A Parent’s Guide to Babysitters: The Good, The Bad, and the Ditzy

Babysitters can be a parent’s best friend. At times, they are our lifeline to sanity. This is especially true if you, like me, live far away from any family members who could step in during an emergency or on otherwise short notice.

In November, 2003, I was home by myself for the evening and Texan Papa couldn’t be reached. I was home alone with my 3-year-old, my 19-month-old, and my 3-week-old newborn when the oldest 2 started throwing up and showing flu-like symptoms quite suddenly. I needed to help my sick kids but also tend to my infant and keep him from getting sick too. I ended up calling a friend, Joanna, in desperation. She came right over with Mary, her teenage daughter. Joanna happily held the baby as I doctored my two toddlers with the flu, while Mary ran to Walgreens for Pedialyte and Children’s Tylenol.

There will come a time when you want to or need to have some help, and it’s a good idea to have an idea about what you’ll expect from a babysitter. I’ve had dozens of teenage girls come through my door to babysit my kids, some more competent than others. I’m going to give you my advice about the care and handling of babysitters, from years of experience – as a parent and as a babysitter myself.

 

Who Should Watch Your Children?

 
I’m going to say that your safest bet is to have a girl watch your kids. Boys may be fine but statistics about sexual abuse make it clear that a girl, in general, is much less likely to molest a child. So, there’s that to consider. Most girls start babysitting some time around the age of 12 or 13, but more important than age is the maturity of a teen. Common sense and a love for children are qualities that are innate to some people, and they will make the best babysitters for your children. The best way to find a babysitter is definitely word of mouth. Ask your friends who they use and if they feel she’s safe. Do the kids like her? Is she usually available for babysitting or is she pretty busy with sports, school, and friends? Other people you could ask for referrals: local high school teachers will know who’s responsible and trustworthy, Girl Scout leaders will have scouts who show leadership and are motivated to make money, and your religious leader will know members of the congregation who are good with children. NEVER NEVER NEVER just ask a teenager that you happen to know, out of sheer desperation. Also, NEVER take a parent’s word about their own child. While they may think their daughter is mature and responsible, you will be better off finding an objective person to be the judge of that before leaving your kids with her.

When you find a babysitter, you might want to have her over for an hour while you stay at home and get something done around the house, so you can have some free time at home but you can also observe her with your kids. You can get a feel for how much experience she has and if her personality meshes with your own. You can also answer any questions that she has about your family’s own unique needs.

 

Giving the Babysitter Some Instructions

 
Don’t be afraid to tell the babysitter how you want things done while you’re gone – but also remember that she’s a temporary helper. If something doesn’t go according to plan, it can go back to the routine the next day. Make sure you have told the babysitter where you’re going, how you can be reached, and about how long you’ll be gone. It’s also important that she understand how discipline is to be handled: time outs, grounding, being sent to their room, etc. If your child needs to take medicine, make absolutely sure that she understands frequency and dosage. Tell her how you want her to handle phone calls & knocks on the door, where the kids are allowed to play, what she’s allowed to eat while you’re gone, and if she needs to take care of the family pet. These little things that seem common sense to you, may NOT BE to her. Make sure she knows how to change a baby’s diaper, how to use the stove or oven (if she has to make dinner, like soup or a pizza), how to use the cordless phone, etc. And, don’t be embarrassed about laying down some ground rules too, like no talking or texting on a cell phone while the kids are awake, or keep all shoes off the furniture.

 

What is the Babysitter Expected to Do?

The no. 1 job of a babysitter is keeping the children safe. It’s important that the babysitter understand how to recognize dangerous situations like choking, high fever, and seizure. Also, she needs to have a watchful eye for possible danger, like falls, burns, and cuts. She needs to have a cool head when stressful situations arise so that she can deal with them (like if your child should climb a huge tree and not know how to get down. Not saying that EVER happens to me. Ahem.) A secondary expectation would be keeping the kids happy. She should show interest in the children and help them get along with each other. She should actively engage them instead of just standing on the periphery and watching them play. She also needs to have fun with them, not expect them to be obedient little robots. She may occasionally need to break up an argument, so that’s another time when having a cool head will be important.

