Hinbest Disney World Vacation 2016

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and New Year!

My husband and I took our five children to Disney World in Orlando, Florida and it was awesome! We went two weeks before Christmas and the timing was perfect. The weather was beautiful and there was Christmas decorations everywhere! We went to Animal Kingdom and we rode the bus to look at all the animals. I took a lot of great pictures. We went to Disney Springs and had a blast! There was lots of shops and an outside dance party. The music was great! My girls and I danced, and danced and danced. We went to Magic Kingdom and watched a parade and went on some rides. At night we watched the fireworks and I got a great picture of the castle.

We stayed at Disney's Art of Animation Resort and they have two outdoor pools that are heated, so lots of people were swimming at night. My husband took our girls and son swimming while I stayed at the resort with our one year old daughter Kilee.

We went to Epcot but our time there was cut short because Kilee ended up getting really sick, so I had to take her to a clinic. Thank goodness for travel insurance. She ended up having a chest and ear infection and needed antibiotics. The doctor said that sometimes babies just can't handle the humidity up there. Not to mention the fact that it was cold and snowy when we left and then hot and sunny when we got to Florida. I ended up getting sick too, so my husband took our girls back to Magic Kingdom while I took care of Kilee and myself.

Our last night was perfect. We went to Hollywood Studios and my husband took our girls on Star Tours. We went to a Frozen sing-a-long show, which Haylee was very excited about, and it was spectacular!

We ate at this cool restaurant where the tables are cars. Afterwards, we did more rides and went shopping for souvenirs.

There's so much more to tell, but I can't possibly write everything due to lack of time :-) I went to Disney World once before with my mother when I was thirteen, but I didn't visit all these places, so it was almost like the first time for me. This was the first time for my husband and our children, and we had a great time. We're already planning next years's Disney World vacation :-)

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Having a Big Family

Having more than two or three children isn't really the norm these days. When my husband and I met we said we were going to have two children. However, after we had our second child we didn't feel done. So, we decided to have another one, and then another one. Once we had four children we thought we were done, but I didn't feel done. We had one more bundle of joy, so that makes four girls and one boy. My mother is a registered nurse and she's always warning me not to have anymore children because of my age. Apparently, she knew a woman who was forty-two (I'm not forty-two) and died during childbirth. My close friends were shocked to find out I was pregnant again, but the ones who really care about me were supportive. It's really funny to see the reactions I get from people when I'm out with my children. I usually get people coming up to me saying "boy, you have your hands full!" I just smile and say "Yes I do!" Grocery shopping with all of them is challenging, but there's so many benefits to having a big family. My oldest girls are a little more independent, so they help out a lot with their younger siblings. If I have my hands full with the baby, I know I can depend on my older children to help with grabbing something for me or helping their little sister or brother with their coat. If the baby is fussy they're more than happy to sit with her and play with her to try and make her happy. They also entertain each other so they're not bored. I love having a big family because I think about the future and all the grandchildren we have to look forward to. When my husband and I are old and grey we'll have a lot of family surrounding us. I love our big family. I'm a stay-at-home mother, a real estate sales representative (not active at the moment) and a children’s/young adult writer, and even though I get a little overwhelmed sometimes, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Sisters Fighting

How many parents out there have children that constantly fight with each other? Well, we have five children (four girls and one boy) and our three oldest girls fight over everything. Our eight year old loves to play with her six year old sister more than her three year old sister because they have more in common. They're closer in age and they like the same things. They like to play with their dolls in the room they share. They pretend the dolls are their children as they dress them up and put them to sleep. Our eight year old hates in when her three year old sister is in her room because she doesn't understand how to play like them. We always encourage her to let her three year old sister play in her room so she doesn't feel left out. If they lock her out of their room, she sits outside the door crying and then my husband and I feel bad for her because she's lonely. Then when we let her play in their room there's a lot of yelling and crying. It got worse when they received the Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas. We decided to put it in our eight year old's room, but we told her that it was for everybody to play with. So of course our three year old wanted to be in their bedroom because she wanted to play with it too. My husband and I couldn't take the constant bickering anymore, so we moved the Barbie Dreamhouse to the basement. The fighting over playing in the bedroom continued, so we put the Barbie Dreamhouse in our three year old's room, but that didn't matter because the issue isn't the Barbie Dreamhouse. The issue is she just wants to play with her two older sisters, so the fighting continues. Oh, the joys of parenting :-)

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Children Losing Baby Teeth

When children lose their baby teeth they start to feel like a big kid.  Our six year old daughter always gets excited when one of her teeth is loose.  She constantly plays with it and wiggles it until it falls out.  When she lost her third tooth she came into our room in the middle of the night to tell us.  She wasn't in any pain and there's already a permanent tooth growing in its place.  Last night she lost the fourth tooth.  She was playing with her little sister and bit down on something and it fell out.  She's looking forward to a visit from the tooth fairy.  

