Ryder Eats

People look at this and say REALLY YOU FEED THAT TO YOUR KIDS?? 🍴🍴🍴⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I DO! But it is all about explaining it to the kids. I made this lunch box a "sea adventure." 🌊 🌊 🌊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ryder was the shark and the watermelon radish "chips" were his teeth, the avocado 🥑 garlic dip was the algae/fish food, the cucumbers 🥒 and carrots 🥕 were the coral, the blood oranges 🍊 were underwater flowers 💐 , the peas were sea pearls, and the pistachios were rocks. We talked about how he would eat it at school and I gave him these examples. I heard back from his teacher that he was so excited to tell all friends about his "sea adventure" lunch and he ate most of it! This is what I mean when I say "make mealtime fun.” Just because you transition away from playing with toys doesn't mean that your meal can't be playful. Comment below if you want different ideas for different foods ⬇️⬇️⬇️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #toddlerfood #toddlerlunch #toddlerlunchbox #toddlersnacks #pickyeater #momsofinsta #healthykids #healthykidssnacks #lunchboxes #toddlerlife #toddlersofig #lifewithkids #unitedinmotherhood #lunchideas #mealtime #veganlunch #veganrecipes #vegankids #dairyfreelife #glutenfreevegan #glutenfreekids #babyledweaning

Let your child use their best developmental ability: their imagination 🙃🙃🙃 I have gotten a lot of DMs asking how I cook with my kids in the kitchen. Assuming no one is tired or hungry...get them involved! How do you do this? Both my kids have their own aprons which give them a sense of pride and ownership. They can feel as if they are the sous-chef! (I love the matching parent and kid aprons from @littledumplingaprons) 💖 It is so simple but just an apron does the trick! 👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳 PS - Ryder is making muffins, not ice cream! We use the scooper for the muffins. 🥄🥄🥄 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #littlehelper #littlehelpers #kidscook #kidscooking #letthemexplore #littlechef #tinychef #minichef #minichefs #souschef #helpingmommy #helpingout #kidscan #kidscancook #childhoodunplugged #unpluggedchildhood #chefinthemaking #childdevelopment #kidsofig #littleones #muffins #bakingtime #bakingfun #bakingwithkids #cookingwithkids #kidsplay #kidsimagination

📣***GIVEAWAY ALERT*** 📣 Tag 3 friends below and make sure they follow along to win!(one tag per comment please). The more tags, the more entries you get. Reposting also gets you one extra entry. ⬇️⬇️↗️ As you know from my stories, these are some of my favorites things! It is hard to find healthy, non-toxic, plastic-free alternatives in today's world. 🤷‍♀️ @innobaby is hands down my favorite snack plate for kids (and even I use it.) This is my favorite stainless steel divided plate and it's also easy to open. Anyone who knows me, knows I am obsessed with the @avanchyshop. This is the toddler plate👆Not only are they safe, but they also have a silicon bottom to suction and stop them from throwing the plate. (Btw when that happens you take them out of the chair and say “I see we are not ready to eat yet”) 🍴 🍴 🍴 I am also going to include in this giveaway my favorite @kiddobloom stainless steel silverware set. ❤️❤️❤️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #giveawaycontest #iggiveaway #giveaway #momgiveaway #healthyliving #healthykids #winit #winthis #momtips #myfavorites #toddleressentials #toddlertips #toddlerfun #silverware #nontoxic #nontoxickids #notoxins #plasticfree #noplastic #saynotoplastic #healthyalternatives #kiddobloom #innobaby #avanchyshop #consciousconsumer #healthychoices #healthchoice #nomoreplastic #plasticsposse

