• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy

Simply Sweet Days

Simple discoveries that make every day count.

  • Twins
    • Life With Twins
    • The First Year
    • Twin Pregnancy
  • Family
    • 52 Project
    • DIY
    • Motherhood
    • Parenting
    • Precious Moments
    • Products and Reviews
    • Summer Fun
  • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinners
    • Crock Pot
    • Family Favorites
    • Meal Planning
    • Desserts
  • Finding Balance
    • Home Organization
    • Time Management
    • Working Motherhood

Parenting

Best Streaming Educational Shows for Younger Kids

There are plenty of learning opportunities to be had by watching educational shows. You can choose to watch a show with your kids and ask thought-provoking questions about the topic. Or an educational show for kids can be a short break for mom while kids rest and learn at the same time. And let’s face it- sometimes you just need something for the littles to do while the older kids are working on remote learning. We are homeschooling, and I use these educational shows for kids as sneaky ways to make “screen time” part of school. 

These are mostly streaming educational kids shows, and I’ve broken them down by the service provider. And here’s a tech hack: if you have an HDMI cable, you can plug your laptop in to the TV and stream any of the PBS Kids shows from the pbskids.com website!

Educational Shows for Kids on Netflix

Story Bots (PreK-Grade 2)

Number Blocks (PreK-Grade 2)

Alpha Blocks (PreK-Grade 2)

Octonauts (PreK-Grade 2)

Magic School Bus (PreK-Grade 4)

Charlie’s Colorforms City (PreK-Grade 2)

You might also like: 25 Fun Things to do on a Rainy Day with Kids.

Educational Shows for Kids on Amazon Prime

Some of these may require the $4.99 PBS Kids upgrade, which is totally worth it! Don’t have Amazon Prime video? Use this link to Join Prime Video Channels Free Trial!

Daniel Tiger (PreK-K)

Leapfrog Letter Factory/Numberland (PreK-Grade 1)

Word World (PreK-Grade 1)

Super Why (K-2)

Xavier Riddle (Grade 2-4)

Wild Kratts (PreK-Grade 3)

Dino Dana (PreK-Grade 3)

WallyKazam (PreK-Grade 2)

Team UmiZoomi (PreK-K)

Educational Shows for Kids on Disney+

Little Einsteins (PreK-Grade 3)

Wings of Life (Grade 2-5)

Monkey Kingdom (Grade 2-5)

African Cats (Grade 2-5)

Born in China (Grade 2-5)

Bears (Grade 2-5)

Chimpanzee (Grade 2-5)

Educational Channels for Kids on Youtube

Homeschool Pop

Kids Learning Tube

FreeSchool

Crash Course Kids

Peekaboo Kidz

SciShow Kids

Are we missing one of your favorite educational kids shows? Let us know in the comments!

We are a 7 Habits family, which means we build time into our daily schedule to “Sharpen the Saw”, balancing work and play. The great thing about educational shows for kids is that they are kind of like school work, but also kind of like playtime or rest time. 

The Pandemic Pushed Me to My Parenting Limits-And I Rose Above Them

I don’t know about you, but these last 5 months have been the longest of my entire life. When schools first closed I was actually excited to have more time to spend with my kids. We were going to bake things, make crafts, read books, learn at home and work out together. Pandemic parenting was supposed to be so chill. 

Pandemic Parenting is Basically Just Surviving Chaos

Fast forward to day 150+ of quarantine closures and no personal time/space/anything. My nerves are thin, patience is MIA, and waistline is… well, let’s just say it’s making sure it gets noticed. It turns out I just didn’t have the stamina to keep up the supermom facade for this long.

Then our district’s distance learning plans were announced, and they actually pushed me to be a better parent. 

Distance learning and I do not get along. It hasn’t even started up again and I’ve already wasted countless hours being ticked off about all the things I don’t like about it. Instead of feeling frustrated about things that are out of my control, I took that energy and focused it on a new plan. Because unlike most parents, I’m in a unique position where I have the skills and time to teach my own children. So I pulled my kids from public school.  

