Blog | Persistent Mama

Mar 2, 20232 min read

Spring Break Activity Ideas

Are your kids going to be home for spring break soon? Looking for activity ideas for them while they are out of school? Check out this list below for some great ideas!

50 Ideas for Spring Break Activities for Kids:

Take a hike
Plant an edible garden
Plan a scavenger hunt
Have a picnic
Build a fort - check out my post on the benefits of fort building
Cook or bake with your kids
Take a day-trip
Build a fire and have s'mores
Create a time capsule and find a safe place to store it
Play the Floor is Lava
Have a family movie night/day
Have a family game night/day
Have a day of cleaning/organizing
Visit the local botanical garden
Visit the local children's museum
Do a tour of local parks (go to a different park every day)
Go on a virtual museum tour or a tour of a national park
Complete a puzzle
Start a family book club
Go camping in the backyard or living room
Have a Tie-Dye Party
Paint rocks and scatter them around town
Have a tea party
Build a race track for toy cars
Sidewalk chalk
Have a family back-yard Olympics
Have a family dance party
Have a family "spa" day at home
Plant flowers for spring
Do a Craft! Find some ideas here and here.
Do a STEM project. Find some ideas here and here.
Plan a future trip
Make cards for neighbors and drop them off at their doors
Make popsicle stick crafts
Make a bookmark
Do a treasure hunt in the backyard
Put on a puppet show - you can even make your own puppets
Make sensory bins for your little ones to play in and dig in
Make friendship bracelets
Make musical instruments and make music together
Make paper airplanes and paper targets for the planes to fly through
Play dress-up and have a photoshoot
Go to a fun ice cream parlor for a fun treat
Go on a bike ride
Find an indoor pool with public access and go swimming
Play sports in the backyard
Play mini-golf
Go to your public library - check out this post for why the library is awesome!
Go to the Zoo
Have a family Nerf war

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Mar 1, 20233 min read

Tips for Reading to Older Children

Once your child is reading independently, you may think they don't need to be read to or that it is more beneficial for them to read on their own. But there are benefits to children reading with you through age 14. Check out my post on the benefits of reading to children.

When you are reading to older children, you want it to be enjoyable and beneficial for both of you. Check out the tips below!

Tips

1. Let them select the book

They will be more interested if they had input and choose a book they are interested in. Let them choose whatever they want - a comic, a graphic novel, a book with commercial characters, etc. It is also a great opportunity for them to choose a book that may be a bit advanced for their reading level, but they are interested in. Most kids can understand what is being read to them a couple of years ahead of what they are able to read themselves.

2. If you can get multiple copies, give them a copy to read as you read aloud

Check your local library, there may be multiple copies across branches, and they can order a copy from another branch to your home branch.

3. Pick a spot where you will both be comfortable

A quiet and comfortable space will make the experience more enjoyable for you both.

4. Ask questions as you are reading

This will give your child an opportunity to process the words and think about what they are reading, which will increase comprehension. You can also discuss alternate endings, discuss what your child would do in a similar situation, turn your child or family/friends into characters in the book, etc. Be creative!

5. Read with inflection

Reading aloud with inflection is a great way for children to pick up the rhythm of reading.

6. Visit the library and bookstores.

They have a huge variety of different books and genres to check out and find what they are interested in. Bookstores are great too because they are often displaying the newest titles and staff picks, so the different displays may help your child find something they love. Pro tip: Visit the bookstore for looking and visit the library to get the book they find for free. Many libraries also have a service where you can request they get a book if there is one your child wants that they do not have. The only downside to getting a new book at the library is that they may have to wait. Oftentimes those new books are popular!

7. Take turns reading

You can read a page, then they read a page. You can read a chapter, then they can read a couple (if the book is not too challenging).

8. Listen to an audiobook

This could be very helpful if your child is not into the idea of you reading to them. It's also a great way to spend a car ride. I recommend still asking questions and discussing the book just like you would if you were reading to them.

9. Have your child write/draw/talk about what you all are reading.

This will give them an opportunity to comprehend what is being read.

10. Have fun!

Your child is more likely to have fun and enjoy reading if you are enjoying it. You want this experience to be a positive one.

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

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Feb 28, 20235 min read

20 Tips for Making Allowance Beneficial

Updated: Feb 28, 2023

Allowance: some say kids should earn, and some say kids should not get an allowance. From my research, it seems like there is no "right" answer here. It fully depends on your family.

