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posted on December 9, 2022

How To Help Your Kids Burn Energy Indoors

Left unchecked, kid energy can consume anything and everything in its path. Outdoor play was and still is a big priority at our house, and as twin parents we’ve found that as we need strategies for indoor “energy management” so the kids aren’t wrestling by 7:30 a.m. We need a way to harness the energy while also managing bad weather, sick siblings, nursing babies, and dinner prep. And so over the years, we’ve built up an arsenal of toys that encourage movement – even if the weather doesn’t allow us to move our bodies outside. Here are the tried and true winners for our household.

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posted on November 22, 2022

Getting Along (Siblings, Cousins, Friends & More): Episode 392



Can’t we all just get along? (Or maybe, more accurately: Can ANYONE, EVER, just get along?) From playground drama to cousin power dynamics, sibling bickering to neighborly awkwardness, there’s no avoiding relationship challenges as families grow, change, and evolve. Today’s episode brings together some of the common questions we’ve gotten from listeners over the years about helping kids learn to play well and fight fair.

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posted on November 1, 2022

OMG We’re Sick AGAIN?!: Episode 389


Million dollar sick-kid question: “are they going to school today, or not?”! After two fall seasons impacted by pandemic schooling in all kinds of ways, Fall 2022 appears to be The One Where The Children Are Sick ALL THE TIME. In today’s episode Sarah and regular contributor Jayme validate (and commiserate) about the plight of kids picking up every possible virus this fall, and offer practical tips for managing kids home with common childhood illnesses. (In addition to having a toddler and a preschooler, Jayme is also a nurse by training and a physician-spouse, so she comes with some legit background…and lots of real talk.) Hang in there, mamas! You are not alone in your wellness struggles, and hopefully next fall will be a little less hard!

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posted on October 17, 2022

13 Advent Calendar Ideas For 2022: Celebrating The Christmas Countdown With Kids

In my family, we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus; while the significance and focus of Advent have remained the same for us, the way we’ve used Advent calendars and celebrated this season has varied. Some years we had time for daily holiday crafts and baking, while other seasons of life we kept it simple with a five-minute Bible reading and hanging up a premade ornament each night. If you are celebrating Advent this year, I want to encourage you that Advent traditions with kids doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming to be fun and meaningful. Here are 13 Advent calendar ideas that you can enjoy with your kids this Christmas season.

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posted on October 4, 2022

A Week Of Real-Life Lunch Packing: Episode 385



Now that school routines are underway, we’re going deep into the details of lunch packing – with the help of our team! In Episode 385 Meagan and Sarah call on the experience, perspective and real-life lunch packing advice of five moms from around the country, whose lunch-eating kids range in age from two to sixteen. We touch on lunch packing pain points, tried-and-true ideas for each food group, and some of our must-have lunch packing accessories. We hope that a peek inside the bento boxes of other families will both validate that you’re already doing a great job (yes, even if you send the same thing every day!) AND infuse your lunch packing with some easy new ideas.

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posted on October 3, 2022

Emergency Room Visits With Kids: What I Wish I’d Known, Packed, Said & Done

Taking your child to the emergency room is one of those unforgettable rites of passage as a parent. A fun morning at the playground can take a turn when a kid falls from the monkey bars. An endless evening with a feverish baby can turn into a middle-of-the-night drive to the hospital. No trip to the emergency room is stress-free. However, there are ways to make it stress-manageable. Here are a few things I’ve learned by navigating ER visits with kids.

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