kids

  • Should you waste money on toys for your kids?

    Do we really need to spend money on toys?

    Do you ever find yourself disappointed with how much money you spend? Are you always second-guessing yourself on yet another purchase for your kids? Contemplating and trying to justify whether they really need another toy? Or game? Or _______(insert your item of choice here)?

    birds eye view of three children playing on a bed with puzzles and toys

    I understand. I really do. You see, I was am a recovering shopaholic. Go ahead. Laugh, it is pretty funny! But seriously. You can read about that here. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve debated whether a toy was ‘worth it’ or not. The internal battle of wanting to budget…Avoiding strife with the hubs was usually enough to have me running from the toy isle….

    birds eye view of children toy colorful wooden train, teddy bear and baby shoes on floor

    Except, when. It. wasn’t. I’m a firm believer in the power of play, and maybe you are too. I’m not talking about the structured senseless, useless play with “those toys”…(you know the ones.) Those that don’t foster any kind of creativity at all. That actually stunt our kids’ development. Yea those. How do you know? And is ‘play’ really the route we should take our children?

    I dare say heck yes.

    baby from te belly down on the floor sitting up playing with colorful wooden shape blocks

    Here’s why:

    Play is truly the heart of how our kids learn and develop. Its fundamental in developing basic skills that will support our children’s literacy and understanding of the world as they continue to grow.

    birds eye view of children hands playing with toys and arts and crafts on white flooring

    Key benefits of play:

    • Creativity and problem solving:

    By allowing our kids the freedom to play and make their own choices, we give them the opportunity to explore, use their imagination, discover, explore and express themselves. It’s the most natural way for children to piece the world together and develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills

    • Social interaction

    Playing with other children and working through conflicts that are sure to come, allows them to understand themselves and others. Working through their emotions is sure to build emotional development

    • Physical development

    When we let our kids play, we’re allowing them to build physical skills and use different body muscles that will later help with language and writing

    birds eye view of a christmas monkey
    • Communication

    Simply put, surrounding our kids with other kids allows them to mimic what they see and hear. Which in turn will support language and the way they communicate with us.

    birds eye view of a child reading for a crayon from a pencil holder

    What are your thoughts?

    Should you waste money on toys for your kids? 2
    children playing on bed with pillows
    Should you waste money on toys for your kids? 3
  • How to pray with your children (because praying warriors aren’t built in a day!)

    How to pray with your children

    Everything we do in life brings an opportunity for prayer and falling at His feet. And it’s okay if prayer looks different for each child and each family. As a new Christian, I’ve always wondered, how can I pray with my children? Here are a few ways I’ve used, and you can try as well:

    Pray from books:

    At different seasons of life, it can be beneficial to read and savor prayers from books, devotionals and of course, the Bible.

    Pray spontaneously:

    This is exactly as it sounds! Praying in the moment, from the heart. It’s one of my favorite ways because there’s no planning or stress. LOL. Just plain ‘ol good worship. This is extremely powerful!

    Pray with dance/movement:

    When I had my first child, I knew that I wanted and needed to teach her the Word, but I had no idea how to do that. All I did *know, was that prayer was quiet and on your knees. [*based on observations as a child in a mostly Roman Catholic area] But, for our energetic, holy-spirit filled daughter, this didn’t seem like the best option for an infant-toddler. And one day, my husband just started singing rhymes and coordinating dance movements that I’d never heard or seen before. They were catchy, easy to learn, and most importantly, they taught her, US, God’s truth!

    Silent prayer

    I think this option may suit older children better [since they can understand the concept more], but there’s just something about teaching our kids that at any moment, they can quiet their spirits and speak to Him. Although this may or may not be an option for your family, it’s worth a try. I personally appreciate this type of prayer during certain times of the day, and when I opt for silent prayer, I tell my littles of 1 and 4 years, that ‘mommy is going to pray quietly now, so no loud noises. Only whispering. Time for quiet time.’

    How to pray with your children (because praying warriors aren't built in a day!) 4

    When family prayer doesn’t go as planned

    Take 1. Take 2…Take 37!

    Have you been there? Are you there right now?

    In the midst of the ever chaotic, not going as planned, blue-faced moments of frustration… Yea.

    You’re replaying everything in your head, wondering, how and where the heck it all fell apart. Everything was going according to plan. You see, hungry and easily distracted littles[squirrel!] don’t particularly care for detailed plans.

    We plan everything ahead, and we expect family prayer to go according to plan. BUT, we aren’t praying with our priest, father, reverend or a nun. That would be picture perfect. Instead, we’re praying with children, a jungle of family members that’s far from quiet or peaceful.

    Be prepared for tiredness, irritability, siblings bickering, and never-ending requests [potty or drinks anyone?!] Simply put, you will have loads of moans, giggles, and yawns, and that’s okay! I know its hard. It is. Really!

    Not many of us are prepared for the darts across the room like an action hero cartoon character, when we’ve envisioned little well-behaved, eager to listen- angels. Or those mid-sentence interruptions with ever so important demands while reading Proverbs 8:33.

    How to pray with your children (because praying warriors aren't built in a day!) 5

    These are some of the ways I pray with our children and always eager for new ideas. Don’t hold any high expectations and certainly don’t stress over changed plans. Its normal mama. Hang in there and strive for progress, not perfection.

    How about you? How do you pray for your children?

    praying child
    kids praying
    child praying