About Kids and Teens

Internet Safety Basics for Children

2012-02-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

The internet is great tool for children to use. It can be used for homework research, playing games, keeping in contact with family and friends and generally hanging out with their peers. Although the internet is a wonderful resource for children, it is also vitally important that they take care and keep themselves safe online. This article outlines some basic internet safety tips that all parents should be aware of and pass on to their children.

Keep Personal Details Private
One of the key elements to staying safe online is keeping your personal details private. Make sure that you tell your kids and teenagers not to give out their personal details online. They should never give out email addresses, phones numbers, which school they attended, sport clubs or any planned trips or their home address to people they have only ever had online relationships with. If they give out these personal details they are opening themselves up to a number of potential problems.

Junk is Junk
Educate your children about spam texts and emails. Point out the signs and signals that flag something up as spam. If they receive spam show them how to delete and quarantine the material and explain that they should never reply to spam or use any of the tools that might come with the spam email.
You should never open emails from people you don't know and you should teaching you children the same thing. It could contain a computer virus or worse an inappropriate image or video.

The Internet is not private
It is important to stress to your children that the internet is not a closed private space. They should not post videos, photos or comments online that they would feel uncomfortable with you as a parent seeing. Teenagers often feel that they can take risks online that they wouldn't take in daily life as no one will find out. This is not the case and placing risky material online can leave them open to cyber bullying or blackmail.

Don't befriend people you don't know
One of the really important things to educate you children about is that they should never start friendships with people online that they don't know offline. This is difficult but comes down to the old maxim of not talking to strangers. Your children need to be aware that it is very easy for people to create fake profiles and not be who they appear to be online. Friendship requests on social networking sites such as Facebook & Bebo should only be accepted from people they know offline in the real world.

If you discuss these points with your children and talk openly about the dangerous nature of some activities on the internet then it should be easier to keep them safe online. Internet safety in many cases appears to be basic common sense to adults but you need to make sure your children and teenagers are informed about the basics of internet safety.

I'm a father of four (nearly five) kids and an internet professional. I think its important to keep your kids safe online. Visit Know the Net for more information about internet safety and How to use the internet.--> http://www.knowthenet.org.uk/knowledge-centre

By Antony Heywood

Helping Your Teenager Grow Up

2012-02-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

In advising parents, I have often found a very puzzling occurrence. Parents seem to feel that their role as parents should never end. They continue to fulfill that role faithfully, and sometimes unnecessarily. In the process they create tensions, conflicts and all manners of confrontation. Not to mention the complex they create in the minds of their children.

We as parents of course have the welfare of our children at heart. We want them to be safe, healthy, not to get in trouble and in that mindset, continue to make decisions for them.

What is wrong with that? Here are the disadvantages:

1. Your children may resent your control nature.
2. They may not know the consequences of making a decision and having to live with it.
3. They may suffer ridicule from others who see your children as mama's or daddy's kid.
4. Their personality will get stunted and not develop fully.
5. They will not be a good role model for their children.
6. If they have to step into the real world, they will not be prepared and will feel the shock.
7. They may not develop good instincts and judgement.

It is essential that you allow your children to develop fully in terms of personality, decision making and accepting responsibility for their actions. Here are a few tips on how to do that.

    * Generally, at age 15, children are old enough to know right from wrong. From then on, treat them as a trusted friend, not as a kid.

    * Make them aware of choices. When they "demand" something, let them know that it is not possible to have what they demand, Instead, they can make a choice and accept something close, or nothing at all.

    * Communicate your position fully and make sure they listen.

    * However tempting, do not make a decision or a choice for your children. They may make a mistake, but that is how they will learn. Just be sure they do not make serious mistakes.

    * Even if you have to step in, let it be their choice. Many children, when faced with a tough choice will think it out and then turn to you for advice. In many cases you may be able to turn this into a teaching moment.

    * Do not second guess your children's decisions. As I said, they may not make a decision you like, but that does not mean that they are wrong. They are simply looking at it from their perspective.

    * Make sure you have a follow up conversation with them.

    * Praise them and encourage them when they make decisions or take actions.

Good luck.

By Shyam A Sunder

Help In Choosing Children's Double Duvet Covers

2012-02-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

Many parents decide to put their child into a standard double sized bed as they grow up rather than use a single bed and therefore need to shop for appropriate children's double duvet covers, normally measuring 200x200 cm and which are readily available both in stores and online.

To choose the right children's covers you have to consider your child's tastes and preferences. There are also many choices of fabrics, prints, trimmings and color. Durability and quality should also be considered. While it can be a wonderful feeling for adults to wake up in white or cream-colored sheets, which blend with almost any kind of décor or color scheme, white duvet covers for children is not a good idea for obvious reasons. The duvet cover color should be darker than the comforter or duvet it is intended to cover. If the fabric of the cover is not opaque, the color or pattern of the comforter will show through.

Beading and intricate details are wonderful adornments to look at but they are not practical features for children's covers. Children tend to thrash about during the night and adornments which might get entangled or cause marks on the skin are not good for children's beds. Parents should make sure that they buy duvet covers that can be washed at home. It could be a strain on the budget to get the cover dry cleaned frequently and this may happen if your child has friends regularly staying over necessitating more regular cleaning.

Well-chosen children's double duvet covers will recreate the feel and look of your child's room. Together with accessories of his choice, it can make his room his special sanctuary, aptly and attractively fitted to suit his personality. The cover protects the comforter and makes it possible to change the color of the room, coordinate a more pleasing color scheme and alter and transform a child's bedroom. While not all mothers will feel pleased to change the style of the cover too often, the guest rooms or children's rooms with double beds will look fresh and inviting every time the covers are replaced with different color combinations.

Children's double duvet covers showing images of favorite scenes or characters are now very popular because of their ability to transform a dull and lifeless room into a place of fantasy for the child, where he can have fun playing surrounded by his favorite characters and prints. Winnie the Pooh, Garfield, Robots, Ben Tin, Dora the Explorer and many other fantasy characters will keep your child amused and occupied for hours on end. He will also look forward to sleeping snuggled under his duvet cover.

Bedding collections including children's double duvet covers usually come with two matching pillow shams. Some of them may also include a dust ruffle or a bed skirt to match. Sometimes there are matching pillows available but they are sold separately and not included in the package price. The modern double duvet cover sets may also come with matching bed accessories like sheets, throw blankets, throw pillows and curtains. In some cases, there are even color coordinated bathroom accessories that are available to buy.

When buying children's double duvet covers for your home, remember to choose fabrics that are easy to clean. There are various fabrics available but some are dry clean only, for example silk which would not be a very suitable fabric for a children's double duvet cover. However, most fabrics, especially for children's duvet covers are machine washable and the cover can be removed from the comforter it is protecting and washed in the washing machine. Keep in mind that covers with intricate trimmings like lace, tassels, fringes or beading should be dry cleaned only.

Are you looking to add some colour to the spare room or is the baby now a growing toddler and needing new bedding? Expert author Sandra Stiles is always looking for innovating ideas to brighten up the home. When it comes to choosing the duvet covers for girls or a boys bedroom nothing will please them more than a snug duvet with their favourite colourful or themed cover.To get more great ideas visit http://www.cotbedduvetcover.net/index.html

By Sandra Stiles

Protecting Your Child In An Increasingly Violent World

2012-02-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

If there is any one thing that we all want for our kids, it is that they are safe. And yet, in many nations violence involving children as either victim or participant has risen dramatically in the last 20 years.

Is there anything that you can do to protect your child? Tragically, there is no simple answer to this question. So let's look at the down side first. No, there is nothing you can do that will guarantee that your child will not be a victim of, or at least be exposed to brutality during their youth. Why?

In many cities having large populations kids die every week in "drive-by-shootings" and as collateral damage in drug and gang wars. Are these things preventable? Perhaps, but not by individual parents in most situations.

But the good news is that in most other instances there are steps that can help protect your child and even prevent the violence.

Here are the recommended steps:

Limit their introduction
Limit their risk
Limit their vulnerability
Let's take them in reverse order.

How do you limit vulnerability?

Two ways: Situational Awareness and Self Defense Skills. Expect the best, but be prepared for the worst. Too many people become victims simply because they do not pay enough attention to what is going on around them. September 11, 2001 and three airliners taken over with nothing but box cutters taught us a lot about that.

In the Self Defense arena: recent studies have shown our former beliefs that resisting during a crime will cause things to be worse were totally wrong. Here is one example: (PRWEB) July 16, 2005 "Recently the Florida State University department of Criminology released a study indicating that people who employed self protection strategies reduced their likelihood of injury when compared to nonresistance."

Take a Self Defense course with your child. Encourage them to take up wrestling, boxing or martial arts. In a society that often protects the guilty from consequences we must teach our children to protect themselves. If you opt for Karate or another Martial Art, go see either version of The Karate Kid movie first.

You want to pick a teacher/school that discourages fighting. I was taught that if given options your preferred choices in a fight are:

First - avoid it any way possible
Second - hurt rather than maim
Third - maim rather than kill
Fourth - kill rather than be killed
The school I attended would kick you out if you were involved in a fight for any reason other than being attacked by surprise.

How do you limit risk?

Help your child develop "street smarts." What is that really? At the top of the list is situational awareness and self-awareness. How many teens have put themselves in a bad situation simply by reacting to something with a sarcastic comment? Teach your young ones to not go looking for trouble. At some point it may find them anyway, so a little caution can save a lot of pain and heartache.

In one sense 'street smarts' just means making the choice to not be a victim by being aware. When you are aware of postures and obvious emotions you can usually see trouble coming. That does not mean expecting trouble; it simply means being observant all the time. Notice people, watch attitudes, observe exits, fire alarms and telephones. This is not about planning for anything it is simply about paying attention to your surroundings.

How can you limit their introduction to violence?

The three main sources of childhood exposure to cruelty & assault are: media (TV, video games, & movies) bullying, and domestic violence. Bullying and domestic violence are beyond the scope of this article. But I have listed others in the order of the amount of exposure kids have to them. Unsurprisingly, television ranks as the number one place kids witness violence simply because of the sheer volume of hours spent in front of it.

As any advertising executive will tell you, it's all about repetition. The American Medical Association has found that in homes with premium cable channels, or a VCR or DVD, "children typically witness 32,000 murders and 40,000 attempted murders by the time they reach the age of 18." And what about the over 200,000 other acts of violence they see there? If you think there is no impact you have not been paying attention.

If you can honestly say that video games do not trivialize evil & criminal behavior, you haven't played many. Most interestingly the video games and movies, and even the music theses days all have rating systems. It takes almost no effort to discover what your child should not be exposed to. But it does take an effort to limit their exposure. You have to step up and be responsible. It is part of what being a parent means.

Our society has buried our children in a culture of constant violence. It occurs so often that it has become acceptable. How can we expect kids to avoid fighting when parents at children sporting events attack coaches & each other? When the sports stars and music 'idols' portray brutality in word and deed?

There is really only one sure cure to what is happening all around us. We need to end it. To stop 'letting it happen' and prevent our children from coming up in a culture where it is taken for granted. Do you accept for one moment that if we all decided to bring an end to any aspect of violence in our society that we could not do it? Really?

You take care of your circle of influence and I'll take care of mine.

Christopher Stephenson has been Owner/Operator of several successful businesses, both online and brick & mortar. A popular author and speaker on positive attitude for success, he is retired from active business and committed to helping others.

Raising children while working and building a business simultaneously Christopher & his bride learned all there is to know about parenting - the hard way, it's called experience. An avid reader and 'consumer' of training seminars, personal coaching, private counseling and continuing education he has been led to help others by mentoring from personal experience.

This article and the report at http://RaiseYourChildRight.com have been prepared as an expression of that goal.

By Christopher Stephenson

Youth in Crisis: A Disillusioned Generation

2012-02-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

Street Gangs

Gangs are like substitute families for uprooted young people. Many gangs today, are made up exclusively of girls, although they are not as many as boy gangs.

Street gangs are full of children who did not have a safe transition from adolescence into adulthood. Most gang members were raised up in homes, that do not deserve the name «home», with parents who were either abusive or totally absent. Many gang members lacked healthy relationships in their homes and the encouragement to become competent adults.

In addition to coming from dysfunctional families, members of street gangs become disillusioned with society. Not only have their homes destroyed much of their self-esteem but structures in society are also not to their advantage.

In many nations, lower class youth and racial and ethnic minorities risk being marginalised in almost every sphere of society and have to struggle to improve their opportunities for education, training and employment. These youth become frustrated over restricted opportunities and assert themselves in gangs to cope with their profound socio-economic hardship. Violent youth crime is a classic expression of a sense of worthlessness and a futile future.

In today's world, the public is reacting to violent youth crime by demanding action. There is a life principle based on the Scriptures that says that "prevention is better than cure" All efforts at combating crime and youth violence must begin with the family because it is easier to build boys and girls than to repair men and women.

Empowering Families and Caregivers

Three key components of a healthy parent-child relationship are companionship, acceptance and identification. Companionship means spending quality time with children, acceptance entails accepting children the way they are and loving them unconditionally and identification involves identifying with children's problems and being understanding. When these needs are not met, children fill that void with something else.

The overarching concern is to allow vulnerable families to build and sustain healthy families and relationships.

The structure of the "traditional" family has undergone significant changes over the years. Today's families take on many different structures: married nuclear, single-parents, joint custody, single-parents, step-families, grandparent-led families, cohabitation and foster and group-home families. Effective empowerment strategies must address the different types of families existing in society today.

Family empowerment could be achieved by providing parents with family life and parenting skills to meet the demands of parenthood; encouraging parents to seek help, advice, or support from family, friends, and community resources; enhancing dialogue between teenagers and parents and modelling responsible fatherhood character and skills to both teenagers and young adult fathers.

The idea of giving a hungry man a fish or a fishing pole could apply to work with families. If support is given to families in identifying and accessing resources, they will acquire the skills and confidence needed to secure resources over time.

Empowered families provide security, love, shelter, stability, self-esteem and fulfilment and are the basis for a safe, vibrant and healthy community.

Bunmi Awoyinfa's experience working with children in distress in Africa and Europe inspired the creation of House of Mercy Children's Home (HOM) http://www.homchildrenshome.org a non-profit organisation that reaches out to child street beggars and homeless street children. She is particularly interested in contemporary issues and struggles affecting children worldwide.

By Bunmi Awoyinfa

Modern Cribs With A View

2012-02-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

Do you love the clean, minimalist lines of modern design? If you do, you will love these modern cribs. These cribs are ultra-hip and a far cry from traditional cribs. Naturally, they are as safe as the more traditional ones. If you're a stylish mommy who wants nothing but the best for your baby, then you might want to check out some great modern cribs.

This first of its kind acrylic crib from Nurseryworks is made entirely of acrylic! The clean lines will let you see your baby without any obstruction. It has beautifully curved edges and since it is a pioneer in design, this Vetro crib has a special laser-etched unique numbers. This is made from non-toxic and recyclable lucite and will be a breeze to keep clean. This is one sophisticated crib for your baby to sleep on. But sophistication aside, the mattress can be adjusted to three different heights which makes it really flexible and convenient. Awesome, right? If you're the type who loves it when style, sophistication and safety come together, then this is a great choice for you.

Now, if it's nice for a room to have a view, your little one can have his very own version of a crib with a view. The Spot on Square Roh Crib marries a traditional walnut frame with an eco-friendly and nontoxic acrylic side. Its innovative design is sure to be a conversation piece in a modern nursery. If you can't get enough of this crib, the good news is that you can add a toddler conversion kit and this can be enjoyed in your kid's room for many years! Not only does this modern crib look great, it's the perfect piece of furniture in your modern nursery.

Now your baby's nursery will fit just right in your modern home. It's a good thing that there modern cribs that will make a sophisticated design statement in the nursery. Surely even if you're a traditional crib lover, you will be delighted by the designs of today's modern cribs. All that time spent preparing for your baby will definitely pay off when you get him or her the perfect crib. You will get a kick from looking at your baby sleeping in these sleek cribs. Once he's awake, he will enjoy looking back at your through his clear, acrylic walls. It gives a new literal meaning to the line "Here's looking at you, kid."

By Coy Roberts

Get the Kids Awesome Toys for Christmas in 2011

2012-02-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

Many parents have no idea what to get their kids for the holidays this year. If your house looks like a sea of unused toys, here are a few top picks that kids will love.

If your kids have ever played with Nerf toy guns before like the awesome N-strike, they will surely love this new toy from Nerf -- the Stampede. The Nerf Stampede will surely captivate the hearts of your young ones, while they run around around with their friends having loads of fun. This new product from Nerf is a machine toy gun that only costs forty dollars. It is pretty easy to dominate your opponent with this gun because it can quickly shoot and reload the foam darts that come with it. It can accommodate up to sixty darts because its three extended clips that are included in the package can accommodate eighteen each. This gun can be used as a bonding activity for the whole family because you can afford to buy for each member of your family. Hunting down each other with this five pound toy can make you sweat a lot. It is like working out in a gym but this is much more fun, and even for kids who don't really like to exercise much, it is a great workout.

If you do not approve of toy guns in your household, then here is a more peaceful toy: Why not try a musical instrument like a kids guitar, drums or a keyboard? Your kid can spend quality time learning how to play one of these instruments, which is a great skill to have. You can just spend the whole afternoon singing and dancing. To make the bonding experience more fun, prepare your video cam or handy cam and record some of the music that they play. Upload it in YouTube and share it with your friends and other relatives in Facebook. You can also create your own composition and songs and record it in either online or burn it onto a CD. Some electronic keyboards have this function. It is like having your own recording studio right in your home. Kids piano and keyboards also have pre-recorded dance songs, which make it a lot easier to play great sounding tunes. They will surely enjoy twist, waltz, rumba, disco and rock. Just start the tunes and play along with the rhythm.

Playing with your kids is so much fun. Your kid will look forward to your bonding time and play time. Make the most of his childhood. Create good childhood memories by playing with him. Buy toys that you can both use and enjoy.

If you are a caring, concerned parent, make sure you check out (http://planetparents.com/) Planet Parents, a great resource for smart, thinking parents who want to raise conscientious kids.

By Jerry Hendrickson

Fun, Quirky Children's Pillows That Adults Will Also Love

2012-02-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

It's not all the time that when you see something, it immediately grabs your attention and when you come for a closer look, you actually fall in love it. When that happens, you just can't let it go. I'm talking about attention-grabbing, earth-loving, unique children's pillows. They look so good that kids and adults alike would surely love them!

If you're a pillow loving person who loves to play around and experiment with cool, unique, funky designs, then why not look around online? Sometimes, all a room needs is a change of accessories. You don't have to spend so much on redecorating and one of the ways you can give a room a fresh new look is with pillows! If, say, you're thinking of giving your child's bedroom a new look, then check out some pillows we recommend.

The k studio Crying Pillow for example has this really cool design. It looks like a chic rendition of a child's sketch of a crying girl. The chicness comes from the simplicity of the design and it can be used in children's or adult's rooms. And because k studio believes in taking care of our environment, this pillow has a 100% organic cotton case. You don't need a tearful night to hug this pillow but if you do, the cute design is sure to make you smile.

Another fun pillow from k studio is their Rain Pillow. The delightful design is handmade in black stitch and white opaque applique. Again, it is made of organic cotton and just like the other pillows from k studio, it is filled with feather/down insert for that cushy softness. This pillow is just too cute for words.

I just can't over the designs of the k studio pillows. They have other choices and all of them have that fun, quirky designs which are really appealing. Pillows are always nice to have around because of the comfort factor, but those with really unique designs are sure to become favorites.

These fun and quirky children's pillows are so unique that you might want to have them for your own too! We're pretty sure mommies will like these quirky pillows. Grab a couple for your kids and a few more for you. They will perk up any room as well as your mood. It doesn't hurt either that these are made from organic materials. What a way to marry style and social responsibility.

By Coy Roberts

Let's Talk - Our Children's Lives Depend on It

2012-02-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we saw two children that lost their lives to suicide. One was a child battling with sexual identity and was only 14 years old. The other was only 11 years old and was facing a battle with muscular dystrophy and bullying. Two children under the ages of 14 in one week!! What has happened in our world when where we are watching our children suffering in silence and these extreme circumstances of taking their own lives? Think back to when you were 11 years old, would death have ever been a though you would have contemplated? How do we help our children to overcome the pains they are facing?

How Did We Get Here?

1. Our world has adopted an "at least I am better than them" philosophy which has endured for years. If we pay attention to history, many of the world's leaders rose to power by convincing entire populations that there were a part because of their physical characteristics or their willingness to abandon other human beings around a single idea.

2. In modern day America, our political system encourages the "at least I am better than them" mentality but in a more subtle way. During Barack Obama's run for the US presidency, we saw visions of monkeys, nooses and racial stereotypes. For the mother of a bi-racial child that was awed by the possibility of his presidency, explaining the painful images was hurtful for him and made him aware that people were capable of judging another human on something other than their character and integrity. This week we saw a student battling with sexuality kill himself because we as a society have judgment something that we do not understand and made him feel that he did not have a place in "our" society.

3. In modern day American politics, the culture is disturbing. People hold onto "at least I am better than them" in the voting booth and vote against their own interest often because of this desire to be better than someone. Whilst it may feel fashionable or socially acceptable to judge or condemn welfare recipients, those people are still a child's parents. How does a child translate that they should have never been born? How does the child translate that their parent, their one source of care, is a total loser in this culture? Does this then put the child in defensive mode? Does it foster an environment where a child understands the wrong and right or does it cause anger about a government and society so hell bent on hating their family? Whether this is rational or not does not matter as we are talking about the process of the infant mind.

How Do We Fix It?

1. We have to start encouraging our children to talk and to allow them to have their own feelings without our judgment. What if our child is battling with sexual identity? Do we immediately tell that this behavior is wrong and they are going to hell or do we truly listen to their feelings?

2. We, as parents, have to teach our children to love others. Parents have to acknowledge that despite their feelings about races, cultures or lifestyle differences, our children live in a different world. It is only going to hurt our children if we perpetuate hate. The voice for hate is becoming less and less.

3. We as parents have to stop judging other children and know that often bad behavior at an early age is a cry for help. Embrace that child that engages in behavior that is not typically acceptable and talk to them and try to find out the cause of the problem and extend your hand to a child.

4. Educate your community and be an advocate for our children. Intervene when you see that parent telling their child that they can no longer play with Johnny because he said a curse word. Try to help Johnny and help the judging parent to try and help Johnny.

5. Encourage conversation. Listen to children without judgment. Judgment stops conversation and causes the child to keep their concerns bottled on the inside which subconsciously manifests in bad behaviors. Listen to our children before talking.

Dena Sisk Foman is an attorney and advocate for children's mental health issues. She is the author of Only I Can Define Me: Releasing Shame and Growing Into My Adult Self and is the child survivor of a dysfunctional upbringing. Ms. Foman founded The Let's Talk Initiative, Inc which aims to bring attention to mental health and to encourage parents and children to talk about subjects society deems shameful. She is a strong advocate for talking and encourages all to join her movement to talk freely without fear of judgment. You can connect with Dena Sisk Foman at http://www.releasingshame.com.

By Dena Sisk Foman

Sports Programs Must Promote Character Development and Maturity

2012-02-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

Children grow up quickly and while they are maturing they especially pay attention to those things that they love. Kids love sports and that is one reason why sports have a great impact on them. Athletic games and activities are opportunities for growth in character development and maturity. Coaches, teachers, parents, and administrators need to make sure that they are making the most of these opportunities.

Participation in a sport provides excellent exercise and improves physical development. However, all programs should include goals that focus on character building as well. A coach or instructor should not focus only on the game's outcome. A program that does not teach principles of behavior that help build good character is not a complete program.

