The Hip Mom's Guide to Money Responsibility

How do we teach our kids to be responsible with money? Do we give them weekly allowances for regular chores? Do we pay them for each job that they do? Do we monitor their spending? Do we let them spend their money on "junk" and let them learn their own lessons? I WISH that I had the perfect answer, but I'm still trying to figure it out myself! At our house, my two older kids (ages 11 and 10)have home accounts for their spending money. They record their deposits and withdrawals in a check register, and I am the "bank". When they want to withdraw money, they get it from me. As far as earning money goes, they have a weekly allowance, and they also have the opportunity to do extra jobs around the house for extra income. I let them spend, save or give their money as they desire. They have learned many great lessons on their own. They've learned to shop sales, they've learned to compare prices, they've learned about quality materials, they've learned that it feels good to give, and they've learned that it pays to save.
They also have regular savings accounts in a bank that they will not have access to until they are adults. Hopefully by then, they will have learned responsibility with money! I would love to hear how your family handles money. Don't be shy...chime in and leave a comment! - Barbie Schowalter

The Hip Mom's Guide to Halloween

With Halloween being right around the corner, I wanted to take a minute to recommend a few GREAT children's books on the subject. We all know that it's fun to dress up and trick-or-treat, but we also want to teach our kids good morals and values. Here are the books....

The Pumpkin Patch Parable, by Liz Curtis Higgs
Halloween, Is it for Real?, by Harold Myra

Do you have any book recommendations or do you have thoughts on Halloween in general. Please comment!

Enjoy the fun festivities of the fall season! -Barbie Schowalter

The Hip Mom's Guide to Snacking, Part 2

Aaaahhh, snack-time. When my children were toddlers, it seemed so easy: I ran the show. Twice a day, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, they went into the high chair & got some assortment of fruit and cheese, or maybe some yogurt. They ate what they wanted and we moved on with our day. They didn’t know anything different. And then came pre-school. My first son, Matthew, came home so excited, describing for me the awesome snack they’d had. “It was round, Mom, and kind of crunchy, but kind of soft in the middle. And it was orange.” Orange? After a few minutes of the guessing game, I discovered that, yes, that close-cousin of Cheetos--cheese balls--had entered my son’s world. Sadly, snack-time was changed forever. No longer excited by apples and cheddar, he craved oreos and goldfish. My sweet boy, who once dined on Earth’s Best organic baby food, was now a Frito-Lay fan. I admit that I vacillated for awhile. After all, no one wants to be the mom who never has “good” snacks, right? We don’t want the neighborhood kids running away when we offer broccoli and dip. I couldn’t go all the way to the junk-side, though, so I settled for a compromise. While the kids’ “official” snack might be kiwi and peaches, they’re likely to be served with a cookie on the side. - Kirsetin Morello

The Hip Mom's Guide to Snacking

Halloween is right around the corner...you know what that means...candy! We all know that one candy binge a year isn't the end of the world, but how do we monitor snacking on a daily basis? Do we designate specific snack times and allow only healthy foods? Do we let kids eat whenever they are hungry? Is it possible to keep junk food in the house and not eat all of it ourselves?! Well, here's how it goes in our house.... I keep tons of healthy options in the house... everything from fruits and veggies to string cheese. BUT... whenever I make cookies or buy pop-tarts, my kids go straight for the junk. Here's how I have attempted to overcome the junk food craze: I make healthy breakfasts, except for the occassional bacon fest! I pack the kids healthy lunches and make well-balanced dinners. The toughest time of the day in our house is the late afternoon. Everyone is hungry, and I don't want appetites spoiled for dinner. I let the kids snack after school(not always so healthy, much to my dismay), and then I close the kitchen for awhile before dinner. Sometimes it goes well, and other times my kids are "starving" and "can't wait until dinner or they will die". In those cases, I might put some healthy appetizers out that will take the edge off. As I write this, I again realize that it's an area that needs improvement. I guess writing these posts is helping me to become a better mom. It makes me reflect on my parenting choices, and I love the input that I receive from all of you. Please leave a post today!

