The time has come to announce the first winner of a GoodNites Bedtime Theater Kit, including all kinds of goodies like an iPod, speakers, and a cuddle blanket. The random number generator is feeling low today. Our winner is commenter 24, Amy Nelson. Congratulations, Amy—please check your email!
Feeling sad you didn’t win? Don’t be! There’s still two more kits to give away, starting with another chance right now. I was thinking yesterday (after taking my son to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie) about how we always seem to talk about important stuff right before bed. Last night we talked about how Alice was brave in the movie, and how being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared, it means you do what needs to be done even though you’re scared. I think this may be the first time he really got that, so I’m deeming it an important lesson for bedtime or anytime.
For today’s contest, refer back to my original post for details about the prize, visit the contest on the Bedtime Theater site for your chance to win $2,500, then review the Want Not contest rules and regulations and leave me a comment by 11:59 p.m. Eastern (that’s 8:59 p.m. Pacific) on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010, telling me about an important lesson that you’ve shared with your kids or that your parents shared with you to be entered into the drawing for the second prize pack. It’s $175 worth of goodies that you certainly don’t need to be a parent to enjoy, so don’t miss out on your chance to win!
Ready? Go!
Disclaimer: I have partnered with GoodNites® Sleep Pants for the Bedtime Theater program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes developing the Iggy’s Next Adventure story, sharing the program information with my readers, tweeting my blog entry and judging the Iggy’s Next Adventure contest entries. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards the GoodNites® products.
My name is Mir, and I'm a bargainholic. (In my spare time, I'm also a
Favorite lesson for my kids is “Life is not Fair.” This answers various statments made over the course of growing up and also is the answer to why I never win a contest!!!!
My daughter loves Jesus already! :>) We can’t drive by a brick building that may or may not be a church without her telling Jesus hi. Thanks for the chance!
Sharing is caring!
That life was not meant to be fair!
My parents taught me how to budget and that I shouldn’t buy things I didn’t already have the money for on credit (it’s okay to buy it on credit if you have the money for it and can pay it off before interest accrues). I’m certainly going to share that lesson with my kids!
Favorite lesson my mother taught me: don’t do anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to read about in the paper tomorrow.
Be kind. Everything else springs from that.
Fair does not mean that everyone gets the same thing, but that everyone always gets what they NEED. (sublesson discussion needs vs. wants usually follows)
We teach our kids to spend less than you make so you never experience the frustration of being in debt.
Learning the value of money is HUGE! My parents taught to me earn what I have using star charts as a kid and chores as a youth.
We have taught our kids to pray when things are good and bad, everyday. God will be there for you. My daughter had a bad dream the other night, she came into our room and woke us up and asked us to pray with her. It made me smile to know we have taught her well.
Please and Thank You go a long way…that’s a lesson that was taught to me, and that I’m teaching our son.
We started teaching our kids about donating to and helping those in need as soon as they were old enough to understand it (around age 3 for my daughter).
Every choice you make, good or bad, has consequences. So, before acting, think of what will happen.
Every night when I tuck my kids into bed I take a minute with each of them and ask them what their favorite part of the day was. It helps them go to bed with a fun memory and we are able to talk about the good of the day and the positive. After that I always ask them “What did you learn today?” (I got it off an show that used to be on the Disney Channel) They know the question is asked every night so it helps them be aware and try to learn something new every day.
That hard work and service are the wellsprings of life! They will make you and others happy, and you won’t have time to get into trouble.
We are working on “No Whining.” She’s 1 so it is not going well!
I think the mostimportant lesson dad taught me was dealing with money, when to hold it and when to fold it.
Thanks for a 2nd change–the niece would still love one of these, her birthday’s next week–hint hint !!!
My parents taught me that the first kid is the ‘practice’ kid. They weren’t quite sure what they were doing with me, but by the time my brother came along they knew all of the tricks.
Schooling is important even if you don’t want to go.
If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. With 4 boys, I say that a lot.
We have taught our kids about charity and helping others (human or otherwise) in need. They had a lemonade stand, donating all of the proceeds to the local animal shelter, and are already deciding which organization will benefit from their next sale!
Treat others the way you want to be treated!