The Principles Themselves

In a team sport, children should play unselfishly, care about the team, help teammates, show good sportsmanship-win or lose, and set a good example for others. A child athlete should also respect authority, practice self-discipline and display self-control. These principles must be taught and reinforced repeatedly.

Before each season, those who plan and advance athletic activities should meet and identify principles and establish goals that advance such principles. A method of measuring results should also be discussed. Then those principles and goals ought to be communicated to children and parents-and reinforced several times during the season. Keys to such efforts are the attitude and practices of the coaches-and the support and buy-in of the parents.

Good character development is a topic that has received a much attention in schools and community sports programs. The importance and need for sportsmanship becomes apparent with bad behavior. School handbooks are filled with rules that identify bad behavior and the consequences to students when such behavior is practiced. Community programs not only communicate rules that regulate the athlete's play, but there are not many that govern spectator behaviors. Common sense and maturity is not a given when it comes to adults watching children in sports. In addition to warning off bad behaviors, positive behaviors must be taught and reinforced to children in sports programs.

There are many organizations that are good sources of information on principles of behavior and those character traits that should be taught to our young athletes. Yet, it is easy to understand that in our hyper-competitive world that efforts outside the win and loss column can get overlooked. That is why sports program goals need to be explicit when it comes to character-building and everyone involved needs to focus on them. A school sports program may state in the school handbook: "Our sports programs will provide the student athlete with quality instruction and friendly competition, stressing the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship." But at some level, the student athlete must be exposed to much more specific instruction. These instructions need to be woven into the fabric of our sports programs, taught explicitly by our coaches, and supported completely by parents.

Importance of the Season Postmortem

After each season, those in charge of the sports program ought to take time to have a season post mortem and look at what worked and what didn't work-how expectations were met and what needs to be done next season to improve the program. It is important to spend as much time reviewing these outcomes as one might review the team's win-loss record, the team's most valuable player and next year's schedule. If a coach consistently produces players who are recognized as having good character in a winning program, that is a coach who should be rewarded and recognized as an example for other coaches. If we want children to build character and grow emotionally in sports, we need to be sure that plenty of time and attention is given such objectives.

Larry Norris, President of Sporting Chance Press ( http://www.sportingchancepress.com ) and publisher of Chicago Bears Senior Director Patrick McCaskey's "Sports and Faith: Stories of the Devoted and the Devout," J. D. Thorne's "The 10 Commandments of Baseball: An Affectionate Look at Joe McCarthy's Principles for Success in Baseball (and Life)," Mike Cameron's "Public Bonehead, Private Hero: The Real Legacy of Baseball's Fred Merkle," and Nicolette House's "Maddie Takes the Ice."

By Larry M Norris

Real Stress Relief - Calming the Teenage Beast

2012-02-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Looking for some stress relief from teen parenting? If you have ever raised a teen, you know that some days you might feel like you are living with some sort of deviant creature or even an alien! "Compared to grown ups, teens have a far stronger biological response to upsets and release more stress hormones" says Dr. Mark Goulston, author of "Just Listen".

Teens also have different levels of all of the emotion/feel good hormones and neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin which makes them very impulsive. In fact, teenagers can be so volatile at times that they could easily be diagnosed with a variety of psychological/personality disorders- like bi-polar, or borderline personality!

Any counselor worth his salt will hold off and be slow to diagnose a teenager, because their hormones really do make them act nuts! Their neurons are still developing connections and their decision making circuits are not fully developed yet.

As a result, living with a teen can be quite a roller coaster ride- where they move from stress to distress, make poor judgments, and have a difficult time communicating.

This can sometimes cause us to misbehave as well. We become defensive, combative, anxious, overprotective, or sometimes become a doormat out of fear of volatile sometimes violent confrontation.

It is difficult to stop and think about the best way to communicate in these volatile situations-but if we want to re-connect in more positive ways, it is possible for us to learn new ways or techniques when these situations arise.

One of the best methods that I have found is from Dr. Mark Goulston's book Just Listen. It may take some rehearsal, but if you can start to react and speak differently in conflict, your chances for having situations spin completely out of control will decrease!

Try this method for calming the crazy brain of a teenager to see if you can re- connect with your teen:

1. Plan a time when you will be in the car together (captive audience!)

2. And then ask these questions:
-What's the most frustrated you have ever felt with your mom/dad or me?
-"How bad was it for you?"
-What did it make you want to do?"
-"What did you do?"

3. Let your child answer and then say:
-"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was so bad"

Don't be surprised if your child sheds tears and then opens up to you in what may be followed by the firsts non-confrontational talk that you have had in a long time. This process has brought that strange, impulsive, moody brain under control- at least for a few minutes!

Parenting teens can be a stressful undertaking. By employing some of these questioning techniques, you can give yourself and your teen some needed stress relief! To learn more about other innovative stress solutions, go to http://www.RealStressSolutions.com

Angela Bussio is a best selling author, coach, and founder of Real Stress Solutions.com, and inbox magazine. Real Stress Solutions provides state-of-the-art stress reduction and management techniques to help people find the balance they need. She is also the innovator of upcoming online program,"Turn Stress to Success" featuring the "5 minute Stress Solution" phone APP.

By Angela W Bussio

Generation Y, Or Is It Generation Why?

2012-02-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

Move over Baby Boomers and Generation "X"ers, there is a new kid in town, Generation "Y." This new generation includes individuals born between 1979- 2003, today's young people. They are also known as the "Millennials," "Net Generation" and "Nexters." Let's explore who makes up this generation and what are their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses.

The events of our world culture have shaped the members of Generation "Y". Just as the development of the motor vehicle changed the world in the 20's and the "Great Depression" shaped the morals of individuals born in the 30's, digital technology has immersed Generation "Y." They have grown up being able to exchange information all the time and in all locations. Social networking is a standard form of communication and thus open sharing of information, photographs and other personal information gives the concept of "open lines of communication" a whole new meaning. Other historical events that have shaped their views and values. During the lifetime of this generation they have known a nation that has been at war, they have witnessed multiple terriost attacks to their country and their people, with the Twin Towers being the most notable memory of destruction. They strongly value safety and security.

Millennials are often seen as sheltered and over-indulged. As children they experienced an era that came with a great deal of encouragement and positive reinforcement. They have received trophies, ribbons and accolades for their efforts in sports, music, academics and often not just for winning, but for simple participation. This generation was enrolled in organized groups at a very young age, often beginning soccer, baseball, tumbling and dance at ages as young as 4 years old.

How do all these life shaping experiences play out for Gen Y?

Strengths: Confident, multitaskers, team-oriented and prefer to work in groups, techno-savvy, they want a challenge (but not responsibility.) They easily embrace change, possibly even thrive on it. Value civic duties, acceptance of diversity and able to be empathetic. They want to work, but don't want work to be their life.

Weaknesses: Struggle with processing failure and criticism, commitment phobia- don't tend to stick to any one job or any one assignment for too long, their focus is more on making a difference, having fun and learning as they go.

Predictions for this generation are they will truly strive for a balance of work and family. A focus on personal time and pleasure will drive their choices more so than career building. Remember there isn't the "corporate ladder" for this generation. They aren't afraid to take chances. They are ambitious and eager to learn new skills. Trial and error is a common learning tool for these young minds.

Are you feeling a generation gap with a young person in your life? I know I have. In dealing with the young people in my life, I have had to adjust to a cell phone bill that arrives in the mail looking somewhat like a book from Amazon.com. Seeing the number of texts that can transpire in a 30 day period can be mind boggling. Parenting concerns of my generation about whether "girls should call boys" is obsolete. Generation Y lives in the age of massive, continual communication and gender boundaries do not register for them at all. There are positives in these broken barriers and there are also new challenges for parents and for the members of this new generation.

As you work through issues related to the generation gap keep these points in mind. Appeal to their strengths of valuing teamwork, striving for input and affirmation from others. Challenge their sense of curiosity and their ability to embrace change.

As with all generations there are strengths and weaknesses. From these unique characteristics have come great marks in history. Each era has built upon the previous era for the betterment of society as a whole. This current generation will be no different. Their mark in history will be uniquely theirs and future generations will strive to learn from them as well as, create their own uniqueness. Good luck and oh, may I suggest you request "paperless billing" for the cell phone bill.

Christy Billings, M.S., LPC is a licensed professional counselor. To see more articles and resources about parenting issues, relationship struggles, spiritual growth, and/or grief visit http://www.cbcmckinney.com.

You may also can contact Christy direct at christybillings@sbcglobal.net.

By Christy L Billings

Bullying and Sexuality: Enough Is Enough

2012-01-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

Bullying is not a new problem that we are facing. For years, we've published books about it, and seen episodes depicted on film and television. Today, unfortunately, we are seeing more and more incidents of bullying on tragic evening news stories rather than quirky sit-coms in which the victims stands up to his tormenter. If bullying isn't becoming more prevalent or more aggressive in our society, it is at least becoming more visible.

Bullying is defined as aggressive behavior that manifests as a habitual occurrence, and is triggered by a perceived imbalance of power; it is commonly directed at victims who differ in race, religion, and sexuality. This behavior can involve any type of abuse including emotional abuse, verbal abuse, or physical abuse. Emotional and verbal abuse has always been difficult for authorities to recognize and act upon; today, the situation is further complicated by the use of the internet and the emergence of "cyber-bullying" or emotional and verbal harassment via IM, email, and other technology.

We are seeing more and more homosexual teens and young adults fall victim to bullying at school and the workplace. The media is displaying a growing number of stories about teenagers who are identifying themselves at homosexual being harassed at school and via the Internet about their sexuality; the stories we see on the news don't have the happy sit-com endings. It seems rare that the abusive behavior results in a moment of life-changing action. Instead, victims feel the impact of this harassment as depression, low self-esteem and self-worth, health problems, poor grades and performance, and suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, the effects of bullying for any reason, including sexuality, are felt more commonly that many of us would like to believe. In fact, the statistics related to bullying in secondary schools alone in 2011 are staggering:

    * 1 out of 4 teenagers are bullied at school.
    * 9 out of 10 LGBT students are harassed at school or online.
    * 1 out of 5 school aged children admit to being a bully, or bullying someone.
    * 8 out of 10 occasions, an argument with a bully ends with physical violence.
    * In instances of bullying, adults intervene 4% of the time and peers intervene 11% of the time. 85% of these instances have no intervention.

Bullying doesn't end when we leave the playground. A large number of LGTB adults experience bullying in their day-to-day lives. Bullies still exist in both the social scene and the work place. Adult bullies attack their victims with verbal abuse and humiliation; it is still the same play to make them feel like they are the dominate person in the scenario, possessing power over another. Workplace bullying can come in many forms. Some of these include shouting at an employee or other verbal abuse, singling out an employee for unjustified criticism, excluding an employee from company activities, constantly ignoring an employee's contributions to projects, or language and action used with the intent to embarrass or humiliate a single employee repeatedly. Unfortunately, many feel that there is little that can be done to break this cycle of workplace aggression. Popular suggestions include working with supervisors to make others aware of the situation and trying to avoid confrontation.

If you find yourself, your teen, or someone you know involved with a bully as a result of their sexuality or other differences, consider these steps to cope with the problem:

   1. Talk to someone about your experiences: Being bullied at school or in the office can be a humiliating experience. That does not mean that you should keep the instance or instances to yourself. Talk to your friends, family, and other means of support about your experience. Discuss how you feel about the scenario, and how the bully's actions made you feel about yourself. Alerting people to your problem will help them keep better watch over you. If aware of the problems, your friends and family may be able to watch for signs of depression, and may also be able to help you avoid your bully in the future.

   2. Alert authorities about your problem: In the majority of situations, there is someone who is in the position to help you with your tormenter. If you are experiencing any form of harassment, you should alert the authorities at school, your HR representative or manager at work, the manager of a business you are visiting, or even the bouncer at a concert or club. Remember that it may not be possible for the authorities to take immediate action on your behalf, especially if you are only experiencing verbal abuse with no witnesses. However, alerting the people in a position to monitor these events may trigger them to keep a closer watch on the situation, accumulate evidence of the occurrences, and be ready to take action if the harassment continues. You should also remember that, if the harassment become violent, the law is often on your side.

   3. Be careful in situations where you can be harassed: Though it may seem unfair, often the best way to avoid being bullied is to avoid the bully. As adults, we are more able to walk away from situations where we may experience harassment. In occasions when this is not possible, a large group may be a deterrent for the bully; it is usually difficult for one person, even one who is aggressive, to face their victim when they are outnumbered.

   4. Be assertive and remember your rights: When faced with verbal and emotional harassment, sometimes a display of strength and assertiveness will work in your favor. Do not encourage a bully at school or in the workplace by fighting back with verbal barbs or physical violence. Instead, tell them to stop the behavior and leave you alone. Try not to show that their actions are bothering you; if they find that they are unable to break your spirits and dominate you, their harassment may stop.

In many instances, a victim of bullying may need more than a few simple tips and tools to handle the emotional stress of the harassment. If you or someone you are suffering from depression as a result of bullying behavior, you should seek professional help to begin coping with these issues. While family and friends may form a great support group for your day-to-day life, a counselor can help you work through feelings of low-self worth, depression, and suicidal thoughts that were triggered by the harassment.

Nancy Travers, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, specializes in all types of relationships; dating, existing relationships, family relationships, and relationships with friends and business relationships. She also helps her clients overcome anxiety and depression through talk therapy as well as through hypnosis. What sets her apart from many other counselors is that she has counseled in the gay/lesbian community for over 10 years. She also has experience counseling families with elder care issues. Nancy has been in practice for over 15 years and can provide you with the tools you need to approach dating and relationships with confidence. Visit her website at http://www.nancyscounselingcorner.com.

By Nancy Travers

Spelling For Kids

2012-01-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

People are often judged by their ability to spell correctly. Spelling is a skill that can be learned and practised, so you as a parent can help your child to become a great speller.

Always show that you are interested in your child's spelling progress. Be positive; praise your child's efforts and attempts. If you are negative, your child will see themselves as a failure when it comes to spelling.

This will impact upon all of their writing. They simply won't want to write for fear of making spelling errors.

When your child is writing creatively, tell them not to worry about their spelling. Tell them that it is more important to get their ideas down on paper and offer to help them find and correct the errors later.

Good readers are generally good spellers. Encourage your child to read a variety of books. If your child is young, read to them as often as you can. Let the child watch the words as you read. Spelling for kids must be fun and the words should be achievable.

Get their eyes checked!

If your child is struggling with reading and spelling, then take them to an optometrist and get their eyes checked.

Sometimes you won't realise there is a problem until the work starts to become smaller and more information is placed on pages and boards. Usually this starts to happen when the child is around 9 years old. If they complain of headaches, this can be another indication that their eyesight may be a problem.

Some tips for improving your child's spelling.

Encourage your child to:
- read lots of different types of books
- make a list of new words they come across
- do cross-word puzzles
- close their eyes and picture the words in their head and write the words with their finger in the air
- spell words out loud and in their head
- highlight the tricky bits and learn the tricky part by repeating it

Try to make spelling for kids an interesting time. Play games with them and help them to examine the words they have to learn and you'll see your child's spelling skills improve dramatically.

These are just a few ideas from our Spelling DVD. It also covers the best method for learning a word, lots of other activities, mnemonics (memory tricks), most commonly used word list and demon word list, spelling rules, prefixes, suffixes, homonyms, synonyms, antonyms, anagrams, homophones and homographs. Yes, all those terms that confuse parents and children when they are doing spelling homework.

By Karen Campbell

Children and Their Literature in Old Times

2012-01-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

The very first Danish book for children, "Børne Speigel", was published, in 1568. It consisted of didactic verses and was written by a teacher, Niels Bredal (circa 1500-1580), who seems to have been obsessed with good behavior and obedience in children. Not that that attitude is so different from the one exhibited by other authors and thinkers before him, but his book makes it clear how very limiting such a point of view is, both to the understanding and the appreciation of the reality of children. A child is so much more than a well behaved robot who speaks like a clergyman and always obeys the grown-ups.

"Børne Speigel" may be translated into "The Mirror for Children" and the book is set out to be a corrective mirror that points out the faults and lacks in young individuals. They are to obey, to be devout, to make sure that they are clean in body and soul, etc.. The main purpose is to teach the informative mind as much self-control and self-possession as possible. Something that is done by imposing shame on the child. It is shameful not to keep track of body and soul at all times. No lose limbs, so to speak, not even while sleeping. For instance, one should always sleep with one's mouth open and keep a straight, soldier-like posture in bed.

Niels Bredal had been a monk, but after the Reformation when Denmark turned from the Catholic faith to Protestantism (1536) he married and became a teacher. However, to me it's obvious that he brought much of the strict discipline of the monasteries with him into his new life. His book was inspired by writings of Erasmus of Rotterdam, but his monitions seem stricter and much more body oriented than most of what I have read by the famous Dutch thinker. His concern also goes to low levels like breaking wind.

Even Platon suggested that children should have their own literature. Fables and fairy tales far back used to be considered good educational readings for the children and so they were although most of it seems to have this didactic perspective that modern literature does not have anymore. However, only with educational authors like e.g. Niels Bredal does one find this extremely strict raised finger.

The first illustrated book for children, "Orbis Pictus" ("The World in Pictures") in Denmark was written by Comenius. It was published in 1658 and was a textbook, full of admonitions about good behavior and the wisdom of the time. Not until the 18th century children had books that set out to entertain as well as teach morals and the social values they were to adhere to as grown-ups.

By Else Cederborg

Goal Setting Kids

2012-01-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

Goal setting kids learn to develop one of the key strategies for success at school and in every area of life. By assisting your children to set goals at a young age and become goal setting kids, their chance of future success will improve dramatically.

You can help your children to develop this essential skill and be setting goal kids. By increasing their awareness of some important elements, the results they can achieve will be extremely rewarding and help to inspire them to persevere with other goals as well. Goal setting kids are students who set goals and generally display motivation and commitment towards achieving them. They also tend to achieve better results than students who aren't goal setting kids.

The secret for children to be setting goal kids is to begin with setting short term goals that are realistic and possible to achieve. When success is reached, the feelings of pride and self achievement will motivate them to set other goals and have belief in their ability to achieve them. Once their confidence in being kids for setting their goal and using this strategy is developed, they will feel confident in setting bigger long term goals.

The following strategies for goal setting kids can be used as a guide to lead your child to success:
1. Set realistic short term goals.
2. Make a list of the actions you need to take so that you reach your goal.
3. Work hard and apply effort. Don't give up! Even if you fail at first, just keep trying.
4. If you really believe you can do it, you are likely to succeed!
5. Monitor your progress along the way (e.g. checklist of completed tasks).
6. When you reach your goal, feel proud of your success.

Parents and carers can play a crucial role in helping goal setting kids to achieve their goals and apply this strategy on a regular basis. By supporting your child when deciding on goals to set, encourage them to use the strategies above. Positive reinforcement and continual praise for their efforts is essential. This will motivate and inspire them to persevere. If a goal isn't achieved in the desired time frame, support your child in persisting even if it takes longer to achieve than first anticipated or hoped.

Be a good role model! This is also crucial to the success of setting goal kids. Children copy and are influenced by what they see and if you are applying the principles of goal setting and persisting with your goals, then they will do the same.

It's also very important for a child's achievements to be acknowledged and celebrated by their parents, family members or carers. This will give a further boost to the child's self esteem and confidence and encourage them to keep striving for success. So ensure celebration occurs when goals are reached, and that includes your goals as well as theirs. This type of success should be acknowledged and celebrated.

For further tips and helpful advice to assist your child in reaching their full potential at school, please visit our website blog. We also have several products available on our products page that will help you to help your child in many areas of their school work and homework.

http://products.helpwithhomeworkforkids.com/
Karen Campbell and Katrina Kahler
Help With Homework For Kids: Homework Help/Goal Setting Kids

By Karen Campbell Co-Author: Katrina Kahler

To Do List For Children

2012-01-27T16:28:00.000-08:00

A "to do list for children" is a great way to help your child become organised - this works not only for children but for adults as well and is a fantastic habit to develop at a young age.

To ensure success in creating a "to do list for children" assist your child in working through the following steps. This will guide them in developing the skills necessary so that this helpful strategy becomes a habit and an ongoing part of their daily routine.

To Do List For Children

1. Write down homework tasks first.
2. List any chores that have to be done.
3. List any after school activities.
4. Add some fun, free-time activities to your list.

When creating a "to do list for children" remember to...

Decide how much time is needed for each task and add this detail to your list.

Prioritise your tasks - do the harder or more important tasks first and save the easier and more enjoyable tasks until last. (This acts as encouragement to persevere with more difficult tasks and also as a reward when they are completed).

Break difficult tasks into smaller chunks and do a little bit each day e.g. large projects or assignments can be completed a little at a time rather than leaving it all to the last minute and trying to complete the whole task the night before.

Be sure to complete each task before starting a new one.

Cross off each task in your "to do list for children" as it is completed (this creates a great feeling of satisfaction).

Add any tasks that weren't completed, to your list for the following day.

Take pride in your "to do list for children" and the fact that you are becoming more organised and able to complete activities by the due date.

Parental support and guidance is needed when creating a "to do list for children." Assisting your child with developing this skill is essential in enabling them to adopt this habit and become successful in following through. Praise and positive reinforcement will always motivate children to apply effort and take pride in what they are doing. Parents and carers should also remember to be a positive role model and lead by example. When creating a "to do list for children," why not create a "to do list for parents" as well? This is a great way for the whole family to become more organised together!

Visit our website blog for further tips, strategies and advice on creating a "to do list for children" along with a variety of other organisational skills and useful strategies for success. To meet your child's educational needs, we also offer a wide range of products that will assist you in helping your child with school work and homework.

http://products.helpwithhomeworkforkids.com/

Karen Campbell and Katrina Kahler
Help With Homework For Kids: Homework Help/To Do List For Children

By Karen Campbell Co-Author: Katrina Kahler

Make-Believe Camping in Children's Play Tents

2012-01-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

Children are naturally creative because they are not afraid to think out of the box. Even if you leave them in a room without any toys, they will not hesitate to use boxes, furniture, and bed sheets and they will build tents and forts and make-believe houses. It's nice to help them use their imagination. It is better if they do it without ruining your furniture and bedding.

That's why children's play tents can be a source of entertainment and fun for them. Some kids like keep things pretty even when they are roughing it up. It's a good thing that there are decidedly feminine versions of children's tents. Some of them have attractive green and white stripes, white buffalo checks, and pretty pink ticking. If that is not enough, some have fuchsia or pink flower appliques. Your little girl and her friends are going to enjoy spending an afternoon in these tents. In their feminine version of a tent, nobody could keep them from sharing stories, reading, and doing what girls do when they are together- having fun!

There are also play tents that have more masculine prints. Some have adorable retro rodeo print with yellow ticking and tan suede accents for that fun cowboy look. This is great if your kids don't have access to a tree house or the weather is not ideal for outdoor play. Boys will appreciate the privacy that a tent can give them. Just remember that some of these tents are meant for indoors. The weather is not always conducive for playing outside but indoor play tents make it possible for kids to go camping indoors!

Just like grown-ups, children appreciate their own space even when they are just playing. Give them their privacy and let them entertain themselves in their own world. Children's play tents are one those simple yet classic toys that will never go out of style. They can come in outdoor and indoor models that will ensure your children will be entertained all year long. Kids don't have to resort to upturned furniture, boxes, and bedding. Although this sort of imaginative play can be fun, they are not always safe for children. Those heavy pieces of furniture are accidents waiting to happen and your linens are in danger of being stained and ripped. Keep your kids safe with play tents instead. You will also appreciate the fact that your furniture will not be upturned and your bedding ripped.

