Post Comment Love 29th June - 1st July

Friday again and that means it's Post Comment Love time again. Join Stephanie and I for this week's linky and add your own favourite post of the week. We love reading the range of posts linked up every week and we look forward to seeing what we have in store each time. 

I know it keep saying it but can you believe it's going to be July on Sunday? It is less than 1 month before we go on holiday and I am so not ready. I've got so much to do beforehand I'm kind of scared it won't get done. But on the other hand I'm not going to let myself get stressed out about it, I really will need that holiday if I do that! I have a plan, and I think it's going to work, so I'll chill for now (and by chill I mean type away on the computer).

There's not a lot to report this week, I've been getting back to my walking after the epic cleaning last week. I'm loving the sun I have to say, it's great to have some nice weather finally. And it's a great way to prepare for the heat in Florida! While the weather here is nothing like Florida the heat this week has been good practice. Florida heat is very different, here you get a nice breeze sometimes and that breeze is cooling but in Florida if there is a breeze it's just as hot as the sun most of the time so it's not cooling at all. It is humid, very humid, and the only way of escaping it is to be inside where there is epic air conditioning. You'd be surprised how much time you spend going into shops just for the air conditioning - of course you always end up buying something. That's the genius of having Walt Disney World in Orlando - the heat drives people inside where there's plenty for the kids to see and want to buy! 


A Stitch plush in Walt Disney World.


But that's what holidays are for right?

Having so much to do is a good distraction from the fact that LP goes on his first residential trip in a couple of weeks. It's the first time he'll have stayed away from home when it's not with family and I'm probably not going to like it much. It will be very strange because I won't have to do the school run and our cheerful boy won't be at home after school. It'll be a weird week when he goes. I know he will love it, he's looking forward to it so much and I know he'll want to do it again. But given that he's my youngest I think I'll struggle. Like I said, the busyness is a good distraction. 

So what have you been up to this week? How have you been enjoying the sun?



Blogger Showcase Daniella from HaloHalo




Who are you?


Hello I'm Daniella! A blogger hoping to inspire and showcase the beauty of my country, the Philippines, through my writings and pictures.



How did you discover blogs/blogging?


I discovered blogging through Google's Blogspot. I used to blog about my day and my feelings/emotions for that day because I thought blogging was like an online diary kind of thing lol!



Why did you start blogging?


I started blogging because I wanted to vlog but I was and still am too shy to show my face on camera. I still had that urge to be heard and spread my knowledge on certain things so I decided to blog instead. I love writing anyway so this is a great way for me to improve my writing as well. 



What do you find most challenging?


I'm still a student and we have a lot of school works to be done and pass on a certain period of time. Often times during these days I tend to lose time for blogging and as well as inspirations to write a new post. But ever since I started planning ahead of time on what to blog, things have turned out pretty good for me. 

Also english is not really my first language so I have to really check my grammar twice or thrice before I publish it for the world to see. And possibly be judged.



What is your favorite topic to write about?


I have written four blog posts about HTML and CSS back in January, 2018. Since programming is the course that I take in uni, I wanted to spread some knowledge about it that I know would benefit other bloggers out there.


Basic HTML Every Blogger Should Know is one of my most read posts on my blog. 



Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?


I am both blogging for fun and for a certain goal. That goal being to be heard by many people out there so that I could hopefully inspire them to visit my country someday. 

I never see blogging as just an activity that I could just do and leave for silly reasons like 'I lost interest'. Blogging is a hobby that turned into my passion.



What is your favorite thing about blogging?


Blogging had opened many opportunities for me, I had met friends who shares the same interest and struggle of blogging while still being a student, I made connections with lovely people that allowed me to be featured on their blogs (such as these lovely people from pocolo), and self-improvement. 



Have you ever attended a blogging conference? 


Unfortunately not yet! But I would love to attend one someday.



What are your three best posts?


Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay



Reasons Why You Should Start A Bullet Journal



Basic HTML Code Every Blogger Should Know




Describe yourself in three words


Friendly, hard working and expressive



Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?


