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5 Ways to Be a Happier Stay-At-Home-Parent

Posted on April 23, 2018 By Camilo Valencia in DIY, Fitness & Wellness, Lifestyle, Parenting, Uncategorized

The title might sound unbelievable to those parents who wish they were stay-at-home parents, but the reality is, being a stay-home-mom or dad is hard work. We have a few of those dedicated parents at Hollywood Learning Centers and we’ve seen it first hand.

Just imagine…

Waking up early in the morning to make sure everyone is ready for school and work. Making a healthy breakfast so everyone eats before leaving the house, packing a nutritious lunch and taking the children to school. Then imagine coming back home to pick up the mess made during the hectic morning, wash dishes, run errands, juggle between business and laundry or making beds and paying bills. Before you know it, is time to go to the store to buy groceries and start dinner. Let’s not forget at 3PM we have to pick up the children from school or Hollywood Learning Aftercare, help them with homework, take them to soccer practice or violin recitals, feed them dinner, attend to the husband…

As a stay-home parent, it is SO easy to get wrapped up in the lives of our children and house chores that we completely lose ourselves in the process. For that reason, we put together a list of 5 simple things you can do to be a HAPPIER stay-at-home parent:

Get Ready

Staying at home doesn’t mean we can’t get ready. Make sure to shower and change just as if you were going to work. Do not give up on yourself just because you are a stay-home parent. Dressing up can automatically change your mood. Show yourself respect and make time to tend to your basic needs daily.

Get Organized

When we have everything in its place and somehow of a routine going things are simpler to follow. Minimizing helps stay organized, labeling helps things have its place, color-coding helps differentiate, and encouraging everyone to put things back in its place and stay organized makes it a team effort. As far as a routine goes, we encourage everyone having a family calendar in a place everyone can see it (the kitchen or family room). That way we don’t over book ourselves.

Get Your Headphones

I don’t know about you guys, but music can make everything go so much smoother. Imagine waking up the kids with soothing music, cooking to jazz, working out to techno and making your own playlist based on your mood, holidays or occasions. With Spotify, it’s easy to find the right music for every moment and the best part you can listen to it on your phone, computer, or tablet.

Get a Hobby

Writing workshops, volunteering opportunities, Zumba or support groups are fun. Why not join in on the extracurricular fun? Any kind of outside activity will not only provide your with socialization, but it’ll also give you a chance to distress. There are plenty of events on https://www.eventbrite.com/

Get Some Rest…

Taking a break or a nap is not a sign of weakness. When a relative or friend offers taking care of the kids or helping around the house, say “yes!” Hollywood Learning Centers also has a few events for parents to be able to have a date night. Let’s not forget we are totally allowed to hire a babysitter every so often, when in need to for a desperate break. Do not think that by giving yourself a break or accepting support, you are in any way, not doing your job. You job is 24/7; you can take (and need) an occasional break.

We hope this list helps. Remember we will always have chaos and that’s okay, our house, lives, and children don’t have to be perfect. Embrace reality and acknowledge your efforts.

For more blogs like this one, subscribe to Hollywood Learning Centers’ blog.

Clean Up! Chores for Preschoolers – Hollywood Learning Center

Posted on November 23, 2016 By Fatima Zimichi in Parenting

My mother, Ms. Fatima, Director of Hollywood Learning Center is the definition of a superwoman. I know, completely bias coming from me, but it’s true. I remember growing up with a successful woman, a spotless house and healthy dinners. However, that didn’t mean we weren’t given chores. I wish! My family believes in chores and allowances was not the reward, but that’s another story.

Why are chores so important? Well, according to parenting expert: Jim Fay, co-founder of Love and Logic, we all need to feel needed, important and to know that we’re making a contribution, even kids. Not to mention, we can’t wait for children to be adults to teach them responsibilities. By then, it might be too late.

So, Hollywood Learning Center put together a cheat-sheet on some chores’ tips for preschoolers:

Choose Age-Appropriate Chores for Preschoolers

How appropriate a chore is will vary from culture to culture and family to family. In my case, I remember asking my mom for a little broom to “sweep” at the age 5, out of my own boredom. Yet, I don’t see little ones doing that today. Here are some chores Hollywood Learning Centers consider age-appropriate for preschoolers:

Putting toys away
Making or at least attempting to do their bed
Clearing the table after meals
Watering the plants
Feeding pets, if any.