The babysitter isn’t a maid. She shouldn’t be expected to fold laundry or clean up the kitchen. It is perfectly fine, however, to ask (not expect) that anything taken out while she’s watching the kids be put away. If she & the kids play a board game, she can put it away. If she serves them dinner, she can clean up the plates (or she can supervise the kids doing it). But, try to keep the work to a minimum if you want her to come back. Otherwise, you’ll need to compensate her accordingly.

How Much Should You Pay the Babysitter?
Speaking of compensation, the bottom line is that you should pay your babysitter enough so that if you want this babysitter to come back again, and give you the same service as in the past, the next time you call her she will not hesitate to say “yes”. I have paid babysitters various amounts depending on how many children were home, what kind of duties the babysitter had to perform, how old the babysitter was, and if she did a good job. I have asked this question on Mamapedia as well as on my own blog, and gotten a price range from close to what *I* made 20 years ago, to more than I’d even charge myself! Typically I will pay the sitter around $5 per hour for the first child, plus an additional $1 per hour for each additional child. So, for my 5 kids that would be $9 per hour. If the sitter doesn’t have to do anything except watch my children sleep, I’ll usually pay her less. If I come home and notice that she’s done something extra, like wash the dishes or put away toys that were already out when she arrived, I will pay her a little more. Also, keep in mind the difference between babysitting infants, toddlers, and older children: a baby who is colicky, needs to be changed, fed by hand, and rocked to sleep is a LOT more work than a 7-year-old who uses the bathroom and can brush his own teeth.

How many babysitters should you have on your list?
I think a safe number of babysitters to have on your call list depends on how often you need a babysitter and how available they are. Really, I have only 2 or 3, but my main babysitter always says yes. I usually don’t give her more than a day notice (because I suck at planning ahead) and she is always available. But, I just lost one babysitter from my list because she is getting more and more involved in her school activities (or so she told me. I hope it’s not because my kids were hellions for her.) A better number would be around 5 names. You need to find sitters from different places, too. If they are all from the same local high school, then you will never find a sitter on the night of the Homecoming Dance or the week of finals. If they are all from church, you’ll be out of luck if you plan a date night with your spouse on the weekend of Church Camp.

Babysitters can be a really valuable part of your family. Time away from home and the kids can be a much-needed mental break, when you’re about to have a breakdown! Someone who is trustworthy is worth every penny you spend. I hope some of these tips will help you find a good match for your kids and your family.

Gretchen, a.k.a. Texan Mama, spends her days finding rogue singleton socks and tending to the dozen feet that wear those socks. She resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with her husband, 5 children, and one dog (who doesn’t wear socks). In her spare time, she blogs at Who Put Me In Charge Of These People???

The Best Money You’ll Never Spend

Before I begin, I must give a disclaimer that this isn’t a commercial. I wasn’t paid to write this post. I’m not a spokesperson for any company.

But, I might as well be a spokesperson for Aldi Grocery Stores. And I’ve never been happier than the day I saw one being  built near my house in Arlington.

*cue choirs of angels* HALELUJAH!

There are so many great reasons to shop at Aldi that I just don’t know where to begin. But, in case you don’t know what Aldi is, please allow me to explain: Aldi is grocery store that sells its own brand of products.  It’s a lot like Trader Joe’s, but with not as much organic stuff but plenty of low low prices. Aldi sells most everything that a person would need on a typical grocery run, but in order to keep prices low, they do some things a little differently. For example, they don’t accept credit cards or checks for payment (cash and debit cards only – maybe food stamps too, I’m not sure – to avoid the fees associated with these types of payment). They don’t bag the groceries nor do they provide the bags for free – paper bags can be purchased for 5 cents and plastic for 10 cents – but they always welcome customers to bring their own bags. Aldi doesn’t carry products in dozens of different varieties and sizes. They don’t carry every product imaginable, but I do think they carry a lot of things you wouldn’t expect. For example, they have soy milk but not lactose-free milk. They carry self-rising flour, but not whole wheat flour. They carry chicken noodle soup as well as tomato, cream of mushroom, and vegetable beef, but not french onion soup.  Also, they don’t take coupons. And, really? That’s a blessing in disguise. Any reason I can find to stop keeping track of teensy pieces of paper barely bigger than a postage stamp, with expiration dates, is okey-dokey with me.

