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The Danish Way of Reframing and How It Works with Children

August 10, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Enjoy today’s guest post. It’s fascinating! 🙂 

Adapted with permission from THE DANISH WAY OF PARENTING: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids by Jessica Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandahl. © 2014, 2016 by Jessica Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandahl. TarcherPerigee, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

The Danish Way of Reframing and How It Works with Children

danish parenting

Reframing with children is about the adult helping the child to shift focus from what they think they can’t do to what they can do. The adult helps the child see situations from different angles and gets them to focus on the less negative outcomes or conclusions. With practice, this can become a default setting—for both parent and child.

When you or your children use limiting language like “I hate this,” “I can’t do it,” “I am not good at that,” and so on, you create a negative storyline. The plot may have us convinced that we aren’t good at anything or we are doing everything wrong. The more a child is told limiting stories about “how he is” or how he should do or feel things in various situations, they begin to build coping strategies based on a distrust of their own abilities in the face of new challenges. “She isn’t very good at sports” “He is so messy”; “She is too sensitive.” These are all very defining. The more of these children get, the more negative conclusions about themselves they get.

To reduce the problem, it helps to find and create a different narrative for your children. Leading them to a new, broader or more ambiguous picture about themselves and the world around them helps them to reframe. And this skill will transfer over into how they learn to see and interpret life and others as well.

In Iben’s practice as a narrative psychotherapist, she focuses a lot on reframing and, even more in-depth, on “reauthoring.” She helps people look at the beliefs they have about themselves and the beliefs they put onto their kids without realizing it. Saying things like “He is antisocial,” “She isn’t very academic,” “He is terrible at math,” or “She is so selfish,” are all statements that become behavior your children try to make sense of and identify with. Children can hear you say these things much more often than parents realize they can. Soon, they believe that it must be how they are. When new behavior doesn’t fit into this label, they don’t even try to make sense of it because they have already identified themselves as being uncoordinated, shy, or terrible at math.

The language we use is extremely powerful. It is the frame through which we perceive and describe ourselves and our picture of the world. Allan Holmgren, a well-known Danish psychologist, believes that our reality is created in the language we use. All change involves a change in language. A problem is only a problem if it is referred to as a problem.

The Danish way of reframing

Danes, on the whole, use less limiting language and don’t tell children how they are or what they think they should do or feel in different situations. You don’t hear a lot of adult opinions being placed on children. “You shouldn’t be like that.” “Don’t cry.” “You should be happy!” “He is mean!” “He shouldn’t be like that.” “You should tell him next time!”

They tend to focus more on using supporting language, which leads children to understand the reasons for their emotions and actions. If they are upset or angry, for example, they try to help a child become aware of why they feel that way rather than saying how they should or shouldn’t be feeling.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You look like something is wrong—is there?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s going on?”

“I don´t know.”

“Are you sad? Angry? Happy?”

“I am sad.”

“Why do you feel sad?”

“I am sad because Gary took my doll at playtime.”

“He took your doll. Why do you think he took your doll?”

“Because he is mean.”

“You think he is mean? Is Gary always mean?”

“Yes.”

“But last week you said you played a lot with Gary, right?”

“Yes.”

“Was he mean then?”

“No.”

“Ok, so sometimes Gary is nice?”

“Yes. Sometimes he is nice.”

They are good at helping their children conceptualize their emotions and then guiding them into finding something more constructive, instead of a disparaging or limited belief. This is the heart of reframing.

“So what happened when he took your doll?”

“I cried.”

“So you were sad he took your doll. I can understand that. What do you think you could do differently next time if Gary takes your doll so you won’t be sad?”

“I can tell him to give it back. Or I can tell the teacher.”

“I think telling him to give it back sounds like a good solution. Does Gary like to play with dolls?”

“Sometimes.”

“Is there anything else you could do other than ask for it back?”

“Maybe we could play together with the dolls.”

“That sounds like a great solution. We know Gary is actually a sweet boy so next time you can ask if he wants to play dolls too.”

“Yes!”

