Play is the Childs Work

She is a puppy and licks my arm.  He is Harry Potter and speaks in his English accent whenever he can.  She is a Princess and draws out her stories every chance she gets.

My kids have great imaginations.  They live in their imaginations and play make believe every chance they get.

They are best friends.  They have inside jokes, secret languages, and games where only they know the rules.

 

 They laugh, they cry, they fight, they make up.  They are never angry at each other for long.  They can't be.

They are each other's best playmates and play is what they do. I once heard that play is the child's work.

 We take that very seriously around these parts.  They live in their imaginations, and I am so glad. When they come home from school, we do homework and then PLAY.  There are no extra curricular activities to get in the way.  They have the whole world in front of them to explore.

Because someday, I won't be around and they will have only each other.  The memories they make while playing are what will help to form these relationships that last forever.

They play together, they play alone, we play as a family.  These are the moments that bond us like cement.  These are the moments that we will always remember. 

These are the moments that I know I will never forget.

This post is part of the GoGo Squeez and Story Bleed Day of Play Blog Carnival.  They are encouraging families to get out and play together this Saturday.  I am planning on it, are you?

Work Work Work.

I don't believe in allowance.

I used to, but don't anymore.  A couple years ago we started giving our children allowance of 10 cents per year of age (5 = 50 cents).  It was working great...for a while.  But we found that when our children didn't have to do anything to get that money, they became really demanding.  They started to have the attitude that we owed them money just for them being in our family.

Yeah, that's not okay.

So, Jeremy and I got rid of allowance.  No longer do you get paid just for gracing us with your presence dear children!  I have to work for my money, so why shouldn't they?

This weekend, we instituted the Job Jar.  This magnificent little jar has stopped the "give me money" syndrome that was taking over our house. The children love going and picking a color and a job and then getting to work!

Here are the rules - you can not earn more than $3.00 a week.  You can not earn any money from the Job Jar until your chores that you have to do are done.  Once a chore is done, that stick is taken from the job jar until Mom needs it done again.

The jobs are broken into payment categories.  Orange is the easiest and therefore worth the least amount (10 cents).  Blue is the hardest and worth the most (50 cents).

Our children have to put 10% of their earnings into savings and 10% to charity.  We want them to learn not only to work hard for their money, but to be smart with it and give to others.


My hope is that this is something we can do for as long as our children are in the house.  I want to inspire them to do their best and to give them opportunities to earn money by working hard.

Do you do allowance in your house?  If not, what do you do when your kids want money? How do you inspire your children to work and do a good job?


This post is part of the Hallmark Life is a Special Occasion Campaign.  I am lucky enough to be blogging for Hallmark the rest of this year about different topics.  This month's theme is inspiration, and I want to know how you inspire your kids to work hard!
Be sure to head over to Hallmark's site and sign up for their newsletters. Who knows, I might even pop up in one of the newsletters!  Also, at the bottom of the page, you can see all the Hallmark Bloggers and read what everyone has to say.  It is truly inspiring reading!
While I am compensated to write this post, as always the words are all mine and can not be bought.

Small Style :: First Day of School

The kids both picked out exactly what they wanted to wear on the first day of school.  There was no swaying them, or changing their minds.  They both have a definite sense of fashion!

 

The Kindergartener's and 1st Graders had an assembly the first day of school.  Amelia sat down with her class and a few minutes later another little girl joined her class wearing the same thing.  Instead of being mortified that she was wearing something someone else was wearing (thank Heavens we have a few years before that happens) she was so excited!!!  They had a couple of kids sitting between them, and by the time they got to me in the parade, they were standing next to each other.  Love how easily that girl makes friends.


Seth: 
Sommer Stallion Shirt - PTA Fundraiser
Carter's Shorts from Zulily
Shoes - New Balance from last year.  Waiting on the next paycheck for his new ones!
Backpack - Walmart from 2 years ago. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!


Amelia: 
Dress - Target
Shoes - Target
Backpack -Stephen Joseph from Baby Earth


And of course, Libby can not be forgotten.  She took as much time picking out her duds for the first day of school as the other two did.  She was just sad when she didn't get to stay.  We went to get a donut after and she told me, "Mama, donuts make my feelings feel better."  Oh baby, I know it ;)

Libby -
Shirt from Children's Place
Shorts - Kohls
Shoes - Target flip flops that she wears all the time!


