Mr Potato Head lives in my bathroom

Mostly in our house, toys live in the family room.  However Mr Potato Head lives in the en-suite bathroom.  He has his own shelf and seems very happy there.

Why?

Mr Potato Head took up residence there a long time ago.  He wanted to be special, unique, and have his own place in our family life.  In the family room he was just another toy, vying for attention, waiting his turn.  However in the bathroom he is the star attraction, and that is how he likes it.

I quite like it too.  It means I can shower or brush my teeth in peace!  At first it was necessary because I could not leave the youngest unattended with the oldest without enlisting a UN peacekeeping force.... kids know when you cannot hear or intervene.....  Then it became necessary when the youngest was going through a clingy "but I just want to be with yoooouuuuuu" phase.  And now, well it is just fun to come and visit Mr Potato Head every now and then, or when separation of siblings is prudent once more.

Mr Potato Head has a friend, a small flip top bin, that was purchased for bathroom rubbish but was far too small.  The flip top bin is lots of fun as a place to put Mr PH's bits and then get them back out again.

So, when you need peace during your bathroom time, think about who could take up residence in there, and be a special toy just for the bathroom.

Healthier Greener Lunch Boxes - Nude Food

I have a pet hate.  Well, I have a few actually, but a biggie is little packets of food.  You know, single server crackers, raisins, museli bars, yoghurt, chippies etc.  Why don't I like it? Isn't it convenient?

'convenience' costs money
'convenience' costs the environment (boy am I sick of all those packets floating around the footpath and playground!)
'convenience' costs our kids - getting in the way of them developing healthy food habits for life

Take a quick look at the alternative!
Here are some examples: healthy lunch and morning tea for two children, one at school, and one at preschool (purple lunchbox).  For a new entrant, packing lunch and morning tea separately makes things a bit less confusing!  For the preschooler, morning tea is provided at pre-school, but often she doesn't eat stop to have it, so extra food is provided with the lunch sandwich roll.

Still need convincing? Lets break it down:

1.  Cost
Here are a few simple comparisions to get you thinking

Yoguhrt.
Yoghurt mix, e.g. easiyo, costs approx $4.70 and makes 1 kg yoghurt makes 8 serves, so $0.60 each.
A six pack of yoghurt tubs (750g) costs an average of $4.  So $0.66 each.
An extra saving: have you noticed that the average pot of yoghurt is too big for many kids, especially preschoolers.  A lot gets thrown away, and an open youghurt container makes a big mess in the lunch box or bag. 
Conclusion: Packing your own, in the right quantity for your child,  in a resealable and reusable container saves waste and money.

Biscuits
A 10 pack of tiny teddies is $4.55, so $0.45 each for 25 grams.
No name tiny teddies are $1.90 for 200 grams, so that is $0.24 cents for 25 grams.  That's almost half price!
Again, the savings may be more if your child doesn't eat a whole pack.   You can add variety with different types of biscuits, and ensure the serving size is appropriate and healthy.

Crackers
'Shapes' 10 pack for $6.27, that is $0.63 for 25 grams
'Shapes 160gm box is $2.85, so that is $0.44 for 25 grams.

Raisins
18 little boxes of 14 grams each are $0.19 per box
A 250 gram pack, split into 14 gram serves work out at $0.13 per serve.

I could go on, but you can work out many examples yourself with a calculator.

2.  Environment
It boils down to too much packaging.  All those single packs come with plastic on the outside, and little plastic packs on the inside.  It is not recyclable.  It blows around like crazy and ends up in our water ways.  It is bulky with a lot of air, so costs more in terms of transportation costs too.
Then there is waste, and the concept of wasting food.  Simply put, when you pack your own food you can better control the serving size and match it to your child's need.  And a reusable container is also resealable, so they can eat according to their needs and 'save some for later'. 

3.  Health
So many of those pre-packaged 'convenient' products are full of sugar and salt.  They are poor dietry choices and they give our children a 'taste' for unhealthy food.  Remember the ultimate 'convenience' food is fresh fruit!!! It comes in it's own individual servings and consumable or compost-able wrappers!

Crackers: If you take some time to compare the sodium levels of different crackers, you will find better choices that flavoured ones like 'Shapes'.  CornThins in particular are great.  If you get your child started with the healthier crackers at an early age, they will not desire the other ones.  My kids detest flavoured crackers as their tastebuds are used to plainer options.