Children normally start losing their baby teeth around age four.  When this happens it's important to reinforce good dental hygiene.  Make sure your child brushes his/her teeth twice a day and flosses at night before they go to bed.  Limit the amount of sugary treats they have and schedule regular dental visits.  You can also talk to your dentist about sealants to help prevent cavities.  Our six year old daughter went to the dentist and got a sealant a couple of weeks ago.  

Taking good care of your child's permanent teeth will help them last a long time.

 

Children Picking Their Nose

A lot of children have a bad habit of picking their nose.  Even though it's a common behaviour for children it's probably one of the most annoying behaviours to parents.  Our four year old picks her nose sometimes and when my husband and I see her do it we tell her to stop.  We always tell her to wash her hands immediately after and use a tissue if necessary.  Recently our 20 month old started copying that behaviour and now picks her nose too. 

Children usually pick their nose because they have mucus stuck in there from an infection or they're just bored.  Mucus contains a lot of germs and picking their nose can cause nosebleeds.  My husband and I are trying to nip it in the bud.  The most we can do is encourage our children to use a tissue and wait to see when they grow out of this bad habit. 

Children Biting at School

Children usually bite other children when they're unable to communicate their feelings.  Some children bite due to behavioural issues.  

Our four year old is in junior kindergarten and there's a girl in her class that apparently bites other children often because she has behavioural issues.  Our daughter likes to play with this little girl and has been bitten by her more than once.  The teacher can't keep them apart, but she does keep an eye on the little girl and takes appropriate action.  One day her teacher approached me and advised that our daughter bit a child.  I was shocked because she never does that.  She was obviously copying the little girls' behaviour.  I talked to her teacher and she said when the other little girl bites she gets sent to the office and she thinks our daughter did it to get the same kind of attention.  My husband and I talked to our daughter and told her that biting is not nice and she should always use her words.  We explained to her that when the other little girl goes to the office it's because she's in trouble and biting is not acceptable.  I'm happy to say that she hasn't bitten anybody ever since. 

If your child is biting other children talk to him/her to find out what is causing their frustration.  It's important to understand the reason behind the biting so it can be stopped.  If your child is being bitten by another child, make sure they get medical attention to check the severity of the bite.  Talk to the teacher to find out why the child might be biting and find out what precautions they are taking to prevent it from happening again. 

Five Ways to Take Care of Your Child's Fever

As a parent, you feel helpless when your child is sick with a fever.  A fever is the body's way of fighting off whatever is attacking the body.  When your child has a fever there are five things you could do to keep it under control:

1. Take your child's temperature regularly and keep track of any changes.  I prefer to use an ear thermometer because it's gives a much faster reading.

2. Give your child the recommended dosage of acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help reduce the fever.

3. Give your child plenty of fluids to keep them hydrated.  Beverages with electrolytes are best. 

4. Try not to put too much clothes on them, especially when they're sleeping.  It's better to keep them cool and comfortable.

5. Pay attention to the way your child behaves.  Sometimes even when they have a fever they still have an interest in playing and they might eat a little.  When they start eating and sleeping like normal it probably means they're feeling better.

 

Children With Older Siblings Maturing Faster

My husband and I have three children and I notice our second and third child is developing a lot faster than our first.  I remember potty training our first daughter was a nightmare.  Our second daughter potty trained a lot faster.  

Our six year old is in grade one and she was having problems with her reading.  She started doing Kumon and her reading has improved a lot.  Our four year old daughter likes to do Kumon with her older sister, so my husband photocopies them for her and she does them too.  Her reading and writing is beyond a junior kindergarten level.  Our third daughter is 20 months old and she tries to keep up with her older sisters.  She likes to write and colour and she has excellent pincer grasp.  She climbs the stairs and says a lot of words earlier than her sisters did.  

I think children with older siblings develop faster because they watch what they do and listen to what they say and want to be like them.  The younger children love and respect their older siblings and want to play with them so they try to keep up. 

I hope our third daughter potty trains easily :-)

Back to School After Christmas Break

 

Well, Christmas has come and gone for another year.  You spend so much time getting ready for it and then just like that, it's over.  During the Christmas break we visited family and did fun things with our children.  It was nice having quality time with my family, but it's time to get back to reality.  My husband goes back to work, our girls go back to school and I go back to doing all the things I have to do. 

