Preventing arguments over clothes... use a budget

When my daughter hit middle school she also became more fashion conscious and brand aware.  At the same time, I became more aware how fast a college bill would be hitting us.  To reconcile the competing financial strains and teach budgeting and value I came up with the following solution --- a separate 'tween' clothing budget.

We sat down together and created a spreadsheet itemizing her clothing needs (after inventorying her closet).  We also took into consideration that she was probably going to need two sets of clothes to make it through the school year given her rapid growth rate.  We discussed and agreed upon the average cost* of each type of item. Then, she plugged it in the spreadsheet and I showed her how to do cell equations, copy & paste and column sum. After rounding up the total she liked the $ amount ...it was a lot more than she'd thought she'd get and was psyched to go shopping!

*Average Cost =  Mall Store + Old Navy on-sale price divided by 2 

Now, when she wants to buy something crazy-expensive there isn't an argument.  She understands she'll have to offset it with a super-sale item or do with less ex., one less pair of pants.  After purchases I hand her the card with the spreadsheet printout and she subtracts the cost from each line item.  She knows I'm a tough cookie and that if she spends it all in the Fall there will be no budget override in the Spring.  (She does have a March birthday as a safety net.)

The outcome:

• She shops very carefully and looks for sales & clearance.
  Last year she decided to hold off on lots of back-to-school clothes so she could see what other kids were wearing and get them on sale! (Good decision since she grew 2" from Sept-Dec.)
• She better understands want vs. need.
• She's had buyer's remorse and I didn't have to save a word.  That expensive "great" sweater she wore twice before it was too small still hangs in her closet as a reminder.
• She learned Excel and a practical use for math.
• She had leftover $ at the end of the year!  
  I let her roll it on top of this year's budget so she could buy something awesome when she found it.

BTW - I also have some fashion guidelines in place for what I consider age/school appropriate so it's not complete free reign.  She knows the guidelines and is still a rule follower so, it prevents augments too.

Happy shopping,
Practical Jenn

Fast Recipe for Picky Eaters

I am big advocate for family dinners. However, no one in my family likes the same food. Since I am the primary chef it adds to my frustration. Recently I discovered a new, somewhat healthy, quick and cheap meal idea from a Japanese steak house (where they cook at your table). I resented paying extra for the fried rice when I saw how simple it was make. It's funny how the kids won't eat scrambled eggs, but will in fried rice!

• Eggs (Protein is a challenging food group for diverse taste buds.)
• Rice
• Vegetables (Frozen mixed veggies or anything I have in the fridge. I'll fry up onions on the side for the adults.)
• a little oil for the fry pan
• Soy sauce

Leftover rice works better than freshly made so now when I make rice to have with dinner I double what I cook so it's available for fried rice.   My tween even makes it for herself! She'll opt out of adding veggies, but compromises with some baby carrots on the side.

So, we now have something other than pasta that everyone will eat when we are short on time. 
...and only one pan to clean!

Have a good day,
Practical Jenn

Early Riser Tip for Hotel Rooms

Since it's school vacation week, I thought I'd share a tradition I started a few years ago.  Ever have to share a hotel room with a kid who is too young to realize vacation means sleeping in?  The solution is to instruct that early riser to use the bathtub (dry of course) as a fort!  My daughter is too active to snuggle so, we put her favorite toys strategically in the bathtub before we go to sleep.  So, she wakes up and goes in there to play.  (I also leave her a doughnut or bag of fruit loops).  We can hear her happily playing while we continue to lightly doze.  Last year she set up her assortment of littlest pet shop figures and they where auditioning for American Idol!  She was singing away in different voices and had the judges panel lined up on the far edge.  I forget which animal was Simon.

My 2nd grader wanted me to add "Early risers get to have more time to do more stuff!"   She has also packed her special toys for her tub fort. 

If you are traveling, have a safe trip and happy vacation,
Practical Jenn

Junk Food Dilemma

This post is my approach to teaching moderation when it comes to junk food. Junk food used to be a serious problem for me and I didn't want to pass it onto my kids. I was raised with no junk food. On the rare occasions that cookies were bought, my mother locked them in a file box. (Little did she know that my brother & I would break into "The Box" by simply removing the hinge pin and sneaking out a scooter pie.)

As all good parents, we want to avoid repeating the mistakes of our upbringing. So, my approach to junk food is an open door policy -- which in our house is an open drawer policy. We have "The Junk Food Drawer" instead of "The Box". At least the kids learn what is junk food and what isn't based on its location.

However, there are some parental controls.

1. The kids have to ask before taking anything from the drawer, but I rarely say no. Only if we are about to eat a meal -- I say yes, but they have to eat real food first.
   
2. Another trick is to have them propose how many pieces. They consistently ask for less than I might have doled out.
   
3. A plate, bowl or bag must be used so there is some sense of portion -- no eating directly from the bag at our house, but a whole lot more dishes.

So far its been successful for not only the kids but for me too!

Have a good day,
Practical Jenn

(Disclaimer:  Although my kids don't over eat junk food this should not imply success in fruit & vegetable consumption.  Please post your suggestions.)

House cleaning - We're all in this together

Yep, I got laid off and the one luxury I had was a house cleaner. Sorry Cida, but you just got laid off too. The good news... I've got two capable daughters ages 7 & 12 and a husband. I tried the following approach and it works really well. Of course I had to hold some training sessions first. (Bathroom 101 was a big hit with the 7-yr-old.)

Frequency: Every other week
Time Commitment: 1 hour - Set the timer and when it rings you are done!
Who gets what job?
Job Cards that we draw out of a hat: Dust, Vacuum, Bathrooms, Odd Jobs (see Foreman - aka Mom), & Music Picker/Draw Again*

* Important element of success is an upbeat tempo. Isabel recommends Kiss108.
* * * * * * * * * *
Pros:
- Limited gripes & the whole house got clean.
Cons:
- Kids use WAY TOO MUCH spray stuff ...further training needed
- Assumes the house is picked up.
- When the timer buzzes Mom or Dad might need to finish vacuuming the rug.