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The Fashionable Housewife

The Fashionable Housewife

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3 Things I’m Teaching My Kids This Summer

Modified on July 7, 2020 at 6:31 PM

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When I used to work long hours, all I could think about was how much I missed my kids. Spending more time with them was my biggest driving force to reach financial independence. But now that I’ve hit my early retirement and am stuck at home with my kids due to Covid-19, I have a new problem. What am I supposed to do with my kids all day? 

(Image source)

I tried to emulate what other stay-at-home parents do, but it felt exhausting to try and come up with kid-friendly activities and schedules every day. And then I read this inspirational quote (by Sally Hogshead):  

“You don’t have to change who you are, you have to become more of who you are”

And it hit me. I don’t need to look for an endless supply of activities. If I involve my kids in my own passions, everyone’s day will be better and I can just fit some lessons into something taht starts off as fun! 

So here are three things I’ll be teaching my kids this summer: 

1 – Life Skills with Board Games 

I’ve always been into board games. They let you get your competitive bugs out of your system without getting too serious. OK fine, sometimes I get very driven to win. Although not against my kids :)

Recently, I got into Sequence and Rummikub with our kids. The rules and strategies are easy to pick up for the kids but you do have to think and plan in order to win which keeps my wife and I entertained. 

It’s the hallmark of a good game for the family. Multiple levels of thinking. Like you get in Pixar movies. Some jokes for the kids and some for the adults. Family board games are the same, some thoughts for the kids and some for the adults. Everyone has a good time.

Now, playing these with my kids is fun but I realized board games teach some serious life skills. Think about it. You get to teach your kids about: 

  • Following instructions 
  • Taking turns 
  • Strategy and thinking ahead 

If your kids were great at following instructions wouldn’t that be a dream? 

And I can teach that while having fun as a family!? Harrah! 

But not only that, my kids are practicing staying focused on a goal, they’re finding out about healthy competition, and they’re learning about teamwork!

(And as a bonus, I can enjoy my coffee at the same time! Now that’s luxury.)

2 – Financial literacy with Candy 

“No daddy, let’s save our money for something bigger.” ~ my 3 year old’s financial literacy on display in the cookie aisle. 

Okay, so something about me – I’m a little obsessed with teaching my kids about money. More than anything, I want them to save money. It’s the secret skill that really sets financially successful people apart in the world and I want my kids to have that leg up.

No easy task, but I think I’ve cracked the code:

Our kitchen is a makeshift candy store. It’s also a candy-oriented bank. 

Every day our kids get a coin. Then they get a choice. They can spend it on a single candy, or they can save it. The longer they save, the more awesome their reward and we help out by doubling saved money daily.

(For example, one nickel gets you a smartie, but three nickels gets you a whole chocolate bar). 

It was a little hard to motivate my kids to save at first, so I got my wife in on the action. (I’m sure she liked that.) She immediately saved for the giant chocolate egg and devoured most of it (she did share a little). That got the message across!

Our countertop candy store 

But it’s not just about money. They’re learning about delayed gratification. They’re learning about setting goals and about pursuing them even when it’s hard. It’s not easy to have that smartie stare you in the face while thinking about tomorrow, that’s why I’m so proud of them for making the smarter choice and then let them fully indulge in their well-deserved box of candy once they’ve stretched that delayed gratification muscle.

Even better, when they show off their savings prowess at the store, my finance-dad heart practically explodes with pride. 

3 – Healthy Habits with Fitness 

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with fitness. I like being fit and my gym had cheap child care which was the best thing ever, but otherwise, I never enjoyed trying to fit fitness into my day.

It shouldn’t be so hard but with little kids around, I feel like I’m stealing precious moments away from them to go spinning. 

And then it hit me. I can work out with them! And not only that, I can start teaching my kids that it’s important to take time to take care of yourself and to make fitness a priority. 

So what does working out with little kids look like?

  • We take them on runs with a stroller. Then to keep them going we pretend to run out of energy and need them to yell motivational messages like “You can do it!” to re-energize us.
  • We let them play around us and join in while we stretch outside after the run. Although their antics usually end up with me on the floor tickling them.
  • We stream dance or yoga classes together. 
  • We use them as weights for squats, hip thrusts, and push-ups, which is WAY too hard but it’s fun for everyone!

And the lessons they’re learning reach even farther than healthy habits! They’re learning that it’s important to keep working every day to improve yourself and push when things get hard. 

Overall, if they can successfully learn all those skills I will give myself a big pat on the back…and maybe a drink too. Fun learning is still hard work!

Now that you know what I’m teaching my kids, tell us what lessons have you been teaching your kids lately?

