Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Archives for October 2014

How I Prepared to Potty Train My Toddler

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Ready to potty train? How to prepare.I’ve been thinking about how to approach potty training with my two year old for months. It’s funny, motherhood relies a lot on intuition but potty training was leaving me stumped. I mean how do you teach a small child how to just stop using a diaper and start using a potty (or toilet)?

Today I am discussing how I prepared to potty train, next week I will break down my step-by-step about how I had my daughter from diapers to full-time underwear (including overnight) in less than a week.

Mentally Prepare Yourself

I knew one thing for sure, regardless of how I was going to approach it, I wasn’t going to initiate anything until I was ready. Most things I read focused on the readiness of the child but in my mind I was mentally preparing myself for what could be a struggle and mommy needed to be prepared more than child. If mom (and/or dad) isn’t on board do not attempt anything until you are. Once you start potty training do not stop, so if there will be foreseeable interruptions (vacations, large life changes), wait. Children are much more flexible than we give them credit for sometimes.

Get the Right Supplies

  • I chose to use a toilet seat insert over that traditional child potty since I felt like it was saving a step with the lack of transition needed between potty and regular, large toilet. My niece was taught on a child potty and is still terrified of toilets, especially in public, so I was going to do what I could to avoid this. I bought the seat months before I started so she could see it and become familiar with what it was though I don’t think this is a necessary step. Use whatever is easiest for you and your family.
  • I bought new underwear for her to see and get acquainted with, they were her ‘’big girl undies’’. Though I didn’t have her present when I bought them, I can see how some children would be excited to be involved with this step and may be beneficial, use your own judgement.
  • Buy a travel potty seat insert if you plan on going in public! Their bladders are small and when they need to go they need to go! Some public toilets are larger than residential and falling into the toilet even once will be enough for you and them I’m sure. The travel seats I’ve seen fold up to the size of a change pad and are pretty cheap (less than $15.00).
  • Rewards, if using, need to be on hand. Again this is child dependant. Before I started I knew if it came down to it my child would do just about anything for a Smartie or M&M so I had a few on hand, if I needed. I chose to not start with much reward in the beginning and see how it worked out. As I suspected my daughter was excited to just have me clap and be proud of her, she didn’t need a chocolate treat or sticker but again, have whatever you think you child will need for encouragement, on hand.
  • An audible timer. This could also likely be an app on a smartphone but something that makes a noise loud enough for you and child to hear.

Because I was prepared mentally for the worst, you can imagine my elation for how easy the process actually was for us. Though I mentioned mom (and dad) being mentally prepared it goes without saying to check for readiness with your child as well. There is no ‘’perfect’’ age to potty train. Every child is unique and for some being potty trained at 18 months is do-able where others are past their third birthday. You know your child better than anyone or any expert, unless there is a time sensitive issue (passing fourth birthday and needs to be out of diapers for pre-school), don’t rush the process!

The Need to Take the Disgust Out of Halloween

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Have Halloween Decorations Gone Too FarGrowing up I loved Halloween but not for the regular ”kid” reasons. I just used to love the excitement, the crafts and the fun movies, which as an adult, I still do. I was never, and still am not someone who enjoys dressing up, Halloween night was fun to be with friends but I was always terrified I was going to get jumped by some ”high school kid” and they’d steal my candy (an unnecessary fear), this resulted in me not venturing too far from home and coming back fairly early from my trick-or-treating ventures.

As I got a bit older my best friend and I would watch scary movies together leading up to the ”holiday”. Classics by Hitchcock usually. I also had a soft spot for the old Ernest Scared Stupid but growing up I was never exposed to really gruesome stuff and I was scared as much as any child or young adult should be. I didn’t need decapitated babies, bloody pick axes or zombies with trachea’s hanging out of their mouth to scare me. Exposing me to Freddy Krueger was enough. At what point have we as a society become so desensitized to everything that the movie Psycho is a casual weeknight family movie?

I am by no means prudish in any way but as I approach my daughter’s first Halloween where she will be trick-0r-treating, I shudder to think about how I am going to explain some of the over-the-top decorations we’re bound to see. Dead bodies, bloody body bags, severed limbs… What happened to spooky skeletons and witches? There is line with Halloween that often gets crossed.

My sister-in-law is one who has always loved the goriness of Halloween, the bloodier the better in her eyes, but she contains the over-the-top decorations for the inside of her house where, when kids come to the door, they cannot see anything but if you’re an adult attending her annual party, be prepared for plastic, bloody, severed fingers to be served with your appetizer. My point is that there is a time, place and appropriate audience. If you and your friends enjoy said decorations, by all means share them together but don’t expose the rest of the world to them.

