Surviving an airplane ride with an antsy toddler is not easy. The last time we flew on an airplane with my son he was about to turn 2 and the plane ride was almost 4 hours, so we had to come up with a few tricks to keep the trip as enjoyable as possible for him, us, and the rest of the passengers.

New, bright, and shiny toys

I know it’s bad, but seriously, if you want to ensure a toddler will pay attention to a toy, buy them a new toy just for the plane trip. And buy them a toy that can be used in a variety of ways. One toy that works extremely well for us is the Fisher-Price Doodle Pro Tag-Along. There is absolutely no mess, and you won’t have to climb under seats to find dropped markers or crayons.

You can use it in a variety of ways. We use it to practice letters, numbers, and shapes. We also use it to help him practice his drawing skills. But, if the child is a bit older, you can use it to play tic-tac-toe, hangman, and other simple games. [Read more...]

I devoured books as a child.  Not the books that were required reading, but the kind that were fun and entertaining for young girls, like Anne of Green Gables, Sweet Valley High, and A Wrinkle in Time.  I’m still a big reader, because I learned very young there was a difference between required reading and reading for fun.

So this link love post is all about getting kids to read this summer.  And it’s all about making it fun, of course!  Because what kid wants to read The Old Man and The Sea during the summer? Or ever?

Children’s book author, Rena Jones, has some great ideas to get your kids reading this summer, and over at Katie’s Literature Lounge, a teacher has an ongoing Summer Reading Series where she posts her weekly picks for summer reading.  The books will vary between children’s picture books, middle-grade, and young adult. [Read more...]

I was tagged to do the Randomness Meme by Amy at Family on the Phone.  For this meme we’re supposed to list our favorite quotes, so I decided to make the quotes mom-friendly for Mom’s Resource Blog.  Here are some of my favorite funny quotes from kids:

When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three year old came into the room when I was just getting ready to get into the shower. She said, “Mommy, you are getting fat!” I replied, “Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy.” “I know,” she replied, but what’s growing in your butt?”

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus.  

[Read more...]