Finding the brighter side of things can be done with all kinds of situations, not only with people. With practice it becomes much easier to scan a scene and find the hidden details that reframe a situation into something more constructive. It can even be fun to do.

Once a child finds a better alternative storyline, try to repeat it so it sticks. But the solution should ultimately come from the child herself. This builds real self-esteem because they become the master of their own emotional responses. They aren’t told how to feel and act.

If we hold on to the good in people, to separate actions from the person, we teach our children that we forgive them when they themselves misbehave. Imagine if we had said that what Gary did was
ridiculous and mean. Children will remember that. When it’s our own child who is doing something similar next time, they know that we judge. If we trust other people and know how to forgive, we teach our children that we also forgive them when they misbehave. If we maintain that it is human to fail, and that we can see other positive things despite that truth, our children will also be gentler on themselves when they fail.

About the Authors: Jessica Joelle Alexander is an American mom living in Rome, with her Danish husband and kids. Iben Dissing Sandahl is a licensed therapist in private practice outside Copenhagen. They are the authors of THE DANISH WAY OF PARENTING: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids (TarcherPerigee). Learn more at www.thedanishway.com

Filed Under: Parenting · Tagged: danish parenting, guest post, positive messages, reframe, reframing examples, reframing techniques, the danish way of parenting

A Step By Step Guide for Packing Boxes for a Move

February 4, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Friends, please enjoy this partnered post on preparing for a move. If you aren’t moving soon, pin for the next time you do move. This will keep you from having those random boxes filled with underwear, toilet paper, random canned goods, a bicycle pump, and mulch. Not that I’ve ever packed a box like that…

Written By Alyssa Howard, Moveboxer.com

packing-boxes

photo credit: clevercupcakes via photopin cc

So, you may be thinking, “It’s just moving. How hard could it be?” But we all know that that question is oft invoked in famous last words. Luckily for you, though, we’re bringing you some steps that will help you pack all your life’s belongings with as little hassle as possible.

  1. Survey Each Room

First, you’ll need to go from room to room to figure out exactly the best way to pack everything. Note especially big or unwieldy items for which you’ll need to make specific preparations or possibly get help from professional movers.

  1. Get Organized

Second of all, you should go through and organize the things you’ll be packing. This is important for a few reasons. Packing things in boxes before you get an idea of how many boxes you’ll need for each room and what each group will contain will mean a major headache when you’re unpacking. Also, before you start getting things in boxes, you should make sure you want to move everything you’re packing. If you find stuff you won’t use in the new place, donate them!

  1. Pack an Overnight Bag

Once these two steps are done, you’ll want to get together the things you’ll need immediately upon arriving to the new house, like a toothbrush, toiletries and a few outfits. You will thank yourself for this later.

  1. Get Your Packing Supplies Together

The great thing about packing boxes – and frankly there aren’t many – is that you can get creative when it comes to what you’ll use to protect your breakables. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you need to buy expensive packing paper and bubble wrap to load up your vases, plates and glasses. Instead, you can use clean socks, sweatshirts and other soft materials. When it comes to boxes, you can be creative with your packing materials.

  1. Ready, Set, Pack!

Lastly, get to packing! Remember that it will be important for you to pack like items together to ensure minimal breakage of your items as well as minimal stress when you go to figure out where everything will go in the next place. Additionally, make sure you pack the heaviest items at the bottom of the box, and then put in progressively lighter things. When you’re labeling the boxes after they’re all packed, be as specific as possible. For example, don’t just write “bedroom;” instead note that a box is for bedroom linens or Mom’s clothes.

Alyssa Howard is a writer for Moveboxer.com. Moveboxer makes moving easier. Moveboxer matches people up with reputable movers, provides a utility cancellation tool, helps people change their address, and connects people with mortgage, storage, boxes, supplies, and car transport. 


Filed Under: DIY Projects · Tagged: guest post, guide for packing boxes, moveboxer, moving checklist, moving companies, moving guide, moving services, moving tips, packing boxes

The No Skills, No Frills Approach to Decorating Kids Birthday Cakes

July 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 9 Comments

I absolutely LOVE this guest post from a fellow blogger, all about easy cake decorating ideas for kids’ birthday parties. This is something I personally need ideas for right about now!

kidscakepinfinal

“Mom, I want a Spiderman cake for my birthday.”

