out them self and the other where I have them pre-measured.  Both get the job done, but the first is way more messy.  For smaller kids ( 5 and under ) I suggest PRE-MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS.  It makes baking tidy, quick and stress free when you just do a little prep work. When including them in the baking process the kids have a blast and it is a fun way to break up the day.  By the way, if you start baking with them young, before you know it they will be making dinner and dessert for you!  Check out my sister in law's blog as she shares videos of her daughter's love for baking/cooking. Emilia (my niece) made them dinner last month and let me tell you her chocolate chip cookies, best I have ever had!!!  Start 'em Young!