Family Time Archives - Kids Ain't Cheap

How to Prepare for a Long Drive With Children

November 7, 2022 | Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking of going on a long drive with children, you may be wondering whether there’s a way to make the inevitably hard trip a bit better for everyone. The good news is that there is, and with a few tips, you can get the best outcome and arrive safe and happy at your destination. Here’s how you should prepare for a long drive with children and you’ll find family trips get a lot more doable.

Don’t Drink Before You Drive

While you may say to yourself that having a drink will help you to calm your nerves and make it easier for you to survive the drive, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Use a combination of the rest of the tips below with soberness and you may be surprised at how easy it gets to take long drives as a family. Do this with the fact in mind that a report shared by the Colorado Department of Transportation stated that drunk drivers were involved in 30% of all the fatalities that took place across the state in 2019. This should show you just how risky it is for you to drink and drive, and also motivate you to avoid doing it.

Pack Snacks and Water

In order to avoid the grumpiness of hungry children on a long drive, pack enough snacks and water with you. These should be healthy options because, at some point, your passengers may want to eat simply because they’re bored, so prepare for this adequately. Getting filling snacks is also going to cut out the need for having to buy additional food while you’re on your trip. These may be overpriced and you may not have as many options while on the road as you’ll have if you shop early and from your favorite store.

Service Your Car Before You Leave

Next, remember that it’s important for you to service your car before you set out. Doing this is going to help you get an amazing time on the road since your car will operate a lot more efficiently when it’s in a good state. When making repairs or replacements, remember that you should also look at the quality of what you’re getting so you can make sure you have the best and most durable option. For the windshield and other glass, for example, note that laminated tempered glass is four to five times harder to fracture than normal glass. Work with a professional auto mechanic to be sure that you get the best advice and service.

Carry Games and Activities

You’re probably hoping to minimize the occurrence of the dreaded question, are we there yet? To do this, you should pack enough games and activities to keep your children busy throughout. Let the children pick the games that they love the most and they’ll have entertainment while on the road, on top of a sense of responsibility. These should be light and handy so they don’t take up too much space, yet they’ll only be used while on the road and not necessarily when you arrive at your destination.

Plan Your Route Well

Last but not least, plan your route out in advance so that you can have a good idea of what to expect on your drive. This should have enough rest stops along the way for your family to stretch and use the washroom if they need to. Remember that people who log the most physical activity may have a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease by an impressive 60%. That said, try to balance out the time that your family spends sitting down with ample time to move around.

Keep these tips in mind when planning to go on a long drive with children. You may just be surprised that it’s actually possible to keep your children in control while in the car. They’ll be happy with the experience as well, so everyone wins.

How to Travel with a Kid Who Isn’t a Great Traveler

October 20, 2022 | Leave a Comment

My husband and I love to travel. Neither of us traveled much during childhood, so we want to share the world with our kids. However, we’ve had to figure out how to travel with a kid who isn’t a great traveler because one of our children dislikes traveling. This child has always struggled with travel, and while we respect that, we don’t want to stop traveling because we feel it’s an integral part of the life experience we want to cultivate for our kids.

How to Travel with a Kid Who Isn’t a Great Traveler

Our child, who I will identify in this post as “Blair,” has struggled with traveling since the toddler years, so this isn’t a new phenomenon. However, we’ve learned these tricks to make travel better.

For Younger Kids

Take Breaks

When we traveled when Blair was younger, we scheduled plenty of breaks. While driving, we’d stop every hour or two, ideally at a rest area or restaurant with a playground.

When we were at our destination, we planned one event per day. The rest of the day was downtime. For instance, we went to Boston when Blair was a preschooler. There was so much I wanted to see and do, but we just did one activity per day. We went to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum and then returned to the hotel so Blair could watch some favorite kids’ shows and relax. Even though we didn’t get to go to as many destinations as I would have liked, Blair still remembers throwing the crates of tea off the ship.

