One of the best ways you can spend quality time with someone is by volunteering your time and service. Teach your children the importance of giving back and set up a way that you can volunteer together. Since the holidays are approaching, maybe you can serve at a local soup kitchen, or donate warm clothes to a local homeless shelter. I guarantee it’s a date that neither of you will ever forget. With Thanksgiving around the corner this is the perfect time to give back and show gratitude for all we have. One of the best ways to show appreciation is by doing service for others. Here is a list of some easy but meaningful acts of service to show gratitude this month:

1. Write thank you notes. This is a little time consuming but means so much to those who receive it. My kids love to get thank you cards in the mail after they send gifts to cousins who live far away. Writing them also gives us a chance to reflect on the love and appreciation we have for a specific person and remember how much they mean to us.

2. Help a stranger. At least once throughout my day I come across someone who could use a little help at the grocery store, gas station, or park. We have put elderly peoples carts away for them, let someone with cranky kids ahead of us in line, and played with those at the park who were alone. It is never anything that disrupts our day but always leaves us with happy feelings after.

3. Share your talents. I do not consider myself to be very talented but I love being on the receiving end of others gifts. Especially, this time of year there are many places looking for volunteers for musical talents and such. Share your gift!

4. Donate to a charity. It doesn’t have to be a large sum to be meaningful. One of my kids saved up her money for a week and donated $5 to a local homeless shelter. It was a tiny donation but a great reminder of all we have. Also, donate items around your house that you no longer need such as clothes, shoes, blankets, etc.

5. Volunteer. Spending time at a local food bank, animal shelter, crisis center, or even the health and welfare services office can give us great perspective into the lives of those less fortunate.

6. Visit a hospital or home for the elderly. This can be a lonely time of year for those in assisted living and hospitals. Giving up a little bit of time during the week to visit with and entertain these individuals will brighten their day and help us appreciate our families more. And in the end, you might be surprised they are really the ones making the difference in your day!

7. Smile and say thank you. This one is by far the easiest and takes no time at all. With all the shopping and activities going on this time of year there are endless opportunities to offer those who serve us a smile and a thank you.

Do your best, be sincere, but most importantly show gratitude as a family!

Kids love the magic of Halloween: Trick-or-treating, classroom parties and trips to a neighborhood haunted house. But for moms and dads, often there is a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns. Here are a few things for you to keep in mind when taking your little Goblins out for Trick or Treating… This is the scariest spookiest holiday of the year and it never hurts to have a little refresher on the precautions of keeping your little ones safe.

1. Light Up.. Make sure those kiddos (and you) are easily seen while out walking the streets. Have plenty of flashlights and glow sticks to hand out before heading out. If you’re doing goody bags for a party consider including those. Dimly lit streets, children in costumes they can’t see out of, and cars can make a terrible combination. Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Another really bad combination is a lit jack o lantern and a costume that isn’t flame retardant! Check those labels. Only flame retardant materials should be used on costumes.

2. Make sure those costumes fit properly. They should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard. According the the National Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries on Halloween. Who knew?

3. It should go without saying, but when it comes to accessories, it’s not ok to give little junior an actual samurai sword to complete his look. Make sure that all swords, knives, daggars and sharp objects are made from cardboard or flexible materials.. If you’re tripping over your too long costume the last thing you need is a sharp blade to fall on.

4. Check that candy. In case you haven’t been watching Law and Order, it’s a crazy world we live in and people do very strange things. If you happen to get fruit (how dare they) make sure it’s washed thoroughly and cut into small pieces.. Remember the razor blade stories we all grew up with? Any unwrapped candy should be tossed without question. (and those gross little peanut butter candies that are wrapped in black or orange paper, throw those out on sheer principle.) Just remember, when in doubt, throw it out.

If you’re going to be out driving this Halloween here are some tips for you!

Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs
Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully
At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing
Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween

Have a Spooky, but Safe Halloween!

Stanley Steemer provides professional deep cleaning services including carpet, tile & grout, upholstery, hardwood and air ducts. We also provide water restoration services. Stanley Steemer of North Central Alabama services the greater Birmingham Metro Area and surrounding counties, spanning from Cullman to Clanton and from the Mississippi state line to the Georgia state line. Stanley Steemer is the first carpet cleaning service certified asthma & allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, removing an average of 94% of common household allergens from carpet. 24/7 scheduling available!

Use Code: Mom30 for $30 off any service. (Minimum charges apply)

I’ve met a lot of moms who say they’re interested in homeschooling but don’t think they’re patient enough. It’s the number one “excuse” I hear from people on why they don’t homeschool.

If it’s not for your family, that’s great! You know what works for you. But if the feeling of needing patience perfection is holding you back, know that I don’t have enough patience either!

Aimee Smith is a homeschool speaker and author. Her first book was published last month. If you’re interested you can find it here. Aimee has been kind enough to share her thoughts on homeschooling and patience. If you’re interested in checking out her website you can find her at aimeesmith.com.

“I’m not patient enough to homeschool,” says the public school mom to the homeschool mom she meets at the zoo.

“I’m not patient enough to homeschool,” says the private school mom to the mom on the sidelines of the sports field.

“I’m not patient enough to homeschool,” says the mom who secretly wants to homeschool but doesn’t think she can.

“I’m not patient enough to homeschool,” says the struggling homeschool mom to herself.

