Stay-at-Home Moms

A mom friend of mine recently joked about having her daughter's hearing tested because her little girl rarely listens when mom is trying to get her attention. Her hearing is fine. Just like most kids, it's selective, hearing mom or dad when it's more convenient for the child rather than the adult.

We've all had those parenting moments when we repeat ourselves, repeat ourselves, repeat ourselves. It can be quite aggravating when the tiny people you love so much act as if you don't exist.

I even remember telling my husband a couple of years ago that our dog listened better than our then-four year old! But you don't have to speak as if you have an imaginary friend you're talking to when you're simply trying to get your child to hear you.

Improve your child's listening skills with simple listening exercises. Your child will become a better listener, which will also help save your sanity at the same time.

Of course, it takes time for kids to get in the habit of disengaging from the activity they're involved in and perking up those ears when you call them. But with a little patience, you can encourage them to improve their listening skills, which will help them at home and school.

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This Mother's Day will be a record-breaking year. Consumers are expected to spend $20.7 billion on gifts for mom, according to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) facts.

Jewelry, smartphones and iPads are expected to be in those shiny packages with the pretty bow on top. More of the NRF's Mother's Day facts show the average consumer is expected to spend $168.94 on mom.

Although the numbers make it seem like Mother's Day is one of those commercial holidays created to increase spending, the day that honors mom actually dates back long before there was a greeting card store just down the street. Another fun Mother's Day fact is that the ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated their moms too.

There's so much to learn about Mother's Day. Recite a poem for mom. Tell her a joke. Surprise her with the perfect pancakes. This guide to Mother's Day fun covers the history, food, inspiration, humor and more. It's a great way to impress mom on the day that celebrates all she does for you throughout the year.

Happy Mother's Day!

Related Resources:

• Host a Party for Mom
• Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Mom
• Gifts Mom May Not Want

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Mother's Day is a big deal around here. Not so much for me but for my kids who are into anything that gives them an excuse to eat cake.

We like to enjoy the day in our own way. I prefer time with my family and seeing the little treasures my children create for me vs. flowers that you know you'll have to throw away once they start to wither and fade.

My husband even gets into the Mother's Day celebration. He and the kids work together to make breakfast for me, which is a nice change of pace, and he even hurries us to the car so we can go out for ice cream.

If you like non-traditional gifts like I do, you'll love Mother's Day ideas that break away from those predictable gifts. Number seven on the list is my favorite by far. Although, I could be persuaded to take advantage of the second one on the list too!

Related Resources:

• Mother's Day Fun
• Gift Ideas for Mom
• Throw a Mother's Day Party

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Mother's Day is quickly approaching. Have you planned mom's big day yet?

Host a Mother's Day party in her honor. It doesn't matter if it's a small family celebration or a large shindig with all of her friends. Anything you do to make this day special for her will be greatly appreciated.

Planning a party for mom is simple too. This Mother's Day party planning guide has you covered, from the invitations to the party food.

Just be sure you take care of the clean up after your Mother's Day party. Mom doesn't want a party if it's going to leave her with a sink full of dishes and going room to room with a garbage bag to pick up the trash!

Related Resources:

• 10 Ways to Give Gifts Mom Deserves
• Bad Gifts for Mom
• Mother's Day Ideas
• Mother's Day Fun

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I turned over my calendar to the month of May and found something written on one of the days that shocked me:

"Last Day of School"

Is another school year really about to be in the books? I feel like I was just shopping for school supplies yesterday.

On that last day of school, I'll be parading my older son around town to collect free stuff for good grades. Then what?

Fortunately, there are loads of fun things to do with kids in May. From food to fitness, we'll have plenty of activities to keep us busy until the school bell rings signaling the beginning of another school year.

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Like most expanding families, we're looking at changing out our car for something more roomy. We'll soon have a husband, wife, three kids and one dog we need to jam into a vehicle and, when we're traveling, we'll need even more room for luggage.

Cramming us all into a car isn't an option. We've started down the car shopping road by visiting auto shows, dealerships and reading car magazines.

While this will be our family vehicle, yours truly will be doing most of the driving. Kids need to get to their games. Mommy needs to pick up groceries. You're the mom taxi so it's important to find something that will suit your entire family's day-to-day needs.

You have to know what to look for in your mom car. We have our list of criteria and that automatically rules out a majority of vehicles.

Price is also a major factor. That sweet ride mom likes so much costs more than $50K so that was an instant scribble off our list. I like sticking to our family budget so my kids can go to college some day.

If you're thinking about cranking up the engine of another car, do your research. Buying the right family vehicle is a big decision you don't want to regret later.

Here's some help to get you started:

• Should I Buy a Used Car?
• Top 10 Cars for Moms
• Top 12 Cars for a Growing Family
• Top 10 Family Cars Under 20K

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Spring Break is over and it's time to catch a few moments for yourself. See what's new on the About.com Stay-at-Home Moms site in this month's Moment for Mom:

New Articles:

• How to Get Kids to Listen
  Make those tiny ears perk up when you speak so you don't have to keep repeating yourself.

• Create a Reading Space for Kids
  Encourage a love of reading in your kids when you create a simple reading space they can call their own.

• How to Lower Your Cable Bill
  Cut the costs of cable and keep your money in your wallet where it belongs.

• Best Wooden Swing Sets
  It's time to get outdoors with a wooden swing set that will stand up to your kids and the weather.

• Gazillion Bubbles
  If the kids like bubbles, they'll love a machine that produces more than 500 bubbles a minute.

• Mother's Day Fun
  Mom's big day is quickly approaching. Have fun with this holiday that celebrates the special mom in your life.

• Throw a Party for Mom
  Party time! Throw mom a party she won't soon forget.

• Mother's Day Ideas
  Tired of giving mom flowers and a card year after year? These Mother's Day ideas break away from the typical gift ideas.

Read More...

My older son is officially a kindergarten graduate. It's hard to believe the end of his first school year is already here.

My little graduate is proud of his achievements, of course. He decided his kindergarten diploma should be hung on his bedroom door.

This is just the beginning of graduation season. It's that time of year where we'll all be getting invitations to graduation ceremonies for everyone from preschoolers to college students. That means it's time to start picking out those graduation presents for kids of all ages.

Get ideas now for the graduate in your life:

• Preschool Graduation Gifts
• Kindergarten Graduation Gifts
• Elementary School Graduation Gifts
• High School Graduation Gifts
• College Graduation Gifts

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Grab your tickets. New shows for children have kicked off around the world.

Long-running favorites like Sesame Street Live and Disney on Ice are always creating new shows to entertain children. This year, you can also look for newcomers Scooby-Doo Live and Super WHY! Live for fans who want to go on a musical mystery or a reading adventure.

The Wiggles will be back this year for a global tour running through the end of 2013. Those perky Fresh Beat Band members Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout will also be hitting the road for another musical tour.

There's a whole list of kids' live shows that's continually updated so you and your family don't miss out on the new shows coming to a city near you. You can also review the live shows you've seen to share your experience with other families.

Just be prepared to fork over a lot of cash to get in on these new shows for children. Some shows offer reasonable ticket prices. Others can cost your family hundreds of dollars to attend an hour and a half live show.

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My family is going on an airplane adventure. That's the way it seems anyway because our travelers are my husband, his wife who's 6 months pregnant (me!), a 6 year old and a 2 year old.

Now you see where the "adventure" part comes in. I love looking at seated passengers' faces as we walk down the airplane's aisle toward our own seats.

They take one look at us and hope those vacant seats on their row don't belong to us. You can practically feel the gush of air they exhale as we keep walking past them.

My boys have been on an airplane before. They're really great travelers. I would like to think I played a part in how well-behaved these perfect little passengers are on planes.

Flying with kids is much easier when they know what to expect. We like to make a countdown to the big traveling day, set up our own security checkpoint so the kids will be ready for those daunting X-ray scanners and we even play airplane so the kids won't be scared.

I also make sure to pack plenty of plane activities for kids. From magnetic board games that are great for young flyers to new toys just for the airplane trip, my children have more to occupy them on a flight than I do. Read More...