Road Trip Games

I was recovering from road trip clean up so excuse last week. :)

Here are some things that I did with my kids to make the 19 hour drive bearable.

1) Every time we stopped for gas I switched car seats around. This gave everyone enough breathing room to stretch relax and when it was time to get back in they had a new perspective on the drive.

2) When we stopped for gas I drew something out of the EXERCISE BAG. I made a bag (like a ziploc) Put 12 different things in it, and when we stopped they had to get that blood flowin!
some examples are : 15 jumping jacks, 10 toe taps, 10 reaches to the sky and then touch the ground, Run around the Yukon 5 times, Sing your favorite song in a whisper, Spin in a circle 4 times, Jump in place while flying like a bird, etc...

3) I was very big on NOT letting them watch movies the ENTIRE trip, so some of the way we listened to a book on tape. We got through half of Indian in the Cupboard. They then "got to" draw pictures of what they were listening to.

4) Snacks. I didn't want them eating or drinking for 19 hours straight so we had special times that we would eat. Our Road Trip Food consisted of:
Trail Mix, Fruit Snacks, Whole Apples, Freeze Dried Yogurt, Dry Cereal like Kix, and the Dora Cereal Stars.  I tried to mix it up on the way back so we didn't have the same food. Licorice, Beef Jerkey Bites, Carrot Sticks, and Pringles.

5) Games. I had a lot stuff prepared and ready to play. Here is one of our favorite games.

I printed 6 and laminated them.

Here is ROAD TRIP BINGO and on the other side I printed CARS BINGO

And instead of making bingo chips - every time someone found a sign they got a starburst.

First one to 10 won a mini crunch bar!

Another Game is HERE we loved "write on the road."  

6) The last thing I did was buy Coloring Books and cut the spine out.(Kinkos will do this for you for $1.50) And then put the sheets in a folder. I bought clip boards from the Dollar Spot at Target and then when they were ready to color they got a sheet on their clip board.

My husband teases me that I over prepared, but we didn't have any crying or unneccessary stopping or even fighting on this whole trip. Which in my book with 4 kids 4 and under is a success!

Scheduling Toddlers/Toddler Tips/Potty Training

Before I wrap up this series of Potty Training Tips - today I am leaving it up to questions and answers.

Leave a comment with the question and I will post the answer on this post.

Scheduling Toddlers/Toddler Tips/Potty Training

We are back from our 17 day road trip to California. Whew!

Potty Training Continued.

1- Make sure your child is ready.

Make sure you are following the right cues. Push it and you will have to start all over.  If they are showing interest - then go ahead and start

2 - Have the right equipment for YOU and your KID.

Potty Seat vs Potty Chair and Underwear.

3. Decide what is going to work for your Child. 

Sticker Charts, Treats, Rewards, Praise, etc.

4. Poop Training.

Most children are quick to urine train. Its easy fast and not that messy. (depending on the kid) Poop is a lot harder for toddlers. For some kids Bowel Movements feel like they are losing a part of them selves. They are afraid to watch it flush and it is scary for them. For others they are just lazy and would rather do it in their diaper. Another thing is that they don't know when they need to do it until they are squeezing it out.

If you have a child who goes to a certain place to poop or has a certain time they do it - you are one step ahead.  If you notice they are running to their "spot" pick them up in the squatting position and sit them on the potty while the diaper is on. Have them go through the motions of pooping on the toilet WHILE the diaper is on. So they mentally move their "spot" to the bathroom. Then slowly coax them to take it off - over time of course.

My kids have gotten double the candy reward for BMs. This was an incentive that worked for them.

Another thing that has worked for me in the past (with older children) is show them the digestive tract. Explain that the food they eat goes down, gets processed and then the "waste" - "poop" needs to come out.

For analytical children it helps them get the process.

image via google images

Remember that poo takes time. If you need to read a story to them while they take care of business too. Don't rush it.  Even adults have a hard time "getting it out."  If you suspect they might be constipated increase the fluid intake and give them more fiber. It will soften them up and help it slide right out.

Don't get frustrated. This is all part of development.  Just keep going and eventually it will happen. There are worse things in the world than a poop accident. 

Good Luck and as always I hope this helps! This as always is a post to help give you ideas or help with situations. Not a post telling you WHAT to do...because every kid is different! :) 

Pattern Power (2)

So you need to print these puppies out...

PRINTABLE

Then get to work!

 Leave some blank and then color some clothes pins.

 Then color different patterns on the sheets.

 Then laminate them. If you don't have a laminator these are just as awesome...

Then play!

 Here is my daughter following the pattern.

 Store in a plastic bag. Then in a gallon size.

 Perfect for travel, or in this case church. Sssh!

My son made his own pattern!