Muesli Bars:  Oh boy, I could write so much on this topic.  Suffice it to say that many of the muesli bars are less healthy than biscuits or cakes!!!  So much fat and sugar.  If they are low fat you can bet they are high sugar.  The serving sizes cater for an adults needs.  Many have too much sodium too.  Healthier alternatives include: fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit, corn thins, plain biscuits, breakfast cereal.

Serving Sizes: Some of those little packets of biscuits just have too many in them for one child.  Sugar satiates quickly, leaving them with little appetite for healthy food that they need to ensure they get all the vitamins, minerals and energy they need for health.

Be encouraged!:
You don't have to turn into Martha Stewart and do home baking!
You don't have to eliminate treats.  We buy little packets of stuff when on holiday and this keeps the kids from feeling deprived.
You are in charge.  Just because a packet of biscuits or crackers or whatever is open, doesn't mean they will just disappear.  If that is happening, think about your role as grown up in the house and make sure you are really in charge and not the kids!  If your partner eats them all, then just buy ones he/she doesn't like!
Start early - right from first foods!  Study those dietry panels and choose options with low sugar and sodium.
Don't get sucked in!  Just because some products are marketed for kids doesn't mean it is suitable for them in any capacity other than a very occasional treat.
It does not take long to chuck some food into little containers or a divided lunch-box.  I can do it in less than 5 minutes for two kids.   Your kids health is worth it!

So get geared up, buy and name some little containers, or divided lunchboxes, and introduce your family to a healthier and more environmentally way of eating out!

Baby Wipes - Save yourself $200 - $760 per year!

Thankfully both my children are out of nappies now.   Having children in nappies can really add to the household budget.  Take baby wipes for example....

Plunket estimate that disposable baby wipes will cost you between $200 to $760 per year.  (Source: http://www.plunket.org.nz/your-child/welcome-to-parenting/family-and-whanau/finances-for-families/babybudget/)

Here is what I used as an alternative.

Camomile Tea and Chux Wipes

This was as easy as making a 'cup of tea' (camomile tea), cooling it (very important), and then putting it in a small bucket or 1kg yoghurt pot near the change table.  Beside it were a stack of clean chux wipes.  (The no name brand are good but won't wash as well).  Simply dip your clean wipe into the cold tea, squeeze out the excess and use it to wipe the bottom.  Do not double dip!!!  (That way you can use the same tea all day.)  The used wipes go into the nappy bucket for washing and drying in the sun.  They can then be reused until they fall apart.  I usually cut the Chux to a smaller size too.  With practice even the worst mess can be cleaned with one wipe using the fold and wipe method.... like how you do with toilet paper....

Why I like this method:
1.  Disposable wipes are horrible to use.  Their texture just spreads the mess around and doesn't pick up enough of it.  So you have to use more wipes.  Skilled use of the camomile chux, and the texture of the chux means most messy bottoms can be cleaned with one wipe.  I hated resorting to disposable wipes when we were out or on holiday.
2.  The camomile tea is very soothing to little bottoms and is not a chemical cocktail.  Think about it, whatever lotion wipes are sitting in just stays on your babies bottom.  There have been recalls on wipes found to contain nasty chemicals.  Yuck.
3.  I'd rather have the extra $$ for more fun things than wiping baby bottoms.

Keen beans: You can make travel versions of these wipes using plastic containers or zip lock bags.  One method is to use one bag/container for unused ones and another for used.

So, happy wiping!

Stressing less about money

Living in a single income household means good money management is essential. The basics of money management are having a budget and sticking to it. Many couples fight over money and priorities and money-values can differ. Having a budget helps align and bring a couple together over how to manage their money.

Getting started: where is your money going now? I do this exercise annually. We pay for nearly everything either by EFT POS, credit card or bank transfer. To see where our money goes I just need to download the transactions from Internet banking, total them by who the money was paid to (I use pivot tables in excel to make this super fast) and then assign each one a category. These categories match those in my budget, which means I can see how well we did at sticking to it and where price rises (or poor self control) are hitting us.   Categories include: income, expenses like utilities, mortgage, rates, eating out, groceries, school fees, donations, insurance, hobbies, etc etc.   