I have a lot of people ask for my vegan bolognese recipe. 🥘 It is a little labor intensive, but I try to do it on Sunday and batch cook (I make a triple batch & freeze 2/3) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ingredients: 1 large yellow onion 3 garlic cloves 3 shallot cloves 3 large carrots 🥕 3 zucchini 1 eggplant 🍆 1 fennel 1 bunch fresh garlic or green onions 1 bunch thyme, rosemary & some bay leaves 🍁 2 boxes of white button mushrooms 1 bag hen of the wood mushrooms 🍄 Veggie stock and 1/2 jar of @darkhorseorganic umami boullion or powder OR use @pacificfoods mushroom stock 1/3 cup of white wine 🍷 1 jar @jovialfoods crushed tomatoes 🍅 1 jar @jovialfoods bionature 🍅 paste 1/4 cup @bragglivefoods Nutritional yeast *optional dried porchinni mushrooms 🍄 Salt and Pepper Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 📖 📖 📖 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 425 convection 2. Peel/dice yellow onion, garlic, shallots, carrots & fennel. 3. Dice zucchini/eggplant and put in oven on @ifyoucare_usa unbleached parchment paper for 10 Min. 4. Dice mushrooms 🍄(don’t wash w/ water. Take damp paper towel & wipe down) 5. Strip leaves of herbs and chop 6. Chop, then soak dried porchinnis in hot 💦water 7. Cover bottom of pan w/ olive oil (heaviest pot you have- I use at 18/10 triple ply stainless steal pot by @allclad ). Sauté onions, garlic, shallots, green onions, 🥕celery on medium low heat 8. Season with salt (to sweat it- steams veggies to help them cook & flavor the base) 9. Then add herbs. 10. Add jar of tomato paste 11. Add 1 cup of white wine (something you would drink) 12. Then add veggie stock with @darkhorseorganic boullion or @pacific mushroom stock. 13. Add crushed tomatoes 14. Lightly coat chopped mushrooms in EVOO, season generously with salt/pepper. And add to pot. 15. Add roasted eggplant and zucchini 16. Cover and simmer for 30 min. Stir often. Add water if too thick ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #veganbolognese #bolognese #veganrecipe #veganpasta #veganalternative #veganizeit #veganfit #veganmom #recipeshare #sundaycooking #pastasauce #veganfoodpic #vegandinner #dinnerideas #kidseat #toddlerapproved #kidapproved #batchcook #sundaymeal #mealplans #plantbasedpower #plantbased

How do you get your toddler to sit in the highchair? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is a question I get asked all the time. It really is all about consistency and follow through. I know, I know, I say that all the time and I will keep saying it. When they are not ready to get in the chair and they start throwing a tantrum... narrate their feelings (I see that you are upset and not ready to eat yet. Mommy is going to sit down to eat until you and your body are calm.). Then ignore and let them express their frustration in a safe environment. Then depending on the child's age, check-in again after ~30-60 seconds. Are you ready to join mommy to eat? If they are still screaming, say I see that you are still frustrated or mad. Your body is not calm. When you are calm, mommy can help you. Then you wait and check-in again.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ By letting them express their frustration and calm themselves down, they will eventually stand up and point to the chair and want to join you. It is really important to have them eat in their highchair because a) it is a choking hazard to run around and eat, and b) because it should signify that it is not time to play, it is time to sit down and enjoy a meal. 🥞🥘🥙 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ However, that is not to say that mealtime isn't fun. It really takes effort from a parent to set the scene for mealtime. 👩‍🍳💪👨‍🌾🧙‍♀️🧚‍♂️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Just like when you are sleeping, you set the tone for tranquility and relaxation, you need to do the same thing for eating...Comment below if you want suggestions on how to do this ⬇️⬇️⬇️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ pc: @michaelasully ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #toddlertips #toddlerlife #toddlermom #toddlerfun #toddlerfood #toddlereating #highchair #toddlerbehavior #tantrum #healthyandhappy #healthyeatinghabits #eatinghabits #growingfood #foodisfun

Do you ever feel pressed for time when making lunch? (Is that an obvious yes??) ⏰⏰⏰ Usually, I just like to throw simple things together like an array of snacks... veggies, hummus, avocado, and some seeded crackers. 🥑🥕🥒 Yesterday, I grabbed a glass jar of borlotti beans by @jovialfoods which are already cooked and pretty much ready to go. What I did to boost the flavor is sauté an onion with some minced garlic in some EVOO and then threw in coriander, cumin, and smoked paprika. Then I tossed in my jar of beans, added a little water, and cooked it on a simmer for 30 minutes (while I played with Chase). Maybe this sounds difficult but it was really easy I swear! 🙏🙏 😊😊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #recipes #easymeals #toddlerfood #toddlermeals #mealtime #easylunch #healthylunch #kidslunch #whatsforlunch #todayslunch #lunching #beans #jovialfoods #glassjar #toxinfree #healthykids #simplemeals #mealideas #lunchideas #unitedinmotherhood #motherhoodrising #lifewithkids #eatarainbow #toddlerlife #momoftwo #momof2