Related posts:

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Posted By The Fashionable Housewife
on July 5, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Filed Under: Home Life, Parenting
Tagged With: activities, family activities, kids activities, outdoor activities, Rummikub, Sequence, summer activities

About The Fashionable Housewife

Sarah-Jean Ballard is the Editor in Chief of The Fashionable Housewife blog and Founder of Fashionable Media. Married to a sexy Molecular Biologist, housewife, mom to 5, homeschooler, Certified Personal Nutritionist and entrepreneur who's mission is to help moms just like you look and feel GREAT! Other interests include dancing, yoga, positive intactivism, natural birth and breastfeeding support, babywearing, paleo & gluten-free cooking, and promoting an overall healthy lifestyle to all.

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Sarah-Jean Ballard

Hi! I’m Sarah-Jean. I’m a Christian, the wife of a handsome Molecular Biologist, and the homeschooling mother of 5 beautiful kids!

I enjoy homesteading, reading, writing, cooking, baking, crafting, home decorating, Xtend Barre, and of course, fashion!

This blog is a place for me to share how we live and what I love most. I’m on a mission to help busy moms like you, be fashionable too! Read More…

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𝕊𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕙 | Fashionable Homemaker & Mom of 5
Looking at pictures of my last birth makes me grie Looking at pictures of my last birth makes me grieve my baby in Heaven that I just lost a few weeks ago. 

Knowing all the firsts we won’t be getting. All the newborn snuggles, that new baby smell, the joy of breastfeeding, it’s all gone. Slipped through my fingers in a moment, for no reason. 

No one thinks it will ever happen to them. Nothing prepares you for the loss of your child and no one can fully understand and appreciate the intense level of grief and pain until it happens to you. And if you do not understand this kind of grief, consider yourself very, very blessed and fortunate. 

Sometimes being open to life, also means being open to loss. 💔

#miscarriage #miscarriagesupport #miscarriageawareness #lossmom
READ this post before you LIKE it. 💔💔💔 A READ this post before you LIKE it. 💔💔💔

A few weeks ago, we were planning to announce that baby #6 would be joining our crew in January 2023, but instead we've been processing the death of our beloved child... 

At our 20 week anatomy scan, when we were joyfully expecting to see what our little babe looked like, we were met the words that will haunt us forever - "We can't find a heartbeat."

Two days later, we found ourselves in a foreign environment, after 5 beautiful homebirths, naturally delivering our stillborn son in a hospital. 

Dylan Marinus Ballard was born on August 31st, (our first son's birthday) at 6:43pm and weighing only 7.5 oz. 

Tearfully and filled with grief beyond words, we had to say hello and goodbye at the same time. Our beautiful son. 

Seeing his face, holding his tiny body, and admiring his little toes that looked just like daddy's was just a glimpse into the miracle of life that God allows us to partake in. When you fully realize the sanctity of human life, it makes it even harder to say goodbye. Not being able to take my baby home with me was the most gut wrenching, heartbreaking pain imaginable. It is a pain unlike all others that only mothers who have lost a child can even begin to understand. 

The hardest part of losing a child, is living everyday afterwards. It's such a devastating loss, a loss so unimaginable, that you have no idea how you will get through each day or survive the grief that is in your heart. No matter what age a child is, a parent's heart is forever tied to that child and there's nothing that will break that tie, including the passing of time. That's the beauty of unconditional love. 

Our only consolation is knowing that our little saint is in the loving arms of Jesus now. We look forward to meeting him in Heaven someday.

📷 birth photography by Melissa Lee Photography

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What are your favorite fall comfort foods???

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What better way to welcome fall than with @caraway What better way to welcome fall than with @caraway_home latest products, the Mini Fry Pan & Mini Sauce Pan!!! 

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My son is loving our @treasuresfromjennifer calendar and keeping track of the days now. He keeps telling me how many days it is until the first day of fall rather than asking me 900 times “when is it going to be fall, mama?!” 😜

Do you have a calendar or weather board in your home for your children? 

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Anybody else excited about apple picking season?! Anybody else excited about apple picking season?! 🍎 

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𝒯𝒽ℯℱ𝒶𝓈𝒽𝒾ℴ𝓃𝒶𝒷𝓁ℯℋℴ𝓊𝓈ℯ𝓌𝒾𝒻ℯ
Christian, Wife, Mama x 5. livin' in NH
Fashion, Food, Health, & Home
✉️ Email me, let’s work together!

𝕊𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕙 | Fashionable Homemaker & Mom of 5
Don’t you just love it when the kitchen is clean Don’t you just love it when the kitchen is clean?

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You know how they say “Earth Day Is Every Day”? Well, that’s because you shouldn’t only think about swapping out your toxic cleaning supplies and pledging to use reusable bags only on Earth Day. That’s just one day a year and if we really want to be more eco-conscious, we need to make small changes every day towards caring for ourselves and the earth.