It’s not just kids that worry me. There are many people going through many varying personal issues where Halloween decorations could be upsetting. While I’m willing to bet a scary witch or ghost on your front porch won’t bother many people, hanging a noose around what looks like a bloody, plastic body bag and hanging it off your roof (real thing in our neighborhood last year), likely will.

Halloween has the potential to be a really fun ”holiday” (a term I use loosely). There are some amazingly fun Halloween movies that despite my Grinchiness with dressing up, I really love to watch every year. The over-the-top gore just takes away the fun of it for me and my family and makes us not way to do anything at all which, let’s be honest is no fun for kids.

Young children don’t have the life experience we adults do, and someone who is dealing with personal issues shouldn’t have to avert their eyes or have memories flared up because of a neighbor’s decorations. Be sensible and aware of your audience and have a fun and safe Halloween!

Do you think Halloween Decor has gone too far?

How to Get By On a Low Income

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how to get by on a low incomeSurviving on a low income can be difficult, especially if you have family members who are depending on you to provide for them.  To help you relieve some of the stress and help you manage your finances, here are a few tips from LILA for single parents and families to help make finances a little easier.

Budgeting

If your income is limited, it is important that you maximize what resources you have and eliminate unnecessary expenditures.  Creating and maintaining a budget will help you track what you earn and how you spend it.  Here are the basic steps to get you started:

  1. Make a list of all income, debt, and monthly expenses.
  2. Create a budget based on necessary expenditures and a plan to build savings.
  3. Track monthly spending to help you recognize your spending habits.
  4. Review your budget on a regular basis and make adjustments as needed.

Take Advantage of Entitlements 

The government offers a variety of programs that provide financial support for low income earners.  Depending on your financial assistance, you may be eligible for certain programs or entitlements.

  • To determine if you are eligible for government benefits, child support, or income support payments, contact via phone or visit the website sponsored by the government, looking at both state and federal.
  • If you are supporting a family, visit the state government website to see what they can do for you.

Shop Around for the Best Bank Account or Loan

Every institution offers a variety of financial products and services that cater to a wide income bracket.  The fees will vary greatly depending where you go, but if you are shopping for a basic savings or checking account, look for:

  • Accounts with no keeping fees
  • Free or online monthly statements
  • No required minimum deposit
  • No overdraft fees 

There are also several charitable organizations that help people make a financial plan to reach their savings goal.  If you are in need of immediate cash for vital repairs, services, or household items, then you may want to consider a FDIC cash program. These initiatives are designed to help low income earners and those receiving welfare benefits access the credit they need with no interest fees.

Get Control of your Bills

Debt is one of the greatest obstacles facing low income earners.  In order to stay ahead of your bills, here are a few suggestions to keep you out of debt.

  • Mark your calendar so you know exactly when your payments are due.
  • Build your savings by setting aside a small amount of money from each paycheck in case of emergencies or special expenditures.
  • Ask your utilities provider about “bill smoothing” to set up an installment payment plan.
  • If you receive benefits from the government, ask about personal finance assistance options, such as direct-bill paying service to help you manage your monthly bills.

Ask for Help

If you are in over your head or simply don’t know where to start, ask for the financial guidance you need to get back on track.  There are financial counselors who provide free services for those facing financial hardships.  These experts can help you establish a budget and prepare for the future.

No matter what circumstances you are in, there is always help available.  You do not have to face your financial difficulties alone.  There are people and services available to help make life easier and create a brighter financial future.

8 Quick and Cute Halloween Costumes for Children

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Quick and Cute Halloween Costumes for Kids!Halloween is a special time of year, the streets are framed with fluttering golden leaves, Jack-O-Lanterns perch on every windowsill, and there is an air of excitement as people plan their festive costumes. However, the thought of Halloween can also make parents anxious as fashioning a full Halloween outfit can take up a lot of precious time and money.

Savvy parents have a few tricks up their sleeve to quickly put together an amazing Halloween outfit. Read on for eight quick and cute Halloween costume ideas for children.

Wicked Witch

A Halloween classic is the witch costume. It is possible to purchase some wallet-friendly outfits that will leave you with more cash to spend on Halloween treats. Some costumes even incorporate things like pretty twinkling lights for a modern twist on the traditional witch outfit. Many of the pre-made costumes will include all of the accessories that you need to quickly transform your little one into a wicked witch for Halloween, such as an oversized pointy hat and a fun broom.

