Diedre

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Did you know that Advent calendars date back to the mid-19th century? The word Advent derives from the Latin word for coming.

What makes them fun is that they begin on the first of December and mark the days before Christmas. German Protestants use to make chalk marks on door or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas.

Today you can find advent calendars in a variety of styles, and you can just about find one for any person with any hobby or interest.

Pukka Herbs Tea Holiday Advent Calendar

This calendar is perfect for the tea lover in your life. All of the tea ingredients are Certified Organic; Gluten Free; Vegan & Certified Fair for Life. 

Lego Friends Advent Calendar

The great thing about this calendar is that you and your children can do this together. Each door opens and reveals an ornament that you can put on the tree. It’s something that the smallest child in your home can enjoy!

Frozen II Advent Calendar

This calendar is a little on the pricey side, but it does include dolls, accessories and the actual calendar is a playset for the dolls.

If you haven’t seen Frozen II, then you are missing out! We saw it on opening night and the whole family loved it..including my farmer hubby!

Little People Advent Calendar

This one includes 24 Little People friends and accessories. It makes the perfect addition to your family, especially if your little one already has Little People toys and playsets.

Little People Nativity Advent Calendar

When my girls were little, I bought the Little People nativity scene. It was such a fun and age-appropriate way to share the Christmas story with them as toddlers.

I packed the Little People away with the Christmas tree and only took them out during Christmas, so it made playing with them even more special. I wish I had seen this calendar when they were smaller!

Crayola Advent Calendar

This one includes DIY ornaments, as well as fun arts and crafts that can go beyond the Christmas countdown. It’s a perfect calendar for artsy kids!

Young Living Countdown Calendar

This calendar offers some pretty amazing gifts that are worth far more than the cost of the calendar. For families who value wellness and holistic methods, this calendar is perfect!

In order to score this calendar at a wholesale price, you must be a member of Young Living. Click here to find out how to become a member to take advantage of these amazing deals!

Which calendar is your favorite?

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Teaching your kids how to navigate their angry emotions can be a challenge–especially if you never learned how to manage your own.

Here are a few simple steps to help you feel more success with your children and empower you as a parent.

Teach them coping strategies for different environments

When you are angry at home, you can go outside and bounce a basketball, punch a pillow in your room, run a lap outside or even turn up the music and sing loudly.

The problem for kids is that any outward expression of anger in a school setting will mostly likely get them in trouble.

Teach your kids that what works at home may not work at school.

Give them ways to manage their behavior that don’t get them in trouble like:

Request to see the school counselor to talk it out

If the teacher has a calm down corner in their room, request to go there

Squeeze a stress ball

Doodle on a piece of paper

Talk to the teacher about what made them angry

Read a book

Teach them the I Feel method

I feel mad when you…..

I feel disappointed when you….

My feelings were hurt when you…..

I’m guilty of telling my kids to use their words, but then I don’t provide them with the words to use. It’s important to not only give your children the skill set to deal with their problems, but make sure they understand how to use it.

These conversations start when they are toddlers. When they are toddlers, talk them through scenarios. As they acquire language skills, they will begin to mimic the words that you provided to them.

When my daughters have a disagreement, I resist the urge to get frustrated and send them to their rooms. We talk through the issue and I often encourage them to talk it out.

We discuss what upset them, and I encourage them to talk to each other and let each other know how they felt. I model these conversations with them until they can do them on their own.

When I hear yelling, I remind them to use respect when speaking to each other. It’s definitely a work in progress, but the more you start teaching them effective communication skills at an early age, the more empowered they will feel about advocating for their own feelings in a variety of environments.

Give them time to cool down

Remember everyone expresses emotions differently, so while you may be ready to talk it out, your child may need some time to cool down before they talk.

Try not to compare your siblings. “Your sister never pouted like you do when she was mad.”

This can be difficult if you have a mild mannered child and one who seems to struggle with managing their anger, but you don’t want your child to begin to resent the one you are comparing them to.

Don’t make excuses for bad behavior while angry

“Your dad use to break stuff too when he was angry.”

Being angry is not bad–it is a normal emotion that comes as a secondary response to another feeling (embarrassment, feeling left out, etc), however lashing out and hurting others while angry is not okay.

As a veteran school counselor, I notice that boys seem to struggle more with outward expressions of anger while girls tend to internalize or use microaggressions.

When I talk to students about being angry, one of their first responses is that they know their anger was bad. I work to help them reframe those thoughts and show them that anger is normal, but hurting others (with words or physical aggression) is not okay.

If emotions seem out of control or not appropriate for the situation, seek out the help of professionals

It can be frustrating when you feel like you are being judged because of your child’s behavior. Sometimes you have exhausted everything you know to do, and your child’s behavior is still out of control.

It may be time to enlist the help of a professional.

Is your child acting out because they can’t hear?

Do they have a disability that interferes with their ability to control their emotions?

Getting a 2nd or 3rd opinion allows you to make the best decision for your child so you aren’t punishing them for something that they can’t help.