Give me 5...

One of the best ideas I got from the Power of Moms retreat I attended back in April was the idea to do High 5's for our family weekly.  It highlights good things the kids have done throughout the week and acknowledges them in a public, displayed fashion.

You can see an example of it in the picture above.  I trace a hand and then write something down for each family member.  We do it either at Sunday dinner or at FHE.  I present everyone with their award and then they go around and high 5 everyone. We cheer and clap for each person.

It is a fun way to reinforce the positive things that are happening with my kids and it also helps me look for the positives during the week (so easy to focus on what they aren't doing, instead of all the good things they are doing).  Instead of trying to come up with something on the spot, I have been writing down things I notice and then pick one or two to put on their hand.  But I do share with them the other things I noticed as well.

What do you do in your family to acknowledge the positive things your kids do??

Random thoughts

Have you seen Time magazine's cover this week? I'm not linking to it, because I don't want to be associated with it.  Honestly...to me it was horrifying.  I am pro breastfeeding, I was able to breastfeed 3 out of my 5.  I enjoyed it, I think it's the best thing for babies.  But THIS is not what breastfeeding is about.  This is an attempt by Time to sensationalize it and sell magazines.  Women who are debating whether to breastfeed are going to look at this and think breastfeeding is what crazy people do. Breastfeeding is about connection and snuggling and loving.   If they had a sweet baby and Mommy snuggling together on the cover, if the Mom was uncovered I have no issue about that.  This is practically child p*rn.

Apparently the article is about attachment parenting.  Hey I am all for creating healthy attachments because bad things happen when kids don't feel attached to their parents.  But THIS photo does not depict healthy attachment IMO.  Talk about the ultimate "helicopter parent" who can't let go??  In my opinion our job as Mothers is to teach them that they don't need us anymore.  From birth our job is to "wean" them from being dependent on us. What do you think?

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I have had a CRAZY few weeks!  Whew!  The end of the school year is always full of programs and projects.  It was one thing after another and it was a bit stressful.  Today I had a day where I didn't have to go anywhere!  It was SO nice.  I cleaned my house!  I cycled and folded and put laundry AWAY.  I sat on the floor and played with my kids.

I am a MUCH better Mommy when I am not going 100 miles an hour.  Other women like life at a faster pace and do better that way.  That is not me and I am soooooo okay with that.  I like a much slower pace.  I am a homebody, I like to be home more than I like to be out.

I am learning that it doesn't matter what works for other people.  It doesn't matter what makes other Moms work, what matters is what works for ME and my family.  Be the best Mom I can be, not what I think others expect.

I learned at the retreat the three C's you should never do...complain, criticize or compare.  Especially that last C is so easy to do to ourselves as women.  And I do it and have especially done it in the past...."Oh man look at her, she has 6 kids and is skinny and beautiful and wears cute clothes and runs marathons and owns her own business and her house is clean and her kids always look perfect."  (please tell me you've done something similar).   It isn't healthy and it isn't nice to ourselves.

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My baby (he's 2...not so much a baby, but he's my last one so he'll forever be the baby), is not wanting to nap these days.  AAAAGH!  I am a big fan of kids naps.  All of my kids have been GREAT nappers and have done so till AT LEAST age 3.  Some of them napped till 4 and beyond.  I don't know what to do with a kid who doesn't nap at age 2!  I get nothing done during the day because he is SUPER busy and active and jumps off tables and stuff like that.  Any suggestions for getting a non-napper to nap?  I can take him for a drive and he will fall asleep,  but he doesn't usually transfer inside and stay asleep.  I don't have the $$ to drive around for 2 hours everyday and waste gas!
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Mother's Day....it's always a double edged sword.  So nice to be recognized for all I do and pampered a bit.  But sometimes the "Mommy guilt" rears it's ugly head in force on this day reminding me of all the things I'm not doing that I should be.  Any suggestions of how to have a great Mother's Day?