So, you’re wondering, what’s the savings? Really? Well, I just happened to go buy groceries for my family of 7 today. My checkout toal: Just over $120. Not bad, I’d say. Milk was $1.69. Yes, really. Eggs were 75 cents. Bread was 69  cents. Granola bars: $1.69. Iceberg lettuce: 89 cents. Cheese Pizza: $2.29. 6-pack microwave popcorn: $1.49. And, in case you’re thinking, “Yeah, but what does it taste like?” I’ll tell you, sub-par groceries are no bargain. What’s the point in saving money on food that no one wants to eat? And Aldi products are, in my opinion, just as good as national-brand products. Their products are made by many national-brand manufacturers, but with the Aldi label. Now, I’m not going to say that I’ve never been disappointed. There have been a couple of items that didn’t taste as good as their national brand counterparts. But I was able to take the item back to the store, receive a different product of equal price, and also a refund of my money. That’s what their “Double Your Money Back” guarantee is all about. Now THAT is a company who stands behind their product, wouldn’t you say? Their products are made by many national-brand manufacturers, but with the Aldi label.

Once upon a time, I thought Aldi was a grocery store strictly for people who were low-income. I think that misconception has kept other shoppers away, steering them toward higher-priced specialty stores. And, truth? I love Central Market. The whole experience of shopping there is sensational. But so is my bill. There is a price to pay for specialty groceries, and the last time I looked, my toddler didn’t care where her whole-wheat spaghetti came from. It ended up on the floor anyway.

Aldi is opening 27 new stores this spring all around the DFW Metroplex. For a full list of locations, click here. And, happy shopping!

Summer reading and the Scholastic Book Fair

Summer is almost upon us. And, when I say “summer” I’m not talking about temperatures or mowing lawns or wearing shorts. I am talking about kids being out of school. After all, I can sit in the A/C, pay someone else to mow the lawn, and wear a bathing suit 24/7 if that’s what floats my boat. But, finding things to keep kids from staring at the t.v. entertained all summer can be a challenge at times.

You can imagine my absolute joy when I saw that the Scholastic Book Warehouse was having another warehouse sale. If you’ve never been to a Scholastic Warehouse sale, you are missing out. Upon walking into the huge building, you get the feeling that you are walking straight into one of the book order forms that your child has brought home from school. You see stacks upon stacks upon stacks of Clifford, Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. There are racks of pencils! And rows of kitty-cat posters! You can buy blank journals for keeping a diary. You can buy cookbooks for yourself! It’s kinda like book-crack.

All books are reduced from their cover price. Most are 50% off, but some are up to 80% off. They also have a “bargain aisle” where you are given a box (about the size of a copy-paper box) and you can fill it with books from a selected section and pay just $25.

I found books for my 4 oldest children, ages 2 up to 10, but there are even some selections for adults and young adults (like the Twilight series). Basically, most of the things you’ve ever seen in the Scholastic book orders for kids, you will find on the shelves at the warehouse sale.

One bit of advice: go with a fat wallet and a few hours to spare. It’s so worth it! The Scholastic Book Fair is going on NOW until May 29th. For more information, click here. You can also print off a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase or $25 off a $100 purchase.

If you haven’t ever seen the Scholastic Book Warehouse, it’s on the west frontage road of I-360, just north of I-20. You can get there by taking Hwy 360 and getting off at the Mayfield exit, then travel south on the frontage road.

Pear Honey – Blue Ribbon Quality!

When it comes to my mad skillz in the kitchen, they are pretty much non-existent. My kids’ favorite meal is Hamburger Helper and my husband usually just looks at what I’m cooking, then fixes something separate for himself. And, to answer your question, YES I find that insulting but I am so used to it by now, I have become desensitized. At least he is doing the fixing for himself.

But, when it comes to canning, I’m not afraid to shine. In the summer of ’07, I won 5 first-place ribbons and one second-place ribbons for canned (preserved) foods at the Clinton County Fair. (I could only find 3 of the ribbons for the picture. I think I was using the other 3 for bookmarks.)

That fair, by the way, is exactly the stuff you see (or read about) in Charlotte’s Web. There is a parade, Fair Queen pageant, Kettle corn, all types of livestock judging, carnival rides, (local) celebrity cow milking contest, etc. 4-H has a booth selling Lemon Shake-Ups (If you’ve never had a lemon shake-up, you’ve never tasted summer.) And, of course, in the exhibition hall there are lots of submissions for judging, like quilts, canned foods, fresh foods, artwork, hand-sewn clothes, woodworking, etc. I submitted pickled asparagus, green beans, tomatoes, dill pickles, apples, and pear honey.That’s Texan Papa in the green ball cap. He was a “local celebrity” because he’s a pastor. It doesn’t take much to be a celebrity, I guess.

