I didn’t want to make a big deal out of her problem at school, so instead I stewed and stewed over a solution that would keep the staff out of it. Then my husband, who has an occasional flash of brilliance (but don’t tell him I said that) suggested that she keep a pack of sticky notes with her. Yep, that easy. A sticky note over the sensor keeps the toilet from flushing (or as we say at our house, puts the potty to sleep), so my daughter can get up, get her clothes pulled up and open the stall door before she flushes the toilet. And I think, really, that is the big difference- SHE flushes the toilet. She’s never surprised or worried that it will go off when she’s not ready. Since dealing with this problem, I’ve looked it up on the internet. There are entire blogs dedicated to children afraid of automatic flush toilets and solutions to the problem. My husband wasn’t the first to come up with sticky notes, either. Also, if the sensor is out away from the wall, you can drape a piece of toilet paper over it for the same effect. (Normally, I’m not one to encourage wasting paper, but since my daughter is in school I can’t go in with her and cover the sensor with my hand. I’d recommend that for smaller children.)

My daughter’s friend came out of school the other day looking very distraught. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she REALLY had to go potty, but refused to use the school toilets. I passed on our tips to her mom, and this morning, the little girl looked happy as a clam. My daughter, her friend, and (I bet) a lot of other kids have the same fear, and I’m sure a lot of us moms curse the name of the person who came up with these monsters. But don’t worry- we can give our kids tools to overcome the terrible toilets!

I was relieved when my kids reported they would need to bring their own snack to school each day this year.  I resolved to send freshness everyday, following Dr. Sears’ The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood list of amazingly nutritious, energy providing snacks – a complex carbohydrate with a protein.  I started with so many great ideas: ham and turkey roll-ups with cheese cubes, mini whole wheat bagels with cream cheese, tortillas with peanut butter, trail mix.  I even made peanut butter banana chocolate chip bread with whole wheat pastry flour.

One month in and I’m sorry to admit I’m fizzling, feeling like I’m under attack to come up with better and better ideas.  Seems like many of my “mom heroines” are as well.  I even had to send cheese popcorn in baggies one day (couldn’t find a single reusable container to put it in) because I was out of everything else.  I tried to justify that it has to be more nutritious than chips because popcorn=carb and cheese=protein, right?  Wrong.

Taking some time to think it through a bit, I came up with a few ideas to help simplify daily snack packing:

• GET ORGANIZED.  Keep one fridge drawer stocked with healthy snacks in large, reusable containers.  I use three rectangle containers: one for meat and cheese slices, one for prepped veggies, and one for homemade treats like banana bread.  This keeps them all in one place and easy to grab.  Keep another fridge drawer filled with lunch supplies (read Go Bento! for a new trend in easy, appetizing lunch production).  Do the same with your non-perishable snacks.  Pick a shelf and keep them together.  Whether this discourages or encourages late-night snacking is yet to be determined!
• GO BEYOND PRE-PACKAGED. Stock meats and cheeses, plus fruits and veggies.  Wash and prep fruits and veggies into the reusable containers right when you get home from the store.
• MAKE YOUR OWN MIX. You’ll be amazed at how making dry mixes ahead of time really comes in handy for making fresh, baked goods.  I have mixes ready for various banana breads and granola bars.  While the oven is preheating, I just pick a dry mix and add any perishable ingredients (like butter, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, yogurt, fruit or vegetables).  Much less daunting than starting from scratch!

I am looking forward to getting any other ideas from our clever readers, because it’s bad enough hearing the proverbial “What’s for Dinner” question every afternoon.  Together, we can all be ready for the morning rush out the door by knowing “What’s for Snack!”

I was traveling down the slippery slope to laughable lunches.  My kids’ lunchboxes were looking like science experiments…gross ones!  Alas, it was time for Spring Break, and a break from packing lunches was  just what I needed.  This is also the time when I treat myself to a new magazine every year.  Standing in front of the display at Whole Foods, a bright cover with some gorgeous freshly steamed asparagus jumped into my foodie view.  I knew I would be devouring this magazine called Eating Well cover-to-cover for the entire week.

