FAMILY FUN FRIDAY! Bear, Hunter, Maiden.

Today's Family Fun is a throw back to Rock, Paper, Scissors.

The perfect family game, No Materials Required.

Here's how it goes....

Teach your family the new actions:

BEAR: Hands up in claw-like position, "GRRRR"

HUNTER: Pretend to hold a gun, "BANG"

MAIDEN: One hand on your head, the other hand on your hips, "WOOOO!"

Count one, two, three and show your new sign. Be sure you make the "sound" as you show your sign.

How to Win: BEAR eats MAIDEN, HUNTER shoots BEAR, MAIDEN woos HUNTER.

This game is perfect for kids. They love the signs and the sounds that go with them. It also teaches them to think ahead and problem solve.

Wait until you see your husband "WOOO" like a maiden with his hands on his hips. Or your 2 year old "GRRRR" like a bear. Hilarious.

****This is also fun to play with large groups. Divide everyone into two groups. Designate an area of play with two safety lines on opposite ends, with a challenge line in the center. Group members agree on which character they will be (Bear, Hunter, Maiden). Once each team has chosen an action, they line up, team A facing team B, on the challenge line. Count to three and then the two teams do the actions "at" each other. If one team beats the other, the winning team chases the losing team to their safety line. If someone on the losing team gets tagged by the winning team before crossing their line of safety, they become part of the winning team. If both teams choose the same action then they go back to their huddle and choose a new action. This is repeated until one team is taken over by the other team.
Example: Team A chooses BEAR, Team B decides MAIDEN. The two teams stand on the challenge line. Count to three, and the teams show their signs. BEAR eats MAIDEN so the BEAR team chases the MAIDEN team back to their safety line. Anyone they touch before getting to the line, has to join the MAIDEN team. ****

Have a Great Weekend. It is a big one for us. Our son is getting baptized on Saturday.

Family Volley

*P.S. Don't forget to enter the $50 GIVEAWAY. There is still time.

Time to Stop Beating Ourselves Up

I often find myself working with women who beat themselves up for not being "good enough."

I can relate. There are many times when I can sense the feelings of inadequacy trying to take over and the self doubt creeping in.

I think being a girl (women) can be hard.

We are born into this world with so many gifts and talents, but over time they can become self destructive.

We are naturally team oriented. We want friends and support systems. When taken too far we are so concerned with being a team player that we don't take credit for the great things we do.

We are kind to others, but are we cruel to ourselves?

We are quick to give people the benefit of the doubt, but that means we avoid confrontation.

We are nurturers. But do we get so busy taking care of other's needs that we don't take care of ourselves.

It is not always this way. Research shows that young girls are confident and assertive. It is about the time they hit 8th grade (if not sooner) that they start to loose their sense of worth and efficacy. Young girls are faced with so many challenges. They want to be confident but they can't be conceited and movies, TV and advertising are constantly "telling" them how they should look and act.

It doesn't end with puberty. As mothers and grown women the pressure and stigmas don't go away.

The inadequacy and confusion hit me full force after having our second child. I didn't know who I was. I felt lost for a bit. I didn't have an opinion all of a sudden, and I didn't feel like I could make decisions. It even affected getting dressed in the morning. I didn't know what looked good on me because I didn't know who I was.

As women, we are strong, we are smart, we are influential. There is not room to beat ourselves up because we aren't good enough. Instead we need to celebrate how great we are.

• We can start by taking credit for the good things that we do. We don't need to be arrogant, just confident. We are good mother's and good friends and good wives. We are working hard to do good things in our homes and in our communities. 
• We can't put ourselves down. Reminding ourselves and others that we not "skinny enough", or our house isn't clean enough will not make either happen. Self depreciation is destructive. Not to mention when our kids hear us say these things it affects them and their opinions. This goes for the way we talk about ourselves in front of our spouses also. 

When my husband and I got married I received some GREAT advice. An ecclesiastical leader told me that I didn't need to constantly point out all my faults. He went on to say that most of the time our spouses don't recognize the faults until we point them out. Then they have a hard time forgetting. 

I think about this advice everyday. When I am about to point out something I don't like about myself, I remember to keep my mouth shut. I don't want to give my husband any ideas. :)

If you are always putting yourself down, try a little trick....Put a rubber band on your wrist and every time you say or think something bad about yourself, pull on the rubber band and let it flick you. It won't feel great and you will see yourself cutting back on the "put-downs." 