By Coy Roberts

Kids' Beds: Indoor Adventure Land

2012-01-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

If you have little boys, you know they could be a handful. Sometimes, you get tired just by looking at all the things they do. They never seem to stop running, jumping, or climbing even indoors. However, parents should not curb this boundless energy but should think of it as children's way of expressing their love for adventure.

Boys never seem to get tired of adventure. Even if they are indoors, they will find a way to entertain themselves with exciting games. Most of the time, their bedrooms become adventure land itself. It's not a bad thing. In fact, it is good for them to be imaginative. Give them an extra push by providing them with fun furniture that will enhance their creativity. With just a bit of imagination, they can go on an adventure on their very own children's beds.

There are some remarkable beds out there. Would you believe there are bunk beds with tents and slides? Yes, you read it right. Some of them have tents and slides! Camping and sliding never lose their novelty. This is every little boys' dream bed. The tent goes over the bunk bed and it also has a hiding place below. The foot of the bed has a slide topped with a tower. The other end is a sturdy ladder that makes it safe to climb to the bed itself. The blue and green microfiber material of the tents makes this bunk bed truly a little boy's delight. Who says you can't go camping and sliding in your bed?

If you have a little athlete in your hands, encourage his physical prowess by surrounding him with everything sporty including his bed. There are also beds decorated with footballs, basketballs, baseballs, etc. both on the headboard and the footboard. The pop out design of these balls make a fun contrast to straight lines of the bed. For sure, your little boy will be dreaming of all sorts of games in this fun twin bed. Even if you don't understand sports yourself, you should encourage your kid's love for it.

Childhood is fleeting but I'm sure that you still remember those happy moments. That's why as adults, things we enjoyed as kids always make us smile. Make your own children enjoy being kids while they can. It's easy to do when they can go on an adventure even in their very own children's beds.

By Coy Roberts

How Can Parents Help Children to Stop Lying?

2012-01-24T16:23:00.000-08:00

Children lying to parents and friends are a common phenomenon that is seen through generations. Every generation comes up with new parenting strategies which generally are outgrown. Every generation of parent must come up with new strategies to understand and help the child develop good habits and values.

Lying is considered to be one of the worst habits which a person develops. We all lie to one or the other at sometime during our life. The reasons for lying could be that we do not want to hurt the other or do not like doing a particular thing, which provokes us to lie. Whatever be the reason, lying is not a good habit and has to be stopped. Here are some tips which can help parents control lying.

1. A young mind can easily be affected by his/her surroundings. It is therefore important that parents do not at any time lie to anyone when the children are around. This just makes the child think that it is alright to lie and will not be able to judge the reason for your scolding.

2. Talk to the child if you think he/she has been lying to you. A talk can help solve and sort out the problem. Yelling, punishing gives a negative effect which will only put the child's feeling in a shell. A short story which can highlight the importance of saying the truth can help the child to understand why it is not good to lie.

3. If the child is still not giving up lying, parents can come up with indirect punishments to help them realize their mistakes. For example: not talking to the child for a day or two, no weekend outings (for everyone in the family), no play time etc.

4. Appreciating the child if he/she tells the truth is a motivating factor for the child to continue the same. Not only will it help build confidence, but will also reduce the fear of telling the truth.

5. Refrain from comparing one child with the other. It is seen in many houses that parents compare the child and this results in the child to start lying. Lying becomes an instinctive approach to put oneself on par with the other, which needs to be stopped.

6. Children lie about material possessions with their friends. Talking to the child about not lying about material possessions and encouraging him/her to feel happy about the things which the child has can help put a stop to their lying.

Many of the traits and behavioral instincts which the child develops are in the initial stages of growth. Parents need to spend more time with the child and help him/her pass through every hurdle successfully, thus helping them grow to be better people.

Log onto http://www.edurite.com/blog for many interesting articles.

By Pady N

Does Your Child Understand Money?

2012-01-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Is your child ready to survive in the real world? The world of money, income and debt? Our households, cities, states and nations are drowning in debt because many adults never learned fiscal responsibility.

According to CreditCards.com in July 2011 the average credit card debt per household in the US was $15,799. Bloomberg.com tells us that in 2010 foreclosures rose 81%, topping 2.3 Million last year.

Children follow the example of what we do without regard to what we say. So when the government borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends year after year - what do we expect our children to do? The national debt has been over one trillion dollars since 1981. Republicans, Democrats, progressives and conservatives, every administration has increased the debt. As of this writing the figure is rapidly approaching 15 trillion. We all have learned by example, our children will be no different.

What's the point of all of this? In the times of greatest financial crises, the people who have zero debt and available money do VERY well. Winning in bad times does not take wealth, it takes 'liquidity.' Therefore it is up to parents and educators to make sure the future is brighter than the present, rather than darker.

So how do we go about teaching our young folk financial responsibility? It's easy, and that's the truth. Like anything else, when you start out learning the right way it is easy compared to trying to fix it after it's gone awry. Today our kids are computer whizzes because they have grown up with them. Those that grow up understanding financial reality will be whizzes at that too.

Start your child out with an understanding of where money comes from. Work! Or perhaps a better way of stating it is: providing a service in exchange for payment. Small service to few - small reward. Small service to many - big reward. Large service to few - fair reward. Large service to many - great reward. In the day to day that translates into our youth earning things/money as opposed to having parents just supply them with it all.

I was taught early on to save 10%, tithe 10%, and then live on what's left. Can you imagine the savings account you would have at retirement if you routinely saved 10% of every dollar you ever earned?

But telling your kids this stuff and teaching it to them are two very different things. A number of years ago Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad developed a terrific board game which actually teaches adults & children alike real life money principles. The game is called Cash Flow and is kind of pricey, but it is invaluable for what it does. Here's a tip: you can get it on eBay for about half of the retail price.

Additionally there is now a free online resource from Kiyosaki with 4 separate money teaching games for kids from K2 through 12th grade and has available parent/teacher guides & tips. It is a truly terrific resource. You will find them at RichKidSmartKid.com.

For those who would like a program to get young children (up to age 8) started right at home, there is a great series called Financial Fairy Tales which is very effective.

No matter how you choose to do it, start now! Save your child from the money struggles they are sure to experience if they don't learn how to manage their money and spending. You can boil everything you need to know about fiscal responsibility into one sentence: Live on less than you make.

Start them in the right direction now.

Christopher Stephenson has been Owner/Operator of several successful businesses, both online and brick & mortar. A popular author and speaker on positive attitude for success, he is retired from active business and committed to helping others.

Raising children while working and building a business simultaneously Christopher & his bride learned all there is to know about parenting - the hard way, it's called experience. An avid reader and 'consumer' of training seminars, personal coaching, private counseling and continuing education he has been led to help others by mentoring from personal experience.

This article and the report at http://RaiseYourChildRight.com have been prepared as an expression of that goal.

By Christopher Stephenson

Steps Used to Control an Unruly Child

2012-01-22T02:31:00.000-08:00

Whether a parent/guardian, instructor, child care provider, or even innocent bystander, many people have likely seen or dealt with an unruly child at least once. This may range from a brief encounter with a tantrum-throwing child at the local grocery store to a full-blown screaming match at home. Those tasked with controlling a rowdy child face many challenges, but steps can be taken to gradually improve the situation.

The ABCs of Behavior Problems

When attempting to change a child's unwanted behaviors, many people want to jump right to punishment. It's almost a natural instinct: something bad occurs and it must be countered with a punishment. In some cases, this approach just doesn't work on its own. If you find yourself consistently punishing a child without any change in his or her behavior, try instead looking at their actions. The ABCs of behavior are Antecedent (what happens immediately before the behavior happens) Behavior (what happens) and Consequence (what happens in response to the behavior.)

The antecedent is a very important part of behavior. Knowing what will set off a behavior is incredibly valuable and can help prevent many problems before they ever start. Consider stopping to look for the antecedent if your child constantly repeats unwanted behaviors. It may save a lot of future trouble if the antecedent is easily controlled.

Finding the Right System

Variety is a great thing, however consistency is key when dealing with behavior. Find something that works and stick with it. Every child is different, and saying, "Time out will work," or "Rewarding good behavior is the best option,"will never work in every situation. One child may react well to positive reinforcement because they want to be rewarded for good behavior. Some children don't mind sitting in their rooms alone while others couldn't care less about getting gold stars. Some children just need a gentle reminder to behave, while others seem to lose all control of themselves. The key here is to know the child in question and find a system fitting their needs.

Consistency in Actions

Once you find a system of punishment or reward (or both) that works for a child, be consistent! Create a list of rules, rewards, and consequences. Let the child know that this is the way things are and you won't compromise. If you set a rule, follow it and make your child follow it. Do not deviate unless you find one of your new laws is ineffective. Think, if you will, of a traffic officer. A van in front of you is speeding, but the officer ignores it, but pulls you over for speeding and writes you a hefty fine. That's pretty infuriating. So say you've found a successful system to control your child's bad behavior and he's doing well, but then you stop reinforcing good behavior and punishing bad behavior, or one member of the family implements the rules and another lets the child run crazy. Be consistent.

Forming Partnerships

Finally, don't feel like you need to go at it alone. If you've received countless notes from school or daycare, try to get everyone on board to help. This includes school staff, childcare providers, family and friends. As mentioned above, everyone should be on the same page: same rules, rewards, and punishments. Of course, your child might have different consequences at school and home, but teachers and parents can work together to create a plan. For example, if a student behaves well in school, he may be praised or rewarded at home. If he or she misbehaves, the computer or favorite game might be locked up after school.

Larry McCullough is a 20 year Retired Devil Dog(Marine) who loves to surf and market the Internet. Owns several websites and love to help people. Love to workout and eat healthy, currently works at the USPS..http://www.6fig.com/

By Larry McCullough

The Princess Toddler Bed and A Little Girl's Imagination

2012-01-21T02:30:00.000-08:00

There are different models of the Princess toddler bed made by different manufacturers. What they all have in common is the fact that they probably excite the imagination of the little girl who is using it. Some of these toddler beds look like they actually came out of a fantasy movie. The construction goes into great detail and helps a little girl to create a fun fantasy land in her very own bedroom.

Let's face it, there is nothing wrong in a child using their imagination. After all this is how great empires are started in the real world, with imagination. The mind can be a great driving force if it is allowed to run in a productive way. You wouldn't want to stop your child from using their imagination. I am sure Walt Disney used his imagination to get him as far as he did and most of us are all thankful for that.

A princess toddler bed is a long way from Disney World. Or is it? Bedroom furniture that helps a child use their mind for good and happy things is sure to bring the best out of the child. Just think, giving a child a bed of nails to sleep on. I don' think that would help keep your child's mind at its peak of happiness and may have a negative perception of life in general.

Maybe all that is pretty deep to get into when all I wanted to talk about was how much fun your child could have with a princess toddler bed. Well take your hand and lift your lower jaw back up in place and let's talk about how some of these princess beds are constructed.

Some of the more expensive ones such as the castles are made with hardwood and veneers. They can be quite extravagant and costly. Some of these are loft beds with slides and ladders. A virtual playground if you will. Others can be quite simplistic and made from simulated wood products at a rather lower cost. Actually some of the plastic types which have molded detail and different colors look pretty good and are very cheap. There really is something out there suiting most people's budget. Some of these children's beds have pillars or posts with little crowns on them and some have canopies to further the little princess life in more detail.

Until their real life shining knight comes into the picture it is up to you to keep them happy. Whether you are looking for a princess toddler bed that is low to the ground or higher up such as a loft bed, one of these little girl's beds will make your child quite happy. Their imagination can soar to great heights and be back on the ground again for dinner.

That's the great thing about the imagination. You little girl can leave you and go all over the world, even to a different time and still be there when you call out their name for lunch. Believe me, when they get older it won't be so easy. God bless a little girl's imagination and her princess toddler bed.

A Toddler bed will let you will know exactly where your little girl is even when they are very far away. Their imagination will allow them to stray far from home but be back again the moment you want them. Check out (http://toddlerbedprincess.com/) a Princess Toddler Bed today!

By Felicity Moss

Creative Science Fair Projects

2012-01-20T02:28:00.000-08:00

Deciding on a science fair project can be very difficult for many children. Often the more common projects, like the volcano, are swooped up first, leaving students to have to think outside the box for projects. The following science fair projects are sure to be creative along with intriguing to all audiences.

The first experiment we will look is the popular question of "Does music affect plant life?" which has been casually asked for years. This project is quite simple to setup and recording the data is very easy. You will need three identical plants, two radios, two genres of music (rock and classical recommended) and that is it. Place the plants in a closed off room, make sure the plants get equal amounts of sunlight and water, then place the stereos approximately 6 inches from the plants. Every seven days record your findings, do this for one month.

The next science fair project idea is showing how model rockets work. This is a very simple task, and can be created with just a few main props. You will need a model rocket and model rocket engines. If you decide to show the model rocket in action it is important to make sure you have launch equipment. If you decide to purchase a model rocket kit you can show the assembly of the rocket, or you can purchase the parts and build your own. Explain how the fins are used for stabilizing the rocket, how the rocket engines propel the model rocket, and how the recovery system works. Not only are model rockets fun to build, everyone will love seeing it launch hundreds of feet into the air.

Our last science fair project tackles the growing plan to switch to renewable energies. Solar panels are popping up everywhere, and in some cases even on cars. This project shows how the angle of the sun rays affect the speed of the model solar car. You can purchase a solar car from many hobby shops and the size varies. The main point of the project is to show how the speed of the car is affected when power, from the sunlight, is not getting to the panels. Run the car down a small track and record your findings. After each run change the positions of the panels to see which direction offers the most power.

These are just a few science fair projects that can be considered. There are many websites and books out there that show a number of different projects you can do. So be creative and try something new. You never know what you may learn, or new hobby you may experience.

Nick

nick@321rockets.com
http://www.321Rockets.com

By Nick S Jakubowski

How to Teach Empathy to Your Child

2012-01-19T02:23:00.000-08:00

She prays for me. She really does. As my daughter and I say our bedtime prayers, instead of asking God for a new 3-storey Barbie dollhouse, she prays that God keeps me healthy and takes away my pain (that was on a night that I was having a massive headache). I am left dumbfounded at the fact that at her age, she is able to display empathy- effortlessly, at that!

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand how another one is feeling. It's being able to put yourself in another's shoes. It means, you're aware that other people have feelings too, and react to certain situations in pretty much the same way you would. It's a learned skill which is borne out of constant practice.

When a child reaches preschool age, that's the best time to start teaching him the value of empathy. This is the age when a child begins to connect his emotions with the feelings of other people. He realizes that the world doesn't revolve entirely around him.

Whether we like it or not, we parents are our kids' best teachers of empathy. We may not hold a master's degree in empathy, but we are well-equipped to mentor our children in that department. We should go easy, though, and not ram it down their throats.

So, how do we exactly teach our kids empathy? We start with ourselves. Teaching by example always works, doesn't it? We show our kids that we care about how other people feel. We show them that we do not yell at the mailman or laugh at the old lady who tripped on the sidewalk.

Talk about hypothetical situations with your kid. Say things like, "How would you feel if you had a physical disability and couldn't hear, for instance?" Let your kid talk about his feelings and how he would react if other kids laughed at him for his impairment.

Read books about empathy to your child. There are tons of children's books out there with empathy as the theme. After reading with your kid, discuss how the characters showed empathy, and try relating the story to everyday life.

As sure as I look hot in this red tank top, so is empathy undoubtedly a skill children- and adults- should master. Children who are empathic tend to excel in school, in social situations, and in their careers as adults. Start them off young, and you'll be paving the way for a lifetime of success for your kids.

Find more articles like this on The Pepperrific Life --> http://pepperrific.com/

By Pepper Tan

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

2012-01-18T02:19:00.000-08:00

From time to time I get asked by parents for help with regard to discipline of their children. It is a different age to when many of us were kids and yesterdays discipline techniques don't work today. Many of them anyway.

I have a great discipline task with a NLP twist that makes it easy for you and useful for your child. Lets first have a quick chat about discipline.

I have one word for you - consistency. There are too many kids that I meet in my office or through parents whose only consistency is that there is no consistency. No consistency of rules, rewards, consequences, punishments, etc. Everyday they wake up its new rules. This can be very, very confusing for kids. Kids need rules, boundaries and consistency.

When I work with parents to increase their parenting skills consistency is the major downfall. During our conversations I might ask what kind of reward and consequence methods they use and a standard remark is "but that doesn't work for us". To me, that simply means whatever method may not have actually been used consistently. This may be because its too hard to implement or just not effective.

Whatever you do needs to be simple to implement, otherwise you will give up! Yes, YOU. Your child isn't going to do anything to help you ensure their consequences are fulfilled - that's the parents job. My favourite stories are ones that have a long list of 'you can't...' like this: "you (the child) can't watch TV, talk on the phone, use the computer, play games, have friends over, go to friends - nada, nothing. You're grounded for two weeks!" Two days into the grounding the child goes to the parent - I'm bored... parents response "go watch TV". Punishment over. Child - one point. Parent - nothin'. If its too hard to manage, maintain or sustain, it won't work.

Here is one of my top discipline/consequence methods that work for any kids 6-16. Here's how it works (some of you might remember this from school):

1. Buy your child a notebook (spiral, exercise, etc.) that is their very own. If you have more than one child, this means more than one book. One per = one child.

2. Choose a place in the house where your child can sit, undisturbed for 5-30 minutes (or more). This place should be in the open (not in their room) and not in a pre-anchored place (ie. Where the child always sits at the table is anchored for eating).

3. Explain this consequence to your children - here's an example:

From now on there is going to be a consistent consequence when you don't follow the rules of the family. I will give you one warning that you are not following the rules. If you continue, you will stop whatever you are doing, go and get your notebook and sit at the table and write x pages of lines. We will come up with the line together. While you write the lines, you will not speak, get up from your seat or do anything other than write. If you do speak, get up or anything other than write, that will add 1 page of lines. You will sit there until you are complete. When you write, all lines must be done in neat handwriting. If its not, you will redo the entire page. Once you are done, you will apologies with words and then you are free to continue your day. Do you have any questions?

4. A general rule is 1 page of lines (1 line per line) per year of age. So - 6 years old = 6 pages. Depending on the size of the book, you may want to amend this. Some families choose 20 lines per year of age (6 years old = 120 lines).

5. When you choose the line to write, keep it simple and positive based on what you want your child to learn and do in the future:
    * Not: I will not hit my brother.
    * Yes: I will treat my brother with respect.
    * No: I will not yell.
    * Yes: I will find better ways to express my anger.
    * No: I won't cheat on my homework.
    * Yes: I will do my own work the best that I can.

6. Make sure you and your entire family (and any care givers) know what the family rules are and that all responsible adults follow this consequence, consistently!

The feedback I have received from parents for this simple consequence has been wonderful. The ownership is given to the child. The sooner they complete the task (legibly), the sooner they can get back to playing or whatever the next thing is. I have some client who bring the notebooks with them everywhere and have the children doing this task in the car, at a restaurant, at families houses, etc.

What I love about this task is this:
    * It provides an instant 'time-out'
    * It is easy to manage - anyone can implement it (tell the babysitter!)
    * It can be done anywhere
    * It focuses on what you want to happen in the future

If this task consistently done, this might become one of your favourite consequences - it might not favour with your kids however!

Dr. Heidi Heron, PsyD holds her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and is one of the Principal NLP Trainers with the Worldwide Institutes of NLP. She runs a private Coaching Practice using the methodology of NLP and is a Counselling/Coaching Clinical Supervisor. Heidi has a passion for educating people to live the best life possible. Join her for an NLP Course in Denver, Sydney, Singapore, Malaysia or London. She is the co-author of 30 Days to NLP and co-developer of 7daynlp.com. You are welcome to email Heidi directly at heidi@nlpworldwide.com

For more more information please visit: http://www.nlpworldwide.com

By Heidi Heron

How Dads Can Teach Little Ones About Saving Money

2012-01-17T02:17:00.000-08:00

As a dad of two young children I feel a huge burden to teach them how you can save money. I've discovered there are numerous approaches to teach savings lessons, however we as dads don't consistently take advantage of the opportunities. Many of them may be found in daily life and they can direct each of our children to a greater comprehension of the importance of saving for future years, which may possibly consist of vehicles, college loans along with an emergency fund.

Listed here a handful of thoughts to get started:

Shopping

Nearly all children wish to check out the toy section every time they go to the store and may express their desire for a specific thing. Use those opportunities to help them learn to save money to get what they desire. Help them generate short - term savings goals to purchase toys and games and long term savings goals which are even further into the future.

Sporting Activities

If you're a father who's also a fan of sports you'll fully grasp taking part in sporting activities requires saving as well. I was usually advised as a kid that I needed to save my energy levels for the game. A lot of instances I was playing with pals, running around and using up energy levels while I had a game later in the exact same day. Saving energy lets you have more later to utilize whenever you play in your game. Saving money works exactly the same. Tell your little one to save money now so he or she are able to use it when they require it most later.

Savings Accounts

When kids start elementary school they normally might be exposed to computers. Help your kids set up an online savings account. Many of the best children's savings accounts happen to be developed specifically for kids to learn saving and money management. ING Orange4Kids does just that with regards to their Planet Orange interactive web based learning environment.

Outdoor Camping

Camping outdoors necessitates taking equipment and food. What occurs should your youngster wants to eat all of the treats the very first day? Most certainly, they wouldn't have any meals for the remainder of the camping trip. So, another terrific savings idea is to save food so it'll be around for later meals. If they spend all their dollars, as well as consume all their food, it will not be available when it is needed later.

Wastefulness

Until coached otherwise, children will generally be wasteful throughout the home. This could include leaving lights on in a room when they are not present in it, using an excessive amount of drinking water, as well as squandering food. This costs moms and dads a good deal of extra money. Nonetheless, there's a saving lesson in these instances. Dad can instruct children that there's only so much money around to cover these crucial items. Precisely what would occur if the money ran out? The money would be expended since the family failed to conserve. Link this specific lesson back to the savings account example stated previously. Ask your child: what might happen should you not have any savings to purchase something you needed? Certainly, you wouldn't be able to buy it.

Most definitely, these are just a handful of sensible daily ways dads can teach children about conserving money. As a parent, I am going to try to be much more conscience of these opportunities every day and hopefully impress the significance of saving into my children so they're well be prepared for future years.

What ideas do you have for the purpose of coaching your children about the significance of saving money?

And finally, visit http://www.bestchildrenssavingsaccountshq.com to find the best children's savings accounts and get tips to teach your children the importance of saving money.

By Jason R James

Top Tips for Outdoor Learning

2012-01-16T02:15:00.000-08:00

Children have a natural affinity with the outdoors, so using the environment to enhance your child's learning, self confidence and experience is natural and beneficial. Whatever the size of your outdoor area, it can be turned into a haven of creativity and investigation. Outdoor experiences will also enhance your child's social and emotional development and increase their observational and problem solving skills.

So how can we make the most of the great outdoors to enrich a child's learning?

Top Tips for creating an exciting outdoor learning environment.

    * Provide a digging area for both boys and girls. Along with a small area of bare soil to dig, provide spades, forks, wellies and waterproofs so that digging can occur at any time in any weather. To add interest you may hide a few old coins under the soil or a letter in a bottle, a shark's tooth or some 'treasure' to encourage your child to use their imagination and create exciting scenarios.

    * A wild area will encourage your child to interact with the fascinating world of insects. A couple of logs or rocks to tip up and look under, grasses as tall as themselves, colourful plants and dangling branches lend themselves to exploration and investigation. Add a magnifying glass, a microscope and binoculars. Dangle sparkly baubles from branches. Give your child a camera to be a wildlife photographer. Hide model insects in the grass and go for a bug hunt. How good is an insect's camouflage? How many colours can they see? Your child can identify insects using a simple visual guide then use a clipboard and pencil to tally up how many of each they find.

