by Jennifer Yarbrough

Minorcan Mama,
My kids are already dreading Back to School.  This breaks my heart because I was a kid that loved school and couldn’t wait to go back.  How can I get my kids back on schedule and motivated for a great year?

Sincerely,
Motivated Mama

Dear Motivated Mama,
     I totally understand your problem and your kids’ perspective—it can be so hard to get out of the easy, laid-back routine of the summertime. The best thing to do is to start them back on their routine a week or so before they go back.  This may be tricky, but start by making them go to bed ten minutes earlier, then fifteen, until you get them back to their school year bed time. Then start waking them up in the mornings the same way. 
     Now that you’ve got them started back on their school routine, and they may be loathing it, do some things to get them psyched about school—let them plan a playdate or sleepover with a few friends they haven’t seen all summer, let them help with school shopping, and have them set some academic and extracurricular goals for the year.  After the first day, take them out for a sweet treat, and then spend time letting them tell you about their day.  Share some of your past “first day of school” memories and then talk about their hopes and goals for the year, use this time to connect with them.  These days will be ones you will cherish for years to come. 

Dear Minorcan Mama,
My kids are taking their lunch to school this year for the first time. What tips do you have for making packing lunches easier?

Thanks,
Lunchtime Woes

Dear Lunchtime Woes ,
     When it comes to packing lunches, preparation is the key!  Set aside a place in your refrigerator and pantry specifically for lunch supplies.  When you bring home items from the grocery store, prepare as much as you can for the week ahead.  Chop fruits and veggies and place in baggies.  Portion out chips and crackers in their bags, as well.  When it is time to make the lunches, you will be happy you are so organized.  Now on to the age old parenting question—make lunches the “night before” or “morning of.”  Either one works and it depends on your preference, but making it the night ahead assures it is done should any morning-of emergencies should arise—like a missing shoe or a bad hair day.  The night before place all items in your child’s lunchbox and place in the refrigerator.  A frozen pack assures your child’s lunch stays cool and fresh and can be added the next morning on the way out of the door.  Designate a special area in your kitchen for lunchboxes.  All students, Kindergarten and up, can be responsible to place their lunchbox in their special spot right when they come home.  You can also show them how to place the ice pack back in the freezer and remove any items that might be trash or leftovers.  Preparation and routine go a long way with packing lunches.  Dig in!

by Jennifer Yarbrough - Minorcan Mama

​Happy Spring, y’all!  I’m a Southern Mama who loves being in the garden with my kiddos!  I learned about plants, gardening, and life, from my Southern Grammy while helping her in her garden, sitting on her porch, and talking over a glass of sweet tea.  I am inviting you to pull up a rocker, grab yourself some iced tea and read on as I share some of her gardening tips.

​Location! Location! Location!
Look at the sun/shade requirements before planting and plan accordingly.  Then if a plant doesn’t do well one year, move it to another spot for goodness sake.


Know your dirt!
Grammy always said good gardeners know all the dirt and that was for two reasons:  1. They’re always outside, quietly minding their own business tending their flowers, but observing all the comings-and-goings in the neighborhood better than the FBI itself! Did y’all hear about Mr. Smith on the corner?  Grammy did!   2.  They always use good quality composted soil when making new beds or planting new plants.  Use your own or buy it up at the local hardware store, but use the good stuff!


Shake things up!
When weeding around bushes or larger plants, make sure you take a rake and lightly hit the bushes a few times as to scare any snakes or critters away.  Grammy always told the story of a nephew that was bitten by a rattlesnake because he stuck his hand in the brush without checking, he was hospitalized and recovered after a few days, but what a scare!  Florida is full of all sorts of wild critters, so beware. 

Plant food for the Butterflies!
There were always beautiful butterflies swarming my Grammy’s garden and that was because she made sure to plant Nectar and Host plants for them.  Some of the nectar plants she planted were lantana, milkweed, zinnias, salvia, and cosmos.  Host plants that were a favorite of hers were milkweed, Mexican petunia, and cleome.  I remember one year she had a bush full of at least 50 chrysalises beside her driveway!  If you plant it, they will come!

​Plant food for your family!
Whether you have acres or a small back porch, you can grow food!  My Grammy always had a “Kitchen Garden,” that she planted in 5-gallon utility buckets.  She grew a ton of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.  Her buckets had holes drilled in the bottom for drainage, were filled with pinecones and leaves in the bottom to take up space and provide nutrients, and were topped with the best dirt you could find, of course.  Whether you choose buckets, decorative containers, raised beds, or a patch of dirt, in your yard, start small and get your kids involved!  Grammy would always say, if you want kids to eat their veggies, let them grow their own!  I have found this so true with my kiddos!  One of our big crops is tomatoes…and my three and seven year old can’t get enough!  Cherry and grape tomatoes are the best.  Don’t be surprised if they disappear off the vine, kids like them that much!

