Flying with Children

I have had opportunity to fly to several countries throughout the world with my two little ones.

Flying with babies and toddlers can be quite daunting, but here are a few helpful hints that helped make our trips a little easier.


1. Allow your baby to nurse or drink from their bottle during lift off and landing.
A dummy also works to help equalise their ears during the pressure changes.
I even allowed my 5 year old to suck a dummy when we last flew as she suffers with her ears during the flights. It made quite a difference to her take offs and landings.
Chewing gum also works for older children.

2. Pre-arrange children's meals with the airline.
I have found that the adult food can be quite spicy and my children would not be able to eat the meals.

3. Take plenty of healthy snacks for the trip.
Try and stay away from sweets and sugary foods as this can result in irritable children.

4. Take a bag with small toys, colouring books and special surprises for the children when they start becoming a little miserable.

5. Take an empty drinking bottle that you can pour their drinks into, as they are usually offered in those little cups - guaranteed to be poured all over Mama!
Try and get the kids to drink mostly water as flying tends to dehydrate one's body.

6. Take an extra pair of clothing on board, for your children and maybe even for yourself.
Having been thrown up over, I would love to have been able to have changed my clothes.

7. Take lots of wet wipes.
Great for cleaning your kids, yourself, the seats - you get the picture!

8. Take along children's paracetamol or Neuraphen for pain & fever.
On the one trip my daughter started with a high fever, fortunately I had meds for her.
Anything can happen on a plane trip!

9. Pray, and get all your friends to pray for you and your children :-)
Pray that God will keep you calm and happy, and that He will keep your children calm and happy.

Hope this helps, above all else try and enjoy the trip. Children pick up on our stress, if we are happy, our children tend to be happy as well!

Dairy Free Rusks

If you suffer from Dairy Allergies like my family does, you can sometimes get a little frustrated with the lack of suitable recipes avaibable. I have adapted my recipes to cater for my family and I will be sharing some of my favourites in the coming weeks.

Rusks

(If you do not know what a rusk is, find a South African and ask them to explain to you.)

Ingredients:
1,5kg selfraising flour

5ml baking powder

100ml Pronutro (optional)

100ml raw oats

350ml sugar

1/2 cup crushed pecan nuts

1/2 cup slivered almonds

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

2 eggs

500g dairy free margerine - melted

500ml soy vanilla yoghurt

5ml vanilla extract
Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a seperate bowl.

Now mix all the ingredients together in the large bowl.

*Hands are definitely needed for this exercise*

Roll portions into balls and then flatten out slightly.

Pack into 3 rows of balls in 3 greased bread tins.

Bake for 30-45 minutes in 180 deg C oven until cooked.

Allow to cool and then break apart and dry overnight in a 70 - 100 deg C oven.

Once completely dried and cooled, store in an airtight container.

Make yourself a good cup of coffee, dunk and enjoy!

ABC

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

My daughter has been enjoying learning to read and playing all sorts of alphabet games.

Yesterday we were waiting for a friend and she came up with the Bible Alphabet Game.

You start at A going through to Z, coming up with a Biblical word or character for each letter.

This was such a fun way of learning her letters and at the same time a bit if theology thrown in on the side.

More Important

Philippians 2:3

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves"

This verse has been one of the most helpful 'mommy verses' in my parenting.

I remember reciting this verse to myself at 3.oo in the morning, when my new born would not go back to sleep.

There have been many times since when I have had to remind myself that my children, and my training of them, is more important than myself, my hobbies - even my sleep!

God has been so gracious to allow any irritation with my children to disappear when this verse was brought to mind.

And now phase 2 is to teach this verse to my children.

In applying this verse to their lives, they could be potentially saved from any anger and fighting that always comes from putting ourselves first.

Making every moment a 'God Moment'

To take an everyday occurance and bring God, His power, His glory, His provision into the situation and thereby teach our children the attributes of God.

I must admit that the first time I was introduced to this concept I failed miserably at it. I was a young wife with no children as yet, but I had friendships with many of the young girls at our church.

That evening one of the girls came to chat to me, I asked her how school was and what she had learned that week. She told me that they had been learning about space and all the planets. My reply was, 'that's nice'. There was no 'is it not amazing how God was able to create something so big and awesome?', or 'we should thank God that the Heaven's declare His Glory every evening when we see those stars'...just a 'that's nice'.

As the little girl walked off I was immediately convicted in my heart that I had not applied the lesson I had learnt that morning. I told myself that I would have to make a more concious effort in looking for, and exclaiming those moments. I would love to say that ever since I have made every moment a 'God moment', but that would be telling a huge fib.

Now that I have my own children, it is a lot easier to have those moments. Children are great at finding the beauty in God's creation, the big or the small things that we adults often miss due to familiarity. A beautiful sunset, a flock of noisy birds, even a shady parking on a sunny day.

Let's eagerly search out those moments when we can exclaim God's glory to our children. Not only will it encourage them, but it will encourage our hearts at the same time.

More Than Gold

Psalm 19:9-11 (NASB)
"The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward."

What a wonderful Easter weekend, a blessed time to be reminded of our Saviours' great love for us.

The love that took Him to the cross where he lay down His life for us.

The place where He Who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf, that we might gain His righteousness.

What a wonderful time to spend together as a family,

pondering the truths of Christ's sacrifice.

What fun the children had in hunting for the golden eggs hidden among the plants.

Their faces full of delight as they found each hidden treasure.

May they learn, as the grow, to delight in God's law,

to treasure His words more than any worldly treasure in their lives.

Sweet Words

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Oh, how I wish that I could submit my heart, my mouth, my words, to these verses when dealing with my children.

In general, God is gracious to remind me to speak to my children with gentleness, but there are those times when my sharp tongue makes our home not such a 'honeycomb' place to be.

This usually happens when I am in a hurry to get something done or to get somewhere. In the back of my sinful mind I convince myself that talking harshly to my children will get them to bend more quickly to my will and instruction.

However, this usually has the opposite effect and I end up with children in tears and an overall 'sour' atmosphere in the home.

I am reminded of the wise teaching that I was taught years ago, being a good mother takes

TIME. Sometimes other things, other people, can wait, if it means that we take the TIME necessary to train our children to obey when called or given instruction.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
"You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
"You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
"You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

If we are to obey the instruction given us as parents, we are to take the TIME we need to invest in raising our children in the Lord.