    * Go out in the rain with an umbrella and wellies. Experience the smells, colours and sounds of the rain falling on different surfaces. Encourage your child to ask questions; how do we get rain? Why are raindrops round? What if it rained for a week? Or not at all? Then help your child find the answer by talking, making connections between things such as dark clouds and rain and researching on the internet.

    * Make dens by providing sheets, long sticks or branches, thin rope and pegs. Making dens is not only great fun, it also encourages mathematical thinking. Your child will have to measure by looking, estimate how much string they will need or pegs, or how long the den will stay up. Your child will become aware of shape, size, area - how many people will fit inside the den? - weight - larger sticks are heavier to carry than smaller ones, comparison, and more. The den may then become a camp with a bowl of water for fishing using fishing rods made of twigs and more string. What can they fish for? There may be singing around a camp fire and the toasting of marshmallows in the evening.

    * Chalking with chunky chalks will develop your child's motor skills. Chalk secret maps, arrows to follow, pirate messages, labels and signs to underground tunnels (a small hole in the ground). Draw the monster/dinosaur/fairy living in the pond/under the shed next door. Use your imaginations. Children will write for a purpose, so make the purpose exciting.

    * Follow your child's imagination and try to enhance not impose. Take your child's idea and help them to fulfill its grandest vision. A large cardboard box has enormous versatility and can become anything; a ship, a castle, a wild animal or a TV screen. In fact, is there anything a cardboard box can't become?

If you do not have access to your own garden then take a cardboard box, a sheet, wellies, a spade and magnifying glass to the nearest park or beach. Luckily many props are surprisingly portable. Even a box can be flat packed and carried.

Time spent outdoors can be the most exciting and satisfying of a child's experience. Contact with the natural world is also beneficial for releasing stress, improving behaviour and social skills and developing sensory learning. Not to mention for the opportunity to play with their favourite playmate - you!

Carolyn Field author of 'I Am Me' a confidence building workbook for children.
Carolyn Field has been a teacher for over twenty years. She is also a qualified life coach and runs workshops for both children and adults covering topics such as goal setting, keeping motivated, dealing with setbacks and stepping comfortably out of comfort zones. Talking to children about their worries in an atmosphere of mutual trust and support is an important component in building confidence and self esteem. Carolyn Field's child friendly workbook for children is simple to use and designed to begin a dialogue with a child. and to work through a variety of confidence building activities, set achievable goals, engender a feeling of self reliance and raise self esteem.
http://www.helpyourchildiamme.co.uk

By Carolyn Field

Adolescent Anger Management Tips

2012-01-15T02:13:00.000-08:00

The teenage years can be hard to live through for the pubescent youth. A number of things happening around a teenager can make them become very annoyed. Numerous adolescents are unsure of how to manage their anger in an appropriate manner. For that reason, the juvenile resorts to hurting the people that love them the most. The adolescent's mother and father are continually looking out for adolescent anger management techniques to assist them with their rage. The following tips just might help both the teenager and the parents when managing the young person's rage.

Teens these days are under greater pressure than we were in our youth. By the time they get to 18 years old they have witness thousands of murders and a lot of violence on television and computer games. To a lot of of them, this stage of violence is the norm. The increase in separation has brought on anger because the children are caught in the middle of the struggle between mom and dad. If you've got a teenager with anger problems then you must take control of it, however in such a way that shows understanding without being arrogant.

Sadly, a good number of teens go through frustrations that drive them to vent anger toward individuals or things, breaking civil laws. This kind of behavior often results in confinement, or at the very least, intervention by mothers and fathers, lecturers, law enforcement officials, and juvenile specialists who try to coach children how to respond in age-appropriate ways. Adolescent anger management programs teach children separately or in peer groups how to identify harmful feelings, work through them in the proper type of ways, seek assistance when required, and practice more mature behaviours.

Adolescent anger management classes or group therapy will cover the same basic problems irrespective of where the instruction is given. Among the most vital problems to be addressed is helping a youngster to get better at handling problems. Role playing and examining actually situations for useful alternatives can assist young people look at situations in ways not thought of previously. Giving them resources for finding answers to specific dilemmas can go a long way towards defusing an angry spirit.

Teaching them to equally understand what issues send them ballistic is equally a key step in controlling harmful behaviours. Adults are usually able to recognize when they are entering choppy emotional waters and can either steer clear or identify anger triggers. Giving teenagers these same abilities are necessary for preserving a more balanced emotional life.

For lots of information on Anger Management Techniques, please visit Anger Management Classes to discover more about controlling your anger.--> http://www.angermanagementtechniquesclasses.com/sitemap.html

By Jasonnise Kerry

Self Expression And Hydration For Kids Using Custom Water Bottles

2012-01-14T02:12:00.000-08:00

One of the simplest gifts to improve your child's health is the use of a personalized water bottle. Doctors recommend at least six to eight glasses of water each day. Compared to the flashy soda cans and pop bottles, a clear glass of plain old boring water can lose appeal for most kids. Let alone drinking six to eight glasses of boring water. Keeping hydrated is crucial for all humans and kids tend to be far more active then most adults and thus tend to need more water. Using personalized water bottles for kids is a great way to make drinking water more attractive as water bottles are trendy to own.

These come is many colours styles and designs. With so many options, there is likely a water bottle to match their current passion, be it Barbie, Batman or Elmo. Some come in stainless-steel for a little extra money and are commonly considered safer then the their plastic counterparts. Many personalized bottles come with simple prefabricated designs such as a butterfly for girls or a firetruck for boys. However there are water bottles that come with name kits. With these products the child can add there specific name to their personal bottle. A normal bottle would be forgotten or left at home on purpose. A brightly coloured personalized bottle, proudly boasting their actual name on it will be something they can happily carry around with them. This would greatly increase the odds of them taking in more water during the day. If they are excited about it, they are more likely to use it. The sugared beverage companies' entire market hinges on this concept. Make it fun and they will carry it with them.

Along with bottles there are also water bottle labels that you can purchase to add to your favourite bottle you might already own, or a special one you want to buy for the purpose of personalizing it.

Not only is drinking water very important for a child's body but having a form of self expression is also healthy for the psyche. In this culture we live in self expression is very important. With conformity being encouraged or sometimes forced, our voice sometimes feels lost in the sea of media. This is even more true for children growing up in this fast paced society that seems to be stuck on overdrive. With a personalized bottle or really any personalized idea they may have, it will be refreshing and reassuring as a individual to own something that isn't like everyone else. With the natural physical and metal benefits of drinking water, plus the fun and joy of having, making and carrying a personalized item, there are certainly many reasons to consider these products.

Amanda Lynx is a writer who specializes in toys and family activities. You can check out her latest website at Water Bottles With Logo Where she provides unbiased reviews and buying advice for a range of water bottle ideas including Personalized Water Bottle Labels and Personalized water bottles for kids. http://www.waterbottleswithlogo.org/personalized_water_bottle_labels.html

By Amanda Lynx

Why Kids View Life Differently

2012-01-13T02:10:00.000-08:00

Are you one of the parents who kept asking yourself why kids seem to have a very different world from you? You do not have to feel guilty or ashamed in making this kind of inquiry since you are not the first person to think this way-there are many parents who have thought of this ahead of you.

So you might ask why kids seem to be living in a different world. Actually, it is not the world they are living that makes them different from you; it is the attitude and the way they see life. Have you ever paused and asked this yourself this question, "What is the difference of my life before from my life now?"

As you can see, the life that these kids are having is not actually new to you. This is because you have been in that stage before and you know how it feels to be a kid. If you will think and analyze it closely, there are really no reasons for you to ask the question why they are having the best in their lives since you have also experienced it when you were at their ages.

This article will show you the many reasons why kids are having the best times in their lives and how you can also achieve it. Yes, you read it right. You can also have the best times in your life even if you are not a kid anymore.

First, take a close look at your kids. Why does it seem that the terms worries, fear, and problems are not in their vocabularies? This is because they know that you are always there beside them. They have the assurance that you will not let them down and you will always protect them regardless of the situation. This is what you call total dependence.

As you can see, your kids are not really worrying of the things that adults are facing for each day: foods, shelter, clothes, and stability in life. These things are not yet under the radar of these young people. The only thing that they are worrying about is who they will be playing with or if the weather will be sunny so they can play outside. These are the stuffs that most of the times occupy their minds.

Another thing that will be interesting for you to know is why these small children are full of positive thoughts and enthusiasm in life. This is because they are not exposed yet to the different problems and complexities of life. What they only see are the good things that life can offer them. They are not bothered by the bad things and you will not see them affected in any way.

Now to summarize this article-what makes the life of kids very different from yours? Is it their attitude? Or it is because the way you taught them to be?

To answer the questions above, one factor that really affects their life is the way their parents mold them. Why kids are having the best of their lives is actually the privilege of being a kid. Again, you should know and understand this matter since you too have walked and experienced the things they are currently enjoying. So if you want to experience this kind of life again, all you need to do is to view life within their perspective-positive and full of zest.

In order to understand our kids, we must look at life the way they do. There is always a reason why kids do this and do that. Come on, we've been kids before, we should know that.--> http://whykids.org/

By Dane Alexia

Raising Kids Just Like Mom - NOT!

2012-01-12T02:08:00.000-08:00

Many of us grew with authoritarian parents. Authoritarian parenting had been the number one way of parenting for many generations. Children were to be seen, not heard. They are expected to obey and not ask questions. Certainly never question a parent's authority as a leader in the household. Father was considered highest command, then mother. We heard repeatedly 'because I said so" as a response to why we should do something.

As children growing up in authoritarian household, we felt repressed in many ways. We were angry, and some of us rebelled whenever we could (and get away with it). When we got old enough to not be spanked anymore, we went wild and had fights with our parents. We said what we thought and came close to being kicked out of the house, more than once. Others were quiet and choose not to say anything, but inwardly vowed to never treat a child in that manner. We promised we would listen to our children. We would be open and totally loving. We'd give them independence that we ourselves longed for. And this, for the most part is what has happened with many parents raising children today. But there's a very big problem with this.

If you are not familiar with it, think about the last time you asked yourself "why does so and so never discipline her child? It's just crazy" or maybe that parent is you and that's why you've never heard it. If this is the case, you've at least asked yourself why you don't seem to be respected by your child.

The problem is that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. We are off kilter and out of balance. In struggling so hard to "not be like mom" we have let the situation get out of control, giving too much freedom too early to our children, and not enforcing strict values that our authoritarian parents forced on us without the explanation.

Some parents have found equilibrium after much frustration and sadness. Hopefully, by seeing the situation for what it is, you'll be able to correct before it gets out of control, and you begin going grey.

When my first child was born, I vowed I'd be the coolest mom on the block. I would be my child's best friend, I would explain everything to him, and I would give him that freedom that I had always longer for. When this spirited child was 3, I realized that in giving all this freedom, I was raising a tyrant, or rather, he was raising me as a perfect, albeit exhausted, servant. Spirited child are different, and that's why most of us get one... it's good for soul growth. But it also helps you step out of the box, because everything you thought would work, does not.

The solution for both spirited children and permissive parenting (where your children end up not respecting you because of your seeming lack of backbone) there is a wonderful balance to be had.

Of the four recognized parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative - the one I am advocating, permissive and uninvolved) authoritative parenting leads to happy, capable and successful children.

What is authoritative parenting? It's democratic parenting with guidelines. It means you have general rules, but you listen to the input of your child. You adjust your rules when its befitting and you guide your children. You're nurturing and seek natural consequences rather than punishment, but you do hold your child accountable for their actions.

I see so many parents who just do not know where to turn. They feel like they have tried everything. The key to happy parenting, and happy children is connected, involved parenting. Guidelines need to be in place. You should have certain expectations for your children, but you should also be nurturing, involved in their lives and unconditionally loving. If you want your sanity, try setting some ground rules, and STICK TO THEM. If you want your children to have good friends, then teach them values that are so important to a balanced healthy lifestyle.

Consistency makes children feel safe. Once they feel safe, spontaneity is welcome. Don't feel like you have to give in to your child because you feel worn down when he doesn't get his way. No is no if it has to be (and sometimes it has to be no). Honor that, stay calm and say no. Your child might get angry, but eventually will come back to you and talk it out. Showing firmness when things are important to you will gain you more respect than giving in time after time.

It's come to my attention more than once recently that moms are losing friends over their children's behavior. There is something quite wrong with that scenario. Your children should be respectful to others and considerate just as you are respectful and considerate of others. If you do not address the issue, you might find yourself raising your child without many mama friends, and we all need that support. Take a look at your parenting style - are you:

Authoritarian - "Do as I say, not as I do" and "because I said so!"

Authoritative - Place limits but encourage independence; fair and consistent, allows child to express himself

Permissive - It's ok, Junior is just expressive himself as he's rude to a guest

Uninvolved - Thank goodness for video games, now I can have 10 hours of uninterrupted "me" time! Why did I ever have kids anyway?!

If you tend to fall into the Permissive category as so many of us do who have been parented in the authoritative style, take a good look at what truly serves your child. Permissive parented children tend to lack self-discipline. They often have poor social skills and are demanding of you and others which is why they are seldom invited to others homes more than once and you may be losing your friends over it. Believe it or not, children who are raised with such permissiveness are actually not that happy (although you might assume they would be with all that freedom). They lack the guidelines usually given by parents and therefore can have a tendency to feel internally out of control and insecure deep down.

Give yourself and your child a wonderful gift. Start laying down some guidelines and rules. Demand respect and show respect as well. Allow your child to express himself but not to the determent of others. There are many ways children can express themselves and this does not include being out of control or screaming at others at the top of their lungs (unless they are really little and still learning self-control) and even then it needs to be discussed.

So swing the pendulum back just a bit. There's no need to be the polar opposite of your authoritarian mother. You are your own person, you make your own choices. Do what works for your family and what allows your child to be happy, healthy and confident in who he is, while you enjoy parenting and come to know it as the beautiful spiritual journey that it is.

Mellisa Dormoy is the founder of ShambalaKids Relaxation CD's for kids and teens. Mellisa specializes in guided imagery and children and teen's self-esteem.

You can find more information about Mellisa and her work, including more articles and resources at http://www.ShambalaKids.com

By Mellisa Dormoy

Making Sure Your Teenager's Make Up Is Age Appropriate

2012-01-11T02:06:00.000-08:00

Our kids grow up so fast, and it's hard to keep up with them. Your daughter who was just a little girl yesterday may now be telling you that she's ready to start wearing makeup. She may be feeling pressure from other girls her age that may also be wearing makeup. As a parent, you want to be a part of this new phase of her life and make sure she does it right. If your decision is to allow your daughter to start wearing cosmetics, it is your job to guide her in the path of modesty and still looking her age.

Once you've decided that your daughter is ready for makeup, be the first one to take her to buy her first makeup. Even though she may want to do this with her friends, she will remember this when she is older and treasure this memory. Although she may be emotionally pulling away from you at times, remember that she still needs you.

Take her to the department store and help her pick out a few basic items. Foundation, blush, mascara and lipstick or gloss are good to start off with. If your daughter has good skin, she may not even need the foundation.

Help your daughter to choose a foundation that matches her skin tone. I cannot stress the importance of this! Don't let your little girl walk around with a thick line of foundation around her jaw. Have the sales lady teach her how to put on foundation properly. This is a skill that needs to be learned and, trust me, your daughter will thank you!

Find her a blush that is not too dark or bright. Remember, makeup is supposed to enhance her natural beauty, not cover it up. Buy her a good quality blush brush that can probably last her several years. Show her how to suck in her cheeks and apply the blush on her cheek bones. Teach her how to take care of her makeup and brushes. Mac has a good selection of brushes that last a really long time. A good blush brush will cost about $20.

When choosing the mascara, get a regular lengthening mascara. Thickening mascara tends to create more dramatic eyelashes. We are going for natural and young. Show her how to put on just a few strokes on each eye.

Next, help her pick out a lipstick or gloss that is sheer and natural. No lip liner is needed just yet. A good light pink color is suitable for a young girl. Try Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Baby Pink.

A girl just starting with makeup doesn't need much more than this. Let her wear these for a few months, and then you can get her one or two eye shadows. A pink or light gray color would be best. Hold out on the lip and eyeliners until she is about 16. Girls tend to use too much of this and end up looking way too sexy.

When going with your daughter to pick out makeup, remember to let her make some decisions in what to buy. Be reasonable with her, and let her feel that her opinion matters.

Once she finds a few items that she seems to be using regularly, consider buying those items wholesale. It will save you money and you and her can use the same make up. Buy whatever else you also use in bulk, and that will save you many trips to the department store.

When your teenage daughter is ready to wear makeup, teach her how to use it properly. Buying makeup in bulk will save you money, so consider getting wholesale cosmetics from a cosmetics wholesaler, such as wholesalefashionsquare.com.

By Ellen Tarnapolsky

Autumn Fashion - Top 7 Most Desirable Fashion Clothes And Accessories For Kids

2012-01-10T02:03:00.000-08:00

The autumn season marks the transition from the hot summer weather to the cool and breezy winter. In most states of America, autumn begins in September. In Australia, autumn begins in March and ends in May. In certain Asian countries however, autumn starts early August and ends in November. Thus, autumn starts and ends differently by state and by country.

Autumn is popularly known for the falling of leaves and the color orange scenery. Another most awaited event for this season is the autumn and fall collection that many fashion designers and fashion enthusiasts are patiently waiting for. If you have kids and you do not want them to be left out, following are some of the most coveted fashion accessories this summer that kids and the kids at heart will surely love:

Hoodies

Kids' hoodies today are not just comfy, they are fashionable as well. They come in different colors and styles. The basic colors that you can buy your little ones are black, white, gray and white. If you have fashionable and edgy kids, you can try other hues like yellow, pink and light green. Hoodies are functional that kids can use it to protect their head during a cool afternoon walk.

Leggings And Skinny Jeans

Leggings and skinny jeans are so trendy these days. Kids love it. It looks great with any footwear and for autumn, it is best paired with boots. Black leggings are very vogue. It can also blend well with any shirt. Moreover, leggings can be matched with short basic skirts or plaid skirts. Skinny jeans on the other hand are very functional. Like the leggings, a pair of skinny jeans can look great with any tops and footwear. Boots can also look great with skinny jeans. When buying skinny jeans for your child, do yourself and your kid a favor and buy removable stirrups. This is useful when tucking the jeans into the boots. They will prevent the jeans in place.

Black Boots Or Black Strappy Sandals

Finding a good pair of footwear for your kid is essential in any season. For autumn months, black boots or black strappy sandals are so chic. They can be matched with any colored stockings or leggings, whether the stockings have basic or striking colors. Don't be afraid to mix and match garments and accessories. For inspiration, you can browse at several fashionable magazines for kids.

Scarves

Scarves are also functional. They can protect the neck from draft and the windy weather. Today, scarves come in many wonderful designs and colors. Scarves can also be used as fashion belts or head bands. So investing in good quality scarves is not so bad after all.

Vintage Necklaces

Necklaces and other fancy jewelries can complete a basic wear. If your child is wearing a simple top, you can simply find her a nice vintage necklace from your local vintage or antiquity store. There are so many wonderful design that you can choose from. You can also buy online.

Oversize Bags

For your school age child, oversize bags are so trendy today. They are expedient and handy. Choose leather because this kind of material is very durable. They can sport these bags when going outdoors.

Hair Accessories

Hair accessories can vary from head bands to clip and hats. The designs are endless. Your child can play it simple or she can imitate how her favorite actresses in Gossip Girl dress.

Looking chic and fashionable is now easy. Your child can look great even without spending much. Be creative and mix and match dresses and fashion accessories.

By Sally R Mason

10 Great Bedtime Stories for Pre-Schoolers

2012-01-09T01:59:00.000-08:00

I often look at the official lists of books for any age group and wonder how many people have actually read them and if they have did they actually enjoy them. My belief is simply that these are books that people feel they ought to love and don't want to seem un-cultured by admitting they don't.

So, my top pre-school bedtime story-books, don't include any Beatrix Potter (beautifully illustrated but dull stories), Hungry Caterpillar (not even the illustrations are appealing), Winnie the Pooh (beautiful & clever stories but too wordy in my opinion - far better as a cartoon) or The Tiger Who Came to Tea (never did understand the big deal over this one) but instead includes books that me and my children love. In order to get on my list it has to appeal to the child and the adult as I feel strongly that if the adult doesn't love the book they won't read it with enthusiasm and gusto to engage the child fully. I expect a book to appeal on both content and illustrations - if it's not aesthetically appealing it likely won't even get picked off the shelf in the first place.

Narrowing it down to only 10 has been a challenge and I fully appreciate that this is taste based so not everyone will agree with me (and possibly some of you are already shocked that I don't like The Hungry Caterpillar!). However maybe, once you've thought about what would be on your list instead, you may be inspired to borrow or buy one of the books for the children in your life and give them a chance. Most of these authors are prolific and with very good reason - I've deliberately only chosen one book by each person but if you enjoy one why not explore the rest too.

These are in no particular order - that was just TOO hard!!!

Little Rabbit Foo Foo - Michael Rosen

My children absolutely adore this, they pick up so many details from the amusing illustrations and they often 'play' this book - one as the rabbit, the other as the fairy. My other favourite Michael Rosen in, probably predictably, 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and we love acting this one out, but I chose 'Little Rabbit Foo Foo' as more of a bedtime story and because it's not the obvious Michael Rosen.

Shark in the Park - Nick Sharratt

Nick Sharratt's bright illustrations are fabulous, especially for the very young and this peek-a-boo book is clever and amusing.

Room on the Broom - Julia Donaldson

Another amazing author with a huge repertoire to her name, Julia Donaldson is simply fantastic! People tend to choose The Gruffalo as being her best but, while I do adore Gruffalo too, I have a real soft spot for Room on the Broom. I also love Tabby McTat the Buskers Cat - all of her titles are worth a look and every kid's bookshelf should have at least one or two.

Each Peach Pear Plum - Janet & Allen Ahlberg

A true classic. Fun illustrations, sing song verse, things to spot - love it!

Is it Bedtime Wibbly Pig - Mick Inkpen

My kids adore this, Mick Inkpen's characters are cute and this story about bedtime procrastination will ring true to all parents out there!

Hairy MaClary's Bone - Lynley Dodd

You've probably noticed that I like 'poem' books and the Hairy MaClary series are probably the best examples there are. The rhymes trip of the tongue adding pace and excitement to the story and controlling the pace expertly. Again, I had to choose one and I think this is our household favourite.

Peace at Last - Jill Murphy

My son fell in love with this in nursery class so we got a copy and they still enjoy it - and as the wife of a snorer and a light sleeper I can relate to poor Mr Bear.

The Way Back Home - Oliver Jeffers

I adore Oliver Jeffers simple stories and charming illustrations and we have a selection of his books. They are all based around the same boy (simply called 'the boy') and gently and with humour cover subjects such as friendship, loneliness and co-operation. Simply charming for the adults and enjoyable for the children. The Way Back Home is my favourite because the kids love space at the moment!

Hungry Harry - Joanne Partis

Bright, cheerful illustrations and almost onomatopaeic language run through this little frog's hunt for dinner. Visually attractive and the perfect length/tone for a bedtime story.

The Hippo-not-amus - Tony & Jan Payne

A family favourite in our house, this funny, engaging tales covers the adventures of a little hippo who wants to be something more exciting. Great pictures and a funny, touching story.

So there you have it, my 10 favourites - what are yours?

