But I don’t waaaannnt to! (Whining)

February 7th, 2010
Written by: Nanny Carrie

I can’t stand the whining!  Sometimes it feels like my child is whining all day, every day.  What can I do to discourage it and get her to communicate nicely?

It’s a sound a parent could identify anywhere…the dreaded whining of a grumpy kiddo.  And is it just me or is it that much more difficult to listen to when we’re cooped up inside on cold winter months? 

You may have a child who can be jollied out of their whiny moods with mama making jokes or even echoing the whine so they can giggle about how silly it sounds.  Not my boy.  Around here, whining quickly turns into wailing if he feels I’m not taking him seriously.  So what can we do to keep the tone cheerful?

Respect the problem:  More often than not, your little one is whining because something is wrong.  It doesn’t mean you can fix it (“Yes, you still have to make your bed.”  “No you may not have cookies for dinner.”), but you can still show your child that you understand their feelings.  Validate their emotions with comments like “I understand that you don’t want to tidy up the playroom but someone might trip and get hurt if there are toys all over the floor.”  Your child will appreciate it if they feel like they’re being heard.

Ignore it: Once you’ve acknowledged their reasons for being upset, you’re free to ignore the whining that continues.  Don’t forget though, younger ones will need reminders to switch to a more cheerful tone. (“Use your words please.”  “Can you ask me in a friendly voice?”)

Distract them:  Nothing has me knocking on the neighbour’s door begging for a playdate faster than a toddler who woke up on the wrong side of bed.  A change of scenery and some new faces can help perk up even the grumpiest mood.  Get out for a walk or call up a playmate.

Nanny Carrie’s Tip:  None of these solutions will do any good if you’re dealing with a hungry or tired child.  If the whining has reached its peak, take a minute to think back on the day and you may find that this morning’s exhausting soccer game or an unfinished breakfast might be the root of the problem.  An early bedtime or a little blood sugar boost might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Snapshots of BlissDom’10

February 6th, 2010
Written by: Caitlin Madden




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Organizing Pots, Pans and Lids, Oh My!

February 4th, 2010
Written by: Tanna Clark

Last week, Carrie commented, “If you had any tips for organizing the pots and pans cupboard so that the lids would stop crashing onto the floor as I take a pot out from the bottom of the stack, I would be forever indebted!” Forever indebted? Wow! OK, so I might not hold Carrie to that, although it sounds pretty good, but I will share a few tips on how you can tackle one of the peskier kitchen dilemmas.

There are a few different ways you can handle this and obviously it depends on the amount of space that you have. Assuming you are storing your pots, pans and lids in a cabinet, here are a few things you can try…

1.Use pull-out drawers to maximize space. We have drawers in our lower cabinets so that we can nest our pots and pans in each other and maximize the whole space available. Oftentimes in cabinets the main problem is having to reach in and fumble around for what it is you are looking for. We use an extra drawer for our lids.
2. Turn lids upside down on the pots and pans and stack by size. Usually your pots and pans will stack quite nice and neat if you simply turn the lid over.
3. Use the cabinet door. Install a lid organizer on the inside of the door to hang your lids on for easy access.
4. Go vertical. If you have enough space in your cabinet, think about storing the lids vertically and stack your pots and pans next to them.

Hopefully this gave you a few ideas, Carrie! If your situation is different, feel free to leave a comment and I can help you find a solution. If all else fails and you have some extra wall space in the kitchen, you can store your pots and pans like Julia Child! Then you will have plenty of cabinet space for the lids!

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Resolutions Re-visited

January 31st, 2010
Written by: Julie Cole

So we’ve made it to February, which is usually the time when folks have either fallen off the New Year’s resolution wagon or take a step back to assess how they are doing.

I am happy to report that I am doing great! OK, it might have something to do with the fact that I don’t really do resolutions. My theory is that I suffer enough. So, while I’m raising small kiddos, I get a resolution “free pass”. Do we mamas really need extra stress and self induced pressure?

I get that everyone wants to be healthy and lose a few pounds. I’ve got a postcard on our fridge that has an illustration of a goddess woman, with the words “Can you pinch an inch? Do you give a shit?” It’s just a reminder that maybe mamas need to cut ourselves a bit of slack – a few pounds and an extra inch or two is a small price to pay for getting to grow humans in our bodies.

Rather than putting pressure on myself this year, I am relieving myself of it. I have two examples:

1) My photo dilemma: I had five years worth of unprinted photos hanging around my neck like an albatross. I finally admitted that there was no time in the foreseeable future that I could dedicate to this project, and it was only getting bigger with each photo taken. A quick Facebook status update asking if anyone was up for a project put an end to my photo woes. Project has now been completely outsourced. The weight that has been lifted from my shoulders is indescribable.

2) The next outsource came in the shape of a teenaged homework helper who has a 95% average in French Immersion. My son’s FI was causing me an incredible amount of stress. My lack of French rendered me useless – throw in the fact that I don’t really get Gr. 5 Science either and I was a complete waste of space. Now, three times a week my angel teenager relieves me of that aggravation. My son does well on his homework, understands the material and I am no longer pulling my hair out every evening.

Outsourcing these little projects certainly ends up costing a mama a few bucks, but I am a strong believer that at whatever cost, you can’t put a price on mama’s sanity!

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3 Games That Teach Children Basic Organizing Skills

January 28th, 2010
Written by: Tanna Clark

Here are three sorting, stacking and memorization games that are fun, but at the same time they help teach children the basic skills of organizing. Shhh, I won’t tell them if you don’t.

Sorting - Find common household objects like buttons, coins and keys and let your kids sort. They can sort by size, type and color. Have them sort the items first to see how they might arrange things. A lot of visual learners will sort by color if given the choice.

Stacking – Did you know there is a stacking sport? It’s called speed stacking and it is growing in popularity across the US. Simply put, it is a game of stacking cups extremely fast in order to build a pyramid and then taking it back down again. Kids love it but really it is teaching them some great skills like hand-eye coordination, focus, and creativity to name a few!

Memorization – My kids are loving the game Memory right now. You lay all of the cards out and turn over two at a time until you make a match. I am surprised at how well my 3 year old can recall where the hidden match is and she even shows me up every once in a while!

Teaching these basic skills early on will help your children conquer their organizing journeys in the future!

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  • ABOUT THE BLOG

    The Mabelhood is the sum of all blogs, combining posts from Mabel Labels' bloggers Julie Cole, Caitlin Madden and a cast of guest bloggers. The Mabelhood documents the daily dramas of a group of people raising families and a label making business, plus everything else in-between.

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