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Our kids and their teeth are such a process of life.  They start as newborns  with a mouth full of gums.   Then they slowly start growing their teeth in and enter the wonderful world of teething.  Once they go through all the pain of growing their teeth in……..those same teeth fall out!  It is such a complicated process.

Kids usually start losing their teeth when they are 5 or 6 years old.  They live in that awkward snaggle-tooth stage until they are about 12 or 13 years old.  By then, all of their permanent teeth have most likely erupted (except their wisdom teeth.)  Then they really enter the awkward stage and get those pretty silver braces stuck happily to their teeth. 

It is a big job taking care of our children’s teeth.  By the time they are 2 years old we should be scheduling their first appointment with the dentist.  There are two reasons for this, first is to be on top of their dental care and second is so they feel comfortable with the dentist.

Lincoln has started losing his teeth in the last couple years.  I have found myself  in such awe  watching his teeth fall out.  It is such an interesting process.  The tooth starts to wiggle a little, then it wiggles alot….then it is either pulled out or falls out somewhere crazy!!

As  parent’s, it is important that we take an active role in teaching our children the importance of their oral health care.  Here are a few tips and tricks to get them started making good habits to take care of their teeth.

- Have them brush their teeth morning and night.  If they are home for lunch, have them brush their teeth after lunch too.

-Kid’s should be brushing their teeth for two minutes.  Put a timer in the bathroom so they can set the timer while brushing.

-Have them floss their teeth once a day……they have so many cool kids floss products…take some time to check them out.

-Remind them to use round strokes while brushing and not to scrub their teeth too hard.

-Visit the dentist every six months for a cleaning and check-up.  Try to stick with the same dentist so they have a happy and healthy relationship with their dentist.

What has worked for you in terms of getting your kids to take good care of their teeth? Please share in the box below.

Well, I finally got a call from my husband on Saturday.  I’ll be honest, he was a little on the cranky side; however, I suppose he has a good reason.  I’m excited because the weeks are just flying by; thankfully this will all be done and over with before I can blink an eye.  I’m already excited and nervous about homecoming.  It will be nice to have an adult helper.  I can’t imagine how much easier my life will be.  Between training up for the deployment and actually deploying, it’s really been close to or over a year since he was home on a routine basis.  We haven’t gotten any official word as of yet as it pertains to his return, but that’s pretty typical.

 Everyone made it through school this week, yet another miracle and I’m finally starting to feel human again now that there’s actually some daylight and sunshine!!  The girls were pretty upset after they got to talk to daddy, but I’m just glad that they received the opportunity hear his voice and know that he loves and cares about them.  They’ve been pretty good about it all; sometimes the subject of daddy being gone comes up at night as they’re getting tucked in.  They tell me they miss him and we talk about it.  I don’t want them to feel as though it’s not okay to be sad or miss him.  It’s perfectly fine; however, sometimes I think they use it as a crutch.  It’s kind of difficult to strike that balance. 

Uneventful is the best way to describe this week; I say that with a sigh of relief because there’s no telling what the next few days hold!

Creativity Activities for Kids — powered by eHow.com

Keeping your child’s mind active and sharp through activities can sometimes be a challenge for parents.

There are certainly a lot of options. And some parenting experts feel it’s best to expose your child to an array of activities so they can find what they like.  After the recent Winter Olympics, I personally aways find it intriguing that many of the athletes found sports that they loved so early in life.

Now while every child may not grow up to be the next Apollo Anton Ohno, Lindsay Vonn or even Picasso, studies show that engaging your child’s right side of the brain (the creative side,) can definitely lead to enhanced mental functionality overall.

Take a look at the video eHow has produced offering a variety of ways to stimulate creativity. While playtime is a focus in a child’s early years, it’s important to keep providing activities for creativity throughout their formative years and well into their adolescence.

What types of games and activities do you plan for your own kids? Please share in the comments below.

My oldest son almost jumps out of bed in the morning and he passes out when his head hits the pillow at 7:30 PM bedtime. He has always been a 12-hour sleeper. Because of this, getting ready for school in the AM is a breeze and bedtime is never an issue. All parents know that if you have one child who is this easy, you are due to have another who is the polar opposite.

If Sam could say up until midnight, he would. If his school day could start around 3PM that would be just perfect. Sadly, that is not the world we live in so he (and I) are left to deal with some very rough mornings and even bumpier nights.  He does not want breakfast because it is too early. When I do get him to eat,  it is two bites. I can get a big glass of milk in him so I tell myself he is ready for his day.  :)He manages to get through school, but once we are home, in the late afternoon, is when he really wakes up.

I am a morning person like my oldest Jake. I want to get up, get moving and get some things done. Sam takes after my husband. The difference is, at 5, Sam is still a growing boy and he can’t afford a bedtime of 11PM. Getting him to understand that is the hard part. Both boys go to bed at 7:30. Jake is in dreamland by 7:35, but we often hear Sam chatting away to himself until 8:30 or 9.

I can’t force him to fall asleep, but I do know my job as a mom is to get him into that bed and tell him why his sleep is so important. I know I cannot let him come out and watch TV or push us to let him stay up “just a little more.” I know he and I will butt heads on this one as long as he lives under our roof. I will be pushing him to get ready in the AM so we aren’t late and he will be whining and saying how much he hates it. I also know I am doing the right thing and this is all just payback for my great sleeper Jake

Does anyone else have bedtime or morning issues? What do you do to combat them and ease the stress they cause?

Cuddle Bugs writer Sarah Moore brought up a very good, and scary, question recently over at Momtalk.

Says Sarah:

I could use some advice on when and how to give my 10 and a half year old stepdaughter “the talk.”

Sarah isn’t alone. I could definitely use some advice on when and how to talk to Mini about birds, bees, etc.

I grew up with two brothers. My parents never really gave me “the talk.” So, to say that the whole idea of Mini getting closer to being a female teenager than a little girl tweenager scares me, is quite the understatement.

Mini has read a book called “It’s a Girl Thing” and my understanding (she wouldn’t really talk about it with me) is that it’s about the changes that a girl’s body goes through as she matures. Exactly how detailed the book is, I’m not sure.

What I am sure of is that I’m glad AM is here to help. I’m going to rely on AM to help me through explaining anything to Mini that she needs, especially regarding her body.

I think I can handle the emotional changes. Girls will like boys and vice versa. The important thing is that there’s no physical contact and if someone tries to touch her inappropriately, that Mini know what to do.

If only I could build a dungeon…

How did you parents handle “the talk”? How have you handled it? Leave your questions, suggestions and ideas in the comments. Please. I could use all the help I can get!