I'm more of a soda and pizza type of person (so far) haha!



What's your idea of a perfect night out?


A small gathering at a friend's house!



Your perfect night in?


Binge watching my favorite youtuber in my pajamas!



What would your best friend say is your best personality?


My bluntness. I don't beat around the bush and say what I have in mind as is.




Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions Daniella, and feel free to grab our 'featured' badge and display it ever-so-proudly on your blog. 


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Pocolo


Each week you'll be able to link up from either of our sites and between us Stephanie and I will comment on every post linked.

The rules; Link up your best post written in the last week and we'd like you to comment on at least two other linked posts, as well as the hosts. 

Help us spread the #PoCoLo word on Twitter and include the badge on your post.

Please do pop over and say hi to this week's Blogger Showcase. It's always nice to get a comment or two. 

If you'd like to be featured in our Blogger Showcase please do check out the questions and email your answers to us at postcommentlove@gmail.com.


Post Comment Love 29th June - 1st July - come join in the linky!


Thank you for popping by.

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What I love most about Walt Disney World

In four short weeks we're heading to Walt Disney World for the eighth time. The last time we visited our youngest, LP, was 6 years old - he's now 9, and it feels like a lifetime ago. I cannot wait to be back there, I love the place so much and I have so many wonderful memories. 

Some people may think "What's so special about Walt Disney World?" but only those that haven't experienced the Disney magic question why you would return time after time. It is the most magical place in the world and definitely my favourite holiday destination.

Below is a list of the things I love most about Walt Disney World.



Act like a child


I am 37 years old, I am a mum to two boys aged 9 and 13 (almost 14), and I have daily tasks that sometimes take over everything else. When I'm at home I rarely act silly, I'm more concerned with getting the boys to school and making sure there's food in the cupboards and clothes in the wardrobes.


Morgan Prince meeting Minnie Mouse in Epcot, Walt Disney World - one of the things I love most about Walt Disney World


Put me in Walt Disney World and it's a completely different story. The moment I set foot in the Animal Kingdom Lodge (the place we always stay) I think my age reduces by about 20 years! I absolutely love being there. Daily concerns and worries melt away and it's all about having fun. The first time I walk into one of the parks it's like I'm a little girl again and my smile reaches from ear to ear, and I shriek with excitement whenever I see a character. I have even been known to skip around the park. And this time I'm super excited because I get to experience Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for the first time ever!! The party has always started just after we leave Walt Disney World, but not this year - it starts 3 weeks before we leave and this time we booked tickets for it - I CANNOT WAIT! 😝



Smiling children everywhere


Everywhere you look there are smiling children. Everyone is happy and enjoying their holiday, and that just makes for a wonderful experience. But more for me are the smiles on my own children's faces. They're excited to ride the rides, to see their favourite characters, to spend time with us. I get to see my children's smiles every single day of our holiday and I get to be happy with them. 





Most smiles are started by another smile. 

Frank A. Clark




Spending time together 


Six whole weeks (that's how long our holiday is) of being together every day in the most magical place in the world. Spending time with one another, being present every day, and enjoying each other's company, it all does our children the world of good. They get to see us enjoying ourselves and smiling a lot of the time, and we get to talk a lot more than we would normally do. We are together almost all of the time and we enjoy the experiences together. Nothing can beat that.


Three boys stand next to Tow Mater from Cars featured at Art of Animation hotel in Walt Disney World.




Babysitting services


When we're at home the Hubby and I rarely get to go out. With family living far away and no one to have the boys when we want a date night we tend to have to rely on evenings at home after the kids have gone to bed. It's not so bad really, we do enjoy a good night in, but getting out occasionally is so important. 

The last time we visited Walt Disney World we discovered the Children's Activity Centres which are basically babysitting services. You have to pay for it (obvs!) but the children can stay in the centres while you and your partner go out for the evening. You can then relax in the knowledge that your children are having a blast with Disney Cast Members watching fantastic movies, playing games, and making new friends. And of course you get to go out to a restaurant, enjoy time together in the parks, or see night time entertainment together. 



