Recap of A to Z Challenge

Well, I wrapped up the A to Z Challenge! Did you like all the parenting advice? Was there anything you wished I had covered? Let me know! Did you miss any of the posts? If so, you are in luck, here are the links to every one!!

R - Reading

I feel like the Little Engine that Could. I am thinking of all the reasons why I want to get through this and actually accomplish it. Why? Because I RARELY accomplish things I start. *sigh* So, today's letter (for me) is R. I want to touch on reading with your children.

Q - Questions

Seeing as I am only on Q and today is the last day of April, I didn't make it. However, I am a firm believer in continuing the race, even if you finish two weeks after everyone else! LOL

Anyway, this topic is one that parents hate to deal with. We all know it is coming, but we don't want to think about it. Today, I am talking about Kids Asking Questions.

P - Phobias

The topic for today's #atozchallenge is Phobias. Fears are very real to children, and they are not something to be belittled. Your child may be afraid of the dark, afraid of water, or even being alone ... How you handle their phobia will determine how your child learns to cope.

O - Oral Health

How often are you supposed to brush your teeth? Do you know? What is the best way to teach your child how to brush their teeth? When do you start brushing your child's teeth? Today for the #atozchallenge, I will be talking about your child's oral health.

N - Nutrition

WAY behind on the #atozchallenge but I am NOT going to give up! I am going to get a few scheduled so that I have them ready to go. I started off on such a great foot and then went downhill quickly. Such is the parenting life, I suppose. The letter for today is N and the topic is Nutrition.

M - Motor Development

Getting in another A to Z Challenge blog ... I am four days behind. Oyi. I am not surprised since I am WAY behind on Camp NaNoWriMo. The life of being a mom, a writer, and a blogger is easier said than done. I am just thankful that I have children who are excited and supportive of my dreams. Watching them grow makes the long hours of working at home worth it. Which leads me to the topic today ... motor development.

L - Love

Well these posts are late, so I might sneak into May a bit. Blogging with a full workload is not the world's easiest task! 😍

Today's A to Z Challenge letter is L, and I am going to be talking about how to teach your children about love.

K - Kindness

Kids NEED to learn about kindness! It is something that is beginning to disappear and it is definitely showing. Kindness comes in many forms, through love and compassion. It is something that is taught, as well as nature. My children teach me almost as much about kindness as I teach them.

J - Jokes/Humor

Learning to laugh, smile, and find humor is SO important in life. It keeps spirits lifted, and smiles are super contagious. My kids have intoxicating smiles. They all find bathroom humor to be downright hilarious. If you ask them about toots, dooooty, I-CUP, etc, they will start giggling. Keep in mind, I DO have 3 girls and a boy and it does NOT matter. Toots are FUNNY.

I - Immunizations

Well, when I was making my list for the A to Z Challenge, I knew that the letter I was going to be a fun one. Before I get started, I want to preface with the comment ... You know your child best. Please RESEARCH and understand ALL facts before making a decision. Do not just do something because everyone else is, or because of something someone posted from the Internet.

H - Home Safety

I have mixed feelings on the next topic for my A to Z Challenge. I am going to talk about home safety. Now, there are some child safety things that I feel very strongly, and others that I am like whatever on. They come from personal experience.

G - Growth

With the growing concerns of obesity, it can be difficult to try to determine if your child is growing properly. We are constantly worried about Monkey. She started off having a hard time gaining weight, and she still struggles off and on. Because she is not lethargic and she is eating, we are not extremely concerned about weight.

F - Family Bonding

Spending time together as a family is extremely important for all family members. It creates memories that will last a lifetime, but it also shows the love you have for one another. As parents, it is easy to be caught up in the daily grind and frustrations. Having family activities offers a time to keep in touch with your children.

E - Eating Habits

Obesity is on the rise in the United States. Keeping my kids healthy is a constant battle, especially since I am trying to lose weight myself. I am hoping that with teaching them healthy habits early, they will not have as many problems when they get older. We are trying to model good behavior, but it isn’t easy!

D - Discipline

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is knowing when and how to discipline your child. Discipline has such a negative connotation, but without re-directing, your child will not understand what is expected of them. There are many tactics to approach when it comes to discipline and we have found several that work for us. I am going to state this at the beginning ... you have GOT to do research and try several different things. When your child is growing up, you will notice that some methods work for awhile and then it will stop working. It is an ever learning experience.

C - Car Seat Safety

There is much debate on the rules surrounding car seats. There are many people who go strictly by the law and disregard the recommendations. I can tell you from personal experience, when it comes to the safety of your children, the state of KS strongly urges you to follow the RECOMMENDATIONS over the law. You are the parent, so make sure you at least KNOW the law in your area and go from there.

B - Babies

Babies are cute and loveable, and seeing them can immediately cause your insides to want one. However, the baby stage of parenting isn't always fun and games. In fact, it can be depressing if you do not watch out.

A - Adolescents

Being a parent of adolescents can be one of the most trying times since toddler-hood. The first suggestion I would make is to visit them when they are sleeping so you can remember why you still love them.

A to Z Theme Reveal

I decided that I wanted to really challenge myself to have a blog post daily. I must state that when I went into this challenge, I realized that it was more likely that I would have a blog set up with posts that would be scheduled. My life is SO chaotic that my blog doesn't always get the attention I so desperately want to pay it.