Each day we will be posting our readers “Thrifty Advice My Mama Taught Me”. At the end of the month, one of you will win a $25.00 Gift Card For all the details click here.
Renee
This isn’t from my mother as she and I don’t have a relationship and haven’t in many, many years. I have had to learn many things on my own, through my education and from the wonderful older sister-in-law’s and my Godmother that I have. A couple of very key points I have learned in my practice (I’m a nurse practitioner!) and in raising my two wonderful and beautiful daughters (22 and 18) as well as through my own counseling is this: 1. Pick your battles! example, if they cut their hair with scissors, it can grow back! If there is a big event coming up, so what! Cover it up, a wig or a hat! 2. Always, Always, Always say I love you no matter what! They don’t know that you love them unless you tell them (show them too!). 3. If you hurt them in any way, apologize!! You’re human and make mistakes too. 4. Be a PARENT! You are NOT their FRIEND! So quit trying to be! 5. Children LIKE rules and order, make them, follow them, enforce them! Sometimes they LIKE when you say no! Sometimes they WANT a parent to tell them no so they have a way to back out of something with their friends that they don’t know how to say no to!! 6. Even at 2 years old, give them chores! Children need to have chores all through school and don’t do it for them no matter how much you want to (if you aren’t happy with it, reinstruct and have them redo it – try, try, again…)!! All through their years, they must learn to “hold their weight” in the home! They won’t survive life if they can’t do this at home as they won’t be able to do it at work! 7. Make them earn things – do NOT hand them everything!! Were you given every little thing? Didn’t you have to do “chores” to earn extra money to get that new album or that new bike? Make them earn it! and lastly! 8. Teach the basic manners of respect!! Make them say please, thank you, and Mrs, Mr, Ma’am, Sir!! I can’t count how many times I have been thanked for my children being so respectful! Studies show over and over again that they get better jobs, do better in school, have more friends and are better respected by their peers just for showing respect themselves! Your children will appreciate you more just by doing these few things. Yes, I live in the South, but it translates to anywhere in the country and this area is always voted the nicest most respected place in the US! Happy Mothers Day!
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K
My mom used to pay for secrets. I use it with my kids now. Secrets from other kids are worth a quarter, secrets from a babysitter or adult are worth $1! Christmas and birthday present secrets don’t count. I always know who likes who, who said a naughty word on the bus, and most importantly – the second the babysitter leaves they’re lining up to tell me that the baby rolled off the couch, she used my cell phone, etc. It’s worth every penny!
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Karma
Sleeping pills. Find a small food that your kids don’t usually get – I use yogurt covered raisins. Put them in a medicine bottle in your medicine cabinet. When a child really can’t go to sleep, give them a “sleeping pill” (along with a reminder that ONLY mom or dad gives medicine and you can only have 1 PER MONTH). Then tell them that it only works if they keep their eyes closed for 15 straight minutes. After 15 minutes if they aren’t asleep, they’ll always admit that they opened their eyes at least once. In no time you’ll have a sleeping child! I still remember being about 12 years old and rushing home to tell my mom that someone had offered me “sleeping pills” at school. That’s when she admitted that Boston Baked Beans were actually a candy, not medicine, and she had tricked me for 12 years. I was really angry, now I love it!
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