You refer to your kids as “sweetie” and “baby.” Stop doing that. It sounds like weakness to them, like you are bribing them or hoping they’ll react kindly to you since you are calling them a sweet name. They know inside that you fear that being tough with them will produce a meltdown. But these are strong-willed kids who are 3 going on 33. So speak to them like adults. Otherwise, it sounds a little condescending to them.

You’ll say, “Sweetie, Mommy doesn’t think it’s a good idea to jump on the sofa.” And even your 4-year-old is going to look you dead in the eyes, “Really? I do. What are you going to do about it?” And it will scare you! I want your tone with these kids to be firm, direct and matter-of-fact. “”Hey, that’s not working for me. No. Love your energy, so come stir the soup for me.” Practice and master a very firm, matter-of-fact tone. Very few words. By the way, don’t refer to yourself as “mommy.” It’s Mom. Treat them like grown-ups and watch how they respond to you. Save your sweetness for when they do something well! Just try it.

Teach Kids Financial Literacy

 

 

How financially literate is your child?  Thanks to Patrick Bet-David, an entrepreneur and author who says, today’s distractions are taking too much time from more important things like learning about money. Bet-David says whether kids are going to the movies, shopping for clothes or music, buying a car, trying to help support their parents or even working a couple of jobs to pay for college, money is and always will be an important part of our lives.

His tips for children to learn about the basics of money:
1.  Start a habit of saving money – Whether someone gives you five bucks or you just got your first paycheck, whatever money you are making, try to save at least 10% in an account that you try hard not to touch.
2.  Start a budget – Open up your own savings account and learn the basics of having a bank account. Start a budget and learn to manage it.
3.  Shop around – It’s tempting to see something we like and buy it on the spot, and that’s called instant gratification. But if you go online or wait a couple of months for a sale, that same item may cost less which saves you money.
4.  Avoid credit cards – If you plan on buying an awesome car, buying a house one day, or being taken seriously in any business venture, your credit score will play a huge role in how much financial companies will trust your spending habits.
5.  Focus on earning – Saving is very important, but if you’re not earning money you won’t have any to save. Start thinking like an entrepreneur at an early age. Open a lemonade stand, car washing business or pet walking service. The key is to offer a service that people are willing to pay for.
6.  Expect more – People usually make the amount of money they feel they are worth, and most people sell themselves short. Teach children to have a high self-image, and they will create a world for themselves that meets that self-image.
7.  Download an app on your phone – There are so many apps for managing your budget and savings on phones nowadays that you can track your money on the go. Get in the habit of keeping tabs on your spending habits. Kids will have more fun doing this on their phones and tablets.
Bet-David says there is a difference between just saving money and building an awesome financial foundation, but it’s a good idea to start with the basics.

Happy Mother’s Day – Easy DIY gift ideas and more

 

 

 

 

 

Amy & her mom…a few years ago

Happy Mother’s Day!  You know I get pumped up about this holiday, because I love the idea of celebrating MOMS!  One day guaranteed out of 365 is not bad, and my boys have given me some of the greatest keepsakes over the years.  They were asking me what I wanted, and my response was that a special card lasts forever…I keep them in a file, and they’re the greatest memory!

I get to celebrate with my extended family this weekend; had some special time with my MIL (mother-in-law) last week; and am so proud of the wonderful mom my sister has become as a first-timer and so quickly, a pro!

I wish you, your kids, and your families, a wonderful Mother’s Day!

There are lots of promotions and freebies out there – Mr. Free Stuff always rolls up some great ones, including free breakfast, yogurt, pie, and more — check out their roundup for Freebies on Mother’s Day.

Here are some of my favorite Mother’s Day headlines from our archives…Whether you’re looking for a last-minute gift, a special DIY keepsake, or some ideas to make your day FUN, I hope you find some ideas here!

Hugs,

Amy

Click below to read more about…

Special, sentimental video about moms around the world

Last-minute gift ideas for Mom

Mother’s Day Fun, Free Treats, Etc. – including Queen music meets Motherhood – really cute, check it out!

Mother’s Day feature with Amy & Holly Morris on FOX News

Quick DIY Gifts with Amy on CBS News

 

So…what are YOU doing to celebrate Mother’s Day?  Add a comment to this post!  And have a happy one!