Lead by Example

Don’t expect children to put their toys away like they do here in their preschool, if mommy and daddy are leaving their clothes out. Be the example they need. You can begin by teaching your children the right way to accomplish the chore, let them see you take on the task and before you know it, they’ll be little experts. The idea is to make these chores their job at home. For example, If mommy cooks, daddy washes the dishes or vice versa, then children can be in charge of clearing the table. At first, reminders will be needed. However, the idea is to have them take on the task on their own. In my house, I leave little sticky notes around with friendly reminders and smiley faces. It works, I promise 🙂

Praise goes further than allowance

Although chores are responsibility, I still believe parents should compliment their children for their work. Praise can go a long way. Tell them things like:

“You did a great job with that bed today!”

“Those flowers are looking beautiful, you’re doing a fantastic job with them!”

“Thank you for putting your toys away so nicely”

As far as rewarding them with allowances, theories vary. We believe it’s important to avoid connecting allowances to chores, at least for preschoolers.

Younger children, like the ones in our Hollywood Learning Center, don’t tend to be motivated by money. If we award them with allowances then you’re giving them the option to choose not to do them. However, if your little ones are motivated by money, then is this a quality we really want them to have? We understand allowances can teach children about hard-work and money management, but preschoolers might not be ready for it just yet.

Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up! For more parenting survival tips, keep checking out our blog.

5 Yummy and Healthy Snacks for Your Children

Posted on June 22, 2016 By Fatima Zimichi in Fitness & Wellness

Children can be very picky eaters, especially when it comes to food that they’re supposed to eat. During snack time, your little one might be begging for candy and chips. Make sure you set your foot down and put away the junk food. Try these five yummy healthy snacks Hollywood Learning Centers has already incorporated in their menu:

Strawberries and Bananas

Most children love sweet things! Of course that also means that they love candy, but we want them to eat healthier. A good alternative to candy are sweet fruits, like strawberries and bananas. Their sweetness have the all the nutrients kids need. Strawberries are packed with antioxidants, which can help prevent heart disease, and bananas are a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin in the brain. Serotonin helps people feel happier. No wonder why minions are always happy.

Popcorn

This popular snack isn’t just for the movies! Popcorn is actually healthy when it isn’t covered with lots of butter or salt. Actually, two cups of popcorn has 2.3 grams of fiber and 62 calories, making it a light snack for our little ones. So this summer, get some kernel and pop away!

Corn on the Cob

If your kids can’t get enough of that popcorn goodness? Then they’ll definitely love corn on the cob! It’s sweet, fun to eat, and a popular summer treat! It’s also rich in nutrients that can help control diabetes.

Whole Grain Cereal

Put away the sugary cereal and get the whole grain cereal instead! Whole grain cereal is full of protein, carbohydrate, vitamin B, and vitamin E, making it one of the healthiest snacks for your kids. This is by far one of Hollywood Learning Centers most requested snack.

Veggie Chips

Does your child love potato chips? Veggie chips are no different, except they are a healthier and tastier substitute! These crispy snacks are made from beets, broccoli, cauliflower, and a number of other vegetables, so your kids can finally eat their veggies without even knowing.

All of these yummy snacks can be served with natural apple juice or water, two healthy drinks low in sugar and preservatives.

Have your little ones snack on these yummy treats and they’ll be happy and healthy! Want more healthy foods and recipes? Subscribe to our blog!

How To Teach Your Child a Second Language in a Bilingual Casa

Posted on May 11, 2016 By Fatima Zimichi in Parenting

Hello! Hola! Salut! Ciao! Oi! Здравствуй! Raise your hand if you’re bilingual, trilingual, or multilingual.

Living in South Florida makes this topic very close to casa. Most of us come from other countries and hope and pray our children learn our ancestors’ roots and native language, but this is easier said than done.

Research has proven the many benefits associated with speaking more than one language and the younger the child learns, the better! For that reason, Hollywood Learning Centers , a Ministry of First Presbyterian Church put together a quick list on how to teach your child a second language in a bilingual home.