“Can you make a princess castle cake?”

“I’d like a cake with monkeys-and-elephants-and-zebras-and-tigers, OK?”

Sure, no problem…..you think. However, a quick search on Google or Pinterest can result in some major discouragement, knowing that those beautiful pieces of artwork are probably not going to reproduce themselves in your kitchen.

So instead of spending time searching for a specific cake, that you may, or may not be able to recreate, I’d like to teach you some super easy techniques.

There’s no crazy cake tools involved, or oddly shaped cake pans that you end up only using once. Anyone can do this! All you need is your imagination and a batch of my go to frosting.

1. Go crazy with dots

A fun and festive cake with a polka dot theme is probably one of the most simple, yet professional looking cakes to put together. Plus, colors can be customized to fit a boy, girl, or the theme of your birthday party.

Ballcakefinal

To make the circles, you don’t even need a fancy tip. Just cut a small hole in a ziploc bag, and fill with icing. Then pipe your dots holding the bag exactly vertical.

The more pressure you put on the bag, the bigger the dot, and vice versa. If you’d like to use a tip, #12 is my favorite for making perfectly sized dots.

Place dots all over the cake, just on the sides, or both. And adding a dotted border only takes a few extra minutes, but makes a big impact!

Cake Tip: Sometimes the frosting will leave a point on the top of the dot. Just dip your finger in cornstarch and tap it down.

2. Add toys and action figures

Don’t let the request for Dora, the Hulk, or a barnyard full of animals, be the cause of your cake decorating anxiety. The solution is easy.

Comb through your child’s toys, or buy a cheap set of action figures at the dollar store. Just because you didn’t make a monster truck out of gum paste, doesn’t mean your child will love it any less!

monstertruckcake

For the girls, use a My Little Pony toy, a Disney Princess, or even fake tiara to adorn the center your cake. You can seriously carry out any theme, with these really easy add-ons.

If you’d like to go the extra step, tip #233 creates a grass effect around your figures. Really simple to do!

Cake Tip: Pipe a pile of frosting beneath each character to help cement it to the cake. Otherwise, the figures will topple right over.

3. Creatively use candy and other food

Candy comes in almost any size, any color, and any shape. That means you can adorn your cake with limitless possibilities!

Sprinkles can do wonders – whether you use jimmies, or the sugar crystals. Chocolate chips are readily available and versatile, either point up or down. M&M’s are really great at creating designs too.

panda bear cakefinal

This panda bear cake only uses Oreos and chocolate chips, but it’s still super cute!

4. Cut the cake into a different shape

You can easily turn a 9×13 rectangle or a 9×9 circle into a fun shape to decorate. Just use the internet to find a basic guideline to help you cut the cake.

I usually search for simple black-and-white coloring pages to print out and use as a template. Then I cut out the paper shape with scissors, lay flat on the cake, and start trimming around it with a sharp knife.

I’ve used this technique for making 3D balls, and for the age the birthday boy/girl is turning, but any shape is doable!

rainbowcakefinal

Cake Tip: Edges of cut cake are much harder to frost. Make sure you use quite a bit more icing than you think you’ll need, so you can avoid getting crumbs all over the cake.

Don’t look at extreme Cake Boss cakes as something you have to live up to. You can create your own unique spin, using exactly the tools you have in your kitchen right now.

Another perk? You just avoided an expensive trip to the grocery store bakery, and still ended up with a completely customized cake.

Have you ever tried making a birthday cake yourself?

creative savingsKalyn Brooke is a writer/blogger who lives in Southwest FL with her husband, Joseph, and one super adorable bunny, named Twix. Frugal living is her passion, book hoarding her weakness, and a well-stocked freezer full of ice cream an essential luxury. You’ll find her latest money-saving ideas and projects at Creative Savings.

