Parents, in May many of us celebrate Mother’s Day, which often brings to mind: Flowers!  Spring has sprung and it is common to give our mothers flowers which, although beautiful, will eventually wilt away.  One simple way to celebrate Mom and create a family keep-sake is to make a paper flower.  You and your children can make this craft together by following these easy steps:

• Trace your children’s handprints onto construction paper.
• Cut out the handprints. These become the flower petals.
• Cut long rectangles to create the stem of a flower.
• On a separate piece of paper, glue the petals into a flower shape and add the stem.
• On each petal record your children’s responses to the statements below:

My favorite thing about my Mom is…

I love it when my Mom…

My Mom is funny when…

My Mom makes the best…

My Mom always says…

My Mom makes me feel…

• Decorate the margins of the paper to create a picture frame effect.

Feel free to allow the children’s imaginations to run wild if they have additional statements to add.  But most importantly, enjoy the process with your children.  The best Mother’s Day gift of all may be the memory of this time together!

For more conversation starters for families, visit https://childhood101.com/?s=conversation+starters

Nina Solomon, Development of Living Skills Instructor, Ohio State University Extension, Butler County

Parents, April is upon us and that means we are thinking about money- either filing our taxes or spending our tax return.  April is also National Teach Your Kids About Money Month.  While it is fresh in our minds, now is a good time to begin teaching our kids basic money skills that will guide them throughout their lives.

One simple way to teach children is to use three clear containers and label them with “Share,” “Spend” and “Save.”  Even preschool-aged children can learn these basics.  Using clear bottles (such as 2-liters) or jars helps children feel motivated to continue adding money when they can see their progress as their money increases in the container.

When your child receives money from completing a chore, for their birthday, or another reason, teach them to split their money between each jar.  You can decide whether or not to divide the money equally or not.  An important step is to explain to your child the reason for having each category.  Some ideas are listed below.

Share: A common value we all have is sharing.  Our children can learn to share their resources in a concrete way by sharing their money with a loved one or agency in need.  As the saying goes, “See a need; fill a need.”  Giving of oneself creates a sense of confidence and strength!

Spend:  Why would we teach children to spend?  Well one reason is that it is the process of getting things we want or need.  Children will learn the difference between a “want” and a “need” when it is explained to them.  Also, children will learn the value of their money and the ability to make wise choices when a caring parent guides their spending.

Save:  There are several great benefits for learning to save money.  The process of saving builds the muscle for learning to wait, which is a necessary skill for success.  Saving also teaches the concept of planning ahead and following steps to reach a goal.

When teaching children to save, start with a small goal for the children to work toward such as saving for a specific toy, and with practice they can strive for a larger purchase.  This will keep his/her momentum up to accomplish the goal.  When enough money is saved, have the child be an active participant in every step of the process including:

• retrieving the money from the jar;
• going to the store;
• choosing the toy;
• and if they are able, paying for the toy him/herself.

And finally, praise the child for his/her hard work and responsibility!  The same steps can be applied to sharing/giving their money as well.  As your child grows, continue the steps above to strengthen these skills.

Nina Solomon, Development of Living Skills Instructor, OSU Extension, Butler County

For additional information on teaching kids about money visit:

https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/money-lessons-kids-arent-taught-in-school

Wear Blue is a statewide awareness campaign that takes place on the second Wednesday of every April. Today, the OSU Extension, Butler County Staff wore blue to show support for preventing child abuse and neglect.

Parents, March is a month of change.  We have been inside a lot recently and the dreary days may have caused us to become self-focused and feel run down.  But then comes March, when there is more sunlight, longer days, and the cold weather finally breaks.  These outward changes inspire us inwardly as well: we are inspired to go outside and get some fresh air, which creates more opportunities to interact with those around us.  Increased physical activity and vitamin D from the sun are two positive benefits from the great outdoors which can strongly improve both mood and energy levels.  Considering that, lets plan a time to do exactly what this month commands: March! …

Plan a Kindness March in March!  What is a kindness march, you ask?  It is a march, or mission, to do a random act of kindness for someone, and physically marching while you do it.  The point is to combine your physical and emotional body into doing something kind for someone around you, which will result in a healthier you, as well as a healthier community.  By actually marching, you may draw attention to your mission, which will spread the word about kindness.  And kindness is contagious!

