So, this was a conversation I had with my 8 year old today (code name "D" for this convo).
D: I need a phone
Me (after I finally stopped laughing): Oh yeah? Why?
D: So I can see them call my number in the pickup line.
Me: Uh, that's for the teachers. You wouldn't be able to do that. Kid phones are just for making for phone calls. No apps. No games. No internet. Just a phone.
D: Awe man. Ok. Fine. I still want a phone.
Me: Who are you going to call?
D: You, of course (how silly of me lol)
Me: But, you're either at school or with me.
D: I could call you at school.
Me: No. Phones are against the rules. Remember we signed the paper when school started?
D: Oh. Dang it.
Me: Who's going to pay for it? Do you have $100 for a phone and $50 a month for the phone?
D: I can use my tooth fairy money!
Me: You can't lose teeth every month to pay for it. $50 every month.
D: Then, when can I get a phone.
Me: When you get a job and can pay for it.
D: Ok. 13. I'll start working at 13, when the laws say I can.
Me: Uh, ok buddy.
He knows the laws since we had a conversation a while back about him wanting to work so I could stay at home (back before I was a SAHM).
I am encouraged that he is willing to work.
I'm glad I am working on teaching him responsibility and being wise with his money.
He doesn't need to know that I couldn't afford a phone for him since I am a SAHM.
He doesn't need to know that I could probably add a phone for him cheaper. I'm giving him realistic numbers that will probably be accurate for when he is old enough to get a phone.
I also do not want to give my kid a phone at such a young age.
What does he need it for?
I see kids nowadays with cell phones at his age (I'm sure some of his friends have some and that's where this conversation stemmed from). But, I will not be that mom. (My hubby is also refusing to get on the phone bandwagon until he NEEDS it).
Who is he going to call?
Who is he going to text?
What would he need to use the phone for?
Apps? Cost money.
Games? Cost money.
Take pictures? Ok, that's neat, but that uses a lot of space since my son is like a selfie queen when he gets ahold of anything that takes a picture.
Take videos? Why? What does he need to record?
My hubby and I didn't have cell phones until we were 18. This was because we were moving away from our family and were always on the run.
Yes, I know. Back when I was 18, cell phones weren't what they are now. Thanks. I needed that reminder that I am now older. Thanks.
But, we lived in the country. It just wasn't a NEED.
We rode bikes.
We walked in creeks.
We went to the park (by ourselves) and played, then came home (by ourselves).
We walked in the woods.
We played games.
We made movies with an old school video camera (that thing was huge- it was hilarious)
We watched very little TV- TV was boring except for Saturday morning cartoons.
We played outside, worked on farms, took care of animals, or whatever we could do to take up our time.
We entertained ourselves and found something to do.
We came home for dinner, played some more, and made sure to be home when it got dark.
How did I tell time? The light in our yard would come on and that's how I knew it was time to go. Or, it was getting dark. Get home.
Kids today (at least in the city) have everything at their fingertips and need constant entertainment and stimulation (thanks technology for that wonderful advancement).
They think that they need every comfort to survive.
They (thankfully) don't understand going without- without food, without TV, without electricity (if your power went out because of a storm it wasn't coming back on for a day or so), with convenience.
Now, granted, I understand that there are children who are not well off out there.
I get it.
I'm just talking in general.
They have a case of the "NOWS".
I want it now
Give it to me now.
I'm hungry now.
I'm thirsty now.
Nevermind the fact that they have just done said thing in the last 20 minutes.
But, I am getting way off my original point and off on a tangent.
So, back to my conversation with my son.
As he gets older, I may cave sooner in case he joins after school sports or activities and needs to call me in the case practice/rehearsal/activities are cancelled or something. Then, there is a NEED.
But, since he is either in the school's hands or my hands and never really anywhere else, then I don't see the point except a unnecessary monthly cost.
Granted, once he is old enough, I will probably pay for it for him and not make him pay for it like I told him today. But, I'm not going to tell him that now.
He needs to know that he's not getting a phone anytime soon.
What he also needs to understand is that it is a WANT and not a NEED.
What are your opinions on kids having cell phones?
What age do you find appropriate/necessary?