I’m working on turning potential complaints into solutions — rather than “I’m huuuuungry” it’d be “boy, I sure would like something to eat when we get home!” Imparting a problem-solving mentality would be huge.
We tried to instill in our kids to always do your best. That if something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing right. Both are successful in their chosen fields and we now have the opportunity to share these same values with a little grandson. How sweet life is! Thanks for the contest, Mir. Hope you’re feeling lots better
Although our son is only 2, we are big advocates of please and thank you – good manners will get you further in life than you think!
One thing my parents never taught me was the value of money. I had to learn the hard way….I have tried to teach this to my children.
When we stayed the night with my grandmother she would always say right before we went to sleep….be true to yourself.
My mother always told me to never settle. She was talking mostly about in relationships to not just settle for someone because they are there make sure you are truly happy. This could apply to many other things in life as well though!
Don’t take things for granted. Clothes, food and shelter mean a lot.
To appreciate the gifts we’ve received.
When I was very upset, my Daddy always said, “This, too, shall pass.” Be patient and strong through the hard times. I’ve passed that one on to my daughter.
While working toward paying off some credit card debt that i brought with me after my divorce, I have included my kids. they have learned about budgeting, living within your means and saving for big purchases. These are all life-lessons I wish my parents had taught me.
We try to have our kids realize that they are not the center of attention all the time. Things will not always go their way and they need to be gracious and polite, especially when it is hard for them.
Always say the magic word!
Ha! I think you’ll love the lesson we shared last night at bedtime. Last night, my younger son (2) got a stomach bug. Throwing up all evening long. So, when I tucked my almost 6 year old into bed, we had a discussion about what to do if you think you’re going to throw up in the middle of the night. Fortunately, we didn’t have to test if he learned the lesson, and hopefully we won’t have to for a while!
My parents taught me to work hard – we had a small business at home and we learned the value of hard work! I hope to teach my son the same thing, even though I don’t have a small business to put him to work in.
Probably the most important lesson my mom taught me was the value of reading, especially reading together. We’ll still call each other to share bits of books that are just too good to not share.
And she can still sing the “Scuppers the Sailor Dog” song that I used to make her sing as part of my favorite Golden Book
I think one of the most important things my husband and I have taught our children is to always say please and thank you.
To own your words, to stand behind them, and to mean what you say.
Thanks for the chance, Mir.
I think the best lesson I have passed on to my daughters is that love – giving and getting – is the best thing that can happen.
perseverance for sure. I took a big dose of that myself this weekend during my black belt review (which I did not pass but all is OK with that) today was another great day and I know I WILL get Black Belt when I am ready.
We try to teach our kids to find something to be grateful for every day. At dinner each night they share the “best and worst” of the day. It is often interesting to see what makes their list each night!
My parents taught it to me and I’m trying to teach it to my daughter. Everyone is different and that’s OK.
My mother taught me not to do anything I wouldn’t want to explain to the paramedics, and I’m trying to instill that in my children as well. Now my husband on the other hand…
In our house, manners count the most. This goes along with being respectful and kind to people and responsible for our own actions. At age 2 and 4, these lessons are already helping to shape our kids’ personalities!
We’ve been trying to teach our kids to stand up for themselves and not let people walk all over them. It’s something that I was not taught and am still struggling with in my adulthood.
We pray with our little girl every night. She has known for as long as she can remember that praying to God lays the foundation for everything else.
Never make promises hastily; once you’ve made them, keep them.
That there are several ways to look at a situation, and it never hurts to examine something from another’s point of view (and be empathetic). I’ve found this helps my kids in developing strategies for dealing with many tough issues.
I am trying to teach my children thoughtfulness. They have a lot to learn, but it is beautiful to see them sometimes when one does a thoughtful deed to the other.
Favorite lesson that my parents taught me was sharing. I remember getting a pack of M&M’s and being told to share with my cousin. I didn’t understand, so my parents said for me to eat one, and for every one I ate, I should give one to my cousin to eat. Every since then when I get something, I always divvy it up among whoever is with me, even if it’s a candy bar.
We have a 2.5 year old. She has very little patience as most 2-year olds have little patience. We’re trying to work with her to learn that patience pays off. It was a hard lesson for me to learn, but I hope it will be easier for her. Thanks for the chance to win and the prompting to think about what we are teaching our children.
