As your child gets older and more independent, the summer break takes on a whole different vibe. Your now-teenager has successfully navigated middle school, some of high school, and possibly even completed Drivers’ Ed (eek!) At this point, they’re likely pretty entrenched in their daily routine: getting to class, completing assignments, attending practice, and (hopefully) doing their chores. And then summer arrives and it all falls apart. Your once busy teenager suddenly has hours and hours of time to play with and no direction creating a situation that can quickly escalate out of moms control—so here are some summer tips for moms with teens to help nip it in the bud right from the start.
The school year is drawing to a close and summer will be here in a minute, with it the buzz of schoolkids ready to burst from the confines of their routine and be free. Never fear: a successful summer transition is within your reach. The change from classroom to summer setting need not be jarring—for you or your child (or your teen). Doing a bit of prep before summer’s arrival will ease you all into this change and set you up for a summer of grand memories and structured good times.
My day starts with checking the uniform cleanliness status, the color coded calendar on the refrigerator, and my supply of coffee and coconut milk creamer.
Because I’m a Sports Mama.
I have four extremely active children. On any given day we potentially have three softball games in three different cities in the Metro, a volleyball game somewhere in the school district, a football game up to four hours away, dance rehearsal and a dad and mom who may be coaching any of those things…..well, not the dance or football. That’s just the fall season.
Screen time is a big debate, particularly when you have middle schoolers. Some people think kids are on their phones too much, some people aren’t too worried. In our world, screens are a necessity, a connector and also learning tools – parents just may want to ensure that their kids are using them in a balanced way. Whatever comfort level parents have, the common thread is wanting to be able to make the best choices that reflect their values. That’s why I love Apple’s Screen Time function. Apple doesn’t tell you how to parent – they just give you the tools and data to be able to make the decisions that are right for your family.
This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.
The air quality this summer was difficult, leading to more time indoors than we had hoped, but with the cool of fall we are prone to staying warm and cozy inside. With the summer being the way it was, I don’t want to miss out on any of the beauty of fall by camping out on the sofa under my blanket. Let’s not miss out! Instead, I want to encourage you to get outside before the winter months really make us want to hibernate.
Sports are a great way to have fun and escape the stress of everyday life. It teaches kids discipline, perseverance, and gives balance to screen time. No matter what sport you’ve signed up for, there are a few essential items you’ll want to bring along. I’m a proud soccer mom and my boys love to play in the sun. I love that they have fun, but I also like to be prepared – just in case. Check out this handy list for tips on packing for your first day on the field.
Have you played Fortnite yet? If you haven’t, you probably know someone who has as the game’s popularity has exploded in recent months, attracting celebrities, professional athletes, and gamers of all ages. Unfortunately, Fortnite’s mass appeal is attracting hackers and scammers too. Players and parents need to pay attention in order reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud playing Fortnight.
Part of the game’s attraction is that it’s free and available to players across multiple video game consoles, PCs, and mobile phones. The Hunger Games-like world of Fortnite allows players to showcase their creativity while playing. However, scammers are also getting creative.
Fortnite creator Epic Games recently warned about the most common Fortnite scam on its Twitter account for players: “Say NO to scams! Beware of scam sites offering free or discounted V-Bucks.”
Parents looking for fun and inspiring activities to do for the family or kids can turn to their local Apple store to register for free kids programs with Apple through “Today at Apple” spanning coding, photography, music and arts lead by Apple Creatives. These are also relevant to UrbanMommies readers in Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba too. Here are some examples of the programming offered at Apple stores across the Lower Mainland!
Children have big dreams. Usually, these dreams seem so far-fetched that grow ups will say, “That’s impossible,” but the heart of a child knows better. Even if the youngest of my companions during a screening of the animated film Leap! could see all best friends Felicie and Victor really need is the courage and the faith to take a leap if they want to realize their dreams of reaching Paris to become a ballerina and inventor.
Little Alchemy is a HIGHLY addictive and intellectually stimulating game about combining elements to create other elements. It’s like starting out the universe with a petrie dish that includes air, water, earth and fire and combining them so creatively that you end up with beavers, sailboats, lightsabres and jam. As an example, air + fire = energy or E=MC2. You can then use energy combined with wood to make paper.