How To Tell Kids They’re Not Getting What They Want With Positive Discipline
Posted: July 2, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Big Families, Disciplining Children, Julie Cole, mabels labels, Parenting Tips, Positive Parenting Leave a comment
I have a busy house full of my kids, their friends, neighbourhood kids, and an assorted number of random drop-ins. I’d rather not sound like the meanest mommy on the block, so I have a few key phrases that allow me to say “NO WAY” to my kids, without using those exact words. Here are a few of my favourites:
“Asked and Answered”
You know that annoying habit kids have of asking you the same thing over and over again in hopes of wearing you down so they get their own way? Rather than saying, “NO” a hundred times, I simply answer the question once. If the nagging child continues asking, I respond with, “asked and answered.” It shows them that I’m unwavering and saves me from saying, “NO” repeatedly.
For example:
Kid: “Mom, can Addie sleep over?”
Me: “No, not tonight.”
Kid: “Mom, PLEASE can Addie sleep over?”
Me: “Asked and answered.”
(End conversation)
“One per Customer”
One of the downsides of giving a kid a treat is that they don’t just appreciate that one treat, they always beg for more. When I have a houseful of kids and I have them all screaming for more of this or another of that, I feel like going all “Soup Nazi” on them and screaming, “NO WAY, you greedy brats!” Instead, I use positive discipline to smile and say, “Sorry, it’s one per customer.” In other words, take whatever is being served up and move right along.
“Try Again With Your Cool Voice”
You know that whiney voice kids use whenever they possibly can? Rather than disciplining children by telling them what NOT to do (i.e. “Stop your whining, it’s driving me CRAZY!”) I try to be proactive and tell them what TO DO (i.e. “Can you try asking again with your cool voice?) That way I’m not whining, about their whining.
“No Opinion Shopping”
Opinion shopping is when kids go to one parent for permission to do something and when they don’t like the answer they get, they go to the other parent hoping for a different outcome. When my kids or their friends try this, rather than screaming, “No, you manipulative little freaks!” I smile and remind them that there is no opinion shopping allowed.
All these phrases tell my kids they’re not getting their way, and allow me to appear calm, cool and collected while delivering the message. Do you have any parenting tips or “go to” key phrases in your family?
An Attitude of Gratitude
Posted: May 27, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Birthday, charity, ECHOage, giving back, Montreal, Montreal Children's Hospital, presents Leave a commentThis year for Kate’s 4th birthday, she got a Mini Ipad from her friends, and she raised over $300 for the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH)!
Kate chose to get an Ipad because she loves to download apps and play games like “Strawberry Shortcake” and “Littlest Pet Shop”. She chose to support the MCH – from ECHOage’s list of over 250 charities – because her grandmother worked there for many years. During that time, Kate saw for herself how much the Children’s helps young boys and girls who are sick, and have to stay in the hospital.
Kate, you are an ECHOage Hero – you have made a big difference in the lives of children in Montreal who are in the hospital, and you have inspired many other children to follow in your footsteps. Happy Birthday to you, amazing girl!
Eden’s 7th Birthday – Helping to Cure Leukemia and Lymphoma
Posted: May 15, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: birthdays, cancers, charity, ECHOage, giving, Leukemia, Lymphoma Leave a commentEden’s 7th birthday is one she will always remember. Never did she think that beyond receiving her much anticipated gift (a Barbie Mermaid Princess!), that she would also be helping people affected with blood cancers.
Mom Dana, however, knew that bringing charitable giving into the mix would make Eden’s birthday even more special. “Being able to share her birthday gift with a charity helped to teach Eden about the importance of giving back.”
Eden chose to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) in honour of her grandmother, a lymphoma survivor. Eden states “Her cancer is better now, but when I saw the LLSC featured on ECHOage list of charities, I knew that was the charity that I wanted to raise money for!”
“Dolls, dolls and more dolls” was the theme of this little girl’s dream birthday. She had a blast making doll clothes with her friends, whacking a piñata and throwing a pie in her brother’s face.
But while the birthday celebrations may be over, Eden’s gift continues to make a difference in the lives of many Canadians living with a blood cancer.
Hurray to this little hero, her support is part of the cure!
Why LLSC?
With blood cancer being the # 1 cancer in kids under age of 14 and with over 100,000 Canadians living with or in remission from a blood cancer; NOW is the time to recognize that Someday is Today. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) is dedicated to finding a cure for blood cancers and improving the quality of life for patients and their families. The LLSC provides much needed funding to researchers, patient support and public education.
By supporting the LLSC at your next ECHOage party, your remarkable gesture will bring hope to thousands of families across Canada living with a blood cancer.
Yonatan’s ECHOage Birthday
Posted: May 13, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Birthday, charity, ECHOage, kids, Party, presents Leave a comment
Scoring Big Time
Posted: April 28, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentAccording to Arden’s mom, Andrea, ECHOage is a fantastic concept. “It gave Arden and his friends the opportunity to give back to a wonderful organization in our community. Donating funds to the MCH as a birthday gift allowed Arden to understand that giving is just as important as receiving on your birthday! We look forward to using ECHOage again for birthdays and other family events.”
On the receiving end, Arden chose a Ripstick, stakeboard and street goalie pads for his birthday gifts. “I’m a big fan of skateboarding and street hockey. My favorite position in hockey is goaltender so I really wanted goalie pads. I really like the Ripstik because you can turn with it and you’re not just rolling flat like a regular skateboard.” Cool stuff!
“I decided that for my birthday party my friends and I would play soccer and during the game I scored three goals! I was super happy at the end of the game. My friends also scored a lot of goals so everyone had fun and it was a good party.”
