Parents: Stopping a Tantrum In Its Tracks

Parents: Stopping a Tantrum In Its Tracks

Apr 6, 2022 | Family & Home, Parenting

With a household of five little ones, you can imagine we spend a lot of time navigating toddler tantrums and sibling breakdowns.

The past few years have certainly been a process of trial and error when learning to deal with and help manage my kiddos’ emotions. While still a work in progress, I am excited to share with you some of the tools I have found to be successful.

Name the Emotion 

1. Get On Their Level!

 

Much like adults, kids want to feel that they are both seen and heard. I find that meeting them at eye level creates a sense of equality where they feel safe to begin sharing and communicating. So get low to the ground, or lift your kiddos up (count it as a mommy’s arm workout!) and start out every conversation with eye contact.

2. Name the Emotion

 

For small ones, emotions can sometimes be overwhelming. I like to ask questions to help them to narrow down their experience and put a name to it. Once we know if they are angry, sad, disappointed etc. we can start addressing the emotion and finding the best solution.

3. Breathe Deep

 

This is a staple! I know you’ve heard it before, but helping your child to slow down their breathing will regulate their bodies as well. We like to say “Inhale the flowers, blow out the candles.” This allows the kids to not only take a second to breathe, but reminds them of experiences that are both happy and calming.

4. Redirect Their Attention

 

As I mentioned before, feelings can sometimes be overwhelming. I have found that introducing things to redirect their attention can help alleviate some of the pressure and make it easier to communicate. In our household this may mean using fidget toys (like Rubik’s Cubes, stress balls, or spinners), altering the location of the conversation (nothing like a change of scenery!), or shifting the focus (they may not want their feelings to be the center of attention). These tactics help to give the kids a healthy outlet if they aren’t ready to talk or need some time to process and communicate what they are experiencing.

5. When in Doubt, Pray It Out!

 

Y’all should know by now that God is at the center of everything at the Davis household! Children are never too young to learn how to take time and pray about their emotions. We always like to teach that God can help educate you on how to overcome your experiences, all you have to do is ask for His wisdom. It’s important to me to encourage their personal relationships with God and seek his assistance in everything.

The most important thing to remember is to build a home where communication is key. Our household is more about words of affirmation than yelling, more about time in than time out. If you build successful tools for your kids early, they will take their communication skills with them throughout their lives.

Comments

Learning More About Myself Through a Lullaby

Learning More About Myself Through a Lullaby

Apr 4, 2022 | Faith

As I was singing the nursery rhyme, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” to my little people, I kept thinking about the deeper meaning behind the words!

I decided to dig deeper into how this old tune spoke to my spirit and I was reminded that the boat could be symbolic of my life — it’s strong enough to float but can become weak enough to sink. I found myself asking the daunting questions: What areas of life am I floating and what areas am I sinking in? Where is my anchor?

This simple lullaby created an amazing opportunity for self-reflection. Here’s what I learned about myself:

 

Row

 

Well, without rowing the boat’s movement is limited and even stagnant. To follow a true direction, a boat needs action! I have huge goals to accomplish and lots of obstacles to face along the way, so there’s no time to waste by staying still! I know that regardless of what’s thrown my way, I must continue to keep rowing my boat to get to my destination.

Gently

 

This was a challenging part of the song to put into proper perspective. I’m notorious for rushing to the next phase of life. I just wade in what’s now, believing that what’s to come is much greater. What I realized is that although getting to the next phases of my life may be exciting, it is also getting me closer to my departure from here. I don’t want to rush my journey because I’m so thankful to be where I am now. I should often remind myself that life is not a race to the end and by embracing each season I can learn valuable lessons.

Stream

 

The stream of life never truly stops. There is always something new to face or a challenge to overcome. I could let the current take me away or I could stay present and move with it! If I’m going to handle life’s persistence with strength and courage, I must keep moving with the water.

Merrily

 

Choosing joy isn’t always easy but it’s so worth it. Sometimes it can feel like a relief to slip into a negative mindset. But if you let your circumstances wash away your happiness, you miss out on so much growth. Life is all about perspective, a moral value system, character development, and which God you decide to serve. Focusing on the good moments, like dancing in the rain or making amazing lemonade, and praising God despite the storms of life, is how we learn to live merrily in His name.

Life Is But A Dream

 

Our lives can be dreamy, but as we all know not every dream is identical. It could be short or long, amazing or traumatic, filled with purpose and passion, or filled with excuses and regrets. We get to choose how we respond to whatever cards we are dealt. But like a dream, life ends at some point on this side of heaven. What we do now with our dreams determines how we will spend eternity. So when I dream big, it’s with the passion of my heart and the love of the Almighty.

Who would have thought there was so much to learn about myself from this adorable little song? And I find so much more meaning in its lyrics as I sing it to my children. Life really is a dream and I can’t wait to get back to work on mine. I hope you can find some inspiration in its lyrics too!

Comments

5 Tips for Conquering Your Family’s Bathroom Clutter

5 Tips for Conquering Your Family’s Bathroom Clutter

Apr 3, 2022 | Family & Home, Home Organization

I’ve made my home a special place for my family to thrive and live in comfort, but all that “comfort” requires one thing: clutter-less space!

