http://www.minti.com/members/magpiegirl/advice/ Most Recent Advice on Minti by MagpieGirl Copyright 2009 Minti en-uk MagpieGirl It’s time to go back to school! (It’s okay … you can do a little dance, we all understand.)As happy as you may be, the kids may be a little stressed about the vacation-to-school transition. Here are some tips to make things a little smoother. Back up Bedtime. Get your kids used to sleeping on the schooldays clock a few days ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9299/Tips-for-Getting-the-Kids-Back-to-School/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9299/Tips-for-Getting-the-Kids-Back-to-School/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:11:44 -0700 MagpieGirl You can do big cities with school aged children. We’ve been to Chicago, New York, London, and we’re on our way to Rome. Every trip has been fantastic, and we are learning tips along the way.  The key is simple: Don’t overdo it. How Long is Too Long? Three days in major urban center enough for the under-thirteen set. If ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9204/Tips-for-Traveling-with-Kids-in-Big-Cities/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9204/Tips-for-Traveling-with-Kids-in-Big-Cities/ Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:54:13 -0700 MagpieGirl Cate was yelling at me. Again.Every day it’s the same story. I pick Cate up from school and she happily shows me the new trick she can do on the peddle car; the stone she dug up in the sand pit; how many times she can hop the jump rope on one foot. We find Eden and start the ten ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9048/What-to-Do-with-Hard-Feelings/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9048/What-to-Do-with-Hard-Feelings/ Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:34:50 -0700 MagpieGirl Cate is turning eight on Sunday, and it shows.Every year around her birthday, Cate pretty much freaks out. When she was 3 she was nicknamed ‘the ragemiester,’ and whenever she goes through stages of transition she reverts emotionally to the screaming stage.Last week Cate was driving me crazy – screaming at her sister, giving up games and projects at the slightest ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9035/Smooth-Transitions-for-Childhood-Birthdays/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9035/Smooth-Transitions-for-Childhood-Birthdays/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:50:59 -0700 MagpieGirl When I was the mother of newborns, I used to put mantras on sticky notes and post them on my fridge. Here’s some keepers that I still pass on at baby showers.  I Can’t Spoil a Baby. Sure, you can make bedtime harder or nurse longer than you need to, but you can’t spoil –as in “ruin”—your baby by giving ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6579/Mantras-for-Mamas-and-Dads/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/6579/Mantras-for-Mamas-and-Dads/ Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:12:41 -0700 MagpieGirl Dear Minti parents,This is a story about feelings that I drafted after working with my emotionally sensitive daughter on how to handle her feelings. Eden, age 8, described her day to me and told me that she felt like "all the feelings people dropped on the ground jumped on" her. Jen Lemen gave me the idea of framing her high ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5412/A-Story-about-Feelings-for-Highly-Senstive-Kids/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5412/A-Story-about-Feelings-for-Highly-Senstive-Kids/ Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:53:24 -0700 MagpieGirl If there's one thing I cannot bear, it's sachrine "kids music" blaring from my car stereo. When I was preggers with my first child, a friend of mine vowed never to teach them antyhing but the Beatles. His theroy? No one should have to listen to 'The Wheels on the  Bus' on infinte repeat. In the spirit of quality tunes ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4364/Tunes-to-Download-for-Kids-and-Adults-Alike/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4364/Tunes-to-Download-for-Kids-and-Adults-Alike/ Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:38:41 -0800 MagpieGirl Over at my not-only-a-mom website Magpie Girl, we are launching a new habit of giving a little love away every day of February. (Why should Feb 14th have all the fun?) In the spirit of giving free love away to all kinds of people, here's my list of some favorite ways to give love away to the little people in ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4336/Free-Love-Give-Aways-For-your-Kids/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4336/Free-Love-Give-Aways-For-your-Kids/ Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:58:49 -0800 MagpieGirl Ally P has challenged me to think of things to do when the snow (or rain) is coming down, but money is tight. (Other than watch tv/videos). Here's some of my favorties for 'boredom emergencies.'Bake Some Bread. Flour, water, yeast, salt. Not to hard to come by in most kitchens. If you have these you and the little can make ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4254/Five-FREE-Things-to-Do-On-Homebound-Wintery-Days/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4254/Five-FREE-Things-to-Do-On-Homebound-Wintery-Days/ Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:49:59 -0800 MagpieGirl I don't know about you, but around February I start running out indoor things to do with my kids. We've played all the board games and gone to the aquarium who knows how many time, and if I have to watch one more lame animated feature I'm going to throw my overpriced popcorn at the screen. So here's few alternative ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4250/5-Fun-Things-to-Do-When-the-Weathers-Lousy/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4250/5-Fun-Things-to-Do-When-the-Weathers-Lousy/ Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:19:10 -0800 MagpieGirl We’ve had a half dozen days off of school this winter -- and that’s<em> in addition</em> to the Christmas holidays. Schools been canceled due to snow, ice, and wind. All the sky has to do is sprinkle a mere 1/4inch of snow on the front lawn and<em> viola</em>, schools out! It’s been so ridiculous that on the last night of ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4048/Snow-Days-School-Guerilla-Homeschool-for-Boring-Days/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4048/Snow-Days-School-Guerilla-Homeschool-for-Boring-Days/ Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:05:24 -0800 MagpieGirl If your child is emotionally sensitive, life can be a series of highs and lows. One minute your child is precocious, surprisingly grown up, and good company. A moment later they are stunned by their own emotions as a temper tantrum or crying fit overwhelms them. It’s like living next to a volcano.   I’ve bee reading Elaine Aron’s The ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3151/Four-Strategies-for-Supporting-a-Child-with-SuperEmotions/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3151/Four-Strategies-for-Supporting-a-Child-with-SuperEmotions/ Fri, 15 Dec 2006 13:15:49 -0800 MagpieGirl When I was the mother of newborns, I used to put mantras on sticky notes and post them on my fridge. Here’s five that I still pass on at baby showers to friends who are entering motherhood. I Can’t Spoil a Baby. Sure, you can make bedtime harder or nurse longer than you need to, but you can’t spoil –as in ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/2190/Six-Mantras-for-New-Moms/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/2190/Six-Mantras-for-New-Moms/ Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:31:15 -0700 MagpieGirl  When I was 26, my son was stillborn. Eleven months later, my daughter Eden was born via an unplanned c-section. The surgery caused me to spike a fever from a uterine infection, a heat wave hit the city, and Eden refused to nurse. Six weeks later, my husband graduated from him Master’s program and we moved back to the U.S. ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/2154/Postpartumish-Tips-and-a-Story/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/2154/Postpartumish-Tips-and-a-Story/ Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:32:48 -0800 MagpieGirl Okay, I promised to tell you about the other forms of prayer we use during our Morning Cuddle time, so here are two more:Rhyming Prayer: When the kids are feeling giddy and not ready to settle into a time of focused prayer or meditation, they often request that I make up a 'rhyme-y prayer.' To do this I just pick simple ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1912/More-PrayersMeditations-for-Children/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1912/More-PrayersMeditations-for-Children/ Tue, 10 Oct 2006 11:25:18 -0700 MagpieGirl Recently I found myself "making the huffy sound" repeatedly while making snacks for my kids. One kid wanted yogurt and crackers. The other child wanted yogurt-- but only if it was frozen. Unless it was fruit on the bottom Brown Cow yogurt which would be okay -- otherwise she'll have hard boiled egg. "Oh wait," the first kid chimes in, "we have ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1841/Tips-for-Ending-the-Food-Fight/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1841/Tips-for-Ending-the-Food-Fight/ Fri, 06 Oct 2006 12:00:08 -0700 MagpieGirl So this morning I was going to write some advice down about dealing with the morning get-to-school rush, when my own cleverly orchestrated morning came crashing to a complete stop. Cate wanted to wear a dress that was slit up to her waist (the slit had torn to immodest proportions.) When I said she had to pick something else, it ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1821/Top-Five-Books-to-Help-Young-Kids-Deal-with-Emotions/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1821/Top-Five-Books-to-Help-Young-Kids-Deal-with-Emotions/ Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:18:46 -0700 MagpieGirl I accidentally posted this on my blog instead of in advice. (I'm a minti newbie.) Hope it helps you find a new path to praying/meditating with your children! _________________________________________One of the things that interest me most about parenting is watching the spiritual development of my children. I enjoy watching and watering their little souls, and they engage with the world ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1820/Spiritual-Practices-with-Kiddos-Morning-Cuddle/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1820/Spiritual-Practices-with-Kiddos-Morning-Cuddle/ Thu, 05 Oct 2006 09:48:54 -0700