Bring Travel Diversions

We usually travel by car, so I started packing travel diversions when the kids were little. Before the trip, I would buy small activities and trinkets like a water coloring book or a fidget spinner. Then, I would wrap the item, and the kids could open it once we reached a predetermined destination. So, the package would have a label, “Effingham, Illinois,” and the kids could open the package when we drove through Effingham. This gave them something to look forward to, and then the activity occupied them for some of the ride.

See Child-Friendly Sites

When you’re traveling with the preschool set, you won’t be able to see all of the destinations you’d prefer as an adult. Instead, know that you’ll have to include many child-friendly sites and activities. For our Boston trip, Blair remembers throwing the boxes of tea off the ship and the costumed interpreters throughout the city.

Remember, your kids are only little once. As they get older, you can visit attractions designed for tweens, teens, and adults.

Bring Lots of Snacks

Two things make kids this age cranky—lack of sleep and lack of food. We always bring abundant snacks to combat the latter. We have car snacks, which is especially important if you’re traveling in a deserted area without many food options. When we’re at our destinations and seeing sites, I always put snacks and bottled water in my backpack because a child will get hungry, even if we’re only out for two or three hours. My kids are all teens now, and we still carry ample snacks when traveling

For Older Kids

Once our kids got older, they needed fewer breaks on the road trip, so we were able to travel faster. However, I continued to bring travel diversions for them. We also used these techniques.

Create a Travel Map

Using Google Maps, I printed out our entire route for each trip. I put the maps in a transparent cover and give the kids dry-erase markers. They can mark our route as we go and see exactly where we are and when they get to open their road trip surprise (yes, I pack surprises for the kids to open at specific destinations even into their teens!).

Give Them a Say in the Trip

I would be happy visiting museums, historic houses, and living history museums everywhere we go. Some of my kids, not so much. Instead, now that they’re older, we let them each determine at least one activity we’ll do during the trip.

For instance, we recently went to Philadelphia, and one of our kids wanted to go mini-golfing. Since we could have gone mini-golfing anywhere, that wouldn’t have been my choice in a vacation destination. But we did it, and this child had a great time. Mini-golfing was one of the highlights of the trip for her. My other daughter picked visiting The Franklin Institute, which, again, I would not have chosen, but we had a good time, and that destination was another highlight of our trip.

Give Them a Digital Camera

If you have the means, give each child a digital camera. They can take pictures of the sites you’re seeing and make albums of the trip. They can also have fun taking silly pictures of themselves or one another.

Spring for Extra Space

If you travel with a kid who isn’t a good traveler, is that child an introvert? My guess is yes. Blair is an introvert and, like most introverts, needs time to unwind and recharge alone. Unfortunately, that can be tough to do when sharing a hotel room.

If you can, consider paying for extra space. For instance, instead of booking a hotel room, book a vacation rental by owner. If each child can get their own room, the reluctant traveler can have time to recharge and unwind alone. For Blair, part of the travel struggle is spending all day, every day of the vacation with family with no personal space. Larger accommodations can solve this problem.

Final Thoughts

You may consider abandoning travel with a kid who isn’t a great traveler, but remember all of the benefits that come from traveling—seeing new locations, how other people live, and learning living history. Rather than abandon traveling until your child grows up, try some of these techniques to make your next trip smoother.

4 Road Trip Tips When Traveling with Tweens

Traveling with Toddlers: How to Bring the Kids without Going Crazy

Melissa Batai

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.

Simple Ways to Create Memories with Your Kids

September 22, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Sometimes when your kids are little, every day might seem so LONG. The kids have endless needs you have to meet, and they might fuss, cry, or have tantrums. However, smiling older women look at you in the store and compliment your beautiful family and reminisce about their now-grown children. People tell you, “The days are long, but the years are short.” Yet, while you try to enjoy the days, sometimes you struggle. As your kids grow older (and it happens so quickly!), you realize that the time you have with them is fleeting, and you want to create memories with them. Here are some suggestions to do just that.

Simple Ways to Create Memories with Your Kids

Creating memories with your kids doesn’t have to be expensive. You simply need to spend your undivided time with them.