“Me either!” says the homeschool mom who everyone else thinks has it all together.

As a homeschool mom of eleven years, I often wonder why I receive this response so frequently when I tell someone what I do. At times, I have responded with a blank stare because I cannot fathom how others assume I’m so patient. I know the truth of my heart and my homeschool, so I just couldn’t think of how to reply.

Why do others think we, the homeschool moms, are so patient?

A major assumption of that other mom is hidden within the comment I’m not patient enough, but the focus is more on the one asking. Rather than belittling yourself in comparison to the mom you think is so patient, try asking her for the truth. You’ll find she’s really not so different from you.

When did patience become a prerequisite for being a homeschool mom?

Rather than assuming patience is required for homeschooling, remember a fundamental truth of parenting. We don’t arrive at perfect character before becoming a parent. Instead, parenting reveals how much growth we need. It’s the same with homeschooling. Character is developed through it, not before it.

How can we all find help in our struggle with impatience?

Impatience is an area of common struggle, especially in our fast-paced, activity-filled, instant gratification culture. With the constant demands of parenthood, we would be wise to expect the struggle of impatience. A few reminders will help us all, regardless of the type of education we choose.

1. Parenting is hard. It’s hard regardless of our family’s education path, and impatience is a common struggle. Homeschool, public school, private school, hybrid school. . . it will all be hard. But it’s the hard areas of life that provide opportunities to grow.

2. Perfection is not the goal of motherhood. And we all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Would you have wanted to live with a perfect mom? Neither does your child. Your child needs you to love them, understand what it’s like to mess up, and offer grace in the failures.

3. Comparison will help no one. When a mom says, “I’m not patient enough to homeschool,” the assumption is more about herself than the other mom. Why do we tend to criticize ourselves so quickly? Let’s choose to focus on our own strengths as well as one another’s strengths.

4. The moments after matter. When you lose your patience, you have a beautiful opportunity. This is the moment to model saying I’m sorry to your child. This is the moment to model humility and reconciliation. This is the moment to teach your child how to deal with real-life relationships.

5. We can all grow in patience. The sigh of “I’m not patient enough” implies we want to be more patient. Don’t accept this is just how you are. Make a decision and take practical steps toward change. It might be two steps forward, one step back, but that’s still progress forward.

Choose a few practical steps to prevent situations that quickly kill your patience. Count to ten before responding. Anticipate the unexpected. Create margin in your schedule.  Leave early. Expect your child to misbehave.

If you do homeschool, the same principles apply. Count to ten before responding when you child pitches a fit over the math lesson. Anticipate the unexpected spills, screams, and squabbles during your expertly planned agenda. Create margin by allowing half an hour for the fifteen minute lesson. Leave early because walking ten yards to the car can take twenty minutes. Expect your child to misbehave because that’s what children do.

Public, private, homeschool, and any other type of moms, we’re not that different from one another. Patience is not a prerequisite for being a mom or a homeschooler. As we walk through the daily struggles, we can all choose practical steps toward patience.

If you’re considering homeschooling, lack of patience does not disqualify you. If you’re already homeschooling and impatience creeps in, remember you’re not the only one. If you’re comparing yourself to others, recognize we’re not so different from one another.

I finally learned how to respond in that awkward moment someone assumes I am oh-so patient just because I homeschool: “Me either!” But I’m slowly learning, and you can, too.

About Abby:

Abby is a Writer, Wife and Homeschooling Mama to 3. She lives in Springville, AL with her Family.

In the wake of the recall of inclined devices such as the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, some parents have been wondering if it’s okay to let babies sleep in car seats.

Recent recalls of products such as the Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Sleeper and reports linking inclined sleep devices with 54 infant deaths have highlighted the danger of putting babies to sleep on an incline. The angled position can cause an infant’s head to tilt forward and compress the airway, increasing the risk of suffocation.

In fact, since Consumer Reports published their initial investigation into inclined sleepers, they’ve received several inquiries from parents who wonder whether it’s okay for babies to sleep in car seats, since they also position babies at an incline.

The answer is, yes, you can let your baby sleep for short stretches in a car seat, as long it’s used properly, says Emily A. Thomas, Ph.D., an automotive safety engineer at CR’s Auto Test Center who is also a specialist in pediatric injury biomechanics and a certified child passenger safety technician. Here’s what you need to know:

First, car seats are essential to keep children safe when traveling in vehicles. The angle of rear-facing car seats (the kind for infants) has been tested extensively and is necessary to protect a baby’s head and spine in a collision. “While the risks of sleeping on an incline are real and serious, they are vastly outweighed by the protection a well-designed and properly installed car seat offers during a crash,” Thomas says.

Second, car seats—even those that you can remove from a vehicle to lock into a stroller—are meant to be used only while you’re with your baby and observing him or her, not for extended or overnight sleep, as the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper and similar products were marketed to be used.

And last, infant car seats are designed to include a five-point harness system, which is key to maintaining proper and safe positioning. Infants don’t yet have the neck or torso strength to keep their heads up and prevent slouching. “Infant car seats have been designed and tested not only to protect your baby in a collision but also to ensure that if your baby does fall asleep in the seat, the risks of slumping down, chin to chest and blocking airflow, are low,” Thomas says. “Still, car seats aren’t appropriate for extended, unobserved sleep.”