Tag Archives: Tanya H. Franklin

On the First Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Fun Picking Out Our Christmas Tree

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On the first Day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…fun picking out our Christmas tree. On Black Friday, when some were out searching for deals, my family was keeping with tradition searching for the perfect Christmas tree. It was more colder than 2017, 2016, 2015 and even 2014 when we wore light jackets or even jean jackets, but that didn’t stop us from seeking out a tall, wide, fluffy tree who would become a part of our family for the next month and a half or so.

Actually, we spotted “Gerald” shortly after arrived at the tree shop and knew he was the one, but we still milled around for another ten to fifteen minutes just in case there was a better one hiding amongst the others. Then, in the distance, we saw a family looking at “our” tree, so Quinn shouted, “Hurry! They’re going to get our tree!” We hustled back over to claim him, and both Quinn and I smiled knowing that the tree would be ours.

One of our traditions is to name our tree as a part of our family. We’ve had BG, short for Big Green, BGJ, short for Big Green junior and BG3, short for Big Green the third. Last year, Quinn picked a very interesting name: Heavenly Brownie! This year, she picked Gerald. When I asked her what made her choose that name, she said, “I just like it!” Who knows what we’ll call our tree next year, but I’m definitely looking forward to the experience.

Here’s to fond memories with our 2018 Christmas tree: Gerald!

All the best,

Tanya

Mathilde the Musical: Theatre Fun with My Little Girl

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“Mathilde’s parents were not very nice and were mean to her. But you’re not mean to me Mommy because you care about me and love me!” My five year old informed. Today, I took Quinn to see her second play at the Walnut Street Theatre with my sister and niece (her daughter). Last year, it was “Annie,” which was awesome, and this year it was “Mathilde,” which was just as good. Quinn was so excited to go see another play. As she looked through the playbill she even noticed a familiar face who was in last year’s production of “Annie.”

It was such a wonderful family outing, and allowed us to engage in discussion prior to the play about her expectations. Afterwards, we enjoyed talking about which scenes and characters she and my nice liked the most.  While some people may think going to the “theatre” (in my bourgeois stuffy voice) is not appropriate for children, I totally disagree, and my daughter would as well. She couldn’t wait to get home and how the playbill to her dad and tell him all about the play.

While this is only Quinn’s second year going to Walnut Street Theatre to see a play, I am looking forward to this being an ongoing tradition that we can look forward to with my sister and niece. Here’s to Walnut Street Theatre doing a superb job with the “Mathilde the Musical Production!” My little girl gives the play two thumbs up!

All the best,

Tanya

My Little Girl’s Cashing in on Learning Math!

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“Look at this! They have really good deals at Burger King! You can get a whole meal for just $3,” my five year old informed her daddy. Since Quinn was very young, we started teaching her the importance and value of money. She has her own piggy bank as well as an actual bank account and is aware of the importance of saving. While her kindergarten class will not be going over coins, dollars and their values, at the beginning of 2018, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to not only introduce her to this concept but to reinforce what she learns with activities related to math.

One of the activities is what we call “Mommy’s Coin Counting Store.” I purchased little price labels at the Dollar Tree and even had Quinn be a part of how much she thinks different items might cost. I was quite impressed with how accurate she was with many of the items. Then, we used the Learning Resources cash register I purchased her a few years ago to set up the shop. Initially, I was the shopkeeper, so I gave her a little wallet along with pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, one dollar bills, five dollar bills, ten dollar bills and twenty dollar bills. It was tricky for her to count out the coins when the amount was not exact, but after a few times and having her just focus on specific coins instead of everything in her wallet, she did surprisingly well.

Whenever we go to the store and I’m paying cash for an item for her, I will have her pay and walk her through how much the item cost so that she can figure out how much to pay and how much she will get back in return. Just yesterday, she wanted to play with the cash register and count out bills herself. She even asked, “Mommy, are there $100 dollar bills?” When I replied yes, “She said, I wish I had one because I could trade in five twenty dollar bills for one 100 dollar bill.

There are so many adults who struggle with finances or even with counting money. I’m glad Quinn has a head start and hope this is setting the foundation for her managing her money properly, not letting anyone cheat her out of her money and understanding the importance of saving.

All the best,

Tanya

Baking Up Memories with My Little Girl

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“I’m so excited, Mommy! I want to do everything from start to finish!” my five year old informed me as we prepared to bake chocolate chip cookies for Thanksgiving. Though it can be time-consuming, and it’s difficult to always carve out time to do it, I love baking. I especially love baking with my daughter. Now that she’s in kindergarten, she’s starting to read, is understanding the concept of measuring more and more and really was able to do just about everything from start to finish, with the exclusion of putting and taking the cookies out of the oven.

As we stood in the kitchen together, we bonded and talked about how excited we were to share our cookies with the family for Thanksgiving. Quinn even said, “I really love baking with you mommy. We ought to do it more often!” I agreed. It is such a wonderful feeling to see her applying what I’ve taught her over the years. I did not have to remind her how to sift the ingredients. Using the Kitchen Aid mixer is a no brainer for her. Without me suggesting, she said, “I’m going to start the mixer on the lowest setting firs so that the flour doesn’t go everywhere. Then I’ll flick the switch so it can mix the cookie dough faster. She was able to use the cookie scoop with ease, and even knew the importance of not putting the cookies too close to one another of the baking sheet.

This experience made me think of an analogy with my little girl. Before she was born, she was “baking” in my stomach until it was time for her to come out. Now, I often observe her “baking up” some ideas and searching for life “ingredients.”  She’s on her way to becoming a master chef, and it comforts me to know that I’m playing a role in sharing my recipes for heartfelt moments that she will be able to use to cook up a wonderful life for herself.

All the best,

Tanya

Say Word?! Learning Can Be Fun! Lessons with My Little Girl

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She paused for a few second and looked up to the ceiling with her head slanted. Then she said with certainty, “Word!” I proudly said, “You got another word right, sweetheart!” Even though my daughter already knew some words here and there, since she started kindergarten, we’ve been making a conscious effort to reinforce what she is learning in school and to even enhance that experience. Last week, in my blog entry, I wrote about the reward system I created to demonstrate positive reinforcement for my five year old’s eagerness to learn. Doing basic flash cards is one of the lessons we do together.

I purchased sight word cards with pictures and some without, and either way Quinn is able to recognize several words after a few sessions. I am impressed that she immediately distinguishes the differences between words with similar spellings such as then and than considering that some adults still mix these two up. Often when I ask her what reading activity she would like to do, if it is not leafing through one of her books, it is doing flash cards.

Yes, technology is wonderful, and we use some of those resources as well. But good old-fashion flash cards are still perfect for helping a child learn how to read. They are a cheap resource that you can purchase at the local dollar store, or you can even create them yourself. Give them a try if you don’t already use them with your child.

All the best,

Tanya

Reading, Writing & Math: A Rewarding Experience for My Little Girl

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“Mommy, may I please do some reading today,” my five year old pleaded. Those words are always music to my ears! Since my daughter was a baby, she’s always been eager to learn. Also, like many children, she loves playing with toys. One of her toys of choice is her doll, Sophia. Whenever we go near the toy section in Target, Quinn’s eyes widen as she sees the many doll accessories: clothing, footwear, little brushes, beds, you name it.

Since the star reward system my husband and I started with Quinn when she was two to reinforce positive behaviors was so successful, I thought why not implement a program like that to encourage and reward her for learning, especially since her school does not issue homework for kindergartners.

Over the summer, I purchased several workbooks and resources to help her with reading, writing and math. Then, I ordered big charts, smiley stickers and punch cards through Amazon. For every three stickers Quinn earns a smiley face. Then, she gets one punch on the card. Once she earns ten punches, she’s able to get some doll accessories for Sophia.

Of course, some parents might argue that learning is a requirement for children, and why should a child be rewarded? While this may be plausible for some, I’ve actually found that my daughter is even more eager to learn. It does not feel like a chore to her, and she does not do it solely to earn stickers or punches on the punch card. Sometimes, I have to let her know that she’s able to earn a sticker since she asked about practicing her writing.

Often, Quinn will ask to write and read instead of watch television or play with her toys.  What I love is that she even does math by counting up how many more smiley faces she needs in the different sections to earn a punch on the card and then how many punches she needs to get to ten.

This reward system also teaches Quinn about value. As she gets the doll accessories, she knows she had to put in a lot of work to earn them. It makes her appreciate them more than me just giving them to her.

Does your child needs a little encouragement to learn? Give the reward punch card system a try. Maybe it will be as successful for your child as it has been for mine!

All the best,

Tanya

What Do You Call a Fairy & and Mermaid? Mommy and Daughter Halloween Fun!

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Carousel Fun and the Please Touch Museum’s Monster Mash

Halloween is such a fun time of year not just for my daughter but for me too. What makes it extra fun is the strengthening of our mommy/daughter bond. Since she was two, she began picking out a costume not just for herself but for me too. She’s been Doc McStuffins, and I’ve been Lambie. When she was three, she was an astronaut, and I was her rocket. Last year, she was Snow White, and I was the Evil Queen. This year, she decided to be a fairy and asked me to be a mermaid with a similar color scheme: purple as her favorite color and blue as my favorite color. I thought to myself, what a great idea! She’s already thinking about next year wanting to be a princess so that I can be her unicorn, and I love it!

I feel like dressing up together, going to parties, special events and trick or treating brings out the best in us both and brings us closer together. Sometimes, life just gets so hectic, and work even gets stressful, so I thank my daughter for allowing me to just have fun and enjoy life as different characters. Here’s to a happy fun-filled Halloween. Time with my daughter is the ultimate treat!

My Birthdays Are So Special With My Little Girl!

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On October 11th, I reached my own milestone and turned a year older. While the level of excitement is not the same as it once was when I was younger, my daughter’s enthusiasm and secretive planning for my big day truly made me feel special. Her planning actually started in the summer. I would overhear her whispering to my husband (her dad) about what she’d like to do and what she gift she would like to get me.

So when the day finally arrived, she could not contain herself. I have to leave early in the morning to get to work and did not see her until the afternoon, so as soon as she arrived home from school, she screamed out, “Happy birthday, Mommy!” and gave me a big, long hug. “We have special plans for you,” she informed me. My five year old selected Outback Steakhouse as the restaurant. “I know you love their salmon and baked sweet potato, Mommy,” she said. I thought to myself, wow, she knows me so well. Usually, she sits next to her dad, but she said that she wanted to sit next to me since it was my birthday.

At the restaurant, she presented her card and gift to me. The card’s wording was perfect and selected by Quinn. The gift was a beautiful key locket necklace. My husband later told me that she picked it out herself and insisted on getting me a pretty necklace since she knows I like wearing them. She even gave input on the cake and wanted blue to be used since it is my favorite color.

Knowing that my daughter is so caring and was excited to make me happy for my birthday warms my heart and is truly the best gift I could ever ask for.

All the best,

Tanya

This Pup Pumpkin’s Gotta Fly! Making a Skye Paw Patrol Pumpkin with My Little Girl

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“Wow, Mommy! My pumpkin looks just like Skye! This pups gotta fly,” my daughter said as she compared her toy to the pumpkin she decorated with my help. For the past few years, we’ve been gong to Shadybrook Farm in Yardley, Pennsylvania for some pumpkin patch and halloween fun. Each year, my daughter comes up with a great idea for decorating her pumpkin. One year it was Super Grover, another, it was Marshall from Paw Patrol, last year it was Abby Cadaby from Sesame Street, and this year it was Skye from Paw Patrol.

After selecting our pumpkins, my five year was eager to get home and start decorating, which is something I enjoy doing too. I love these outings and projects because they promote family togetherness, require some creativity and it’s just plain fun. I usually design a pumpkin for myself too. This year, I created a pumpkin unicorn.

Seeing the look on my daughter’s face when she found that perfect pumpkin and then when Skye the pumpkin came to life put a smile on my face. I truly love this time of year, especially the projects and fun activities that come along with it.

All the best,

Tanya

 

My Little Girl Has Character Strengths! How About You?

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“Hmmm,” my daughter said as she closed her eyes and thought deeply  prior to answering the question, “What are your character strengths?” As her eyes widened a smile came on her face, she said, “Kindness, creativity, aaaaannd, bravery, I guess!” I smiled back at her and said, “Those are wonderful strengths, Quinn! You truly are creative, kind and brave.”

Last week, one of the assignments for her kindergarten class was to discuss the importance of character strengths and to help Quinn identify three of her own strengths. This was a fun and thought-provoking activity because it made me think about my own strengths as well. It also made me think about how I must help my daughter to not only recognize her many strengths but to help her see why they are strengths and how they will benefit her and others throughout the course of her life.

As she matures, I hope she will continue to be creative, kind and brave. I also hope that I can be a shining example of a creative, kind and brave mother, family member, friend and person in her life and the lives o those with whom I come in contact.

What are your character strengths?

All the best,

Tanya