By Jane Cowan

Interesting Ways For Children to Earn Money

2012-01-08T01:56:00.000-08:00

Do you want to teach the importance of money to your kids? Well, making your child aware about how to earn money for their own spending can be step towards strong foundation for their future. This will teach them to respect money and how to manage the money and value it at early age. They will learn to save money and spend it as required. Many times parents make mistake of giving huge pocket money to their children. The child thinks that money is easy to get and therefore, the child cannot learn to value things he or she owns. You can teach your child different ways to earn money.

Holidays at school are the best time to experiment on ways to earn money. Kids have lots of time, and this makes you crazy thinking how to keep them busy. Well, this is the right time to increase their knowledge and wealth both. You should encourage your kid to fund their own camp trips and movies. This will in turn encourage them to find new ways to make their own pocket money.

Lemonade stands are a great idea in the summertime. You can ask your kid to find a good location in the neighborhood to start their lemonade stand. You child can run it alone or with other friends. A garden, jogging track, or mall are some of the great location where they will get lots of customers. You will help your children in getting lemons and sugar to make lemonade, some disposable glasses, and table stands. If the business is a success and your child learns and profits from the business, you should give them much deserved kudos.

Garage sales or a back yard sale is one such business, which requires the least amount of investment. The child must be have some old toys, clothes, books, etc., which they no longer need or want. You can help them to open the garage sale. Even parents can give their own things, which are no longer in use. It is the best way to earn while clearing clutter and unwanted things which lie in the house. You can start by advising your child to make a list of things that they can put on garage sale. Even your child can combine the lemonade stand and garage sale. This idea will allow for doubling the profit.

These are simple ways to earn money for children. The kids with natural instinct to business will find more ways to get money.

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By Brian Fulkerson

Kids Invitations - Designing Invites For Your Child's Friends

2012-01-07T01:51:00.000-08:00

Designing kids invitations for your child's friends? When it comes to kiddie birthday party invitations, there are 3 steps to take: #1, choose the party's theme. #2, choose the invitation design. And #3, source and deliver the invites! Let's take a closer look at this 3-step process in designing kids invitations.

The Party's Theme -- Ask The Child

The first step is to ask your child what theme he/she would want for his/her birthday party. The chosen theme will help you find ideas for the invitations, party decorations, invitations, and more. For instance, if your little one wants to be a pirate for his birthday, then it might be a good idea to design the invites like treasure maps!

So go ahead -- ask the celebrant! The child won't hesitate to let you know what they want. And from his/her chosen theme, you could get creative and have some fun designing great kids birthday invitations.

Choose The Invitation Design

Nothing's stopping you from settling for simple card-and-envelope invitations, especially when your budget is tight. But remember -- the more attractive the invitation is, the more likely the recipient will say "yes" to your invite!

So do be open to other design ideas that may come your way.

Popular kids invitation designs include pop-up cards (cards with theme-relevant designs that pop up when opened), enclosure cards (cards that contain other cards and trinkets), and puzzle cards (cards designed like jigsaw puzzles).

The idea is to make the invitations fun! The more fun your invite is, the better your chances of getting a "yes" from your recipients. It will also leave a great impression on your child's friends and their parents.

Getting Help With Invites

But obviously, coming up with these creative invitations requires a bit of extra effort. But that's why there are professionals out there who specialize in making party invitations for kids. These print artists are great for sourcing your more-than-the-usual invitations at a reasonable price.

But better yet, ask help from kids party professionals. These companies specialize not just on invitations, but also on entertainment, decorations, food, and all other aspects of a good children's party.

Why not let one group do everything for you? So now you know the steps, and you have your choices. Now it's time to make some calls!

Feel free to start asking for quotes from kids party professionals in your area. From the kids invitations to the games to the goodie bags, make your child's next birthday an event to remember.

Planning a children's party in and around Melbourne, Australia? Then visit --> http://kidspartyinmelbourne.com.au/ the Kids Parties In Melbourne blog! Sign up and get free tips, ideas, and advice on party planning.

Also, get fantastic Party Invitations for Kids from Melbourne's premier kids party entertainers -- Kids Birthday Invitations now!

By Michelle Patterson

The Gruesome Reality of Potty Training

2012-01-06T01:50:00.000-08:00

Like many others, I am the proud parent of a very spirited 3 year old. When I say "spirited", I mean he's a massive handful. I read that 3 is the peak of defiant behavior, which is a total understatement. This kid will argue with you about everything! Even if you give him options to make him feel more independent and in control, he will pick an option and then fuss when you give it to him. He is a full time job with his spurts of happiness and craziness. His emotions are a rollercoaster whose controls have been abandoned. The way I love this little man, though, is the way any mother loves her child - with all her heart. But let's be realistic - he's a little nuts.

So then it came time to potty train. He is my only child and I'll be the first one to admit I have no clue what I am doing. There are tons of resources out there to tell you what they think you should do, and a lot of examples of what not to do. My goal is just to be the best mom I can, not the best mom in the world. Now, prior to having a child, I worked at a veterinary clinic. This gave me 5 years of experience in cleaning up poop and pee from various animals, which in turn had made it very hard for anything to gross me out. Or at least, that's what I thought.

Pee is no problem, you get paper towels, squirt it down with your chosen cleaner and wipe it up. No harm done. But poop? Why didn't anyone tell me about this?! It's messy, it's stinky, it's unpredictable, explosive, it stains, and it's never what you think it is. This sounds gross, mainly because it is gross. For someone with a gag reflex made of steel, I find myself dry heaving on a regular basis. I've been trying to potty train this kid for 1.5 years now, and I'm happy to say that he pees in the potty most of the time. And we finally got him to poop in the potty for about 50% of the time, which is better than nothing. That's right; I've been dealing with frequent attacks of unexpected, crazy, smelly poop for over a year now. Everyone has a breaking point and I've reached mine.

Now, there are a million articles that note that this is the last part of potty training they fully master. I know it's not uncommon. What's uncommon is the utterly disgusting reality that no one wants to talk about. I also have yet to see anyone publish the actual cost of potty training alone. The amount of money spent in this household on wipes and pull-ups alone could have put me through college. And that's just the beginning of the expenses related to potty training. There are paper towels, liquid cleaners, bleach, anti-bacterial soap, laundry detergent...the list goes on and on. Seriously! I know it's expensive to raise a child, but we aren't even into the tween years and my wallet is hurting!

The cheapest way to clean up after an explosion of any proportion is to take him out back and hose his cute little butt off. Not so practical, however, considering the neighbors might be creepy and sometimes the weather is a little too cold, and the fact it doesn't always happen at home. Is there ever going to be a day when I won't have feces on some area of my person?! Of course, we have pets too...so add that to the dumps I clean up and it all equals my life revolving around what comes out of a butt.

Gone are the days of me freaking out about his "accidents". Now, I have come to just accept that it's going to happen, no matter how hard I try to teach him to get to the toilet in time. And I can't force him to poop, because that brings out shear defiance. So there is just calm acceptance, and the extreme desire to just let his girlfriend in college deal with teaching him to poop in the potty. I mean really! I have tried every method out there, but using any strategy is hard when your kid learns to adapt to what you want him to do, then changes it because he's 3 and will do anything in insolence. In this is war: the battlefield changes constantly, the weapon is poop, and I am losing... horribly. Yes, it's a phase, and yes it will pass, but you won't see me holding my breath for that to happen. Let's just hope this developmental phase will attribute to him having an award winning personality. As for me, I'll keep the gloves on hand with the air freshener and a change of clothes - for both of us.

Kathrine Verner has extensive personal experience in improving quality of life by analyzing and taking action to change the affects past experiences, anxiety, and compulsions have in her existence. Stop by and read the blog for support, ideas, and a unique perspective at http://www.theinnerskinpicker.com.

By Kathrine Verner

Bullied Kids: How to Stop the Hurt

2012-01-05T01:48:00.000-08:00

Bullying is a serious widespread problem, and bullied kids are usually the ones who suffer without being noticed. Many parents ignore the warning signs as normal occurrences in a kid's life, unaware that these signs could develop into grave consequences. Victims of bullying may end up with poor academic performance, bad physical health, fear of social interactions, and unhealthy emotional states. Fortunately, any parent or guardian can stop this issue from hurting a child.

First of all, a foundation of awareness has to be established by the parent. Awareness means being educated on the warning signs and measures against bullying. It also means having a good grasp of what is happening to a child in everyday life, especially at school. This makes it easy to see if something unusual has occurred and needs attention.

Communication is also essential, especially for parents. Bullied kids are often too afraid to speak up when someone has attacked them, so parents may have to exert extra effort in communicating with them. Empathizing with them is important to let them know they can trust someone. Also, communication is a tool in guiding them through the emotional or psychological struggle they may be experiencing.

Parents and authorities can also work together to create a safe and caring environment for children. Authorities include school teachers, counselors, and administrators, and even local safety officials. With their help, not only can bullying be ended, it can also be stopped from happening again.

There are also groups and agencies that help bullying victims and even perpetrators towards emotional healing. This aspect is important because bullying usually starts from an emotional or behavioral problem, and can create emotional impacts. For kids who are bullied, even if the impact is not immediately recognizable, this will have an effect on how they behave as they grow up.

To make kids more confident in facing bullies, parents can enroll the kids into an anti-bullying program. Such program teaches children suitable methods for protection, including age-appropriate self-defense and esteem-building. Anti-bullying classes are empowering in a sense that they help children become more self-reliant and less afraid.

The important thing to remember is that all these approaches should stem from compassionate intentions. The fight against bullying is not a struggle for retaliation, nor an excuse to become a bully to others. Rather, it is an effort to heal the bullied kids and even the bullies themselves, and help them grow into better individuals.

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By Jay Foster

The Dangers of Being Bullied - And How to Stop Them

2012-01-04T01:46:00.000-08:00

Being bullied is a rampant problem among school-age children. In many cases, the problem goes on unnoticed and ignored for so long that it results to high risks and even tragic events. There are real dangers attached to bullying; this is why parents and guardians have to be aware of it and educated on how to stop it.

The warning signs by themselves present a negative episode in a child's life. Bullied kids often show seemingly normal signs such as physical hurts, changes in appetite or sleeping patterns, loss of items like school supplies, and lack of interest in going to school. The stronger signs include loss of interest in social activities, decreasing number of friends, avoidance of certain places or persons, and feelings of helplessness.

Without proper intervention, these signs could escalate into physical, emotional, and social dangers, such as serious bodily injuries, low academic performance, social withdrawal, depression, and even suicidal tendencies. There has also been a discovered risk that bullying may stimulate vengeful mindsets resulting to violent retaliations, as exemplified in school shooting incidences wherein the perpetrators had experienced being bullied.

Children may not always talk about bullying, largely because they are afraid of what could happen. Thus, parents and guardians need to keep an eye for any these signs and changes, even the minor ones, in order to prevent the situation from getting worse. When a child displays signs of getting bullied, there are ways to intervene.

First is to keep good communication with the child. It is important that the young one understands that he or she has someone to trust, especially a parent. Communication also allows the adult to provide the guidance needed by the child.

Parents can also work with school teachers, counselors, and authorities to help address the problem where it happens. Other concerned parties can also join in discussions and policy-making for the school and the families involved.

A more active approach to stop the harms of bullying is to enroll the child in an anti-bullying program. This can educate the child on proper methods to protect him or her against attacks. There are also self-defense lessons that are useful and appropriate for the child's age. The advantage in this approach is that it instills a sense of self-reliance and courage in the child.

Bullying is a serious issue. But with awareness and proper action, the dangers of being bullied can be stopped for good.

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By Jay Foster

One Thousand Rejections, But Still In the Game!

2012-01-03T01:44:00.000-08:00

The primary school-aged boy, barely 12 years old, suffers from bullying. He's not kicked or beaten, but ignored and isolated. Still, he keeps coming back to school. Day in, day out, there he is, reporting for another dozen rejections at the hand of his peers.

Yet, he has one person in his life, perhaps two, who may be reliably trusted. He has some sense of love within the bounds of tyranny that enfold his life. They show him hope.

For this reason, despite his want to give up when things are especially tough, he finds reason to go on.

THE GOSPEL'S POWER MADE RELEVANT

You have to admire any person, who through their instinct for resilience, will continue on despite many harsh, little and large, rejections. For, in this is the gospel's power.

Salvation's day is power in the hour of need.

Out the jaws of humiliation is reprieve unto exultation, for the Lord takes great issue with the scouring aggression of those moral weaklings whom abuse an easy target in the presence of palpable encouragement.

Sympathy of the Spirit may be known. Anyone who bears under the strain of the domination of evil - with some invisible knowledge of hope, one that expresses itself in faith for actually no reason but the resolve to hold on - may feel the rising tide of peace within. God will never leave him nor forsake him.

The gospel is built as a buckle for the belt of persecution. No wonder the kindly, docile world - asleep to any sense of suffering - needs, and identifies with, little of it.

OUR VISION BEYOND THE REJECTIONS

Hope is such an essential ingredient within the overall scope of the circumstance of the bullied. If they have even one reason to hope, just one person to instil love and a sense of confidence, they can endure almost anything. Indeed, the very trials they endure will convert within them an inimitable power for good that will serve them all the days of their ever-blossoming lives.

As we count up the several rejections as they occur minute by minute, accumulating in countless proportion day by day, even these are not enough to crush the spirit of the person with vision beyond those rejections.

The power of God is a miracle for the socially destitute; for, the person isolated and ridiculed by their peers has hope in proportion to even a moment's vision of the love that supports them. A pinch of love sustains hope in a world of pain.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.

Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://inspiringbetterlife.blogspot.com/

By Steve Wickham

Decorating a Gender Neutral Nursery

2012-01-02T01:42:00.000-08:00

Decorating a nursery is difficult in and of itself. Decorating a gender neutral nursery for your sweet surprise bundle is an even bigger challenge. Over the years, I've seen several different nursery accessories and themes go in and out of style and I've learned firsthand how to create a timeless nursery look for baby.

1. Choose a gender neutral bedding set (Probably the most obvious point)

Focus on color first. Blue, chocolate, green yellow and white bedding sets are a some classic colors that work really well with either boy or girl rooms. Sorry ladies, you'll have to stay away from pink on this one. Several crib bedding stores and baby boutiques carry additional sheets in more gender-defining colors so that after baby is born you can add more distinct accents into the original set.

2. Mix & Match Fabrics

Have fun with patterns and fabric styles to enhance a simple or bland looking nursery. So many modern crib bedding sets today feature fabulous animal patterns, luxe silk fabrics and more that will add flavor to a neutral nursery design. Damask, stripes, dots and other patterns work well for boy or girl and can be paired with interesting fabric styles like pleated crib skirts or reversible duvets.

3. Rugs

Several baby boutiques often carry custom rugs, meaning you can choose everything from rug shape to color to border inlay color and stitching. Because you can choose the specific color you are looking for as well as add different shapes and patterns, custom rugs can be a unique accent in your child's room. Plus, you can say you built it yourself. Remember to be aware of color discrepancies when you're ordering. I would recommend calling the store and seeing if they can give you an idea of what the color actually looks like and if it stays true to the web image.

4. If you're choosing a simple bedding set, choose eye-catching furniture or lighting to be the stand-out centerpiece in the nursery.

If you prefer chandeliers to mobiles, douse the room in light! Finding a dramatic lighting accent like a vintage chandelier or some wall sconces can add that much needed "wow" factor. Simple neutral nursery bedding and crib furniture can get an extra push with a glamorous lighting embellishment or an adult rocker or glider. Plus, you'll get the practical benefits of more lighting and a comfortable rocking seat as well!

5. Themes

While you may not be able to pick princesses or pirates, you can decorate baby's unisex nursery with more neutral patterns and themes such as geometric circles and squares, stars, animals, sock monkeys and virtually anything else you can think of.

6. Don't be afraid to add on to your original nursery design

This is the FUN part! Once you've picked out your main furniture and bedding pieces, you can coordinate with decorative switch plates, hanging wall letters and so much more!

By Kait Olcorr

Protect Your Children: Halloween Safety

2012-01-01T01:40:00.000-08:00

Halloween is just around the corner. For many children, it's that time of year to dress up in costumes, attend parties and eat candy. To make this night as fun-filled and worry-free as possible, it's a great idea for parents to talk to their kids about safety before letting them loose in the neighborhood. Here are some safety tips:

Buddy System. If your kids are very young, take them trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Older kids may resent you babysitting them and say they're old enough to go alone, but tell them to stay with a group of friends or a responsible buddy.

Costume Safety. Costumes can be creative without being a hazard. Pointy objects like swords should be made out of soft and flexible materials. You also don't want the kids to trip, so make the costumes short. Sticking reflective tape on costumes can also help drivers see your kids in the dark night. Flame-resistant costumes are also a good idea.

Trick-or-Treat Route. Although lonely, spooky places are lures for adventurous kids, tell them they'd be better off sticking to the familiar houses on the neighborhood. And don't let them go alone inside the house. They can get their treats on the porch.

Check the Treats. It's good to check your child's loot bag before letting them eat anything. Treats not in their original wrapper should be thrown out. Homemade treats can be yummy, but it's safer to eat factory-wrapped treats.

Keep Away From Strangers. It's hard to tell friend from foe when people are wearing costumes, but you can keep your kids safe by going trick-or-treating with them. Tell your kids to stay away from people they don't know and from strangers offering rides.

Road Safety. When trick-or-treating, use sidewalks and crosswalks as much as possible. Look both ways before crossing the street. Stay away from open flames and candles. Use flashlights and be mindful of traffic stops. If people are heading out in a vehicle, remind them to drive safely and watch out for trick-or-treaters.

Home Safety. Jack-o'lanterns don't belong in areas with plenty of foot traffic. Keep these and other luminaries away from paths, walkways and landings. Make sure babies, small children and pets keep a distance from them. Other objects and decorations that can cause kids to trip should also be removed. To signal that your home is participating in the festivities, turn on your outside lights.--> http://protectyourchildren.us/

By David Hausdorff

Sleeping Slumber Bags For Teenagers That Are Personalized And Luxurious

2011-12-31T01:38:00.000-08:00

If you are a mom or dad and your kids are invited to slumber party's or want to plan one at your house, read on. Understanding how important a sleeping bag is to a child will help ease their time away from home. A sleeping bag is a must have for any girl or boy, ages 7 to 16. It is a special item especially for girls and they will tell you, "it is a necessity"! Why do girls say this? For starters, they want the coolest, hippest bag in town. Soft and cozy which means comfort away from home. Secondly, when the cloth is soft and luxurious it's perfect for snuggling inside on a cold night.

Mom and dad, you can make a big statement and purchase your children a custom made personalized slumber bag that will last for years. Looking for a high quality and washable bag is easy with the help on the online stores. The interior lining is often made in flannel, fleece, or minky dot fabrics and these are perfect for that soft and cozy feeling that girls love. These are great for indoor sleep-overs and slumber parties. Washable products are a must because chances are it will get dirty. It is nice when they can be tossed into the washer and comes out looking brand new. That's the type of quality you receive from the brands of Fireside Comforts and Cricketzzz. Fireside Comforts is a premier maker of textiles and their value is exceptional. If you want a one of a kind item then you should consider having a custom bag made by Fireside Comforts. Fashion-appeal is exactly what their products say and if you want a fun, unique slumber bag you have to research this famous maker. There are other companies like Cricketzzz that create a luxurious slumber bag in the USA with attention to details in every product produced and sold. Sleeping bags from these well-known makers start around $100.00 and up.

If you are looking for an inexpensive bag that is a good quality take a look at the brands like Wildkins and Bazoongi Kids. Their bags are mass-produced and on hand in plenty of store across the country. Both brands present fun prints from sports themes to horses and of course lots of pink sleeping bags. Wildkin and Bazoongi Kids are normally priced around $56.00 and up with many stores offering free shipping.

You can easily find sleeping bags priced from $50.00 to $175.00 depending upon the options and fabric selections. Big designs, patterns and fabrics are easy to view online because of the selection.

Finally, designers are creating products that appeal to teenage girls and boys without looking childish. Practicality and durability ought to be the first priority but fashion has taken over. There are so numerous styles that are dazzling and fashionable as a result, teenagers do not have to settle. With the right sleeping bag in hand they will be geared up for any sleepover!

Dianna, is always offering safety and education tips to parents and caregivers. She is also the Founder of Best Price Toys, a leading children's playground store, and educational toys website were the focus is on outdoor play and exercise for children.
You can visit her store to learn more about Sleeping Bags and Slumber Party's for Kids.--> http://www.bestpricetoys.com/Kids-Sleeping-Bags-Kids-Slumber-Bags/

By Dianna Boris

How to Help Your Child Sleep Better at Night

2011-12-30T01:37:00.000-08:00

Studies show that children from age 5 to 12 need between 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night and teenagers need between 9 to 10 hours.

A well rested child has more energy, can perform better academically and can concentrate better. A rested child will have a more positive attitude, be in a good mood, a stronger immune system and is more likely to stay healthy. Without a good night's sleep, a child more easily forgets what he learns, may be grumpy and can be less patient with others, including friends and siblings. Those repetitive frustrations can eventually impact the unity of the family and your child's well being.

So as a parent how can I help my child to have a good night's sleep and be well rested?

Make sure to create a bedtime ritual. Too many extra-curricular activities can push back dinner time and bedtime. Your child needs a true balance between active time and relaxing. We are a generation that is rediscovering the vital importance of relaxation. Relaxing is especially important right before going to bed. Some parents may find that children can easily enjoy a warm shower or bath before going to bed, and that can offer a perfect relaxation in preparation for bed. Other parents may find a 20 minutes reading and winding down time to be very beneficial. This can also be a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your child and discuss any subjects you did not have time to discuss during the busy day. For younger children, this time can be replaced by a calming bedtime story or relaxation CD. Whatever works best for you, make sure your child has this vital down time and goes to bed at approximately the same time every night. Your child will be better rested because of it, and the relaxation helps quietly transition into natural, stress-free deep restorative sleep.

Make your child's bedroom conducive to quality sleep (firm mattress, low light, no loud noise, comfortable temperature). Make your child's room inviting and calm. Learn more about the art of Feng Shui to create a healthy and harmonious environment for your child by arranging the bedroom living space. According to the ancient but increasingly popular art of Feng Shui, having a view of the door without being too close to it gives your child a sense of security. Keeping your child's bedroom clutter-free and making sure the room is used only as a bedroom - no TV or computer in the bedroom, is also good Feng Shui. Choose balanced and relaxing colors and help your child choose posters and art carefully as they will carry these images and stimulation into their nightly dreamtime.

Avoid TV, computer, internet, any type of sugar snacks and caffeine around the end of the day, but especially right before bed. Caffeine can be found in surprising places such as chocolate and iced tea. Also, avoid big meals and snacks before bed time as it inhibits deep and restorative sleep as the body continually works to digests and therefore does not completely relax as needed for deep sleep. This can also be problematic for many young people as it can lead to nightmares, repeated waking up and more movement than usual during sleep. So for a good, peaceful night's sleep - no snacks before bed.

Listening to relaxing music will help your child prepare for a more reparative sleep. The sound of relaxing music induces a state of calmness and peace which is excellent preparation for the night ahead.

Playing guided imagery relaxation audios or CDs will also help a calm transition into sleep time and dreamtime. Guided imagery gives the mind something positive to focus on and helps release anxiety and stress while helping your child to recognize the amazing wonder that he or she is. These are especially helpful if your child imagines scary images or has negative thinking before going to bed thus causing difficulty to sleep or stay asleep.

So help your child sleep better tonight by implementing some of the easy solutions given above. Your child will rest so much better and wake up feeling refreshed and wonderful!

Mellisa Dormoy is the founder of ShambalaKids Relaxation CD's for kids and teens. Mellisa specializes in guided imagery and children and teen's self-esteem.