To clarify, our district is doing the best they can. I appreciate the hours of planning and committee meetings that went into the final distance learning model. It’s clear that this model was created with the safety of both kids and faculty in mind. Not to mention, pretty much all the moms I talk to are so incredibly thankful that they no longer have to teach their kids because of how well the district is bringing qualified public school teachers into their students’ homes. But it doesn’t work for me. 

Thankfully, I am a trained educator

Instead of complaining about distance learning, I took a proactive stance and instead we will be fully homeschooling this upcoming year. 

The instant I made the call to the school to withdraw my kids, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. You guys, my kids are going to be in kindergarten and second grade. In California, kindergarten isn’t even mandatory (meaning we could totally skip it if we wanted to), and I have taught second grade 3 different times, in 3 different districts. This is totally something I can do, and in fact I’m really looking forward to it! 

The last district I worked for gave teachers complete flexibility over what and how they teach. That sounds cool, until you read between the lines and discover what that really means: They give you a computer and a limited curriculum library, and leave you to figure the year out on your own. Because I switched grades each year (by choice), I created a scope and sequence from scratch for 3 years in a row. I am fully confident that I can put together a year of learning for my kids, and would even go so far as to say that we are going to be happier as a homeschool family. 

So now my pandemic parenting has come full circle. I went from my “practically perfect in every way” attitude in March, to the depths of despair in July, and now I’m back on top and ready to go. I have risen. I’ve found my patience, my love for seeing the world through a child’s eyes, and I’m taking both of these with me into our next chapter as a homeschool family.

Pandemic parenting was supposed to be so chill. After it pushed me almost to breaking, I rose above and found my joy in motherhood once again.

Simple Ways to Help your Child Love School

The strangest academic year in our country’s history is almost upon us. It’s not too late to make it a fresh start. This upcoming school year may not be all that your family had hoped it would be, but it’s still possible to help your child love school. Here are some ways you can help build on that positive spirit all year long.

The academic year is almost upon us. It's not too late to make it a great one! It's still possible to help your child love school. Here are some ways you can help build on that positive spirit all year long.

Read Together

Reading out loud is not just for little kids. Picture books are great for all ages, and kids never outgrow the pleasure of being read to. Reading together is one of the easiest ways to help your child love school. Create a special reading corner at home. According to Math and Reading Help, children who enjoy reading tend to perform better in school than those who don’t.

Set up a Desk

This shows how seriously you take their schoolwork. Anything you make space for in your home is obviously valued, so if school is your child’s job, their desk is their office. Plus, a fun space dedicated just to her will really help your child love school!

Let Them Work it Out

Homework isn’t only about learning facts; It’s also about learning independently. Some kids need rewards to get them through the work. Others might need a supportive presence. Either way, the more kids achieve on their own, the more confidently they can tackle the next challenges.

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” ~ John Dewey

Recruit a Mentor

Your child loves you, but you’re, you know, a grown-up. Set your kid up with a peer mentor, someone just a year or two older who can relate to their day-to-day experiences and offer encouragement. Many schools are embracing the idea.

Support your Social Butterfly

A wide circle of friends gives kids options on the playground. Try to encourage your kids to invite someone new over to play (when it’s safe to do so). After-school activities or team sports can also help broaden their social horizons.

Model a Love of Learning

Kids are naturally curious, so set good examples. Pick up a book, play Scrabble, talk about current events. This will help foster their curiosity.

Buddy up with the Teacher

Teachers can give a more objective picture of your child’s day and help you uncover trouble spots. The teacher may also be able to shed some light on things your child has trouble expressing.

Offer Support

Be there for them! Attend school events, don’t miss parent/teacher conferences, join the PTA, and try to have lunch with them at least once a month. And most important, always remember to encourage them to succeed and even excel!

Related: How Transitions can Make or Break your Parenting

13 Ways to Make Summer Reading Fun For Your Child

Summer is the perfect time to work on reading skills, whether your children are 2 or 12. Older, more independent readers can use the extra time away from school to prepare for the next grade level, while younger children can always benefit from reading more books. As part of our Super Summer Fun series, here are some ways to make summer reading fun at home.