A

Review: Fast Action Fold Jogger Click Connect Stroller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amy and nephew test driving

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I recently had the fun of test driving Graco‘s new FastAction Fold Click Connect Jogger, long name for a great “crossover stroller.”  So basically, it’s a jog stroller, with the all terrain wheels so you can hit the road with baby or toddler and multi-task walk/run and exercise for mom and baby, but it’s got all the comfort and features you’d expect in a traditional stroller – tons of padding, cup holders, a Smartphone holder, etc.

With my new nephew in tow, I had a great walk around the neighborhood (above), while he (at only 3 months) was snug in an infant carseat that connects and faces backwards, so add some more multi-tasking, and I got to exercise, walk the baby, and sing songs all at the same time.    Love the Smartphone holder – it holds your phone in place, so you’re not carrying it or worrying about whether you have a pocket or not.

This was much better than the jogger we used 10+ years ago – ours was mammoth, hardly fit in the garage, and you had to wait til the kid was almost a year to use it.  This one, however, folds easily (even one-handed, they say, but make sure baby is safe & secure & out of the way while you’re folding, of course!), and you can use it with a baby, which is also a plus, because new moms love getting out of the house and exercise, but it’s sometimes stressful to get a babysitter or coverage for your newborn.

Graco had a local Mom Blogger event, and I was out of town on business, so many thanks to my sister, Leslie N., Mom Since 2012 (MS’12) for attending — look how adorable the babies are in the strollers ready to rock & roll at the Maryland park event:

And many thanks to one of my biggest MomTini supporters for many years, now a #MomTastic mom herself, Leslie (below):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ad copy:

Graco’s NEW jogger is the ultimate crossover stroller, combining all the comfort and convenience features of a traditional stroller (FastAction Fold and Click Connect Technology) with performance and maneuverability of an all-terrain jogger.

As an added bonus, Graco’s innovative one-second, one-hand FastAction™ fold automatically locks & is self-standing.

This post is sponsored by Graco.

 

Sticks and Stones Author Provides Parenting Tips for Bullying

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bullying comes in all kinds of words and actions.  It’s not just the playground “mean kid” with fists raised; it can often be more subtle, with words, emotional manipulation, and so on.  It’s not always so black and white either; there are oftentimes shades of gray or fine lines that make it difficult to separate innocent kid stuff from serious, let’s get mom and dad involved, bullying.

I remember one parenting lecture a while back, that proposed, “Get involved if there’s blood.”  Not sure I agree with that per se, but I do believe in empowering kids to solve their own problems, as long as they’re not serious, so they build a toolbox for life.  Solving their every problem will actually create more problems, but giving them tools to work through some of this stuff themselves, is empowering and a life-long tool.

Kudos to first-time author Emily Bazelon for her now acclaimed book, Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy.  Bazelon is noted for “tackling the shifting landscape of teenage cruelty and harassment and its sometimes devastating consequences…and also visiting schools and communities whose innovative anti-bullying efforts could offer a road map out of this mess.”

She talks a lot about how empathy can be a key ingredient in stopping the bullying cycle.  She explains…

“If you see other kids being cruel, think about the steps you could realistically, and safely, take to stop it. You don’t have to jump into the middle of a fight (though if you’re up for that, don’t let me stop you!), and you don’t have to commit to befriending the person you’re helping, either. Sometimes just sending a sympathetic text or asking someone in the hallway if they’re okay is enough. If you can show empathy to someone who is vulnerable, in the moment or afterward, that can mean a lot. Most people who are having trouble socially appreciate just knowing that someone cares—even if it’s someone they don’t know very well.”