Excitement and fun daily


Every single morning you wake up you know there's more fun and excitement ahead. If you've done it properly you'll have something fun planned for every day and be able to look forward to it, and even if you haven't planned much ahead of time you get to go to one of the Walt Disney World parks and experience the rides, meet characters, and eat amazing food. 





Even though you're growing up, you should never stop having fun. 

Nina Dobrev




For us it is six whole weeks of fun and excitement every day. We get up early every day and head out into the Florida sun and know that we're going to have fun that day. We are in no doubt that we'll have a great time and that is a brilliant feeling. 



Food, food, food


Hubby and I like our food, even when we're at home. Of course this means that whenever we plan a holiday to Walt Disney World we also need to plan a weight loss campaign because we've gained so much weight we couldn't possibly visit without losing weight. The lead up to any holiday is always a weight loss time and we do without all the food we love because we know we're going to be having lots of food that is not healthy.


A meal with fish and salad at California Grill, in Walt Disney World. One of the things I love most about Walt Disney World.


Which is exactly why we love eating in Walt Disney World. With lots of amazing restaurants offering everything from steak to swordfish and plenty of snacks in between you can't go to Walt Disney World without gaining some weight. I have never restricted my diet when on holiday, what's the point? We enjoy eating so much and getting to try out lots of different snacks in various places, and going for amazing meals and some truly breathtaking restaurants just makes the whole experience more enjoyable. 



Entertainment everywhere


From street entertainers in the parks to wonderful shows in the evening there's always something to find. We happened to catch the pianist in Magic Kingdom last time and he was amazing - it was mesmerising watching him play and he didn't make a mistake at all. Then there's the singers on Main Street, oh and the Jammitors in Epcot - and that's just a few of them during the day. When I think of evening entertainment there's our favourite, Hoop De Doo Musical Revue, and of course British Revolution in UK at Epcot, and there's always some sort of entertainment for the children in any hotel. Despite visiting 7 times already there are still some things we haven't seen and this time we have vowed to make more of an effort to see the street entertainment in the parks. 


Find out what I love most about Walt Disney World - including food, and entertainment!


For all the reasons above and so many more I am looking forward to walking through the welcoming doors of the Animal Kingdom Lodge very soon. 


What do you love most about Walt Disney World?

Concept Review

Having games to play as a team is a great way to spend time together and that's why Concept is a great game to play. One obviously meant to be played at parties it's fun and not like anything else we've ever played.



About the game


In Concept, your goal is to guess the words through the association of icons. A team of two players - neighbours at the table - choose a word or phrase that the other players need to guess. Acting together, this team places pieces judiciously on the available icons on the game board.

The first player to discover the word or phrase receives 2 victory points, the team receives points as well, and the player who ends up with the most points wins. 


Concept is just that, a new concept on a guessing game, and one we were a little unsure about to begin with. The setup is very easy, just shuffle the cards and have your pieces ready. It's a very simple looking game that is actually a lot harder than it looks.





No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. 

Robin Williams





What we thought of Concept


We thought it was going to be an easy game to play, but it turned out that choosing a word that could be associated with icons in order for someone to guess it was a lot harder than we thought. A few times none of us could guess and it was a little frustrating. I wonder if better guesses and knowing which icons to use comes with more play.




One thing I did notice is that this game would be better with more than 4 players. On the box it says it's for 4 - 12 players and I do think that having more people to play with would make it more interesting. 




BP got a little bored, I'm not sure if he was getting a new batch of teenager hormones or whether he just didn't enjoy the game but he didn't enjoy himself. He said he didn't like having to constantly guess a thing. The rest of us enjoyed it, we had a few times where we had to guess something that we like, like Sonic the Hedgehog. That made us laugh. 





Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don't get so worked up about things.

Kenneth Branagh





What I liked most about Concept is even in the rules it says you can make the rules up, which is great when you have younger children. We really enjoyed it and I have no doubt we'll play again.

