Celebrate Your Family #PapiSpeaks

Having three children less than two years apart each can make it a little bit harder for each of them to feel special.  It seems like one of them always feels left out.  When my oldest who is five starting playing sports, my three year old really wanted to play.  We assured her she’d get to play when she turns five too but it’s so hard to wait!  It can also be difficult to give each child undivided attention, but we try!  Here are a few ways our family makes each child feel special:

• One-on-one time with mom or dad — A lot of times this just means doing errands with just one child and a parent because life is so busy!  Still, our children tend to really enjoy helping out and it’s really nice to be able to chat in the car as we drive around town.  My middle child loves helping with the groceries so lately that has been our special date.  She gets to pick out the fruit for the week, help put items into the cart, and carry in some bags when we get home.  I always thank her for helping me and tell her how much I enjoyed our time together.  My husband usually takes our oldest when he changes his oil and does guy stuff but Jackson likes to do shopping trips with me too so we try to switch it up.
• Making Choices — We let our children take turns making choices such as what’s for dinner or which park to go play at.  Being the decision maker makes them feel pretty special and it’s fun for us to see how the choices they make differ from one child to the next.
• Birthdays — Every child should feel special on their birthday and this is probably standard for most families.  Our kids get to pick the flavor and design of the cupcakes I make for them.  They also get to help plan the party from food to the decorations.
• Bedtime Songs —  Each of our children has a special bedtime song that I sing to them every night before bed.
• Story Time — At story time each child gets to choose their own book (or several).  They all get to enjoy each child’s story as I read them aloud.

As my kids get older I’m looking for more ways to help them feel like a valued individual in our family.  My greatest concern is for my middle child, probably because I don’t want her to get “middle child syndrome” I want her to feel equal.  How does your family celebrate each other?  I’d love to hear your ideas and welcome them in the comments area!

Disney has been releasing a slew of great movies recently.  The latest, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 is perfect for family time and celebrates individualism! Nothing says family movie night quite like Disney and a family of talking dogs, right? In Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! Papi (voiced by George Lopez) and his family (both dogs and humans) moves into a luxurious Beverly Hills hotel complete with a day spa for dogs. The littlest one of the family, Rosa gets teased for her size and doesn’t feel special. She’ll soon find out that you are never too small to make a big impression. When Papi helps Rosa find her inner strength she learns to take pride in being different.  These lessons are learned with lots of love and laughter along the way. This film follows Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2.  The latest in the series, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! hits shelves on September 18, 2012. The Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy combo pack will retail for around $45. It is also available without the digital copy for $40 or as a single disc DVD for $30. The movie can be purchased here.  Watch the trailer below:

I was compensated for writing this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Disney blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.