Plant for your area!
Grammy was a practical lady, but she liked a big garden.  It takes a lot of time to water and nurture plants in a big garden, so the best thing to do is plant natives.  Look for plants that are native to your area and they will typically be easier to grow in your soil, be sun tolerant, and drought resistant.  Be like Grammy and plant these plants, bushes, and trees in areas of your garden that you may not get a chance to water often.  A great resource for finding native plants for your particular site is the Florida Native Plant Society, online at www.fnps.org/plants.

Plant for beauty and sharing!
Grammy always planted flower beds close to the street and filled them with Cosmos and Zinnias.  These flowers loved this sunny spot in her yard and sometimes grew to be taller than her!  She was always quick to share these (and other flowers) with neighbors who stopped in to visit.  I love the idea of planting flowers for neighbors to enjoy as they drive, bike, or stroll by my yard.    I also love having a “Sharing Garden,” like Grammy’s.   Stash a pair of scissors close by and be ready to cut a bouquet for a passer-by, sharing a conversation, some flowers and a smile. 

There are so many benefits to gardening, so take Grammy’s advice and get out there and plant something today!

by Minorcan Mama

​Minorcan Mama is a 30-something, St. Augustine Native Minorcan, trying her hardest to raise her modern kids with an appreciation of their roots, their history and a love of the great out-of-doors.  Send her your questions about family, parenting, relationships and whatever else you can think of to minorcanmama@gmail.com  She loves being “social,” at www.facebook.com/minorcanmama and www.twitter.com/minorcanmama Also, stay tuned for her new Website and Blog coming this month!

​Hey, y’all!  Back to School time--some of us loathe it, some of us love it, either way, here are a few “Dos” and “Don’ts” to keep you on top of your parenting game!

Do:  Buy school supplies ahead of time.
Don’t:  Wait until the last minute and get stuck buying your teen-aged son the last pink and purple unicorn folder up at the Walgreens. (Unless he’s into that, but don’t wait in any case.)

Do:  Buy lunch supplies for the week ahead and pre-bag items such as crackers and cookies, as well as slice any fruit.
Don’t:  Try and pack lunch with five minutes until you leave. Your little Sweetie Peach will end up with a piece of bread, a black banana, and can of sardines. Sardine breath on the first day of school does not make a good impression.

Do:  Have your child’s new clothes de-tagged, washed and ready for the first day.
Don’t:  Send your kid to school with price tags sticking out the side of their clothes. And please, for the love of goodness, don’t forget those stickers on the legs of the pants or else you’re poor child might end up with an unfortunate nickname.

Do:   Practice the sleep/morning routine at least a week before school starts and be sure to wake your child up with plenty of time the first day back.
Don’t:  Forget to get yourself back in the same routine.  It would be very embarrassing for you to roll out of bed with just enough time to get your kid ready, but none for yourself.  I mean, no one wants a mom or dad rolling into school the first day with dragon breath and wrinkled yoga pants or dad jeans. This just sets the scene for another unfortunate nickname.

Do:  Remember to tell your child how much you love them, how proud you are of them, and to have a good year.
Don’t:  Kiss them on the cheek or yell “I Love You,” along with their childhood nickname out of the car window as you drop them off in the parent pick-up line.  Who am I kidding? Do all of that!  They’ll roll their eyes, but know that deep down inside they love it.

Do give them lots of big hugs when they get home and enjoy this moment in their life.  Minorcan Mama wishes you and your chilluns a wonderful school year full of fun, learning, and special memories.

​Dear Minorcan Mama,
I am sending my daughter to sleep-away camp for the first time this summer!  Help!  I’m nervous, she’s nervous, what tips do you have for me?
Thank You
Happy, but nervous, Campers

1. READ! Make sure that you read the Camp policy on everything from how and when to communicate with your daughter while she’s away to what to pack, and follow it. 

2. FIND FRIENDS!  Find out if other children from your area are going to the same Camp as your daughter and make arrangements to meet up with them beforehand.

3. PACK LIGHT!  Pack only what the camp suggests.  Since this is the first time your daughter is going, make her “stuff,” as easy to manage as possible, don’t pack extras.   What you do pack you may wish to organize in large Ziploc baggies, making sure to separate clothes from toiletries. 

4. GET EXCITED!  Get excited about the new things your daughter will learn and the memories she’ll make. Get your daughter excited, too!  Have her make the list of things she’ll need for Camp and then go shopping.  Doing something as small as choosing her own toothpaste will get her pumped!  Help her make a list of things that she is looking forward to doing and learning at camp; encourage her to include things like making new friends, learning new skills, and becoming more responsible.

5. PACK NOTES!  Laurel, on Facebook, suggested pre-written notes packed in her bag.  What a great idea as calls are sometimes limited the first few days!  I suggest you label the notes to be opened certain days.   Don’t make them too long, even a funny quote or cartoon will help her to feel connected to home.