There’s Peppermint Patty, Charlie Brown, and Linus eating watermelon slices off of a frisbee after the very long and hot parade. (I walked with PP and Linus in the parade, 6 months pregnant, pulling a wagon and throwing out candy. Linus walked with the Cub Scouts.) See what I mean about it being a real country fair?

Now, in case you don’t know what pear honey is, I am happy to tell you: It is a wonderful sweet spread, much like the consistency of marmalade, but with a taste of honey. However, the honey does not taste sugary-sweet, but rather fruity-sweet. I found a recipe for Pear Honey when I was given 2 bushels of very ripe pears and had no idea what to do with them. Well, as it turns out, pear honey is best made with overripe pears. It’s SO simple to make. If you have pear trees or if you get pears from a neighbor, I highly recommend making it. It is so unique and your friends and family will gobble it up! I even made some and put it in small half-cup or half-pint jars and then gave it out with a mini loaf of pound cake at Christmas time. It was a perfect teacher gift and also for the church secretary and organist.

Pear Honey:
8 cups very ripe pears, peeled and crushed
1 cup Pineapple juice
8 cups sugar

Put pears and pineapple juice in a large stock pot. Add sugar. Bring to a full boil and reduce heat to medium for a gentle boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 minutes. Pour into prepared jars*. Process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Makes 6-7 pints.

When you first pour the mixture into the jars, it will seem a little thin, but it will thicken while the jars are processing in the boiling water. And, once cooled, it will thicken even a little more.

*Prepared Jars are canning jars that have been washed thoroughly and warmed in a canning pot with simmering water. The jars are kept in the simmering water until they are ready to be filled. Processing in boiling water means, once the jars are filled, and new caps and rings are screwed on (tight enough to close but not TOO tight), then the jars are returned to the simmering water with at least 1 inch of water above the caps. The water is returned to a boil. This is NOT using a pressure cooker.

When Texan Mama isn’t taking the County Fair by storm, she is raising her four…almost 5 (yes, I said 5) children and writing at her blog, Who Put Me in Charge of These People??

How I Won The Lottery

Last year I was contemplating how I would afford another year of private school tuition for my 3 children, being a Stay-At-Home-Mom with 2 more kids at home. Parochial School ain’t cheap, as anyone who’s ever slayed that dragon already knows.

My kids’ principal sent all the parents an email about a scholarship opportunity coming up. Only, this scholarship wasn’t through the school. It was through the Austin CEO Foundation. They give scholarships to students in all school settings: private, public, charter, virtual, and home schools. So I figured, what the heck! I’ll give it a try.

I went to their website. I filled out an entry form. It explained that I would need to be near the phone the following Wednesday to receive the call, should my child’s name be drawn from the lottery. Yeah, Okay, Whatever is what I was thinking. So you can imagine my surprise when that Wednesday I got a call. The director explained that my daughter’s name had been drawn! And she was going to get $1000 towards her tuition for the following school year! The man on the phone claimed he was on the steps of the state capitol, gathering with other parents to lobby the state legislature for their support in an effort to allow parents to choose what type of education learning environment is best for their own child. As he spoke to me on the phone, I could hear my voice being broadcast over an amplifier into a crowd of people.

Once the director was done talking to me, he handed his phone off to an assistant who got all my details, including verifying my phone number. She explained that she’d call me back tomorrow to give me more information about the scholarship. It was at this point that I thought to myself, that’s when she’s going to try to sell me something. Or ask me to donate money to someone. Or expect me to volunteer a gazillion hours to promote a cause. And know what she ended up asking me for? None of that. Nothing. Nada. Oh, well, she DID ask me for my address. But beyond that, they were just happy to give my daughter a scholarship to help us pay for books or supplies or extra tutoring or music lessons. Or tuition.

The amount awarded is different for the different school types. We ended up sending our kids to public school this year (not for financial reasons, it’s a whole ‘nother post, trust me – you don’t want me to get started.) So, instead of getting $1000 for tuition, we will get $250. That can be used for tutoring or music lessons or even to buy a new computer for them! If you’re a home schooler, the award is $500.

