Links I Love

This post on raising "mama's boys" made me smile. 

Great post on parenting resolutions for 2011!

The Real Mom's Cleaning guide

This article has inspired my next nesting mission...this week I am going to go through toys and make a pile to donate and a pile to toss.  I think we do pretty good with what toys we invest in.  But we still accumulate way too much too fast. Here is just a little bit from the post...

Encouraging Natural Play

* Limit or eliminate screen time: Give your children a chance to flex their own imaginative muscles. They may be bored at first. Be prepared with simple playthings and suggestions for make-believe play to inspire their inner creativity.
* Curtail time spent in adult-organized activities: Children need time for self-initiated play. Over-scheduled lives leave little time for play.
*Choose simple toys: A good toy is 10 percent toy and 90 percent child. The child’s imagination is the engine of healthy play. Simple toys and natural materials, like wood, boxes, balls, dolls, sand and clay invite children to create their own scenes – and then knock them down and start over. Avoid passive toys that require limited imagination.
*Encourage outdoor adventures: Reserve time for outdoor play where children can run, climb, find secret hiding places and dream up dramas. Natural materials – sticks, mud, water, rocks – are the raw materials of play. Playing outside helps your child sleep better at night and helps battle the obesity epidemic.
*Bring back the art of real work: Believe it or not, adult activity – cooking, raking, cleaning, washing the car – actually inspires children to play. Children like to help for short periods and then engage in their own play.
*Spend time watching your child play: This can show children that adults value their play. Fight the urge to control; allow your child to make the decisions, control the flow of the play and assign the roles. Only participate if invited.