Concept is available for £26.99 and is suitable for 4 - 12 players aged 10 plus.

Have you played Concept?

Stay-at-home mums it's time to start #MumWinning

People who go to work measure themselves by either how much they get pad or their job title*. Some even value the job title above all else. But as a stay-at-home mum how do you measure yourself? You don't get paid, so if you were to measure yourself by your pay... that would be quite depressing. And your job title is what? General Dogsbody? All rounder? Or simply Mum? As a mum myself I know what jobs a stay-at-home mum does all day but when you tell people what you do (I'm a mum as opposed to I'm an Office Manager) they assume you don't do much. As a result you're left feeling worthless, inadequate, even unnecessary.


Morgan Prince not smiling. It is raining. It is time to start #mumwinning



Working


When I worked (more than 14 years ago!), before I had the boys, I was an Office Manager. I didn't manage any people but I did take what was basically a room with a computer and turn it into a fully functioning office over a number of months. I used the computer to order a telephone, filing cabinets, and shelving units. I organised paperwork, I answered the phone and directed calls, and I controlled some of the accounting side too. I liked my job, and I even began suggesting ways in which the company could be more efficient. Just before I was due to leave for maternity leave I attended a meeting with the heads of the company to talk about a more efficient way of communicating with head office about the accounts. I was proud of my job despite not being paid much and I had the confidence to speak up when I thought something could work in a better way.





Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning. 

Denis Waitley




Being a mum


Fast forward 14 years and that sounds like a completely different person. I'm certainly not confident, about anything, and there's nothing tangible for me to be proud of. At least that's what I think a lot of the time.

I am a mum and I measure my worth by how tidy the house is and how ready for school my boys are in a morning...

uh oh.


Now I see why a lot of the time I'm feeling like I'm not worthy. When you get paid a certain amount or do a job you can point at something and say "I did that." but for me, and you if you're a stay-at-home mum (or dad),  it's more difficult.


A close up of an iron being used on a blue jumper. An example of #mumwinning.


We could point at the pile of washing that has reduced a little but that doesn't help because you know that before long it'll be topped up again and it'll be like you started over.  We could claim victory every time the house is tidy but we know as soon as the kids get in from school it'll be untidy again.



So what do we do?


First of all we need something we can win. Not like a prize, although that would be awesome, but things we can do that make us feel like we've achieved something. Little wins.

Clean/tidy the lounge = 1 win.
Put a load of washing in the washing machine = 1 win.
The kids eat the meal you cooked = 1 win.
Put the dishwasher on = 1 win.

Okay, so you get my drift. 

By giving ourselves these little wins we'll feel like we've achieved lots of things. You could even take photos to document your wins, post them on social media, tag friends in the same boat, and start a new revolution! #mumwinning

The point is having those things you can point at every day and say "I did that.". No, it won't stay tidy and you'll have to do it again tomorrow, but you did get a win.





Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. 

John Wooden





And maybe, just maybe, everyone else will start to see your worth too. Because when these jobs don't get done the house descends into chaos.



With all this in mind I want to hear about your mum wins. I'm going to start posting mine on Facebook and Twitter tagging them with #mumwinning and I want to see yours too.
Show me your ironed pile of clothes, your empty plates after the kids ate a cooked meal, the empty washing machine after doing a load - I want to see you WINNING.


A tidy lounge with a brown leather sofa and wooden coffee table. An example of #mumwinning.
My lounge. The boys are at school and I tidied up. See, it can look tidy!


It might sound silly to celebrate that you put a load of washing in the washing machine but it's a psychology thing. If you celebrate, your wins you'll realise how much you do during the day. You will start to realise that you are awesome. You will see your worth.

It is so easy to do these jobs day in, day out, and convince ourselves we're not worthy. We wash and iron the clothes, we cook the meals, we tidy the house, and we take care of the children, and we still think we're not worthy. Which is why celebrating your wins will be good for you.

Take the time to photograph your finished ironing pile or the dirty plates after an eaten meal, and then when you get a minute where you're wondering what on earth you do all day - take a look at those photos. You do more than you realise and you are definitely not worthless.