I asked Emily to send me her top 5 favorite tips for parents when dealing with bullying issues.  Here they are…

1. Get all the facts. Make sure you really understand what happened. Was it in fact bullying—was your child repeatedly abused, physically or verbally, by another kid who is socially or physically more powerful? Or was this what a lot of teenagers call drama—a two-way conflict? Figuring that out is important for deciding if and how to intervene.
2. Ask questions before you give advice. What strategies can your child come up with for solving his problem? If you can help him elicit his own ideas, rather than dictating, you’ll be building his capacity for resilience: for learning how to overcome adversity.
3. Don’t interview for pain. This one comes from a wise school psychologist in Philadelphia, Craig Stephens. It discourages parents from assuming kids are hurting rather than making sure those kids are coming from kids themselves.
4. Think about who to involve. Are the parents of the kid you think is acting like a bully trustworthy? If so, talking to them could help. If not, is there someone at your child’s school you trust, or a coach or another person in the community?  You can start by asking for advice.
5. Let your child lead, to a point. If he tells you to stay out of it, you could try that, as long as you don’t think his safety is at risk. You don’t necessarily have to come to the rescue right away. But you DO need to keep checking in with your child to make sure he’s OK. And if the bullying continues and becomes intolerable, then together you’ll need to figure out how to stop it. Bullying isn’t a normal rite of childhood, and no one should have to just endure it.

Link to Emily’s Resource Guide for Students.

Link to Emily’s Resource Guide for Parents.

Emily’s website with lots of great information – check it out!

Here’s a great video by Sticks and Stones author, Emily Bazelon, about her book and some really sad examples of bullying:

More on the Expert Source:  Emily Bazelon is a senior editor at Slate, a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, a frequent guest on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, and the Truman Capote Fellow at Yale Law School.  Before joining Slate, she worked as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.  She is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, and lives in New Haven with her husband and two sons.

Slow Family Living – Where Do We Sign Up?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re guilty of packing too much into each day…”slow family living” sounds impossible, between home, work, homework , activities, sports, and life with kids.  This new book, Slow Family Living:  75 Simple Ways to Slow Down, Connect, and Create More Joy, really caught my eye as a great concept to embrace.

I asked the author to share some tips at The Lounge.  Many thanks to Bernadette Noll, author, for these great tips:

1. Talk less. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that the less I talk, the more I connect with my kids – especially my older kids. When I talk less, they talk more and then I can really get a glimpse into what they’re thinking and feeling.
2. Eye contact is immensely powerful. In the day to day of family life we are so busy so much of the time that we don’t take/have the time to really see each other. Pause for 2 seconds, literally, that’s all it takes, and look your people in the eye. It is profound in its effect.
3. Decide to be done. In my book I talk about the importance of this – the realization that there is no finished so we have to sometimes make a conscious decision to be done in order that we can spend a little bit of time hanging out with family.
4. Make a “done” list. The to-do list is of course never ending so it’s crucial every now and again to take stock of what we’ve already done so that we can see how much we are actually kicking butt as a parent. It’s a lot of work. Celebrate how hard you work!
5. Schedule family time. We give everything else it’s rightful place on the calendar and we tend to fill in family time with whatever dregs are left. Try instead putting family time on the calendar and let the rest of life fill in around it.

Editor’s Note:  Love it!  What can YOU do to slow down in your own family and smell the roses?

Electronics Have Replaced Mom and Dad at the Dinner Table

 

 

 

 

I’m a “no cell phone at the table” advocate, so this guest post really caught my eye.  As a parent, you know when your kid is looking down with his hands in his lap, that he’s not ashamed of something…he’s texting a friend about a party.  My boys know when I put my hand out, it means, “That phone is MINE now.”  And they’re now policing me and my husband, and won’t tolerate OUR occasional slip with phones at the table either, which is as it should be.  I published a post a while back, “Keep your cell phone out of the cranberry sauce” about preserving the sanctity of the Thanksgiving dinner table as a cell-free zone, but really, with our busy lifestyles, EVERY meal should be tech-free and a precious time to connect.

Thanks to Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPS, a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking:  A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom about Health, Sex or Whatever, for this guest post on the ways technology is taking over too many tables, and for her ideas on how to have a tech-free family dinner.

She describes going out to dinner and noticing a new interaction she calls “electronic parenting” – kids immersed in iPads or phones and not their parents.  And while the electronics were “babysitting” the kids, the parents weren’t taking advantage to engage with each other.  “Dad was fidgeting with his phone; Mom looked frazzled,” she recalls.  Rapini thought about this and reflected, “Family dinner is about so much more than eating.  Parenting has a lot to do with setting boundaries, saying no, and also making sure you teach your child appropriate social behavior.  If your child is on the phone or iPad during dinner, they are in their own virtual world and not engaged with the family.”

