creativechild.

com

JANUARY 2017

BRRR!
IT’S COLD
OUTSIDE!
INDOOR ACTIVIES
THAT WILL COMBAT
WINTER BOREDOM

REALISTIC
5
WAYS TO
CUT CHORES
IN HALF
ROOSTER
CRAFT
2017 IS THE YEAR
OF THE ROOSTER!

TASTY FOOD,
GOOD FOR YOU!
EASY WAYS TO MAKE
HEALTHY SNACKING FUN.
 CONTENTS

in Season
5 Indoor Activities for Cold Days

editor's choice
11 5 Realistic Ways to Cut Our Chores
35 Letter to My Daughter

kid's kitchen
16 Benefits of Making Healthy Snacks

craft corner
23 2017 Year of the Rooster Craft

helpful tips
27 Help Your Kids Chart for Success

1
Boring Winter Day? Ten Dollar Cure.
Available nationwide at

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 CREATIVE CHILD

S T A F F
publisher/editor-in-chief
Scott Reichert

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Diane Morse

Art Director
Katy Stewart

marketing director
Marikate Wilson

digital content editor

Jenna Gleason

contributing WRITERS
Sarah Lyons
Deborah Song
Rebecca Eanes​
Michelle Dempsey
Jenna Gleason
Web Developer
B&R Designs

president of advertising & marketing

Melissa Vincent
[email protected] | 818.897.9999

associate publisher
Mindy Reichert

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 IN SEASON

INDOOR ACTIVITIES
for Cold Days
The temperatures are dropping but your child’s energy
level sure isn’t! That might mean your kids are bouncing off
the walls and you need to reign in the chaos. When it’s too
cold to play outside, try these indoor activities.

BY: Rebecca Eanes

5
Get Creative with Paints, Pencils, and Paper

When a coloring book and a box of crayons just

won’t do, up your game by creating drawing
prompts for your kids. Draw one half of something
and ask them to finish it, or draw random lines on
paper and ask them to use their imagination to
create something using those lines. Do a paint-
by-number or let them go wild with finger paint
and giant sheets of paper or poster board. Sketch
portraits of each other, the pets, or the fruit bowl
on the kitchen counter.
My suggestion: Challenge your kids to draw
their favorite book character.
Get Crafty

Those frigid days are a great time to do crafts

with your child, from simple paper plate crafts
to creating a quilt together. Take this time to
learn to crochet together, learn woodworking,
or make hand-made Christmas ornaments. Make
tie dyed tee shirts or holiday coasters. You can
find instructions online for anything your child
wants to make.
My suggestion: Create a costume. Look
through mom or dad’s closet to find scarfs, ties,
jewelry, and hats. Get all dressed up and then
have a fun photo shoot!

6
 IN SEASON

Get Down and Boogie

What better time to learn to play an

instrument than when you’re stuck inside
with cabin fever? Start with a recorder or
harmonica for something relatively simple, or
go for the electric guitar and the drums if that’s
your style. No instruments? No problem! Get
creative and make music with wind chimes or
pounding on upside down bowls. Select your
favorite playlist on your phone and crank it up
for a dance party. Show your kids how to do the
Macarena or the Twist!
My suggestion: Make a “pots and pans band”
and play your first gig complete with flashing
lights and an audience (even if the audience is
the cat).
Get Competitive

How about a little friendly competition? Board

games were created for times such as these.
Tired of Sorry and Monopoly? Try a different
game like King of Tokyo, 7 Wonders, Settlers
of Catan, or Ticket to Ride. Teach your kids a
new card game, or just play an old favorite. Play
video games together like Super Smash Bros. or
have a building competition on Minecraft.
My suggestion: Have a Minute-to-Win-
It style tournament. There are plenty of ideas
online.