IMG_3804

Some links may be affiliate.     

13 ways to make summer reading fun

Bring the stories to life
What to do: After reading a story, do some of the activities you read about.
What you can emphasize: New vocabulary, verbs
Suggested stories and activities:

Story: If You Give a Pig a Pancake/ Activity: Make pancakes
Story: Curious George Flies a Kite/ Activity: Fly a Kite
Story: The Bug Book/ Activity: Hunt for bugs outside

Take the 1000 books before Kindergarten Challenge
What to do: Visit 1000 Books Before Kindergarten to download program instructions and reading log sheets.
What your child is learning: There are tons of early literacy opportunities here!
Suggested reading: Check the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten website for Books Your Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten

Stock a Summer Book Basket
What to do: Fill a basket or plastic bin with summer-related fiction and nonfiction books
What your child is learning: Seasonal vocabulary, comprehension
Suggested reading: Check out the fun titles on my list of 40+ books to read with kids this summer.

Listening to reading
What to do: Read stories out loud to your child. Children of all ages will also enjoy listening to their favorite book on their Kindle Fire for Kids, on Audible, or using your local library’s audio book program. We recently got all 3 kids their own Kindle Fire for Kids Tablets. Kids can choose the story they want to hear and I can set limits on how long the screen is on. Plus they come with a case, 1 year of Amazon Free Time, access to over 10,000 books AND a 2-year “we’ll replace it, no questions asked” warranty! Ok, I’ll stop raving now but seriously I can’t wait til their birthday in September.
What your child is learning: Children who listen to reading are learning what it sounds like when an “expert reader” reads text. Listening to reading helps to become better independent readers.
Suggested reading: Any of your child’s favorite books.     

Join a reading incentive program or use a reading chart to track progress
What to do: Visit the public library and ask about their summer reading program, or use the Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading program (or both!).
What your child is learning: Reading for a purpose, comprehension
Suggested reading: Any age-appropriate books

Bake a recipe together
What to do: Choose a recipe and make it together
What your child is learning: Reading instructions, as well as math and science and healthy eating habits!
Suggested reading: Try this complete cookbook for young chefs. For a great FREE recipe collection, check out Kids in the Kitchen online.

Read the book AND watch the movie
What to do: Read a book and watch the movie version of the story
What your child is learning: Comparing/contrasting, character traits
Suggested reading/watching: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Book and Movie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas Book and Movie, Curious George Books and Movie

Plan a trip that took place in a story
What to do: Plan a trip based off of one that takes place in a story
What your child is learning: Noting details, new vocabulary, making a list
Suggested reading: Let’s Have a Picnic!, The Lost Lake   

Make a book about your summer
What to do: Compile a collection of pictures with captions or stories of what you did during the summer.
What your child is learning: Summarizing, putting events in order
Suggested reading: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Make a reading nook
What to do: Set up a special place for reading with fun pillows or a beanbag chair that are just for story time.
What your child is learning: The importance of reading for fun
Suggested reading: Any age-appropriate books

Do some research
What to do: Help your child learn more about a favorite topic by reading books or online articles about it.
What your child is learning: Research skills (and yes, even kindergartners can do research with help!)
Suggested websites: Fact Monster and this list of kid-safe search sites

Make puppets
What to do: Make puppets of the characters in your child’s favorite story. Use felt, socks, or paper bags and any materials you have at home!
What your child is learning: Comprehension, summarizing
Suggested reading: Any of your child’s favorite books

Read through the alphabet
What to do: Using the printable below, read one book that corresponds to each letter of the alphabet.
What your child is learning: Comprehension
Suggested reading: 26 of your child’s favorite books (try Z is for Moose and maybe let X be in the middle of the word so you can enjoy The Adventures of Taxi Dog).

To download the reading log, click here. For best printing, use 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper and select “fit to page” in the printing preferences. Can also be printed in black and white.

1
2

I hope your summer is full of reading and fun. This post is part of our summer series. Click this link for more Super Summer Fun ideas!

making reading fun for kids during the summer. 13 ideas that will encourage your child to read.

