Happy Saturday everyone! I'm glad you came by today. I am still learning to use Google+ and found a link that has been very helpful...here you go! Now, I am going to take a little departure from previous Saturdays and tell you about what I am up to with the grand kids.
6 yr old + 6 yr old + 4 yr old + 4 yr old + 5 yr old = a whole lot of giggling and pure silliness!
I would love to tell you that I have been busy crafting, cooking, and playing with my grand kids but the truth is......I spend most of my days with them fixing meals, changing diapers, making sure they are not doing something that will hurt themselves or others, breaking up arguments ( I have 3 two yrs old here) and trying to conserve my energy so I can make it till the end of the day in one piece. Sad, I know! I miss the days when I had more time for one on one projects or only 2 or 3 of the kids around to do things with. I really missed doing sewing projects and having good uninterrupted talks with my older kids. Soooo......
I decided I needed to do something about that and created Kids Can Kids Club. We have had 3 meetings so far. Babies are strictly forbidden! You can't join until you are 4 yrs old either! I MAKE time to have just my club members over and we follow a loosely laid out program. They really love that they have their own club. We have a craft, a physical activity, circle time where we share something we are proud of and something that bothers us. We each take a turn praying for each other and talk about something that I hope will help build 'life skills' for them.
I have tried to make it structured but with lots of room for changes as needed. Everyone must wear pink to meetings (if we had a boy he would be required to wear red), our motto is "Together we are better, together we are strong." Our theme is "Love one another." I demonstrated what 'together we are strong' means by having the girls link up arms and then I tried to break through and they had a great time not letting me do that. It provided a good example of team work and having each others backs. They are asked to think up ways to love one another and then carry out a love action between meetings.
Our first meeting was before Easter; we played Twister, made paper chicks, made snacks from stick pretzels dipped in melted chocolate to form a nest with chocolate eggs in them. They girls colored pictures of themselves and the pictures were exchanged to be placed on the fridge at home. The picture is reminder to pray for the girl in the picture and think of something nice to do for them.
I was not in Girls Scouts or Brownies but I guess I would sort of like to have the girls earn badges or a visible award for accomplishments. I plan to teach them sewing skills for instance and would love to honor their achievements as they advance. I have lots of ideas and I am sure I will only be able to carry out a fraction of them. I would love any suggestions or ideas to help me make a better club for my girls. Do you know of any good online resources? Do you have experience in kids clubs? Do you know of any other GRAND Parents doing something similar? Thank you for helping!
I am so glad you stopped by!
Be sure to visit Lisa at Grandma's Briefs to join her linky, GRAND Social, on Mondays. Thank you for linking up with me!
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If you are reading this post anywhere else but at www.FamilyHomeandLife.com then it was used without permission! Please report it! Copyright © Family Home and Life 2010-2013 All Rights Reserved
Connie how you manage to do all that you do is amazing!
ReplyDeleteI remember loving Twister as a kid...I think I had it for my boys when they were little, too: )
I really don't manage it all, it just kinda happens. I don't really have a life anymore out side of this blog and the grandkids! I know they will grow up so fast though so I am hanging on as long as I can.
DeleteFirst of all, those little girls are adorable! Secondly, who but you, my dear, would come up with something so beautiful in every way? I LOVE this! Besides the cousin-bonding and the skills learned, the underlying message of being there in prayerful thought for one another is very deeply touching. You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteYou asked for ideas so I will mention one, even though you have everything very well covered by yourself and could (and should!) write a manual! - but I would get the girls t-shirts and use iron-on letters for your club name and have those worn to meetings - along with pink extras as before.
I hope you will keep posting your meetings because I so want to do this when my 4 granddaughters are old enough! I have found so many great family ideas here. THANKS!
Thanks Joyce! Yes I want to get t-shirts and will one day. I bought them all pink backpacks from the dollar store so that is a start. I also want to make or buy badges for achievements but haven't worked it all out yet. And where to put the badges? On the back pack maybe? Write a manual? I would love to but I need to have a better plan and see what works first.
DeleteOmg! You are so right. When I have both grand kids here I feel like all I do is feed, clean and chase. I love it but it's hard work. I try to fit in crafts with the 4 year old when the 2 year old is sleeping or not having a sleep over with us. I was my daughter's Scout leader and loved working with the girls and helping them achieve things. what a wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteHave any suggestions for me? How were your meeting organized?
DeleteThank you, Connie! :) Happy Saturday!