7
Get Sneaky

Hide and seek is a classic

that never gets old. Neither do
scavenger hunts or treasure
hunts. Hide a “treasure” and
draw your kids a treasure map.
This will keep them entertained
for a while!
My suggestion: Fill 10 plastic
baggies with random LEGO
bricks and hide them around
the house. When a bag is found,
you have 3 minutes to create
something using the bricks in
that bag. Once you complete the
challenge, move on to find the
next hidden bag. •

8
 editor’s choice

5 Realistic Ways
to Cut Chores in HALF
BY: sarah lyons

Life as a parent is busy. We juggle work, errands, school activities and time
with friends and family. The last thing we want to think about is chore list,
but that doesn’t mean they don’t need our attention. Here are some tips to cut
chores in half:

11
Make a cleaning schedule
A cleaning schedule helps to assign time for chores to
be completed without them imposing on our free time.
Jennifer Klindworth, Olathe mom to twin girls, says, “I
keep Mondays free of things we have to do outside the
home. This is when I get all the laundry done. I usually
clean the house towards the end of the week so I can enjoy
the weekend.” Having a day set aside for certain chores
helps organize the week, so that your to-do list doesn’t
become overwhelming.

Get the kids involved

Children can pitch in on chores at an early age.
Preschoolers can dust floorboards and furniture, school
age children can load the dishwasher and help with
laundry, and teens, with practice and guidance, can lend
a hand in almost any area. Robin Proskovec of Scranton,
PA says, “I have the older two do daily chores to earn their
allowance. They cannot do any electronics until they are
done, so they are usually pretty motivated.” Teaching
kids to help with family chores not only keeps the house
in order but also has lasting value. “Children over the age
of 5 have daily chores. We start with learning something
simple like putting t-shirts on hangers, folding towels,
or putting away silverware. We rotate chores, but try to
help them progress in skill too. The idea is that they are
ready to take care of a household when they leave home,”
says Krystal Laws, mother of seven.

12
 editor’s choice

Keep up
Do dishes and pick up clutter daily so the stacks do not get out of control.
Helen Ransom from Kansas City says, “My husband and I are both dedicated
to taking the first twenty minutes after putting the kids to bed to cleaning up
- dishes, floors, start a load of laundry, and bathrooms on rotation.” Setting
aside 15-20 minutes each day to maintain the house makes a huge difference.
Those few minutes spent tidying up allow you to enjoy your downtime even
more. “If my kitchen is clean, I feel like I am ahead of the game. Every night
before going to bed I prep lunches for the next day, put away clean dishes, and
reload the dishwasher,” says Kim Barnette, Overland Park mom of two. It is
much easier to maintain a clean house when you keep up on the items that pile
up quickly, but take little time to do each day.

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Do it now, not later
As you walk in the door, automatically hang up your coat and put your
shoes away. As you prepare for bed, put dirty clothes in the hamper.
After eating, immediately place dirty dishes in the dishwasher. By
taking a few seconds to put things away as you finish with them, you
save yourself the time it would take to do it later. A good rule of thumb
is if it takes less than three minutes to do it, do it right away.

Let expectations go a little

Maintaining a clean house can be a challenge for a busy, active family
on the go. There will always be toys to pick up, laundry and dishes
to wash, and school papers to sort. Figure out the level of cleanliness
you can comfortably live with and maintain it. For some, everything
must be clean and put away and for some, a little clutter makes us feel
at home. “Lower your expectations a little. Don’t stress over trying to
make things perfect because they never will be,” says Laws.
By following these simple and realistic tips, you can cut your chores in
half and spend more time doing the things you enjoy. •

TAME MOUNT LAUNDRY

1. Wait until the washer is full to run a load
2. Reuse towels
3. Pajama Day
4. Wear an apron while cooking and cleaning
5. Wear it again
6. Treat stains as soon as possible.
7. Choose one to two days a week to do
laundry
8. OR for the larger family do one to two
loads a day to keep up

14
 kid’s kitchen

Benefits of Making Healthy Snacks

Visually Appealing to Kids
BY: Sarah Lyons

A healthy and well balanced diet is important for kids to maintain healthy
growth and development. Snack time is a great way to incorporate fruits and
vegetables into a child’s daily diet. Children have smaller sized stomachs than
adults and therefore are less likely to eat enough at meals to keep them full and
energized until the next mealtime which makes snack time a great way for
parents to get in those extra nutrients. They also offer a variety of benefits.

16
 kid’s kitchen

Snacking helps kids

develop healthy habits.
Including three meals
and two healthy snacks
into your child’s daily diet
helps kids learn healthy
eating habits that will stick
with them for a lifetime.
Providing a well balanced and
healthy diet helps kids learn
appropriate portion control,
to eat (and enjoy) a variety
of foods including fruits and
vegetables, and develop a
healthy relationship with
food. Kids who learn these
valuable habits early are less
likely to form unhealthy
eating habits such as eating
out of boredom or based on
emotional factors. They also
learn to eat when they are
hungry and stop eating when
they are full, a skill many
adults struggle with.

