Letting the kids have fun on your terms

My bathroom has white tiles, so when my kids  (5yrs & 2 yrs) want to paint, I either put them naked in the shower or bath with some poster paint and a paint brush.  They have so much fun painting the walls, themselves and each other.  When they are done, I just turn on the shower, wash down the walls and the little people and all the mess is gone in a flash.  They absolutely love it!

(this clever tip sent in by Ronel Lee - thx)

Tidy up with a timer

I have often read the recommendation of professional organisers to use a timer when tidying up. Although I understood the philosophy behind the suggestion, I wanted to put it to the test so I used it with my kids this week-end.

I told them before I even began, that I wanted to set the timer to ONLY 5 minutes to tidy up their desk and throw away used paper and 'stuff' lying around collecting dust.

So we duly set the timer and off we went with the tic-tic-tic in the background a constant reminder of the task at hand. AND IT WORKED!

Normally they roll their eyes at me but because it was only a 5 minute period that required their attention, they didn't fight the suggestion, they just got on with it. I also think it was key that I didn't push them beyond the 5 minutes I had requested.

Give it a try for you or your kids and the principle applies to any space - remember those baby steps!

Although I cook for my family all the time and am a descendant of a restaurant owner, I do not enjoy cooking. HOWEVER, when my kids were babies and I was working out of the home, I realised that time was not always on my side.

I received a mail from a mom wanting general tidy tips that may help lessen her child's allergies. My son is also allergic to dust so here are a few tips to help keep allergies at bay in your home.

• Keep the bedroom well ventilated to keep the humidity down.
  
  
• Air the bed daily and wash the bedding frequently at temperatures over 55 degrees. I have also heard that placing the mattress in the sun regularly helps to kill the dust mites.
  
  
• Vacuum and clean the room and bed regularly. Consider purchasing a water-based machine – this way the dust goes into the water and doesn’t go back into the atmosphere/room if you don’t have a clean filter
  
  
• Place thick plastic with tape over the vents in the room, especially if the area directly outside the room is dusty. (This trick has made a big difference in my son's room.)
  
  
• Keep the room tidy, yet do not over dust or vacuum. Once or twice a week is fine.
  
  
• Keep soft toys off the bed as much as possible. However, since my son loves his, placing them in a plastic bag and then putting them in the freezer for over 12hours is said to kill the dust mites.