One of my daughter’s friends is not polite – doesn’t say please and thank you. My daughter sees that this particular friend is not one that I let her invite very often. I’ve used this as an example to her that good things come to those who are polite.
My mother’s motto is “This too shall pass”. Works when talking about problems in school/college/workforce and especially raising children!
Manners – we are working really hard on please, thank you, looking people in the eye, etc.
My daughter is obsessed with princesses and “fancy stuff,” so we talk a lot about “pretty on the inside” these days…
We talk a lot about “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and that we should always be kind to others.
At this moment, I’m working on teaching the important lesson that big projects for school are much easier to do if you break it up into small chunks, spaced out over the course of days or weeks.
I didn’t figure out how to schedule my own work until I was in grad school, so if I can teach him this in second grade, he’ll be far ahead of the game.
In our house respect and courtesy is #1. With two 13 year old twins and a 10 year…it is the basis for all communication. This promotes kindness, patience and tolerance for differences in each other…it’s not easy, but the results are an appreciative family.
My mom tells me not to “let other people rent space” in my head. We’re trying to teach our kids not to hang on to unpleasant interactions, but to learn and move on.
My son is one so we haven’t really had a chace to teach him many life lessons, we’re working on not htting and not throwing your food right now! My favorte lfe lesson my mom taught me is you have to stand up for yourself because no one is going to do it for you. It taugt me how to be assertive. A close second is anything worth havng is worth working for.
the golden rule – treat others how you want to be treated
He said: There is a God, You’d better live like there’s one too.
Treat others as you would like others to treat you. Seems that “others” doesn’t seem to include “brother” for some reason, cause I’m having trouble getting this to sink in.
That one is easy – we grew up with the lesson “What you want and what you get are not always the same thing”. This holds true in all parts of life.
Lesson we’ve been discussing with our two toddlers lately: People are more important than things. Kind of basic, but somehow keeps coming up.
Have big dreams. It doesn’t cost any more than small ones.
The biggest lesson I continue to teach my daughter is that Jesus loves her, He will never leave her nor forsake her, and He is her constant source of strength! That by making Him Lord of her life she is assured of an eternity in heaven with Him!
When I was in my early teens, my great-grandmother told me: “Be good, and if you can’t be good, be good at it.” I was pretty much floored when she said that to me!
You Can’t Always Get What You Want …
The most important lesson my parents taught me was to always pay off the credit card and not be in debt.
The lesson I want my girls to understand is to believe and trust in Jesus.
That there is nothing wrong with being different.
Recently I’ve been talking to my son about trying to make the best decision in hard situations when then rules “don’t make sense” – like when “be honest” and “be kind” seem to conflict. This one seems to be coming up a lot lately.
That tomorrow is another day, and when it’s more important to be kind than to be right.
I try to teach my children that being nice to someone doesn’t cost them anything. Watching my almost 19 years old son volunteer to help an older lady carry something today makes me think maybe it’s working.
Take two – do your best, that’s all I ask. Your true best.
My tween age daughter learned this year that “not everyone will like you…and sometimes your friends will let you down. But that is o.k….we are all human…just love them and know that new friends will enter into your life soon!”
Well, my son is only one, but we are working hard on being gentle with other living beings, both our dogs and the kids he goes to school with. So far, he gets it, I think.
One that I’ve really been trying to teach my 7 year old: you choose how you act/react to things. Nobody forces you to do something. You always have a choice.
Stand up for what you believe in!
We learn best from our mistakes!
Always be kind. And don’t take life too seriously!
I talk to my daughter often and let her know how beautiful she is, that even though she needs to develop healthy habits she shouldn’t starve herself or obsess about weight.
We are working hard on the “don’t cry wolf” lesson! At 13, EVERYTHING is a HUGE crisis but hopefully he’ll get it soon!
We are talking about the importance of how we choose to act no matter how those around us may be acting. And that we are to treat them kindly, even when they are wrong in their actions.
We have been talking about character and what that means.
Material ‘things’ are not important but making memories are.
Our first is scheduled to arrive in September… I could spend days thinking of all the things I want him or her to grow up knowing. Mostly, that being a good person is more important than being good at things.
That sometimes mom and dad don’t know the answers.
