The ABCs of Raising Girls - Day 3 Letters K-O

I am a mom of 3 girls. So we have lots of pink, lots of drama, lots of princesses, lots of tangled hair. So I do consider myself something of an expert in raising girls. In raising toddler and preschool girls to be exact. Some of the suggestions and ideas I have will work on or appeal to boys too, but I have just used them on girls. I hope you will join me every day this week as I share some advice for raising girls and some ideas to keep them busy!

Be sure to visit Day 1, A-E and Day 2 F-J if you missed them.

Check out K-O by clicking read more.

K...Kindness. Children learn what they live. When you are kind to your child or show them grace in the midst of a mistake, they learn to be kind and graceful to others. Sounds simple enough, right? I still find being kind to be a challenge for me as my girls are starting to talk back and have an attitude. It's very easy for me to have an attitude back with them or assert my authority by raising my voice or putting them in time out. What I work on each day though (sometimes unsuccessfully, it's okay) is to try and show them kindness and grace in situations where it may not be deserved.

L...Letting Kids Work it Out. With three girls, there is a lot of drama around here. I don't know if boys are as dramatic, but there are lots of arguments and battles that take place in our house. I found myself getting dragged into the drama and creating more by yelling and giving a negative situation a lot of energy. I noticed a big change in the girls' behavior when I started letting them work it out on their own.  

M...Make Your Own Sundae. If you have a summer bucket list, this needs to go on it. We spend a lot of time outdoors when the weather is nice and what better way to enjoy the warm weather than by cooling off with some ice cream. My girls loved personalizing their own sundaes. It's like going to a frozen yogurt place for a fraction of the price.

N...Numbers. I have never been a numbers girl. Math and numbers were never my strong suit. I've talked to lots of women who felt this way growing up. I think it's a danger with girls to push them to more creative and artistic pursuits and not towards math. I want my girls to be comfortable with numbers and feel positive about their interactions with mathematics. To that end, we do lots of fun activities with numbers like this simple counting game with buttons and muffin cups. I hope such games will help instill in them a love of numbers and problem solving.

O...Outdoor play. I am a big proponent of outdoor play for girls. One of the things my girls enjoyed most this past summer were water balloons. They loved throwing them at each other and the ground. They are a bit time consuming to make but I found a way to make the wet fun last a little longer. I made some water balloons and then hid them around the yard for a water balloon hunt. Check out how I added some learning into our water balloon hunt.

Be sure to join us tomorrow for Letters P-T of raising girls.

To check out the topics covered by the bloggers of KBN, click on the image below.

Don't forget to visit more ABC's below!
MOM TIPS & TRICKS:

• Being a Hands on Mom from hands on : as we grow
• Connecting with your Kids from One Perfect Day
• Family Field Trips with Kids from Edventures with Kids
• Fun Healthy Snacks for Kids from Juggling with Kids
• Kids Party Ideas from Mama Pea Pod
• Mama Survival from The Dizzy Mom
• Organized Home from Mamas Like Me
• Printables from Mama Miss
• Raising Boys from Boy Mama Teacher Mama
• Raising Eco-Friendly Kids from Kitchen Counter Chronicles
• Raising Girls from Mess for Less
• Raising a Healthy Kid from Living Life Intentionally
• Raising a Thinking Child from The Outlaw Mom
• Raising Toddlers from Home Learning Journey
• Raising a World Citizen from All Done Monkey
• Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family from Inspired by Family Magazine
• Teaching Kids about Money from Carrots are Orange
• The Family Dinner Table from Connecting Family & Seoul
• Trying A New Experience with Your Children from 52 Brand New
• Values for Children from True Aim Education

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