Exposing your kids to scissors gets them ready for Kindergarten! ✂️ ✂️ ✂️ In fact, it is one of the many signs of kindergarten readiness. I love these @ezpzfun silicone suction mats because they are great for arts and crafts. Also great for using my favorite play-dough by @z_dough. 🤔But how do you get your kids to actually use scissors? Paper isn't a great way to introduce scissors to toddlers as it can be flimsy and not that inviting. But with @z_dough what you get is a fun way to cut things up that are a lot more inviting especially with the bright colors and the scents. 🍊🍋🍊🍋🍊 You can also roll it into a snake 🐍 and cut it up and make "pieces of pasta." 🍝 At this stage of development (2-4yrs) it is so important to promote their creative expression and relate to everyday things that you do as a caregiver. People also find that they are not stimulating their child enough if they are just doing the dishes and the laundry. 👚👚👚That is the best thing to do because they act it out in their pretend play. Do you ever notice when you drop your kids off at pre-school that one of their favorite things to do is play 🏠 house or family? That is because they are simply interpreting what they see every day into their play. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #kindergarten #kindergartner #kindergartenlife #preschool #preschoolteacher #scissors #kidsplay #playdough #zdough #kindergartenready #sensoryplay #sensory #childsplay #childplay #playtime #safeplay #letthemplay #tactile #tactileplay #readyforprek #prek #kidadventures #toddlerplay #toddlertoys #toddlersofig #sensoryplaytime #teachthemyoung #letthemexplore

How do you teach your children the concept of acceptance and being different?🤔 Comment below with your tips! ⬇️⬇️⬇️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It's not easy as this is very abstract. However, there are children's books that make it more relatable to empathize with others. We all have those moments when your child points out someone else's unique physical quality. 🙈 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Rather than be embarrassed, squat down to their eye level and provide a brief and succinct explanation as to why that difference exists and how that makes us extraordinary. 📚📚📚⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is one of the books I like that addresses how sometimes feeling different and looking different may make you feel the need to conform in order to be accepted and included. However, Spork does a great job illustrating how to embrace differences and your unique qualities. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #booksforkids #kidbook #bookstagram #bestbooks #readinglist #greatforkids #goodforkids #teachthem #teachthemearly #teachinglife #differences #teachingtools #teachingchildren #youngminds #smartkids #teachacceptance #acceptance #diversity #toddlerlearning #kidstuff #children #leadbyexample #toomanymangos #earlydevelopment #developing #teachthemyoung #momtips

Do you struggle with getting your kids to brush their teeth? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ It is always best to explain to your little ones why you do things! Why is it important to brush teeth? Well, it helps keep them clean. Just like when we wash our hands, it gets the dirt off. 😁😀😃 Consistency is also key. This means doing it every night and morning starting at 6 months old. Being consistent allows them to know what to expect. Also, it doesn’t matter if they don’t have teeth yet (use a damp washcloth). If you include this as part of their daily routine, they become accustomed to it. Repetition is everything in childhood. ✨✨✨ One way to help is to get them their own toothbrush in addition to the one you are using. Modeling is also important. Start with brushing your teeth in front of them after you give the explanation of why we brush. Then give them a turn to brush YOUR teeth. Say, “first we brush the teeth on top and then the ones on the bottom.” 😁😁😁 Then it’s Baby’s turn to brush their teeth. Make sure to let them know that Baby gets a turn and then Mommy gets a turn. If your LO won’t open their mouth, try giving them their own toothbrush to use while you use another toothbrush to get in their mouth at the same time. 🎤🎹🎤 One last thing, I choose a song that we play every time we brush teeth that is a fun, upbeat song. However, I will only play this song while brushing teeth so it doesn’t lose its novelty! I will put a link in my bio to the toothbrush and the @weleda_usa toothpaste that we use. This toothpaste is fluoride free and does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate. ☝️☝️☝️ Once they are old enough to properly spit toothpaste out, you can switch to one with fluoride if you want. I will also include that link above. #happybrushing ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #toothbrush #teethbrushing #toothbrushing #kidstoothpaste #kidstoothbrush #teachingkids #childfriendly #kidfriendly #toddlerapproved #childdevelopment #6months #6monthsold #6mos #sixmonths #brushyourteeth #forkids #fortoddlers #babytoothbrush #teething #teethingtoy #teethingtime #newteeth #teether #goodhabits #goodhabitsstartyoung #startthemyoung #startingyoung #healthykids #healthyteethBrush, brush brush y