I have done some research and I am sharing it below in hopes it empowers you to make the best decision for your family.

The information below includes a lot of discussion on chores. Still deciding if you want your kids to do chores? Check out my post on the benefits of chores.

Allowance can be started as early as kids start showing an interest in money and begin to understand the concept (as early as 3 or 4). Some studies suggest that kid's money habits are set by age 7, so it is good to start early.

The Argument for Giving an Allowance

It's an opportunity to teach your kids about money
It's an opportunity to teach your child about saving - they can see their money grow by giving them physical money
It's a great opportunity to give your kids the responsibility of a debit card with one of the services designed for kids
You can use the payment of allowance to discuss real-life money management skills such as spending, saving, charity, taxes, budgeting, and wants vs. needs
Chore-based allowance teaches your child that money is earned through working
When your child wants something, they can save up for it using their allowance rather than just turn to you to buy things

The Argument for Not Giving an Allowance

Kids should do chores because they are a member of the family
Giving kids money may make them entitled or feel as though they should get money for nothing

If you decide to give an allowance, there are a couple of options that are supported by experts on how to do it. Which way you choose to give an allowance is whichever works best for you and your family.

Allowance tied to chores:

This method is pretty simple - your child does their chores then they get an allowance. Your child does not do their chores, they get nothing. Some believe this teaches the value of hard work. Others believe this teaches children they should be awarded for doing the bare minimum.

Another option is that they only get paid for certain chores, but not the basics that kids should do just because they are part of the family. This seems to be the more favored method tied to chores. Almost all of the research I did warn against giving money for basic chores.

If you choose this route, some tips:

Make sure the chores are age appropriate - check out my post on chores!
Younger children may need to be paid immediately to make the connection that when they do work, they get paid.
Decide on how to compensate children for chores - consider what you will do if your child completes some chores but not all of the chores

Allowance not tied to chores:

The argument with this is mainly that children should do things around the house (clean their room, feed pets, etc.) because they are a member of the family and that is the expectation. But parents still want to teach their children about finances and how to manage money. This method can be a great way to teach about financial literacy even for homes that choose not to do chores.

If you choose this route, some tips:

Give your child an allowance in relation to their age ($1/year or 50 cents/year of age is recommended). So if your child is 5, they get $5/week.
Do not use this allowance as a punishment (ex. you will not get an allowance this week because you are not behaving)
Be sure it is clear that the money is not tied to chores, but this is money they get to learn financial management. If your house does chores, make sure they know these are expected as being part of the family.

Hybrid:

This method of giving an allowance combines the two methods above. Your child gets a base amount each week, but they can do extra work to earn more money.

If you choose this route, some tips:

Decide what tasks can earn extra money, and how much money
Make it clear that some tasks are done as a contributing member of the household
You are the CEO of the house, so you get ultimately get to decide which tasks are money-earning and which tasks are done as a contributing member of the household, but you can discuss it and come up with tasks and amounts with your child
Choose age-appropriate tasks

General Tips

If you are giving an allowance but not using it to teach about finances, it is not beneficial
Be consistent - give the same amount, on the same day in regular intervals - do not give them their allowance early (similar to payday loans, which is not a good habit to teach)
Help your child set goals for their money
Some suggest making three funds for your child: spend, save, and donate - One article I read, suggested that 10% goes to charity, 30% goes to spend, 30% goes to medium-term savings (you help them decide something to save up for), and 30% goes to long-term savings (you can help them set up a savings account at the bank for this).
Teach them about banking - show them how to open a bank account, where to track the money online, and how to use a debit card
I recommend doing this when kids are older and have had an opportunity to learn about bills and coins and see their money grow.
Make sure you are not giving them too much money - they should need to save up for things they want and have to make decisions about what to buy/not buy
Consider what your children will be responsible for paying for and what you will pay for - make these expectations clear
Make sure allowance is a positive experience - do not use it as a punishment
Be a role model! Kids learn from watching us.

I read a lot of different sites and articles on allowance and there does not seem to be any consensus on one method that works best. So whichever you choose (or if you choose not to give allowance), there is no wrong answer. The most important thing is to find some way to teach your child(ren) about real-life financial management skills - however, that looks for you.

Personally, I believe my family will use a hybrid method when the time comes. I also plan to use the spend, save, donate method to help teach money management. When the time comes, we will see if that works and adjust if it does not.

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

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