17
Snacking benefits a child’s overall health.
The development of healthy eating habits at a young
age decreases the likelihood of children developing diseases
like cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,
and heart disease. Kids who eat more fruits and vegetables
and less “junk food” that contain high quantities of
sugar are also more likely to have better dental hygiene.
Kids who maintain a healthy diet, including smart snack
choices, are less likely to binge on foods high in calories and
carbohydrates and are more likely to maintain a healthy
weight throughout their lives.
Snacking gives kids the boost they need.
Without snacking, kids are less likely to meet the
suggested nutritional intake to maintain a healthy diet
because their stomachs are smaller and become full with a
smaller meal. Adding two small snacks a day that provide
fruit, veggies, low fat dairy, or whole grain helps kids fill
in the nutritional gaps they may have been missing from
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition, snacks provide a
boost of energy to get kids through the rest of the day.
Snacking helps power brain development.
Kids who eat healthy snacks are, generally, more
prepared to listen and learn at school because their bellies
are full. They have more energy and are more attentive in
class. Hungry kids become irritable, tired, and less alert.
A healthy snack can do a lot to help kids grow and develop
properly.

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 kid’s kitchen

Now that we understand

the great benefits to healthy
snacking, how can we get
our kids to eat the fruits and
vegetables their bodies need?
Preparing snacks that are
fun encourages kids to try
new foods and may even help
them to forget they are eating
healthy food at all. Here are
some great snacks that kids will
have fun eating.

19
 Frozen banana “ice cream” - For a tasty sweet
treat that is also healthy, simply slice a banana and
freeze overnight. The next day put the bananas in a
blender or food processor and you will have a creamy,
healthy snack that tastes similar to ice cream.
Apple slices - Slices of apple can be more
appetizing for kids and are fun to eat. Add a side of
peanut butter for dipping to make them even more
appealing.
Fruit Kabobs - Fun fruit kabobs are visually
appealing and fun to eat. Create “caterpillars” out of
grapes for a snack that is cute and healthy. Another
way to make fruit appealing is to use cookie cutters to
cut interesting shapes.
Ants on a log - This cute snack is great for an
afternoon snack or a fun surprise in the lunchbox.
Simply fill celery with peanut butter and top with
raisins to make “ants on a log”.
Dinosaur broccoli trees - To a kid, broccoli
resembles a tree. Why not make it fun and bring the
dinosaur toys to the table to “share the trees”. Add
some fun dip like ranch, blue cheese, or cottage cheese
to the side to make it more appealing.
Zucchini spaghetti - Kids love spaghetti. This
healthier alternative is just as tasty as traditional
spaghetti noodles. •

20
 Check out
the video!

6+ 2–4 30
min
 CRAFT CORNER

Year of the Rooster

2017 NEW YEAR CRAFT
Celebrate this Lunar New Year with a fun, simple
and cheap Chinese New Year craft for kids! 2017 is
the year of the rooster, and this craft emphasizes
the lucky colors and excitement surrounding the
festival. Roosters are active, amusing and popular
among the crowd, and according to Chinese
culture, babies born in this year are hardworking,
resourceful, courageous and talented. Let’s start
the new year off with a celebration of the rooster.

BY: Digital Content Staff

23
Supplies:
• Red, orange, yellow, black, brown and white
construction paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• 1 Pipe Cleaner (Color of your choosing)

Directions:
1. Cut out the circle head of the rooster on white construction
paper (keep it proportional to all of the pieces you will be
cutting out). Next cut out the round eye of the rooster
using black construction paper. Tape the eye off to one
side of the rooster’s head. Using the orange construction
paper, cut out the triangle beak and tape it near the eye.
2. Next, cut out the comb on red construction paper and tape
that to the top of the roosters head. For the tail, cut out
1/2 inch thick strips of the construction paper about 8
inches long. With every strip, tape the ends together to
make an oval shape. Place each individually on the rooster
to form it’s tail.
3. To add feathered wings, simply cut out three different
colored “B’s” in various sizes (this should make it look like
layered feathers). Curl the ends of the “B’s” and tape them
to the side of your roosters stomach.
4. Lastly, for the feet, bend your pipe cleaner in a zigzag
formation, then in half, and tape it to the bottom center.
Cut out your rooster feet in any color and tape them to
the ends of the pipe cleaner. You are done! To hang this
decoration, simply tape a ribbon or strip on the back of
the rooster so it can hang.