Actively Watch Their Sports

How often have you gone to kids’ sporting events and seen parents not watching the game but instead giving all of their attention to their smartphones? Put the phone aside and watch your kids. They notice, and they’ll appreciate that you spend time on them, not on the internet.

Have a Dedicated Movie Night

One fun family tradition is to have a dedicated movie time. In our family, we watch a movie on Sunday afternoon. This activity may not seem like much, but your kids will likely enjoy this tradition and remember it fondly when looking back on their childhoods.

Play Board Games

Likewise, you can have a family game night. Or, if you can’t play board games with the family that often, make a habit of playing a board game with your child at least once every two weeks. Your kids will enjoy playing the game and the time you gave them.

Read Aloud to Them

This family tradition is best started when your kids are young, though you can begin any time they’re in elementary school. When my kids were babies, I started reading aloud to them, and we never stopped. My younger kids are now 13 and 12, and I still read aloud to them every day. I’m sure this is one activity they’ll cherish and hopefully repeat with their children.

Have a Yes Day

Too often, we parents say no because it’s more convenient than saying yes. Challenge yourself to say yes one day and see how different the day will be. “Mom, can we go to the park?” Yes. “Can I bake a cake?” Yes. If the activity the children propose isn’t dangerous or out of your budget, try saying yes and see what happens.

Take Them on Vacation

Finally, if you have the means, take your children on vacation. Getting out of your element and exploring new places leads to family bonding, especially when you reminisce about your adventures years later.

Final Thoughts

Kids grow up too quickly. The older women in the stores are right—the days are long, but the years are short. Cherish the time you have by utilizing simple ways to create memories with your kids. You’ll be glad you did.

5 Ways We Inspire a Love of Reading in Our Kids

4 Road Trip Tips When Traveling with Tweens

Melissa Batai

How Video Games Can Actually Help Your Child’s Social Skills

August 25, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Video games have a bad reputation in society. People tend to associate players with lazy nerds who haven’t showered in days. Video games get blamed for the violence. Adults are seen as losers for enjoying their hobbies. Everyone is always trashing video games just because. However, video games can actually benefit the players in the long run. Did you know that a family can become closer when they play together? Believe it or not, video games can actually help a young player with building their social skills.

Child Players Can Find Common Interests

Not every child is a social butterfly. Some children are shy and would rather keep to themselves. It is not a good idea to force them to be social against their will. That can be really hard, especially when they are going through puberty. In the eyes of Texas law, a minor is aged from 10 years old to 17. One way you can help your kids make friends is to let them play video games. The easiest way to connect with people is to have common interests. Hobbies are the quickest way to do that. If your child plays games like Zelda or Donkey Kong, they will more than likely come across another kid who plays those games as well. From there, the children will have something to talk about. Maybe then, a relationship of some sort can be formed.

Child Players Can Build a Community

Video games have countless fanbases. It is not hard to find more than two people who are die-hard fans of a game. Even the Minecraft population keeps smashing new records every year. A new report shows that 400 million of the 600 million active players come from China alone. As stated before, your child will connect with others on and offline with other players. Some games have to be played with others. In these types of games, players have to learn how to work with others and practice teamwork. Children can even form another family in the game and in real life. Especially in the pandemic, children and adults found solace in their video game communities. A child needs a tribe to grow and develop. Video games are a modern way to do that.

Child Players Can Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Video games actually do have value in the real world.

Recent studies on screen time and child development have shown that children engaged in screen time are actually more likely to have better levels of social and emotional well-being than non-users.

They can help a child develop problem-solving skills. Not every video game has to be about shooting and killing things. Puzzles in video games are a good way to help a child use their brain to help them think about how to solve the game. Now, puzzles can be frustrating depending on the difficulty level. Some kids might give up when they find it too hard, while others will learn to keep trying until they solve it. Their skills in solving puzzles in games will transfer well to solving problems in the real world.

Another example of video games helping with problem-solving is real-life simulations. Games like The Sims and Animal Crossing put the player in a world where they have to create a family, get jobs, build relationships, etc. You are put in the position of making choices for your characters. Speaking of which, there are some games where the child’s choices will affect the outcome of the story and gameplay. They are going to have to learn how to make the right choices in their games.