Stay-at-home mums it's time to start #mumwinning - let me know what your wins were today.


What were your #mumwinning things today?




If you enjoyed reading this you might also enjoy Why I give my children chores where I discuss the kinds of jobs my boys do and why I think they should be taught about household chores. If you're after something a little less "evil-mum like" and a little more Mary Poppins check out Why it's awesome being a mum to teens and tweens where I talk about the great things about being a mum to older children.

I'm talking about chores for children over on my Facebook Page today - do stop by and say hi!

As a stay-at-home mum I'm always looking to connect with other stay-at-home mums. I write weekly emails featuring parenting issues, cooking lovely family meals, and how to cope when your children go to school, and I'd love you to get these straight to your inbox. You can do this by visiting my page helping stay-at-home mums - you'll make my day by joining me.

*This is a massive generalisation to make a point - I don't actually believe this is what people do.

Post Comment Love 22nd - 24th June

It's Friday again and that can only mean one thing - it's time for Post Comment Love. Link up your best or favourite post of the week and we'll stop by to read, comment, and share.

What a week! It's been a little bit crazy here and we've got no one to blame but ourselves.

Last Saturday we celebrated our 11th anniversary, we decided to take Friday off work and go out for a walk. It was lovely just walking around without the kids and chatting without being interrupted - a much needed day with my wonderful Hubby.

On Saturday we went out for another walk and got LP ready for his Karate grading and chilled out in the evening. It was Sunday that we kind of went a bit wrong. You know how you end up with jobs on a list where you think "I'll do that at some point..." and then the point never happens? We've got a huge list of jobs like that that we've been leaving. On Sunday we realised that there are so many of these jobs that we needed to actually do some of them. Like the gardening.

We've been doing little bits in the garden every now and again but with the weather recently everything seems to be growing fast. Including the moss and weeds that have been peeking through the block paving on our drive. We got BP pulling up some of the weeds and he spent a good amount of time doing it, until the Hubby got the jet wash out and decided to check if that would be better. It did do better - so much so that Hubby decided we needed to do the entire drive, meaning we needed to clean all of it and buy sand to put back into the gaps once we'd finished. It's Friday and we're still on the jet wash stage of the job. It's taken Hubby and me all week to clean the drive (it's a big drive) doing shifts of an hour here and there during the day. It's been quite a job. I know it will look great when it's finished but actually doing the work is a killer. Every day I've got into bed with my entire body aching. On the plus side at least it's doing me good!

What with cleaning the drive and a few other things this week it's felt very busy. But I guess that's it, sometimes things just get busy don't they? I'm hoping next week is a little slower!

What have you been up to this week?




Blogger Showcase Janita from Tyler Belle


Janita is a 21 year old mum to a baby boy and a baby girl, she lives in Canada and is a Marvel fan. She describes herself as busy, anxious, and motivated and she'd rather ditch the coffee and the tea and go straight for the cake!

To read Janita's answers to our Blogger Showcase questions head over to Stephanie's blog.

Connect with Janita




Pocolo


Each week you'll be able to link up from either of our sites and between us Stephanie and I will comment on every post linked.

The rules; Link up your best post written in the last week and we'd like you to comment on at least two other linked posts, as well as the hosts.

Help us spread the #PoCoLo word on Twitter and include the badge on your post.

Please do pop over and say hi to this week's Blogger Showcase. It's always nice to get a comment or two.

If you'd like to be featured in our Blogger Showcase please do check out the questions and email your answers to us at postcommentlove@gmail.com.

Thank you for popping by.



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Evenings out in Walt Disney World (without the kids)

How often do you get a night out without the children when you're on holiday? I would guess not that often. When we go on holiday it almost never happens, that is except for when we're in Walt Disney World

How do you get a night out? You use Children's Activity Centres.



Children's Activity Centres


For a long time we've managed to get nights out while on holiday in Walt Disney World and it's all thanks to their Children's Activity Centres - a place the kids have fun with other kids while you enjoy an evening out alone.


