One thing I’ve learned from the popular From the Mouths of Moms parenting tips series is that every mom, child, and family is different. And each mom assesses their own unique experiences, values, and circumstances to make the best parenting decisions possible for their own child and family. Each mother knows best and tries to do her best for her child.
So why not share and learn from one another; moms helping moms. Every Tuesday, I spotlight one mama and her “best” tips for mothers on parenting advice, resources, and products. This week featured we welcome back one of B-Inspired Mama’s best mama friends, Kim from The Educators’ Spin On It…
Mama Knows Best
Kim from The Educators’ Spin On It
Best Pregnancy or Birth Advice
Every pregnancy is different! After having 3 babies, I’ve realized that the pregnancies feel new each time. I do think that time quickly helps you to forget the details and you mostly remember the good ones. Try to enjoy every moment of it and take lots of pictures of your growing belly!
Best Parenting Website
Sign up for the sites that give you updates each week when your baby is a newborn and then eventually each month. It’s important to see which milestones they should be reaching around the times. Plus it helps you to set goals to work on together as a family. Baby Center and Parenting were the first I discovered as a new mom. Now the Kid Blogger Network is where I send new moms who ask me too.
Best Blog for Moms
There are so many great ones to choose from. For me personally I turned to No Time for Flashcards quite a bit when I began to stay was home with my daughter instead of teaching 6 years ago. Allison does a great job of making things simply and creative and educational all at the same time. Plus she throws a few songs here and there that reminded me of all the things I had stored in the back of my head.
Best Baby Product
Hard to choose just one but I would saw my Boppy Pillow was probably the most used that first year. From nursing to propping her up after nursing to helping with encouraging tummy time it was a versatile piece for me to use with my babies. The second time around I even brought it to the hospital with me to help with those first days of nursing.
Best Parenting Advice
You know what’s best for your child trust your first instinct. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or talk to your pediatrician when something doesn’t seem right to you. They are always a phone call away.
Dr. Becky Bailey was a former professor of mine, who at the time even founded the college of Early Childhood at my college. I would say any one of her books will give you much guidance as a parent. One of my favorites is There’s Gotta Be a Better Way.
Best Children’s Book
I don’t think I could ever choose just one book, we even have a whole page designated to LOVE BOOKs on our website and participate in the Virtual Book Club every month. The one book that for some reason each of my children has fallen in love with is Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram. As they grew older we’d have little competitions at night to see who cold come up with creative ways of saying how much we love each other.
Best Kids’ Toy
No matter the age, no matter if you have a boy or girl blocks of any type are a must! LEGOs are definitely considered blocks too! It’s so much fun to see the power of imagination at play with blocks. They can transform into anything!
Best Kids’ Game
Over the years we’ve enjoyed playing Monopoly Junior with each of our kids. It’s not very long to establish a winner. Plus it keeps everyone engaged and having fun with money and real estate.
Best Kids’ Craft
Water colors are probably the most favorite at our house and in my classroom. They are so simple to use and their creations always turn out unique and beautiful.
Best Outdoor Play Idea
Water play with a water table or water container. You can make any day fun with a few containers and some water.
Best Way to Stay Organized
Confession I used to be much more organized when I had fewer children and worked full-time. Now I’m always home making a mess of things and that’s something I’ve had to acknowledge. Truthfully I think what works best for our family is when things are clearly labeled and have assigned stations. My best suggestion is to host a playdate, trust me you’ll have your house put back to order in no time, it’s the power of friends.
Best Way to Keep a Happy Relationship or Marriage
Knowing what fills each others’ tank keeps our marriage happy; the bottom line to that is communication.
Best Family Outing or Vacation
When we get the chance we love to travel and luckily we’ve been able to travel to some pretty amazing places including India and England. I think that anytime you can connect with nature and see something for the first time makes it a great outing for us.
Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant
Patio dining at any restaurant is a great tip for any family. Something about being outside that makes it a little less stressful. I’ve been known to travel a few times here and there with a napping baby at lunch dates with my hubby.
Best Family Meal or Recipe
I turn to Kraft Recipes when I’m looking for easy meals and ready for a change in the menu. Plus if you’re watching sales many times their products are the BOGO that you’re not quite sure how you’ll cook with it. Otherwise I’m always finding things on Pinterest and sharing on our Recipe Board or Cooking with Kids Board.
Best Behavior Management or Discipline Tip
After teaching and parenting for 19 years I feel the need to say that every child is different and will react differently to authority figures. Building a loving, caring and trusting relationship is the key. Being consistent, verbalize and model your expectations. Tips for Parenting a Strong Willed Child has been one of our most viewed posts that I think can be applied to many children.
Best Way to Spend a Mommy Moment
I find that if I can escape everyone once in a while with my friends for a lunch or dinner out or crafting night out with adult conversations that are actually in complete sentences I feel ten times more like myself when I return.
Kim is the co-author of The Educators’ Spin On It . As an early childhood teacher and a mom of three, she’s learned many tips and tricks of parenting and teaching along the way in the past 20 years. She shares her “Educator’s Spin” on parenting issues and how make learning playful and playtime meaningful. You can also find The Educators’ Spin On It on Facebook and Pinterest.
Christy says
What a cute family. Great series. Thanks for linking up to tip-toe thru tuesday.
Amanda @ Dirt and Boogers says
Kristy, I seriously love this series…keep it up! Kim, it’s great to get to know you better. I love your blog for so many reasons!
Kim @ The Educators Spin On It says
You’re so sweet Amanda, thanks! We’re big fans of your blog as well!
Kim @ The Educators Spin On It says
Thank you so much Krissy for having us guest post on Mama Knows Best! It’s still a work in progress at our house but hopefully I was able to share one little thing that you didnt’ know already. It’s been so much fun getting to know some of our favorite Mom Bloggers through this series.
Krissy @ B-InspiredMama says
I know – I just love learning from all of you through this series. Such great tips, Kim!