How to find a Homeschool Near Me

School is out, and as we look towards the next school year we’re turning our attention towards homeschooling. I’ll be honest, homeschooling is not the type of education that I feel called to. I was homeschooled as a child and I loved it, but it’s just not for me. The decision to homeschool is 100% a response to the current worldwide health crisis. That being said, we’re looking into finding a good fit homeschool near where we already live.

Why would I want to choose a homeschool near me?

The awesome thing about homeschooling your kids is that they can learn from anywhere. So you don’t necessarily have to be a part of a local homeschool program in order to get an education. But there are some benefits to enrolling in a homeschool program that’s close by. When it’s safe to do so, these programs will likely have more opportunities to participate in-person 1-on-1 meetings with your educational facilitator (teacher), and may even have extracurricular activities at a school site near you, such as group PE or a hands-on science class. Your kids would be able to join in activities and playdates with other kids from the same area. 

Local homeschools may also give you the option to visit their resource library and choose your own textbooks to teach from. If you’re hoping for a more involved role in your child’s learning, a local homeschool would be a good fit for you. 

Let’s dive in and find a homeschool near you

Like a ripple, start small and branch out.

Did you know that some school districts have a homeschool program already? I did a Google search for our hometown and looked for websites that have the school district’s acronym. For example, ie. Riverdale Unified School District might have a link that looks like www.rusd.org/homeschool-academy. It turns out, if we wanted to, we could enroll in a homeschool that is serviced by the school right in our own town!

If there’s nothing in your school district, search for homeschools or charter schools in your county

This would be a much broader search, such as “Charter schools in Springfield county”. Another search term that brought me good results was when I searched for the state + department of education + charter school. For me that search term was “California Department of Education Charter Schools”. Be warned: you will get a LOT of results. There were over 120 charter schools just in San Diego county alone. Many of these results will filter themselves out though. Other times,  you can tell just by the school’s name that it’s not a good fit for your child. For example, I can see from the San Diego County charter school list that “High Tech Middle Chula Vista” doesn’t fit our needs because 1) it’s a middle school and we’re looking for elementary schools 2) it’s site-based and I’m looking for a full independent study program. I would look into Ingenuity Charter, because I can see from this table that they are an independent study program, which is charter school-speak for homeschool!

Just to see if this search was useful, I tried the same terms for a few nearby states, Nevada and Oregon, and got some good results there as well.

Can you recommend a homeschool near me… please?

Another thing you can do is call a local school office or district office and ask what homeschools are in the area. Even better, ask your friends on Facebook or post in a neighborhood Facebook group. 

Finding a homeschool near you is only part of the process. Make sure you read reviews with a grain of salt. People are so quick to share negative experiences but slow to give praise! Ask plenty of questions. And be confident that you do not have to commit to anything you’re not fully comfortable with.

What is your experience with homeschooling? I would love to hear what the process of finding a homeschool was like for you. Leave a comment below or connect with me on Instagram!

View this post on Instagram

What are you doing for exercise during shelter in place? Definitely my biggest challenge of sheltering in place as a solo parent is getting enough exercise. The kids are plenty active. But me? I tend to find myself sitting on my tush ? … a lot! Our rooms are small, so I usually prefer exercising outdoors-jogging, hiking, walking by the beach. Stuff like that. But I can’t really get an adult-sized workout outdoors with kids. Oh sunshine how I need you ?? Now that trails and county parks are opening back up, I’m making a list of places we can hike as a family. Also, I asked other moms for what workouts they recommend that can be done in a small living room. Some of their ideas were: On YouTube •PopSugar Fitness (free) •Orangetheory Fitness (free) •Trainer Kaitlin •Chloe Ting On Amazon Prime •Maggie Binkley (she’s adorable and fun) •Lumowell workouts, such as the 500-calorie Total Body HIIT workout. These are kinda weird because the trainer is a computer-generated avatar, but it has VERY clear and helpful tips on correct body position while you’re doing the moves.