Simba's Cubhouse,the children's activity centre at Animal Kingdom Lodge - a place for your children to go so you can have an evening out in Walt Disney World


There are 3 Activity Centres in Walt Disney World, one in the Animal Kingdom Lodge called Simba's Cubhouse, one in the Polynesian Village Resort called Lilo's Playhouse, one in the Beach Club Resort called Sandcastle Club, and one in the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel called Camp Dolphin. These clubs are meant for kids aged 3-12 who are fully potty trained. The kids do get to have a meal while they're at the club if they're there at a meal time and it costs $15 per hour. Advance booking is recommended if you're counting on an evening out, and at the Dolphin Club reservations are required.

If we were anywhere else I wouldn't use a babysitting service, handing over my children to complete strangers fills me with dread, but in Walt Disney World it feels different somehow.





Change is good.

Rafiki, The Lion King





There are very strict rules for the Children's Activity Centres surrounding dropping off your children and picking them up. You have to have photo ID to book them and in and only the person who booked them in can pick them up. 

Making new friends - usually from a different country - playing games with new people, and maybe even watching their favourite Disney movies are just a few things the kids enjoy at the Activity Centres. The staff (cast members) who work there are friendly and caring. In fact I remember LP getting "married" to one of the during a visit a few years ago, he was 6 I think. The lovely girl said she loved LP so much they had a pretend wedding on his last visit and she even made him a ring! 💍 It made LP feel wanted and he looked forward to going to the Activity Centre every time - he does even now.

Dropping the kids off is fairly easy, you'll have to sign some paperwork but as soon as that is done you're free to leave your kids in the capable hands of the Activity Centre cast members.

So, you drop the kids off - then what?

Then you PARTY! 🎉

There are various ways you can spend an evening out in Walt Disney World and it depends on what kind of entertainment you're looking for, below are just a few of our favourites.



Victoria & Albert's


If you're looking for exceptional food, perfect service, and a classy and very adult evening then Victoria and Albert's is for you. It is an expensive evening and you'll need 'special' clothes because there's a strict dress code (men must wear dinner jackets) but I cannot fault anything about the restaurant.

A plate of food served at Victoria & Albert's restaurant in Walt Disney World - another great place to spend an evening out in Walt Disney World.


Fancy, chic, sophisticated - are the words that come to mind when I think of Victoria & Albert's. The food is truly exquisite, courses I've had in the past include succulent steak, foie gras, and creme brûlée. There's also the opportunity to have wine pairings with your meal - I did this once or twice and despite not being much of a wine drinker I really enjoyed trying out all the different wines and managed to find some I'd drink at home. If you were going to try anything new this would be the place to try it. 

And while you're sitting eating your fabulous meal you'll be entertained by a harpist playing classic Disney music, it's lovely listening to the beautiful tunes on the harp and it actually inspired us to have a harpist at our wedding. We enjoyed listening to the harpist so much that we were certain we wanted that during the meal on our wedding day. 

I would highly recommend Victoria & Albert's.



Movies?


Want to see a movie before it airs in the UK? Head to the AMC Movies at Disney Springs 24

It sounds like the AMC has actually changed since we last visited. It used to be just like visiting the cinema at home except you need to be prepared for people to start clapping during the movie - this happened to us when we went to see Inception during our last visit. When everyone started clapping it completely threw me, I wondered what on earth was going on!





I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians.

Francis Ford Coppola





I've since read that you can now dine at the AMC! Go to the cinema, watch a great movie, and have a meal while you're there - now that sounds like a great evening.

Be sure to grab your popcorn too!



Dancing


If you're into dancing head along to the Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney's BoardWalk and see the lights come to life as the sun sets. I've heard it's a beautiful sight. The dance hall is open only to adults aged 21+.



Enjoy Walt Disney World!


Hubby and I like this best, we get to wander around the parks seeing and paying attention to the things we miss when we have the kids with us. 

