Kid Tips

From the Kid Tips book:
Give a 5 minute warning before leaving. You don't like to change activities, so they don't either.
Use a timer. It's easier to blame the timer
Have a race to leave. It makes leaving fun.
Use a wagon to clean up, it's much more fun.

Food:
The first kid cuts the pieces, the second kid picks first to be fair.
Cut food into fun shapes. (we made a face out of two pineapple rings, nuts for eyes, and raisins for smile and she ate it all so fast!)/ use cookie cutters to cut anything.
Use a pizza cutter to cut their food
Laminate a place mat that you drew with an outline of a fork , spoon, etc. They can set the table like a puzzle.
1 egg yolk, 1/4 t water and some food dye makes a nice glaze they can paint with a brush on sugar cookies, It bakes shiny.
Give them only small amounts of food, they will ask for more but not be overwhelmed.
Tell them only grownups like x. They can try it and see if their tastebuds are grown up enough yet.
Pay them a quarter if they order water at a restaurant. You save money, they drink healthy and get money. WIN WIN!

Discipline:
Let them cry and scream all they want in their own room. When they are done act cheerful and let them out and resume activities..
Time out= 1minute per age. If they don't stay put, have them sit on something. Use a timer.
TDH- Time out, Discussion, HUG

Chores:
If you leave it out, you lose it for a time.
Sing while you clean.
Give young kids chores and allowance (it can be treats, any rewards)
You can spin a chore "wheel"
Set a timer, beat the clock
Make them fun

Learning
Play "game show" by asking age appropriete questions. (this is our car game and Boo LOVES it, she begs to play all the time, and I am surprised that she knows a lot of the ones she gets right!)
Teach a preschooler to recognize a word that happens often in a story. Then she will be able to say that word when you are reading.

Nap time:/bed time
call it happy nappy time and treat it as if you "get to" not you "have to"
have different people tape themselves reading a story. They will like watching Mommom read(I taped myself for when I was in thehospital for Boo towatch)


And some funny ones....
Make your kids play on a sheet and then when they are done, pick up the corners of the sheet. tada! Clean room!