Friday 11 March 2016

Trying to be a good parent ... the crafty way! #1

Having three children has been a shock to my system! I am constantly sleep deprived and exhausted and trying to remain enthusiastic and supportive is difficult with three very different girls!  Not that I am moaning, just setting the scene for my emotional state over the last year or so.  In short it has been difficult but I seem to be making a few breakthroughs and parenting is becoming more enjoyable!!

Now I won't go into all the joys of parenthood the constant demands for food, nappies, food, playing oh and did I mention food? There are many people who blog many times over how hard or easy parenting is, how they have reached a breakthrough and now have a model child or how they have decided it is alright to hate being a parent etc etc etc.  My blog was never designed for that, first and formost it is crafty related!  (you can all a sigh in relief now!)

So in true crafty form I thought I would share with you a few things I have done with or for my kiddies which has in one way or another enriched our lives and made parenting a little more fun!

First up I wanted to share my 'Look what we have done' wall (I still need to work on the name!)



I realised that dinner times could sometimes go a bit quiet as conversation died down a bit so I started to hang a few pictures on the wall to put the children's work in.  This also meant that I didn't have random paintings scattered round the house!

The wall behind the dining table was a little .... boring!


So i started to add a few frames.  These ones were cheap black framed ones from the Range, nothing fancy at all.

 

After I had put up all the frames I wanted I then masking taped around the edge and set about with the chalkboard paint to make the frame.  I started with a solid frame but then added a wavy outer edge.  Lastly I used a permanent marker and started to doodle round the edge of the frame.  From a distance it looks fab but when you look closely you can read all sorts of encouraging words and phrases.


Now at dinner time we have lots to chat about especially as there is always something new popping up on the wall!  I love the fact the girl have a place to show off their achievements.  Currently the wall contains notes of praise and certificates, photos, fun art and even the babies first hand print art!  So lots to see.


Oh and it looks a bit grand and funky! Much more exciting that that boring old wall!

Next time I will show you some calming down resources we made!

until next time.

Jen xx

I will of course be popping by to Handmade Monday and sharing my little post.

20 comments:

  1. love this idea and such a lovely way to display work- and use up some wall! well done x

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    1. Thank you so much, the wall really was so boring before. xx

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  2. A brilliant idea. Cannot relate to children as have had 3 puppies instead, lol

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    1. Thanks honey. Maybe you could do a wall for fame for the dogs? lots of photos? or a family wall, lots of photos of different family members. xx

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  3. Looks fab and the kids will love seeing their work valued and displayed nicely.

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    1. I do hope so, they seem to like it. The middle one enjoys playing colour eye spy on it. xx

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  4. what a wonderful idea, it looks great. Loving how you painted the frame and the writing around it.

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    1. Thank you, was very organic so nothing is very uniform at all. The words were fun but I think I may be the only one who can read them all! lol xx

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  5. What a great idea. Much better than what I used to do, which was covering the fridge.

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    1. Our fridge is low down and things always fall off it. Their work was always ending up in drawers as there was no room anywhere else. xx

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  6. What a great idea, great focal point in the room, a great conversation piece and I'm sure the kids feel proud to have their bits on display x

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    1. Thanks honey. They do seem to really like it. xx

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  7. I love this idea and that things can be changed around as and when they're needed. I used to put the kiddies artwork etc on a cork board (then transferred to scrapbooks that they still have), this is such a stylish way to display everything, I especially like the writing around the 'frame' X

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    1. Thank you, we are doing a parenting course and I used lots of praise words that we are being reminded to use with the children. xx

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  8. I love this, we have a very dull wall in our dining room, I shall now be thinking of ways to liven it up.

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  9. That's a nice idea and it will be easy enough to swap out the pictures as more art comes along. I don't know about girls but little boys seem to calm down at about the age of 6 :)

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    1. I think our middle one may well take til then to calm down, she is so full of energy! xx

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  10. What a wonderful wall decoration! Such a lovely way to showcase their art :) Parenting is hard work. I have a big age gap between my 2 boys so didnt have the difficulties of dealing with multiple littlies. But once you wade out of the 'young years' with weary exhaustion and wiping the remnants of puke off your shoulder, it starts to get easier. And you get more sleep! Then they become teenagers :( xoxo hugs

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    1. I have a teenager too, she is lovely but moody! lol! I love them all but really do look forward to the times when I can go to bed when I want to rather than early to preserve my sanity through being woken up several times a night! xx

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