Let’s talk about the bathroom, specifically. Between everyone’s clothing, bath toys, tons of hygiene products and haircare for every age in the house, and random things that just end there, avoiding clutter in and outside of drawers/cabinets is a constant task. Luckily, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that have helped me overcome the mess. It can be easy to let items overflow and take over your bathroom, but if you put these five pointers to work, you’ll have a cleaner, more organized bathroom in no time!

 

Splurge On Cabinet Organizers

 

Bins, drawers, cabinet organizers, and baskets are my BFF! And nowadays, you can find a container for any space and opt for whatever style fits your lifestyle. Clear bins are great for easily seeing your items, but colored organizers show off your style and look sleek. No matter what you choose, remember this: label everything. Creating categories for your items will help you sustain your cabinet organization in the long term.

Make Sure Functionality Equals Accessibility

 

I’m keeping up with a lot of active kiddos, so the quicker I can reach for items like diapers, toys, and cleaning supplies, the better. I make sure to give some thought to where my most important items will be. By spending time finding the perfect spot for my things, I avoid the frustration of struggling to reach what I need quickly, and I’m less likely to reorganize later down the line. So if you need to move as quickly as I do, devote time to organizing everything right the first time!

Tackle Your Towels Properly

 

This is a small habit that will make a world of difference. By folding towels small and neat, you can easily place them in file position or flat depending on if it’s a drawer or cabinet. Now those bulky towels take up less space and create a clean look! This also leaves room for plenty of spares for future guests.

Rule #1: Put It Up

 

The phrase “set it and forget” only works if everything has a place. Try to make an active choice to put things in the bathroom back where they belong as you use them—or at least before you leave out. When you can’t or are short on time, set aside about 15 minutes a week to get straggling items back to their home. Over time, you’ll find that your bathroom clutter piles become smaller and smaller as you find a spot that fits into your organizational system.

Use The Bissell Drawer Vacuum

 

You won’t always have time to handle the daily dust and dirt that magically appears in your home. I’ve invested in a small Bissell drawer vacuum to keep those hard-to-reach drawer spaces clear. After a quick once-over with the vacuum, I wipe down any handle, countertops, or appliance with a Clorox wipe. When you give it a try, you might not get to everything in one go, but be sure to have these on hand to fight off grime and bacteria.

You are not alone in your bathroom cleaning journey; we all get messy sometimes! But you don’t have to let that stress you. I hope these tips help you tackle that clutter and keep it at bay.

Comments

The Best Tuna Salad (Quick Lunch)

The Best Tuna Salad (Quick Lunch)

Mar 25, 2022 | Food, Lunch

The Best Tuna Salad (Quick Lunch)

I absolutely love tuna salad! It’s a great, quick snack or lunch option. You can add it to a lettuce salad, eat it with crackers, make a sandwich out of it, and the list goes on. That’s why it works so well for my family.

Although a little untraditional, I like to think I have one of the best, most delicious  tuna salad recipes. Check it out…

Ingredients

  • 4 (5 oz) cans of tuna (You can cook a tuna fish and make it from scratch, if you prefer.)
  • ½ of lemon
  • 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsps of parsley 
  • 2 Tbsps of yellow mustard 
  • 4-6 Tbsps of mayo (I use Primal Kitchen.) 
  • 1/2 cup of chopped red onions (optional) 
  • 1/4 cup of dill relish
  • 1/4 cup of sweet relish
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 Tsp seasoned salt

Instructions

  1. After opening the cans of tuna, pour the tuna into a strainer and squeeze lemon juice over it. Then, rinse with water.
  2. Boil the eggs.
  3. Finely chop the celery, boiled eggs, red onions, and parsley.
  4. In a large bowl, combine mustard, sweet relish, dill relish, mayo, celery, parsley, eggs, onions, tuna, and seasonings and mix.
  5. To garnish, use one sliced boiled egg, and sprinkle a bit of paprika and parsley on top.

 

Comments

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti

Feb 23, 2022 | Dinner, Food

Good ole’ Chicken Spaghetti!

Here’s another one of my favorites! Chicken spaghetti! This is a great meal for the family at dinner time! Make sure you serve it with Love!

 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cooked chicken breast or boneless skinless thighs. (You can use and shred a rotisserie chicken from store for a quicker option)
  • 3 c. dry spaghetti or pasta noodles of choice broken into two-inch pieces
  • 2 chicken boudin cubs
  • 1/2 stick kerrygold garlic & herb butter
  • 1 can of Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can cream of chicken herb
  • 1 Velveeta cheese
  • 1/4 of cream cheese
  • 1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese(to liking)
  • 1/4 c. finely diced green pepper
  • 1/4 c. finely diced onion
  • 1/4 c. Finely diced celery
  • 1/4 c.finely diced green onion
  • 2 c. reserved chicken broth from pot or buy
  • 2 tsp. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • 1/8 tsp. (to 1/4 teaspoon) cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste
  • 1 c. additional grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Wash chicken in lemon juice. Place the chicken in a large pot and just cover with water. Add boudin cubes. Cook over medium-low heat until cooked through. Allow to cool enough to handle, then shred using two forks.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with butter.
  • Preheat skillet with butter, sauté veggies
  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
  • In a large pot, combine sautéed veggies, the Rotel with the juice, undiluted cream of mushroom & chicken soup, Velveeta cheese, and cream cheese. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses have melted. Add the garlic powder and onion powder. Add the shredded chicken and cooked pasta . Mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.
  • Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve with Garlic bread and roasted broccoli or green beans. Don’t forget to add an extra LOVE SLICE! .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments