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Greetings!
 My clinical strength deodorant fails me this time of year....I just can't crank the air conditioning down far enough. My undying love for cowboy boots has to be put on hiatus, or at least cut down from 7 days a week to 2 so my calves won't sweat. It's unbearable. So off to the mountains we head.....and a sale we must have! We have experienced insane growth over the past month, largely due to some online promotions with Mamapedia and Daily Grommet. Our sales surpassed our projections and we want to thank everyone for their patience as we worked around the clock to fill orders, manage inventory, and offer our best customer service. It's amazing to think that not even two years ago, Greg and I were struggling with the decision to take this leap of faith. We did, of course, and we haven't looked back since. We are ever grateful for and ever mindful of your support. Enjoy this issue....lots of promotions, sales, & articles to help you stay motivated and engaged, and a coupon code to use at our e-store. But remember....family time is our number one priority, so we are taking some much needed time together. We will resume our operations on July 11, 2011. Feel free to order in the meantime, and we will ship it out as soon as we return to the office. [And a final shout out to my mom.....Happy Birthday to the best mom in the world. I love you so much it hurts.] Gratefully, jennifer beck |
Let them make mistakes!
[or....don't hover]  I know that it is our first reaction to hover over our children and keep them safe from both physical and emotional harm. But remember that you are the quintessential teacher. It is our job to teach, then let them practice. When I host discussions in schools, churches, corporations, etc, we always discuss this topic. And inevitably the question comes up about wise spending. For example: "Ever since starting your system, my son will be in the checkout aisle and argue that it's HIS money and he should be able to buy the silly bands because they are shaped like Superman and Superman is his FAVORITE superhero and....and....and..." My response is always the same. "Let him." We have all lived the scenario: our child buys the silly bands, opens them up in the car, five out of ten of the bands snap and break, two more are lost between the seats, one makes it on his wrist, while the other two somehow end up in the washer and dryer. Then the one band that made it has to come off for bathtime and just never seems to make it back on his wrist, but rather in the vacuum cleaner. This may happen several times before your little guy realizes that it's not really a good idea to spend money on silly bands. This is not to say that you can't lead the discussion in the checkout aisle; it should just be his decision in the end. We are all like this: no one else is going to MAKE us do something until we make up our own mind to do it. [unless it's the IRS....they have ways of making us file taxes.] I open most discussion sessions with a quote from Maria Montessori: "The greatest sign of success for a teacher...is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as though I did not exist.'" So when your kids as you if they can buy a bottle of sprite while you checkout at the grocery store....say yes. Then when they have spent a week's commission on a drink that lasts a few minutes, make it a teachable moment. |
Teach them to fish...then cook it
[but please supervise]  The point chores is not child labor. As I mentioned above, it's our job to teach our children how to live independently once we are ready to nudge them out of the nest. Yes, they need to learn to vacuum, clean toilets, iron, do laundry, mow the yard (even the girls....), but they need to learn to cook, too (even the boys...)! Once you have deemed them to be age-appropriate for cooking, add that to the list of chores or expected responsibilities. Supervise, please! It's also great for forced sibling teamwork....have them teamcook. They get to pick out the recipes, make the grocery list, go grocery shopping (unfortunately we still pay), set the table, prepare the meal, and serve it. There are SO many lessons here. We live in a small community with a great neighborhood grocery store. It is sheer comic relief as my son and I sit at the front of the store watching the girls grocery shop. Our oldest has the basket making a bee-line to her destination and her younger sister is running behind her because she was side-tracked by the candy aisle. You can add so much to this lesson, too: coupons, nutrition labels, generics vs. brands, food groups, entertaining etiquette, the list goes on. Click on the picture at the top of this article to watch a fun, quick video of our girls team-cooking! Coming soon for sale on our website (as soon as we get back from cooling off in Colorado): Boatman Geller recipe cards and recipe boxes. Buy one for your child, personalize it, then fill it with personalized recipe cards so (s)he can keep track of fave recipes! |
Table Topics
Family, Grandparents, Teen, and Idea Cards One of the most important things we can do with our children is connect over a family meal. This fun mix of age appropriate questions range from silly to thought-provoking and encourage up-building conversation among families. It's perfect for mealtime or bedtime, use it every day! You'll learn something new about your kids and even yourself. With questions specially designed to engage kids in the art of conversation. * is it more fun to be a parent or a child * what's your favorite family tradition * would you rather live for a week in the past or the future * which famous athlete would you love to meet * is it harder for you to eat healthy or get exercise * what family or school rule would you most like to change Our Price: $25.00 plus s+h
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About fisherkids
We are a family-run business trying to foster a world of responsible families....one family at a time. 
117 john street, suite 104
aledo, texas 76008
fisherkids
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| MOTIVATE! |
Here's an idea from Lisa in Kentucky and Shannon in Texas...thanks, ladies!
For younger children, or children who aren't quite at a reading level adequate to read the chore sticks, place pictures or stickers on the ends of the chore sticks. This makes it quite engaging to these kiddos and it keeps them accountable. The best thing about it is that they feel like they can do this themselves.... without your help! It's heartwarming to see your child's face beam with pride when she figures out she can do something all by her big self!
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feedback from our customers
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Hi Jennifer-
I ordered the system for our kids and have been using it for about 3 months and it is working great!
We adopted our foster son last October and it is exactly the amount of structure he needs- he's 9. We are also using with our 4 year old daughter and she loves it too.
We took a course in Love and Logic recently. I shared with our group and instructor your system and they were excited that there was such a thing.
One mom is using a modified version and another just bought the system for her family.
Hopefully it can help them like it helped us.
My favorite blend of L&L and the system is... Would you rather feed your lizard or would you rather pay me 50 cents to do it? Answer is-- where are you going to get the money from? Comeback- your commission bags. He chose to feed the lizard.
So- thanks for creating this system, It truly has helped our family.
Carla
Delafield, WI
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NEW BOX SIGNS!
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Check out our signs for your home! If you believe it and live it...then shout it out to everyone who comes over with a box sign! These are free-standing or you can hang them. We have several....and it's difficult to keep them in stock!    
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