You can find more information about Mellisa and her work, including more articles and resources at http://www.ShambalaKids.com

By Mellisa Dormoy

Raising Adolescent Daughters

2011-12-29T01:34:00.000-08:00

This is for all mothers, or parents, 'going though' adolescence with their daughters. You might have heard about it being a tricky phase - now you can 'phew' in agreement! It calls for special nerves to handle the on-set of this metamorphosis.

The 'sugar and spice and all things nice' goes for a toss as turbulent hormones shift bringing on physical changes. 'These' are easy to deal with, and you might even have your daughter elated about the fact that she'll soon be a young girl, like her favorite icon. It's the psychological changes that take you for a spin and call for your best tack!

Relax your hold

Suddenly, you feel your control slipping away as she begins to assert her new found reason. The situation might be as simple as why she cannot wear a dress that you feel is inappropriate for a place or occasion: or why it is that she has to eat what you make at meal times.

However, unless 'her way' is completely beyond parental standards, it is fine to let her try her terms. You have to remember - your child is emerging as an individual. It requires for you to release your hold (and saves you washing out energy on a pointless argument!).

Guide tactfully

With that said, this is the 'cannot-escape' time in your life as a parent, when you have the huge responsibility of navigating your daughter to her right route with the right attitudes and principles. She might not appear to pay much heed to your experience, thoughts, and counseling, but rest ensured that it is all being stored in her memory data. Haven't we done the same as we were growing up? The firmest of principles that we hold today are ones that we shirked from hearing while our Moms talked.

However, the right time to guide your daughter about the right conduct or values is when she is in the 'talk mode' and wants to share. Be the friend that she wants you to be and share but not dictate your beliefs.

Listen to what she has to say

Their intellect has reached the stage of measuring, evaluating, and judging their world. Grown out of the 'why and how' phase of childhood, your daughter now is full of ideas and beliefs that she wants to share. This is also the time when her self esteem is at its vulnerable best. Your reaction to her individual thought has more capacity to impact her self esteem than you know. Positive statements and attitudes work wonders to help her in developing a healthy outlook, and are definite confidence boosters.

Despite the havoc she might stir asserting her own, she needs you more than ever. Find ways to ward away confrontations. If it means giving up on your long-held opinions to give way to hers, do it. That is the first step up in creating a healthy friendship with your daughter

By Manu Verma

Teaching Your Son His First Bike Lessons With Strider Bike

2011-12-28T03:34:00.000-08:00

For kids, learning to ride a bike can be very hard since they have to learn about the coordination of balancing and pedaling at the same time. To help your child have a good coordination in riding a bike, you may resort to some balance bikes available in the market today. With traditional bikes having stabilizers or training wheels, your toddler will learn all the necessary steps to ride a bike at once. You can start training him with a balance bike like Strider.

So what exactly are the advantages of a Strider Prebike? Strider teaches your child balance, coordination and self-confidence while traditional bikes put so much emphasis on learning how to pedal trumping the development of your child's motor skills. It is very essential for your growing child to develop motor skills. Also, learning balance and coordination jump-starts your child's growth and development. It would be a breeze riding a bike for your child if he first learns the basics and safety of biking.

Strider Prebike focuses on sheer simplicity. It has no cables, chains, sprockets, pedals or protrusions that could harm your child. There would be no hassle adjusting so many things on the bike before your child can even start riding it. The design of this bike should also not be your problem. It has a durable steel frame and puncture-proof tires which makes it capable to be used off-road. Your child would not be only limited to the pavements around your house.

The coordination, motor skills, balance and strength of your child will all improve as he continues to ride the Strider balance bike. It was designed to enable children to push their way along on the bike on all kinds of grounds. It also allows the children to use their body weight to make the bike frame upright.

Important things parents need to know

Strider Prebike is best suited for children between the heights of 20 to 44 inches but the seat can be adjusted. It can be modified depending on your child's length, from 11 to 16 inches. The whole bike only weighs seven pounds, enabling relatively easy navigation. This bike is extremely lighter than the traditional bikes.

In order for your child to fully enjoy this balance bike, you need to adjust the seat and handlebars to meet the regular height. The handlebars should be comfortable to your child's arm length and your child needs to be seated firmly with the knees bent at a slight angle. The helmets and paddings should also be adjusted properly to fit in your child's head and body. The helmet should be two fingers from the top of the head of your child to the level of vision and it should not tilt forward or slide back.

By Elliot Ross

Learn How To Teach Your Child How To Bike With LIKEaBIKE Jumper

2011-12-27T03:32:00.000-08:00

If you want your child to learn how to ride a bike when he reaches two to five years old, then you may opt for balance bike or LIKEaBIKE Jumper. It is the best way to train your kid and have his first biking experience. It will provide your child the fastest, easiest and safest way to ride a bike and would also help him in the advanced level of pedal and steering bikes.

The concept of LIKEaBIKE Jumper bike was to provide an excellent biking experience for little kids without the hassles of pedals and balancing. The manufacturer had this idea in 1997.

This balance bikes are lightweight and have a special steering limiter which prevents incidents of sliding. The frame is made from aluminum and will never rust. The limiter is removable and is very ideal for small kids. Also, the seat pole is adjustable from 13 to 19 inches. The seat is also embroidered to make the kid feel comfort and allows tilt adjustment. In a large scale, the bike weighs only 7 1/2 pounds and it can be assembled in minutes.

Why purchase LIKEaBIKE?

The LIKEaBIKE Jumper bike has no pedals which sways your child from distractions of pedaling. Instead, your child will only focus on balancing and steering which are important skills to ride independently. This balance bike teaches those skills at an earlier age than the traditional pedal bicycles where it still has stabilizers or training wheels. Pedaling is the last skill that your child should know in riding a bike.

It would also teach your child to study the bike on their own. They will know how the bike works, how to keep their balance, and how make it move faster. It can also develop your child's unpolished motor skills, which in turn may develop his self-confidence.

Meanwhile, when you have already decided to purchase a balance bike, you need to consider a few things. The first thing to consider would be whether to choose a wooden frame or metal frame bike. Your choice would depend on your preference and budget. On average, metal frame bikes are more expensive by about 10 percent than wooden frame bikes. Next factor to look at is if it would be for limited or unlimited steering. There are bikes that have handlebars that rotate in full circle or 360 degrees while some limit it only to 30 to 40 degrees. The 360 degrees handlebar is very difficult to manage especially for beginners while the 30 to 40 degrees steering wheel would be held back by the limited steering.

When your child tasted the feeling of being independent, it is something that they will never forget. Just learning to ride a bike is already a milestone for him. It's the start of his journey - learning coordination, balance and agility to the real world so support him to learn this now.

By Elliot Ross

Time Out or Time In? Making the Most of Your Time and Your Child's Time

2011-12-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

"Don't just do something. Sit there." Thich Nhat Hanh says - which is the opposite of what we are usually told to do. We are so busy out there getting somewhere, doing something that we do rarely take time to just sit.

We have dragged our kids into this non-ending, running-in-circles marathon.

I think they are revolting.

The following is not to suggest that ADHD is not a neurological issue. It definitely is. Yet, one has to wonder, how else will our children adapt to the inssesant schedules, information, inundation of more, more and more without any filters? They have to process information more rapidly or they won't survive.

We schedule them, us, and some families are so busy they eat in their cars and have a change of clothes in their cars and have to change as they go from one place to another. It's no wonder kids update their status on Facebook, they're so busy, they don't have time to talk in person and forget trying to schedule a playdate. Between each of the child's schedules, working parents, homework, baseball, soccer, practice, PTA meetings, Girl Scouts, church, birthday partiies, mom's workout at the gym, Dad's golf game and possibly mom and dad's date night, where is the time?

There is no phone app for this.

Although, I believe there is one to remnd you to pee. Thank God. I don't know about you but if I sit still for too long, I start to feel guilty. Like there is something I absolutely must do. This may or may not be true, but if I feel like this - I am certain I am communicating this to my children.

This is not good.

It's time to re-evaluate how we spend our time and how we spend our children's precious time. What would it look like if we took a day, OK, who am I kidding? How about an hour and just did nothing. What if we planned nothing and just see what happened? What would it look like if we just were hang'in with our kids...no phones, lists, computers, or tasks? Yea, it'd probably drive us nuts at first. We would most likely suffer some sort of withdrawal. Yet, I think in "time", we might actually enjoy it, ourselves and our children just a tiny bit more.

Our children do not need more to do. They need more of us.

"Don't just sit there...do something!" We're running out of time.

To learn more about making the most of your time with your child, download a FREE copy of "The Life Survival Guide" www.monsterproofyourchild.com/info/

Lisa Smith is a the founder of www.monsterproofyourchild.com, certified neurotherapist and neurodevelopmentalist and mother of five, including a child who has been cured of autism! Using tips from twenty years of professional and personal experience, coupled with a degree in child and adolescent developmental psychology, Lisa provides tips for raising "whole" children who are equipped for a world full of "monsters."

Attention editors, publishers, marketers, bloggers and webmasters:
Feel free to copy and paste this article. You must include attribution to the article and it's author (s) and the following short paragraph in the same font size and visibility as the main article: This article appears courtesy of Lisa Smith's "Tattle Tails" - a weekly newsletter from monsterproofyourchild.com. Linking monsterproofyourchild.com to this website.

By LisaMarie Smith

How To Make Your Pirate Costume a Winner This Halloween!

2011-12-25T03:28:00.000-08:00

Pirate costumes will be very much in demand for this Halloween celebrations.

Applying pirate style makeup for pirate girls costume can complete the outfit to perfection. By using a makeup technique of smoky eyes and bronze eye shadow, you can give a pirate costume just the right combination of darkness and mystery. The older girls can use fake eyelashes, dark makeup and heavy eyeliner to complete the pirate makeup look this Halloween party. If you want a more genuine pirate look, try going for the "dirty" face look. Smudge your face with some of the darker makeup, bronzed, or kohl is fine for this. Become a makeup artist! Tie your hair back with a dark or red colored scarf, bandanna. A pirate hat gives a really sophisticated look, or can cover up your hair if you aren't happy with the final look without the hat.

Pirates look best wearing some sort of belt, usually large belt buckle, a scarf or sash for the little pirate girls. Off the belt you can hang a plastic dagger or pistol, or even a replica sword for the older kids.

The accessories and make up are what finish the costume so it really comes together. Depending on the type of pirate you want to transform into for the night will determine how you wear your Pirate makeup and accessories. You can either go as a pretty, scary or even sexy pirate.

As far as the pants go, wear a dark color, and the top or shirt with a collar and with stripes. No other costume says "pirate" like a black and white striped shirt with a wide neck. If you don't have dark stripes, red is good, but pretty much any stripes will do,( pirates aren't that picky you know!).

Accessorize, because even shiny jewellery looks good on a sassy, cheeky pirate girl! Pirates love to display their booty as much as they love to plunder it, so load your arms with bangles and bracelets and your neck with pearls or silver beads. Find as many cheap rings as possible, again in silver, and wear them on both wrists. To top off the authentic pirate look you can buy a cheap eye patch or make one in material to complete the accessories. All eye patches must be black.

Most popular pirate costumes are Captain Jack Sparrow, then followed by Blackbeard and Captain Hook. It really depends on your personality and your budget. If expense isn't an issue, then pirate costumes often include a jacket, skirt or pants, boot tops and shirt. Remember the accessories as these are very important. Such things as Pirate makeup swords, muskets, belts, bangles, earrings,dreadlocks, pirate boots and eye patches. To make your costume a winner, you just need to spend some time on the important finishing touches. This will bring your costume together beautifully.

If you need to buy some outfits because you can't make your own, or you don't have time, see below....

Choosing and then putting together a fun and exciting Pirate costume for girls can be a challenge. Look around online to find some great ideas. Images give you good ideas. There is plenty of information available to help you.

Visit
http://piratecostumesforgirls.net to get more ideas to make your pirate costume a winner for this Halloween.

By Cat Koz

Razor Pocket Rocket Kicks Asphalt!

2011-12-24T03:25:00.000-08:00

The Razor Pocket Rocket electric motorcycles are for those parents who want to give their child something really different! It gives your child ample thrill when they ride from Pocket Rocket electric motorcycle.

This model of Razor motorcycle runs on electricity but is similar in its features to perfect racing pocket bike. The Pocket Rocket can travel 15 miles per hour and runs on a battery which can be recharged and can give 45 minutes drive on a single charge.

This Razor Pocket Rocket electric mini-bike is great for riding short distances- such as going around the park or nearby grocery. However this is not meant for riding on areas where there is vehicular traffic.

The swanky blue Razor Pocket Rocket Electric mini bike is the best among all the other electric racing bikes. With its unbeatable design and durability, the model Pocket Rocket 200 is the best gift for children aged above twelve.

The most important features of this bike are its safety kick stand and tools. It boasts of a torque motor and 40 minutes of drive on a single charge. The battery provides a 40 minute ride on a 12 hour charge. I would be convenient to re-charge after every 30 minutes. So, this would automatically limit the amount of time your child is going to play on it. This aspect will create more and more interest among kids.

There are many advantages of owning the Razor Pocket Rocket. The first and foremost of them is the safety it provides. The speeds are very low and well within the constraints for kids so that they do not get injured. Secondly, the spare parts of this bike are easily available in all stores.

This is a good investment for kids. Every kid in your neighbourhood would obviously envy your new scooter.

Initially the child may need adult supervision. For safety sake, the child should wear safety gear, Special tires are available which are needed to be set up for racing on streets. The riding can be easily mastered within a matter of days. That is the specialty feature of the Razor brand of products.

Remember this Pocket Rocket from Razor can only hold up to 150 lbs. So avoid loading it beyond that. Beyond that weight, the bike might have a little difficulty pushing through and your child could risk getting injured. It would it be possible for a teenager to ride this bike so long as the rider does not exceed 150 lbs.

Another safety factor to consider is that care must be taken while riding this bike, you should only ride it only on smooth surfaces.

As a perfect replica of a real bike, for a child this is in fact the best buy. Children will not experience this much fun with their other riding toys. This is the major reason many people continue buying it. This bike also helps kids to learn to ride two wheelers at a very young age.

Razor Pocket Rocket electric motorcycle is thus the perfect stand-in for a real motorcycle for your kid.

By Mark R Simmons

Safety on the Net

2011-12-23T03:24:00.000-08:00

When I was a child the argument was 'how many phone calls can I make and how long can I spend on a call'. I can still hear my mother's voice saying 'how on earth can you spend an hour talking to someone you just spent six hours in school with, what can you possibly have left to say'. Of course there was always lots to say.

Now the argument is 'when will I be old enough to have my own mobile phone, why can't I have a laptop, I haven't been on the Xbox for hours..'

There's a lot more texting than talking, no more excitement waiting for the letter to arrive from your French pen pal, or the gang you met in the Summer camp, it's all Facebook and email, and you know it's not a bad thing, it's easier to stay in touch with old friends, and when your child does become more independent and begins going places with friends unaccompanied by adults, there is such peace of mind knowing they are reachable at all times via mobile phones.

The World Wide Web is a fantastic source of information, inspiration, and fun, but unfortunately it also opens our homes to predators in many forms and it's our job as a parent to ensure that our sons and daughters are safe, so we need to get the balance right between monitoring their usage, while allowing them some privacy.

When we moved to our family home I was so excited to have my own office, with a beautiful cherry wood large corner desk, and leather swivel chair. When I needed inspiration I would gaze out the window at the wonderful views, fields with sheep and cows grazing, and in early morning I would see rabbits and hares, sometimes a fox. It was my little sanctuary.

When my eldest son became interested in using my computer I was so happy to see how quickly he picked up how to log on, and how to use the net, and in no time he was surfing away, without needing my help, and as he began spending more and more time on the computer a realisation dawned on me. He was totally unsupervised, away from the family with no monitoring unless one of us popped upstairs to check on him.

Yes we had all the securities and blocks in place but are they enough? There is no substitute for parental supervision. At his age, I did not allow my son to walk up to our quiet, sleepy village alone, I certainly wouldn't have sent him into the city with a few words of warning about not talking to strangers, yet he had the whole world and all those in it at his fingertips on the internet.

I knew there was only one solution, the cherry wood desk went on eBay, replaced by the mini gym my husband had wanted, and furniture was dragged, lifted and rearranged to fit a small flat pack desk in the corner of the family room, the new home for my computer. From then on when my sons where using the computer we were in and out, keeping a close watch on what they were logging onto, not in an obvious way, but in a natural way.

When I caught my 'seven year old' and his highly embarrassed friend Goggling 'sexy babes' I knew my small sacrifice was the right decision, (at the time I didn't think he even knew how to spell sexy).

For all sorts of reasons, from cyber bullying to child predators we need to keep our children safe on the net. Don't expect a computer programme to take the role of parent. There is no substitute for parental supervision. Follow my lead, place the family computer in the family room and ensure that you are the one monitoring your child's time on the net, and indeed your teenagers too.

Our children are our most treasured possession, keep them safe. http://www.tirnanogchildcareandmontessori.com

By Vera M Baker

The Top 3 Ways To Help Your Child Have A Successful School Year

2011-12-22T03:23:00.000-08:00

1) Be A Proactive Parent: Children with proactive parents are more likely to excel academically. So what does it mean to be a proactive parent? Well, you are either a proactive or reactive parent. Taking a proactive approach to your child's education means that you are not waiting until the report card conference to find out how your child is doing. You are actively involved throughout the school year, and you are actively inquiring about your child's performance in the classroom.

Have you ever experienced a situation when there was a problem at your child's school and you asked "Why am I just hearing about this?" or "Why didn't I know this was going on?" If so, then you were reactive in that moment. I'm sure once the issue was brought to your attention, you reacted immediately to resolve the problem. However, by the time you heard about the situation it may have escalated into a major issue.

You don't want to wait until the report card conference to check up on your child's performance because the report card conferences are often 3 to 4 months into the school year. So if your child is having some type of problem in school, you definitely don't want to wait 3 to 4 months to hear about it. It's best to nip it in the bud as soon as the problem begins.

So how do you become a proactive parent, especially if you have a busy work schedule? Well, simply sending an e-mail to your child's teacher is a great way to stay in the loop. If the teacher does not send home weekly or bi-weekly reports, I suggest sending an e-mail to your child's teacher every other week to inquire about your child's academic performance. You also want to inquire about any behavioral or social concerns.

2) Create A Goal Plan With Your Child: Let's say that you are about to take a road trip, but you don't have a destination in mind. Without a destination who knows where you'll end up. The same concept applies to academic success. If your child doesn't have a goal to work towards, who knows what grades your child will receive? This is why I suggest sitting down with your child at the beginning of the school year to discuss goals. Speak with your child about the subjects he/she is taking and ask your child what grades he/she would like to receive in each subject.

So let's get back to the road trip. Now you have a destination in mind. If you've never been there before, how will you know how to reach your destination? Maybe you can use a GPS. So what does the GPS do? It gives you step by step instructions on how to reach your destination. If you want to see your child reach his/her goals you will need to sit down with your child and discuss step by step instructions on how to reach those goals; such as determining how many hours your child study for each subject per week. Anyone can set goals, but not everyone will reach their goals. The ones who reach their goals are the ones who implement the GPS concept and outline the steps needed to reach their destination (goals).

3) Identify Your Child's Learning Style: So what is your child learning style? Not all children learn the same way, so knowing your child's learning style will enable you to help your child excel academically by implementing strategies to support your child's learning style. There are a variety of learning styles that can be condensed into 3 basic categories:

1) Visual
2) Auditory
3) Kinesthetic.

I encourage you to discuss the 3 learning styles with your child to determine what learning style suits your child best.

Visual learners comprehend and retain information by seeing it. Visual learners remember information by capturing words and pictures in their minds. If your child is a visual learner, you can support your child by getting flash cards, purchasing educational DVD's, getting highlighters for your child to color code his/her notes, etc.

Auditory learners comprehend and retain information by hearing it. If your child is an auditory learner, you can support him/her by purchasing an audio recorder. Your child can read class notes into the audio recorder and play it back as a study technique. If your child is not too old (or thinks he/she is too cool for this) you can even create songs to help your child remember the information.

Kinesthetic learners are "hands on". If your child is a kinesthetic learner he/she comprehends and retains information when engaged in physical activity such as science lab. At home you can support your kinesthetic learner by creating teachable moments through every day activities. For example, you can teach your child about measurements while cooking. Supporting your kinesthetic learner will require some creativity.

For more great tips to help your child have a successful school year, visit: http://www.BFG-youth.com

By Tamara Shirer

What to Do If You Failed Your Exams

2011-12-21T03:19:00.000-08:00

When exam results are out and new school terms are beginning, for some it will be a time of celebration, for others it is anything but. I am all for getting a good education, in all senses of the word, and I can see the value in getting exams too. I do think we need to keep some perspective when it comes to formal examinations though.

Not passing an exam comes down to one of three things. Either
   1. you didn't understand the subject in the first place
   2. you didn't work hard enough or
   3. you just don't have a good recall and exam technique.

The good news is that in all three cases you can do something about it! If you don't understand something, it is your right and your responsibility to ask questions and to seek and receive help. It may be you were unfortunate enough to have an uninspiring teacher who didn't teach you in the way you learn best. It happens, deal with it and move on. Today more than ever, you have a wealth of knowledge at your disposal and if you can't get help from your teacher, look online or find someone else in your life to help you. We might appear to know very little, but many of us adults know lots of stuff and would enjoy sharing if you only ask!

Not working hard enough. Well, do I really need to say more about that? Just think about why that might be and who you are really affecting. Playing up in class may make you feel cool at the time and make you more popular than your more book wormy class mates, but who will pay the price long term? It won't be your teacher. They might suffer whilst you're in their charge, but in a short while you'll just be another kid they used to teach. Your 'swotty' mates might envy your coolness now, but if they keep working hard, you can bet they'll have the last laugh when they're earning so much more than you and have a better car, house, new pair of shoes etc It won't even be your parents. Lots of us rebel at school because we want to get our parents attention, but again, guess what, it's only you who loses out in the long run!

The third reason, poor recall and exam technique is also not fatal. Your memory can be trained to make it more efficient and there are many ways to help make your revision more effective. Work out how you learn best (visually, by listening, or by walking through things in some way) and use it to your advantage. Your mind is the most miraculous machine if you only learn how to use it more efficiently. So you didn't do so well in your exams. It doesn't mean you are stupid or that you'll never pass an exam. It doesn't mean you are bad or hopeless or doomed to a miserable life. It just means you didn't pass this time, don't let it define you and how you think about yourself. Pick yourself up and then ask yourself some key questions and answer them really honestly. Write your answers down, it will make you think harder.

* Why didn't I pass?
* Which one of the three categories do I fall into?
* What can I learn from this?
* What could I do differently next time?
* What will I do differently?
* Who can help me?
* What am I good at?
* How did I learn to do that?
* How can I use that way of learning for other things?

Don't waste your own time by lying to yourself about the answers. You want to be treated like an adult I imagine, so react like one. Take responsibility for your learning and for what you are going to achieve because I can guarantee you, if you do, you will learn and achieve far more than if you see it as someone else's job.

Your time in education is your time. It's the only time in your life when people are on hand to help you (even if they don't really want to!) without you having to pay them for their time. They are giving you stuff for free every day and the stuff they give you, knowledge, you can use to make a great life for yourself.

Work out where you want to go in life and work out how to get there. If you need exams, resit them, it's not the end of the world and a year out of your life now is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Look at other people who are successful and see what you could copy from them. There are lots of really successful people who didn't do well at school but they believed in themselves and that carried them through. Believe in yourself too and make sure you have good self esteem.

If you don't know what you want to do, don't worry about it! Speak to someone sensible and pick subjects you can do well in and that will give you a good overall grounding and maximum choice.