How do you get your kids to eat vegetables⁉️ ⠀🥕🥦🥗🌱⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is a question that I get asked pretty frequently. Vegetables shouldn't be scary. It really is the way you introduce foods that matter. Imagine that you just landed on Mars, and everything looks foreign to you. 👽 That's what it's like for a child. They are cautious of things that have a different pattern or smell because that is a natural survival instinct. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It is a very abstract concept to understand how a vegetable on your plate can come from something as small as a seed. 🌱🎍 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So what's a parent to do 🤷‍♀️. Simply placing a cup in your kitchen by the window and growing a carrot can be a great visual connection between seed and the finished product. I love the garden root viewer (link in bio from Amazon) by @toysmithtoys ⠀📚📖📚⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I also like to pair this with a book that talks about where food comes from. "Up in the garden down in the dirt" is a great book for really explaining the process of gardening. (link in bio). This is a great book for ages 3/3.5+. For the little ones, I like "Eating the alphabet." I actually bring it to the market with us and have my daughter "read" it while seeing the real-life fruits and veggies. 🛒🛒🛒⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ One of my favorite things to do is to take the kids to the grocery store or the farmers market (as you may know from my instastories😊). When you enter the produce section, this is a great opportunity to allow your child to exert some autonomy. 💪 You can say: "You may pick a vegetable or fruit to buy." Not only do they feel a sense of independence, but the child will be more willing and excited to try the new vegetable that they picked at home 🏡. Does this always work? NO, but it is a good place to start😉 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Lastly and this is probably the most important -- involve your children in cooking. 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳 Even a child as young as 12 months can assist you in preparing a meal. This helps pull the child in to see the magic of food. ✨💫✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Comment below with any questions/struggles you have, or what tips you have too ⬇️⬇️⬇️ #eatyourveggies #vegetables #kidfood #freshveg #goodeats #healthykids

Do you feel like it is a struggle to get out the door in the morning? What is hardest for you? Comment below ⬇️ 🤷🤷🤷 Let’s talk about routines and responsibilities. I believe that the word "chore" has negative connotations whereas "responsibilities" are more empowering for children. As soon as a a child is able to sit up and transfer an object from one hand to the other, then you can teach them about responsibilities. So at 6-8 months, you can teach them to clean up, simply by having a basket and letting them put items into it. Having them put things away is a fun game for them, as well as seeing the different shapes and sizes, putting things in and out...While it not may seem like actual play, it really is developmentally appropriate and fun for them! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ As soon as your child is able to walk, then they can put their diaper in the pail. (Only pee diapers! 😆) Bundle and tape it together and say "You MAY put it in the pail." Also, clothes in the hamper and food scraps in the trash. (ie: "You may put the banana peel in the bin") 🚮 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As they get older, they can have additional responsibilities (supervised) like taking the dog to pee, cleaning the dishes, setting the table, etc. ☀️🧦👟🍳🥞 To help with mornings (or throughout the day), you can make them a routine chart or I love this one from @littlelennonsbusybooks. Check them out on @etsy. The routine chart can also be really beneficial for a child who struggles to complete daily tasks such as getting dressed, brushing their teeth, sitting down for breakfast, etc. The simple act of moving the card with velcro backing from one side to the other feels like a huge accomplishment for a child. 🏆 Also, don't forget to check out her busy books which are great for traveling! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #busybook #busywork #routine #responsibilities #responsibilitychart #toddleractivity #growingfast #pottytraining #todolist #bathtimebaby #dailyparenting #kidsforreal #motherhoodsimplified #letthekids #watchthemgrow #slowmotherhood #inspiremothers #raisingthefuture #toddlerhood #beingamom #momsoninstagram #parenthood_unveiled #momitforward #ig_motherhood #outthedoor #lovingtheordinarymoments #daybyday