24
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 helpful tips

How to Help Your Kids

Chart Their Way To Success
BY: Deborah Song
Many parents struggle to find effective consequences while
overlooking the benefits of using rewards. Positive reinforcement is a
proactive way to encourage good behavior, and one that can be easily
accomplished by using charts.

27
 My kindergartener went from making excuses and
refusing to participate in PE to looking forward to it and
becoming an active participant, all because good behavior
meant she could come back to her classroom and move up
the behavior chart. It was an arrangement we worked
out with her homeroom teacher. When I ran into her PE
teacher last week, she threw her arms up and exclaimed,
“It’s like she’s a completely different person.”
The degree of effect of a chart may vary from child to
child, but charts speak the language of kids for the most
part and can be very beneficial. Here’s why.
• They set clear expectations. When you’re clear about
your expectations, you set your kids up for success.
• They’re a great organizational tool. So much goes on
in a given day that sometimes your child may neglect
to do something out of simple forgetfulness. Charts
are a great way to remind your child and help him stay
on task.
• They instill positive reinforcement. Kids often
misbehave to get attention. The idea behind charts is
to pay more attention to the positive behaviors. By
engaging in proactive parenting, there will be less
need for reactive discipline, which makes life more
easy and pleasant for everyone.
• They provide immediate feedback. When kids receive
immediate feedback about their performance, it allows
them to self-correct as needed.

28
 helpful tips

• They provide instant gratification and teach delayed gratification.

A simple checkmark signals a visual cue that your child has done
something right and this can be very rewarding and motivating.
But not only can charts be used to satiate instant gratification;
they can also teach delayed gratification. To further reinforce
good behavior, you can tally up checkmarks accrued during the
week or month and have it translate into a tangible reward. This
teaches kids the complex value of delayed gratification, which
is critical for achieving success in life.
• They help parents retain control. The difference between a bribe
and a reward is that rewards are established ahead of time in a
calm manner, in the absence of crisis. In rewarding your child,
you might say, “I expect you to do your homework quietly and
take a bath without complaining. If you do, you can watch your
favorite show after.” Whereas a bribe might sound something
like, “If you stop whining, I’ll let you watch TV.” A bribe puts
the control in the hands of your kids, whereas a reward keeps
control in the hands of parents.

Charts can be as varied as a child’s personality. Many free

printable charts are available online, including the ones we provide
below. Charts are available for purchase at teachers’ supplies stores.
Or you can even make your own chart to fit your needs. But the type
of chart you choose will likely depend on the goal you are trying to
help your child achieve. Here are a few to help you get started.
• Goal chart. This is a more complex chart to implement but a
great one nonetheless, especially when planning your child’s
goals for the New Year. A goal chart will first require making
a list of what your child’s goals are. You may want to whittle

29
 down the list of goals to a few or a couple so as not to overwhelm
your child. Once you’ve identified your child’s goal or goals, map
out the road to success. If your child, for example, wants to become
the next spelling bee champion, you may break up the tasks into
interactive testing, individual studying, studying etymology, etc.
Don’t shy away from supporting your child’s ambitions. Even if
they don’t reach their lofty goal, they will have likely advanced
much farther than where they started from. And they will have
learned the beginning strategies behind tackling a complex goal.
They will also learn gauge success using healthy metrics, especially
if you reward them for their effort and not their outcome.

• Chore chart. The same can

be said for a chores chart.
Every family will have their
own chores whether it’s
making your bed, getting
dressed by yourself, making
your own lunch, or loading
the dishwasher. So using a
flexible template or creating
your own is a great option
here as well.
• Single behavior chart. A
single behavior chart usually
works well when you’re
focusing on a single task like
potty training. Since all you
need is a single column for
every day of the week, you
can easily access a printable,
purchase a generic one or
even make your own.

30
 helpful tips

• Multiple behavior chart. For those

of you who have trouble getting
out the door in the morning or
need help coaxing your child to
take a bath at night, this one’s
for you! Columns can include
everything from brushing teeth
to waking up on time, to taking
a bath without whining. Since
behavior charts will usually
require specific tailoring to each
child, using a flexible template or
even creating your own chart is a
great option.