A post shared by Nikki | Simply Sweet Days (@simply_sweet_days) on May 15, 2020 at 1:41pm PDT

Trusting My Teen Driver to the Open Road

Last week I was thrown into the scary world of “parent of teen driver” before I was mentally prepared for it. Logan has always been pretty independent, and he is super responsible. Even more so than me sometimes, ha! I never dreamed the day would come when I was worried for his safety while he was out on his own.

He went out early in the morning to meet a friend at Starbucks. No big deal, right? Starbucks is low-key, and who gets into mayhem before 10 am anyway? It was winter break and I had 3 kids ripping my house apart, so we headed to the park. I didn’t have a care in the world. Until the drive home.

As we were coming back into town from the park, we watched as a firetruck went from just driving along like everyone else, to lights flashing, siren blaring, and headed in the direction of where we live. 

My first thought was, Oh my gosh my kid is on the road right now. 

My heart rate increasing, I took a peek at my PulsePoint app to reassure myself that the emergency couldn’t possibly be in the same place as Logan (don’t worry, John was driving 😉 That was no help, because there were multiple incidents occurring around town.

All I could think about was the countless times I had gotten myself in a pickle when I had lied to my parents about where I was and who I was with. To be fair, Logan makes waayyyy better choices than I did at his age. Unfortunately, I’ve had far too much experience in getting away with something I wasn’t supposed to do. I have a hard time feeling like I can fully trust my own teen. 

It’s not just my teen driver I worry about. The road is full of knuckleheads texting and driving or maybe even driving while under the influence. I have a teen driver who pays close attention to the road, but who knows what the people in the cars around him are doing. 

I sent him a text and he didn’t respond. We got home and he wasn’t there. This wasn’t necessarily a concern because he was supposed to go back to his dad’s house anyway. 

And still I was worried… 

It felt so helpless but I knew I had to just trust him. Logan knows to wear a seat belt, follow the traffic laws and be a courteous driver. If anything happens to him while he’s driving, I don’t know what I’d be feeling. But I do know that harping on him because I’m feeling paranoid is not the answer. I took deep breaths and tried not to worry for him, and waited until I heard back. 

In the end, everything was fine. But you knew that, right? And I guess in my heart I knew he was ok too. He hadn’t responded to my text because he was driving (good job, son!). When he got to his dad’s house he checked in to let me know he was there. Whew. All the crises I had made up in my head were averted. 

Moving forward, I can’t rely on my “I have a good kid who makes good choices” plan like before because I will lose my sanity. My new strategy includes a parent/teen driving contract that holds us both accountable for being safe, responsible drivers. AAA, Geico, and other insurance agencies have free printable teen/parent driving contracts that are pretty good. I decided to go with this one from Varsity Driving Academy. Even though I know we could both easily choose to break our part of the contract, I still think it’s a good idea. A teen driver contract sets clear expectations for the new driver. It also holds the parent accountable for modeling the same good driving habits. 

I’m sure I’ll have plenty more opportunities to worry about my kids in the years to come. Every time they grow, I have to learn to adapt to their independence. I’ll accept the challenge gladly. Because being Mom to these 4 cuties is the best gift I could have asked for.

Last week I was thrown into the scary world of “parent of teen driver” before I was mentally prepared for it. Now I have a strategy!

Raising Adventurous Children

Peeking in on my babies while they sleep, I wonder at what adventures they’re having in their dreams. Some parents want to give their kids everything that money can buy, and that’s great. For me, I want to give my kids a joyful childhood filled with the experiences that dance in their memories while they sleep. We’re raising adventurous children one exciting day at a time. 

7 Things You Do When Raising Adventurous Children

Take Note of the Little Things

The ladybug without any spots. The leaf that’s shaped like an ice cream cone. The hole in the ground that may or may not contain a playful gopher. Kids see them, these little details all around us. Open your eyes to nature’s nuances, and share the excitement of wildlife with your kids.

Encourage Imagination

That’s not just a discarded piece of brown paper sack. It could be an invisible treasure map! Give their little imaginations space and freedom to think beyond what they see and create unexplored worlds.

Make Time

The hard truth is that in order to live out great memories, we as parents have to make time for them in our complicated, important lives. Vacations are the ideal place to experience free-spirited fun, but you don’t have to have a lot of time to foster new experiences. You just need enough time to stop and think about what adventures could be had right where you are.  