The lesson we are actively trying to teach my 18 month old is that sleep is good! Sleeping all night without waking is even better. Also, naps are meant to be 2 hours long, thank you very much~!
Life isn’t fair seems to be a big theme around here these days….
Treat others the way you want to be treated
think about what others are feeling. they have to remember to put themselves in other’s shoes!
My beloved daughter seems vulnerable to peer pressure, so I’ve been working on convincing her to make her own decisions. Luckily, she has a cautious streak, so isn’t crazy, but I worry.
The difference between a need and a want. Its an ongoing lesson in our house for everyone.
The most important thing I want to teach my child is God’s Word.
I think that the “life lesson” that we’re trying to teach our kids is to stay out of debt. We’ve been working for two years on getting out of debt, and it’s hard. I don’t want them to struggle with that when they’re grown.
so many lessons, so little time. . . I ask my kids every night what their favorite part of the day is because there is something good with EVERY day.
a ‘life lesson’ for my kids will always be to have patience, it serves you well in the end! thanks!
The lesson we are currently working on is being accepting of everyone’s differences and looking to find friendship in someone you think you’d have nothing in common with. You just might be surprised!
Ummm… last night, we discussed the fact that a house made of Jell-o was completely not possible, and the fact that the sharp shards of peanut brittle and killer chickens inside the giant meatball could never hurt us because they Were Not Real.
(Yes, I’ll be screening the kid movies a bit more closely for a while yet… apparently Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs is inspiring some pretty freaky fears at my house.)
Yesterday’s life lesson: It’s not okay to punch your brother.
Be Nice to Each Other
Live each day like it could be your last
Be nice or go away.
My most often repeated lesson of late is “no problem is ever solved by losing your cool.” Not sure who needs to hear it more: me, or my tween.
An important lesson my mom taught me: no one promised that life would be fair. And its corollary, don’t keep score because it won’t come out even.
well, since my oldest is only 4 the lessons we have talked about are pretty simple! But I can tell you the lesson that she has taught me- no matter what happens that day and no matter how upset I can be it all goes away with just one “I love you” and a hug and kiss.
My mom taught me that nobody likes someone that talks ALL the time….
My big lesson for my kids lately is I love them always, there is nothing they can do to change that.
Treat others as you want to be treated. The color of a person’s skin (or gender, as 5 year old girls aren’t fond of rough boys) doesn’t tell you who they are.
I’ve been trying to teach my kids that it’s okay to wish things were different, but not to let that get in the way of dealing with the way things actually are.
They’ve been good about teaching me to keep my head in the present, and just enjoy the moment.
Right now, I’m stressing that you can’t always get what you want!
I like to remind them of this before we go into Target or the grocery store – I want my girls to know that you have to save up for big “treats” and take care of daily needs with the money that we have right now. It also helps me keep on track. Do I really need it?
Grace for others.
Everyone is different, and that’s a good thing–the world would be boring if we were all the same.
Thanks!
Thank you for this contest. I entered a story. That grand prize is sweet.
“If it isn’t going to be a problem still at the age of 18, don’t worry and invest too much energy into it now.”
Let kids be kids while they can – they’ll have plenty of time to be grown up!
With toddlers, the most important lesson right now is, “Use your words”… Screaming, hitting, throwing tantrums never work quite as well as taking a deep breath and communicating. Come to think of it, I can think of a few adults that can use this piece of advice!!!
Everything is a choice. Even when one can’t control the situation they can choose how to react to it.
Intentional lessons: Kindness, fairmindedness, gratitude
Inadvertent lesson: You can get away with quite a bit if you can make mom laugh.
I stress to my three year old to make “good choices”. (We’re still keeping it simple here for now!)
Right now the main lesson is that I love her even when I have to discipline her.
I really appreciate that my parents made sure I understood that money must be earned – there are lessons in there about hard work, responsibility, generosity, gratitude, and frugality.
I have a niece whose parents could use this!
We could sooooo use thus!
I’m in.
From my parents I learned to ask questions; so in this parenting gig when I feel alone or at my wits end there’s nothing better than asking the internet. (well, chocolate is better, but usually not as witty as some bloggers)
Our most recent lesson-learning moment came in the car while driving, when my 4.5 year old asked me what all those people he saw “with white the white sticks in their mouths” were doing, “You know, those sticks with the steam coming out?” We talked about smoking, and all the reasons not to and the awful things it does to your body.
