A lesson in playing with fire

Today my boys and their dad were cleaning up their room. My husband found burnt tissue stuffed in the corner. He asked our son Christopher, which is 7, if he was playing with a lighter. We always stress the importance of admitting when he's done something wrong, and telling the truth. We also  let him know that punishment is ten times worse for lying. Well, he told the truth and said yes he was playing with fire. My husband and I told him how he could have been hurt, set the house on fire, been killed, and we went on and on. We sent him to his room to think about it, but felt like the message just went in one ear and out the other. So, we decided to search youtube for a video that shows the repercussions of kids playing with fire, and fire safety. After searching through songs called "Don't play with fire" and "Jenna likes to play with fire xxx", we found this heart-wrenching video of two brothers who put a stuffed animal in an oven, and started a fire. My heart went out to the family and that adorable and precious little boy, who actually reminded us of our littlest boy Jay. My family and I watched the video together and talked about the dangers of playing with fire, and the importance of fire safety. Thank you God for showing me this video!

 

Why not make a pizza?

Today my boys and I made a couple of pizzas. They...well, we had a great time! It was simple and took about only thirty minutes to prepare and bake. I bought a pack of two pizza crusts that came with two packs of pizza sauce. How easy is that?! Some cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms (Jay wanted to experiment),and  olives.  I am not the biggest fan of cleaning, so I used paper plates to lay the toppings on. Cleanup took like 2 minutes when we were done.  The boys enjoyed being creative and cooking, and I enjoyed it just as much. Believe it or not, it was actually pretty tasty!

: 

Ingredients:

Pizza crust

Pizza sauce

Shredded cheese

Any toppings of your choice

Lay crust on pizza pan, then top with pizza sauce. Top with shredded cheese, then the toppings. Follow directions on pizza crust package to back. Enjoy time with your children! Okay, so they might have got on my nerves for a few minutes there arguing about who got more cheese...but I love my boys!

Easy Kid-Friendly Recipe

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

Before you start, preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix all the ingredients together until it starts to turn in to a ball (you'll see what I mean). Then scoop out about 1inch sized balls. Place them on a nonstick baking pan. Next, using a fork make criss cross shapes while flattening down the cookies to about 1/4 inch thick. Then bake for about 10-15 minutes. 

Makes a dozen cookies

This recipe is one of my favs! It's so easy, and I always have these ingredients right at home. My kids and I have experimented using chocolate chips, and even made PB&J cookies!

Can parents do a little more parenting here...

What kind of parenting is it when people let their kids to do whatever they want?  I mean, I know we all let our children get a way with certain things once in a while. I call it picking and choosing my battles. But when it comes to their safety and protection, what they want should be null n void! Should we allow our thirteen year old to have a cellphone? Maybe one with Internet access? Picture mail? Hey why not? Every thirteen year old has one these days right? Well what about if you find inappropriate pictures in that cellphone? Do you take it away? Do you come to terms with it and give it back in a month?  I was watching a television show the other day. I think it was Dr. Phil, and they were talking about "Sexting". Young teens sending each other nude pics, and dirty text messages. There were parents on that stage condoning this behavior. Okay, I know there's only so much a parent can do when their teen gets older. But at thirteen and fourteen, I think they can do a little better than that. Why are people afraid to tell their kids no? I thought it was part of our job to show them that there are consequences to every decision we make in life. Back in the day, I would have had to say "bye bye phone". OK, so maybe it would have been more like "bye bye pager".  I just have to wonder, is it parents being afraid to say no, or do they just not care?

How can they be so different?

Isn't it funny how kids can come from the same exact place :) ...and be so different?! Let's take a closer look at my three sons shall we. My oldest Ty, who is eleven  is outgoing and smart, as all three of them are. He likes to be in the spotlight and knows everyone. If we're at the park, he'll be where the group of kids are taking charge! I also think he's an old man trapped in a young boy's body. Then there's my middle son Chris who is seven. He's the most caring and also sensetive one of my boys. I don't know if you've ever seen that movie "Open Season" or not. But, there's a part where "Boog" is shot with a tranquilizer gun. Christopher was so hurt, he started crying. I mean, I know kids cry but this was a cry from the soul. he was really hurt for that Bear! If i'm laying down on the couch and I say i'm cold, he'd go get a blanket and cover me. I always say to him "you're gonna make such a good husband one day". . Then there's my youngest son, Jay. He is the most heard-headed and independent of the three.  He has learned to walk, get potty trained, ride his bike without training wheels, fish, fold clothes, you name it he can do it. All at the age of three. Could it be that he has learned from his older brothers, or maybe my parenting skills have grown?! :) Well, no matter what the reason is, I am blessed to have them. I love those differences that make them who they are. I love my children equally. But, differently...I mean I love them the same but...well, I'm sure you know what I mean if you have kids or your own.

An introduction to Positive Parenting

Well all...this is my very first blog. Thanks for taking the time to read. I am a 29 yr old mother of 3 wonderful boys. Ty is 11, Chris is 7, and last but definately not least...Jay, who is 3 (that's him with me in the picture on the left). Being a mother is one of the hardest jobs, but also the most rewarding. I feel I owe it to my children to take care of them as best as humanly possible. We cannot forget that they were not asked to be brought in to this world. The purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts, inspirations, and situations with other parents who may or may not be traveling down this road of parenting. I will also be posting as many polls as possible. I want to know what parents are thinking. What are the biggest questions we have? What are we going through? My grandmother always said "It takes a village to raise children". I believe she is right! I hope you all enjoy!