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Can you hear the drums, can you feel your heart beat quicken…..can you hear the screaming fans??  That is right, college football is on the horizon.  As I have said before, we are hard core Florida Gator fans!!  We love college football season…we live for it!!

What will college football bring to my tween this year?  Hmmm, I would definitely say….lots of nail biting and tv yelling, lots of yummy football food, lots of family time, lots of orange and BLUE…but a little less Tim Tebow.

I know we aren’t alone in our love for college football.  We have dear friends who are Tennessee fans, LSU fans and even a fellow Mom Talk blogger, Kelly Gump who is a Ohio State fan.  College football brings people together.  Not only that, but it makes my tween so HAPPY!!  He lives for college football season.  I think it is up there as one of his favorite things to do.  I love that he loves it and that it is a family affair.

I better get cracking on some fun new ideas for football food and spirited orange and blue football spreads.  In my opinion, if it is something my tween loves and it makes him really happy…it makes me really happy.

So, whether you are a Gator or a Buckeye (Kelly Gump) have a wonderful football season with your tween.  Sport your team colors, let loose and let the good times roll.

And oh yes….”It’s Great To Be a FLORIDA GATOR”

A couple of weeks ago while the kiddos were having their afternoon quiet time, I heard a knock on the door.  I rushed to the door to be sure whoever it was didn’t ring the doorbell and wake my baby up (that makes for a very unhappy Mama).  This is what I found…four darling kids on my porch with plates full of baked goods.

After I said hello, they politely asked me if I would like to buy some baked goods.  Hello…of course, I am just so impressed with this little business  they have going.  I grabbed a couple dollars and let the kids come and pick out a couple of treats.  They sold all the treats for fifty cents each.  The kids picked out two treats and I gave them a nice little tip.  They graciously thanked us and moved to the next house.

I was flabbergasted….brilliant, absolutely brilliant!  Whoever their Mom is has to be pretty neat!  This is why I think their little business is so brilliant.

First, they probably spent hours cooking all the treats and at the same time had fun baking together.

Next, they had to step out of the box a little to be confident and get out there and sell their ‘product’.  It was probably a great self esteem boost for them.

Finally, they are learning how money works and getting the wheels turning in their mind about how business, customer service AND money works.

All in all, I was so impressed by these kiddos and it was such a fun little surprise for myself and my kids.

What do you think of this little business venture?

“At home your child deserves caring parents who reprove with love and spend the rest of their time helping him feel like he can conquer the world.”

Delbert T. Goates, M.D.

A positive Self-Esteem is one of the best gifts we can foster for our tween’s.  We live in a pretty harsh world where our tween’s are often beat down.  For the most part, the world won’t build them up, compliment them and cheer for them.  Through their peer’s, they will learn that they are not good enough, cool enough, skinny enough or smart enough.

The one place that our tween’s can develop a positive self-image is within the walls of our home.  As parent’s, we can make a choice.  We either join the pack of wolves and keep beating our tween’s down.  Or, we can be their biggest cheerleader, see the good in them, be patient with them and bite our tongue when we need to.

By helping to build a positive self-esteem in our children we are arming them for life.  We are giving the best solid foundation for them in their lives.  Tween’s who like themselves, feel good about themselves and see their personal worth won’t fall to the temptations of the world.  They will be strong enough to say no to things they know are wrong.

Tell your tween’s again and again how special they are, how smart they are and how absolutely wonderful they are.  Then, they will feel as if they CAN conquer the world and not shrink away in fear of the world eating them up.

How do you foster a positive self-esteem for your tween?

Hurricane season is amongst us now.  We have repeatedly heard the warnings and suggestions of preparing our family & homes for unexpected natural disasters.  Without “scaring” our tweens and young children, teaching them how to be prepared can help diffuse fear, anxiety and other emotions that come with an emergency.

Two weeks ago our neighborhood experienced a power outage in the evening.  My children were not happy since their routine was disrupted.  Everyone was instructed to go get their flashlights and meet in the dining room.  Knowing that these outages are somewhat frequent, I broke out S’mores fixings and decided to make this an adventure rather than an emergency.  We roasted S’mores over a candle and played our favorite game of table talk.  By the time we were finished having “fun” the crisis was over and our children were able to resume normal bedtime routine.

It is important to not only be prepared with the realistic items of water, food, clothing, but to remember to pack away some “fun” for your tweens and younger children.  We are not always lucky with a 4 hour emergency.  We do not let our children watch the news as it reports so much “bad stuff” in the world, yet, it is important to talk about natural disasters and what your family would do.

Each family should have disaster plans.  Each family should have at least 72 hours of food and water rations.  You should have all important documents and number together in a place where you could grab them and go.  We always make sure our gas tanks in our car are full.  You would never want to be caught almost empty and trying to get gas in an emergency.  We also keep glow sticks, simple games, book, crayons, paper, etc. in a waterproof bag to keep our children entertained.

Being prepared does not have to be a “scary” or fanatical thing.  This is a great time of year to revise your emergency plans and devise some if you don’t have any.  Make a family night out of teaching your children what to do in different types of emergencies.  Tweens are at a great age to help diffuse stress, anxiety and fear with younger kids if they are taught to help.

How has your family prepared for emergencies?

What is it that I love so much about a pair of dirty tennis shoes or jeans with grass stains for my tween?  To me, it is a symbol of an active, happy boy.  Don’t get me wrong, I love when my kids look nice.  When we go out it is pretty important to me that they are pulled together.  But when it is play time……I let all of that go.

My tween loves playing video games, but I do all in my power to keep him outdoors playing as often as possible.  On many of these summer days, you can find us in our backyard with a baby pool or sprinkler running.  I try to have friends over as often as possible for my tween so he can be off playing.  He has two sisters and they can’t always keep up with his active little spirit. 

When I was a kid, we would spend the summer days down at the creek close to our home.  It was such a fun place to be.  Unfortunately, times have changed and I struggle to even let my tween ride his bike around the block with his friends.   I am a very protective mother this way.  Because of this, I try and do all in my power to create fun memories for my tween.  I can’t let him ride down to the creek with his friends, but I can have lots of fun activities planned to let him get his shoes dirty, get big grass stains oh his knees and have his cute face covered in happy, messy memories.

What are your kids doing this summer?