She admits that we’re more electronically oriented, that smart phones are smarter than many humans, and that as we grow with technology, it will be even more important to set boundaries.  She recommends, “Stay engaged with your kids and spouse, and keep sacred some of the family rituals such as family meals.”  Here are some great tips she shares for our readers…

1.  Have family meals during the week as much as possible.  Include your whole family.

2.  Have a plate or container where all electronics are dropped prior to dinner.  Make sure you silence them as the noise of a text or email incites the mind and distracts from family.

3.  Conversation at the dinner table should be kept at a level where everyone can hear one another.

4.  Make sure you remember you are parents and not your child’s friend.  If a derogatory word or motion is made at the table, correct your child/spouse.  The dinner table should be family-friendly.

5.  Continue to show respect and manners with your child at the dinner table.  One of a parent’s most important jobs is socializing their child so the child can feel confident in his/her ability to demonstrate manners and respect for others.

Rapini adds, “We cannot go backwards in time, nor should we, but as we continue into the digital age, there are some rituals we must keep sacred as a family.  Family dinners are one of those.”

Author Bio:  Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPS, a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking:  A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom about Health, Sex or Whatever.

Editor’s Note:  I agree 100% – and love her tips!  You’ll never regret special, focused family time, and one more text or email at the expense of family time won’t make a difference…What do you think?  Is your dinner tech-free?  Does it bother you in restaurants when you look around and feel like you’re at a technology conference?  Chime in!  Add a comment to this post.

You’re Perfect…and Other Lies Parents Tell – From Self-Entitlement to Self-Control

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dubbed a “crash course in real-world parenting,” You’re Perfect… And Other Lies Parents Tell: The Ugly Truth About Spoiling Your Kids (Bird Street Books), offers a unique perspective on why protecting our kids from every disappointment in life may not be the best approach.

Think you’re doing your kids a favor telling them what perfect angels they are?

Think again.

Former criminal prosecutor, mother and stepmother Loni Coombs has witnessed firsthand the shockingly negative effects of what most parents feel to be the very best parenting techniques. They think, “I’ll give my children what I never had, I’ll take care of their problems,” and then they’re blindsided by their children’s utter helplessness when it comes to thriving in the real world, their inability to get and keep a job, even their unexpected run-ins with the law. What went wrong?

TV host and legal commentator, Coombs is a regular contributor to Dr. Phil, The Doctors, and Dr. Drew.  She delineates how modern parents are raising entitled children who are ill-equipped to become productive, empathetic, law-abiding young adults. In short, the “cool” parents are raising “cold” kids.

The “ugly truth” parents need to face is that telling your children that they are perfect and shielding them from the consequences of their actions while insisting that every child gets a first-place trophy is not good parenting, says Coombs. You’re Perfect is the urgent wake-up call that the parents of the “Me Generation” so desperately need, and the easy-to-implement information within its pages could change the course of millions of young lives for the better.

Here’s an excerpt she shared form the book for The MomTini Lounge about how to help your kids set and accomplish goals…

Goal Setting

It’s important to get your children to talk openly and without embarrassment about goals they would like to accomplish – such as getting to school on time, going to a concert, or even getting accepted into Harvard. Here are some suggestions:

• Help them break their goal down into steps that will get them there. If they want to buy a car, for instance, have them answer these questions: How much money will I need to save each month to be able to buy the car by a certain date? What costs will I need to cover once I buy the car? Make it a collaborative process by helping your child figure out solutions they can manage for how to get things done. They should feel responsible and in control of the process from the beginning.
• Help them to commit to the goal by memorizing the commitment. Writing things down is an extremely effective tool to help your children stick to a goal or a promise. The act of writing forces them to think though their goal in detail and then keeps them focused on what they have committed to doing.
• Make sure they have written deadlines to accomplish that goal. Studies show that kids who set deadlines for themselves actually perform better than those who don’t.
• Once the goal is set, your role should be aimed at positive reinforcement. No child is too old for positive reinforcement. Instead of jumping in when they are struggling and doing some of the work for them, set up small positive reinforcements to keep them going. Such reinforcements will be constant reminders that the work they are doing is worth it.