Way to go Arden for scoring big this birthday! Happy Birthday from everyone at
ECHOage.com!Kaleb Hits a Home Run with Jays Care Foundation
Posted: April 25, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: birthday parties, Donations, giving, Jays Care Foundation, Toronto Blue Jays, XBox Leave a commentKaleb, age 6, raised $280 dollars for Jays Care Foundation and got an Xbox 360 at his recent ECHOage birthday party.
Celebrating with friends just got a whole lot more meaningful. Hers’s why this young rookie chose to support Jays Care at his recent
ECHOage birthday party. “I chose to support Jays Care because I love sports and I wanted to help more kids play sports and exercise is very important to kids.
With the generosity of his friends, Kaleb can now play baseball 365 days a year on his brand new Xbox. Sounds like the experience of giving and getting at Kaleb’s ECHOage birthday was a home run!
Calling all baseball fans… Now you can make your next birthday party support Jays Care with our custom invitations:
Exciting event for Jake’s Collection and SickKids – Mars Hotel
Posted: April 11, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
ECHOage would like to highlight the upcoming event in support of our wonderful partner Jake’s Collection. The Mars Hotel, a live Grateful Dead Tribute Band and professional Grateful Dead DJ will play – and it promises to be a magical night – with all proceeds going to Jake’s Collection at The Hospital for Sick Children. Come out and meet some of the members of the ECHOage Team, and the lovely people who run Jake’s Collection.
Finding Autism Support For Parents
Posted: April 8, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Autism, autism support, family, Julie Cole Leave a comment
It has been 10 years since my son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.
Back in those days, you got your diagnosis and you were sent on your way to deal with it. Very little information regarding treatment, agencies, education or help of any kind was provided. It was pretty much a “Yes, your son has autism… don’t hit yourself with the door on the way out” kind of an approach.
I didn’t even know where to get started. Keep in mind – this was long before social media. Finding autism support and connecting with other families was not a click away. Even in those early days, I learned quickly that my very best resource was other parents. I stand by that today. And with so many kids affected, there are more and more parents with experience that you can turn to. For example:
- Other Moms. You can find moms everywhere. School is a great place to start. If you can find moms with a child on the spectrum who are attending the school your child will be attending, connect with them. They can give you the ins and outs of the special education resources available, how to negotiate support for your child, which teachers are best to deal with and basically how to work the system in the best possible way for your child. Going to school is a big move for our kids (and us!) so connecting with school moms prior to school enrollment is key.
- Support groups. I wandered into an autism support group and truly found my people. But you have to find the right group. Some groups are for parents to share in their concerns and maybe have a little cry and get support that way. My support group suited me because we were a group about action. The facilitator was fierce – we were all there because we wanted the best outcomes for our kids and we left with actual tasks to report back on at the next meeting. There was no “There, there, everything will be OK.” And that was fine with me. Make sure your autism support group has the same goals as you do to get the most out of it.
- Online groups. There are countless Facebook groups, Yahoo groups and online communities. What I would have done for that resource 10 years ago! These groups are a great place to have discussions, ask questions and get answers. And who isn’t blogging these days? There are amazing blogs written by parents of children with autism who share their journeys.
- Find some you connect with and you have instant community.
You don’t have to do this alone. We are here waiting to help you. Find us.
ECHOage Guest Blogger – Julie Cole
One family, 6 ECHOage parties, and close to $700 raised for charity.
Posted: April 7, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: birthdays, charity, ECHOage, gifts, kids Leave a commentThat’s what this incredible family has accomplished using ECHOage! Wendy Labelle and her children, Ella and Griffin, have become our Quebec ECHOage heroes; they are committed to making the world a better place, one celebration at a time. Read the testimonials from this generous, inspiring family!
“We LOVE ECHOage! We were first introduced to the idea by neighbors who were hosting an ECHOage birthday party. My daughter, Ella, thought it was a very interesting concept and decided on her own that she wanted to do the same! It didn’t take too much convincing to get my son, Griffin, on board as well.”
“They have always been big-hearted and charitable – donating clothes, toys and food quite willingly. As a matter of fact, they look forward to their ECHOage parties every year and tell me way in advance which charities they want to help. My daughter and son both like to donate to The Montreal Children’s Hospital, not only because I worked there for several years, but also because Ella had surgery there.”
“We have had nothing but positive feedback from our invitees, and the online invitations and thank you notes are convenient and easy to use. My kids like the concept because, not only do they get to help a charity, but the money they receive gives them the freedom to choose their own gifts, or save it for a rainy day. They proudly tell friends and family that they have raised money for their charity of choice. We will definitely continue using ECHOage for many celebrations to come…”
A huge thank you to the Labelle family for the positive ways they’ve influenced their friends and their community! Wishing you many more happy celebrations from everyone at ECHOage.com!
Raising money for Jays Care AND getting a John Tavares Jersey – now that’s a double play!
Posted: March 26, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
At his 10th birthday party, Kieron raised $212 for Jays Care Foundation and got a jersey that he had been dreaming about.
Kieron’s friends were jumping for joy (literally) at their Skyzone trampoline party as they felt great about helping Kieron both give and get something truly memorable.
In Kieron’s words, “I chose Jays Care Foundation because I love sports and I liked that Jays Care helps kids. I spent my money on a John Tavares jersey, because he is one of my favourite hockey players. I liked doing this for my birthday because I got money and I knew that I was helping a charity.
Kieron sends a special thank you to the Toronto Blue Jays for sending him this awesome Blue Jays hat. Certainly a gift to treasure.
We couldn’t be more proud of you Kieron for making a difference at such a young age.
ECHOage - Get great gifts. Give to charity. 