Last week on the hottest day in LA I decided to make soup. Did anyone catch my insta story? 🙋‍♀️ I saved it to my highlights. 🍲 🍜 🥣 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Why I love soup...It is easy and quick, I don't have to clean a lot. It is also a meal the kids can help with at any age! For example, if you want to clean the veggies you can tell your child "Can you give the peas a bath?", 🛀 “Can you shampoo the carrot's hairs?"🥕Phrases like this engage kids in the art of cooking. It becomes more relatable. And it is a great way to get the kids excited about eating. . Some might ask how do you even get kids to eat soup? 🤷‍♀️ One of my secrets is DIPPING. Not only is it fun, but it is engaging and enticing. You can use @sietefoods grain free chips, or @jacksonshonest corn tortilla chips. Another way is to dice up some bread and sprinkle on top adding some texture. Also, you can create adventures such as the child is a shark 🦈 and the pieces of bread are fish 🐟, and they need to eat them! #healthysoup #easycooking #easyrecipe #freshfood #simplefood  #foodinspiration #dinnerideas #lunchideas #toddlerfood #toddlerlunch #veggies #healthyfoodshare #eattherainbow #eatyourveggies #goodeats #healthyeats #veganrecipes #veganfood #dairyfree #toddlermeals #toddlerfood #kidsfood #kidsmeal #lunchboxideas #soupson #healthykids #toddlermom #toddlerhood #toddlergram #farmersmarkets

GIVEAWAY TIME! I have talked about traveling with toddlers but how do you travel with kids under 18 months? 🤔 With the constant wanting to get out of their seat, to the overstimulation, to the ears hurting and not being able to express it and difficulty sitting for long periods of time... there are so many hardships. 👶✈️😅 Enter: my under 18-month travel kits At this stage of development, kids are all about opposites -- wanting to put things in and out, ↕️ up and down, open and close. If you think about children's songs, that is what they are about. 🙃🙃🙃 Everything in my kit compliments those developmental needs. My fav play dough is by this awesome mom who is all about clean products. Check her out @z_dough. Also, I love simple pom-poms which are not only a great sensory item to feel on their face and touch with their hands, but also when you put them inside the @munchkininc snack catcher it makes a fun game of "in and out." (I usually avoid plastic items but this is good for travel and it's all about balance). ⚖️ 💁‍♀️💁‍♀️ The other thing is taking beads big enough that they can hold in their hand and having a stick that they can thread them through. The one in this picture is from a local boutique and I wish I could find it again 😩 but they do have some on @etsy 👌 What is NOT pictured is my fav travel item- Russian Dolls! Just another way to stack/unstack, as well as play “where did the doll go” game. If you want to make your own beads, cut up a thick smoothie straw into 2in pieces. You can also use in place of pom poms. 🤸✨✨ Tag 3 friends below and make sure they follow along to win! For every 3 friends you tag, it equals 1 entry (3 tags = 1, 6 tags =2 entries, etc). One tag per comment, please! 💕 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ pc: @michaelasully ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #giveawaycontest #kids_of_our_world #kidstoys #travelwithkids #travelingtoddler #toddlertravel #travelkit #kidtravel #travelingtheworld #zdough #nontoxic #babyonaplane #18months #travelingbaby #motherhoodinspired #motherhoodsimplified #unitedmomsnetwork #momsoninstagram #teammotherly #takethekids #bringthekids #babytravels #momgiveaway #travelgiveaway #motherhoo

