Robyn Spizman - Eat, Nap, Play: How to Get Even More Out of Your Childs Day for Less

EAT, NAP, PLAY

EAT, NAP, PLAY

How to Get Even More Out of
Your Childs Day for Less

ROBYN SPIZMAN AND EVELYN SACKS

www.hcibooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Spizman, Robyn Freedman.
Eat, nap, play : how to get even more out of your childs day for less / Robyn Spizman and Evelyn Sacks.
p. cm.

eISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9515-4 eISBN-10: 0-7573-9515-5 1.

Parent and child. 2. Child rearing. 3. Parenting. I. Sacks, Evelyn. II. Title.
HQ769.S653 2010
649'.1dc22

2009051558

2010 Robyn Freedman Spizman Literary Works, LLC, and Evelyn Sacks

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos, and its marks, are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 334428190

Cover design by Justin Rotkowtiz
Interior design and formatting by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

The greatest job of all is being a mom.
This book is dedicated to the loving, hard-working,
multitasking moms of the world,
including our very own,
whom we treasure.

Contents

W E APPLAUD OUR EDITOR, Michele Matrisciani, who had a vision for this book and is one of the worlds great new moms. Balancing authors, mommyhood, and more, she offered valuable perspective and insight. We deeply appreciate her bright ideas and warm ways.

To our literary agent, Meredith Bernstein, who continues to make things happen in the literary world with dedication and perseverance. Thank you for your guidance and support.

Special thanks to Robyns husband, Willy, and The Spizman Agency, including Carly Felton and Shelley Kreimer, for their expert advice and assistance. Also, to the following individuals who contributed content to this book, we are grateful for your insights into raising kids and saving money:

Patty Brown

Bobbi Burger Brunoehler

Joseph Denton

Nancy and Wayne Freedman

Edie Fraser

Belinda Fuchs

Drs. Stephan and Marianne Garber

Donna Goldberg

Chris Heiska

Leslie Isenberg

Rachel Johnson

Tory Johnson

Kris Cain

Sheri Lapidus

Sharon Marshall Lockett

Annette Marcus

Amy Lynn McCarthy

Jaime Milner

Margaret Mix

Catherine OBrien

Anne Rosenthal

Erica Salmon

Lori Simon

Pablo Solomon

Lynn and Wink Weinberg

Amy Zeide

From Robyn: This book is dedicated to my wonderful, beloved children (who still eat well and now work hard)Justin (and his beautiful bride, Jaime) and our inspiring daughter, Ali, who all add meaning to my life and makes every day special and worthwhile. To my loving husband, Willy, who supports me at every turn around the clock, and to my amazing parents, Jack and Phyllis Freedman. Thanks to our extended family, and to Bettye Storne, our real-life angel. And, finally, much gratitude to our host of friends (way too numerous to mention but you all know you are!), especially talented teachers Lori Simon and Jaime Milner, who contributed wonderful information to this book, thank you one and all for making life sweet. And to my co-author, Evie, my deepest thanks. You wrote the book on how to be an amazing co-author and fantastic friend!

From Evie: This book is dedicated to my mom, Charlene Sacks, who has taught and supported me through every joy and challenge; to my dad, Arthur Sacks, whose love of language launched me and whose wisdom endures; to my children, Erica Sitkoff and Chuck Sitkoff, who are loving, self-reliant, and concerned for their world; and to my husband, Cary Rodin, loving supporter of my dreams and schemes, nonjudgmental and ever-present.... And to Robyn, friend in words and deeds.

M OTHERHOOD IS CLEARLY THE BEST job in the world. Challenging, yes, but the satisfaction is beyond measure, the joy as huge as the effort. We wrote this book to share a wealth of ideas with you for making your life as a mom of toddlers to tweens even better. We want to inspire you to go beyond the eating, napping, and playing, and create a special and meaningful connection with your child. Were here to cheer you on!

As moms ourselves, weve been thereand are still doing that. Our kids have moved beyond morning naps and after-school snacks, and weve seen firsthand the incredible returns from our investment of time and love.

Who are we? Robyn is a mom, former teacher, media personality, founder of TheGiftionary.com, and best-selling author of many books on parenting. Evie is a mom, writer, and specialist in affordable fun. Were here to share our experiences and great ideas, but also to encourage you to find your special spark as a mom. We want you to feel confident, when you hit the pillow (exhausted) at night, that youve done your best for your kids and enjoyed the adventure.

So, how do you do it? How do you create a safe and healthy home, reasonable expectations, an appropriate sense of self-worth, and a lot of fun for your children? One thing we know for sure: You dont create it by buying more things. That happy, tired feeling at the end of the day (theirs and yours) comes from something else: a bond that grows from interacting in authentic, creative ways that are about spending time (as much as you have), not money.

Eat, Nap, Play is a book about the little things that make that time special. You wont find philosophies about child rearing in these pages. But you will find our ideas, as well as those of others, about getting something special out of every dayeven days with meltdowns, lost math papers, and back-seat squabbles. Its about the fifty-cent craft that brightens a rainy day... the picnic on the grounds of the public library... the community book swap you organized... the time the kids took the dog to a nursing home to visit... the store-bought cake you turned into a treasure by decorating it with a cartoon character and a handful of broken candy.

As moms who have worked hard at parenting and seen great rewards, we know that the best things in life are not things at all. They are the time we spend, the skills we share, the example we set for our families. You picked up this book because you intuitively know this. But you want to do it just a little better than you might be able to do on your own. After all, you have a child now, and the stakes are high. We love that you want to make every day count, and we applaud your energy.

The pages that follow cover a lot of territory, like using technology to enhance family experiences, escaping the birthday party madness, and embracing swap and barter. Some of our subjects may be right up your alley; others may represent new ways of thinking. Our goal is that you enjoy the book and benefit from it wherever you are in your parenting adventure. We hope you have as much fun reading and using the book as we had writing it. We hope you try lots of our ideas and add your own special touches to make them your own.

Ultimately, we want to help you be the mom you want to be. A mom with a few more good ideas up her sleeve. A mom who isnt obsessed with perfection in herself or her kids. A mom who is resourceful, creative, and authentic in her parenting style. A mom who knows how to create fun and, when things get crazy, ask for help. A mom who longs for that feeling of satisfied exhaustion at days end, knowing she spent time meaningfully with a deserving child.