Tag Archives: activities

Behavior Chart Tips

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A behavior chart can be a positive way to reinforce the behaviors you want your children to exhibit and limit those behaviors you wish to put a stop to. However, you need to use them carefully to make them as effective as possible. These behavior chart tips will help you make the most of this.

First, you need to keep the process fun. One of the easiest ways to do this is to emphasize positive behaviors, helping the children earn marks or stickers when they perform activities you want them to perform. Decide on just a few behaviors to zero in on at a time. Too many can overwhelm your child, especially if he or she is little.

You have to be consistent to make a behavior chart work, so make it in a manner that makes sense to you and is something you can follow through on. Decide when you will “finish” the chart, whether it be a week or a month. When it is time for the “points” to be tallied and rewards given out, do so consistently, every time.

Your children will be motivated by things they can see, so put the chart somewhere they can see it, but if your children will be tempted to add to the chart or mess with it, hang it in a visible place that is out of reach.

You need to keep the rewards simple. Large rewards can be hard to maintain. A reward can be something as simple as choosing dinner, deciding what movie night movie will be, or other simple things. New sticker packages are popular with young children and are quite affordable. Be creative, knowing your children’s interests, but avoid making the rewards too exciting, because eventually you will have to make the reward “better” and you can eventually run out of ideas.

As you implement a behavior chart, be creative. Use these behavior chart tips to make it fun and effective in your home. Soon you will be seeing the behaviors your want to reinforce creeping into your home and becoming habits.

Find Local Activities for Day Trips

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Sometime the best destination for a day trip is just down the road, but the single mom has never taken the time to recognize it.

Single moms who are struggling for ideas on where to take her kids for a day trip are missing out on valuable resources that may be just under her nose. When we live in an area for some time and get used to passing the same store displays day after day, we often just quit seeing them. Sometime a tourist stopping at a local coffee shop has knowledge of available day trip opportunities in the area than the person who has been living there for years just because they are paying attention.

Just think of the times you’ve been traveling with your family and picked up a brochure that has attracted your eye as you pay for your gas or exit a restaurant. Many of the brochures not only describe the local attraction, but also include a money saving coupon to entice the traveler to visit. These places aren’t just for tourists. You can find information about day trip destinations and activities in your own area and avail yourself to the coupons if you just look out for them.

Watch for display racks touting local areas of interest near the entrance of your favorite restaurant, gas station, convenience store and even at park entrances. Often maps are available with the locations of areas of local interest.

Start a folder for all the brochures and pamphlets you pick up while running your daily errands. Check out the local newspapers for announcements of new attractions. Stop in at the local Chamber of Commerce and sign up for their mailing list.

Before setting out on your day trip, go online and see if the destination has a website. Often they have package deals or online coupons. Reduced admission fees along with a lunch from home make the day trip more affordable for the single mom.

Once you and the kids reach your destination, don’t forget to look around to see if there is a stack of brochures on other local attractions.

 

Sleepover Parties – How to Succeed

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Sleepover parties can be both fun for your child and inexpensive for you. Because the kids have so much fun playing together and just ‘hanging out,” you have less planning to do. Also, by nature these parties allow for fewer guests, so the amount of food and supplies you need is far less. To make these parties succeed, consider these tips.

First, limit the guest list. Likely you have little extra space in your home, so make sure there will be room for everyone to sleep, even if the floor is the preferred sleeping space. Two to five children is ideal.

Have the kids come around dinnertime, if possible. This gives them less time to start nit picking and fighting, but plenty of time for fun. Make dinner simple, with pizza or sandwiches, chips, and birthday cake. You don’t need fancy food to impress kids. You may want to plan a few activities or have some board and group games available if they need them, but let them have fun. End the evening with a movie or two to help settle active minds and bodies before bed.

Realistically, at a sleepover you are not going to have the kids in bed at 9 and asleep. However, you have the right to insist on a “quiet hour.” Give the kids the ultimatum about a certain time when they need to be quiet so you can rest.

When morning rolls around, have some pastries ready, or prepare some pancakes for your hungry guests, but keep things fairly low key. They are going to be tired! Plan sufficient time for everyone to shower and get dressed, and send them home before their tiredness becomes a source of fights. Remember, sleepover parties can be a lot of fun for all involved, if you can prevent fights and grumpiness, so have a good time with your child and his or her friends!