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- October 24, 2023
October 24, 2023
Christen Robertson & Karin Sassser
October 24, 2023
Vegas, baby! That is my current location, and while I’m not Vegas’ #1 fan, in the traditional sense, I do love a getaway and I’ll take anything at this point. 🎲 I’m tagging along with my husband while he is at a conference - beggars can’t be choosers. So I am bringing you the latest edition of the Birdie newsletter from my hotel pool, sipping a cocktail because, you know, when in Vegas, right? Cheers!
The Great Screen Time Debate: Find the balance that works best for your family.
Hour-long Workouts are a Thing of the Past: “Exercise Snacking” is a new way to stay active as a busy mom.
Peaceful Mornings (or Afternoons): Way to keep your young kids occupied.
PARENTING
Screen Time for Kids: How Much of What is Appropriate?
I wish I had the answer for you. What I can offer you is some insight to help you make the best choice for your family. It comes down to balance - just like with everything else in life. In addition to the actual length of screen time, we parents have to also worry about the content our kids are consuming. There are so many options out there now, that it’s intimidating to regulate.
If you are curious about what is recommended for screens, check out these guidelines.
18 months: No screen time. However, video chatting with family is fine.
18 and 24 months: less than one hour, preferably educational.
2-5 years old: non-educational screen time for about one hour per day and three hours on weekends.
6 years+: 2 hours per day.
It’s key to understand how you feel about your child’s relationship with screens or if worrying about screen time is just another thing society is putting on you to care about so much. Because news flash screens are here to stay. The blog, Lucie’s List, offers amazing information on mindfulness with screen time. Key takeaways include:
Kids behavior. Is there a tantrum when it’s turned off or do they walk away with no problem?
The evidence on screens and sleep. It’s proven to impact sleep negatively.
Set expectations and habits very early on. This could be a boundary of no screens in the bedroom or out at dinner.
The other battle with screens is what’s on them. My number one tool for deciding what my kids can watch is Common Sense Media. This resource ranks all types of kid's media based on age-appropriateness, including expert ratings and parent reviews.
What to consider when deciding content for younger kids:
The more painfully slow the programming the better for young children.
Will your child benefit from this content at all?
Active engagement tends to be more beneficial.
Does the content appear to be recharging for your child, or draining?
World Kindness Day is celebrated next month. Get a head start here are some great shows courtesy of Motherly to add to your kid's watchlist.
Check it out: TODAY recently did a lengthy segment on the impact of screens and phones.
WELLNESS
For the win! You Don’t Have to Workout for an Hour to Feel Good.
Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or juggling work outside the home, finding time for exercise can feel like an impossible task. The demands of daily life often leave us with little motivation and energy by the end of the day, making it challenging to prioritize our health and fitness. However, "exercise snacking" offers a glimmer of hope for the busiest moms. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the edible kind of snacks.
Exercise snacking refers to a brief bout of exercise, as short as one minute, that, if done consistently, can yield surprising health perks. Three 10-minute spurts of exercise are as good as one 30-minute session.
If you have 1 to 5 minutes
🏋️♀️ Stair climbing. Take 20 seconds to go up and down stairs, repeat 3x. 🏋️♀️ Hourly mini metabolism boosters. This could be squats, lunges, jumping jacks, or mountain climbers. 🏋️♀️Gentle walking. Walk around wherever you are for 5 minutes.
If you have 10 minutes
🏋️♀️Short to long bursts of activity. For example, walk for a minute then jog for 30 seconds. This could be done on a bike as well. 🏋️♀️Jump rope. Do it for 30 seconds then walk in place for one minute.
What do the experts say? Everyday Health asked personal trainers what their number one exercise is if they could only do one - it included, around-the-world lunges, squats, planks, and bear crawls.
Now, let's talk big picture and how it benefits your health. It is a realistic way to get closer to the recommended 150 min of moderate exercise each week. Improvements you could see are:
Cardiovascular function
Endurance and flexibility
Muscle strength
Reduced blood sugar levels
Check out this 5-minute exercise snack video to jumpstart your day.
AND ALSO THIS…
I’m always on the hunt for new ways to entertain my young kids in the morning that don’t revolve around a TV or tablet. I’ve been testing out this “morning basket” idea by Joy of Creative Play and wow, it’s a game-changer. It’s given me the extra time I need to have my coffee and fix breakfast with minimal arguing.
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🌸 Include 1-3 seasonal books - I visit the public library about once a week to refresh books. 🌸 Print out activity pages at home. You can find activity pages all over the internet. Joy of Creative Play also has a guide for purchase with many options. 🌸 Include a coloring book or blank drawing pages - let the creativity flow! 🌸 Markers, crayons, colored pencils - anything your child prefers to use while coloring. 🌸 A roll of stickers - I choose something that goes with the theme that week. 🌸 Scissors and glue - this is a personal preference if you want to include it. Joy of Creative Play has a remarkable Amazon shop to make these baskets that much easier. |
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She offers a variety of products to choose from such as full kits ($39), mini kits ($15), playdough push pops ($6), and super cute class gift jars ($7.50 ea). Pick from the limited edition release (Halloween is currently available) or themes available all year round. |
SNIPPETS
Backyard movie night FTW. Aldi has a $23 inflatable screen available in-store. Grab some popcorn while you're there!
Go ahead, take a seat. Jet Blue is now guaranteeing family seating without paying an additional fee. One less thing to worry about on an airplane!
Effective immediately. Netflix increased its prices for basic (from $10 to $12) and premium plans (from$20 to $23).
How to tackle difficult conversations. A lot is happening in the world today, and chances are your kids have heard about the Israel-Hamas war in some capacity. Check out this advice on how to talk to your kids about the conflict.
Can TV shows teach kids how to read? Yes, if you turn on subtitles. There is good science to back this claim.
SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE
DID YOU KNOW?
There are certain traits you may not know you inherited from your mom.
Laugh Lines - Your aging process, including visible signs like wrinkles and gray hair, is linked to damage in your mitochondrial DNA, which comes exclusively from your mother.
Mood - The corticolimbic system, responsible for emotional regulation and mood disorders like depression, is more likely to be inherited from mothers to daughters than to sons, or from fathers to children of any gender.
Memory - Aside from a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study, published in Biological Psychiatry, found that the genetic risk primarily comes from your mother.
 When you think of fall recipes, your mind might immediately go to warm dishes like soups. This time of year offers a variety of delicious autumn vegetables to choose from, including butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, and more. Give this Fall Salad with Maple-Lime Dressing a try! |  While Aperol is typically associated with summery favorites like the Aperol Spritz, give the Apple Cinnamon Spiced Cocktail from Real Simple a try. It offers the perfect combination of tart lemon, spicy cinnamon, and a slightly bitter orange taste from the Aperol. |
🐯 Say Cheese: The 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards are here.
🧀 Put the “Cute” in Charcuterie. 10 themed boards to make you the hostess with the mostess this holiday season.
🎃No Knife Required. Skip carving your pumpkins this year with these 50+ ideas instead. BONUS: Your pumpkins will last longer!
🎄Ready or Not! It's October, sure, but Lifetime has announced its Christmas movie lineup for 2023.
🧥 Sale Alert.Nordstrom Rack has up to 86 percent off sweaters, including Free People and Madewell.
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✨ Christen and Karin ✨
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