You expect to see lots of articles dealing with packing healthy, nutritious lunches at the beginning of each school year.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the April 2009 issue only to find an article called  “Green Bag It: Lunches to Go!”  More time thinking about packing lunches?  Ughhh! But, here’s the kicker:  it was all about reusable bento-style lunch containers!  The bento box idea originated in Japan long ago and truly makes modern school lunches “to go” my new “go to”.  The food just looks so appetizing and fresh, you can see all the healthful colors and it looks so gourmet when it’s packed in the neat little bento boxes. The article even highlighted a few brands, namely www.laptoplunches.com for kids.  The photos of these lunches were like nothing I’d ever seen and everything I wanted my kids to have.

As soon as I could, I went to Green Logic to see if they had heard of these bento beauties.  When I stepped into the store, the very first shelf that caught my eye was loaded with the exact brand I craved in a myriad of colors.  Granted, they are a significant investment.  But for $40 you get the outer insulated case, the inner BPA-free shell with five inner containers (two with tops to prevent dips and dressings from leaking), silverware, and a twelve ounce beverage container, plus room for an icee in the top’s inside mesh pocket.  You bet I bought two; a blue one for my fifth grade son (which would easily pass down to my kindergarten son since I have to be realistic about middle school next year) and a pink for my second grade daughter which could last through fifth grade. It fits just enough for a fifth grader and I would recommend bigger ones for the older set.

I couldn’t wait to get these great investments loaded with delicacies for testing the next day.  I had so much fun preparing my own creations. How did I do?  Two  home runs!  My son said the lunchroom teachers were even asking where he got such an amazing vessel.  And since I know the thing is basically leak-proof I told the kids to throw NOTHING out.  Not only do I get to see what they really ate, the food still looks good enough to eat at the end of the day and they have what’s left for snack on our 20-minute car ride home.

You can visit www.laptoplunches.com for photos and helpful tips on packing your own bento lunch.  And, thank you Eating Well for introducing me to the world of lunchtime bento!

UPDATE: Laptop Lunches has contacted us and is extending a special offer of 10% off purchases at www.laptoplunches.com for Five Hens readers.  Just use the coupon code fivehens. Thanks Laptop Lunches!

When my son started learning to read, I went to the library and picked up some learning DVDs to help. He was not interested. When he started kindergarten, a mom let me borrow her child’s Leapfrog learning to read DVDs. Both my son and daughter (two-years old at the time) loved them. My daughter now knows all of her letters and sounds because of the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD. And my son started sounding out words and learning reading rules with the Leapfrog Talking Words Factory DVD.

Now, every night, my son reads a beginning reader book to me and I read a book to him. A habit I would definitely recommend.

When your child starts reading, I would also recommend teaching them sight words. Sight words are the most commonly used words in the English language. You can find a list of sight words on the internet. One place is edHelper.com.  I pick five sight words every week and he writes and reads them once a day. The next week, I give him five new sight words. I let him have weekends off.  Never over do it.  Keep it fun for them.

My advice for moms with toddlers,  make it a habit to read to your child and talk about their day, every night (It can take as little as 15 minutes).  It is a wonderful learning and bonding experience for your child.

Transitions are hard.  Whether coming out of an open water swim at a triathlon and running toward a sea of road bikes while stripping out of a wet suit  (two sizes too small, of course), or transitioning your child from one school you know (and think you love) to a new school, transitions are no fun.

This year our family faced a difficult transition to a new elementary school.  Our daughter started last year in the kindergarten I attended as a child.  And fondly remembered.  The principal was the same (goodness sake lady, retire!), the cafeteria was the same , and, amazingly , so was the curriculum!  It was a nostalgic place for me, a safe place, but it was not up to par.  The nostalgia of the past tied me to it, the community of families was fantastic, yet the education lacked.

Fear is such an inhibitor.  We naturally want the best for our children, but the guilt and fear that comes as a sixth sense to parents often prevents us from taking chances we would otherwise jump at as adults.  We are responsible for making choices our children have to live with and at this age are unable to contribute to.  So what is the best choice? Where will our children thrive? And if we make a decision that was not what we expected, why do they have to pay the price for the transition we chose?  How hard will that transition really be?

A good friend told me: “ Kids are resilient!”  She was right.  My doubt was never about my child, it was the fear of the unknown that kept me awake and made me second guess our decision.  Now, the transition has worked out great, and all of my fears were never realized. If you teach your kids the values you believe the world needs, the world will embrace them.  So, our transition turned out great. Odds are, if you are reading this blog, you too have times where you agonize about whether you are making the right choices, and fear can sometimes inhibit you from making changes.  My fears have been overcome, and a new journey begun.  Boy, I sure hope we don’t have to do this too many times!