As an adult when you enter a store so crowded and full of items, don't you feel overwhelmed? 😳 😳 😳 Just imagine what it's like for a child entering a room full of colors and toys...can you imagine how overstimulating and confusing it is? The world is already so full of bright colors and stuff, and as a child, they can be easily overwhelmed by additional sensory stimuli. When life is so chaotic and challenging enough, why not make things simpler? 😊😊😊 I recommend looking for items for your room that don't necessarily have too many bright colors. You can use silk scarfs to add color when needed. I like the ones from @sarahssilks that you can use to dress up a child, or even to cover a basket of toys that you don't want out. They are great for puppet making, peek-a-boo, or all kinds of games on the go. If you feel your room is too colorful then you can even cover up playmats with a white sheet. 👍 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ pc: @michaelasully ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #stopdropandmom #sensoryoverload #youngminds #children #kidsblogger #kidsforreal #unitedinmotherhood #motherhood #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunplugged #kidstoys #colortherapy #toddlers #overwhelmed #sensorytoys #senses #blankcanvas #childhood #childpsychology #letthembelittle #letthemexplore #exploremore #childhoodunplugged #momitforward #ig_motherhood #dailyparenting #raisingthefuture #toddlerhood #honestlymothering

What are your favorite books for your little ones? 📚 📖 📚 This series is about empowering young children in science, engineering, and architecture and I LOVE the message behind it! I do want to make sure both my kids know that failure is not a bad thing and that in order to succeed, you must fail. This can start when they are very young by teaching frustration tolerance. 👩‍🔬👩‍🏫👨‍🚀 For example, when your child is working on a puzzle and is feeling mad that they can't do it, and then they ask for your help - What do you do? Start by validating their frustration ("Mommy knows you are frustrated [child's name]), then acknowledge that they can be self-sufficient and try again ("Keep trying [child's name]"). If you see their frustration escalate, you can offer guidance by describing to them what to do (ie: "try turning the puzzle piece"). By empowering your child to try it, it builds their self-confidence rather than making them feel that they cannot accomplish something on their own. #empoweringourchildren ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ pc: @michaelasully ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #bookstagram #booksforkids #kidbooks #toddlerbooks #momapproved #bookrecommendation #childrensbook #booksforchildren #STEM #smartkids #learnfromfailure #failbetter #teachthemyoung #youngminds #littleones #smartcookie #goodbooks #youngreaders #andreabeaty #learnfromfailure #failure #childdevelopment #frustrationtolerance #failing #lifelesson #shapingyoungminds

How hard is it to get out the door in the morning? ⬇️⬇️ People always ask me how I do it with two kids. Yes, I don't sleep very much (which I don't recommend) 😉. The only way to do it is PREPARATION. What I do is I freeze the components of my smoothie in a mason jar that's labeled. I grab it out of the freezer, run it under hot water for 10 seconds or let it sit out for 5-10 min, add my nut milk and a spoonful of cashew butter and we are good to go for a mommy breakfast (though my kids often drink it before I get to it) 🥒🥕🍃 As for the kids... If you know your child is tough to get going in the morning, I always have two outfits picked out for each kid and ready to go in the kitchen. Yes, I get my kids ready in the kitchen 🤷‍♀️. If they spill on themselves, they want to change, so that's my shortcut. I also have a toothbrush and toothpaste in the kitchen and do all that there. I keep my routine chart in the kitchen (see yesterday's post- it got deleted so will repost next week). I also double check all the wipes, diapers and things related to Chase the night before and pack them all up. Does this happen every day? NO!!! There are days when I put the kids to sleep and I am asleep by 7:33pm. This is the goal but preparing helps me! And like everyone else I am underwater with just a straw to breathe. 🌊🌊🌊 Check out my instastories or highlights to see some of my morning routines😊 pc: @michaelasully . . #toddlerroutine #morningsmoothie #twokids #toddlerlife #toddlerfood #toddlermomlife #toddlermommy