Pirate

Little boys will absolutely adore dressing up as a pirate for Halloween. With a pirate get-up, eye-patch, and a fun plastic sword they will be sure to steal the show. The great thing about a pirate outfit is that it can be quickly thrown together last-minute with ready-made costumes, plus outfits are available for all ages from toddlers to teens.

Duck Dynasty

One of the most hilarious Halloween outfits this year is the Duck Dynasty inspired outfits. You can now dress your baby up in an Uncle Si themed costume which comes complete with a camouflage vest and hat, gray wig, beard, and glasses! A Willie Duck Dynasty outfit is also available with a wig, American bandanna, and a cute detachable beard.

Spooky Ghost

If you’re really strapped for time then try out the old classic of being a ghost. A simple outfit can be put together in minutes by using a trusty sheet. To add a little pizazz you can customize with a cute Halloween inspired trick or treat bag and themed goodies. These Halloween costume ideas on Pinterest might help to give you some inspiration.

Elsa from Frozen

It’s been the Disney hit of the decade, and little girls all around the world want to look just like pretty Princess Elsa. Purchasing a replica of Elsa’s infamous dress along with all the accessories will probably cost more than investing in a complete ready-made outfit. To finish the look, style your child’s hair into a cute side braid, add a tiara, and sprinkle on some glitter.

Clown

There are sweet clown costumes that include colorful clown coats and tops, some silly oversized clown shoes, and a bright wig. A clown outfit is sure to get some laughs this Halloween.

Elegant Brides

Little girls love to play dress up and you will often find them trying on a pair of grown-up shoes or badly attempting to apply lipstick. Their dress-up dreams will come true when they get to be a beautiful bride this Halloween. Special bride costumes have been made for children, and some even come with bride accessories like bouquets, veils, and tiaras.

Turning a beautiful bride into a freaky bride of Frankenstein is easy too. All you have to do is apply some pale face and body paint, wear a messy black long-haired wig, and splatter the dress in some fake blood! Teens are more likely to go for a spooky bride option.

Mask of Zorro

For older kids, why not try the Mask of Zorro outfit? This costume features a slick black cape, black eye mask, studded belt and gloves. Teens will love looking cool in the all-black ensemble which makes for a great Halloween outfit.

For some more Halloween inspiration check out some of the great value for money and unique outfits from Mr. Costumes. Many of these ready-made costumes come with fun accessories to save you time, hassle, and money this Halloween. Happy Halloween!

Image via Flickr by lobo235

The Best Smiles in Life are Free

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the best things in life are freeIt’s been a while since I was actually in a McDonald’s restaurant, but I vividly remember the old menus growing up that, at the very end said, ‘’Smiles are always free’’. My experience in being a mom is that the best smiles are, in fact, free but that doesn’t stop me as a parent from chasing the need to see my child smiling through my unnecessary purchases.

I don’t even realize I’m doing it most of the time. Last weekend I had to go to a local big box store for an item. I was there to return something, that was it. I had no intentions of even walking around the store but when I realized I had some freedom (I was alone, no kid, no husband), I decided to capitalize on my few free moments and wander through the aisles. Given that I actually hate shopping, and am very much someone who likes to accomplish as much as possible in any given day, it was out of character for me to even want to do this, but I did.

I was scoping out the newest stuff and staring in disbelief at all the Christmas stuff that was already out, as Halloween hasn’t even passed, when I found myself walking through the book aisle. Again, innocently browsing at what was there, I instantly picked up a book with my daughters favorite character’s on it. The thought process was something like this:

‘’I need to buy this for her! She will love it and put a big smile on her face when she sees it!!’’.

At $3.50 I wasn’t breaking the bank but, though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was doing it selfishly. Though the book was for her, the book was more for me. For me, as her mom, to see her eyes light up and smile when I hand it to her.

It wasn’t until after I gave her the book when I realized what I had done. Though she was appreciative of the gesture, and thanked me for it, what she really wanted and what really got her excited was me. I had been away from her for a few hours and she wouldn’t care if I had a 10 pound chocolate bunny in my arm, she was just excited to see me and go back to mommy-daughter play time.

When I really think about it, the biggest smiles and reactions are never from when we give her something, be it a special after dinner treat or new book, it’s from when we’re sharing time together, building forts on the floor and hiding from invisible monsters, when we’re in a tickle fight or coloring a picture together. Though I will still buy things for her, I won’t buy something with the selfish intention of seeking out a smile because I know in my heart I have it in me to make her smile bigger than any object.

Frugal Fall Family Fun!