 

If you have children that are going back to school after the Christmas break you want to make sure that you're prepared.  Maybe a few days before try getting your children back in their normal routine to get them ready for back to school.  The day before they start school, try to get all the laundry done and put away so they have clean clothes ready.  The night before they start school, make their lunches so you don't have to do it in the morning when you're in a rush.  Check your children's backpacks for any unfinished homework and put them to bed early so they don't have trouble getting up in the morning.

Happy New Year!

Visiting Friends and Family Who Do Not Have Children

When you go out with young children you have to make sure you have everything you need for them, such as the diaper bag with extra clothes and snacks.  My husband and I have three young children with one on the way.  When we go visit my parents and my in-laws it's great because they have gates, toys for the children to play with and a high chair for when it's time to eat.  Visiting friends with young children is great too.  Not only can the children play with each other, you don't have to worry about anything because they already have everything you need and it gives you a chance to interact with other adults.

It can be challenging when you have small children and visit people who do not have small children.  Not only do you have to pack almost your entire house with you, but you have to constantly run after them because of the lack of baby proofing, especially if they have a lot of stairs.  Obviously, it's understandable why people without small children don't want to baby proof their house because they don't need to.  It doesn't mean you're not going to visit them anymore, it just means you have to make sure you're prepared.  We went to a family dinner a couple of days ago and we had to leave early and miss dinner because we forgot to bring a portable high chair for our 18 month old.  When it was time to eat she wouldn't sit still and was constantly running around.  They have a big house with a lot of stairs so we had to block her from the stairs and we were afraid she would break something.  Let's just say it was a nightmare.  We decided we're going to leave a portable high chair in the minivan at all times so we're always prepared. 

The Magic of Christmas

Christmas is a special time of year.  The malls are packed with people buying Christmas presents and the streets are lined with houses decorated with Christmas lights.  My husband and I enjoy taking a drive with our children to admire all the Christmas decorations while listening to Christmas music.  Our children get excited when they see all the lights.  Christmas is about spending time with loved ones and being grateful for what you have.  It's great when your children wake up Christmas morning and their faces light up when they see all the presents under the Christmas tree.  Eating Christmas dinner with family and enjoying yummy treats. 

Christmas is about more than giving and receiving Christmas gifts.  It's about the birth of Jesus Christ.  Even though nobody really knows the actual day Jesus Christ was born, we celebrate it on Christmas day.  Some people like to go to church during the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours and many Blessings!

Tobogganing With Your Children

Sunday afternoon we wanted to do something fun with our children, so we bought a couple of sleds and took our children tobogganing.  We found a toboggan hill that wasn't that big or steep, so it was perfect for our children.  There were a lot of people there. 

Tobogganing with our children brought back a lot of memories of when I was a child.  I used to love tobogganing.  I remember getting excited whenever it snowed.  Our six year old and four year old had a blast.  Our eighteen month old wanted to do what her older sisters were doing, but we didn't feel comfortable putting her on a sled.  My husband decided to go down one time with her and she loved it.  I'm six months pregnant, so I didn't go down the hill, but I had fun watching our children have a good time.  

Tobogganing is a great winter outdoor family activity.  It's a good way to keep your children active and it's fun.  To make it safer for your little ones, just avoid big or steep icy hills.  If you decide to go down a more challenging hill, it's a good idea to wear a helmet.

Our Six Year Old Teenager

We have a six year old teenager.  She likes to wear jewellery and her clothes always have to match.  I pick out her clothes every morning, but sometimes it's a battle as she wants to wear a skirt with tights instead of pants.  She likes her hair done a certain way and she likes to wear lip gloss and do her nails.  I don't let her wear lip gloss that often though because our four year old likes to wear it too and she puts too much on, which can get messy.  Usually, they only wear nail polish for a special occasion like a birthday party or during the summer.  Some of the things our six year old says make her sound older.  For example, my sister and my niece were visiting on the weekend and our six year old was going to the basement.  My niece asked her where she was going and our six year old said "figure it out." We all started laughing.  She didn't say it in a rude way, but it sounded funny coming from her as she sounded like a teenager.  

Where do young children learn these things?  I think children are exposed to external influences such as the media, advertising and stereotypes.  I think our six year old sees a lot of the older girls at her school and wants to be cool like them.  In my opinion, children are growing up faster than they did when I was younger.  Our six year old has told me more than once that she wants to be older, and I always tell her to enjoy being a kid and not to worry about growing up too fast.

I think the best thing for parents to do is to always communicate with their children.  Protect them from bad influences, but at the same time don't shelter them too much and explain things to them as they get older.  

Taking Your Children to the Movies

Usually, around the age of three or four, children are able to sit and watch a movie.  At that age most children have the patience to sit in one place for a decent amount of time, but of course each child is different.  If your children can sit through a movie or show at home, they'll most likely be okay at the movies.  However, if your children get bored fairly quickly and get up and down while watching television, they're probably not ready for the movies.  