For me that's what education and exams are all about, choice. Doing well will give you more choices when you are ready in your life to make them. I don't know anyone who at 16 was ready for the big life choices, so give yourself the widest selection possible. Exams do not make you a good person, or define you, but they will be used as a benchmark and to funnel your options. Doing as well as you can will just make sure the funnel is as wide as it can be.

Above all, stay positive and do it for yourself.

I am a Master Practitioner of NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnosis, a mother of two and the author of The Self Help Bible series.

The Self Help Bibles are short, practical books designed to help you harness the power of the mind and create the life you really want.

Please visit my website http://theselfhelpbible.com for information on personal development, self help and self improvement or to check out the free resources available.

Why not join me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheSelfHelpBible for the latest news and to join in the discussions there:-)

By Amanda Ollier Nee Ball

Ideas for Your Child's Next Birthday

2011-12-20T03:16:00.000-08:00

Birthday parties do not have to be the same old dull and boring routines every year. As your child gets older it is important for them to have the kind of great birthday party that is talked about for weeks because it was so much fun. There are many birthday ideas and they don't all have to cost an arm and a leg. Here are a few ideas.

· If the children are old enough to be good swimmers, consider having a beach or pool party. While you may need a few extra supervisors the activities will almost take care of themselves. If you want, you can organise swim races or diving competitions. For good swimmers you could hold a mini swimming Olympics theme party.

· A backyard sleepover. Most kids go through the sleepover stage so incorporating one into a party is a good idea. Tents and sleeping bags in the backyard along with a supervised campfire, storytelling and roasting marshmallows will all make a great party experience for your child and all the others.

· Having a clown come to the birthday party and do special tricks will delight many children, especially if some of the activities can be interactive.

· A simple party in the park gets everyone outdoors and you can depend on the swings and slides to provide the games. You can invite the parents to stay and help keep an eye on the kids. This is more suited to the younger children who do not yet want anything more sophisticated.

· Older children will enjoy an evening at the cinema as their party treat. They can have supper of birthday cake afterwards.

· Visiting a local tourist facility is often a hit for a birthday party. Many offer group discounts. You may want to limit the numbers for such a treat as a crowd of children may be harder to keep track of.

· Ice-skating rinks, bowling alleys and similar activities all make great birthday party venues. The idea is that the supervisors don't actually have to invent and instigate games because the children participate in those provided.

· Older children or teens may love to take a few of their best friends out for a formal dinner at a restaurant. This could be combined with the movies, a show or another entertainment, but is often enough just on its own. Most venues allow you to bring the birthday cake along. Sparklers are a nice change from birthday candles on the cake for those who think they are too old to blow out candles.

· A craft birthday party is often fun as children can each choose and take home their own piece of craft. This can be painting, ceramics, scrapbooking or balloon sculpture or anything else that is offered in your district.

· Pony riding picnic. If there is a riding facility nearby you could organise pony rides and a picnic to finish it off with.

When choosing a different kind of birthday party make sure you take into consideration the child's age, likes and dislikes. For instance, if they dislike animals, you wouldn't want to inflict a pony riding party on them.

Enhance your next childs birthday with a clown, Bananas has been in the Perth Clowning business for a long time and brings laughs to children of all ages.

By Rich McPharlin

Why Animated Coloring Pages Are Good to Invoke the Imagination?

2011-12-19T03:14:00.000-08:00

Kids are always in for the fantasy world; they love coloring activities and participate in various drawing contests. These days in general there is a scope to indulge in online coloring activities. Animated coloring pages are the best option to choose for your kids learning and fun activities. Verily colors are the main element of kids' daily routine; they spent a lot of time in drawing cartoon characters and other new things which interest them related to colors.

Cartoon characters are very popular among kids and yet even gaining a lot of fans across the globe. Kids have a liking for cartoon characters that is the reason why you will find cartoons in kids apparels, toys etc. It's obvious that cartoon printable coloring pages can be an exciting pass time for kids, filing the colors of choice, drawing characters, and other things excites the kids at peak. Parents generally like when they find their kids engaged in a coloring book or coloring worksheets, they felt a sense of relaxation after seeing their kids' involvement in online how to draw activities. Whilst doing this kid gets the chance of exploring their imaginations on the paper or canvas, simply coloring pages invoke the imagination of a kid.

Who are the most popular animated characters for online coloring activities?

Aladdin coloring pages- Aladdin, a street urchin is the main character of "The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights". In the series, Aladdin is in love with a princess Jasmine who is also a popular character available online for printable coloring activities. Almost every kid and adults are fan of this series and loved the apparels of princess Jasmine, Aladdin, Genie and Abu etc.

Tom and Jerry coloring pages- One of the oldest American classic cartoon series very popular in all over world. It's a colorful cartoon series we all must have aware about. Kids love usually Tom and Jerry coloring books because of its humorous appeal. Every of the child is aware with the Tom and Jerry show which is telecasted in T.V. They do love these characters and this would help them here to enjoy as well as learn. This would be a fun with gaining knowledge about different colors.

Mermaid coloring pages- A beautiful fantasy character created by John William Waterhouse, Mermaid apparels is fascinating, beautiful and well designed. Mermaid resembles colorful aquatic creature of the fantasy world.

Cinderella Coloring pages- It is the most demanded drawing pages online because it's full of vibrant colors and the apparels of the main character Cinderella is full of variety. The Disney Princess characters are favorites of little girls everywhere.

Choosing what to color can be fun as well, even though most drawing books are marketed for children and include characters like Disney princesses, Cars and even Dora the Explorer. Don't be ashamed to pick up one of those if you can't find anything online to suit your coloring theme. Else you will get the coloring worksheets available online for your free time fun.

By Caira Scarlett John

How to Get Your Kids to Do Chores

2011-12-18T03:12:00.000-08:00

Ever wanted to get your kids to do their share of the chores around the home? It can seem like an almost impossible task at times, so here are a few tips on how to not only get them to do the chores you want done, but they will actually want to do them for you. This is not magic, although the results may seem like magic these tips are proven effective ways to motivate your kids to do chores around the home.

The first tip is to identify what your kids' personal motivation is. Not all kids have the same attitude to working at home and not all kids want the same things. So the first step is to identify what makes your kid tick. To do this all you need to do is sit down with them and discuss money. Not just any money but their money, their monetary goals, their spending requirements and their long term plans. You see we are all motivated to some extent by what money can do for us. Not so much how much we have but what we can do with the money we do have or the money we can earn. Your kids are the same.

However, before you do this it is a good idea to identify how your kids get money today. Do you give them an allowance or pocket money? Do they get money from working? Do they get their money from gifts from family members? It is important to know just what they do to get money. I will make an assumption here that like most parents you give your kids money either as an allowance or pocket money or as they need it. If so, please stop. Stop giving them money just because you can. Why, because if they grow up thinking that money comes from a hole in the wall or mum or dads wallet then when will they learn to earn it. Instead agree with them that they will receive a minimal allowance based on their needs but that they will have to earn the rest.

Once you have identified how much money they will need for their goals sit down with your kids and identifying the chores around the house that they can perform and for which they can receive a payment. This will prove to be good for you and good for them. They will learn that money is earned and not just something that is free. The more they then want to spend the more work they will need to perform to do so. This is so powerful a tool that you need to be aware of the work you want done and the rate of pay you are willing to pay for it. Remember thought that some of this payment is in lieu of their allowance or pocket money. Money you would have given them anyway. The benefit to you is not only the fact that you are empowering your kids with financial skills but you also get back the time you would normally spend doing the chores they are now going to do.

Once you have identified the chores you want done and your child has agreed to do the work for an agreed amount of payment then the next step to keep the motivation going is to set goals with them. Identify with them what they will do with the money and when they want to do it. For example, let's assume that they want to go to the movies with their friends and let's say it costs $10.00. Now they may be earning $2.00 per week in combined pocket money and payment for chores so it will take them 5 weeks to earn the $10.00 they need for the movies. If this is the case, simply put a chart on the fridge door or somewhere where they can see it and list their savings each week. If they can see the target is $10.00 and each week they are getting closer they will stay more motivated to complete their goal.

One other way they can get to their goal sooner is to do more chores or as some enterprising young people do they can start their own little business and do work for others in the family or neighbourhood. Naturally, age has a bearing on the types of chores and the amount of money paid. Teenagers can be expected to do more chores than say and 8 or 9 years old. Whatever the age, the opportunities to earn money both within the family and outside are too numerous to list here. Suffice to say that most kids can find some form of activity that they can do to earn some extra pocket money. The more they earn the less burden is placed on you to provide the simpler things they will provide for themselves. Empowering your kids financially is not about giving them money, it is about teaching them about money. There is an old saying that goes like this, "You can feed a man a fish and he will eat but for a day or you can teach a man to fish and he will eat forever".

David is an experienced financial adviser and entrepreneur with a passion for helping people realise financial independence through structured learning. As a regular contributor to http://www.MoneyToolkits.com, a site designed specifically to teach kids about money, David is able to share his knowledge and skills with people of all ages from 8 to 80.

By David H. Nolan

Making Wooden Wind Chimes With Your Children

2011-12-17T03:11:00.000-08:00

During the summer holidays, one of the most heard phrases amongst parents is 'I'm bored', with children across the world showing their feelings. With many kids having up to six weeks off school, that leaves them with an incredible amount of free time. This means that parents have to come up with various ideas to entertain their children. This can be tough and gruelling with little resources or imagination but it needn't be with the right amount of preparation.

A lot of children tend to spend a lot of time indoors nowadays, however when the weather is nice they should be encouraged to go outside. People respond positively to natural light and children are no different. An activity that blends this with arts and crafts is making wind chimes. It is quite simple and children of different ages will be able to take part.

First, you will need to gather some hollow wood like sumac or elderberry. If you're unable to find any in your garden, you may have to visit your local park. Using your imagination, you can turn the collection of materials into an adventure for your children, improving observation skills and working as a team to create something. The number of chimes you want to have will determine how much wood will need to be collected, so keep this in mind when on the hunt.

After collecting the wood, you will have to cut each piece to the length you desire, and this should be somewhere between a few inches to six or seven at most. Children should be kept at a safe distance whilst the cutting is taking place to avoid any accidents. Using a tool like a hand saw is ideal for this task, although other sharp implements can be used if necessary.

After cutting the individual pieces, using a straightened coat hanger; you will have to push the pith out of the centre to make it hollow. Your children may be able to help with this task but it would depend on their age. The next task can involve children of all ages and that is the issue of peeling off the bark from each piece.

Following this, small holes will need to be inserted for string. For softer wood, you will be able to use a wired coat hanger again but for harder wood, you may need to use a screw. The holes should be of the same distance from the end and should be no further than a centimetre away. After placing holes in each piece, string must follow. This will allow you to attach the pieces to a longer branch from which they can hang from. The last task would be to then attach another piece of string to each end of the branch allowing you to hang your wind chimes from a suitable fixture.

By Paula T Hanson

Razor E300 Scooter Is a Blast

2011-12-16T03:09:00.000-08:00

Over the years, Razor scooters have evolved from a fun yet simple aluminum Razor scooter to a more exciting, motorized Razor e300 scooter. The original foldable Razor scooters were all the rage back in 2000. Kids of all ages and even adults wanted to get in on this craze. For months, retailers were sold out of these timeless scooters.

Now in 2011, kids are still using these classic aluminum Razor scooters. You see them gliding down your neighborhood sidewalks, hopping onto carubs, and riding together with their friends. However, these scooters remained the same for years, and for scooter enthusiasts out there, change was needed. The answer to their needs is the Razor e300 scooter, which can hits speeds of up to 15 miles per hour thanks to its high-performance, chain-driven motor.

This is a completely different Razor scooter. It's perfect for those short trips around the neighborhood where there's nothing to experience but the smooth cruising. With each full charge, riders can enjoy up to 45 minutes of continuous action.

So is it hard to operate the e300 scooter? Absolutely not. After charging the battery completely, turn on the e300, hop on, and let things rip by simply twisting the handlebar throttle control. You'll be gliding down the streets in no time. In order to make the ride as smooth as possible, Razor engineers implemented wide 10-inch pneumatic tires that were meant to absorb the small bumps you might encounter along the ride.

Stopping is a piece of cake with the easy-to-use handbrake setup. When you're ready to call it a day, the Razor e300 can be folded up for painless storage in your garage or trunk.

Were you a fan of the original aluminum Razor scooters and are seeking a bigger thrill? Do you want something faster? Do you want that scooter that'll take your riding to another level? Then the Razor e300 is just for you. Forget not being able to ride smoothly down pathways, sidewalks, and roads that are too rough for a normal scooter. With the e300, you'll feel like the king or queen of whatever terrain you happen to encounter.

When the original scooters came out years ago, they cost not much less than the e300 does today. So for it's price, this Razor motorized scooter is a lot of bang for your buck. Also, if you have a really short commute and don't see the need in shelling out thousands of dollars for a car, then the Razor e300 is all you really need. Talk about a bargain.

There are many reasons to give the Razor e300 scooter a shot. You're bound to have a blast with this ride. Jump aboard before they sell out!

By Mark R Simmons

Ways to Get Kids Interested in Being Healthy

2011-12-15T03:08:00.000-08:00

Looking for ways to get kids interested in being healthy?

I've been blessed to raise a gaggle of kids and I learned a couple of tricks along the way that worked really well.

Set An Example

Nothing will do more to help your kids get interested in being healthy than fostering a healthy and active lifestyle as part of your family culture. Kids learn by example. There are a lot of great activities that lend themselves to the family and from an early age you can lead the way by planning family time around group activities.

This extends to nutrition as well. Stocking the house with healthy food and snacks that the family enjoys are great ways to get your kids interested in being healthy.

This is a win/win for parents as well since a healthy and active lifestyle reduces stress and makes you more productive.

Join Their Team

Kids will gravitate toward the activities they love and your best bet is to join the team.

I raised my kids around bicycles. From their earliest years they rode in a trailer and later their own bikes. As a family we competed many 25 and even 50 mile bike rides before they reached the age of 8. But something funny happened along the way: They developed their own tastes.

For my oldest it was hockey. We lived in Las Vegas while my kids were growing up so there wasn't an ice rink on every corner but we did invest in a net, sticks and in-line skates for the family.

My second boy became active in cheer-leading. I have to admit that this seemed strange to me at first but as he trained relentlessly to perform the maneuvers I could see the conditioning and team-building skills he was developing. We couldn't get on the court with him but we did support him by attending his activities.

My youngest son started running cross-country and then ended up playing volleyball. Again, we couldn't get on the court with him but we made sure he knew we supported him.

My daughter, the youngest, drew from the examples of all the family and though she ended up in the marching band she also ran cross-country, played volleyball and even raced bicycles competitively for a couple of years.

All of my kids are adults now and have carried these habits into their own family culture. Those small seeds we planted early and the effort we made to include them in the activities we loved and support the ones they loved have paid huge dividends.

It may not be easy to get kids interested in being healthy but it is simple. Just set the example and support them in every way you can.

Tom grew up as a 'fat kid' and struggled with weight and self image the whole time he was growing up. A healthy lifestyle for kids needs healthy nutrition. Get the latest in kids nutrition from Tom's Healthy Kids Newsletter.

To be the example mom & dad need to, well, be the example. Have some weight you want to lose or need help making good nutritional choices for your family? Tom's Easy Diet Coach Newsletter will make it easy for you. Subscribe now at EasyDietCoach.com

By Tom Bradley

Are Bad People On The Internet? Protect Your Kids

2011-12-14T03:06:00.000-08:00

In the twenty-first century the internet has become a necessity, it is considered a basic need, as it plays a major role in our daily life. It has taken education to a whole new level and has greatly improved the social lives of many. But this increased use of the internet is posing a deadly threat to our communities and our children particularly.

It is also being used as a medium by people to carry out their evil deeds. This has created the need to protect our children and ensure their safety. Pedophiles, along with child molesters and other children predators are on the rise, the internet is being used to lure children into their devious plans. These people pose as fellow children and chat children up slowly and surely to the point that the children trust them and give them personal information. This continues to the point that the child even plans on meeting his/her pen pal, which provides the perfect opportunity to ensnare the children.

There have been stories in the media on how children have been raped, murdered, kidnapped for ransom and even abducted, never to be seen or heard from again. The most unfortunate thing, however, has to be the fact that most kids who encounter these predators online do not report this to their parents even when they are exposed to sexually explicit content.

The journey to protect our children has resulted in the development of parental control software, which enables parents to monitor and control what their children do online. The features of these software's vary from manufacture to manufacturer, but the main aim is the same, that is to keep our children safe and secure. Some of the common features among this parental control software are the fact that you can block dangerous sites that you would not want your children visiting, they also enable you to limit the time your children spend online and also enable you to record many of your child's chats, emails and instant messaging. This software also enables parents to block searches for unwanted adult content; they have alerts that notify parents when they are not doing their schoolwork, but instead, are searching for adult materials or websites.

Even with all the parental control software on the market, it is very important to talk to and impart knowledge on our children, this will go a long way to protect them and help them to be cautious. You can teach your children how to chat with strangers without revealing their identities or location. You should, especially, talk to your teenagers as they are the most affected by the social networks evolution, such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and many other social networks.

Lastly it is important to keep watch on your kids' behavior with their friends, as this can help you identify any internet abnormalities in usage.

Rocco Sarracino is a martial arts instructor and self defense expert with over 30 years experience teaching individuals and businesses to be more aware and protected from crime. He is the founder and owner of AMERICAN SAFETY 2000; an online store specializing in self-defense and surveillance products such as stun guns, pepper sprays, Mace products, hidden cameras, home security and much more.

By Rocco W Sarracino

Raising the Children of Today

2011-12-13T03:04:00.000-08:00

In the work that I do with parents, and also in my own personal life, I have noticed that children are different today than they were 20 years ago. Children are getting overwhelmed, stressed out and are shutting down more than ever.

Life has sped up and school and sports are asking for more. We keep our children very busy. It is important that we be conscious about whether or not the lifestyle and pace that we are creating is healthy for our children. It may work just fine for some, and not for others.

I thought I would share some insights on how to support our children in this time of life, and meet them where they are. After all, if their childhood is full of stress and overwhelm, that will be what is familiar and seemingly "normal" to them when they are creating their life as adults, raising their own children. Not a pretty picture.

#1 ~ Observe your children. Are they calm, happy and joyful? Or are they stressed, overwhelmed and shut down? Children are naturally playful, full of laughter and live "in the moment." How are your children showing up at home, school, in sports, and in other areas of their life?

#2 ~ Talk with your children. Be sure to check in with your children regularly (daily would be great). It's important not to interrogate them, but to be interested in them. There is a huge difference (and they will let you know that). How are they keeping up with school? Are they excited about anything? Do they get to explore hobbies they enjoy, and things they are passionate about? Do they have friends? Do they smile? If there are issues and you see that they are shutting down or seem unhappy, you want to be very sensitive when you explore those areas. It may be difficult for them to pinpoint what is not working for them.

#3 ~ Support them. You are the #1 advocate for your children. No one else is going to step in and support them, comfort them, and clear the way for them like you do. If you don't do it, they are left vulnerable and alone. Knowing what to do will come from building a relationship with your children through conversation, modeling and quality time. This builds trust and creates a safe haven for them. They need that; we all do.

If your children are coping well, keep those lines of communication open, continue to observe them for quality of life, and be their advocate. Every school year and every age bring new challenges and new successes. Be present with your children in every stage.

If your children are not coping very well, it can be a simple fix (although not always). The sooner you begin actively addressing it, the more quickly it will resolve, and the easier it will be to adjust when future stresses arise. Success builds upon success.

To create a healthy tomorrow, we need to create a healthy today. To gift our children with freedom, choice and passion throughout their lifetime, we must be present in these developing and crucial years. It's not about control and it's not about giving them complete freedom. It's about guiding, training, communicating and supporting. We are building relationships and we are teaching them how to do the same.

Remember every child is an individual. What works for one, may not work for another. Some children are more sensitive than others. Some are more bossy than others. Some are leaders, others followers. Who is your child? How can you support him/her today and in the coming year? You are their #1 advocate and you are creating their future with them right now. What an opportunity to love another human being!

Traci Carman is the Founder and CEO of A Loving Way ~ How I Parent Makes a Difference. She is a Parenting Coach, Speaker and Author. She is also the creator of the "Who I Am" Energy Cards. For more information about our mission, philosophy and parenting services, or to sign up for our free monthly Newsletter, visit us at http://www.alovingway.com. You may also reach us at 800-647-1171 or tracicarman@alovingway.com.

By Traci Carman

Giant Collage Murals - Creative Kid Art Energy Explodes!

2011-12-12T03:03:00.000-08:00

It's a special skill to do art with crowds. Here's how to do GIANT MURALS with crowds!

Cooperative Art is so much fun! You just don't know what the end result will be! Hook into the Big Creative Energy that exists among us! You can do these creative collage murals with a scout troop, at a party, a family reunion, or a Fair. A small group gathers around and develops a mural all at once, or it can grow in the course of a day...

THE ART: Pick a theme for your giant mural!

For a big fair, pick the fair theme (FOOD?) or anything fun: circus, zoo, space aliens... what do YOU like.

Plan to do several murals so you can have more themes!

MATERIALS

Scrounge, get free scraps from various companies, save leftover materials from earlier projects - keep it inexpensive!

LARGE cardboards- I would get them from a big store like CostCo... the big cardboard that lie flat between the products on a pallet.(call early in the morning, talk to the back room...)

Large colored papers for the background color.(teachers get this paper to cover bulletin boards in the classroom)

Collage materials: scraps of any kind of paper, feathers, shiny papers, fabric scraps, straw, and materials that lend themselves to your theme.

Scissors
Colored marking pens
Glue of several types. Basic white glue and some fabric glue will do you.

DOING A MURAL
-I'll pick a FARM theme as an example.

Set the scene: I cover the big cardboard with colored paper. Top third-blue for sky. Bottom 2/3-green for ground. Yellow or brown if you have a desert theme. Make your horizon line curvy. Maybe stick on a few purple mountains in the background, on the horizon. Maybe a creek wandering across the bottom (front)...
I cut out and glue on a good sized red paper barn,with the doors flapping open. Maybe a big tree too. That's it! The theme is set!

Special Materials good to have for a farm THEME: are fur fabric scraps (animal bodies), straw, cotton balls (lambies! Clouds!) some dried corn(chickens need food, yes?)

The rest will happen! You want to direct people to make something-maybe on a side table, then bring it over and attach it onto the mural. When you have lots of people coming and going, this lets more people participate at once.

You may have to do a little hinting: "What do you think is on a farm? Would you like this to be a kangaroo farm? Well, don't be afraid to be silly! Have fun!" That lets the kids feel free to create!

Be organized!

Keep the materials sorted in bins, baskets, jars. Keep putting the scissors and pens back in their boxes, ready for the next young artists to use. Tape trash bags to hang off the tables so kids are not confronted with a big mess.

HOT TIP! Big messes become bigger messes and don't help people do art.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE MURALS?

At a very large fair, we were working on about ten murals at once, and ended each day with a lot of murals. They've been on display all day. No, you can't keep them.'

SO, during the day have a sign: if you want to take one of these home, come back at 5 pm... we will draw names out of the hat! Do that. Spread the art joy!
In sum, collaborative art is a warm wonderful way to create a feeling of community as well as art! Using recycled materials makes it an inexpensive way to entertain the multitudes!

Author Melinda P Wallis

Author Melinda P Wallis
"Kids Art Goddess"

For 20 years, we've been doing art with crowds at fairs, festivals, malls, camps, parties library programs, and yes, even some creative schools!