1. SPEAK, THEY WILL REPEAT

Toddlers and preschoolers are in that age where they’re just getting acquainted with their social vocabulary. As you know, we have to be careful with what we say because they repeat everything they hear. “Kids this age are developing language skills rapidly, and they quickly absorb whatever they hear,” says Erika Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of speech and language pathology at Columbia University. Why not start with one word here and there? They will either catch the meaning with context clues or they will ask, like they often do, “what does that mean?” Remember, the earlier you introduce a second language, the easier it will be for your child to pick up its unique sounds.

2. APPEALING TO THEIR SENSES

Come on! Vamonos! Everybody, let’s go! Yes, Dora the Explorer is one of the many programmings kids can watch to learn a second language. Find a show or radio station, play a song, or read a book in your native language so they can familiarize with the sounds, words, and phrases. Nowadays, there are even toys and apps you can download. Sooner or later, they will catch o

3. SUBMERSION

In my house, for example, we weren’t allowed to speak English, because Mom (Ms. Fatima, Director of Hollywood Learning Center) thought we got enough English at school. So every time my sister and I will speak English to each other, she will interrupt us and say: Spanish! Or when we used to speak to Mom in English, she will literally pretend she didn’t understand. However, submersion is most effective when you take your children to the native language region for longer than just a few days. Want your children learning a second language ? Choose their next summer vacations wisely.

4. FORMAL CLASSES IN SCHOOL / ACADEMY

Learning at home can be frustrating. If you rather do formal classes in their preschool or an academy, make sure your child doesn’t see it as a must, but as a fun experience. Get involved in the process and reinforce the instructor’s material with them so they learn it fast. Our Hollywood Learning Center offers Spanish Classes Monday through Thursday. For more information, please don’t hesitate to call Ms. Rebecca at 954- 922-8558.

5 Alternative Gifts to Flowers & Chocolate for Mom!

Posted on May 4, 2016 By Fatima Zimichi in Lifestyle

This weekend will be a special one, especially to all the new moms, stay-at-home-moms, single moms, stepmoms, and foster moms out there.

As a daughter and aspiring mother, I will be running around wrapping gifts, making reservations and making sure the mothers in my life feel loved. However, as a future mother and I’m sure many moms can relate, I think that flowers and chocolate are redundant.

Yes, the most common tradition has always been to give mom a beautiful bouquet of roses or a yummy box of dark chocolate, but who thinks that the Mother’s Day gifts traditions need to be rebranded?

As families search for new ways to make the most important women in their lives feel extra special, Hollywood Learning Centers of First Presbyterian Church has some suggestions on five alternative gifts to flowers and chocolate to surprise our moms this year.

5) Fruitable Arrangement: Chocolate covered strawberries or cherries are always a great alternative, especially on those occasions when it’s popular to send flowers. The advantage over flowers is being able to enjoy the fresh fruits arrangement decorated in a beautiful base. Make sure you write a special note! You can find these arrangements in different prices and sizes at Edible Arrangements.

4) Chocolate-face Mask: As you know, chocolate tastes like it was sent from heaven, but did you know it was also use as a skin care treatment? For amazing rejuvenating, exfoliating, or moisturizing facials, call our friend Lisa, from Lisa Miami Skin at (954) 806-1629.

3) Floral-print Dress: Give your mother, a bouquet of flowers that will not wilt. This beautiful floral-print dress can be found at Macy’s and is perfect for a Mother’s Day dinner, a special event, or family picnic.

2) Chocolate-flavored Wine When it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day at the table, red wine and chocolate seem like a natural match. But this year, winemakers across the country are producing wines that take the pairing to another level. You can find it here.

1) Flower-shaped Jewelry : You don’t have to buy diamonds to make an impact. But instead of a bouquet, a flower-shaped piece of jewelry makes a fantastic alternative. A flower charm from Pandora, a necklace with a meaningful rose pendant, a bouquet ring chosen with care – these can all say how you feel with flowers that will last a lifetime.

Hope this works for the traditional and not-so traditional moms, after all, they say is the thought that counts. Hollywood Learning Centers of First Presbyterian Church will like to wish all of our moms, a Happy Mother’s Day and remind you to register for our “Breakfast with Mom” event, this Friday at 9 AM.

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