The Sibling Effect

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birth order and sibling issues are always interesting to me…and this book leveraged a lot of research into the science of sibling relationships and in the process, discusses some really provocative topics…Check it out…

THE SIBLING EFFECT: What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us by Jeffrey Kluger, has been fueling the discussion around siblings and the impact of birth order and genes, of favoritism and broken homes, of competitiveness, gender, sexuality, and more.

Kluger, a Time magazine science writer and the New York Times-bestselling coauthor of Apollo 1, shared some controversial findings from his research, including…

• Firstborns are smarter.  If you’re a firstborn, chances are you’re the smartest sibling in the family, with a 3-point IQ advantage over the second born.  The second born, in turn, has a 1.5-point advantage over the third.  But don’t worry if you’re the last of 12: The IQ decline flattens out after three or four children.
• Men with sisters are better listeners.  Men who grew up with sisters are generally rated by female dates to be better listeners than men raised only with brothers.  Women who grew up with brothers, similarly, are considered by male dates to be tougher and more easygoing than women who grew up with only sisters.  This is generally true even when the dates don’t know each other’s sibling past.
• Younger sibs are more empathetic.  If you were the youngest or physically smallest in your family, you may be better than your siblings at intuiting other people’s thoughts and feelings.  This kind of interpersonal antenna is what psychologists call a “low-power strategy”—a clever way of countering the high-power strategy of a bigger or older sib.
• Smoking, alcohol, drugs—and especially pregnancy—are contagious.  Do you smoke or did you ever?  The presence of an older smoking sib makes a younger sib four times likelier to start.  The same is true of drugs and alcohol.  For teenage pregnancy, the problem is even worse: A younger sister is five times likelier to be a teen mom if her older sister is one already.

When it was first published, THE SIBLING EFFECT received rave reviews from The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Boston Globe, Associated Press, Parent Magazine, among others. Jeffrey Kluger has appeared on national TV to discuss his work and shared his TED talk about the book.

Jeffrey Kluger is a senior writer and writer at Time magazine. He is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Apollo 13, and is also the author of Simplexity, Splendid Solution, and Moon Hunters. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughters.  With insight and humor, Kluger—who has three brothers, a half brother, a half sister, and two former stepsisters—weaves his own experiences of growing up in a contentious, at times dysfunctional family into his comprehensive examination of sibling relationships.

Editor’s Note:  Interesting…what do you think?  Do you feel that your own birth order maps who you are in life?  How do your own sibling relationships affect your adult friendships?  And, can we “cheat science” by being aware of the trends and likely outcomes to map out our own choices?

To Do-ne

 

 

 

 

 

I love punny, clever phrases (MomTastic, Mompreneur), so this guest post idea, “To Do-ne” caught my eye.  I’m a big believer in lists, because whether you use a complicated app or a legal pad, getting your tasks organized is always the first step.  I was recently sharing a story about one of my first corporate bosses – as a Midwest Sales Manager at Family Circle Magazine several years ago, I used to marvel at the efficiency of my boss, who had a constant revolving door of people and requests.  When I asked her how she stayed so organized and clutter free, she told me that she took care of tasks AS they came up…like batting balls at a park, she just hit each one as it hit her.  No piles, no clutter, just progress…

Thanks to Brooke Stone, President of Brooke Stone Lifestyle Management, who been seen on A&E’s Hoarders and wrote these tips for The MomTini Lounge.

To Do-ne

Let me guess, you get about 5 uninterrupted minutes each day to accomplish tasks on your to do list. When those 5 empty minutes are upon you, do you spend 4 of those precious moments figuring out where to start? Do you stand, staring at the empty space in front of you, mentally cataloguing all of the things you have to do, only to be shocked and dismayed when all of a sudden, the moment has passed and you haven’t managed to do…anything?

It’s ok, but no more of that please. Today, you will learn two simple tricks you can use to start maximizing every second you have free of Kids, Husband, Employees and Appointments. Promise.

It starts and ends with how you are working with your to do list. We all have one, but the way you use it makes all the difference in the world. An incomplete, inactive, non-specific to do list is actually just a piece of paper. True story. You might as well use it to clean up whatever your child just spilled…I’ll wait.

