Shelly discusses how to look at things in a different way and spell your family name with things around your house or in a building.  Nancy interviews an expert on taking beach photos.  Make sure you check out the photos on the website to see the great results and read comments from Steffani on her reactions!

These are Shelly’s Results:

These are our friend Steffani’s results and her comments about how this has helped her kids:

“I let them each child take the camera and find things around the house that could look like the letters in their first name. After they took the pictures, we edited them on our computer, cropping them so that the most important part was revealing the letter.  It was a ton of fun.  I have our last name one printed up in a small oblong frame and underneath “Packer” it says, “Home is where the most important things happen” because all of the things we used for our letters were found in our own home. I want to have their first names printed out in 4×6 and deco-page them to wooden blocks to put in their room.  That part hasn’t happened yet.  But . . .  I have noticed that the kids (after doing this–even CY) are always pointing things out as we drive or go places.  ”Hey, that looks like an M! or  K!”  I think it is helpful in their brain development and creativity to think outside the box.

 

 Getting Letters out of Buildings and Cool Beach Photos [32:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (599)

Stacey talks about her courageous decision to bring one child home from school.  This is a great discussion about listening to the needs of your child and helping them become the best person they can be.

 

 Bringing a Child Home for School [31:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (675)

Kathy Peel, America’s Family Manager,  discusses how do couples divvy up laundry, kitchen duty and other household jobs— fairly and without resentment. Kathy’s new book is a great follow-up to her Busy Mom’s Guide (we consider it our moms bible).

 

 Busy Couple's Guide by Kathy Peel [26:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (743)

Shelly, MOM Podcast (Moms on a Mission) host discuss how to make fast meals and how to get your kids involved in the work.  She the amazing video of her kids helping.

 

 Getting Meals Made Quickly [23:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (864)

The MOM Podcast (Moms on a Mission) hosts discuss the importance of documenting your family life for your children and for yourself.   Stacey has great ideas even for the slacker mom.

 

 Importance of Documentation [25:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (823)

The MOM Podcast (Moms on a Mission) hosts discuss how to choose the right school for your child.

Here are some additional  ideas from a mother who founded a Charter school with other parents that wanted more choices: (more…)

 

 Choosing the Right School for Your Child [28:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (831)

Isa Herrera, author of Ending Female Pain dedicated her career to helping women find relief from conditions that arise from pregnancy, labor and birth. She discusses her book, common problems and a special Webinar being held January 24, 2010 on C-Section issues.

 

 Ending Female Pain [8:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (896)

All marital relationships go through changes when children enter the picture.  Sometimes, as women we set aside our personal needs or the needs of our spouse because we think the kids have to come first.   Dr. Juli Slattery, author of No More Headaches: Enjoying Sex and Intimacy in Marriage takes a loving and intimate relationship-oriented look at how to increase our marital strength through our sexual relationships.

 

 How to Grow in Intimacy [17:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (796)

Sometimes what you expect to happen in life is not what you get.   We discuss how we have dealt with these times in our own lives and what we have learned from the experiences.

 

 What to do when life throws you a curve [25:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (842)

Dr. James D MacArthur, author of Everyday Parents Raising Great Kids discusses one simple thing we can do as parents to make all the difference in our children’s development.  If you do nothing else, this can change the way you parent and the life of your child.

 

 Help Your Kids Do Great in Life [33:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1067)

We discuss having pets and when one dies or has to go to a different family.  We talk how kids deal with the situation and how we as moms feel as well as when is the best time to have a pet.

 

 Having Pets [23:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (739)

We discuss when kids become brand aware and whether it can be detrimental to them or helpful in some ways.  We get advice from a professor studying brand awareness and tell about our own experience from kids who watch no TV to kids who use brands to help in the social issues of the teenage years to young children just becoming brand-aware.

 

 When Kids Become Brand Aware [34:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (902)

Mark Hamilton, CEO of Just Ask Baby, discusses findings that show that too many toys can be very detrimental to their development.  ‘The Truth About Toys for Infants’ – written by eminent child development expert David Elkind Ph.D. and available as a free download from http://www.justaskbaby.com/ebooks – lifts the lid on the inherent conflict between manufacturers’ need to generate profits and children’s need to learn and develop. In the report, Professor Elkind cautions against buying too many different toys, particularly ones that may over-stimulate a child.

“A toy-packed crib presents the infant with too many colors, shapes, textures and sounds at one time, which can overwhelm an infant,” said Professor Elkind, Just Ask Baby’s Chief Scientific Advisor. “The golden rule of providing toys for a child is less is best.”

According to Professor Elkind, author of more than a dozen books including ‘The Hurried Child’ and ‘The Power of Play,’ infants process information much more slowly than adults. “A baby learns a great deal from playing with the same toy over an extended period of time,” he said. “Variety may be the spice of life, but not when it comes to infant learning.”

“This is not what toy manufacturers want parents to know”, says Mark Hamilton, founder of Just Ask Baby. “The toy industry is a multi-million dollar business, and parents are faced with a barrage of advertising trying to sell them toys for their children, regardless of whether they are good for children’s development or not,” said Hamilton. “Many advertisements even make parents feel that some toys have educational benefits, when the scientific evidence in Professor Elkind’s report points to the opposite conclusion.”

