Teaching Toddlers 102: Watering Flowers

 

When I look at Nico, it is hard to  believe that my vibrant energetic mess machine was a helpless infant less than a year ago. Time really does fly, and they really do grow up in the blink of an eye! In the short growth gap when our little ones go from babyhood to childhood, there is an array of important lessons they must learn. We all want to give our children the earliest possible preparation!

One tip I picked up is that it is never too early to start teaching them responsibility. 

 At around 18 months, most babies are highly aware of their surroundings, and they are aware that they can have both negative and positive effects on those surroundings. For example, a few months ago, Nico discovered that he was just tall enough to reach the low light switches in the house; whenever mommy or daddy isn't looking he begins to constantly click them on and off. 

But, soon enough he will learn that "With great power, comes great responsibility."

Now is the time to start showing your toddler how to take care of the things he can directly effect. Start with simple things and gradually increase complexity as the child becomes even more aware of the world around him. 

• When you leave or enter a room let the child turn the light on, or off, teaching him to conserve energy.
• If you have plants in your home or garden, let your little one help you water them, teaching her to take care of the environment. 
• If you have a pet let the toddler help/watch you feed it, teaching him that living creatures share our planet and might sometimes need our help. By letting him groom the animal gently under your supervision you are also teaching him how to handle other living things with tender care. 
• At the end of play time, let her help you pick up her toys, if you don't already do this. She will learn to clean up after herself. 
• When you are putting away his clothes, let him put a few items in the drawer so he will learn that everything has a place, and that sometimes, even mommy needs a little help!

Those five little "chores" may seem trivial to us as adults, but they could make your toddler feel like a SUPER BABY! Whenever he/she completes a task give them loads of praise and lots of high fives! Encouragement is the best way to reinforce and maintain gratifying behavior, and it makes those little guys feel special, and important!

Mommy & Me Monday

This weekend was one EPIC party! 
 Pedro and I decided that Nico would enjoy a fun weekend with Grandma while we went to the Electric Daisy Carnival!

It was truly an AMAZING experience, but I think we both miss our little Gummy Bear <3

We're coming for you Nico!!

Build Your Own Doors!

 

All throughout my life I was always told to be mindful of open doors. My parents and teachers told me to keep my eyes and ears alert because opportunities are everywhere. As a result, I did my best in school to make sure that when those opportunities presented themselves, I might be "the chosen one." However, through my experience I have realized how unproductive that way of thinking is. 

We should always strive to be our best, but because everyone is so different, my best is not the same as your best, which creates advantages in certain situations. But me being better than someone at something doesn't necessarily mean that I am more deserving than them, or vice-versa. 

If given the chance I feel that we can ALL be great at doing what we love. Not only that, but we can actually make our dreams a reality without having to rely on anyone but ourselves!

You will be surprised how successful you can be by asking yourself 3 simple questions:

STEP 1: What do you want? - The problem that most people face is confusion and indecisiveness. We don't have what we want because we have no idea what we want! When you are wading through life with no general direction, you are at least 3 times as likely to be disappointed in old age. The first major decision you must make is how you want your life to turn out, or what kind of things you want to achieve. 

STEP 2: How can you get it? - Once you know what you want to do, the next task would be creating a plan of action. This is usually where people give up. It is common to think that you are too poor, or not smart enough, or not skilled enough to do what you wish you could. I am here to tell you that there is always a way around a road block, and there is always an advantage to every situation. Over the summer when I had free time because I was not in school, I saw that as an opportunity to write a book. When I had the miscarriage, I saw my experience as an opportunity to share my story with other women passing through a similar experience in hopes of offering them support. When it comes to making a plan of action, the key word is PERSPECTIVE. If you have a positive open minded perspective, it becomes easier to find a path to your destiny, no matter your circumstances. 

STEP 3: What does life look like now that you have it? - After you know what you want, and how you are going to get there, the next component is visualizing it. I recommend spending 15 minutes to an hour each day imagining what your life will be like once you are living up to your true potential. If you dream of traveling the world, but you lack the finances, find a way to travel on your budget (absolutely possible with so many resources available to us) and then visualize yourself on an airplane, or in front of the Eiffel Tower. Its like daydreaming on steroids! The mind is a powerful thing, not to be underestimated, that can make our life as amazing as we imagine it to be, with a little elbow grease of course. 

The sky is the limit! 

The only one who determines if you fail or succeed is YOU!

A Kul Kind of Valentine

 Valentine's Day 2015 was cause for excitement and anticipation for people all across the country and in Puerto Rico. 

Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, was out trying to get gifts that expressed their undying love to their significant other. The stores were full of white, red, and pink, balloons, chocolates, flowers! 

However, after all was said and done, this V-day was very low key for this Kul Mom and her family.

It started out as most days do with my wonderful husband cooking up breakfast. 

On the menu, egg, cheese, and roast beef sandwich!

And an ice cream cake for dessert! Sprinkles by yours truly. 

After a pretty average morning, Pedro went off to work and I put Nico down for a nap. 

I used my lovely 2 hours of Me Time on a Valentine's day make-over. 

BEFORE

AFTER

 Then, my date finally woke up!

Nico waited patiently while I got dressed...

He didn't look too bad himself!

And, after a thousand more pictures, we finally went to the park. 

 

He took some selfies...

I took some selfies...

And overall it was a very simple day full of the best kind of love! 

5 Lovely Ways to Celebrate LOVE

Love comes in many forms. It can be romantic, platonic, familiar, religious, or directed at the self.

Despite popular belief, one can celebrate this love EVERY DAY and in many different ways! 

=) With friends - This is always one of the most fun! Who says love has to be about romantic one-on-one occasions? Cheers to the people who are getting together with a few friends to have a good time! Spread the platonic love with little goody bags filled with candy! Nothing says I appreciate your friendship quite like chocolate.

 

<3 With significant other - You can take the traditional route and have a nice date with that "special someone." Get all dressed up and have dinner and watch a movie! I hear Jupiter Ascending was good. Try springing for a thoughtful or practical gift, something they can use for a while that will remind them of you!

>:) With family - They may drive you crazy, but at the end of the day you care a lot about your family. There is nothing wrong with spending the day with your parents, or with your children (pets count). There is no love more pure than that! The smiles of your toddler when you get to their favorite park will be well worth the trip. The laughter of your loved ones is better than any material present on Earth!

;) Alone - If you find yourself by yourself and maybe feeling a little down, stop those lonely thoughts right now! STOP! If you are going to find love you must first learn to love you! So today is a good day to get a manicure and a massage. Or get your favorite take out and watch all your favorite movies!

+ With Christ - When you think about it, there is no greater love than Christ has for his church,why not celebrate that? Dedicate part of your day to reading your bible and praying and then maybe find a way to volunteer. Jesus' second command was "Love your neighbor as yourself." 

Above all, remember the most important commandment given:

As I have loved you, love one another. John 13:34