So, if you’d like some extra money to help defray the costs of sending your child to school (and who wouldn’t?) I would really encourage you to fill out an entry form at the Austin CEO website. The drawing for next school year will be some time in the spring.

A Quick Getaway to Glen Rose

Texan Papa and I planned a trip to Glen Rose, TX for a two day getaway. It’s a little more than an hour from DFW. The town boasts many tourist activities, including Fossil Rim Wildlife Park (a driving tour with giraffes, zebras, etc.) and Dinosaur Valley State Park (a state park where dinosaur tracks have been discovered and preserved). We decided to stay overnight on Tuesday at the most charming little bed-and-breakfast I’ve ever found, called Country Woods Inn. We had our own cabin, decorated with rustic woodsy decor. It had 2 full beds, a bathroom with claw-foot tub, and a full kitchen. AND CENTRAL A/C!

Our kids first impression as we drove up: “This place looks junky.” Uh, yeah, it’s not the Marriott. That’s the whole point. Our cabin was directly next to the pasture where 2 horses and a sheep were grazing. Adjacent to the pasture was a petting/feeding area for chickens, turkeys, goats, rabbits, and a donkey. There was even a play area for kids, complete with teeter-totter, tire swing, basketball hoop, and tether ball. They had croquet sets, horseshoes, and an outdoor chess set. Our cabin even had a giant TV, DVD player, and satellite TV (which we refused to turn on. After all, if we wanted to watch TV we could have stayed home or gone to the Marriott). Everything on the premises was EXTREMELY CLEAN and WELL-KEPT, not like what I expected from cabins in the woods, directly next to the river.

Speaking of the river, we took a long walk in the riverbed, which was dry. We saw minnows and tadpoles and tiny frogs. We saw lots of bugs and beautiful scenery.
That evening, we sat outside our cabin and cooked hot dogs on the wood-burning grill around the campfire circle (every cabin has its own).
We cooked s’mores and even ate a few extra gooey marshmallows. I think one of the best things has to be that we didn’t get bit by a single mosquito (probably because of the dry riverbed). Staying at the Country Woods Inn might have been even better than the activities we did during the day.

We enjoyed the Dinosaur Valley State Park, but it was REALLY hot. The kids got to swim in the swimming hole and see giant dinosaur tracks, which was cool.

We also went to the Creation Evidence Museum. That was kinda a let-down. We were hoping for a great learning experience for our kids to counter all the evolution theory they will hear in school, but the museum wasn’t very kid-friendly and just kinda all jumbly. Exhibits weren’t explained very well. But, now we can say we’ve seen it, right?

On our next trip to Glen Rose we are going to go to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Park and definitely stay at the Country Woods Inn again. It was so much fun. A real rustic experience but without having to pitch a tent. Texan Papa must have said a half dozen times, “This makes me want to buy a cabin on a river or a lake someday.” That would be so awesome! But, only after all our kids are grown and gone. I think he and I just need to realize that we love our kids, but enjoying some peace and quiet is too heavenly to not fantasize about.

Texan Mama is the Texan Mama of 4 who writes from the metroplex at Who Put Me In Charge of These People?

How to Label Kid’s Shirts

Last year my kids went to private school and their uniform was polo-style shirts in red, white, navy blue, or hunter green. I had 3 kids who could all wear these shirts and I was forever trying to figure out whose shirts were whose. Not that it really mattered, but I didn’t want one kid to end up hoarding all the shirts and another having to wear a dirty shirt two days in a row, simply because I couldn’t sort the shirts into the right piles.

Plus, I have noticed that one brand’s size “Medium” ends up being the same size as another brand’s “Extra Large”, so I can’t really go by sizes either. One size fits one child, maybe the same size fits another, and maybe a larger size fits the smallest child.

Anyway, I got on one of my favorite Mom sites, Mamasource and begged the other moms to give me some advice as to how I could label my kids’ shirts so I knew whose was whose. I didn’t want to use their initials, because as one outgrows a shirt I want to pass it along to the next one without having to scratch out an initial in permanent ink.

One mom gave me this advice: “Using either dots or small lines, mark your oldest child’s clothing with one line, next child with two lines, next with three, and so on. So, when you pass on the clothing to the next child, you can just add a line.”

