A few years ago my husband and I went to a cash system for handling our expenses. Most of our major bills are paid online but the other stuff, like clothing, haircuts, groceries and entertainment money gets pulled out on a bimonthly basis. Hubby is the budget master of the family and has a thing for spreadsheets. He makes sure every dollar is given a home so we know exactly what our money is being spent on. The cash system works for me because I can see exactly what I have to spend for each category.

Once we went to the cash system we had separate envelopes for each category. I knew there was no way I would keep up with a system like that! I can just picture a jumbled mess of receipts and wadded up envelopes, can’t you? Now I keep my cash stash all neat and organized in a little accordion coupon file. The extra slots in the back holds reward cards, gift certificates, insurance cards and coupons! The perfect size for any purse!

Hockey is a great North American tradition and our family heads off to the arena on a regular basis to watch our kids try to get a puck in a net. Daddy-o even builds an ice rink in the backyard every winter so they can play among themselves and with neighbourhood kids. My 10-year-old son was keen to play through summer and a few weeks ago his team was in the championship game. It was a summer house league 3-on-3 team so hardly a highly competitive environment. But what I saw at the game horrified me.

Two players got in a squabble on the ice and the coach from the other team started screaming “HIT HIM! HIT HIM!” You caught it when I said this was summer house league, right? And I did mention that the kids were 10-years-old, didn’t I?

This behaviour was carried on throughout the game by both the coach and several parents. The teenaged referee looked as though he might cry. I was quite sure there would be dads punching it out in the parking lot afterwards. So, it left me wondering about what happens out there in the world where parents are actually secretly (or not so secretly) hoping that their kid is the next Wayne Gretzky. How do they behave at games?

I decided to consult my uncle who, having raised a handful of athletic kids, has survived countless 6:00am hockey practices and out-of-town tournaments. He relayed some pretty shocking stories of hockey parent antics and expressed that he has always believed that parents should be made to view the game from behind sound-proof plexiglass to spare their kids from their abuse and damaging comments. On one occasion, parents sitting behind him in the arena were behaving so outrageously that he turned around and snapped a photo of them. Yeah, that went over like a lead balloon – apparently they didn’t want proof that they were ridiculous ranting idiots at their kids’ sports games.

Since hockey has generally just been a good bit of fun for our family, this was a real eye-opener. So, hockey parents – what are your experiences? Are the parents crazy, a bit over-excited or mostly just sensible and enjoying a good game of hockey?

Today I wanted to share two quick tips that will help you get organized and save your sanity in the kitchen.

1.Do you ever fight with taking the aluminum foil out of the box? Some of you may know what I mean, that pesky roll tries to jump out if you roll it too fast. I realized there are special tabs on the end of the box that locks the roll into place. All you have to do is press them in! Did you know the boxes had that feature? I have heard not all of them do though.

2.If math is not your thing like myself then converting measurements might be a royal pain if you have to double or triple a recipe for a get together. Martha Stewart has a cute little cooking Measurement Chart you can print off and tape on the inside of your cabinet!

Q: Family life has so many responsibilies; all I ever talk with my husband about is bills and schedules, and all I ever talk with my kids about is homework and behavior.  I vaguely remember a time when I used to laugh and we used to have fun.  How do I try and reclaim that?

A: When I was pregnant with my first child, a friend shared that his young daughter had woken him at 3am asking for a bowl of cereal, and he dutifully sat with her at the kitchen table while she ate.  I was shocked.  My idea of impending motherhood had included all sorts of dos and don’t, bests and betters – and none of them included allowing my preschool child to wake me in the middle of the night for breakfast food.  But in reality, this small and simple lesson was exactly what I needed.

There is a time and a place for rules, for structure.  Bills have to be paid, homework has to be done, and it’s correct to expect proper behavior from kids.  But  you’ve got to allow for the silly, the unexpected.  You’ve got to be willing to eat cereal at 3am.

If you’ve laid a strong foundation, and your family knows what’s expected of them, one little foray into sillyness won’t tear everyone off-track, not for long anyway.  Play is important.  It brings families together, helps to create priceless memories, and gives relief from the ordinary stresses of life.  It makes you feel you again.

Think of something – right now - that you enjoy doing with your family.  Be fiercely committed to making it happen, whether it be a tennis game at the local court, or a roadtrip to the next state.  Be fearless in allowing yourself to laugh and do the unexpected.  You simply must protect that playful part of your spirit that puts the rest of life in perspective.

How should I start incorporating chores into my child’s routine? I like the idea that he should have some responsibilities but I’m not sure how much to expect from him?

Start ‘em young: We all love the phase when toddlers beg to help with dusting and vacuuming (alas, they seem to outgrow it quickly!). Maximize this phase by suggesting new tasks they can help with. Try getting them to help set the table, put (plastic!) dishes in the sink, or pull the recycle bin down the driveway to the curb. Yes, it would be 5 times faster if you did it yourself, but at this age it’s more about the lesson than the extra set of hands.

Change it up: Rather than always having the same tasks, ‘Bobby mows the lawn,’ ‘Betsy walks the dog,’ change it from week to week so everybody gets a chance to do something different. Do keep some tasks part of the regular schedule though– garbage that is only taken out once a month and dishes that are only cleared on Thursdays aren’t going to be very helpful to anybody!

Don’t make it about you: Chores shouldn’t be viewed as a favour to mom. Incorporate them into the day along with teeth-brushing and getting dressed. If kids think they’re helping out just to make you happy, then they hold all the cards if they decide to engage you in a power struggle.

Nanny Carrie’s Tip: Avoid attaching rewards to completed chores. If allowance is hinged on every washed dish and made bed, kids may decide they’d rather skip out on the cash. However, this will be easier the younger you start. If you are starting chores with older kids for the first time, you may need a little incentive program to get the ball rolling!

Do your kids have chores/household responsibilities? How did you get them started?