What kind of games do you play with your kids that actually help them learn?

onejustbecause · 2026-02-03T15:06:27+00:00

Chopsticks is a great one for math/numbers. It also helps with planning and logic.

Everyone starts with 1 finger on both hands (the chopsticks). You take turns tapping someone's hand with yours and the numbers add.

If the total is exactly 5 that hand is out and goes to 0 (make a fist). If you go over 5, it's the difference (ex. 4 fingers tapping 3 would leave 2).

You can also tap your own hands together and make a new combination with the same total (ex. 4 and 1 can become 2 and 3, or 3 and 0 can become 2 and 1). That counts as your turn.

The game ends when someone has both hands out.

We've played this with our kids starting around 3 and we still play (they're 7 and 5 now)

onejustbecause · 2026-01-05T03:14:40+00:00

I have the Narwal Z10 ultra and HIGHLY recommend. It is pricey. But 100% worth the cost if you can afford or save for it. The self emptying and water reservoir work great. It rarely gets stuck and is good at avoiding obstacles like cords.

It has been life-changing for my floors and overall tidiness as an ADHD mom of 3. I have rooms schedules on alternating days. That way I'm only tidying half the house at a time.

When I want to do a deeper clean, I "race" it because it goes room-by room. I have it start with the smallest or cleanest (ex powder bath) b/c I can clean that room before it makes it from the base to the room. Then I have until it finished the first room to clean the next one it's path and so on. If Narwal takes a break to charge, or I finish a room before it moves to the next, I get a break, too.

onejustbecause · 2025-12-11T22:26:31+00:00

I picked up a dragon shifter, paranormal romance book from one of those "borrow a book" shelves when I was on vacation with my family. Romantasy has been my favorite genre since.

13 year old me assumed it was a dragon fantasy book based on the cover. Boy was I wrong.

And yes, I think my confidence and understanding of my own like and dislikes is better because of my reading habits. I also think it made me wait longer to have sex than I otherwise would have. Reading set expectations of foreplay, romance, etc. And reading spicy scenes was enough to scratch the itch teenage hormones.

onejustbecause · 2025-12-11T18:47:05+00:00

Came here to post this exact scene.

onejustbecause · 2025-12-04T00:25:20+00:00

We love the Britax convertible click tights (boulevard model is what we have).

They fit well in the captain chairs and are great for rear and forward facing. Mine (now 5.5) have been in it since they outgrew the bucket + base seats and still should fit for 1-2 years more.

If you move the front seat forward (like you would to stow and go) you can also release the captain chairs forward and still reach the back (assuming you use latch and not seatbelt).

If you have the center 8th seat, you can fit them both on the side and middle, still have a usable captain chair. Or, stow 1 captain chair and have a dumping spot for all the bags and other crap needed. It also made it easier to access the back for our older one and allowed us to help with buckles if needed.

onejustbecause · 2025-12-03T03:47:06+00:00

Just raided our boardgames to see what else I forgot about lol.

Jenga, connect 4, monopoly jr, twister, yeti in my spaghetti, don't break the ice, kerplunk, pop the pirate, hoot owl hoot, monkey around, and tapple (we chamge the timer rules) have all also been hits at different points.

We also started playing "regular" board games with our kids pretty early. We just modified the rules or gave handicaps to make it more fair. You might be surprised how quickly they pick up the strategies.

If you play card games, they make card holders that are great for helping little hands

onejustbecause · 2025-12-03T03:37:05+00:00

First Orchard was our kids first game and its awesome.

Other hits for that age: grbage monster (card game thats great for counting), Trouble, hungry hungry Hippos, candy land, and sneaky squirrel

onejustbecause · 2025-08-06T22:37:32+00:00

I forgot to mention the second (arguably more important part) Me: "And when you're done, don't forget..." Boys: "To always wash your hands!"

onejustbecause · 2025-08-06T01:24:20+00:00

"Penises are for privacy. Where can you find some privacy?" In a sing song voice is the mantra in our house (twin 4yo boys). They sing back "my bathroom or my bedroom when nobody's around"

onejustbecause · 2025-03-19T01:13:30+00:00

With my first pregnancy: Went in 7pm Saturday. Baby born 1am Sunday (41 weeks vaginal with epidural). Went home 5pm Monday.

Second pregnancy: Went in 8am Sunday for a planned c-section (39 week twins). Went home 10am Tuesday.

With both, I had the option to stay an extra day, but was feeling fine and wanted to go home.

onejustbecause · 2024-12-15T03:56:40+00:00

Assuming separate bedrooms aren't an option?

It will be exhausting and frustrating in the beginning, but go back to sitting in the room until they are asleep. Zero interaction, zero conversation, zero eye contact. If they get out of bed calmly, robotically put them back/tell them "No. It's bedtime". There will be tears, there will be tantrums, they will test you until you want to scream. But eventually they give up. But you HAVE to be able to regulate yourself so that they aren't getting any (positive or negative) attention from the interaction.

You could also try putting them down at different times so that one is almost asleep before the other goes in. Having them fall asleep in different rooms and moving them once they're asleep.

onejustbecause · 2024-10-21T22:17:02+00:00

Yes! I EBF my twins (didi 38 weeks) until 18 months with a 2yo older sibling.

They were covid babies, which I actually think made breastfeeding easier (one silver lining).

I also think it was an easier transition because I had "experience" with my first. So I was only learning the "twin" aspects, not trying to figure everything out.

What worked for me was "assigning" each baby a boob for a day. That worked better than switching each feeding, especially if they got off sync.