Set an Example

Get out there and try new things yourself. On our walls we have photos of Mommy and Daddy riding river rapids, and posing at the top of a mountain.We are no strangers to adventure, and our kids know that. It’s easy for children to be courageous if they know their parents are right there with them.

Praise, Praise, Praise!

Every little step of adventure is something to celebrate. When I’m on a hike with my kids, I know they’re going to love our end destination. But the trek there loses its novelty pretty quickly. The kids can only get excited about forests and moss for so long. So I shift their focus to things that keep them moving and having fun while they’re doing it. 


“See that fallen log over there? Can you walk across it and keep your balance? Hooray! You did it!”

Take Lots of Pictures and Tell Lots of Stories

We relive our adventures in the pictures we take along the way. In fact, my most solid childhood memories are the ones that have stood the test of time in photographs. Kids love when you retell the stories of their experiences because they get to have the leading role in the familiar tales of their past. Telling them stories of the things they have done and they places they’ve been to is also a great way to soothe them at bed time. 

My hope for you and your family is that you seize whatever day you have in front of you. Find the joy in the little things and be the first to try something new. 

Want your kids to have a joyful childhood filled with memorable experiences? Here's how to raise adventurous children, one exciting day at a time.

Losing Teeth and Other Signs of Growing Up

I remember, about 6 years ago, the twins started crawling. They had a whole world literally at their fingertips and the entertainment possibilities were endless. For small moments of their day, as they fearlessly roamed our apartment, Mommy was off the hook. I felt all those things that moms feel whenever their kids reach new stages in development: Overwhelming joy at this new tiny bit of increased free time, pride in my brilliant “grown up” kids, fear that they’ll get in over their heads, sadness at the loss of baby-ness… It’s in that place in between elation and sadness where a mother’s love radiates from within her.

This is where I find myself again. I’m amazed that my girls can even eat things like raw carrots because they only have a few resilient baby teeth determinedly clinging to their mouth. On the plus side, flossing their teeth at night has gotten a lot easier!

In the “Losing Teeth” Stage of Childhood

For the longest time, Madeline was the unique twin because SHE had lost her 2 front teeth at the early age of 4. She had knocked them out while attempting to use the linoleum as a dry slip ‘n slide. I’m sure she was thinking that she could ride her soft pillow and perfectly glide along the floor if she just got a big enough running start. With the pillow between Madeline and the linoleum, she had thrown herself down and attempted to sail across the kitchen floor on her belly. Sadly, the linoleum refused to play nice.

Madeline rolls with the punches pretty well. Her empty front gums made it so she could make funny faces that her siblings couldn’t, due to them still having all their teeth. In the end, not having front teeth turned out to be pretty cool.

Since that fateful event, both girls lost several more teeth at a natural progression. Madeline is in the lead and I think she’s up to SEVEN. Emily has nearly caught up to her toothless twin, and now they both have adorably gummy little-kid grins.

This week Emily lost another tooth. We celebrated with a trip to Dollar Tree to spend the $1 bill left by the Tooth Fairy. Be sure and follow our Instagram stories for our adventures in extravagant spending and fast-lane-living.

Independence is in Our Reach!

These 3 ragamuffins have been so busy giggling and tearing my apartment to shreds (thank you, summer vacation) that I almost missed a few more milestones. I am happy to announce that, every day, I have gained precious seconds of free time, thanks to my kids now being able to

-dress themselves, although Johnny’s shirt is usually backwards.

-put on their own shoes. We’re in full flip flop mode because, summer. Still working on learning to tie those pesky laces. I welcome any and all shoe-tying tips.

-open their snack packaging. If Johnny can’t get his string cheese open, his sisters step up. Thank goodness for older siblings!

They can also get toothpaste onto their own toothbrushes with minimal gobs of sticky blue paste on the floor. They scale the kitchen cupboards and help themselves to cups, crackers, and basically everything they ever dreamed of. Learning how to get onto the counter is much like learning to crawl. Mobility level: expert.

What to do with All that “Me Time”?

