Why We're Salty

The Unwritten Rules for Parents During Open Gym

thesaltymamas

We love going to open gym with the kids. We love the energy our kids get our running and jumping and tumbling. We love watching our kids learn balance on the beam and strength on the bars. However, we do not always love that some people take the “open” part of open gym a little too far. With dozens of kids running around, it can turn a little Lord of the Flies real quickly without parents being involved. And while we’re generally team “Let the Kids Explore and be Kids” there are just too many kids at an open tumbling session for us to stick to this. To keep some order, we submit to you the unwritten rules of open gym:

Help make tumbling a whole lot more fun for EVERYONE with these 6 simple rules! #opengym #tumbling #kidsgymnastics #toddlergymnastics #minigymnast #somersaults #summersaults #letsplay #playforkids #toddlerplay #YMCA #YMCAclasses #gymnasticsattheYMCA #itsfuntogototheYMCA
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Mom Humor

Most Hillarious “My Kid is Crying” Tweets

thesaltymamas

If you have kids, you are NO stranger to all the crazy reasons that they’ll throw a fit. And yet, no matter how many tantrums you’ve witnessed, you’ll never stop being amazed at the things kids can freak out over. So we scoured Twitter for some of the funniest, craziest, most ludicrous reasons kids cry. Then, we asked our followers – Why did your kids cry?

25 of the most ridiculous reasons our kids cried! #momhumor #mommyhumor #mykidiscryingbecause #mytoddleriscryingbecause #reasonskidscry #tantrums #terribletwos #momlife #dadlife #funnytweets #besttweets #funniesttweets #momlifetweets #momtweets #twitter #momtwitter

Here’s what they told us!

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Mom Humor

The Worst Children’s Books (Like…EVER)

Salty Jaymi

You’re in the home stretch of bedtime. Your kids have been bathed. Their teeth are brushed, their jammies are on, and only a bedtime story stands between you and two hours of sweet freedom. You settle down into your kid’s bed, and ask your child to choose the book they want to read tonight.

And then it happens.

Your child brings you – that book. One of the world’s WORST children’s books.

You beg them to choose another- “what about one of the new ones from the library?” or “I’ll read you a whole chapter of Harry Potter!”- but they simply won’t be swayed. You’re going to have to do it. You’re going to have to read a kids’ book that you HATE.

And the odds are? It’s one of these six. Read on for the worst children’s books- the ones we simply can’t STAND to read.

We're just gonna go ahead and say it...these kids' books suck. Picture books we NEVER want to read again, from TheSaltyMamas.com. #raisingreaders #readaloudbooks #picturebooks #Kidsbooks #loveyouforever #worstbooks #readaloudbooks
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Recipes

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread

Salty Jaymi

Baking in general can be a tricky thing. There’s a science to it- the ratios, temperatures, and type of ingredients you use matter a LOT. Try cooking with a cold egg when you’re supposed to use room temperature sometime, and you’ll see that it can make a big difference.

So think of the technique involved when I was creating my banana bread recipe. I started out with this ultra-moist recipe from All Recipes, and went from there.. After TONS of experimentation, I finally got it just right.

Just in time to get what felt like God-awful news- after some generalized pain, and a lot of stomach issues, I found out that gluten was the culprit. My banana bread baking days were done.

Or so I thought. But just like that first time, I decided that I wouldn’t give up. I set out to modify my banana bread recipe to create a Gluten Free version. And you guys? I NAILED it. Not only is this gluten free banana bread delicious, it’s yummy without disclaimers. Like, not “good for gluten free.” It’s just GOOD.

And- because it’s FALL, y’all- I just had to give it a little pumpkin spice twist. Check out the full details below for my Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread– we promise, you’re gonna love it.

This recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread is so FREAKING good that you don't even need to tell anyone that it's Gluten Free. Seriously. Get the full recipe at TheSaltyMamas.com. #glutenfreerecipes #bananabread #pumpkinspicebananabread #pumpkinspicerecipes #bananabreadrecipe #fallbaking #fallrecipes
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Cleaning

Tips for Getting Your Preschooler to Clean Their Room

thesaltymamas

One of the most epic battles we wage as parents, is the war against clutter. There’s so. much. stuff. EVERYWHERE. And unfortunately for us, our little ones probably aren’t very good at cleaning it up on their own. But that doesn’t mean hope is lost. There are some great preschool and toddler room cleaning tips that can help you keep your sanity. And keep their rooms clean.

Here are seven of our favorites!

Kids are messy, so here are 7 tips to help them learn how to keep their rooms clean! #cleaningtips #cleaningforkids #kidscleaningtips #toddlercleaningtips #preschoolercleaningtips #cleaningwithkids #kidscleaningtips #kidscleaninghacks #hacksforcleaningwithkids #toddlercleaninghacks #playroomcleaningtips #playroomcleaninghacks #howtogetmykidtoclean #howtogetyourkidtoclean #howtomakecleaningfun

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The Wonderful Ones

How to Keep a One Year Old Busy! GUARANTEED!