We are going on a 20+ hour road trip for the first time next week and I have been working hard on different things to do on the road. I don't want my kids stuck watching movies or playing on their leapsters or any other electronic device the whole time. That isn't the point of a road trip. They are going to enjoy what they see and have fun and talk and learn things...crossing fingers.

We will be gone for 2.5 weeks, so when we get back I will post what worked and what didn't!

Have a safe 4th of July!

Pattern Power (1)

Here is a great quiet game for the kids.

First you need to print these...

HERE is the PRINTABLE!
Finally no more EMAILING!

Then cut and laminate.
I printed 3 - that made 9.

Then grab a few items to snack on.
I picked animal crackers, craisins and goldfish.
You could do fruit snacks, m&m's, and cheeze-its.
Really you could do anything that is small enough.

Then you make your own patterns and EAT!
We brought this project to a friends house.
Those cute blondies are moving away and it makes me so sad.

This is great for church, quiet time, snack time, traveling...ANYTHING!
Print a few and tell me what you think!

Scheduling Toddlers/Toddler Tips/Potty Training

Potty Training Continued.


1- Make sure your child is ready.
2 - Have the right equipment for YOU and your KID.
3 - Decide what is going to work for your Child. 


4 - Day vs Night Training and When to do it!

If you have decided to start please don't start during a major change. Moving, a new sibling, switching a major routine change, etc. Doing this causes stress and will actually set your child back in potty training. Stress can make it harder for a child to demonstrate a skill that they have yet to master.  This is why most kids revert back or regress - it makes them remember a time when they were more comfortable.


Day vs. Night
I am an all or nothing girl.  When we potty train we never go back to underwear. But - having said that kids can go ALL day without an accident waaaay before they are actually ready to get through the night.  It is actually common and natural to wet the bed until a kid is 5 years old.  It can be so frustrating I'm sure when you can have a kid last ALL day and then at night it becomes a huge problem.


If you are all ready experiencing this it could be for many reasons. Does your child sleep so soundly that they don't wake up?  Does your child have nocturnal eneuresis?


Bed wetting is involuntary. It (from my research and training) is just a slight developmental delay, not anything emotional or physical, and only a small percentage of bed wetting cases are caused by specific medical problems.  Did you know bed wetting is often associated with a family history of said condition? It is. So feel free to blame your spouses side. Haha. Just Kidding.


If you are just starting to seriously train bed wetting is something you need to think about.  Most kids slowly stop wetting as part of their natural development.  If your child wakes up wet in a diaper - do night training slowly. Get them trained through the day and then talk with them about getting rid of it at night. Try it for two weeks and if the number of dry nights decrease you know they are golden. If they increase return to the diaper and gradually make your way back to trying to go at night diaper free.  


If you child is past 3.5 you could try intervening with the bed wetting alarm. I have never used it, but have heard great things about it. That is something you talk to the pedi about. You can also talk to the pedi about food allergies. Bed wetting can be linked to food allergies. Weird but sometimes true.  I have also heard in my training that sometimes, in larger families the child wetting just needs a little extra special time.  Take them to the bathroom 30 minutes before bed and then give them 20 minutes of undivided personal attention. Then take them again right before bed. Sometimes, that extra special time can reduce any stress or discomfort and relax them enough to let it all out.


In my own personal experiences I have just monitored when I notice my kid showing me the signs.  I make sure they don't drink an hour before bedtime...at the beginning. Then I make sure they go potty right before bed and haven't had a problem.  I have had one of my children who has been potty trained for awhile wet the bed, and it was their responsibility to take the sheets off and put them in the hamper. They had to change their jammies and be responsible about it.  It wasn't deliberate and therefore they weren't "punished" but they needed to take care of it.  In our house being in underwear is a big deal - it is when you start being held accountable and need to express what you want or need with your words.  Just like using the words "I need to go potty" and then actually doing it. It is an expectation we have set and so we let them know part of potty training/being in underwear means growing up. Its time to end the crying and the fits and start getting ready for the real world/school.


If I had a child that had nightime issues I would explain to them that their muscles inside are still learning how to hold it. Its okay and if it happens we need to learn how to take care of it.  No punishment is needed its just something that some kids have to deal with.


Ultimately you need to do what is going to work for you. You need to devote sometime to actually potty train and make sure you have what is going to work for you. For me the potty seat is better because I never have to transition to "big potties" and stores and other places are not scary since they only know how to use the "big ones."  

Good Luck and as always I hope this helps! This as always is a post to help give you ideas or help with situations. Not a post telling you WHAT to do...because every kid is different! :)

Noodle Building!

Cut the noodles in half, then in random lengths.  Grab a box of toothpicks and have at it...

You can store them in a trash bag and put the toothpicks back in the box for another building day.

Everyone loved this project!