People are not meant to be alone. Up to 63% of the human race have moved to a new community at least once or twice in their lives. Meanwhile, the remaining 37% will never leave their hometowns. That alone is enough to drive anyone crazy. Video games can help a child try and be a little bit more social. They can become a family activity. Video games don’t have to be a bad thing. They can actually do good for the world.

5 Ways We Inspire a Love of Reading in Our Kids

August 14, 2022 | Leave a Comment

As a child, one of my favorite activities was reading. This love of reading and later, writing, helped lead me to major in English in college, become a college English instructor, and learn more about the world than I ever could have without books. Because books enriched my life so heavily, when I had kids, I wanted them to love reading as much as I did. Luckily, most of them do. We inspire a love of reading in our kids using the following methods.

How We Inspire a Love of Reading in Our Kids

To help your kids fall in love with books and reading, you need to immerse them in the reading world.

Read Aloud to Them

From the time our kids were born, we read aloud to them. At first, we started with short board books like Goodnight Moon and The Going to Bed Book. (At this stage, don’t be surprised or annoyed if your child asks you to read the same book over, and over, and over again!) Then we expanded into longer stories until we were reading our kids chapter books when they were in preschool. I continued reading to them all through middle school.

Have a Home Library

To foster a love of reading, surround your kids with books. We always had bookshelves filled with books the kids could look through when they were little and read when they started school.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this. For example, we picked up most of our kids’ books at garage sales for 10 cents or less.

Take Them to Library Activities

The public library is a wonderful resource that we utilize frequently. We started by bringing our kids to the library to pick out their books and to join in on story hour. Because of these early experiences, our kids always associated the library with fun.

Participate in Reading Rewards Programs

In the summer, sign your kids up for reading rewards programs. For example, Pizza Hut has the Book It program. Your public library likely has a reading program, too. Our son was one of the top readers one summer in elementary school, so he got to join the other top readers for a bowling and pizza excursion compliments of the library. He still talks about how much fun that was.

Let Them See You Read

Kids learn best by watching your actions. You can tell them that reading is fun, but if they don’t ever see you reading, you’re not reinforcing that lesson. My kids see me read books and hear me listen to audiobooks in the car. I love to read, and they see me regularly taking time to do so.

Final Thoughts

We inspire a love of reading in our kids, which was one of the best things we could do. Today, they still read for fun and recreation, enjoy learning, and have an exceptional vocabulary.

Why Our Child Decided to Take a Gap Year

Top 10 Sandra Boynton Books

Melissa Batai

Should Your Family Invest in a Vacation Property?

July 13, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Planning for a vacation can be a hectic process. Besides finding a destination, you need an accommodation facility that will give you a pleasant experience. The availability of vacation properties creates an avenue to meet your needs. You can rent the property for the few days or weeks you are on vacation, but the costs can increase. So, why not invest in and own vacation property? This guide explains why your family should invest in a vacation property.

Your Getaway

For starters, you want to invest in a vacation property for your interests. You find it easy to go on vacation without worrying about accommodation. Finding and using the right place to stay with your loved ones throughout the vacation can be hectic. The case differs for investing in a vacation property. You get your getaway without thinking about the related costs. You can conveniently use the place for special events, including parties, get-togethers, and birthdays. You can also consider timeshares with other investors and make the place more lively and productive. Did you know that the number of families that own timeshares across the country is more than 9.9 million? Investing in a vacation property and including timeshares helps meet your expectations faster.

Income Generation

Understand that going on vacation means getting ready to spend considerably in the process. But why spend more on accommodation when you can generate income instead? Investing in a vacation property is an avenue to generate income as a family. Whenever you are not using the property, you can lease or rent it to other people on vacation. They pay the accommodation fees and use the facility for their needs. You become an Airbnb host and multiply your family’s income. The more guests you have on your vacation property, the higher the income. Ensure you market and advertise your place properly to attract more guests.