JANUARY GIVEAWAY! These are some of my favorite stickers for traveling and I am giving them away. Tag 3 friends below and make sure they follow along to win! For very 3 friends you tag it equals one entry (3 tags = 1, 6 tags =2, etc). One tag per comment please! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⬇️⬇️⬇️ These are some of the sticker activity books that I use when traveling. I always say my number☝️ advice for travel is to be prepared! I also pack an extra bag of different legos, stickers, play dough etc for ✈️ ride home (these go in checked luggage). Those are the items that tend to get lost/used. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The 2nd most important thing (well this could be a tie for 1st)- listening and knowing what's going on with your kids. I've found that my kids behave well on planes bc I really focus on listening to what they are feeling and observing what's going on with them. Does this always work? Definitely not, I've had my moments where my daughter cried for almost 2 hrs while I had to have my son watch episodes of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood to handle a flight. I've had to accept help from strangers so that I could attend to my son's bathroom adventures (when traveling by myself). But what I learned and knew was that timing and listening made a big difference, especially with toddlers and babies. Why was my daughter screaming? Over exhaustion. Why was my son upset? He wanted my attention bc I was solely focused on my daughter. Looking back, I realized that there are some things you can't control. However, what helped with my 2 1/2 yr old son at the time was acknowledging how he was feeling. Telling him "I know this isn't fun hearing your sister cry and not having me to do fun things with you. I want to do fun things with you too! This is hard isn't it?!" Once he heard me acknowledge his feelings, he perked up. And I learned to ask for help (not just from strangers) but from my 2 1/2 yr old. I told him, “as soon as I get Chase to sleep you will get special mommy time.” The key - follow through. He started watching his shows & I was able to focus on my daughter. @melissaanddougtoys pc: @michaelasully #toddlertravel #toddlerfun #toddlermom #planetravel #2kids #twokids #momtips #stickers #travel

On the menu for breakfast are my almond pulp pancakes. This is a great way to get protein in the morning. The pulp is not optional 😉 When you make the almond milk do not throw away the pulp! 🥞 🥞 🥞 Here's my recipe for almond pulp pancakes: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 large egg (or two small) 2 small ripe bananas 1/2 cup of nut milk 3/4 cup almond pulp (only available if you make almond milk) 2 T @kitehillfoods cream cheese 1 T maple syrup 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract @frontiercoop 2 T gluten-free sprouted rolled oats @sproutedflour ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳 First, mix the egg and banana together and then add in the rest of the ingredients. The cinnamon and vanilla are optional but I think they make it taste better:) You can also use @enjoylifefoods dairy-free chocolate chips for a Sunday treat (just top while on the pan, so that way you don't use that many). OR add in 1 T @navitasorganics cacao powder or carob powder to make "chocolate pancakes." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ pc: @michaelasully ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Let's talk about sleep!! Lots of moms ask me about loveys and keeping them in the crib. 🐵🐷🐶 You can start with a lovey when they are 2-3 months old BUT you have to tie the diagonals together. Does that make sense? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Loveys are a transitional object that helps a child soothe themselves. When a child wakes up in the night they don't have the tools to calm themselves so you have to provide those. By rubbing the lovey on your neck and holding it against you when you feed your child, it lets your child know that they can not only be comforted by you and your presence, but also by the lovey. IMPORTANT - Buy three of the same loveys and rotate them weekly to clean them. In case you lose them which will happen!! How many of you have lost a lovey?? Can't tell you how many I have lost! Where is that damn bunny?? ⬇️⬇️⬇️ I always recommend this book for kids who want to take their lovey everywhere with them. The basic concept is that it explains that your lovey watches over you at night. When you get up in the morning, it is time for the lovey to go to sleep. #bookrecommendiations thanks @michaelasully for the 📷

Love the concept of #fridayintroductions. Going to give this a try... 💛💛💛 First and foremost I am a mom of two kids and one fur baby. I am married to my high school sweetheart. I have a BA in Neuroscience and Psychology from USC. I also have a masters in public health, specializing in child and family health. And I recently completed my doctorate in clinical psychology, specializing in the pediatric neuropsychology. 📚 📚 📚 I love helping other moms with parenting and exposing children to the art of food. I am not a chef but I take my food and my health seriously. I love grocery shopping with the kids and I really dislike buying clothes (I live in my jeans and tee-shirts). I love sharing my knowledge of all things parenting, sleeping, eating etc as you may know from my Instagram stories. 👶🏼🥒🤷‍♀️ Would love to know what you guys want to hear more of? (i.e: potty training, traveling tips, intro to food, sleep schedules, eating routines, manners...)