That’s really what it’s all about, my friends. Let’s be honest. We birth children, we love them dearly, but deep down we’re yearning for some alone time. If you scrape together all those seconds of free time I’ve recently acquired, they add up to one gloriously kid-free trip to the bathroom. From which I will likely emerge only to find that my darling 4- and 6-year-olds have consumed an entire bag of grapes in under 2 minutes and there is a suspiciously toothless bite mark in the butter.

After the baby years, it doesn’t really get easier. It just gets different.

Raising Daughters with Positive Body Image

When I was young, we didn’t talk about our bodies. Maybe it was a cultural thing or maybe it was just my family. As a mom of girls, I’m coming to realize how important it is to talk to my kids about their bodies. Because of some recent- and honestly quite jarring- conversations with my girls, I’m being more intentional about raising daughters with positive body image.

Girls’ Body Image Impressions Happen at a Young Age

Lately I’ve been noticing that my girls are almost obsessed with “fat”. And they’re only 6 years old! They see “fat” things everywhere: The fat stuffed animal in the check out aisle at the store. The fat cartoon character on TV. They crak=ck up with laughter at things that are “fat”. There’s a song their teacher plays at school called “subtraction cat“. They think it’s hilarious. Their little ears somehow misconstrued the lyrics to “the cat is fat” instead of “subtraction cat”. When they sing it, the song goes,

The cat is fat,

What’s up with that?

Don’t eat the mouse or you might get fat!

This is followed by uproarious laughter.

I guess I do talk a lot about eating food that is good for our bodies. But I always make the connection that good food helps our bones and muscles to grow strong. I’ve always done my best to keep the focus of the conversation on making healthy choices because they help you grow, and not because of calories or gaining weight.

The Mistakes I Made with My Girls and Body Image

I do worry that my kids are too skinny, and I worry about them not having enough meat on their bones. That’s probably how I might have screwed them up just a little bit.

My family had the stomach flu for a week. One of the girls had to be taken to the Emergency Room after 3 days of not being able to eat or drink anything. When she was feeling better I made a comment like, “I’m so glad you were able to eat dinner tonight. I was getting worried, your little arms and legs look so skinny after being sick for so long!”

I didn’t even think about how what I said might contribute to my young girl’s body image. But later that night as I was tucking her into bed she looked at me nervously and said, “Mommy am I still skinny?” Like being skinny was preferred. As if she was worried she might not be skinny anymore, now that she wasn’t sick.

Good Lord how do you respond to that? I don’t know what I said but I’m pretty sure I deflected the conversation to how happy I am that she’s healthy. Unfortunately, I didn’t address the important, glaring concern: My daughter wants to make sure she is skinny. My beautiful, perfect little kindergartener is worried about getting fat.

girls in a wading pool

What I Know Now about Raising Daughters with Positive Body Image

That conversation with my daughter made me feel like I didn’t know how to talk to her about a young girl’s body image, and how it shouldn’t matter what shape you are on the outside. Here are some strategies I’m using to give them a more positive body image:

Talk about body image. This is one big thing that I hadn’t been doing. Talking about your bodies is such an important conversation to have with your kids. I have to be intentional about bringing up in conversation more often. We need to be having discussions about puberty before it hits. Body changes should be addressed and appreciated. I can’t just not talk about this stuff and hope that body image won’t become a problem when they’re teenagers.

This is how we were designed, and our design is perfect. As a Christian, I also want to emphasize that their Heavenly Father made them just the way they are. He made people of all shapes and sizes, and we are all beautiful to Him. Ephesians 2:10 says we are His workmanship, in Latin His poema, His poem. We are a masterpiece, something thing of beauty.

Set an example. A girl’s positive body image starts with her Mom. I’m not happy with my weight, and it’s possible that I’ve talked about dieting in front of my girls. I can’t be sure. But I know that now I have to watch what I say. After all, being kind to myself about my own body figure can only benefit my daughters and myself, right?