 

Think about it - how and why do you spend? If you don't have a budget yet this exercise will help you see where you are spending your money. It means you cannot ignore the areas that are your spending weaknesses and are likely to be able to make a much more realistic assessment of your spending behaviour and a budget you can live with.   Often once we realise how much we spend on a particular 'weakness' (eg magazines, coffee, bought lunches) it helps us determine how important that thing is vs what else we could be doing with all that money, as those little 'treats' can really add up.  Often we tell ourselves we 'deserve it'.... but perhaps once you know the total you are spending on those items you'll think of something you deserve more, like a family holidays, which will give you lasting joy through happy memories and relationship building.  Thinking about an expense as how much you spend in total over a year helps bring it into perspective.  $10 might not seem much to have the groceries delivered weekly, but how does $520 sound.... of course everyone has different priorities and time constraints, so that is just one example.

Setting the budget

Start with income. How much will you earn. Try not to count uncertain income like bonuses. This is obviously harder if you are self employed or on commission.   Next, do a first draft based on your past spending. Does it add up or are you going to spend more than you earn? Are you allowing for saving, contingencies, pocket money and gifts (see below)? It has to be realistic or it won't work.   Pare down as needed. Add in inflation or price increases for things like electricity and insurance. Often you'll hear about those on the news. 

Pocket money for grown ups. One way to reduce disagreements about money is to each have some own pocket money. This could even be paid into a separate 'personal' bank account or debit card.  That way if she chooses to spend all hers on golf do-dats or he on shoes there can be no disagreements as it is their 'own' money. It is also good when buying gifts for the other. 

Contingency funds. It is wise to set aside an amount of money that can cover an unplanned necessary purchase such as replacing a dead fridge or washing machine. Also set money aside for car repairs and tyres. 

Savings goals: saving interest, holidays, home maintenance, retirement. If there is spare money, or money redirected from spending that is not really benefiting you, then use it for something you will really benefit from.

Pay off your mortgage faster and save interest. There are many mortgage calculators that can show you how many years you can cut off your mortgage by paying extra off each month. 

Save for a holiday. Open an account and transfer money in each month knowing you have a holiday to look forward to. 

Save for home maintenance jobs like painting, re-roofing etc. protect your investment. 

Save for retirement. Link to Retirement Planning Calculator. 

Taking control of your money and getting financially organized will reduce the stress in your life and give you a better quality of life. It is just a matter of getting started!

 

Helpful resources:

My husband and I found that Buck Pound's book "Dollars and Sense" got us on track as a newly committed couple who had to learn to manage money together.  Here is a link to Buck's Blog: http://buckpound.blogspot.co.nz/

Anita Bell's books, eg. "Your Mortgage and How to Pay it off in Five Years"

Sorted Website.  Has lots of great calculators, information and tools.

Why be organized

Not  surprisingly, I sometimes hear people say "you are SO organized".... The tone of voice varies to include surprise, resignation, disgust (veiled, of course) and awe. I don't think I'm over the top organized, and there is certainly mess and a bit of chaos here and there, but I believe that on the whole being organized is the way to go. Why?

Being able to find things, because they have places they belong and get put in them. A timesaver.

Less stress, eg panicking about what to cook for dinner or running out of food or clean clothes

Harmony, helps every be part of the household routine and benefit from structure and routine, which kids thrive on

More time and energy for what is important. I sincerely believe that being disorganized wastes far more time and energy than getting and staying organized

Ability to cope with unexpected improves. E.g less drama being sick if meals in freezer and washing is not piled up.

Good use of time. When I have a spare 5 mins I can consult my to do list and find a good task to make use of that time. Or just relax knowing things are in hand.

So there you have it. Some reasons to become organized or feel great about your efforts so far!

Homework Time - Years 0 - 2

My son is in year two.  At his first day of school he came home with a reading book, and thus homework was born in our house!  It was a bit of a shock at first, and in hindsight, I took it all a bit too seriously.  However Homework is here to stay, whether I am really convinced about it or not (see the end of this post).  So how to approach it?  Here is what I have learned via trial and error, applicable to years 0, 1, 2, as that is all I have experience with.

1.  Skew the homework toward the start of the week. Energy levels (his and mine) flag as the week goes on, so we try and get the bulk of the homework done early in the week, leaving minimal or no homework for Thursday and Fridays.

