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Tornado Safety Tips for Kids

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:52:44 +0000

The massive EF5 tornado in Oklahoma this week is a chilling reminder of Mother Nature's fury. Even our children aren't safe and that's heartbreaking.

This family walked away safely from the May 20, 2013, tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.
Photo © Getty Images

I've been through tornadoes. One even sent me into labor with my first child. But my own experiences with tornadoes don't come anywhere near what the people in Oklahoma are going through right now.

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Tornado Safety Tips for Kids originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 at 21:52:44.

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Free Summer Activities

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:05:17 +0000

It won't be long before we close the book on another school year. That means we've got a long summer of full-time kid entertaining ahead of us.

Free summer fun can include everything from free movies to free sports clinics.
Photo © Getty Images

The good news is, there's plenty to do in the months between school bells. The better news is, many summer activities for kids are absolutely free. You just have to know where to look.

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Free Summer Activities originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Monday, May 20th, 2013 at 09:05:17.

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Improve Your Child's Listening Skills

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:27:34 +0000

A mom friend of mine recently joked about having her daughter's hearing tested because her little girl rarely listens when mom is trying to get her attention. Her hearing is fine. Just like most kids, it's selective, hearing mom or dad when it's more convenient for the child rather than the adult.

Improve your child's listening skills with a few simple exercises.
Photo © Mother Image / Getty Images

We've all had those parenting moments when we repeat ourselves, repeat ourselves, repeat ourselves. It can be quite aggravating when the tiny people you love so much act as if you don't exist.

I even remember telling my husband a couple of years ago that our dog listened better than our then-four year old! But you don't have to speak as if you have an imaginary friend you're talking to when you're simply trying to get your child to hear you.

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Improve Your Child's Listening Skills originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Monday, May 13th, 2013 at 10:27:34.

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Mother's Day Facts

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:21:20 +0000

This Mother's Day will be a record-breaking year. Consumers are expected to spend $20.7 billion on gifts for mom, according to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) facts.

Have fun with mom this Mother's Day.
Photo © Jamie Grill / Getty Images

Jewelry, smartphones and iPads are expected to be in those shiny packages with the pretty bow on top. More of the NRF's Mother's Day facts show the average consumer is expected to spend $168.94 on mom.

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Mother's Day Facts originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Friday, May 10th, 2013 at 10:21:20.

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Break Away from Predictable Mother's Day Gifts

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:30:56 +0000

Mother's Day is a big deal around here. Not so much for me but for my kids who are into anything that gives them an excuse to eat cake.

Time with her favorite people is a great gift for mom.
Photo © LCSTRAVELBUGGIN / Flickr

We like to enjoy the day in our own way. I prefer time with my family and seeing the little treasures my children create for me vs. flowers that you know you'll have to throw away once they start to wither and fade.

My husband even gets into the Mother's Day celebration. He and the kids work together to make breakfast for me, which is a nice change of pace, and he even hurries us to the car so we can go out for ice cream.

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Break Away from Predictable Mother's Day Gifts originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Monday, May 6th, 2013 at 09:30:56.

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Host a Mother's Day Party

Sun, 05 May 2013 15:39:51 +0000

Mother's Day is quickly approaching. Have you planned mom's big day yet?

Host a Mother's Day party to celebrate mom's special day.
Photo © Cavan Images / Getty Images

Host a Mother's Day party in her honor. It doesn't matter if it's a small family celebration or a large shindig with all of her friends. Anything you do to make this day special for her will be greatly appreciated.

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Host a Mother's Day Party originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Sunday, May 5th, 2013 at 15:39:51.

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Things to Do with Kids in May

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:08:59 +0000

I turned over my calendar to the month of May and found something written on one of the days that shocked me:

Play outdoors in May during National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
Photo © Apryl Duncan

"Last Day of School"

Is another school year really about to be in the books? I feel like I was just shopping for school supplies yesterday.

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Things to Do with Kids in May originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 at 10:08:59.

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Find the Right Family Vehicle

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:04:55 +0000

Like most expanding families, we're looking at changing out our car for something more roomy. We'll soon have a husband, wife, three kids and one dog we need to jam into a vehicle and, when we're traveling, we'll need even more room for luggage.

Cramming us all into a car isn't an option. We've started down the car shopping road by visiting auto shows, dealerships and reading car magazines.

While this will be our family vehicle, yours truly will be doing most of the driving. Kids need to get to their games. Mommy needs to pick up groceries. You're the mom taxi so it's important to find something that will suit your entire family's day-to-day needs.

You have to know what to look for in your mom car. We have our list of criteria and that automatically rules out a majority of vehicles.

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Find the Right Family Vehicle originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 15:04:55.

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This Month's Moment for Mom

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:05:44 +0000

Spring Break is over and it's time to catch a few moments for yourself. See what's new on the About.com Stay-at-Home Moms site in this month's Moment for Mom:

New Articles:

How to Get Kids to Listen
Make those tiny ears perk up when you speak so you don't have to keep repeating yourself.

Create a Reading Space for Kids
Encourage a love of reading in your kids when you create a simple reading space they can call their own.
How to Lower Your Cable Bill
Cut the costs of cable and keep your money in your wallet where it belongs.
Best Wooden Swing Sets
It's time to get outdoors with a wooden swing set that will stand up to your kids and the weather.
Gazillion Bubbles
If the kids like bubbles, they'll love a machine that produces more than 500 bubbles a minute.

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This Month's Moment for Mom originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 09:05:44.
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Graduation Presents for Kids of All Ages

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:04:07 +0000

My older son is officially a kindergarten graduate. It's hard to believe the end of his first school year is already here.

My little graduate is proud of his achievements, of course. He decided his kindergarten diploma should be hung on his bedroom door.

This is just the beginning of graduation season. It's that time of year where we'll all be getting invitations to graduation ceremonies for everyone from preschoolers to college students. That means it's time to start picking out those graduation presents for kids of all ages.

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Graduation Presents for Kids of All Ages originally appeared on About.com Stay-at-Home Moms on Monday, April 29th, 2013 at 10:04:07.

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