CLICK TO LISTEN to Episode 71, Part 2 of "Let's Get Real" with Val & Tiff - a heart to heart about the momlife. My guest in this three part series is Tiffany Deschner. Tiff and her husband Josh have three adorable daughters. Here's what to expect in Episode 71:
❤ Blanket Time for Littles - a strategy to go from Clingy to Independent Play,
❤ The Key Ingredient BEFORE working on your child's character or BEFORE trying any new parenting strategy,
❤ Lots of Tips for Busy Moms to Incorporate HEALTH in your family lifestyle
BLANKET TIME
In part 2 of "Let's Get Real" with Val & Tiff, we begin with a question from Tiffany in how to introduce her youngest daughter to "Blanket Time."
"Blanket Time" is one of the many activities that I recommend to moms with littles. Each activity has a different purpose in their development in the young years.
In Blanket Time they are learning some independent play or self-entertaining skills, learning to be content even though given a boundary, and focused play on 1-3 items for a short time. (Did you know that if you overstimulate your young child with too many toys all at once that it actually decreases their ability to focus?) Another helpful aspect of teaching your child Blanket Time once a day for 5-15 minutes, is that it provides a safe situation for them to play in busy public spaces such as the doctor's office, the airport, or church.
A word of caution for moms before implementing any new character growth strategy in your child of any age: "Fill 'EM UP before you CHANGE IT UP"
As we discuss Blanket Time, which would be a new activity for Tiffany's daughter, it serves as an example for the bigger issue of HOW TO IMPLEMENT A NEW GROWTH STRATEGY WITH YOUR CHILD. Don't just jump right in to growth! You've got to "prime the pump" first. There’s something very important to do BEFORE you ever start to implement a new parenting strategy - FILL YOUR CHILD'S LOVE BUCKET.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN IMPLEMENTING A NEW STRATEGY FOR GROWTH IN YOUR CHILD, it's worth it to make sure they're in a frame of mind and spirit to embrace your agenda. How can we do that? Fill them up with actions and messages that say you love them and believe in them. Why? Because to be at optimal performance, optimal growth potential, children need to be full of LOVE. "Boy, am I still learning this lesson over and over and over again as a mom. Here's how it too often happens for me:
I identify a problem area in my child that needs some fine-tuning.
(Generally I identify it because they did something wrong or rude or maybe even a little ridiculous.)
I’m feeling frustrated about it and so I prematurely jump right into working on their character issue.
Then I sense the fact that they’re really not on board with my agenda.
Well, I didn’t prime the pump! I didn’t fill their love bucket first!
A child that is fueled by love, is equipped for growth, more willing to listen and try new things, and more able to handle my constructive criticism. Fill 'em up before you change it up!" - val harrison in episode 71
Once you listen to episode 71 about the concept of "Fill em up before you change it up, you can get even more help on this topic Click here to listen to an earlier episode, Effective Ways to Love Your Child from Toddler to Teen and Beyond, episode 3.
Also in Episode 71, Tiff shares Tips & Tricks for a Busy Mom to have a more Healthy Family
Ever since I've known Tiffany, she's always been very health-minded and I knew as a mom she would be no different. In the last portion of today's episode, Tiff shares LOTS of ideas for incorporating more health into our busy families' lifestyles.
*Food Swaps,
*Secret Adds,
*Healthy Activities,
*Whole food gummy vitamins, and even
*What to do about CANDY are all a part of this conversation.
If you'd like to order Juice Plus Gummies through Tiff's link, Click here.
A few more ideas from Tiff, in addition to what's in this episode:
"I am definitely no health expert, just a busy mom trying to implement and encourage healthy habits in my growing kiddos.
Something I’ve recently discovered is that if I make a healthy and colorful “board” of fruits and veggies for my girls, they are more likely to fill up on real foods and try new things.
Some of our favorites: berries, grapes, bananas, turkey sausage, deli ham, different types of cheeses, nuts, dried fruit, edamame, apples, hard boiled eggs. Due to the fact that we eat a lot of bread and pasta in our meals, I try to avoid those when doing a board for them; they’ve never asked me to add it.
We also do smoothies, yogurt parfaits, and no bake energy balls.
I failed to mention in the episode that our favorite way to stay active as a family is dancing!
What practical health tips would you add? I’m always looking for fresh ideas!"
What's Coming on the Practically Speaking MOM Podcast, the place for intentional moms to build strong families: "Let's Get Real" w/ Val & Tiff Pt 3: Dealing with our kids' unique personalities including high drama and high sensory kids. In part 3, we'll talk about three types of moms. When it comes to holding to a standard, there's the Standard Quitter, the Standard Brute, and the Standard Bearer. What kind are you? Is it time to make a change?
What's in Val's Mom Box: Useful Tools for the Mom Life -We're talking Tangible Tools for Moms, here!
One of the Practically Speaking MOM's books is titled When Littles are Loud: Maximizing the Moments without Drowning in Chaos, by Val Harrison. Click here to go to the book Click here to go to the E-Book. Val is known for her many activities that are designed to bolster young children's development in all areas, including ways that help them become less clingy and more confident for independent playtimes. Of course, these short activities are stepping stones toward confidence in general.
Other books by Val include
