Kids Archives - Northern Expenditure

How We Manage the Kid Stuff

On November 29, 2017

I’ve already explained why our kids have stuff. Part of the responsibility of having stuff is learning how to manage it. We involve our kids heavily in how we manage the kid stuff.

Be Real With Your Kids

When I was little, the Gunny Sack used to eat our toys if we didn’t put them away. It was literally a pillowcase with a face drawn on it. I think this worked for my sister, but my mom reports that I would just assess whether or not the toys were worth keeping and mostly decide it was easier to let the Gunny Sack take them for awhile. We moved houses when I was 7 and in the move, I found the Gunny Sack in a box. I stole him and stuck him in my closet and was pretty sure I had beat the system!

Why My Kids Have Stuff

By MaggieBanks

On November 27, 2017

In Kids

I know that I’m bucking the minimalism parenting trend, but I want to explain to you why my kids have stuff and the rules we have to manage it.

Props for Imaginary play

When I was in college, I was adamantly opposed to licensed toys. I thought they were a waste of money and an excellent marketing ploy for parents. Then Penny discovered the world of Elmo. When she was 1, we bought her a stuffed Elmo for Christmas (I’m a sellout, I know). What I discovered, however, is that Elmo was part of Penny’s imagination. Elmo’s world was something she was familiar with and Elmo was a character she knew. Now that she had a stuffed Elmo, she could personify him and pretend he was part of her life. As a parent, it was fun to watch her imagination grow as she took an existing character (Elmo) and experimented with what he would do in different situations.

A Day in the Life of a Work-at-Home-Mom

By MaggieBanks

On February 22, 2017

In Kids

If you know nothing about me, you need to know that I have three children (ages 3, 6, and 9) and that I work part-time from home for a behavioral economics firm in the Midwest (I live in Alaska… if that wasn’t abundantly clear). I am privileged to be able to be a stay-at-home mom for my kids, but also earn some income doing something I love. That does not mean my days are easy. Today, I’m going to give you a typical “day in the life of Maggie.” I bet you can’t wait!

The Life of a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) and WAHM (work-at-home-mom):

5:45 AM – Get up, brush hair, throw on a sweater and set up my computer at the table for a 6AM work meeting. I keep my pajama pants on and have a heated blanket in my lap because the heat in the house doesn’t turn on until 7AM.

6:00 AM – Skype with a group in the conference room at the company’s office. (Until last week, I could just phone in to meetings and stay in my bed for them… but unfortunately, they just got Skype working and now I have to pretend I’m put together).

The Future is Full of HOPE

By MaggieBanks

On December 7, 2016

In Kids

We’re going to start off with a little riddle:

A father and his son are in a car accident. The father dies instantly, and the son is taken to the nearest hospital. The doctor comes in and exclaims ‘I can’t operate on this boy!’
‘Why not?’ the nurse asks.
‘Because he’s my son,’ the doctor responds.
How is this possible?

An old one, for sure. Do you remember the first time you heard it? I do! I was still a kid. Of course the answer is “The doctor is the boy’s mother.” Duh. And I remember saying: “Oh duh! (probably with a forehead-to-the-hand smack)” but I totally didn’t get the answer. It was, indeed, a riddle. You could blame this on my upbringing, except I was raised by incredible, feminist parents that instilled very young that I could do anything I wanted to do even though I was a girl. So, I’m blaming society as a whole. We knew women could be doctors. We even knew some female docs, but they were usually male.

This week, I told this riddle to my children.

The Privilege of Being Santa

By MaggieBanks

On November 28, 2016

In Kids

Thanksgiving has been devoured and that is the official start of the Christmas season in the Banks house. My kids are dancing to Christmas music and throwing stuffed snowmen back and forth as I type this. And they look forward to the coming of Santa Claus, as most children do.

Santa is Magic

As an adult, I tear up a bit when I’m talking about Santa Claus. For me, Santa is the embodiment of what I wish the world could do all the time. Santa is a worldwide agreement that for one night, everyone will help make the world a magical, wonderful place. When my kids ask me if Santa is real, my response will be: “We have the power to create magic and Santa is the perfect example. The actual person named Santa does not exist, but he exists everywhere and now you get to be a part of the surprise and help create that magic for your younger siblings and for others!”

In Alaska, Santa is VERY REAL. We have been to his house in North Pole (a pretty elaborate gift shop).

Pay Your Kids and Put them to Work!

By MaggieBanks

On February 8, 2016

In Kids

Let me preface this post by saying I don’t have this parenting thing figured out. I yell at my kids sometimes and I can’t get them to clean their rooms. But I do know one thing: Kids want to earn money.

Think about it. When you were a kid, do you remember how much that random check was from your aunt and uncle for Christmas? I don’t. (Checks were weird!) Do you remember that hard-earned $10. Absolutely.

Keepin’ it Real: Kiddos

By MaggieBanks

On October 7, 2015

In Kids, Uncategorized

Mrs. Frugalwoods recently admitted that she’s nervous about becoming a mom, but she’s learning to accept we’re all flawed. This kind of thing strikes a chord with me and I had to talk about it. First off, let me just say:

No one should EVER say “It’s so great. Enjoy every minute” to someone with children.

Don’t stop reading if you don’t have kids. This post is for you too. I want to talk about the logistics of having children. As a stay-at-home mom, I am a “professional” in the field. So please listen up.

Why Kids Are the Worst:

How to Save Money on a New Baby

By MaggieBanks

On July 29, 2015

In Kids

There have been several posts lately in the blogosphere about babies and kids. As someone that has had three children and had her first during graduate school, here’s my two cents on how to save money on a new baby.

Category: Kids

Be Real With Your Kids

Props for Imaginary play

The Life of a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) and WAHM (work-at-home-mom):

Santa is Magic