Trash the old to do list, and start over like this:

1. Your to do list must be a mental dump of everything in your brain.

Take a blank sheet of paper and put e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g cluttering up your brain onto that page. This not only ensures you won’t forget stuff, but also feels like losing ten pounds since you are no longer using your already very crowded brain to store info that can, and should, be accounted for elsewhere. Write it down, delete from brain. Think of your brain like a computer hard drive. The more data you store on your hard drive, the slower your machine is. Free up some space, and voila, your computer is quick and responsive once again – and so will you be!

2. Make sure everything you put on that list is actionable, specific, and includes all related details.

So, instead of writing this entry on your list, Get back to Friend-I-Never-See-Ever about dinner, write instead, Email Friend-I-Never-See-Ever confirming dinner on Tuesday at 8pm. This way, in minute 1 of 5 you have free, you don’t have to spend time remembering when that dinner was, if you decided you could go, when you are confirming for, blah, blah, blah. Trying to act on a to do list entry like Get back to Friend-I-Never-See-Ever about dinner, forces me to have thoughts I’ve already had, and rehash things I’ve already spent time dealing with in my brain. If my to do list instead instructs me to Email Friend-I-Never-See-Ever confirming dinner on Tuesday at 8, my brain says “Ok, can do,” and the to do list item literally gets copied and pasted into an email that looks like this:

Hey Friend-I-Never-See-Ever,

Writing to confirm dinner on Tuesday at 8pm. See you then!

Brooke

To Do-ne! You win! Check off, dance commence!

The moral of the story is, you can make every minute count and make progress on your to do list if you give yourself a fighting chance. Prep your list properly. Look at the list. Follow your own instructions. Rinse and repeat.

Author Bio: Brooke Stone is an energetic, driven young woman on a mission to make every person she meets more productive, efficient, and therefore, happy! Brooke is President of Brooke Stone Lifestyle Management, has been seen on A&E’s TV show Hoarders and loves shoes and Muji pens.

Editor’s Note:  Love Brooke’s tips…what will YOU do today?!

 

 

Top 12 Things a Kid Should Know Before Flying the Coop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love, love, love this book’s premise, and adore how Author Kay Wills Wyma, a former White House employee, cleaned her OWN house by kicking off a most unusual experiment to “un-enable” her 5 kids and introduce them to the basic tasks of independence.  Wyma found that while parents are well-intentioned, we’re raising dependent kids by sending the message, “I’ll do it for you because you can’t.“  Kids, she said, need to hear, “I believe in you, so I’m going to make you work.”  From making beds to grocery shopping to (prepare yourself…) yes, disinfecting a bathroom, her family experienced firsthand how meaningful work can transform self-absorption into earned self-confidence and concern for others.

I love to write about chores, and have a whole page dedicated to tips & tools on “how to make chores work”; a free downloadable chore chart you can customize; and lots more.  Click here for more on this important parenting topic.  And full disclosure, I’m as guilty as the next about not insisting the kids do more around the house, but it’s on my VERY short-term bucket list…always, and I do see the benefits big time.  In fact, when I was recently bed-bound with the flu, my 14-year-old proudly told me he folded 8 baskets of laundry (and did a beautiful job).  I love to share the story of my 40th birthday trip with girlfriends, and hearing someone say that the washing machine is WAY less technical than our kids’ electronic gadgets…they CAN do it!  Just ask!

I asked the author to share some tips for The Lounge, and hope you’ll enjoy these inspiring ideas as much as I do…

Top Twelve Things a Kid Should Know Before Flying the Coop

1.    How to make a bed and maintain an orderly room

2.    How to cook and clean a kitchen

3.    How to do yard work

4.    How to clean a bathroom

5.    How to get a job … outside our home

6.    How to do laundry

7.    How to do handyman jobs

8.    How to host a party

9.    How to work together

10. How to run errands

11. How to put others first through service

12. How to act mannerly

Adapted from Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma, used by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No parts of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

About the author:

Kay Wills Wyma has five kids, ages four to fourteen, and one SUV with a lot of carpool miles. Before she transitioned to stay-at-home mom, she earned an MBA, worked at the White House, and dabbled in international finance. Happily married to Jon, this recovering enabler is committed to equipping the next generation to achieve great things in the future by piling on the responsibility today. Kay enjoys inspiring other parents of adolescents and teens through her blog TheMoatBlog.com.