• We always give others the benefit of the doubt, but not ourselves. She had a rough day, why can't we? We can be quick to accept others situations, why don't we accept that we too have limitations and we are wonderful regardless. It is okay to not bake bread, homeschool, be PTA President, YW President, raise 12 kids, sew all our families clothes, and refinish all our furniture on the side. It is okay. We are all different and we need to cut ourselves some slack. 

We all have internal gauges that tell us if we are doing what we should. We know when we need to do more, or less. Listening to this "voice" and not the "voice" of the world will help us ease up on ourselves. 

• We can surround ourselves with the right support. We know who builds us up and who doesn't. We can distance ourselves from those who don't. 
• We can find some time for ourselves. It is okay to cultivate our gifts and talents. We can pick one or two things that we like/want to do and make time for them. 
• We can recognize that life will be frustrating and hard at times. The joy will come in moments.   

As women we are building and molding future generations. We are strengthening family units. It is our influence that is shaping the world. We can stop beating ourselves up for what we aren't doing and revel in the good things we are doing.

I guess that was on my mind.

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT TEACHING YOUR GIRLS TO BE STRONG? I DO.

Family Volley

All These Years and I Never Knew...

My Birthday was a few months ago.
We had a family party with my parents, my brother and his family, and my grandma.

Whenever we celebrate a birthday my husband has everyone go around and say something nice, or share a funny story about the birthday person.

Since I was the woman of the hour, the comments were about me.

We worked our way around the room, and then it was my husband's turn.
He is not the kind of guy that is always "gushing" sentiments in public, so I always look forward to his comments.

He explained that when we were newlyweds we would get up and eat breakfast together. I wanted to get up and talk over breakfast. He is not a morning person. He didn't see the need for all the talking.

"The first morning after moving into our basement, we got up to eat and I couldn't focus on anything Heather was saying. Not because I was tired, but because I couldn't stop thinking about how bad Heather's breath was. She was sitting across from me talking with the worst morning breath ever."

WHAT! WHAT is he talking about I thought? I don't have bad breath, he has never said anything, why is he telling this to my family? Couldn't he tell me this in private?

He continued...

"I just kept thinking, she never had bad breath on our honeymoon. This is just great, she wants to talk first thing in the morning, and she has horrible breath."

"A few months later Heather was pregnant and sick. It was a Saturday and she had a chance to sleep in. I got up to eat breakfast alone. I was out of cereal so I poured a bowl of Heathers. Honey Nut Cheerios."

"I took the first bite and thought, argh, my breath stinks."

"I took the next bite and thought the same thing."

"Waiting to take my third bite, spoon up by my nose, it dawned on me. I sniffed the bowl of Cheerios and it was all clear, IT'S NOT HER BREATH, IT'S THE CHEERIOS."

I had been eating Honey Nut Cheerios everyday since we got married. I am a creature of habit. 

So...the nice thing he said about me this year...
"I am grateful it is Heather's Birthday and that she's never had bad breath."

(Insert Sarcasm): Ahhhhh! Thanks for the sweet birthday sentiment. 

ANY SECRETS YOU NEVER KNEW?

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$50 GIVEAWAY! Do You Feel Lucky?

****This giveaway is closed.***

Today was a happy day because the weather brought us a rainbow. Rain and Rainbows in the summer always make me happy.

Giveaways make me happy too.

Up for grabs, a $50 Gift Certificate to any CSN store. Remember CSN? They have more than 200 online stores. You can find board games for family night, beach toys for your summer vacation, cookware, dining room sets, accessories for baby, and anything else you might need.

Our kids browsed CSN with me tonight. They have decided they need more bounce in their lives. And our youngest wants to "wing" all day long.

Would you like to win? Today is your lucky day.

****EXTRA INCENTIVE: Just for fun, If we hit 100 comments today, I will add an extra entry for EVERYONE! Woop woop! ****

Required Entry:

Visit the CSN Store and tell me what you will buy when you win! Please leave your email address on all your entries.

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• Follow Family Volley (it counts if you are already a follower). Just leave me a comment telling me that you already follow. 

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The Giveaway will run until Saturday July 31st at 11:59 pm. The winner will be announced on Monday August 1, 2010.

I have not received any compensation, monetary, goods, or services for this giveaway. I was contacted by CSN and am really excited to help facilitate this opportunity for you. 

Do your kids have NDD? Go Outside and Play!