That. Was. Brilliant. For some reason I feel so much smarter now. Not that it was my idea, but every time I fold clothes and I see those little lines, I smile and give myself a mental high five. This also works for my two boys who like to buy shirts that are exactly the same. Actually, my younger son likes to look like his older brother and it drives the older brother crazy, but that’s for another post…

Maybe you can benefit from my (borrowed) genius!

Texan Mama is a pregnant mom of 4 which means that soon she will be adding yet another line to her growing polo shirt collection.  She writes at Who Put Me In Charge Of These People?

Whole Lotta Bang for My Buck

I. Love. A. Bargain.

The only thing I love more than a bargain is feeling like I’m being treated like a VIP.

So, naturally, when I went to a children’s museum during my recent trip to Fort Myers, Florida, I was interested in their family membership. $75 got me a one-year membership for two adults and four children. This gave me unlimited admission to the Imaginarium in Fort Myers, Florida. It didn’t really matter that I wasn’t coming back to Florida any time soon. Because….

The membership is good at over 300 museums nationwide! HELLO BARGAIN!!!

I came to St. Louis after Florida – BOOM! It was good at the St. Louis Science Center for free parking and free admission to all paid exhibits. Saved me $27.

It was good at a children’s museum in Northern IL where my In-Laws live.

And, HERE IN TEXAS, it is good at museums in Fort Worth, McKinney, Fair Park – Dallas, as well as Corsicana, Tyler, Austin, Amarillo, Houston, Kileen, Fort Davis, Lubbock, and San Antonio.

Did I mention that it was only $75? For my whole family? FOR A WHOLE YEAR?

Now I have no excuse to go out and get myself all cultured-like, y’all.

*NOTE: There is some type of rule about not being able to use your passport membership at Museums within a 90-mile radius of your home address. HOWEVER at the two museums I visited, neither one asked me for a home address so I can’t say what the deal is for sure. But if nothing else it would be good to ask. And if you’re planning any type of trip it would definitely be a good value. To see a list of the museums that participate in the program, click on the link below.
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/Membership/pdf/astc_travelpassport.pdf

I’m Leaving… On a Jet Plane…

Yippee…. I am taking a {family} vacation for the first time in a long time!

Unfortunately, Texan Papa will not be accompanying us. He has to stay in Texas so he can bring home the bacon, you know.

I am leaving with the kids right after school gets out in June. We are driving up to St. Louis, then flying out of St. Louis to go to Florida for a week!

My kids are TOTALLY PSYCHED to say the least.

We don’t take trips too often, as me staying home with the kids and relying on one income for 6-almost-7 people means making sacrifices. But, I’ve been planning this trip for a long time, and here’s how we’re making it happen:
1. We are flying out of St. Louis, which is a little bit cheaper. YES it is quite a drive, but after we return from Florida we are going to stay in St. Louis to visit friends and family for about 2 weeks, so it makes sense to fly out of a cheaper destination anyway.
2. I have been saving my Reward Points from Capitol One (“What’s in Your Wallet?”) for about 10 years. Seriously. So, I finally have enough points that I was able to purchase 4 round-trip tickets from St. Louis to Florida (the baby will sit on my lap. Not fun, but at least it’s free).
3. We are staying at my parents’ house in Florida. Free food, free lodging, pool on location, the beach is free, etc. Not EVERYTHING will be free (I’m sure I’ll have to purchase some aloe for our sunburns) but it will be really really cheap.

Now, for the trip up to St. Louis. Yes: me, 4 kids, the open road, and no adult helper.

God is my co-pilot.

1. I got a dual-screen DVD player for the car for only $80 on clearance at Target. Texan Papa is adamantly opposed to DVD players for the van, but in this situation I neither told him nor plan to. Personally, I am extremely opposed to losing my marbles before we even getting outside the borders of Texas from listening to 4 kids scream at each other. Plus, it’s not like they’re going to watch movies non-stop. They will probably watch 1-2 per day (considering it’s about a 12-hour drive – including breaks and time for kids to stretch their legs – I don’t think that’s too much).
2. I have prepared some homemade activity books. On our last trip to St. Louis in January, these were a HUGE hit with my kids. Have you ever tried to find activity books that are actually FUN for kids? Those “coloring and activity” books stink. None of my kids like to color, so they do all the dot-to-dots in about 5 minutes, then want to throw the book away. Plus, my younger son, Linus, isn’t a strong reader yet so he can’t spend his time reading books. But the internet is such an awesome source of free EVERYTHING. I was able to find games and activities that suit each one of their tastes and challenge levels. So, here are some of the activities I included in their books (and links, in case you want to make an activity book of your own for your family vacation):

• Travel Battleship – plays just like the regular game for 2 people, only on paper

• Fill-Ins – like a crossword puzzle, but you just fill in the words from a word list. No clues. The first word is given for you to get you started.