One small step you can take is investing in eco-friendly fashion. But where do you start?

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I recently added the @DeltaChildren PerfectSize 3- I recently added the @DeltaChildren PerfectSize 3-in-1 Convertible Sink to my downstairs bathroom to make unassisted handwashing more accessible for my two youngest kids (ages 2 and almost 5). 

Our downstairs half bath is TINY but because of the compact size of the convertible sink, we managed to slide the sink in right next to our @NubyUSA potty. And yes, the bathroom door still closes! 

We have a faucet extender and step stool at the regular sink, but this has made handwashing a novelty for the boys since it's right at their level and right next to their potty. It's the perfect height for both my 2-year-old son AND my autistic son who is almost 5 years old (pictured). ♾️

It holds enough water in the upper tank for both children to wash and rinse their hands once each and the holding tank in the back for the gray water is easy to empty into the sink or toilet when they are done. If they just want to play with the water and their hands aren't actually dirty, I just pour the "gray water" back into the upper holding tank and let them play with it again to conserve water. (An important lesson and learning opportunity for Earth Week) 💦

In addition to being a great addition to a Montessori bathroom setup, you can also convert the Delta Children sink into a step stool and then use the upper part as a bath toy because it's shaped conveniently to sit on the side of the tub. 

Will link to the sink and potty in my stories! 🚽🚰

Do you have a Montessori setup at home for your child? Tell me in the comments! 👇

#practicallife #selfcarestation #montessoriathome #montessoripracticallife #montessorimom #montessoritoddler #preschoolathome #deltachildren #pottytraining #pottylearning #childdevelopment #montessorispaces #earlychildhoodeducation #earlylearning #learningthroughplay #homeschoolpreschool #childledlearning #nubyusa #earlyyears #smallspaceliving #montessoriinspired #toddleractivity #practicallifeskills #montessoriactivity #playandlearntoday #tinyliving #momblogger
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It’s always quite the effort to take a family picture, but even harder when you need to use a tripod! 🤣 This is the best we could do! 🤷🏼‍♀️🤪

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“Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, the “Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday.”
- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” - 1 Peter‬ ‭2:24‬ 

Let us not forget the significance of Good Friday. For on this day, Jesus was thinking about YOU! 
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We are already dreaming about going back to @story We are already dreaming about going back to @storylandnh! 🥳🤩

Last year we took our @wonderfoldwagon and it was a total game changer with five kids! (Especially our autistic son!) It made trucking all of our children around the theme park 100 times easier. 

I’m so glad I got the four seater wagon despite some people saying it would be too big. It has room for absolutely everything we need to take with us including a cooler full of food for our family of seven. 

I can’t wait to see all of the fun adventures we will have this summer with our Wonderful Wagon. 

Use The link in our profile to purchase your Wonderfold Wagon and use discount code BALLARD to save! 💰 

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In these uncertain times we live in, it sometimes In these uncertain times we live in, it sometimes seems silly to decorate or worry about how things “look” but you have to remember that changing the world starts at home. Being a homemaker is an important and often overlooked job. Home is the starting point for love, life, and dreams. So go ahead and make your home look good! 

There’s no place like home. 🏠❤️

#americanhousewife #homemaker #homemakers #momlifeunfiltered #farmhouseinspired #myhomevibe #myhousebeautiful #shareyourdecorwithme #shareyourhomestyle #farmhousestyledecor #magnoliatable #theologyofhome #christianhomedecor #christianhomemaker

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Looking at pictures of my last birth makes me grie Looking at pictures of my last birth makes me grieve my baby in Heaven that I just lost a few weeks ago. 

Knowing all the firsts we won’t be getting. All the newborn snuggles, that new baby smell, the joy of breastfeeding, it’s all gone. Slipped through my fingers in a moment, for no reason. 

No one thinks it will ever happen to them. Nothing prepares you for the loss of your child and no one can fully understand and appreciate the intense level of grief and pain until it happens to you. And if you do not understand this kind of grief, consider yourself very, very blessed and fortunate. 

Sometimes being open to life, also means being open to loss. 💔

#miscarriage #miscarriagesupport #miscarriageawareness #lossmom
READ this post before you LIKE it. 💔💔💔 A READ this post before you LIKE it. 💔💔💔

A few weeks ago, we were planning to announce that baby #6 would be joining our crew in January 2023, but instead we've been processing the death of our beloved child... 

At our 20 week anatomy scan, when we were joyfully expecting to see what our little babe looked like, we were met the words that will haunt us forever - "We can't find a heartbeat."

Two days later, we found ourselves in a foreign environment, after 5 beautiful homebirths, naturally delivering our stillborn son in a hospital. 

Dylan Marinus Ballard was born on August 31st, (our first son's birthday) at 6:43pm and weighing only 7.5 oz. 