Coming up with a suitable chart is a

great place to start. But accomplishing
goals and motivating your child to
good behavior will require more than
taping a chart to a wall. Here are some
tips on how to get the most effective
use out of charts.
• Learn by trial and error. You
will likely need to augment your
child’s chart according to your
child’s changing needs. Be flexible
with your chart and be ready to
change it. The chart is there to
serve you and your child’s needs,
not the other way around.

31
• Be consistent about charting.
Inconsistent reporting negates
the effectiveness of using
a chart. If you only check
off completed chores in the
beginning of the week and
forget to do it on the weekend,
your child may be less motivated
to participate.
• Acknowledge good behavior
in front of others. Some
kids, like my daughter, are
very motivated by public
acknowledgement. Even if it’s
to highlight a job well done in
the course of a week in front
of your immediate family
members, recognition can go a
long way.
• and finally... Reinforce good
behavior with rewards. When
consistent effort and good
behavior as indicated on a
chart translate to a tangible
reward, your child will be
motivated to continue the
course, and learn about delayed
gratification in the process.
Rewards should be tailored to a
child’s interests according to a
parent’s approval. •

32
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 editor’s choice

Letter to
My Daughter
BY: michelle dempsey

To My Beautiful, Thriving, 2-Year-Old Princess,

By the time you can read this, you may have already rolled your
eyes at that fact that I wrote you a letter.
But I have something important to share with you.

35
 You may be sick and tired of me telling you to love yourself,
be proud of yourself, and remain true to your individuality.
You may think I’m annoying, or maybe a bit nuts, and while
this could all very well be true, there’s a little something you
should know about your mommy.
Before you, I wasn’t me.
Before you, I was broken. Badly broken. A type of broken I
couldn’t ever put into words but could only hope you’d never
understand.
You see, I didn’t love myself, have any pride, or even
understand the ability of being able to stay true to my
individuality.
Before you, I wasn’t me.
When I found out I’d be bringing you into this world. I
panicked. Freaked out. Became sad at the thought that I might
not be strong enough to be the type of mom you needed. To
teach you how to love yourself when I couldn’t even be kind
to myself. To force you to be proud of each unique quality
you possess, flaws and all.
But then I met you. And instantly, I knew just how to be
what you needed. In fact, for the first time, I loved myself.
I was proud of myself. I realized why my flaws were so
powerful.
When you were born, I was too.
With the first touch of your skin, everything made sense.
With the first kiss, I knew that all of it, all of the pain,
suffering, sadness, doubt, and self-hatred were all for a
reason. They were all to lead me to this. To you.

36
 editor’s choice

And that’s why I know that if I can do it, if I can make my life
everything I dreamed it could be, then you can too, without question.
Stop rolling your eyes. Because you need to know, that before you, I
wasn’t me. But when you were born, I was too.
And in that birth, came the knowledge that our setbacks, our pain,
our heartbreak, our unrequited love – it’s all part of the game. Part of
the plan. Part of the puzzle.

37
 So here’s the plan.
No matter what life throws at you, remember that you’re not like
the rest of them. No matter how you’re made to feel by anyone else,
remember that you’ve got this. No matter how hard times may get,
how much you feel disappointed in yourself, how much you wish
for better circumstances, you are built to come out ahead. You are
built to win. It’s in your DNA whether you like it or not.
How do I know this?
Because when you were born, you brought a grown woman back to
life. You taught your mother how to love herself, find her passion,
become a successful business woman, and love without fear.
You are not like the rest of them.
You are powerful, my love. You have a fierce independent spirit,
a confidence unlike anything I’ve seen, and a self-assured sense of
self that blows my mind. All of which I never had.
So do not, under any circumstances or for any reason, let anyone
take this from you. It’s what’s going to carry you very far in life –
and I can’t wait to sit back and let you continue to blow my mind,
with each passing year of your life.
And you will! Because you have a mother who will remind you
each and every day of the great power that you possess, and that
you’re not like the rest of them. Don’t ever be like the rest of them.
Thank you, for making me “me,” and for allowing me to find the
beauty in life.
Now go back to changing the world.
I love you.
Your Mommy!

38
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