Filed Under: Parenting Tips · Tagged: birthday cake decorating ideas, birthday cake decorations, birthday cake designs, birthday cake ideas, cake decorating, cake decorating ideas, guest post, kids birthday cakes, simple birthday cake decorating

Fizzy Colored Sand: A Simple “I’m Bored!” Solution

June 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

 

baking soda kids acndtivity: fizzy colored sa

Want to see how I put together the above activity in just a few short minutes and kept my preschooler occupied for a solid half hour?

Of course you do! Then hop on over to Saving Dollars and Sense where I’m guest posting today about a frugal, fun and idiot proof (that’s key for me!) kid activity that your kids will love and that will buy you some time. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Parenting Tips · Tagged: cheap kid activities, fizzy colored sand, fun kids activities, guest post, kid activities, kids activities, saving dollars and sense

How to Get Toddlers & Preschoolers Ready for Chores

June 15, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 10 Comments

Friends, please enjoy this really helpful guest post from a fellow mom blogger. She’s got some great tips, so take note before you go buy that Responsibility Chart! 🙂 

Hi! I’m Brandy and blog at MommySplurge about having a healthy connected family and enjoying the good stuff (including reviewing subscription boxes)! When Tiffany asked me to write a guest post, I thought to myself, what is it that parents need? Besides sleep, time, and stuff that makes our lives easier and happier, having a clean home – and teaching our children to assist us in that never ending chore – is always pretty high on the list. I thought I would share my best ideas and advice for teaching toddlers and preschoolers to assist in household chores.

My kids are two and four, and while I don’t believe they should be responsible for cleaning my home, I always need a little help in that area and want them to understand the work that goes into it so they can help keep it nice too. I want my kids to be ready for responsibility when it’s time for them to really pitch in. Responsibility is something that must be learned, not foisted on them 5 years from now. The earlier you start small children with chores, the earlier they will become actually helpful.

While I include some specific chores for preschoolers and toddlers, I want you to take away some ideas on how you can incorporate chores for kids organically in your routine. My advice is realistic. Your two year old isn’t going to load the dishwasher even if the Internet tells you he can. Here are my steps as you start to learn what works for your family.

Getting Toddlers & Preschoolers Started on Chores

Step 1 – What do they want?

If they are interested in a cleaning activity, make it safe and have them help. They might not actually get it clean. That’s just fine as long as they are learning a habit! By following my children’s lead I have added washing the table, washing the floor, and using the vacuum to pick up crumbs and other messes to my kids’ chore repertoire. And of course they can’t get enough of dusting! Adding their chores based on your children’s particular interests is a fantastic way to incorporate child-led learning into your household routine. As your routine grows you can begin to add extra chores.

When I do not have a safe non-toxic cleaning product, we just use water or water and soap. And to be honest, it’s cleaner than it would otherwise be! I can’t remember the last time I decided to wash the floor all by myself.

Step 2 – Youngest Wins!

list of chores for toddlers and preschoolers

The youngest child capable of doing the task should be assigned the task. I often forget this one myself, but it is important that we give our younger children the opportunity for increasing responsibility as they grow. The easiest way to do this is to assign the task to the youngest one that is capable of it (and available). Don’t worry about the older ones. There is always more responsibility for them to take on as they grow.

Step 3 – Make it a Family Activity

Never clean while your children watch you. Find some way for them to assist you. Having them watch you clean reinforces the idea that the parent is responsible for cleaning everything. There is always a way for them to help. When it’s time to clean, announce that it’s time. Have tasks ready for the kids while you supervise or accomplish things that they really can’t do. By making it a family activity there is less time for you to get grumpy about cleaning, too!

Step 4 – Let them know they are doing a great job!

Praise. Praise for helping. Praise for doing a good job. Tell them how happy they make mom and dad. Praise, praise, and praise some more. If they miss a spot, this is your chance to tell them what a good job they did and can they help wipe this part up too?

Step 5 – Don’t Overthink It

Do not get hung up on a chore chart! It’s a great tool but filling out the chart isn’t the goal. It’s hard for me to be consistent about the chore chart and I decided that being consistent about my expectations for my kids was more important than remembering a sticker.

chores for toddlers and preschoolers

Chore Lists for Toddlers & Preschoolers

I admit that I once consulted the Internet for chore ideas for my kids and came up empty. Baseboards? Folding Underwear? My life is too busy for folding panties! These chores are age-appropriate and mesh with what most families need to accomplish.