Tearfully and filled with grief beyond words, we had to say hello and goodbye at the same time. Our beautiful son. 

Seeing his face, holding his tiny body, and admiring his little toes that looked just like daddy's was just a glimpse into the miracle of life that God allows us to partake in. When you fully realize the sanctity of human life, it makes it even harder to say goodbye. Not being able to take my baby home with me was the most gut wrenching, heartbreaking pain imaginable. It is a pain unlike all others that only mothers who have lost a child can even begin to understand. 

The hardest part of losing a child, is living everyday afterwards. It's such a devastating loss, a loss so unimaginable, that you have no idea how you will get through each day or survive the grief that is in your heart. No matter what age a child is, a parent's heart is forever tied to that child and there's nothing that will break that tie, including the passing of time. That's the beauty of unconditional love. 

Our only consolation is knowing that our little saint is in the loving arms of Jesus now. We look forward to meeting him in Heaven someday.

📷 birth photography by Melissa Lee Photography

#griefjourney #griefandloss #miscarriage #miscarriageawareness #griefawareness #griefislove #itsokaynottobeokay #largefamily #largefamilymom #bigfamily #bigfamilylife #lossmom #pregnancyloss #momlife #pregnancylossawareness #stillbirth #stillborn #stillbornstillloved #stillbornawareness #babyloss #miscarriagemomma #bereavedparents #lossmoms
Some of my favorite fall eats here! 😋 What ar Some of my favorite fall eats here! 😋 

What are your favorite fall comfort foods???

#momlife #homemaker #octobervibes #feelslikefall
Need an easy solution for dinner but don’t want Need an easy solution for dinner but don’t want fast food? @wildgrainbox delivers bake-from-frozen breads, pastries, and fresh pasta right to your door!

Clean ingredients, real sourdough, artisanal pastries, hand cut fresh pasta, eco friendly shipping, and they support small bakeries! 👩🏼‍🍳

Every item is freezer to table in 25 minutes or less so you can enjoy homemade quality food, FAST. I whipped up a loaf of sourdough bread and delicious pasta with marinara sauce in under 30 minutes for me and my husband to enjoy a little date night at home. It was like going to a fancy Italian restaurant, but we go to eat in our pajamas!

We love that Wildgrain is passionate about delivering slow-fermented sourdough bread‘s, fresh pasta, and artisan pastries directly to your door and I love that they are local to me! 

WANT TO TRY IT?! The first 50 people to use my coupon code and link can get $30 off their first box PLUS free croissants in every box! 

Use coupon code FASHIONABLEWIFE to snag this deal QUICK! 💃🏼

LlNK in bio and in stories! 🛒

#momlife #homemaker #mywildgrain #datenightideas
Introducing Caraway’s most requested products, t Introducing Caraway’s most requested products, the NEW Mini Fry Pan & Mini Sauce Pan!!! 

By popular demand, they now have miniature versions of their two best-selling À La Carte pieces, now in compact and cute sizes!! 

These are designed for cooking smaller portions and are a perfect complement to your current Caraway cookware collection. 

🥳Get 10% off the new Mini Fry Pan & Mini Sauce Pan using my link in my bio! 🥳

#momlife #homemaker #homelifestyle #kitcheninspo
What better way to welcome fall than with @caraway What better way to welcome fall than with @caraway_home latest products, the Mini Fry Pan & Mini Sauce Pan!!! 

By popular demand, they now have miniature versions of their two best-selling À La Carte pieces, now in compact & cute sizes. These are designed for cooking smaller portions and make the perfect complement to your current Caraway collection. 

Get 10% off the new Mini Fry Pan & Mini Sauce Pan using my link! 🛒

⁣LlNK is in my bio and stories! 💃🏼 Or use code FASHIONABLEWIFE-MINI22 
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#cottageliving #decor #decoration #farmhouselove #hgtv #homedesign #interior #interiordecor #interiorstyling #kitchendesign #kitchendiner #kitcheninspo #kitchenremodel #kitchenrenovation #kitchensofinstagram #magnoliahome #modernfarmhouse #modernfarmhousestyle #neutralabodes #neutraldecor #neutralhome #neutralkitchen #neutralstyle #neutraltones #newbuild #newbuildhome #newbuildjourney #quartzworktops #shakerkitchen #whitekitchen
Can you imagine a more beautiful thing?! I can’t Can you imagine a more beautiful thing?! I can’t! 🤣

My son is loving our @treasuresfromjennifer calendar and keeping track of the days now. He keeps telling me how many days it is until the first day of fall rather than asking me 900 times “when is it going to be fall, mama?!” 😜

Do you have a calendar or weather board in your home for your children? 

#homeschoolmom #homeschoolroom #homeschoollife #homeschoollookslikethis
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