Salty Christine

Ah, one year olds. All the moxie of a full-grown toddler, but none of the interest in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And while the real fun and games of toddlerhood seem to hit around two, our kids definitely grow out of the “baby” stage well before then. We’re left with this not-so-fun in between time where our kids are more active than babies, but cannot yet be bribed. Worse still, they often will refuse to sit through a 21 minute episode of something bright and cartoony so we can just make dinner already! It’s not like I don’t love sitting with my one year old and playing Pat-a-Cake until my hands are raw, but sometimes I just have to get something done. And if I could find a way to entertain my toddler while they’re sitting next to me also doing something she enjoys, then hurray for us both!

Here are some things I’ve found that actually entertain a one year old.

Fine five activities that are guaranteed to entertain your one year old! from The Salty Mamas! #toddlers #howtoentertaintoddlers #howtoentertainbabies #toystoentertaintoddlers #besttoysfortoddlers #bestbooksfortoddlers #bestgamesfortoddlers #bestbookforbaby #bestbooksforbabies #bestgameforbabies #bestgamesforbabies #besttoyforbaby #besttoysforbabies

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School

How Can You Help a Child that HATES Homework?

Salty Jaymi

So your kid hates homework? Mine too. My daughter fights me about it almost every day. And as a teacher, itsi a little shameful to me. But you know what? We still get it done every.single.day. It takes a little creativity, and a lot of energy, but there are ways to take the battle out of homework time. If you find yourself looking for a way to help a child that hates homework, here are some strategies you can try.

Helping kids with their homework is hard enough- but what if you've got a kid who HATES it? Advice from a teacher and mama who's been there, at TheSaltyMamas.com. #homework #kindergarten #kindergartenhomework #homeworkhelp #homeworkhelp #adviceformoms #kids
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School

Get the Primary Homework Help You Need to GET. IT. DONE.

Salty Jaymi

As a teacher, I hated homework. I hated assigning it, and I felt bad that parents struggled to get kids to complete it. Research doesn’t support it, and, frankly, I’d rather have the kids practice with me at school than muddle through with their parents at home, often picking up misconceptions in the process.

As a parent- well, I just hate homework for the regular reasons. Mostly because my kid doesn’t want to do it, but I’ve got to make her.

If you find yourself in need of primary homework help, know that you’re not alone. Here’s some advice from me, both as a parent and teacher, that can help end your homework battles once and for all.

Need some kindergarten homework help? We've got tips to get you through homework in the early grades at TheSaltyMamas.com. Continue reading “Get the Primary Homework Help You Need to GET. IT. DONE.” →
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Cleaning

More Than Washing Shoes- The Best Tricks to Make Old Shoes New Again

Salty Jaymi

I don’t know about you all, but this mama is on a BUDGET.  My kids do get the occasional new pair of shoes, and I buy new uniforms for school (only if I can’t find a hand-me-down version). But more often than not, my kids are sporting hand-me-down shoes or clothes I purchased at a consignment shop.

But even though my kids are rocking someone else’s outgrown duds, I don’t want them to LOOK like a dud. And washing shoes in a washing machine is a pretty big risk! So over the years, I’ve found lots of ways to keep their clothes looking fresh, right down to their kicks. Through some trial and error, I’ve finally found the best way to clean kids’ shoes, from Converse to Skechers light up shoes. It’s a bit of a process, but MAN does it make a big difference.

Trying to clean up your kids' shoes? If you've got hand-me-downs- or just dirty shoes!- check out this tutorial to get them looking brand new again, from TheSaltyMamas.com. Continue reading “More Than Washing Shoes- The Best Tricks to Make Old Shoes New Again” →
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Holidays

Ways to Celebrate Oktoberfest with Kids

Salty Christine

My birthday is in October, and luckily for me, every beer garden in the world has decided to throw me a party complete with live music, tons of people and – of course – giant steins of beer. Now, I’m not delusional enough to think that every Oktoberfest in Long Beach is actually thrown in celebration of my birthday, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t spend many years taking full advantage of this easy to throw party. I mean, who doesn’t want to go to Oktoberfest?!? But the harder question is, Who wants to go to Oktoberfest with kids?

Not me.

Standing in front of a large crowd chugging a stein of beer just doesn’t have the same appeal when my three kids are part of the audience. But the truth is that somewhere along the line I ended up enjoying so much more about Oktoberfest than just the beer. And I found myself wanting to find a way to share some of that with my kids. Here are some cool ideas of ways to celebrate Oktoberfest with your kids.

Just because you have kids doesn't mean you can't rock Okctoberfest! #oktoberfestwithkids #oktoberfestlongbeach #oktoberfestlb #alpinevillage #alpinemarket #octoberactiviteswithkids #octoberwithkids #fallactivitieswithkids #kidsandbeer #germankids #teachingkidsaboutoktoberfest #oktoberfestcrafts #oktoberfestcraftsforkids

This post was sponsored by Cool Cabins. As always, all thoughts and opinions are those of The Salty Mamas. You can read more at our legal page. 

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