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Cloth Diapers for the Win?
Cloth diapers!
Cloth diapers?
Cloth diapers.
Yep. I went there.
Since I am not working, I decided to take the next step in SAHMdom.
This step included cloth diapers.
A lot of money is spent on disposable diapers. So, I did all the research.
How much is the initial investment in cloth?
How much could I expect to save?
Is the savings worth the investment, time, etc?
So far, I'm thinking they are worth it. But, let's compare the pros and cons.
Pros of cloth
Cloth are more environmentally friendly
Cloth are more cost effective in the long run
Cloth can help with diaper rash
Available in tons of colors, styles, materials, etc
Cloth are more organic/natural (no dyes or gels)
The ones I bought are adjustable, so he can wear them until he potty trains
Babies who wear cloth potty train sooner since they notice wetness sooner
Cons of cloth
Cloth dont absorb as much as disposable (the reason that babies notice the wetness sooner), so you have to change more often typically
Cloth are a BIG initial investment (depending on the brand/type)
Cloth are messy at times (because they don't absorb as much, they can leak)
Cloth are a bit bulky (especially the ones I got, since they are adjustable there is extra material you have to fold down to fit it to him)
Cloth are cumbersome to change (takes a bit longer)
You will be doing more laundry (super stinky laundry)
You will spend more on electricity, water, and detergent
You may choose to use disposable when out (unless you want to carry super bulky stinky diapers around in your diaper bag- thus needing plastic bags to prevent leakage onto everything in the diaper bag and also needing a huge bag to carry everything)
Pros of disposable
Convenience
Easy to change
Most daycares will only do disposable
Simple clean up (just toss and go)
Fewer diapers to change (they absorb more)
Less leakage
Cons of disposable
Even thought there is nothing wrong with it, there are dyes and gels (if you are worried about it)
If they get wet (water park or accidentally in the laundry - yeah my older kids have put diapers in the wash and tub), the gel explodes and gets EVERYWHERE!!!!
Some babies have an allergic reaction to disposable diapers
Disposables easily rip (nothing more frustrating then accidentally ripping off a tab while changing a diaper- the only one left while you are out and about)
Horrible for the environment (they don't decompose by the way)
Makes potty training harder (since they never feel wet due the super absorbency)
I'm not trying to convince anyone either way. Everyone is different. Different lifestyles, budgets, etc mean different choices.
This is what we did:
I bought 20 cloth diapers with inserts for $75 on dhgate (best price I could find anywhere) here:
http://www.dhgate.com/product/babyland-cloth-diapers-10pcs-with-10pcs-insert/154513802.html#myaccount_orderdetail-1-null
They look just like the photo and you can chose your colors
Later, I bought more inserts to add more absorbency (for night time) but haven't used them yet. Since my baby was 2 months early, he is still very little for being 3 months old and doesn't really need the extra inserts. Once he starts sleeping longer at night, I will be adding the inserts.
I use disposable whenever we go out and about or if we have friends come over. I don't want them to have to deal with the stink. And, I don't want to carry around stinky diapers. Plus they are so bulky that I can't fit his onesies on (which is all I have for him to wear), so I can't use them when I go to run errands (since I can't really take a baby out in public naked except for a diaper).
What do I think?
Likes:
Saving money (biggest like since we I don't work anymore and we have a budget)
Saving the environment
His bum is much clearer (he had bad diaper rash before- I think it may have been some sort of reaction to the disposable diapers)
Dislikes:
Stinky (urine and the materials they used to make the diapers together make an interesting smell sometimes - just means I need to wash and change frequently)
More laundry (which I don't really mind since I do laundry every day anyway- I got a family of 5 so there's always something to wash)
Bulky
Can't wear his clothes with diapers on, so he spends all his time at home with just a diaper on- not a bad thing, but still a con.
Cloth diapers?
Cloth diapers.
Yep. I went there.
Since I am not working, I decided to take the next step in SAHMdom.
This step included cloth diapers.
A lot of money is spent on disposable diapers. So, I did all the research.
How much is the initial investment in cloth?
How much could I expect to save?
Is the savings worth the investment, time, etc?
So far, I'm thinking they are worth it. But, let's compare the pros and cons.