6. ENCOURAGE WRITING BACK!  Pack self-addressed stamped envelopes and stationery to encourage your daughter to write you back, but don’t be disappointed if she doesn’t write.  Camps are very busy and she might be too exhausted to write.

7. PACK LOVE(YS)!  If the camp allows it, pack a “lovey,” or special stuffed animal from home.

8. MAKE YOUR GOODBYE SHORT & SWEET!  You will both be a mix of emotion, it will be easier if you say good-bye and leave as quickly as possible. 

9. MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS!  Your child will probably have ups and downs at camp and may be homesick one day, and fine the next, this is all part of the experience of Sleep-Away Camp.

10. CELEBRATE!  Josephine on Facebook’s advice was to celebrate, and you should!  Celebrate that your daughter is growing into a responsible young lady and is going to have a great time at camp learning new things and making memories that will last a lifetime!  Celebrate yourself, you have raised this amazing daughter and you deserve to spend some time relaxing and doing something that you enjoy, renewing yourself, so that when she returns you are ready to have another year of adventures with her!

Take my tips and you will both be ‘Happy Campers!’

Minorcan Mama

​Dear Minorcan Mama,
I have three children, one in pre-school, one in 7th Grade and one in 9th Grade and I am looking for new, inexpensive ideas for end of the school year teacher gifts.  What do you suggest?
Thank You,
Thankful Parent

Dear Thankful,
Teachers work hard all year to help our children learn and grow, so if you are able to, it is a thoughtful gesture to give them a token of your appreciation.  I surveyed teachers and found that all of them appreciated hand-written notes from your child, the most.  My suggestion to you would be to have your child create a card that expresses in words and in pictures, for younger children, what they have learned this year and what they appreciate about the teacher.  Use the supplies you have on hand or purchase some nice paper and other art supplies and let your kids have free reign!  Teachers also appreciate handmade gifts. Local mom, Whitney, told us via Social Media that she has her children make bookmarks for their teachers that she then laminates. What an inexpensive and easy gift!  She also suggests letting your kids decorate pots and giving a potted plant.  If you would like to purchase a gift, teachers appreciate gift cards.  Another local mom, Bethany, likes to give gift cards to places where teachers can treat themselves because, as she says, “they spend so much time raising our children, I want them to be able to go get something or do something for themselves.”  All of the teachers asked loved gifts cards, with ones to nail salons and to places where they can buy classroom supplies, at the top of their list.  While they all said any and all gestures are appreciated, I would suggest staying away from perfumes, soaps, or lotions, as some might be allergic.  And my bottom line to you would be to let your children lead the way. No matter the gift, the thoughtful, kind, gesture will mean so much to the teacher!
Warm Regards,
MM

​Dear Minorcan Mama,

I am having a hard time getting my preschooler to sleep at night—what should I do?

Sleepless in St. Johns 

Dear Sleepless,

I hear ya!  After many sleepless nights and coffee-fueled mornings we were finally able to get our daughter to go to sleep and sleep through the night.  The sleep routine actually starts an hour or so before bedtime.  After dinner, homework, television and the hustle and bustle of the early evening is over, begin to create a CALM and QUIET environment in your home by dimming the lights and switching the television off if not in use.  

This is a good time to take away any electronic tablets that your child may play with, as the light from the screen is said to interfere with the ability to fall asleep.  Implement this calm and quiet time and use it every night, then with CONSISTENCY, follow the rest of the bedtime routine.  Choose a routine that is most comfortable for your child and family, but whatever you do, stick to it! After some quiet play time at our house, I like to give baths, in a calm, unhurried manner, and then allow them 20-30 minutes more quiet play or reading time.  I, myself, like to take this time to catch up on my latest copy of Better Homes and Garden or whatever new Chick Lit. Novel is out.  I love it when, I am sitting on the couch, and I peer over my book to see my kids imitating me and reading their own books.  

If you want to create a behavior in your child, model it.  After this 20-30 minutes, we brush teeth and then lay down in bed.  At this point, keep it calm and quiet and COMFORTABLE.  There are things that you can do to make your child more comfortable in their room and in their bed---let them choose glow stars for the ceiling (those are big in our house), a night light, even their bedding.  Giving them a say-so in these things will make them excited about bedtime.  Let them choose a comforting object—a stuffed animal, doll, or soft toy that they would like to cuddle with throughout the night.  During this time we play soothing music or read books aloud.  When you are reading to your child, don’t forget to snuggle up close, this can help your child to relax, feel comfortable and, FALL ASLEEP!  I like playing music softly and then after storytime, sitting in the darkened room, with my children until they fall asleep.  The music and my presence seems to lull them to sleep. 

Hang in there!  Create a calm and quiet environment, be consistent , and provide a comfortable atmosphere to fall asleep in and they will be snoring before you know it and you will be free to check your Facebook, peruse Pinterest and catch up on Netflix! 

Love and Snoozes,