“A young infant may learn most from a set of colorful wooden blocks, which they can use to learn and understand shape and texture,” said Hamilton. “But there is more money in selling parents a ‘baby laptop’ and associated games and add-ons, for example, than in selling wooden blocks.”

Just Ask Baby, a company and the world’s first broadcast-quality online, on-demand TV channel for parents, released a free e-book that details how too many different toys can actually hinder the development of infants, and provides some tips for parents wondering what toys are best for their children.

 

 Can Toys Hurt [16:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (930)

Rita Harrison discusses the 7 most common areas that people have weaknesses in.  If you haven’t taken the FREE assessment, take it and learn what you can do to strengthen your life.

 

 Intentional Creation: 7 Problem Areas [25:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (845)

Rita Harrison discusses the FREE Intentional Creation Assessment and how you can take it.  We also discuss our feelings about it.  In Part 2, we discuss the 7 most common areas that people have weaknesses in.  So, take the assessment after listening to the show and then listen next week to learn what you can do to strengthen your life.

 

 Taking the Assessment [19:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (791)

We continue the discussion of what to do when kids lie with Claire Lerner, Director of parent resources at Zero to Three.

 

 What to do When Kids Lie [24:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (825)

Lindsay talks about Sitter City and how she found someone to help her juggle the dance of kids and responsibilities.  If you are worried about how to hire someone to help with your kids, this is a great show for you.

 

 How to Choose a Sitter or a Mother's Helper [24:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1023)

Claire Lerner of ZERO to THREE joins us to talk about why kids lie and what is the best way to approach it.  We talk about the 3-10 years in this show and will talk about older kids on another show.

 

 What to Do When Your Kids Lie [36:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (802)

Professional Organizer and Podcaster Laura Lawrence explains how to organize the chaos of paper and other things coming into your home to reclaim peace, sanity, and possibly some extra cash! Check out more of her podcasts!

 

 Creating Organization and not Chaos [22:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1011)

Rita Harrison discusses how to manage our expectations.

Rita is a 6 Advisors Coach. For more on the Hartman Value Profile assessment and the 6 Advisors Coaching Program visit www.6advisors.com.  Take a free assessment and receive partial results  at www.6advisors.com/intro. Enter Rita’s code:  PSSVDY748D.   Rita will provide 20-30 minutes of free coaching at your request.  Babies and Moms listeners who order a full assessment and debrief directly from Rita ( rnrharrison@gmail.com) receive a special discounted rate of $199 (a $200 discount).

 

 How to Manage Expectations [32:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (954)

What happens when moms get involved in their children’s battles and it becomes personal?  When is it time to step out and let the kids handle it? We discuss this and much more!

 

 When Things Get Out of Hand [20:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (849)

Katie VanDyke, author of Unlikely Truths of Motherhood, discusses the dynamics of siblings with small and large age gaps and how children learn from this.

 

 Different Ages between Siblings [24:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (833)

Christy Matte About.com Guide to Family Computing discusses how to keep your child’s identity safe AND how to teach a child responsible internet use.  Check her site for more Guides to help you learn how to keep your child safe.

 

 Keep your Child's Identity Safe [34:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (934)

Claire Lerner of Zero to Three discusses how to prepare the first child for the coming of the next baby.  This is Part 2 of a 2 part discussion.

 

 Preparing child for new sibling [16:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1032)

Claire Lerner of Zero to Three discusses how to prepare the first child for the coming of the next baby.  We also discuss Why kids ask WHY so much!  This is Part 1 of a 2 part discussion.

 

 Preparing child for new sibling [25:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1067)

Dr. Vaughn Johnson shares how our hormones can affect us and how even young women can have hormone issues (this is not JUST a menopause issue).  Millions of women are misdiagnosed and live with symptoms of miscarriages, depression, tiredness, irritability, weight gain, hair loss, and more just because they have a simple-to-fix issue. Nancy has a lot of experience with this topic!

 

 Are Hormones to Blame? [38:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1104)

We talk to Trisha Ashworth, author of three books on Real Moms including “I Was a Really good Mom Before I had Kids.”

Her books are:

 

 Stories of Real Moms [25:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1181)

We discuss Etsy and tips to save money while still being stylish!

 

 Learn about Etsy and Saving Money [20:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1011)

Charlene Wells of My Memories Suite answers our questions about the product and we talk about our projects. Learn what you can do in minutes not hours and learn how to save 25% of retail!

 

 Learn How My Memories Saves You Time and Money [31:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1055)

Even if you don’t think you will have a preemie, you should be prepared because 20% of babies are premature.  Deb Discenza, founder of Preemie Magazine, creator of PreemieWorld website and author of and a preemie parenting book talks about what to expect if you have a preemie or near term baby. Deb is also the Director of Partnership for MOST (Mothers of Supertwins) and PreemieCare and is a Column Editor for the Neonatal Network Journal.

 

 Advice for Preemie Moms [25:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1028)