Happy New Year.

Mama Bell

And now, as we head into 2014, our thoughts turn to preparing for life with not one girl, but TWO!  Our second daughter is due in April and as we think about to those first few months with a newborn, we nervously giggle at the thought of being that tired with a toddler to care for as well!

Ahhhhh New Year’s kisses

The one good piece is Avery could not be more excited about welcoming her baby sister into the world. She sings to her every day, kisses my belly each night, and talks non-stop about all the things she will do with her little sister. Every morning she asks me if her little sister is big enough to be born yet and is always so sad when I tell her not quite yet.  Her intense love for her sister before she even meets her is truly amazing.  Now… we know this may change once the needy little gal arrives.   That being said, I can’t help but look forward to watching them build their relationship as sisters throughout the years.  I never had a sister and have always wondered what it would be like.  I can only imagine it will be filled with good times and bad, but come April, let the fun begin!

-Mindy is a Sitter2Mom

But how can we expect our lil’ ones to exhibit willpower we as adults can’t even follow through with the whole year? We have a few tips!

1. Make a list: Sit down with your lil’ one and make a list of things they would like to work on this year. These changes can be big or small, one-time things or lasting changes. For example, they may want to “get an A+ on one math test this year” or “walk the dog for mom at least once a week.” Try to pick a number of changes from this list that seems manageable. For smaller children this may be limited to one big change and one small change, but this will vary from child to child. Children may also fare better with a series of one-time tasks or accomplishments (i.e. Get an A+ on math test, make a scrapbook for Mom and Dad’s anniversary, vacuum the living room once, 

2. Enforce it: Here comes the hard part! You have a few options for helping your lil’ one make a lasting change in their life:

• Calendars- Print out a calendar for the entire 2014 year. If your resolution is “walk the dog every saturday with mom,” put on the calendar every saturday “walk dog.” If you have more than one child, you can color code each child with their own color. This will help them visualize their task. They can then track progress with a sticker, check, smiley face etc. for every time they complete their resolution task.
• Sticky notes- if a child is completing a series of one time resolutions, sticky notes may be easier. These can be posted on a board with their name or up in their room. Write one task on each sticky. When the task is complete, take the sticky note down and throw it away. Again, the visual element of working through their goals will help children see their progress and want to continue.
• Calendar alerts- for older children with phones, add these events into their phone. If it is a reoccurring event, add a reoccurring event into their phone calendars with a notification. That way, every friday after school their phone will ding “walk the dog,” reminding them to keep on top of their resolution. It is also easy to do the same thing for one time events that way they will not forget about them months down the line.
• Goals list- make a list of goals and post it somewhere visible (i.e. fridge, mudroom, bedroom, desk). As these goals are checked off, let children put check marks next to them. Seeing what they have already accomplished may encourage some children to continue checking items off their list.

3. Create lasting change: These strategies will help your child (and you!) follow through on New Year’s resolutions for the entire year. This will teach responsibility and commitment to changes and promises made.

-Lauren has been babysitting since she was a lil’ one herself and works in-house at the LLD office.

Luckily, my girls have grown up and are making better food choices than I did for them

So I have put super foods into my diet, berries, broccoli, whole grains, almonds, kale and I’ve started to drink lots of water. Dr. Oz says drink lemon water before bed and when you get up to remove toxins from the body. I hope he is right because all the acid from the lemons is probably eating away at my tooth enamel. All my new found knowledge is shared with my daughters. They probably think I’m becoming a food guru or Oz groupie. I feel it’s my duty after feeding them fructose and enriched flour all those years. Live and learn. Happy New Year and healthy eating to all.

-Mama Bell

These friends have become an extension of my own family

So to Claudia, who was the best roommate,friend and sorority sister a girl could want. Karen, the coworker/confidant extraordinaire who also shared with me the memories of  daughters who became best friends. Dona,the kindest, most thoughtful person who we also share the memories created by our daughters who became best friends. Funny story of their friendship begins with my daughter getting on the school bus first day of school and looking for a seat. She notices a girl looking at her who says “What are you staring at?” And Kathy who is such a good hearted, fun-loving person who says “Honey” a lot, thank you for your friendships and your cups of kindness over the years for Auld Ang Syne.

Thank you all for years of friendship and family

-Mama Bell