ReplyDeleteLove, Joy
Yesterfood.blogspot.com
So cool that you can pick and choose who to have over and be really prepared for them. I love this and how well organized you are. I'm starting to take just one at a time! Less hectic and more 1-1 time is precious. Having all 5 in a few weeks when big girls come to stay. Pool time is a big attraction; but you've given me some ideas for quiet, indoor time!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Joan gramcrackercrumbs
Forgot to say what an adorable photo of your girls! Two sets of twins? Wooohoooo.....so fun!
ReplyDeleteThey are so cute, Connie!
Joan
Morning Joan! No not twins, they all have different moms.
DeleteI love the club idea! Clubs are all the rage for 3rd graders at Amara's school! She is currently in the My Little Ponies Club, the I Love Kittens Club, a design club..... They love the idea of clubs and I can see so much you can do with this and I may figure a way to use the idea myself with Amara and some of her pals! I think this awesome and the theme of love and making each other stronger is just what kids need more of! Maybe they could earn a badge in letter writing? Write to Grandparents, soldiers, cousins....
ReplyDeleteLet us know if you start one! The first thing my girls thought of when I said club was an actual place as in clubhouse. It was fun to listen to them talk about what it should look like but sad to tell them we could do that in my back yard :( And yes, the letter writing would be great!
DeleteI would have loved to belong to a club with my grandmother; great idea!
ReplyDeletePopping in from Oh, Mrs. Tucker!
I am so jealous! I live so far from my grandkids:(( But maybe I can use some of your ideas when I visit them!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the club idea! If you search on Grandma camp you can probably get more ideas.
ReplyDeleteThat is an amazing idea. Hope you do not mind my sharing our sad day on this link. If you feel you want to delete it, please do. I have known this young man ever since he was a little boy and this is all I can think of today.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Dear, dear, Connie; you've done it again, you always come up with the greatest ideas. I now have 4 granddaughters, the 4th was born this week 5/21, missed my 5/20 birthday by 7 hours & 13 minutes. Then there is 20 month old, 8 year old and 6 year old and it seems that 'babysitting' always entails Granny chasing & changing the little one and trying to find things to keep the older ones 'busy'. I love this club idea, it is also a way to give mom & dad a break from the older ones and the ability to spend some actual quality time with the younger ones. I have always tried to instill a love and respect for nature so would definitely include those activities as well as your team building and caring for each other. Since mine all share parents it is important to remind them to always treat each other with love and respect and this would give them an opportunity to share the things that are bothering them without worry about hurting mom and dads feelings, etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words! It is hard to make time for all the kids and yes, I want them to be able to talk to me when they feel like they can't talk to mom or dad. Kids are up against so much these days I really hurt for them sometimes! If you start your club please share with us! Thanks for coming by :)
DeleteI love this idea, how fun! What a blessing it must be to your children to have you want to spend that quality time with your grandkids.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that you look on pinterest or some homeschooling blogs as they will have some great craft ideas and character value ideas and ways to incorporate some of the stuff you want to do with games, crafts, songs, etc.
Also wanted to give you a heads up that the Making Your Home Sing Monday linky party is live and ready for your posts!
Oh my goodness Connie, what a wonderfully fabulous idea! Your grand kids are so lucky to have such a thoughtful granny. Lucky them, lucky you! Now I will add my two cents here, for what it's worth. I was a Girl Scout and while my mother wasn't a GS leader, she did step in and teach us the sewing badge. I got to be the "helper" because I had already been sewing for a few years ;). I believe there are many, many resources online for GS badges, requirements, activities, etc. You might google "Girl Scout Badges" and see what you come up with. I'll bet there are a lot of badges you would work towards, tweaking them to suit your own purposes. Maybe you could make one of the activities making the badges themselves, or something to put the badges on, like a vest or a sash, like they have in GS. Just a thought. It sounds like so much fun, I look foward to hearing what else you come up with. Hope you're having a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Amazing! I have no experience in kids clubs but I would definitely love to be in your if I were the right age! It sounds great, I think you had a wonderful idea!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I can't help with any idea, I'm not so good at interacting with children... :(
I Love the idea. Two of our granddaughters live close and they are older so not as much work :-) Our other 5 live 10 hours away :-(
ReplyDeleteI am adding your button to my page so I won't miss this party next week.
Enjoy,
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
You're a busy lady. Me and my cousins created a club called JUGS (Just Us Girls) and met at our grandparents as often as we could. I loved going to my grandparents house.
ReplyDeleteHow fun is that! I would love to hear more about your club,let me know if you ever post about it ok?
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