Category Archives: Parenting Strategies on the Go

Keys Dan interviews Haven: “What Makes You Famous?”

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I would advise all of us to find a Keys Dan (Daniel) in our lives. Daniel has the gift of relating to people with interpersonal questions that search into your soul and open you to share without any inhibitions. You find yourself sharing some of the best things about yourself; the things God has gifted YOU with. The interview is over an hour long so just fast forward what you find boring.

The most intriguing thing is that Keys Dan will interview us regular folks who have something to offer humanity. Each one of us has a story, and each one of us is just as important as another. Notice his number 501-470-6386. I actually forgot that I had scheduled this interview LAST JUNE, so be prepared to wait a while; however, it’s worth it.

Painting Mystery: Parenting Strategies on the Go

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I’m going to leave a cliff hanger for the first time in my writing history, and, yes, it’s a shameless ploy to guide readers especially young parents to my book Parenting Strategies on the Go

Parenting Strategies on the Go

“Parenting Strategies on the Go” -Haven Caylor, Ed. D.

 

Ammon and Carter were born through surrogacy. Carter was born in San Diego (maybe 15 miles from the In Vitro Fertilization clinic), and Ammon was born in Mission Viejo. From beginning to end, God blessed every move/choice we planned from an egg-donor mother, to choosing two spectacular surrogates ( and their wonderful families), to donating our sperm, to the fertilization, to the implantations, through the gestations, until the births, we were blessed. Carter and Ammon were fertilized in February of 2008. When their surrogates were 6 months pregnant we combined a visit with them in San Diego with a personal cruise on Carnival Cruise lines out of Long Beach. When we ported in Puerto Vallarta and disembarked the ship, there was an artist who painted tiles with his pinky fingernail. In Spanish (you have to remember that I am fluent in Spanish), I gave explicit instructions to his apprentice how I wanted our “futuristic” painting to appear. We told him we would be very late returning, and he said there would be no problem. Even if the artist, Jorge López, wasn’t there, he would be, and he guaranteed that the tile would be finished.

IMG_0676

The Caylor-Browns Gazing into the Pacific Ocean at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Jorge López

 

After a spectacular and long day in Puerto Vallarta, we did, indeed, retrieve our tile. It was BEAUTIFUL, but as we inspected it, we saw an error corrected. What was it? Well, in Chapter 4: Using Souvenirs as Teaching tools after you’ve been on the Go, you can find out. The painting blunder/cover-up still makes me smile and laugh after 12 precious years.

Baby Clothes Comfort & Yard Sales!

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Dress your baby for Comfort

Dress your baby for Comfort

http://www.parentingstrategiesonthego.com

 

Base your buying of baby clothes to your children’s comfort (Hayhoe & Churgwen, 2009).

Hayhoe, C. & Churgwen, H. (2009) , Planning for Baby- Clothing Fabric Choices, Care Labels Comfort, Fit, Size, and Safety. Virginia State University.

"Parenting Strategies on the Go" -Haven Caylor, Ed. D.

“Parenting Strategies on the Go” -Haven Caylor, Ed. D.

 

Baby Clothes Comfort Tips: 

(Except for special occasions consider these tips for buying and using baby clothes:

1) Buy at yard sales

Consider buying baby clothes at yardsales

Consider buying baby clothes at yardsales

“The neighbor behind my house is having a yard sale with a stacks of baby clothes. Even the used ones look brand new. You cannot even tell that her children used them. The lucky thing is that her children are a boy and a girl. You might find some things for Carter and Ammon.” (Parenting Strategies on the Go” p. 5)

I found dozens of outfits for Carter and Ammon at yard sales. The onesies were less than a dollar, and they were close to if not immaculate.

Unless you have an exceptional child at either end of the growth spectrum that doesn’t grow quickly or grows too quickly.

2)Buy a year ahead of time. If you are good at storing things (I’m not) buy ahead several years.

Several outfits for Ammon and Carter were bought on sale ( like $100/$120 dresses for $20) because they were purchased off-season. The best clothing from these sales are the Christmas dresses. We have found several Christmas dresses way up into the month of January.

3) Dress for comfort. Sleeper onesies are a must. If you just have to buy couture baby clothes, go for it. The babies don’t care, and they will grow out of them in weeks.

 

The majority of baby time is spent sleeping. Who has time for fancy clothes with a multiplicity of pieces. And, my goodness, the poop, pee, vomit, and drool that is going to cover them.

 

 

3 Tips for Planning a Baby’s Nursery

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parenting_puzzle

 

“If you are a couple who is just starting off together who have agreed that you want children in the future or a single person who knows you want to raise children even by yourself, begin your strategies to make your house a home immediately so your future children can feel comfortable and safe (McGowan, 2010)”

Parenting Strategies on the Go p. 1

McGowen, S., (2010). Making a House a Home.. For Everyone. The Exceptional Parent,40, 21-23.