I am linking up with Mama Loves Papa Small Style today.  Won't you play along?

They Will Be Ok...and So Will I.

In just a matter of days I will have half as many children in my house.

While I am excited about the quiet that will bring, I am also nervous for Seth and Amelia and nervous for Libby and Me.

We have a nice groove going on here.  Everyone is used to everyone being in their business.  Libby's best friends are her brother and sister.  She is going to be lonely.  I will need to remember what it is like to have a 2 year old and a baby only again!  Amelia will be in all day Kindergarten, and will have more structure than she ever has.  Seth will be in 2nd grade and have to make all new friends this year.

When Seth started Kindergarten, I called it free preschool.  In Utah Kindergarten is 2 1/2 hours long.  It wasn't any big deal to me to have him gone for a bit of the day.  By the time I dropped him off, I had a little time to do a couple of things, and then it was right back to get him.  He had done preschool the Spring before Kindergarten, so I was accustomed to him being gone for a bit of the day.

Photo by Sarah Long, Joyful Photography

Amelia didn't do preschool.  We couldn't afford it, moved, had babies, etc.  There was always a reason as to why I should keep her out, so, besides dance and Sunday School, this is really her first formal schooling experience.

Photo by Heather Himmer

I worry about her.  I worry about how she will do.  What will she do when she's hungry in the middle of the day?  That girl is ALWAYS hungry.  She is also so sensitive and can (and does) cry at the drop of a hat.  I worry about her going, being with someone who doesn't know and love her like I do.  She has such a sweet spirit, and can get her feelings hurt very easily.  I want her to have a great experience, but I can't guarantee that.  It is hard giving up control over every interaction that she might have.

Photo by Heather Himmer

Seth has such a strong personality.  He is outgoing, strong willed, loud and opinionated.  He is loving, giving, happy, and energetic.  He has always had a difficult time with change and I am sure this year will be no different.  With 1100 students in their school, it is very unlikely that there will be anyone in his class he knows.  When there are 9 classes in his grade, the classes can be different every year.  I worry about how he will do having to make new friends again, and again, and again.

Photo by Sarah Long of Joyful Photography

I worry about these things and then I remember how resilient kids are.  They adapt, they change, they grow, they learn.  They know they always have me to come back to.  They know despite what happens at school, Mama is here to love them, listen, and help them.

As I am anticipating the start of school and the changes it will bring, I am thinking about ways to ease this transition for everyone.

I love walking home from school with the kids.  It gives us a chance to catch up and chat about their days.  I also love putting notes in their lunches.  Since Seth didn't take lunch until 1st grade, when he was already reading, I wrote little notes.  For my pre-reader Miss Amelia, I will draw little pictures for her. Something for her to get in the middle of the day from Mama.

Libby is going to need a little extra TLC with her best buddies gone all day.  So, I am planning on she and I having game time everyday.  It will be special Mama and Libby time where she can choose what we do, games, play-doh, reading books, whatever she wants.

Something else we do is have nightly chats.  I love this time when I can sit with my kids and just talk to them about their days.  I always ask what was your favorite part of the day and what was your least favorite part of the day?  This gives us a chance to really talk about what was going on that day.

I am hoping by having these ideas in place it will not only ease the transition for my kids but also for me.  Because I am going to miss having all my chicks in my nest.  I love my babies and love having them underfoot all day.  It is going to be hard to let go of them again, but I know they can do it and so can I.

But, I want to know, how do you encourage your kids in the not so easy times of life?  How do you encourage yourself when you don't want to let go, but know you have to?


This post is part of the Hallmark Life is a Special Occasion Campaign.  I am lucky enough to be blogging for Hallmark the rest of this year about different topics.  This month's theme is encouragement, and I couldn't think of a better way to talk about encouragement.  
Be sure to head over to Hallmark's site and sign up for their newsletters...you might even see me over there from time to time!
While I am compensated to write this post, as always the words are all mine and can not be bought.