Toddler Chores: 2-3 year olds

  • Put away toys: children need a lot of direction with this task. Ask them to help you as you put away Mr. Potato Head. Give them one by one directions – can you put the green truck back on the shelf? Don’t expect your toddler to magically clean his room!
  • Dusting
  • Washing the floor
  • Put clothes in hamper
  • Use vacuum hose or handheld vacuum to pick up crumbs
  • Wipe up messes
  • Brush teeth. If you have an older child, she should be able to help your preschooler with loading up his toothbrush.
  • Throw diapers or other trash away: even very young toddlers can assist with this!
  • Laundry: toddlers can assist with putting wet clothes into the dryer. If you have a front-loader have your toddler put the dirty clothes inside the drum.
  • Wash face and hands with wet cloth

If your toddler has mastered this list, then you can move on to preschooler chores.

Preschooler Chores: 4-5 year olds

  • All Toddler chores plus
  • Washing the table: they are tall enough now!
  • Putting dirty dishes in the sink: only encourage this if your dishes aren’t breakable.
  • Help preparing food: although toddlers can do some helping (my 2 year old loves to stir and to sprinkle cheese), preschoolers really start to become useful in the kitchen at this age. I always have a task for my four year old to complete.
  • Setting the table: woah, they aren’t doing a formal place setting! Kids this age can get the silverware out and set it at each place. You get the plates out for them. Go slowly and build!
  • Empty small trash cans: even though toddlers think they like to help with this, it’s usually a little much for them.
  • Tidying their rooms: this is one of the hardest activities to delegate. We see our kids growing bigger and expect them to be able to help. But when their rooms are a mess you can’t just tell them to clean their room. At this age you don’t have to micro-manage, but they still need a lot of guidance. Try asking them to find all the Legos to put away (a preschooler you might ask block-by-block as you also clean up).
  • Laundry: if you have a front-loader, preschoolers can take clothes out for the dryer. Smaller kids can put things in but have a harder time with getting them out. Preschoolers can unload the dryer (mine stands inside the laundry basket as she does it!).

chores for toddlers th Hill Designs by MommySplurge” href=”http://mommysplurge.com/south-hill-designs/ “>South Hill Designs Artist, and a Stuff Parents Need superfan! She blogs about having a healthy connected family and enjoying the good stuff (including subscription box reviews)!

Filed Under: Parenting · Tagged: age appropriate chores, chores for children, chores for kids, chores for preschoolers, chores for preschoolers and toddlers, chores for toddlers, guest post, kids chores, mommysplurge, preschool chores

Guest Post: How I Treat and Prevent Eczema for Infants

April 21, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 14 Comments

Scratching on the skin of most children is quite normal but a constant scratching doesn’t seem to be, and that’s what happens to 3 of my boys. They have eczema, and it has been passed on from their father, which means they are more likely to get it. I have learned how to treat and prevent eczema for infants due to years of experience, and I hope what I have learned will be useful to some of you reading this.

Causes and symptoms of eczema

I never knew until my oldest developed eczema on his legs and feet. My poor 6 month old son cried and screamed almost every night. As a first time mom, I had no clue on how to treat it. I have tried every OTC creams, soaps, etc but they didn’t help. My oldest always rubbed his feet together which caused them to be red and inflamed. He didn’t have any allergies or asthma, though, and those are associated with eczema. We went to the doctor to get presciption cream and they seemed to help a little. My poor child was able to sleep peacefully. We used this cream until he turned 5 and his eczema never returned.

My middle son had the same problem as his older brother but it’s more on his legs than his feet. As an experienced mom, I treated it with a no scent soap such as Dove and Aveeno and retained the moisturizes with cetaphil and/or Eucerin lotion. I often found that prescription creams that the doctors got for my boys didn’t seem to help much; often the symptoms only worsened after applying them.