A Reliable Retirement Plan

Besides the fun that comes with vacation properties, you get a reliable retirement plan as the owner. Investing in business ensures your family’s financial future, proper healthcare, and a platform to handle emergencies. Like other investment opportunities, you get a sustainable financial shot from which your future generation will benefit. As time passes, converting the property into a retirement home is also an option. You only need to handle the repair and maintenance needs and convert the place to suit your needs. Air leaks, roof damage, and plumbing issues are among the repair needs you must handle. According to the United States Department of Energy, allowing air leaks around your windows and doors can add 10% onto your energy bill. Seek professional guidance and services to create a suitable retirement home.

Builds Equity and Wealth

At first, you will only have a vacation property for your guests and family’s needs, but you build equity and wealth in the long run. The more you buy and invest in a vacation property, the easier it is to build wealth. You join a network of investors and get a platform that helps you know the value of real estate holdings. The vacation property you invest in becomes a legacy that you and your loved ones will benefit from and cherish. The income you generate also allows you to consider other investment opportunities in the market besides vacation properties. When you build equity and wealth, other investors and potential shareholders find you attractive.

Tax Advantages

By investing in a vacation property, you essentially buy a small business. While, at some point, you and your loved ones will stay and operate in it, it is still a business. You reap from your investment because you run it as a business. Tax deductions are among the benefits that come with vacation property investment. Apart from the structure that makes the vacation property, you enjoy a tax advantage on other things, including the vehicles you operate. You enjoy a suitable tax advantage for every mile you travel using vehicles for your business. Collectively in America, vehicles travel trillions of miles every month. This tax advantage, therefore, is beneficial to your business.

The decision to invest in a vacation property as a family comes with several benefits. Learning ways to make your business a success and enjoying the related benefits is crucial. Reading more and seeking guidance, as explained above, is therefore helpful.

4 Road Trip Tips When Traveling with Tweens

June 23, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Eight years ago, we moved from Chicago, Illinois to Tucson, Arizona. We still had family in Michigan, so we have made the road trip across 1,900 miles one way to visit family six times now. When we made the first trip, our kids were 10, 5, and 4. Our most recent trip was just a few weeks ago, and the kids are 18, 13, and 12. Traveling with them now is much easier, but regardless, the trip is a long one. We’ve learned many road trip tips when traveling with tweens. If you’re traveling with kids in the eight to 12-year-old age range, these tips may help your family survive a long road trip.

Road Trip Tips When Traveling with Tweens

Tweens are easier to travel with than younger kids, but they still can get bored quickly. Try these tips to make the trip go faster.

Make Maps for Them

I mapped out our route on Google Maps, magnified it, and printed it out. Then, I made binders for each kid with the seven pages showing the route. I put the pages in plastic page protectors and gave the kids dry erase markers. They marked on the pages as we passed areas, so they could see how much progress we had made and how much more we had to go. I also marked where we were stopping each night to make the three-day trip seem less daunting.

Have Them Pick a Fun Activity

Before we left, each child researched the route and found one fun thing they wanted to do. Our favorite activity that a child picked was Cadillac Ranch in Texas. We brought along some spray paint and joined others in spray painting the upside-down cars planted in the ground. When we have driven by later, other times we are making the trip, the kids still talk about the fun they had and how weird the attraction is.

Pack Food. . .and More Food

Tweens are hungry most of the time, especially on a road trip. We pack sandwiches and chips for lunch, but we also pack A LOT of snacks. Popular snacks include beef jerky, pretzels, granola bars, squeezable apple sauce, squeezable pudding, and fruit. Make sure the kids can easily access the snacks.

Limit Stops

Our drive is so long that it takes us 10 to 12 hours of driving each day to get to Michigan in three days. Add in a fun stop, and there’s not much time for anything else.

When we stop for gas, we also use the restrooms and get out our sandwiches, if it’s lunchtime. When we combine all of our stops in one, we only stop for 10 or 15 minutes before we’re on the road again for another three to four hours. We have found Love’s Travel Centers have the cleanest restrooms.