Happy Monday!
Do you remember a few months ago when we talked about T.V? In the post I mentioned Nature Deficit Disorder. Since then I have gotten quite a few inquires about NDD. Here is more information on one of the newest disorders to plague our homes. The great news, it can totally be prevented. Woo Hoo!

By definition, Nature Deficit Disorder is a lack of routine contact with nature that results in stunted academic and developmental growth. 
NDD is an unwanted side effect of the electronic age. Too much time with technology, means not enough time outside. 


Did you know....
* About 9 million children ages 6-19 are overweight or obese.
* Childhood obesity has doubled over the last 30 years for preschoolers and adolescents. It has more than tripled for kids 6-11.
* ADD, asthma, and obesity have increased over the last few decades. 
* Our children may be the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Yikes!
Many argue that these statistics are a direct result of children not spending enough time outside in nature.


Why should we send our kids outside to play?

• Helps build healthy immune systems in children. 
• Buffers children against the effects of stressful events.
• Positive effect on the psychological well-being of children.
• Less anxiety
• Less Depression
• Children feel better about themselves, higher sense of self worth
• They recover more quickly from stressful life events
• Lower levels of behavioral disorders.
• Improved attention span
• Ability to concentrate and pay attention better
• Teaches children to be more creative and to solve problems

So as parents, what can we do...

1.    Be a good role model.
Children do, for the most part, what their parents do. Sedentary parents are more likely to have sedentary children. If we spend all our time inside, or in front of the tv or computer, so will our children. Model the behavior you want your children to emulate. Go outside, take walks, explore, teach children to respect nature.

2.    Plan an outside family activity EVERY week. 
Get your kids excited about being outside by planning fun and exciting activities. Once a week, plan to explore the outdoors with your kids. You could go to your local river, beach, forest, or city park. Let your kids help with the planning and they will be extra excited to see the fruits of their labors. Sometimes our outside family activity is simple, like a picnic, or reading library books on the grass. We have started doing scavenger hunts outside, based on the latest book we have read. It is fun to go out and make correlations between what we have read and what is in nature. 

3.    Limit Screen Time.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1-2 hours of screen time a day. Turn the TV off and encourage your children to go outside and play. 

4.    Start an outdoor campaign at your children's school. 
Volunteer a little of your time to get kids outside. Teach them to respect the environment, take them out to play games, teach bird watching, or bug collecting. Even teaching them about the different types of clouds will get classes outside in the fresh air. It can be hard for teachers to do these extra activities. Help them out.  

5.    Plant a garden.
Get your children involved and plant a garden. Let them help with every step. The time you spend caring for your veggies will not only build your relationship, but get your family outside more often. 

6.    Be creative with "Outside Toys" and Invest in a few also.

Kids don't need a lot of "equipment" to have fun. Water, trees, flowers, fields, bushes and streams are the best kind of toys because they can be anything the imagination decides. You can have a few purchased options that will also add to the fun.  Invest in a few different balls, some soccer cones, hula hoops, jump rope, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, water guns. You can also make up fun games outside. We love to play "I Spy,"(I spy with my little eye...something....blue). Or "What fell from the sky." (we try to name things that have fallen)

7.     Go on Walks

When the weather permits, our family takes a walk everyday after dinner. The tradition started when my husband and I were newlyweds. Three children later it is still one of our favorite things to do. It is a chance for us to talk to our children, each other, and get fresh air.

8.     Let your children go outside. 

I know this is hard when we hear about a child abduction nearly every week on the news, but we can't be paranoid parents. We don't want our children to live in fear either. Trust and let them play. A lot of our anxiety will go away if we will go outside with our kids. 
And, it's okay to let them get dirty. I have a hard time with this one. I have really had to relax and let our kids be kids. I am still strongly opposed to them eating dirt, but I am not nearly as uptight about the dirty clothes as I used to be. Stunted academic and developmental growth, or a little extra laundry. Easy choice.   

9.    Get involved with local organizations.

I like to check in with the Children and Nature Network. Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are also a good place to start. Community Centers in your area, as well as your local library will probably have a few outdoor activities planned as well. Also, don't underestimate the Chamber of Commerce. Give them a call and see what your community has planned. The activities are usually free.  

If you struggle to get your kids excited about going outside, start by turning off technology and head outside with them. I know there is lots to do inside, but forget the housework and go outside and play. It is just like teaching children to work. Working and playing with your children will help them want to get involved. 


NDD DOESN'T JUST AFFECT KIDS. DO YOU GET ENOUGH TIME OUTSIDE?

Family Volley