I believe what triggers my boys’ eczema are dry winters with little moisture, skin becoming too dry (often times I forget to apply moisturizing lotion every three or four hours – that’s my biggest problem) and excessive heat. Those are the three factors that triggers eczema in my boys.

how to treat eczema in infants

How to treat eczema

I help prevent or treat eczema by doing the following, step by step: running a warm bath (not too hot which triggers the flare-ups), use a mild soap such as dove, aveeno, cetaphil, eucerin. don’t too much scrubbing on them and I gently pat them dry with a towel (not too rough!). Then apply moisturizing lotions right after toweling. I also recommend that you choose light-weight clothing, ideally made from cotton. If I can, I could put socks on them but my boys hate wearing socks to bed so I leave them alone. I always keep our rooms cool and keep the fan/AC running overnight to avoid the flare-ups.

Since my youngest son is here and he recently developed eczema, I now know some ways to prevent them and follow my past experiences to keep it under control.

What are some ways do you keep it under control? I’d love to hear them. Do you have a friend who has children with eczema? Please share this post with them so they can benefit! 

Special thanks to Linda from My 2 Crazy Curls for sharing what she has learned about how eczema flare-ups occur, and how to treat them quickly and effectively. Check out Linda’s blog, where she blogs about life as a deaf stay-at-home mom to three adorable little boys. She shares her latest great deals and other musings daily!

 This post contains affiliate links. 

Filed Under: Parenting · Tagged: baby eczema, eczema, eczema in infants, eczema treatment for babies, eczema treatments, guest post, infant eczema, infant eczema treatment, my 2 crazy curls, remedies for eczema, severe eczema, toddler eczema, treating eczema

Protect Your Children, Prevent Cyberbullying

April 5, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

Post brought to you by Linda Waters. Blogger who adores writing on mobile technologies and their use in everyday life. Marketing executive at http://www.mspy.com/iphone_spy.html, has huge interest in mobile tracking software.

cyberbullying Cyberbullying is an increasing problem nowadays, especially for children. This problem can have devastating effects on children as it creates anger, humiliation feeling and depression. As a consequence, many children have even committed suicide attempts. It is therefore necessary for the parents to keep a closer look at the activities of their kids so that they may be able to protect them from the issues like cyberbullying. Following are some of the most useful tips for parents that can help them prevent this problem:

Have a Discussion

It is very important to discuss the issue of cyberbullying and its adverse effects with your child. You should ask them what their view on this issue is and whether they have ever experienced this problem or have seen someone else experiencing it. This will help you have a clear idea if your child is a victim of this harmful phenomenon or not. It is very important to ensure your children that you would never blame them in case they are being cyberbullied. You should also tell that you are not going to take away their computer and smartphone privileges if they are facing such issue. Moreover, you should show that you are always there for them and that you will help by all means if someone tries to cyberbully your kids. In this way, you children will never conceal anything from you no matter how embarrassing it is for them.

Teach Them the Right Online Etiquette

Being a proactive parent, it is your responsibility to teach your child how to behave online. You should ask them not to share their personal information with anyone. Such information can include their full name, residential address, landline/cell phone number, passwords, sports team’s name or any other information that can be used by others to contact them offline. You should also teach them not to share their pictures or videos with anyone they don’t know as it may lead to various issues like cyberbullying or even sexting. Moreover, it is also important to tell them to ensure the security of their pictures and other personal data online so that the strangers may not abuse it in any way.

Use a Cell Phone Tracking Application

Imagine the situation: you have noticed that the behavior of your children changes for the worse, they become more irritable and look scared, still tell you nothing when you try to find out what happens.  So, you suspect that your kids are being bullied but have no idea how to get to the truth and you are desperate. In this case installing a reliable cell phone tracking app such as mSpy onto the smart phone device of your child can help. You will be able to keep an eye on various activities of your children in order to reveal the fact of cyberbullying. Such spy app allows you to track their phone calls, text messages, emails, multimedia messages, instant messages and social media activities etc in completely undetectable mode. All these activities are uploaded to your online account and you can view them anytime by logging on to it. In this way you can check all the channels that can be used by cyberbully to reach your child.