2.  Be organised.  The homework 'equipment' is kept in one spot and kept together so that homework time is not spent hunting for the pencil etc.  For practicing writing and number knowledge we have an exercise book kept at home and dedicated to homework.

3.  Start with the least favoured activity.  This is usually numbers for us.  We start in a way that is easy so as to build confidence and a sense of mastery.

4.  Mix it up.  Some ideas:
Sunny day?  Why not get out the chalk and practice the Alphabet on the fence or driveway!
Bounce, skip, march or dance as the facts are learned.  I am no expert on Kinaesthetic learning, except to know that it works.
Use games, educational puzzles etc.
Make a jig-saw puzzle with number facts, timestables etc.
Be on the look out for good resources - articles, games, etc whereever you go.  Toy Libraries and Scholastic catalogues are useful in this regard.
Play shop to practice numeracy.

5.  Engage Technology
Prior to my son starting school, we avoided technology for our kids as we figured they would spend enough of their lives in front of computers.  We soon figured out it was time to enter that world.  An old Mac computer has lots of free educational games on it (CBS Kids is good).  And then there is the iPad.  Well hello happy homework time!!!!!!  Here are some of my favourite iPad educational apps for this age group, in order of usefulness and popularity.

•  Spellosaurus.  You type in the weeks spelling words, and away they go.  The app helps them learn them, and tests them on them.  After two sessions they are usually 'stuck' in his brain.  Awesome.
• WordBingo and MathBingo.  He enjoys both of these.  There is a Junior Bingo too that Miss Three likes.
• Pirate Jack.  An incentive to get homework done, and a bit of fun, with a bit of education thrown in.
•  Hungry Fish - fun way to learn addition, subtraction etc.
• Motion Math - handy timeline.

6.  Educational Activity Books.  These are a useful alternative to technology and another way to mix things up.

7.  Know when to give up.  A teacher friend once told me that, at this age, homework is mostly a chance for your child to show you what they can do (especially reading).  I have mixed feelings about that, as many children NEED to be reading with an adult at home in order to make progress at school.  However overall I believe it is about having a culture of learning at home, tuning into your child and acknowledging that some days they have given their all at school and need downtime at home.

Personally I'd like to see more of the challenge based homework assigned in some schools.  Some weeks or days, it is best to throw in the towel on homework and do our own challenges instead.  Some baking (numercy and literacy), some gardening (maths), some inventing (creativity, literacy), etc.

Do you see the value in homework?  Here is an interesting segment from Radio New Zealand National:

"Two Australian academics have reviewed all international research on homework and have found that for primary school children, it has little or no academic value.

From Morning Report on 25 Oct 2012"

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2536504/is-homework-good-for-you

More Time for Cuddles in the Morning

Getting my kids out the door in the morning is like herding cats. There tend to be dramas about what daughter wants to wear, and son seems magnetically attached to his bed. I thought that only applied to teenagers, but he is six!  Of course there are some mornings when he rockets out of bed, either because he has a creative project or just because it is the weekend. He loves school, but he just has so much going on in his head that the tasks and timing requires to get there on time are not a priority. And it takes them both about an hour to eat breakfast!

So what to do to avoid yelling, threatening and still being late?  I found that starting the day slow, with cuddles and a chat seems to lubricate the rest of the morning. That luxury requires organisation ahead of time. Here are some ideas:

1.  Make lunches in advance. 
We need seven lunches a week, two days of pre-school for daughter, and five days school for son. In my mind it is as easy to set up a mini production line and make seven as to make just one or two. Thanks to a Tupperware addiction I have enough of their sandwich keeper boxes for seven sandwiches. There are cheaper alternatives, just a matter of preference really. So I whip up seven sandwiches, pop each into its own box, and into the freezer they go. Thus on school mornings, I just pull one out, add some morning tea, and lunch is done.

2. Put the washing on timer

If you like to get your washing dry outside (and why wouldn't you), then hanging it out in the morning is key when you live in a not so warm climate. So I your washing machine has a timer, use it. Put the wash and the rest in the night before, set and forget. That is one less job to remember in the morning.

And of course all the usual suggestions you already know.... Especially the one about getting to bed earlier!

Give it a shot and let me know your suggestions for other tips.