My husband and I took our little ones to the movies yesterday to see "Frozen" and we had a great time.  It's a great movie for the family.  It contains a lot of age appropriate action, humour, and great animation for the little ones.  We have a six year old, a four year old and an 18 month old.  Our 18 month old just sat on my husband's lap and she was good.  When we're at home she has no problem watching cartoons or an animated movie with her older sisters, so we knew she would be okay at the movies. 

Going to the movies with your children is a fun thing to do as a family, especially if the weather isn't that good.  Just make sure it's an age appropriate movie so it's not too complex for your children to understand.  Also, avoid movies that contain disturbing images.

Children Visiting the Doctor

Our four year old and six year old didn't have school on Friday, so I decided to take them to the doctor for their yearly physicals.  When your children are babies and toddlers it's easy to remember to take them to the doctor because they need their immunizations at a certain schedule.  Between the ages of four and six they need an immunization, but then they're good until the age of 13.  So why is it still important to take your children to the doctor for a yearly physical after the age of six?  Well, the doctor can:

• Check their weight and height to make sure they're growing properly
• Check their blood pressure
• Check their heart and lungs
• Take a urine sample to see if any germs are present
• Discuss healthy eating habits and exercise
• Ensure your child's long-term health is good
• Detect any major health problems
• Discuss any problems with their hearing and speech
• Discuss their dental and vision check-ups
• If necessary, your doctor will also take a blood sample to check for things such as cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

So, it's a good idea to take your children to the doctor yearly for a physical so they can maintain a healthy life.

Simple Chores for Kids

It's nice to have a little help around the house.  Most of the time it's easier for a parent to do the chore themself, but giving your children a few age appropriate chores is a good idea as it teaches them some responsibility and builds their self-confidence.

Making the Bed-This is an easy chore for children to do, but it depends on their age.  Our four year old and six year old make their own beds, but not every day.  During the week we're rushing in the morning to get ready for school, so it's faster for me to do it myself.  They get dressed on their own and brush their teeth on their own and when there's time they make their own bed.  

Setting the Table for Dinner-Our six year old has taken an interest in setting the table for dinner.  Our four year old likes to do what her big sister does, so she started setting the table too.  My husband and I set our own plates, but our children set their own plates as they're plastic.  When we're done eating dinner they clean off their plates and put them in the sink.

Vacuuming-We have laminate flooring in the living/dining room so I use the Swiffer Vac to vacuum it.  When my children see me vacuuming they want to do it too.  They have fun doing it and sometimes they fight over who can do it first.

Folding Laundry-When I'm folding laundry our six year old likes to help me.  When we're done she likes to help me put the clothes away.

 

Types of Play

Play is important for children's social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.  They learn to take turns, share and socialize with other children.  They learn to get along and cooperate with others.  During play children have a chance to express themselves and use their imagination.  Here are some types of play:

Solitary Play-This is when a child plays alone.  Even though our four year old enjoys playing with other children, she often engages in this type of play.  When she gets shy she prefers to play by herself.  This type of play can help children become independent and build their confidence.

Cooperative Play-All the children are playing together and interacting with each other.  This type of play encourages social skills.

Dramatic Play-Our six year old loves this type of play.  She likes to dress up and pretend she's somebody else.  This is a great way for children to enhance their imagination.

Physical Play-This type of play enhances children's gross motor skills and encourages them to be active, which can prevent obesity.

Onlooker Play-This is when a child watches other children playing, but doesn't participate. 

Parallel Play-During this type of play children are playing next to each other but aren't really interacting with each other. 

Rough-and-Tumble Play-Involves children play fighting and chasing each other.  During this type of play children are smiling and laughing, even though it seems like they're really fighting.

Rainy Day Activities for Children

Rainy days can be boring for children.  They can't go outside and ride their bike and they can't go to the park because everything is all wet.  So what do you do with your children when it's raining outside?  Here are a few ideas:

• Put on a family movie.  My husband and I love watching Disney movies or any family movie with our children when it's raining outside.  We usually get some snacks together and we're good to go.

• They can do arts and crafts.  Go to the dollar store and pick up some arts and crafts supplies.  Our children love doing creative activities on rainy days.

• Dance! Dance! Dance! This is a great gross motor activity for your little ones when they're stuck inside.

• They can play some computer games.  Our children have fun playing games on the computer and they're educational, which is a bonus.

• Cuddle with your children and read them a book.  Our children love stories and they have an active imagination!

Just because it's raining outside doesn't mean your little ones can't have fun.

Do you have any ideas?