Listen to their concerns. Thankfully, my girls are still young and they aren’t critiquing their own bodies. But there will come a day when they’ll nitpick the parts of themselves that they aren’t happy with. When that happens, I want to hear them out. Acknowledge that they’re not happy with their body. I can even admit to them the parts of myself that I struggle with. But ultimately, I want to turn the conversation around and point out aspects about both of our bodies that are beautiful.

Celebrate women for their achievements. A woman has gifts that make her unique, unrelated to her body shape. Now more than ever I need to watch movies and read books about strong women with my girls.

Monitor and talk about media. My girls are still many years from being on social media, which gives me plenty of time to talk about how social media can give you a false sense of value. You are worth so much more than the number of likes and “thumbs-up” under your latest selfie pic. We will continue to have open conversations about how bodies are used in marketing and TV shows.

Communication is the Key to Raising Daughters with Positive Body Image

What it all boils down to is that we have to talk about these things with our kids. We have to keep lines of communication open, about all things, or they won’t want to come to us when life hits them hard.

I wonder how many moms have talked with their daughters about body image? What have you found that helps? Or that has contributed to a young girl’s negative body image? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments below.

30 Things to do in Spring

Warmer weather is on its way, and spring is in the air! The freshness of spring and cool, sunny days go by all too quickly. There’s still time to enjoy this sweet season before the long hot days of summer arrive. If you need some inspiration, try some of these things to do in the spring.

bird on a spring branch

30 Things to do in Spring

  1. Make a bouquet of wildflowers
  2. Sit quietly in a nature preserve and observe wildlife
  3. Have friends over for a brunch
  4. Go “polar bearing” at the pool, beach, or lake
  5. Paint a picture of a nature scene
  6. Count the butterflies or bees as they fly past
  7. Go to the park and have a picnic
  8. Throw rocks and sticks off the side of a bridge in a game of “pooh sticks”
  9. Visit a pond and feed the ducks
  10. Make pinwheels and place them in the front yard or in potted plants
  11. Make blended fruit popsicles
  12. Visit a nature center
  13. Stock up on winter clothes for next year at end-of-season clearance racks
  14. Take pictures in the rain (while it lasts!)
  15. Frost and decorate Easter cookies or flower-shaped cookies
  16. Go on a nature walk
  17. Stock up on sunscreen
  18. Start planning your summer vacation or staycation (check out our 25 ideas for a staycation with kids!)
  19. Enroll the kids in swim lessons
  20. Go see a baseball game at the stadium
  21. Spring clean your home
  22. Check out some children’s books on spring from the library to read as a family
  23. Organize the kids toys
  24. Bake blueberry muffins
  25. Go for a hike
  26. Decorate your kitchen table with a fun spring centerpiece
  27. Inventory your camping gear and replace items before summer
  28. Spruce up the patio for summer barbecues
  29. Rearrange the furniture in one room of the house for a fresh look
  30. Send your child’s teacher a thank-you gift
nest of eggs on a background of daisies

Important March and April dates:

March 20: First day of spring

March 21: Purim

April 1: April Fool’s Day

April 10: Sibling’s Day-share a pic on social of you and your siblings!

April 14: Palm Sunday

April 19: Good Friday

April 19: Passover

April 21: Easter

April 22: Earth Day

April 24: Administrative Professionals Day – thank an office assistant!

April 25: Take your daughter to work day

We’ll be sharing our fun spring adventures on Instagram and Facebook. Join in the fun and share your pictures with #makespringhappen. We can’t wait to see what fun you’ll have this spring!

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Nikki!

I'm Nikki, a lover of coffee, chef for 6, elementary teacher, and expert in the art of wrangling twins. I'm also a working mom with a passion for having fun and keeping a cozy home. Come along with me on the journey of a joyful mom! Learn More…

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Simply Sweet Days

Reader Favorites

  • Bedtime Reward Chart when...
  • Free Printable Weekly Hab...
  • Beach tips and tricks for kids to have a fantastic day at the beach. Before you start packing (especially if you have a baby or toddler), check out these ideas for a family beach trip. If you are planning on going to the beach this summer, I know you will find something useful in these easy tips for a fantastic beach trip! Family Beach Day | Tips f...
  • printable calendar template color Free Printable Calendar T...