 

3 Tips for Planning a Baby’s Nursery

 

  1. Choose soothing colors for your nursery.
  2. Choose furniture to grow with your children.
  3. If at all possible, place the nursery beside your bedroom.

 

Soothing Colors:

Just a Few Soothing Colors: our "White-Lilac" is bottom right

Just a Few Soothing Colors: our “White-Lilac” is bottom right

Ammon and Carter were approaching 10 weeks old for their christenings. Our preacher came to our house for a preliminary “walk-through” on what to expect the day of the christening. He walked into Carter and Ammon’s White Lilac-colored nursery and said, “Wow, this color is so soothing.” BINGO! The color was planned to be both neutral (boy & girl’s nursery) as well as soothing. Too bright (yellow, red, or orange) might be too stimulating aiding hyperactivity. Too dark (black or burgundy) might be too depressing aiding in depression and melancholia. White Lilac was and still is great.

 

Furniture to Grow with your Children:

One day in the near future, Ammon and Carter will be in their own rooms, and they will choose their own colors and themes for their rooms; however, they will not be choosing new beds. We chose the Cocoon Nursery 1000 Series to grow with our children’s needs. They were first cribs then they converted to double beds. We have no plans to buy new beds, and when Carter and Ammon move out of the house one day far into the future, they can take their suits with them.

Cocoon 1000 Series: Please not this is NOT our nursery LOL

Cocoon 1000 Series: Please note this is NOT our nursery LOL

 

Place the nursery beside your room:

Crying babies with fevers, coughing spells, vomits, and bad dreams have quickly awakened me. I cannot imagine running across the house or upstairs to my children’s rooms. I want to comfort my babies ASAP. I am so thankful that from DAY ONE when we first laid eyes on our future house (some 4 years before Carter and Ammon were born…just a distant thought) we knew our child’s room would be adjacent to our room. At the appropriate time, Carter and Ammon will move to their future, solitary rooms.

Nursery Adjoins Master: Our room does not connect with Carter & Ammon's; However, our doors are 10 ft. apart

Nursery Adjoins Master: Our room does not connect with Carter & Ammon’s; However, our doors are 10 ft. apart

Stress Relief: Counting to 10

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10

 

 

 

“Sean and I had already been teaching our children to count and breath in relaxation exercises that would reduce their anxiety (Fraser, 1996) so I decided to “practice what I was preaching”. (Parenting Strategies on the Go , p. 1).

Fraser, M. (1996). Aggressive behavior in childhood and early adolescence: An ecological-development perspective on youth violence. Social Work, 41, 347-362.

 

 

Scenario:

The children are running, fighting, yelling or whatever. We parents with multiple children have all been there. You, the parents, are TIRED OF IT! In your most controlled voice you state, “Sit down and be quiet.” Begin counting to 10 in silence.

 

Three things Counting to 10 can do for you and your children.

 

  1. It is a signal to your offspring that this is serious enough for silence. It builds their schema (the mental map) that their behavior was unacceptable.
  2. It gives you time to “think through” the exchange of dialogue that is coming up. It may be the children can explain their actions then change those actions through dialogue with you. So, they have the opportunity to correct the problem, or you, the parent may have to correct the problem through positive or negative reinforcements.
  3. You are the parent who needs to control the situation not the children. You counting to 10 calmly lets the children know that their ruckus did not control your actions where you act inappropriately (yelling, cursing ). Screaming, cursing, and ranting don’t help solve problems. Thinking, discussion, and changing inappropriate actions do.

 

Parenting Strategies on the Go

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"Parenting Strategies on the Go" -Haven Caylor, Ed. D.

“Parenting Strategies on the Go” -Haven Caylor, Ed. D.

Parenting Strategies on the Go

 

In 2008, life blessed my husband, Sean, and me with two healthy babies. We have an engaging and magnetic tale of parenting with unique learning strategies on the go that all parents can benefit from; however, this book is far more than that. As a professional educator, I saw how both everyday events like planning food and clothing and special trips like a visit to Disney World were gateways to introducing children to life skills and to nurturing cognitive development through learning strategies. With minimal planning time, any parent can use these strategies to inspire their children to learn, and the best part is that the planning and the execution of the plans are fun and exciting.

Each chapter is devoted to exposing children to diverse learning strategies: Strategies to elicit proper behavior in public events, strategies for choosing souvenirs as teaching tools, and strategies to journal your children’s precious life events. The concluding chapter is a strategy unit guide for learning during a special trip—in this case, New York City—and we got to test that guide in June 2013.