At Epcot head to the UK pavilion, grab a drink at the local pub, and listen out for British Revolution. Rock out to classic tunes while enjoying a drink in the not-so-stifling evening heat, maybe even have a dance in the streets! This is one of our favourite ways to spend an evening without the kids and I'd definitely recommend it.


Rose & Crown pub in UK pavilion in Epcot, Walt Disney World - great for an evening out without the kids.


If you get a little peckish take a walk to France and buy a ham baguette from Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie take your baguette back to the UK pavilion and buy some chips from the Yorkshire Chip Shop, then find somewhere to sit - maybe even in the area where British Revolution play. While you're sitting put the chips onto your ham baguette and enjoy! Oh, and don't forget another drink too!

Get fish and chips from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop in Epcot at Walt Disney World.


If you want a romantic boat ride together take a trip to the Mexico pavilion and ride The Gran Fiesta Tour. You will be entertained by Donald Duck as he races around Mexico. While I know it's a ride some of the things you see are lovely and when you're riding together it really can be quite romantic. 


It's easy to get an evening out in Walt Disney World (without the kids) when you know how.


This is one of the many things I love about Walt Disney World, you can enjoy an evening out without the kids and not feel guilty about it - because they're having a great time too.

How would you spend an evening out in Walt Disney World?

Age appropriate chores for children

As a busy stay-at-home mum it can seem unfair to give my children chores, I mean, I'm at home every day so why on earth should I tell my children they need to do chores? For me it's more about teaching than it is about them doing chores. It took me a long time to settle on jobs they could do around the house, I had no idea what age appropriate chores they could do. Which is exactly why I'm writing this post - so I can help you.

My boys are 9 and 13 and there are certain jobs I would expect my 13 year old that I wouldn't dream of asking my 9 year old to do. While my lists below have the jobs in certain sections I think any job can be given to a child that you think can handle it. If you have a tween that seems more capable you could try them out with a simpler task from the teen list.



Toddlers and preschoolers


Make their bed - Get younger children to help pull the covers into place, older children can make the bed themselves after being shown how. It doesn't have to be perfect as long as it's neat.



Picking up their toys - teach them to pick up after themselves from an early age. Tidying up toys they get out is teaching them that putting things away is better than having a huge mess to tidy.


A toddler picks up toys from the sofa, a great way to teach them about chores.


Taking laundry to wash basket - they may not be able to do the laundry for you (yet!) but you can start to teach them about what is required. Perhaps even talk to them about the washing machine.




Fetching the post - picking up the post when it arrives and bringing it to you is a simple task that they will enjoy doing.





Every child must have chores to do. It gives them dignity in work and the joy of labor.

Earl Hamner Jr.





School-aged and Tweens




Vacuuming -  depending on the weight of your vacuum cleaner your school aged children can do this well. My youngest is asking about this job, and I'm considering letting him give it a go - he's 9.


Washing the carWhether using the jet washer or a bucket and sponge it's a good way of them learning. Now you're not going to get a sparkling car when they're finished but a half washed car is better than a not washed car right?


Cleaning a car with a jet wash. The car is black. Age appropriate chores for children at school.


Dusting - One they'll actually enjoy doing - at least my youngest does. He'd been asking about doing dusting for a long time and I finally showed him, now he does the job enthusiastically.


Setting the table - A simple task that requires a little thought. LP, my youngest, has been doing this chore for a few years now.


Helping in the garden - Pulling up weeds, taking things to the bin, helping with moving things out of the way of the mower. LP loves helping out in the garden.




Teens




Doing the laundry - This isn't one I've got my 13 year old to do yet, but apparently it's a good one to start. Get them to load the clothes into the washing machine, add the detergent, and start a cycle. I'd say this one needs supervision until you're confident they can do it without.


Taking out the rubbish - This has been on BP's list for a long time. He takes out the bins on bin day and takes the recycling outside too.


Mowing the lawn - Again this one depends on the weight of your mower. We have yet to get BP to do this chore but it's on the list for the future.


Mowing the lawn, a great chore for teens.