Of course, then when we got to our destination he proceeded to try to pick up every cigarette butt he saw on the ground, wanting to put them in the trash. Which led to yet another lesson about not picking up nasty things on the ground. We are constantly learning lessons here!
Ah, it may seem extreme, but going through a period of my life (early 20′s) when it seemed like everything was crumbling around me, my mother told me, “You will survive this.” And I did! Surviving really tough stuff makes the medium tough stuff so much easier to handle.
My daughter came up with a new chapter that I thought was brilliant
I am hoping for a $2,500 win, it would make our year.
tolerance…. thank you, parents and mentors for that lesson early in life.. we will pass it on to our child(ren)…
If you’re tired, you don’t have to stay up late reading until the allowed time.
We teach all of our children that we all have choices in life, even at an early age they can learn that they can choose to make the right decisions or the wrong decisions.
My parents taught and are still teaching me a lot. Some of the lessons are intentional (how to parallel park, etc) and others have developed over time. The most important thing that they have taught me is the importance of self-respect, and how not having it can hurt you in the end. As silly as it sounds, that has really shaped my life and how I convey myself.
Recently, my five year old son saved up $50 (that’s FIFTY DOLLARS) of his very own money to buy a Wii game that he’d been wanting. I think there are plenty of lessons involved in that exercise – perseverance, delayed gratification, patience and remembering to do your chores are just a few!
Lesson that I’ve learned and that I’m also trying to impart is that a smile and a few “pleases” and “thank yous” go a long way!
My parents taught me a lesson I will never forget. I was supposed to get ready for school myself. I was 6 and had been getting myself ready by myself for months. That day I wasn’t in the mood to get ready for school, let alone go to school. My mother kept coming into my room saying I had such and such minutes left to get ready and if I wasn’t ready, I’d be going to school anyway. Before I knew it, I was tossed into the car, pajamas and unkempt hair and all. I was driven to school. I was crying because I didn’t want to go into school like that, of course. I also didn’t want anyone else to see me. My mother parked the car and asked me if she took me back home, would I get ready by myself and never be late for school ever again. I agreed. When we arrived back at school, my mother and I went to the office. I had to explain why I was late. “I was supposed to get ready and didn’t. I won’t do that again. I won’t be late again,” I said. From that day forward, I always was ready before anyone else! I have never forgotten that important lesson.
We incorporate some friendship themes into our stories during bedtime, mostly how to deal with friends who aren’t nice and the importance of being nice to our friends.
This past week or so my 10 year old daughter has been breaking down over the smallest things. I have been trying to teach her to put things in perspective and to not take life so seriously.
My parents taught me that if I had good friends, good grades, stayed out of trouble, and worked hard at what I did, the world would be open to me. It is not one specific thing they taught me, but a culmination of all the daily parenting they did that has made me who I am.
To enjoy today, even the most tedious things. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!
When I got my first part time job Dad’s words of advice: be on time, every day, not here and there, but every day. I still live by this advise.
I have been teaching my boys to not hang on the curtains because they get ripped out of the walls and their mother turns irate in an instant. Gggrr. Sorry, it just happened.
We all make mistakes in life. What is important is that we correct them if possible, and see it as an opportunity to learn something. I like to let my kids decide what they learn.
Manners matter.
I’ve taught our 3 year-old to pray. She is so proud of herself when, instead of repeating after me while we pray, she comes up with something to be thankful for on her own!
We’re teaching our girls that their hearts are good. That their disobedience and mistakes, etc. never reach so far as their hearts – the core of who they are.
I think it’s a powerful and influential thing to be always seen and related to as a good person. My hope is that they will always operate from that belief, making it true.
My parents taught me to never carry a balance on my credit card. So I didn’t have a lot of stuff in my 20s. But boy has that lesson paid off!
We are working on learning to say you’re sorry. It’s a classic!
No biting
An important bedtime lesson? Get into bed before Mama’s head explodes.
Thanks for the opportunity!
“To thine own self be true”
get the bad stuff over with first so you can enjoy the good stuff
Sleep on it before every big purchase you make, sometimes the picture changes in the morning. thanks for the giveaway!