Image by SafetyWeb

Note from Tiffany: I’m curious to hear if any parents out there have already experienced cyberbullying, and if so, if you have any tips to share with others. 

Filed Under: Parenting Tips · Tagged: cyber safety, cyberbullying, cyberbullying prevention, guest post, how to prevent cyberbullying, how to stop cyberbullying, internet safety, online safety, protect children from cyberbullying, stop cyberbullying

4 Simple Rules for a Clean and Tidy House

March 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 12 Comments

Today I have a guest post from a new mom and one of my favorite new (at least new to me) blogs to read! Enjoy these really good tips (I learned some new tricks, myself!). Need more advice? The solution for me was  getting rid of clutter.
Hi! I’m Hannah and I blog at Simply Add Coffee. I’m a wife to Harrison and Mama to our little 5-month-old daughter.

When my husband and I brought home our little girl as first time parents, we had a lot to learn and figure out! One of the biggest challenges for me was to learn how to clean house and keep things neat in our home. Of course, I knew how to clean before, but like most things with a new baby, it was very different than before.

As a working wife, I usually did most of the home cleanup on the weekends when I had more time available. But now, as a stay-at-home-mom, my Saturdays weren’t any less busy than the other days, so I had to figure out a new system.

The system and routine that I use now would work for a stay-at-home parent, or a working mom or dad. These are my 4 Simple Rules for a Clean and Tidy House:

4 simple rules

Rule # 1 – Leave the house straight when you go to bed.

I quickly learned that if I wake up to a messy house, my day feels like it starts out as a failure and goes downhill from there. But if I wake up to a neat house, I can get started on today’s work instead of cleaning up from yesterday. For me, this means making sure all dishes are loaded in the dishwasher and cleaned and laundry and toys are picked up from around the house.

Rule # 2 – Do one cleaning task a day.

Cleaning an entire house can feel overwhelming, but I made up a list of all the weekly cleaning jobs and assign one job to each day. Then if for some reason I miss a task one day, it’s only one task and not the whole house that missed getting clean.

Rule # 3 – Set a timer to complete work.

The work we need to do will find a way to take up whatever time is allowed for the job. So if I give myself the whole day to do one task, it will probably take all day to do it! But if I set a timer for 15 minutes and I have to be finished when the alarm sounds, I will get it done.

Rule # 4 – Take a few minutes and quickly straighten up the house before dinner or sitting down for the evening time.

I have found that if I set my 15 minute timer and just quickly (very quickly!) walk through each room of the house and straighten things up it makes my evening a lot easier. I pick up dirty dishes to take to the kitchen, put any toys away, take any laundry or shoes to closets and straighten any books or paperwork that are out. I try to do this before my husband gets home from work, but I definitely do it before I sit down for the evening, whether that’s for computer work or watching TV. And when that is done, I don’t get to bed time and then worry that the house is a mess (which takes me back to rule #1!).

These are just a few simple things that help me as a mom, do you have a routine or system that works for you?

SAC bio:picture

Filed Under: Featured, Parenting Tips · Tagged: clean and tidy home, cleaning your house, guest post, how to clean a house, how to tidy a house, quick cleaning tips, simply add coffee, tips on cleaning house, tips on cleaning your house

One Simple Tip to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes Every Time!

February 25, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Hi friends! Today I’m guest posting over at Mylifeaworkinprogress.com! Please come pay me a visit! Not only will you be introduced to a fantastic blog that may be new to you, but you will also learn the secret to perfect roasted potatoes. I may not be the next Julia Child, but I can make some AMAZING roasted potatoes. You can, too, once you learn my secret!

Perfect Roasted Potatoes

Filed Under: The Kitchen · Tagged: best roasted potato recipe, guest post, guest posting, guest posts, my life: a work in progress, mylifeaworkinprogress.com, perfect baked potato, perfect roast potatoes, perfect roasted potatoes

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Welcome!


Grab your beverage of choice (mine is iced coffee) and let's hang out for a spell! I'm Tiffany, and I've rambunctious little girls and a fierce desire to share any tip and trick I can find to make lives with little ones a bit less hectic and a lot more fun. [Read more...]

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