Making a simple meal - Toast, sandwiches, something simple. BP is now at the age where I'm considering teaching him more complicated meals. I think it's an important skill to teach our children.




There are just a few chores, some my boys do, others I have yet to give them but they're on the list to try out in the future.

Writing this list has made me realise there are a few jobs I could now give to LP and give more complicated chores to BP. It's easy to let them get into a routine of doing nothing when they come in from school but giving them chores to do is a way of teaching them responsibility.





Do you know how you get the urge to clean your room, and it’s no big deal? But when your mom tells you that you have to clean your room, you don't want to? That's me, anyway.

Bill Konigsberg, Openly Straight





Of course getting the children to actually do the chores is another story. Sometimes they'll just get on with it, and other times it'll take them all day to do just one. I've tried all sorts of tactics to ensure the chores get done and it's still hit and miss, but I guess that's just one of those parenting mysteries that will never be solved!


A list of age appropriate chores for children to learn to do.


I hope you've found my list of age appropriate chores for children useful and I've got a printable chores list for you where you can fill in the chores of your choice.

Do you give your children chores?




If you enjoyed reading this you might also enjoy Why I give my children chores where I discuss the kinds of jobs my boys do and why I think they should be taught about household chores. If you're after something a little less "evil-mum like" and a little more Mary Poppins check out Why it's awesome being a mum to teens and tweens where I talk about the great things about being a mum to older children.

I'm talking about chores for children over on my Facebook Page today - do stop by and say hi!

As a stay-at-home mum I'm always looking to connect with other stay-at-home mums. I write weekly emails featuring parenting issues, cooking lovely family meals, and how to cope when your children go to school, and I'd love you to get these straight to your inbox. You can do this by visiting my page helping stay-at-home mums - you'll make my day by joining me. 

Post Comment Love 15th - 17th June

Welcome back to another Post Comment Love with Stephanie and me, we're looking forward to reading your linked up posts and hope you've had a wonderful week. 

Another busy week for me, I've been tapping away on the keyboard again and it seems like that's all I'm doing at the moment. I'm working so hard to try to get things scheduled but when you're trying to get so much done and there's only so many hours when you're at the computer it can be tough. Then the boys come home and the house ends up a huge mess again and I have to do all my chores when I'm not trying to work on the blog. Things feel like they're speeding along without me at the moment and I think it's my own fault. I've given myself this deadline to have posts ready for my holiday and while I would really like to have it all sorted is it going to be the end of the world if it doesn't? No, no  it isn't. So I'm giving myself a bit of a break this weekend.


Morgan Prince sitting in the sun smiling.


Of course I probably ought to given it's Hubby's and my 11th anniversary on Saturday and then Father's Day on Sunday. We don't have anything planned for either apart from spending the weekend together as a family doing our usual weekend walks. But it's time away from the computer so maybe it'll give me a break. 

There isn't a marathon style bike ride planned for this weekend so we may get a nice long walk done, weather permitting of course. Hubby and LP are planning another long bike ride in a couple of weeks again, I've a funny feeling it's going to become a routine! They enjoy it so much. 

BP has been his usual quiet self, although I did overhear him talking about a plan he has with creating something new so I'm kind of hoping that goes somewhere. 

Just a quick update this week, what have you been up to?




Blogger Showcase Karen from The next best thing to Mummy




Who are you? 


Karen Dennis.



How did you discover blogs/blogging?


I discovered my first blog when browsing through Twitter.



Why did you start blogging?


I started blogging as a way to share the knowledge that I gained from working as a registered child minder.



What do you find most challenging?


Ill health forced me to give up.



What is your favourite topic to write about?


My favourite topics and most successful are my posts about child minding.



Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?


I blog as a hobby to help pass the time since stroke.



Have you ever attended a blogging conference and if so, what did you think?


I have never attended a blogging conference.



Describe yourself in three words!


Chatty, kind, strong.



Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?


Coffee and cake.



Thank you Karen for taking the time to answer our questions. Feel free to grab our 'featured' badge and display it ever-so-proudly on your blog.


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