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The Father’s Day poem you’ll never see at Hallmark

Published June 17, 2010 Creative Families , Creative Life , Creative Parenting , Creative Writing , Creativity Coaching , Essays , Holidays , poems 2 Comments
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To  my husband, the father of my children and my favorite person to laugh with:

I’m sorry…
I joked that we were going to tattoo Jabba the Hut on your belly
And told the kids that you once let out a fart so big
it ripped a hole in your sweatpants

Thank you for…
Wearing the fake mustache to Subway and
scaring that gaggle of small children,
Saying you liked the Yodeling Pickle
I got you for Christmas
Making me killer egg-white veggie omelettes
that you flip in the pan like a real chef,
And for always chopping my onions

I remember…
the day we drove home from the hospital Continue reading ‘The Father’s Day poem you’ll never see at Hallmark’

3 creative ideas for Easter fun with kids

Published April 3, 2010 Creative Families , Creative Life , Creative Parenting , Kids Leave a Comment
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Easter is all about family, food and fun. Here are three creative ideas to make your holiday more fun. Best of all, you don’t have to be a ‘craft master’ to do any of them (I would never tell you to do something that I couldn’t do myself, and I can’t craft my way out of a paper bag.) Enjoy!

1. Let the kids hide some eggs for you. It’s fun to fill the eggs, hide the eggs, then watch the kids run around trying to find them. And the look on their faces when they score a “cool” egg filled with their favorite candy or treat? Quick, grab the camera!

This year, let the kids experience the joy of doing something fun for someone else. Help younger ones Continue reading ’3 creative ideas for Easter fun with kids’

The creative power of red fuzzy dice

Published April 1, 2010 Creative Families , Creative Life , Creative Parenting , Creative Writing , Essays 2 Comments
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The other day my ten-year-old son came home from a trip to the arcade with a pair of red fuzzy dice. You know, the kind you hang on your rearview mirror, if you happen to be a fuzzy dice kind of person, which…I am not. He hands them to me with a big grin.

“Here Mom! I got these for you. I won enough tickets to get something for me and for our family.”  His face is beaming with a degree of happiness that I see less and less as he grows older and “cooler.”

I hold the dice in my hands. They are very fuzzy. Very huge. Very red. Very noticeable. This was not going to be like wearing the bracelet made out of macaroni. This would be more like wearing the brown paper bag hat decorated with stick figure puppies and “Mom” all over it. In public.

Now, don’t get me wrong–it’s not like I’m too sophisticated for fuzzy dice. One of my favorite Continue reading ‘The creative power of red fuzzy dice’

How to start a family holiday journal

Published December 1, 2009 Creative Families , Creative Life , Creative Parenting , Creativity Coaching , Holidays , Kids Leave a Comment
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So you’re thinking about starting a family holiday journal–good for you! It’s a great way to capture your family’s holiday experiences, traditions and wishes in their own words and handwriting. Plus, it’s simple, inexpensive and fun for everyone.

For older relatives who may be uncomfortable writing or have vision problems, ask them what they remember and write it down for them. Little kids can draw or scribble on the page.

Journaling can help older kids write better and think more creatively, even if writing is not their favorite thing. My son, who is 10, does not like to write (yes, this kills me because I am a writer), but he eagerly writes in our holiday journal. It’s fun to look back and see what we were all thinking and doing.

For little kids, pretend to “interview” them and write down their answers. Take it up a notch and pretend like you are one of their favorite TV or book characters. You’d be surprised at how important kids feel when you take the time to ask them questions and write down the answers–it can lead to some interesting conversations!

The Rules:
There’s only one rule: Continue reading ‘How to start a family holiday journal’

Helping kids learn how to let it roll–literally

Published October 14, 2009 Creative Families , Creative Life , Creative Parenting , Creativity Coaching , Kids Leave a Comment
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Got a little kid who can’t let little things “roll off her shoulders”? Grab a small soft ball and tell her to pretend that the ball is the annoyance–the pesty sibling, the dog, her anger that you’re out of Lucky Charms and she’ll have to eat eggs and toast and strawberries. Then ask her to stretch her arms to her sides, even with her shoulders, and lean slightly to the right.

Now roll the ball across her shoulders, shift her right shoulder down and let the ball fall to the floor. As you do this, say a short key phrase that’s easy to remember, like “Let it roll” or “Let it go.” This helps her imagine “letting something go” in a concrete way. And it’s funny to pretend your brother is a ball careening to the floor–”Whoops! There goes Jack!”

Have fun with it! Do it once or twice, as often as you like; eventually you can just say your key phrase in the moment she needs it, a little cue to help her remember to let go of the small stuff.

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