Final Thoughts

Traveling with tweens is less stressful than traveling with younger kids, but they can still get bored and antsy on long road trips. Use these road trip tips when traveling with tweens for a smoother, more entertaining drive.

6 Frugal Activities for Kids During Winter Break

Traveling with Toddlers: How to Bring the Kids Without Going Crazy

Melissa Batai

StoryWorth: The Most Thoughtful Gift That Can Be Cherished for Years

June 9, 2022 | Leave a Comment

My grandma died almost 20 years ago at the age of 90. I was close to her and thought I had asked her everything I needed to about her life. But as I get older, I realize there are still more things I would like to ask her and more I would have liked to have known about her, especially her younger years before I was born. I wish StoryWorth, the most thoughtful gift, would have been around when she was in her 70s and 80s.

What Is StoryWorth?

StoryWorth is a website that helps you learn about your relatives’ lives. For a $49 fee, you can get one question a week sent to your relative. Your relative answers the question, and StoryWorth compiles all of the answers. Your relative can also add pictures to the stories. After one year, the stories are bound into a hardcover book.

What Questions Are Asked?

StoryWorth has hundreds of questions. When you first pay for the subscription, StoryWorth populates 52 questions automatically. However, you can change out questions by looking through the available questions. This allows you to target specific information you’d like to know. Some potential questions include, “Describe one of your most memorable birthdays,” and “How did you meet your spouse? When did you decide you wanted to marry them?”

The Most Thoughtful Gift’s Stay Power

StoryWorth is an excellent gift for you and your children to learn more about older relatives’ lives. However, this gift is a gift that keeps on giving.

As I get older, I’m spending more time researching my ancestry. I have a great, great, great grandfather, Alonzo, who fought in the Civil War. He kept a journal during that time, but the journal was factual information about the battles he was in and the marches the soldiers took. There was nothing personal. I discovered that Alonzo’s mother typed up a two-page document about her life, which included personal information about Alonzo. That is a cherished document because those relatives now are more than a branch on my family tree. I have a glimpse into how they lived.

Imagine how cherished a StoryWorth book full of memories will be to future generations when they want to know more about the people in their family tree!

Our Experience with StoryWorth

I bought my mom a subscription to StoryWorth for Mother’s Day. She has answered every prompt with several paragraphs of writing. Although I know the stories behind most of her answers, my kids didn’t. They love learning more about their grandmother’s life, especially when she was younger.

Final Thoughts

StoryWorth is the most thoughtful gift for the recipient, the gift giver, and future generations. The recipient gets to share the stories of her life and relive her memories. The gift-giver learns more about the recipient’s life and create a cherished keepsake. Future generations of family genealogists get a priceless document that will let them deeply learn about the life of one person in their family tree.

The Best (and Worst!) Baby Shower Gifts

10 Inexpensive–but Priceless–Gifts for Mom for Mother’s Day

Melissa Batai

7 Free Activities to Do with Toddlers This Summer

May 19, 2022 | Leave a Comment

When my kids were toddlers, we tried to do something outside the house every day, especially on the weekend. Staying inside made me stir-crazy, and I wanted the toddlers to burn off some energy outdoors. Summertime was my favorite time because there are so many free activities to do with toddlers.

7 Free Activities to Do with Toddlers

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money keeping your toddler entertained, try these free activities that toddlers love.

Visit Bookstores

Our bookstore had a large wooden train frame and several different toy trains. My son LOVED the train table. He would play for an hour at the table, and he enjoyed watching and interacting with other kids who came to play there. Parents can sit nearby and browse books while their kids play.

If your book store doesn’t have something like this, I still would take the toddlers to a bookstore, sit in a chair, and read them a few board books.

Utilize the Library

The library was one of my and my kids’ favorite places to go because there’s so much for toddlers to do:

Attend Storytime

We were regulars at storytime. Our library had storytime four times a week, and we showed up for many weekly sessions. They even had bilingual story time in Spanish. Afterward, the librarians usually had a craft for the kids to do. These events were a big hit with all three of my kids, and today they are voracious readers, which I attribute partially to all of the storytimes they attended.