• Match-Up games – You can pick one of their pre-made match-ups, or you can create your own.

• License Plate Game – use this map of the United States to color in each state and learn geography as you find a license plate from that state

• Scavenger Hunt – keep your eyes peeled for things like school bus, baby, dog, or flag pole

• Mazes – You can find them with varying degrees of difficulty. Good for readers AND non-readers.

• Dot-to-dot

• Word Scramble

• tic-tac-toe, close-the-box and hangman – fun, classic games

• Car Trip Bingo

• Word Search Puzzles

• Easy Kids Sudoku – seriously, these are beginner puzzles. Your kids can always get harder puzzles but these teach them how to play. Here’s another site to check out too.

• Hidden Picture Search – from Highlights magazine. This is a GREAT activity for non-readers. Kinda like I-Spy but they provide the pictures to search for. There are dozens to choose from.

• Wordoku – Just like Sudoku, but with letters instead. Go to this site, it is so cool. The game is played just like Sudoku but you can create your own games using letters, numbers, shapes, colors, or even Sesame Street Characters!

• Kakuro – a little bit tougher, but will be great for that kid who wants a challenge! Also helps with adding skills. You can pick the difficulty level and size of the puzzle, and it comes with a solution guide.

I found ALL these activities just using Google. Whatever I wanted to find, I usually typed that in along with “free” or “printable” or “Easy” or “kids”. This is going to save me a ton of money on buying books retail. Plus, half-a-dozen or so of each activity is enough to keep the kids interested. Too much, and you’d have a library of activity books in your backseat!

Also, in each binder, I put some blank paper (for freehand drawing) and some notebook paper (for journaling). I also bought some pencil pouches that go inside the binder rings to keep crayons, pens, pencils, small pencil sharpener, and erasers. I also put a few sheets of stickers in the pencil pouch, just for fun.

Another bit of advice I read somewhere is to give kids an allowance every day to choose how they want to spend it. Now, I won’t be doing this EVERY day, but probably I’ll give them $2 each day we’re traveling to choose to spend on a soda or chips or whatever when we make our rest stops. Of course, I’ll have healthy snacks that will be FREE, so it will be their choice if they want to save their money and have healthy snacks, or spend it to get junk food. But they won’t get enough to rot their teeth!

On past road trips, and also this one, I bring a CD player and I try to find some books on CD for the kids to listen to. Sometimes the CD’s have the accompanying book, sometimes not. But it’s a good alternative to listening to the radio and reading a book, which sometimes makes my kids sick and my younger son can’t read too well yet either. Remember to bring extra batteries! Also, I take all the CD’s out of their cases before we leave and put them in a cd-holder that is as slim as possible. If the CD case only holds 10 CD’s, then that’s all they can take! I’m doing the same with the DVD’s. That way, we dont’ have a zillion cases floating around the car, waiting to get stepped on.

One last thing: I am going to print a map of our trip for each child to put in their binders, so when the kids ask where we are I can tell them and refer to their map. I think kids appreciate knowing where in the world they are, how close they are to the rest stop, how far they’ve traveled, etc. And I can mark stops on the map, like where we’ll stop for the night at the hotel, favorite restaurants, exciting landmarks, parks, etc.

I am on my knees praying that this trip doesn’t send me over the edge. Texan Papa thinks I am totally nuts, but I am looking forward to seeing my kids’ expressions when their toes hit the sand on the beach for the first time.

That will be all worth it!

When TexanMama isn’t carefully planning out amazing adventures for her kids, she can be found writing about them at Who Put Me in Charge of These People? Burb Mom hopes that TexanMama has a great vacation, has a chance to catch a nap and then write a follow-up.

Mom: Legacy

Being right is not as important as asking for forgiveness when you’re wrong

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it’s what I’ve got today. I’m sure as I get more “experienced” as a mother, I’ll add to this list or change some things. But it will be neat to look back 10 years from now and think about this list.

Texan Mama is a DFW mom.  She writes Who Put Me in Charge of These People because she is in charge of a bunch of people…

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