Pros of cloth
Cloth are more environmentally friendly
Cloth are more cost effective in the long run
Cloth can help with diaper rash
Available in tons of colors, styles, materials, etc
Cloth are more organic/natural (no dyes or gels)
The ones I bought are adjustable, so he can wear them until he potty trains
Babies who wear cloth potty train sooner since they notice wetness sooner
Cons of cloth
Cloth dont absorb as much as disposable (the reason that babies notice the wetness sooner), so you have to change more often typically
Cloth are a BIG initial investment (depending on the brand/type)
Cloth are messy at times (because they don't absorb as much, they can leak)
Cloth are a bit bulky (especially the ones I got, since they are adjustable there is extra material you have to fold down to fit it to him)
Cloth are cumbersome to change (takes a bit longer)
You will be doing more laundry (super stinky laundry)
You will spend more on electricity, water, and detergent
You may choose to use disposable when out (unless you want to carry super bulky stinky diapers around in your diaper bag- thus needing plastic bags to prevent leakage onto everything in the diaper bag and also needing a huge bag to carry everything)
Pros of disposable
Convenience
Easy to change
Most daycares will only do disposable
Simple clean up (just toss and go)
Fewer diapers to change (they absorb more)
Less leakage
Cons of disposable
Even thought there is nothing wrong with it, there are dyes and gels (if you are worried about it)
If they get wet (water park or accidentally in the laundry - yeah my older kids have put diapers in the wash and tub), the gel explodes and gets EVERYWHERE!!!!
Some babies have an allergic reaction to disposable diapers
Disposables easily rip (nothing more frustrating then accidentally ripping off a tab while changing a diaper- the only one left while you are out and about)
Horrible for the environment (they don't decompose by the way)
Makes potty training harder (since they never feel wet due the super absorbency)
I'm not trying to convince anyone either way. Everyone is different. Different lifestyles, budgets, etc mean different choices.
This is what we did:
I bought 20 cloth diapers with inserts for $75 on dhgate (best price I could find anywhere) here:
http://www.dhgate.com/product/babyland-cloth-diapers-10pcs-with-10pcs-insert/154513802.html#myaccount_orderdetail-1-null
They look just like the photo and you can chose your colors
Later, I bought more inserts to add more absorbency (for night time) but haven't used them yet. Since my baby was 2 months early, he is still very little for being 3 months old and doesn't really need the extra inserts. Once he starts sleeping longer at night, I will be adding the inserts.
I use disposable whenever we go out and about or if we have friends come over. I don't want them to have to deal with the stink. And, I don't want to carry around stinky diapers. Plus they are so bulky that I can't fit his onesies on (which is all I have for him to wear), so I can't use them when I go to run errands (since I can't really take a baby out in public naked except for a diaper).
What do I think?
Likes:
Saving money (biggest like since we I don't work anymore and we have a budget)
Saving the environment
His bum is much clearer (he had bad diaper rash before- I think it may have been some sort of reaction to the disposable diapers)
Dislikes:
Stinky (urine and the materials they used to make the diapers together make an interesting smell sometimes - just means I need to wash and change frequently)
More laundry (which I don't really mind since I do laundry every day anyway- I got a family of 5 so there's always something to wash)
Bulky
Can't wear his clothes with diapers on, so he spends all his time at home with just a diaper on- not a bad thing, but still a con.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Getting my school lunch prep on!
So, school is in session again. And, I am now officially a SAHM! Wahoo!
I have never NOT worked. It's different. I like it.
Anyway, back to "school".
This year, my son asked if I could make his lunch every day.
After my initial panic attack, I relaxed and figured "Why not?"!
So, I read a bazillion different blogs online and pinned the heck out of Pinterest trying to get ideas. I wanted to make sure that I didn't spend a lot of money (especially since buying lunch is $2 a day through the school).
As we all know, Pinterest paints this gorgeous picture for you of perfect lunches with cute notes. Everything is perfectly portioned, bagged, labeled, prepped the week prior, and looks like Martha Stewart made it. I am not Martha Stewart. But, I thought I could give it a shot.
So, here's what I did to prepare the week before school started.
1) I made minis!