Attend Enrichment Events

Likewise, many libraries have enrichment events you can check out. Our library has had magic shows, wild animal presentations, theater presentations, puppet shows, and many more activities. Check out your local library’s calendar and surrounding areas to find these events.

Borrow Busy Bags/Games

Libraries aren’t just for reading! In the kids’ area, many libraries have games and busy bags that their youngest patrons can check out. We always utilized these; my kids loved having new activities to do at home.

Museum Passes

At some libraries, you can check out museum passes, which allow you and your child to get into various museums around town for free! You can utilize these a few times a year to expand the places you have access to for free.

Attend Free Community Events

If you live in a larger city, there may be free community events during the summer. We lived in the Chicago suburbs when my kids were little, and every Saturday, my husband took the kids downtown to an event that featured singing, dancing, and games.

You may also find outdoor concerts, plays, and festivals. Fourth of July parades are usually a hit with the toddler crowd, too.

Swim

Free Activities to Do with Toddlers This Summer

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

If you have a lake or public pool nearby, take your kids swimming. It’s never too early to learn to swim, and most toddlers love playing in the water and with the sand on the shore.

Final Thoughts

Entertaining your little one and getting her out and about in the community doesn’t have to cost a lot. These are just a few of the many free activities to do with toddlers this summer.

Interesting Ways to Keep Your Toddler Busy

Cheap, Fun Ways to Stay Cool This Summer

P.s. I found some great DIY playroom ideas on savedbythecents.com, recommend you check them out => here.

Melissa Batai

4 Steps to Make a Move Smoother for You and Your Kids

April 21, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Gone are the days when people lived all their lives in the same small community in which they grew up. Now, people move frequently and across vast distances. On average, Americans move 11 times in their lifetimes. I’ve moved many times, the most recent a 2000-mile move occurring nearly eight years ago. My husband and I are preparing to move our family again, but this time we’ll utilize four steps to make the move smoother for us and our kids.

Find a Realtor Before You Move

If you plan to buy a house in your new locale, find a realtor before you move. When we moved cross-country, we found a realtor and worked with her long-distance. She was essential in helping us understand the lay of the land and what suburbs would be the best fit for our family.

Visit Before You Move

I highly recommend visiting the new area before you move. My husband and I did this about two months before we moved. He was able to meet and talk with his new co-workers. We also were able to meet with the realtor and see potential houses. Though we didn’t buy a house at that time, the realtor had a much better idea of what house layout we were looking for, and we were able to narrow down the specific neighborhood we wanted to live in.

Once we moved, we bought a house and were able to move in within a month.

Research, Research, Research Before You Go

When we moved previously, I put a lot of time and energy into finding a house but nothing else. However, as we prepare to move again eight years later, I am still researching homes, but I’m also researching more.

Now, I’m researching potential dentists, orthodontists, doctors, and extracurricular activities for my kids. When we move, we want to be able to get started immediately with our new life in a new location. Last time we moved, finding these services took a few months. This time, because I’ve done the research ahead of time, I’m hoping that we’ll be able to jump right into our new life. I would like to have the kids enrolled in their extracurriculars within the first few weeks of relocating.

Join Local Facebook Groups

Finally, before you move, join local Facebook groups in the new area to ask questions and get a feel for the community.

We homeschool, so I’ve joined several homeschool groups. I ask about homeschool co-ops and available activities, what suburbs people prefer to live in, etc. When we move, the kids will already have groups they can join.

I’ve also joined some mom groups specific to the area.

Another fun group to join is a bucket list or scenic group for the area. You’ll learn about the best places to visit, hike, and explore in your new state.

Final Thoughts

Moving to a new location can be exciting and nerve-wracking. Reduce your nervousness by taking these steps to make a move smoother for you and your kids. In no time, you’ll fit into your new location, and it will feel like home.

Read More

4 Tips for Saving When Moving Abroad

Things to Consider Before Moving

Can You Homeschool and Work from Home?

Melissa Batai