You can start small and simply march over to greet a lonely neighbor with a smile, or kindly march to get the mail or the garbage cans for a neighbor.  You can encourage the younger children to get their energy out in a constructive way by acting like a soldier who is on a mission is to be kind!  Perhaps they can march to feed the first robin of spring, or march while walking someone’s dog.  The children can march to find a leaf to create a leaf-rubbing picture with crayons and later march it over to a friend.

You can schedule a family march or a neighborhood march on the weekend to help someone in need or to build a sense of community.  No matter what you decide to do, just march!  Get those knees up and enjoy the sun on your face and the warmth in your heart that comes from kindness expressed to others.

For more ideas about creating positive family interactions see:   https://child.unl.edu/strongfamilies

Nina Solomon, Development of Living Skills Instructor, Ohio State University Extension, Butler County

Good oral health is important, as indicated in the chart below, and should be practiced all year!  Practicing good oral habits at an early age can prevent cavities and promote healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime. Brushing, flossing, rinsing and eating healthy snacks are desirable behaviors to implement for maintaining optimal oral health!

For more healthy tips like this, please visit the Live Healthy, Live Well Facebook Page.

Parents, during the Month of Love, we often think of exchanging Valentines with our youngsters.  Although that is a fantastic way to express our love for our children, I was thinking perhaps we could put into practice the old adage that “Children spell love: T-I-M-E!”  You can create a delicious Fruit Pizza that is so easy children of any age can help!  And since February is also American Heart Month, we can be heart healthy by eating lots of fresh fruits together as a family.

The recipe is easy:

• 1 Ready-made Graham Cracker pie crust
• 1 Package (8 oz) Low-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 Cup white sugar
• ½ Teaspoon vanilla
• Variety of fresh fruits of your choosing- such as strawberries, bananas, grapes, or blueberries, etc.

Step 1: Wash your hands making lots of bubbles with the children!

Step 2: Mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  – The children can take turns mixing.

Step 3: Spread the cream cheese mixture into the pie pan. – The children can help spread it around.

Step 4: Cut the fruit into bite-sized bits.

Step 5: Add fresh fruit on top. – The children can decorate their pizza with the toppings they choose.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!  Refrigerate any leftovers (3-5 days).

While eating the fruit pizza as a family, you can take turns saying one thing you love about each other!  And Happy Valentine’s Day!

For more ideas on cooking with kids, visit:

https://food.unl.edu/recipes-cooking-kids

Nina Solomon

Development of Living Skills Instructor

Ohio State University, Extension, Butler County

It’s that time of year!  Here is a handy chart from the CDC with symptoms of a cold and the flu!

Parents, January is National Get Organized Month.  I know many of you groan when you read this because it is just one more thing to do.  But what if you found a way to motivate your children to throw something away?  One simple idea is to purge old toys, clothes or items after the holidays in order to reduce clutter.

Here are a few tips:

Step 1: Turn on some lively music that will get the children’s attention.  Dance, act silly and have fun!

Step 2: Grab a large garbage bag or several small ones for each person.

Step 3: Tell the children you are going on a scavenger hunt to find lost, broken, or old toys so their new toys can have room to play!

Step 4: Walk to every room in the house and each person puts at least 1 item in the bag.

Step 5: Recycle, donate, or throw the bag(s) away.

This can be an activity that you can repeat as often as you choose.  For example, it can be helpful monthly or before or after every birthday.  If your children enjoyed it, you can play scavenger hunt just for fun!

For more ideas on chores for kids visit https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/chores-for-kids/

Nina Solomon

Development of Living Skills Instructor

Ohio State University, Extension, Butler County

Click here for a Fact Sheet from ohioline.osu.edu that offers tips to help your child develop good self-esteem and includes a couple activities to spend time with your child.

Happy New Year!

Co-Parenting during the holidays can be tough, especially with young children or if you are celebrating your first holiday season apart. Here are a few tips to keep things merry…
1. A little communication goes a long way. Choose a time and place to discuss the holiday schedule without interruptions.
2. Be respectful of your co-parent’s time with your child. When your child is visiting with your co-parent, have them ready and on time for pick up and drop off.
3. Enjoy the time you have with your child but prepare for the time when they will be visiting with their other parent. Make arrangements to be with family or friends, plan an outing, volunteer or just spend some time doing something you enjoy.
4. Remember this situation is new to your child too. Be a supportive listener and reassure them that they are loved all year round!

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