Hopping on the gif train. Pick 3-4 gifs that highlight your week. Let’s play!

Did you know that when you UNDERINFLATE balloons, they are a huge source of fun, distractions from tantrums and calming all at the same time? What could be better. Here is one of my classes loving balloon play. WHAT TO REMEMBER: 🎈don't buy dollar store balloons, they pop easily. 🎈Target and party stores sell a much higher quality of balloons 🎈Bag up 4-6 underinflated balloons and keep them in your closet to break out any time. 🎈Don't forget to quickly throw away any popped balloons. 🎈An underinflated balloon is harder to pop and a little one can grasp it easily and hold on to it. 🎈Great for indoor play, they pop on grass

When you have some quiet time with your kid (s), here’s a fun thought question to pose. Note: This is not necessarily going to be the response or action you’d take in a natural disaster situation but it can open the door to a different conversation. Here’s the question: "If we had a total power outage for 24 hours, no WiFi, no tablets, no TV, no fridge, no lights, what’s the very first thing you’d do to keep from being bored?" The Rules: 1. Listen only. No "fixing" or suggesting. Let them dream up their own fun. 2. You answer, too! Share what you’d miss doing when you're too busy scrolling. This isn't about setting a rule yet; it's about planting the seed that life outside the screen is actually pretty interesting. How did they answer? Drop their responses in the comments below! Mary Note: as someone who recently experienced a four day power outage in an ice storm and who lives in a tornado prone city, these conversations can be both fun and useful. Preparing the family for real-world situations is an added win.

Are you burning your child’s energy? You need to… Read my new article on Substack to learn why it’s so important. https://open.substack.com/pub/beabetterparent/p/if-you-dont-intentionally-burn-their?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Okay, I’ve noticed that almost every post in our feed starts with me. Here’s my challenge to the community. Starting 2/22 and ending 2/28 at 11:59 pm CST I Challenge you to make an original post sharing a win, sharing a tip or expertise related to parenting, or asking for help/advice. For everyone who posts, I’ll enter you into my Magic wheel of prizes and send a surprise picked just for you. I’m excited to hear from you! @Allan R., @Betty Jo Winters, @Brenda Chilstrom, @Janell Bitton, @Catherine McDowell, @Celia Kibler, @Daniel Cavaretta, @Erica Sisco-Dube, @Erin O'Neill, @Shelma Erikson, @Karen Gibson, @Jacqueline Hutchinson, @Janice Shoults, @Katya McEwen, @Lisa Vanderveen, @Mukkove Johnson, @Ramona Zihlke, @Shannon Boyer, @Yu-Tzu Huang If I missed tagging you, it’s not intentional. Please join us.