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Frugal Fall Family Fun Ideas!Fall can be a temperamental time of year. Where I live, yesterday was beautiful, sunny and a great day to be outside where today is dreary, wet and all round nasty out. Anytime we go through a seasonal change, Mother Nature doesn’t seem to know what to do with herself and goes to extremes. While in the summer we spend most all of our days outside, in the fall we start outside and often end up indoors.

There are plenty of frugal, fun fall activities the entire family can enjoy, even with Mother Nature’s temperamental state.

Hike

I don’t know what it is about the fall but as soon as the leaves start to change and the weather cools off I want to find a walking trail or hill and get outside. More than any other time of year I want to be outside and doing it with the family is a perfect outing. If you have young children hiking up a mountain side may be too much but you can likely find a decent walking trail you can all run around on (or bring a stroller/baby carrier).

You-Pick

Nothing screams ‘’fall’’ like picking your own apples or pumpkins. Not only is this a cheap way to get a large volume of fresh produce, it’s a lot of fun and can be done with kids of any age. Young kids will have fun picking the apples off the ground where the older kids can carry what is sure to be the big heavy bag! Pumpkin patches are also great fun to run around in and explore, if they are one to grow extra-large pumpkins, kids will be sure to have fun marvelling at their sheer mass.

Baking

Though I love baking for Christmas, I love the flavors of fall baking more than any other time of year. Once you come home with your fresh bag of apples have family time in the kitchen baking up a storm! There is sure to be a task for kids of all ages from searching out the recipes to dumping the measuring cups into the bowl. Though you can be sure there will be a much larger mess than if you had done the job yourself I can promise it won’t be as fun.

Craft Time

Construction paper turkeys, wax paper leaves, pumpkin paining or carving, there is no shortage of fall crafts for kids of all ages! The younger kids can pick the pattern for pumpkin carving and you or older kids actually do the carving. Craft time is something I’m just starting to explore with my daughter and its bringing floods of memories from my childhood, so much fun and super cheap. Dollar stores make craft time that much more affordable too when you do need to go out and buy craft supplies.

Fall is when nesting mode kicks in for me. Fall and winter, more than any other time of year, are about family time for me. We need to just enjoy being together. It’s about having fun and creating memories, not spending money.

Toddlers and Television: Keeping TV Time Minimized with a Schedule

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toddlers and tvThere is a growing concern for the amount of screen time children should be restricted to, and rightfully so. This includes TV’s, computers and other devices like phones.

If a child is partaking in these activities they are not doing more time valuable things like reading books or exploring the word around them. While I couldn’t agree more with this concern, we do allow our two year old to watch some television. While I do think too much TV time is detrimental for many developmental reasons, I don’t think a little bit is harmful and if anything could be (gasp) beneficial depending on what it is your child is watching.

How We Structure TV Time

The TV time in our house is limited to a few minutes in the morning and evening. This works well for us. When we wake in the morning, after I get my daughter ready for the day I allow her to watch one 20 minute TV show that was pre-recorded allowing my husband and I to grab showers and get dressed. The same is for the evening when we get home from the day. While I’m prepping supper, and my husband is tying up loose ends from his work day (which is almost always brings home) we allow another 20 min episode to give us time to get everything organized.

After the show is over the TV goes off and she has the options of playing, coloring or reading her books. I don’t like her jumping right into toys and books as soon as we get home because it makes a mess just as we’re trying to get organized. She also usually wants one or both of us to engage with her when playing (she’s an only child) so we need those few minutes to deal with our stuff so we can devout attention to her and the amazing block tower she built for us.

Hand Picking Shows

My husband and I have also gone through and hand-picked the shows we allow her to watch. There is a lot of really bad, and just plain dumb television shows for children. If she’s going to be watching something it has to be fun but also reasonably educational. We have our favorites and have pre-recorded a few episodes of each.

Our daughter knows that watching TV is a special treat of sorts. While we’d never disallow books, if she has a bad attitude or doesn’t listen to us she won’t be allowed to watch television.

Our experience with the shows we’ve picked for her has been positive. She’s learned things from the shows that she tries to teach us. Just the other day she told me a kangaroo was a marsupial and that airplanes have engines. While they’re simple lessons she has fun watching the shows, learning about new things and proud of herself for telling mom and dad about her new-found knowledge.

Books and playtime should always take priority over any screen time but I am of the opinion that it’s not a bad thing once in a while, I’d rather know exactly where she is while I’m in the shower than worrying about her tearing the house apart!

Do you allow any screen time for your toddler?