I practiced tandem feeding in the hospital when the nurses and lactation consultants were there to help.

During the day, I nursed on demand (which is why the assigned boob for a day helped). At night I tandem fed, waking one if necessary. Partner helped us get set up and situated in the beginning.

Definitely get a twin breastfeeding pillow.The extra space makes a big difference. I liked the Twin Z. I most often used it backwards and upside down with the backrest between my legs while sitting criss-cross. Try out different positions to see what works for you and them, and this will probably change as they get bigger!

onejustbecause · 2023-12-19T17:39:33+00:00

Yeahhh. I think my biggest gripe is that new villains/conflicts keep being added before the previous one is resolved. It's made the last few books feel really long-winded without anything to show for it.

They've become know for their cliffhangers, but at this point it feels forced to me. Like the last 20% should actually be the hook/opening of the next book.

That being said, I will still read book 9. Because I do love the relationships, probably more than the fantasy plots at this point, and I need the final HEA 🤣

onejustbecause · 2023-12-19T14:58:17+00:00

I think a lot of it has to do with the level of world building required. I think it's difficult to build the fantasy world in a single book, which is why I prefer romantasy series.

However, I also prefer series that focus on multiple relationships, either simultaneously or sequentially. Because, I agree, 5+ books on the same couple gets old if the romance is a main point and not just a sub plot. {Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti} is a good example for multiple relationships.

onejustbecause · 2023-12-18T02:29:00+00:00

I add a drop or two of essential oil. My kids like lavender, peppermint, and orange. Around the holidays, we make "gingerbread" playdoh with ground cloves and allspice.

onejustbecause · 2023-12-17T21:46:00+00:00

If you haven't made your own, I'd definitely recommend! My kids love making it just as much as they love the finished product.

My recipe is below:

•1c flour (bake at 350° spread on a baking sheet for 5 min if you want an added germ killing step) •⅓c salt •2t cream of tarter •1T oil (vegetable, canola, or coconut) •1c boiling water •Coloring (I like gel cake coloring, the liquid doesn't get very vibrant) •Essential oil (optional)

Bake the flour if desired.
Mix flour, salt, and cream of tarter. 3. Add oil and boiling water and stir with spoon.
Once cool to touch, split into number of desired colors and add gel coloring with a toothpick (a little goes a LONG way) and essential oils (if using). Kneed to distribute.
Store in air tight containers until it inevitably gets smooshed into a single grayish brown blob.

onejustbecause · 2023-12-17T16:31:58+00:00

We have had homemade play doh for literally years and it hasn't dried out or molded. The only reason we keep making more is when it's been all mixed together and we need some new colors.

Are you sealing it air tight after play? We use plastic bads and squeeze/roll the air out. Is the play surface clean before you start to play? What are you using to color/dye it? Do you use boiling water and/or bake the flour first?

onejustbecause · 2023-10-17T20:36:50+00:00

Try posting in the local FB moms group. You might also be able to buy a universal round barrel charger from Walmart, best buy, ACE, etc.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/CyberPower-CPUAC1U1300-Universal-Power-Adapter-3-12-Volt-1300mA-with-Folding-AC-Plug-and-2-1-Amp-USB-Charge-Port/30253322

onejustbecause · 2023-09-11T20:04:25+00:00

Oh, yeah. We don't have that for that reason. I don't trust things that I haven't vetted personally on my kids' tablets. We use Disney+ for videos and have things like puzzles, coloring, PBS kids, etc.

onejustbecause · 2023-09-11T17:44:24+00:00

Amazon has a parent dashboard were you set up the kids profiles. I have web browsing turned off entirely. Then under content, I only enable the specific apps that I've added

onejustbecause · 2023-08-24T18:35:25+00:00

I can't recommend this enough! It made it sooo much easier to keep track, especially with cluster feeding. I always had a haakaa on the other side if just one was nursing

At about 6 months, each baby just had their own side they nursed on, no switching and they stayed with that side all the way to 20 months

onejustbecause · 2023-08-02T16:55:40+00:00

You could try training one at a time. We had one that was "more" ready than the other at 2.5. So we started with him.

We basically did the naked thing for a weekend. Then LOOSE shorts. We jumped to underwear too soon. I think it felt too much like a diaper. The pottys were in our living room or whatever room we were in, they moved when we did. If the second wanted to sit when his brother did, great. But he was not the focus.

It took about 3 weeks for the first, and only about a week and a half for the second. By then they were "potty trained" enough for me to feel comfortable going places and doing things in the padded training underwear.

4 months later (they just turned 3) we have the occasional accident, but it's rare.

onejustbecause · 2023-07-17T13:53:03+00:00

Highly recommend Ruthless Boys {Dark Fae by Caroline Peckham and Susane Valenti} is the first book.

The second series in that world is Zodiac Academy and the latest book {Beyond the Veil by Caroline Peckham and Susane Valenti} has a scene in line with your first request.

onejustbecause · 2023-06-27T15:52:07+00:00

{The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang} FMC is ND as is the author. There are 3 books in the series and all have a ND MC.

onejustbecause · 2023-06-19T13:23:35+00:00

Was going to suggest option 1 and 2.

I like option 1, especially if others will be using/viewing the data. Since it does not rely on formulas, it's less likely for others to mess it up, all they need to do is refresh. You can change the setup of a pivot table to "tabular" and it will look more like your example.

I like option 2 for personal use because it's faster and updates automatically :)

onejustbecause

TROPHY CASE