-muffins
-corndog muffins
-brownies
2) Made some yummy peanut butter balls I found online here (she's also got some great lunch ideas)
http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2011/08/back-to-school-lunch-box-ideas_16.html
3) Made mini pizza crusts for DIY Lunchables (also found on the above site)
4) Portioned snack items and put in a bin in the pantry
-goldfish
-pretzels
-snack mix (which I made myself)
-animal crackers
5) Made and portioned sides (cheaper than buying the already packaged stuff)
-jello
-pudding
-applesauce
-yogurt
-mixed fruit (the stuff in a can- I portioned out to make individual sizes)
6) Made my own bread to use for sandwiches with a recipe here
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-basic-white-sandwich-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166588
7) Bought an uncrustable maker (still have to figure out how it works though....)
8) Bought "fun food"
-Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets (hello? fun!)
-Potato wedges
-V8 Splash 2 liters
-Rice crispy treats (yes, I could have made these, but they were on sale)
-Fruit by the foot (I found a recipe to make these from scratch, but haven't had a chance to try it yet)
-Granola bars
-Fruit snacks
I bought some lunch tupperware and got ready. The types I got were sandwich (the square ones), round (2 sizes for portioning sides), and small oval (for dipping sauces). I also got snack size plastic ziplock bags for everything.
Took me a week between errands, shopping, baby stuff, puppy stuff (we got another puppy- what was I thinking lol), and family fun.
There are tons of resources and after I made everything, I realized that I just kind of need to not stress it out, take what I learned reading all the blogs from other mommies, and go cheap! (Kids can't really taste the different between brand name anyway)
What also helped is our Sam's Club membership. Buying in bulk and portioning is awesome!
I hope I can keep my sanity for the whole year
I have never NOT worked. It's different. I like it.
Anyway, back to "school".
This year, my son asked if I could make his lunch every day.
After my initial panic attack, I relaxed and figured "Why not?"!
So, I read a bazillion different blogs online and pinned the heck out of Pinterest trying to get ideas. I wanted to make sure that I didn't spend a lot of money (especially since buying lunch is $2 a day through the school).
As we all know, Pinterest paints this gorgeous picture for you of perfect lunches with cute notes. Everything is perfectly portioned, bagged, labeled, prepped the week prior, and looks like Martha Stewart made it. I am not Martha Stewart. But, I thought I could give it a shot.
So, here's what I did to prepare the week before school started.
1) I made minis!
-muffins
-corndog muffins
-brownies
2) Made some yummy peanut butter balls I found online here (she's also got some great lunch ideas)
http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2011/08/back-to-school-lunch-box-ideas_16.html
3) Made mini pizza crusts for DIY Lunchables (also found on the above site)
4) Portioned snack items and put in a bin in the pantry
-goldfish
-pretzels
-snack mix (which I made myself)
-animal crackers
5) Made and portioned sides (cheaper than buying the already packaged stuff)
-jello
-pudding
-applesauce
-yogurt
-mixed fruit (the stuff in a can- I portioned out to make individual sizes)
6) Made my own bread to use for sandwiches with a recipe here
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-basic-white-sandwich-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166588
7) Bought an uncrustable maker (still have to figure out how it works though....)
8) Bought "fun food"
-Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets (hello? fun!)
-Potato wedges
-V8 Splash 2 liters
-Rice crispy treats (yes, I could have made these, but they were on sale)
-Fruit by the foot (I found a recipe to make these from scratch, but haven't had a chance to try it yet)
-Granola bars
-Fruit snacks
I bought some lunch tupperware and got ready. The types I got were sandwich (the square ones), round (2 sizes for portioning sides), and small oval (for dipping sauces). I also got snack size plastic ziplock bags for everything.
Took me a week between errands, shopping, baby stuff, puppy stuff (we got another puppy- what was I thinking lol), and family fun.
There are tons of resources and after I made everything, I realized that I just kind of need to not stress it out, take what I learned reading all the blogs from other mommies, and go cheap! (Kids can't really taste the different between brand name anyway)
What also helped is our Sam's Club membership. Buying in bulk and portioning is awesome!
I hope I can keep my sanity for the whole year
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