The Hip Mom's Guide to Television, Part 2

Before I had kids, I thought that if I ever stayed home with children, we'd have leisurely mornings and watch TV together - back then it was all Barney... I probably thought we'd bake cookies afterwards, too. Of course, you can tell that I hadn't had kids yet! I don't know a mother with infants or toddlers who would ever describe her mornings as leisurely. Mine certainly weren't. Another thing that changed after I became a mom was the whole 'TV in the morning' idea. When my first son turned 1, he got a video for his birthday. I was amazed at how he would sit there, entranced by the noisy, colorful box. I thought about all of the things I could accomplish without worrying about what he'd get into. I could get a shower, start dinner, read a magazine! But it wasn't long before his sitting there, staring - was he breathing? - started to bother me. Still, it took a few years before I decided that TV wasn't our best option. Packer games, yes. The Olympics, of course. Even American Idol made the cut last season. But based on experience and research, my kids don't have any regularly daily programming. Sure, they've seen Spongebob and Animal Planet, they just don't watch them on a regular basis. So here's my question for you: Does less TV appeal to you? Do you wish your kids watched less than they do? If not, then you're probably using TV in the way you want to - the way that works best for your family. But if this whole conversation makes you a little uncomfortable, maybe you're up for some change. If less TV sounds enticing but impossible, start small. What is just one thing can you cut? Moms who have done it, share your parenting wisdom and give us some tips. What works for you? -Kirsetin Morello

The Hip Mom's Guide to Television

How often is the television on in your home? Do you set boundaries for your children in regards to their television usage? Are there certain stations that you don't allow your kids to watch? Are there certain shows that are "off-limits". On the flip side, are there certain shows that you would highly recommend?

This week we are going to discuss JUST the television. We will hit on the computer and other forms of media in the future. I will tell you how things go in our home. Our family rarely watches any tv in the summer, just because we don't have one at our cottage. BUT the rest of the year is a different story... My kids like everything from sporting events to SpongeBob Squarepants to Hannah Montana. We set limits on how much television they watch, but I must admit that it is an area that we need to work on. Of course I would love to say that we only watch the news and the Discovery Channel, but that would be a lie. We do limit the amount of time that our kids are allowed to watch tv, and often they are too busy with sports and homework to find the time to watch anyway! My suggestion is to keep the kids busy with other choices that are much more fun and healthy! I would love to hear what works for your family...
-Barbie

The Hip Mom's Perfect Date Night

Ok, girls... We need ideas....

What would you consider to be a perfect date night with your husband? Here is my idea of an ideal night (of course assuming that we want to keep things somewhat affordable). It would start with a nice dinner in a dimly lit restaurant. We would have a glass of wine and share some appetizers while catching up on eachother's lives. We would relax and take our time, no rushing to get the kids home to bed! Then, weather permitting, we would take a walk downtown along the river and take in the sights. After a nice walk, we would head to Barnes and Noble for an hour or so. We would browse through our favorite sections, find a good book and have a cup of decaf and dessert in the coffee shop. We would come home to a quiet house with the kids all sound asleep. After sending the babysitter home, we would climb into our cozy bed, watch a movie and.... who knows what else.

The Hip Mom's Guide to Date Night and "Get-Aways"

As much as we LOVE our sweet children, we all need time away from them. When my kids were younger, my husband and I planned a date night once per week. It was great for our marriage, and it was nice to have a break from the demands of parenting. Of course, our conversation often revolved around the kids while we were out! We loved talking about them, thinking about them and missing them, but we were definitely glad that we were not cutting their food, replacing their pacifiers, or bouncing them on our laps!
I would like to hear your stories about date nights and get-aways... How often do you get time away from your kids? Do you think this time away is important? How do you keep date nights affordable? Do you think time away makes you a better mom?