Since 1989, I've been inventing creative projects for kids, to give them the thrill of using materials that they often don't get their hands on otherwise! REAL clay and clay tools, colored tumbled glass bits, leather, yards of windsock fabric, outdated phone equipment to make robots with... tons of interesting recycled stuff! Doing art with crowds is a FINE art in itself, and HAVE ART WE'LL TRAVEL knows how to do it!

Personal advice is available to you soon at my blog. Specific help for your special event or activity including the many tips for success that we learned from experience. I'm excited to share my experience with you! soon...

By Melinda P Wallis

Kids and Bullying

2011-12-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Bullying (one teacher's perspective)

Bullies intimidate or mistreat a weaker person. It is the process of taking advantage of someone who may be in a vulnerable position.

How many incidents have we heard of that involved a child being bullied? There have been too many instances and it continues to occur daily. I have had the displeasure of encountering bullies, perhaps you have too.

No one knows all of the reasons why it happens. Maybe the bully has grown up in a horrible environment and their inner anger is taken out on others. It could be a dissatisfaction with a situation that is beyond their control. The loss of a parent, divorce, verbal or physical abuse, lack of guidance, or other disruptions within the family unit could trigger these behaviors in some children.

Whatever the cause, most of us would agree that the child has feelings of low self-worth and unresolved anger issues. The bully picks those who are easily overcome or defeated. The act of overpowering,threatening, or mistreating others may give them a feeling of contentment. It may give them a feeling of sudden power that they feel is lacking in their lives.
It has been my experience that the bully does not usually exhibit his behaviors in the classroom or in a closely supervised setting. They will approach kids in the hallway, cafeteria, bathroom, stair way, sidewalk, on the school bus, playground, or outside of the school environment. This makes it difficult for the teacher, staff, or administration to catch them in the actual act. Many times if the incident is reported to the principal, their hands are tied if there are no witnesses. Schools have procedures to follow. This leaves a feeling of helplessness for the victim, parents, teachers, counselors, and the school. The incidents may fall through the cracks. No one wins when this happens.

In a perfect world, no one would ever become a bully or have to deal with one. The reality is that this behavior exists. What can individuals do to resolve the issue of bullying?
That answer may be found within the individual families of the victim and the culprit.

1. Parenting: Each parent is responsible for creating a healthy home environment for their children. Communicate with the child daily and be aware of any changes in their behavior. Speak to your child's friends to see if anything has upset them. Provide your child with a journal. They may prefer to write down on paper what cannot be said aloud. Let your child know that you love them and will help with this problem.

2. Stay in contact with your child's school personnel. Counseling from the schools may be able available to assist with the problem. Keep in mind that many school counselors have enormous case loads and may not be able to give "one-on-one" time. There may be services in your community that can help. Non-profits, churches, community organizations, or support groups may be available to provide support.

3. Provide books or e books on bullying for your child to read. Read the books with them. Discuss the information and ask questions to ensure their understanding.

For the bully:
1. Recognize your pain and where it came from.
2. Know that everyone has problems in their lives. Hurting others will not erase those problems.
3. People are there to listen to you. Talk about it. Ask for help.
4. Decide if you want kindness or misery to be your friend.
5. Write down 3 things that you like about yourself.
6. Begin loving yourself.
7. Anger is a monster. You have to control it.

By Marie Brewer

Children Make a Difference

2011-12-10T02:58:00.000-08:00

This article is directed to the children in your family. I sit down and talk with my children often. It dawned on me that it might be nice to sit down and talk with yours too (with your permission, of course).

When I was in my 30's, I remember starting to get a glimpse of what my mom and dad had done for me and our family when I was a child. In the moment, I had no idea. It took me 30 years to see it.

With my kids, I love to give them insights into my world and how they can support me and bring a smile to my face. I like to give them insights into the future, and give them information about things they don't know, but might later wish they had known. I felt bad when I realized how much I didn't know to appreciate my parents. I didn't want my kids to look back and say, "If only I had known."

Sometimes we think it is "obvious" how our kids can help us, or not fight, or just do their homework without arguing, etc. But, kids don't know what they don't know. They only know the now. And in any given moment, their now usually consists of a desire to play, which is natural. We can't fault them for that. However, we can empower them, and give them a peak into our world, so that they can cultivate empathy, compassion, and gratitude at much deeper levels.

The rest of this article is for children who would like to make a difference at home.

Okay, kids, let me ask you three questions:

1. Does your mom or dad ever get upset with you, seemingly "out of nowhere"?

2. Does your mom or dad seem tired, stressed, frustrated, and/or not "interested" in you sometimes?

3. Are the holidays stressful and not as fun as they used to be, or as fun as you think they could be?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, I have great news for you!

YOU can make a difference.

People only know what they know. That means they don't know what they don't know. Our life experience as children and as adults is limited to what has happened in our life. You won't understand what your mom and dad are going through, as far as all of the things they have to do (work, dishes, laundry, cleaning, paying bills, mowing, etc.), until later in your life. At some point, you'll realize what they did for you and say, "Oh, now I get it. Wow, they did a lot! I wish I had known then."

My philosophy is, "Why not give our kids some insight into the future? Why not share with them what is happening in our life, and allow them the opportunity to care for and appreciate us NOW?" Would that be valuable to you?

As children, we go through life doing what we're asked to do (or not), going where we need to go, and trying to have fun and play every possible moment in between. I love that! I wish more adults would do that too, including myself. Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Responsibilities take over, however, and we get into habits that create a life of work and heavy loads (some of that is necessary). You are protected in many ways from that experience. Depending on your age, you may be starting to do more around the house, or you may be taking it easy. In either case, wouldn't it be really nice to know how to make a difference for your mom and dad?

First, know that they love you more than you could ever know. When you have children, and only then, will you even have an idea of how much; really.

Second, know that what your parents are doing with work, cleaning, cooking, driving you here and there, and whatever else is on their plate, is what they feel is necessary in order to meet the needs of the family. It isn't "instead of" being with you, it is "because" they care about you.

Third, it comes out of love and necessity, but it is not always easy. Mom and dad get tired. Their tanks get empty.

Here are some ideas that just might put a smile on their faces (especially you mom's):

• Hug them for no reason
• Say "I love you" just because
• Offer to wash the dishes, take out the trash, mow the lawn, or help younger siblings with homework
• Make them some tea
• Surprise them with dinner, or breakfast in bed (orange juice and toast is great)
• Vacuum
• Dust
• Clean a toilet
• Sit down to do your homework without being asked
• Make your bed or clean your room without being asked
• Read them a story, or bring their slippers for snuggle time
• Do anything that surprises them!

Moms and dads need love and attention too. They give a lot to many people.

Traci Carman is the Founder and CEO of A Loving Way ~ How I Parent Makes a Difference. She is a Parenting Coach, Speaker and Author. She is also the creator of the "Who I Am" Energy Cards. For more information about our mission, philosophy and parenting services, or to sign up for our free monthly Newsletter, visit us at http://www.alovingway.com. You may also reach us at 800-647-1171 or tracicarman@alovingway.com.

By Traci Carman

Ride On Pedal Car History

2011-12-09T02:56:00.000-08:00

Starting out with the horse and buggy the wheels were of great importance to the future of nearly all modes of transportation. The wheel gave way for many kids toys as far back as the late 1800's, maybe even earlier. Children always loved rolling along with all the energy and imagination they could come up with. They could take a ride on the wheeled stick horse for a start, then forward to mimicking their parents, in their very own ride on or pedal car.

Plain, simple, fancy, wood, plastic or metal, the kid car was a hit, no matter the age. Proven through time ride on power has given lots of young folks a chance to imagine being all grown up and having a blast taking their own car on a trip. This ageless toy took the child, as well as the parent, on a fun joy filled day without a lot of added expense, maybe a snack, water or juice break. Play time was, and is, a very important developmental stage in the life of a kid. There should be play time set aside each and every day to put that foot power to use, burn that energy.

When pedal cars headed into the 30's, 40's and 50's they were picked up by anyone that had the money to spend and if lucky enjoyed by friends and other family members, also. The cars survived and became a little more sophisticated as did the adult version. Bright paints, splash of the decal, chrome accents, windshields, lights that worked, wheels and steering wheels that turned, all of which improved with time. All the additions, flash and sound gave the vehicles a true sense of real. From the beginning, feelings and expressions burst out in giggles, laughter, and sharing of fun. The pedal power car was just what the doctor ordered. Hopefully, making life a road to better health with the exercise, being outdoors, joy and laughter. It is amazing what good can come from these toys for kids, and their families.

There are many of the loving automobiles that are passed on to future generations because of the durability and access of parts, which helps keep them in usable condition. Memories make the all time favorite toy car exciting for the children as well as the adults. Hope you enjoyed your ride down Memory Lane and will take time to enjoy your children, grandchildren, or young friends every moment you can. As we see, time flies so very fast and even faster when you are having fun! Foot power, whether ride on or pedal, will be part of the fun of the future and will take the families into the same fulfillment felt by those from the past.

Judy Durrett is the owner of http://www.ridepedalcars.com and fully relies on God, is a wife, mother, and a grandmother. She is a lover of pedal cars and ride on toys, believing they bring fun, smiles, exercise, imagination, learning and skills to each and everyone.

By Judy C Durrett

Children Make a Difference

2011-12-08T02:54:00.000-08:00

This article is directed to the children in your family. I sit down and talk with my children often. It dawned on me that it might be nice to sit down and talk with yours too (with your permission, of course).

When I was in my 30's, I remember starting to get a glimpse of what my mom and dad had done for me and our family when I was a child. In the moment, I had no idea. It took me 30 years to see it.

With my kids, I love to give them insights into my world and how they can support me and bring a smile to my face. I like to give them insights into the future, and give them information about things they don't know, but might later wish they had known. I felt bad when I realized how much I didn't know to appreciate my parents. I didn't want my kids to look back and say, "If only I had known."

Sometimes we think it is "obvious" how our kids can help us, or not fight, or just do their homework without arguing, etc. But, kids don't know what they don't know. They only know the now. And in any given moment, their now usually consists of a desire to play, which is natural. We can't fault them for that. However, we can empower them, and give them a peak into our world, so that they can cultivate empathy, compassion, and gratitude at much deeper levels.

The rest of this article is for children who would like to make a difference at home.

Okay, kids, let me ask you three questions:
1. Does your mom or dad ever get upset with you, seemingly "out of nowhere"?
2. Does your mom or dad seem tired, stressed, frustrated, and/or not "interested" in you sometimes?
3. Are the holidays stressful and not as fun as they used to be, or as fun as you think they could be?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, I have great news for you!

YOU can make a difference.

People only know what they know. That means they don't know what they don't know. Our life experience as children and as adults is limited to what has happened in our life. You won't understand what your mom and dad are going through, as far as all of the things they have to do (work, dishes, laundry, cleaning, paying bills, mowing, etc.), until later in your life. At some point, you'll realize what they did for you and say, "Oh, now I get it. Wow, they did a lot! I wish I had known then."

My philosophy is, "Why not give our kids some insight into the future? Why not share with them what is happening in our life, and allow them the opportunity to care for and appreciate us NOW?" Would that be valuable to you?

As children, we go through life doing what we're asked to do (or not), going where we need to go, and trying to have fun and play every possible moment in between. I love that! I wish more adults would do that too, including myself. Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Responsibilities take over, however, and we get into habits that create a life of work and heavy loads (some of that is necessary). You are protected in many ways from that experience. Depending on your age, you may be starting to do more around the house, or you may be taking it easy. In either case, wouldn't it be really nice to know how to make a difference for your mom and dad?

First, know that they love you more than you could ever know. When you have children, and only then, will you even have an idea of how much; really.

Second, know that what your parents are doing with work, cleaning, cooking, driving you here and there, and whatever else is on their plate, is what they feel is necessary in order to meet the needs of the family. It isn't "instead of" being with you, it is "because" they care about you.

Third, it comes out of love and necessity, but it is not always easy. Mom and dad get tired. Their tanks get empty.

Here are some ideas that just might put a smile on their faces (especially you mom's):
• Hug them for no reason
• Say "I love you" just because
• Offer to wash the dishes, take out the trash, mow the lawn, or help younger siblings with homework
• Make them some tea
• Surprise them with dinner, or breakfast in bed (orange juice and toast is great)
• Vacuum
• Dust
• Clean a toilet
• Sit down to do your homework without being asked
• Make your bed or clean your room without being asked
• Read them a story, or bring their slippers for snuggle time
• Do anything that surprises them!

Moms and dads need love and attention too. They give a lot to many people.

Traci Carman is the Founder and CEO of A Loving Way ~ How I Parent Makes a Difference. She is a Parenting Coach, Speaker and Author. She is also the creator of the "Who I Am" Energy Cards. For more information about our mission, philosophy and parenting services, or to sign up for our free monthly Newsletter, visit us at http://www.alovingway.com. You may also reach us at 800-647-1171 or tracicarman@alovingway.com.

By Traci Carman

Ride On Pedal Car History

2011-12-07T02:52:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Pedal Cars

2011-12-06T02:50:00.000-08:00

As I was contemplating my favorite ride on and pedal cars, here is a list I was able to come up with. They are just a few that come to mind first. Come check them out and see if you feel the same.

1. The John Deere Tractor is the best with fully operational steering wheel. This green replica, of the adult version, gives the imagination a pedal car tractor to dream on, while bumping up and down, soaking up sun or rain, fully enjoying the fields on the farm.

2. Taking that pedal airplane for a taxi down the old sidewalk, waiting for take-off, filling the mind with clouds and the face with wind, the pedal planes make it to the 2nd spot for a favorite ride.

3. When a fire breaks out the pedal power car that comes clanging to the rescue is the pedal fire engine. Like the real thing the fire bell rings, the steering wheel turns, ladders are removable, all just waiting for that special kid to reach out and help someone.

4. Here comes the pink, red, or the aqua blue kiddie car, a pedal ride on that makes the day carefree and fun. Foot power is great exercise and it will make you giggle, thus put a smile on everyone's face.

5. The hot rod with flames down the sides sets the scene as the speedy pedal races past the surroundings, down the track to the finish. As the flag waves, the winner arrives in 1st place.

6. Police cars rush to keep the peace and protect the helpless. Bells ringing, wheels turning, excitement galore, as ride on power takes over.

7. When the car or truck breaks down, the tow truck rushes in to give a lift. Trucks are great fun, they can give a sense of power and gives the imagination a whole new area to explore.

8. A roadster brings back the memory of the first real cars. Toy cars with great moving pedal car wheels take fun to a new high. The new shiny chrome grill, steering wheel, hub caps, and windshield brings even more excitement to these fun ride on cars.

9. Pedal trains toot their way to the list giving the little conductors a trip down the tracks to faraway places. Whether hauling freight or passengers it can be such fun. Calling for tickets or tooting the whistle at the crossroads puts the train amongst the top toy cars.

10. Whistle for a yellow taxi, and watch it zoom over to pick up an anxious paying customer, soon to be passenger. The yellow taxi is a great yellow color with all the foot power that can be made by any 2 little feet. Riding or driving is great fun.

There are many ride on and pedal cars, this list names a few favorites. These replicas are popular toys that have come through time giving a boost to playtime and a realistic ride on, that takes the child to an imaginary place. Great gifts for that special little someone.

Judy Durrett is the owner of http://www.ridepedalcars.com fully relies on God, is a wife, mother, and a grandmother. She is a lover of pedal cars and ride on toys, believing they bring fun, smiles, exercise, imagination, learning and skills to each and everyone.

By Judy C Durrett

Conscious Parenting - How to Build Self-Esteem in Your Children

2011-12-05T02:49:00.000-08:00

Self-esteem is such an important part of a child's life. It can make or break their life experience, and it is so much harder to rebuild if it is lost. It will impact their school years, their work life, and their relationships at the core. It can be the difference between reaching for the stars and following their dreams, or not dreaming at all.

We want the most for our children. Here are three simple ways to feed your child's self-esteem on a daily basis:

1) Seek to understand them, rather than criticizing. Our children are not always going to please us. They will not always make the best choices. As they grow up, they will explore the world around them, in their way. When they disappoint you, seek to understand where they are coming from, rather than jumping in to criticize, scold or punish. You want to find out where they have holes in their understanding, not simply inform them that they did something wrong. Then you are in a position to help them fill in the gaps. When you seek to understand them, they will feel that you care. This builds trust. Trust creates stability. Stability creates higher self-esteem.

2) Praise everything possible. Whether they are potty training, learning to make their bed, doing homework, cleaning, or simply show up with a great attitude, look for opportunities to praise your child and build their self-esteem. They will feel lifted up, and want to do more. Everyone wins.

3) Welcome questions. Be an open door for your child. There are so many things that children are curious about as they are growing up. If they can't ask you, they will ask someone else. Be there to provide the information they are seeking. If they can come to you without being judged, and you are not too busy to be present with them, you will have created a bridge that will span into the teenage years (and beyond), when they really need the guidance and your solid shoulder to lean on.

As your children move through the school year, be sure you connect each day to find out how things are going with their teachers, friends and other students. Watch to make sure they are thriving, and not simply surviving school. Look for signs of happiness or depression, frustration or excitement. The sooner you catch a problem, the easier it is to correct. Remember, what you do now to build up their self-esteem will last a lifetime.

Traci Carman is the Founder and CEO of A Loving Way ~ How I Parent Makes a Difference. She is a Parenting Coach, Speaker and Author. She is also the creator of the "Who I Am" Energy Cards. For more information about our mission, philosophy and parenting services, or to sign up for our free monthly Newsletter, visit us at http://www.alovingway.com. You may also reach us at 800-647-1171 or tracicarman@alovingway.com.

By Traci Carman

Learning Liquid Measurement Easily With a Picture and Story

2011-12-04T02:46:00.000-08:00

Do your kids struggle, trying to remember how many cups, pints and quarts are in a gallon? Are you sometimes stymied when trying to figure out how many cups are in a half-gallon?

If you are confused as a parent, how frustrating must it be for your child? Try this successful visual memory tip for learning liquid measurement. By drawing a picture, and adding a story; this confusing concept takes on meaning by association and is easily remembered.

Materials:

8.5" x 11" sheet of unlined paper
Black marker, crayon or pencil
Gallon container (optional)
Half-gallon container (optional)
Quart container (optional)
Pint container (optional)
Measuring cup (optional)
The Kingdom of Gallon

Read the story aloud as you and your child draw the illustration. Go to the end of this article to find the link to the drawing.

Long ago, there was a kingdom called "Gallon". It was a very large kingdom. Since "Gallon" starts with the letter "G", draw a very large "G" filling the entire paper. (Draw along with your child to model the lesson. Ask child to tell you what the "G" represents.) Show an actual sample of a gallon container.

In the Kingdom of Gallon lived four Queens. What letter does "Queen" begin with? "Q" stands for "Queen" and also for "Quarts" because there are four quarts in a gallon. Draw 4 large "Q"s on your paper. (Show a quart size container.) (Make sure the connection is made between the Queens and Quarts.)

Each Queen had a Prince and a Princess. The Prince and Princess represent the number of Pints in a Quart. Draw the 2 "P's" inside each Quart. (Show a pint-size container.) (Remind child of the connection between Prince and Princess and Pints.)

Cats were very popular in this kingdom. So each Prince had 2 Cats. The "C" is for Cats and for Cups. Each Princess also had 2 Cats, so that makes 4 cats in the Queen's castle and 4 Cups in a Quart. (Draw 2 "C's" inside each "P.") (Display the Cup measurement.)

Later, there was a big disagreement in the Kingdom of Gallon, so they had to divide it into two Half-Gallon Kingdoms. Notice the dividing line of the "G" that represents the two half-gallon kingdoms?) (Show the half-gallon container.)

This is an easy way for students to remember and understand liquid measurement. Making associations and drawing a picture stores the information in long-term memory. This memory method also meets the needs of each of the 3 learning styles.

Visual Learners remember by seeing the image in their head. By drawing the images it locks into long-term memory. Audio Learners are good listeners and will re-tell the story. Each time the story is told, they hear the associations and remember. Kinesthetic Learners need to participate by touching the props and finding them on the drawing. They remember the story easily and talk about it with friends.

Memory techniques provide children with the tools for remembering almost anything. I bet you remember learning this rhyme: "In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." That date is embedded in your long-term memory all because of a simple little rhyme. Rhymes, stories and pictures are powerful memory tools.

Take this challenge. Begin looking for creative memory tips to use with your children in all subjects. And even better than that, teach your children how to think of their own stories or rhymes or pictures to help in spelling, math, social studies, science; actually all subjects. It's fun and our brain can always use a little help to recall important facts. Give it a try!

Link to Kingdom of Gallon drawing.

Donnalyn Yates has a Masters in Education and is a popular educational consultant and speaker at conventions on memory techniques in education. She is the author of Memory Tips for Math and has developed several highly successful memory products (including addition/subtraction and multiplication/division learning systems plus memorizing states and capitals.) http://memoryjoggers.com

By Donnalyn Yates

Gluten-Free Diet Ideas - For Kids

2011-12-03T00:47:00.000-08:00

As parents, understanding our child's disease is the first step. Communicating with your child is the second step. They need to understand the implications of their diet. You need to explain to them the importance of the foods that they are allowed to have as well as the foods that they need to stay away from. This will develop a one-on-one relationship and will also help to enable them to come to you about anything.

This might be hard to do depending on their age. If this is the case, you need to think of ways to break it down for them. One way that people have done this is by using pictures, if they are very young. This means show them the foods that they cannot have. Whatever it takes they need know for themselves if it has gluten in it. The amount of information or what sort of discussion you have depends on the child's maturity. They may have many questions, depending on their age. It's our job to have the answers.

Below I have listed some ideas for those who have to cook for children with gluten intolerance as well as some tips for those who have to deal with this when they might not have all the facts, a babysitter for instance. Making them foods that taste good is the best way to start. There are a great number of tasty alternatives you can make that are gluten-free and taste great, this will help them to feel normal. Another thing to remember is that when children are around their family and friends no matter where it be, they want to eat the same thing. This is why if you are making something for a special dinner with guests, you need to include them in it. Find a way to make it gluten free so that they can eat the same thing.

So, what foods can you give your child to achieve a transition to this sort of eating? There are foods that are known to make kids happy and be their food of choice that you can easily make.

Most kids enjoy cereal for breakfast. Cream of Wheat is out, so are Cheerios and Frosted Flakes. Corn and rice based cereals are ok, but be sure and check the label for malt (made from barley). There are numerous breakfast cereals that are made gluten-free, Doves Farms and Nature's Path make some very good ones. You can always opt for eggs and gluten-free toast. Or get really healthy and try yogurt and fruits. Check the label on any flavored yogurt though.

Marshmallows, hard candies, and gum drops are ways to satisfy their sweet tooth. For birthday parties check with a local bakery as many now make gluten free cakes if you request them in advance.

Pasta's are gone, so spaghetti, shells, and macaroni are all no-no's. There are several companies that make gluten-free pastas for that child that just has to have spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. Or think rice noodles.

Meats and fish are fine, as long as you don't coat them with a bread product. Many of the popular buffalo wings have coating that contain gluten.

And the list goes on, you can always find an acceptable alternative to most "traditional" meals. You just have to arm yourself with knowledge.

As you can see, there are numerous ways to go about helping children deal with their disease, especially when it concerns their diet. This will help them with the transition. It can be very difficult depending on the child's age as they struggle with being different from other kids their age. There are many ways of preparing and assisting their unique lifestyle, this will help your child feel more at ease. If you help your child truly understand their condition this will go a long way toward making their live easier.

See the new guide that takes the mystery away Get more information about how CD and gluten sensitivity can influence your child by visiting here http://www.wix.com/ksmedic/glutenfree.

More generic information about celiac disease can be found here http://www.squidoo.com/tips-on-celiac-disease.

By Craig Sowards

Emotional Intelligence Education: Teaching Children Skills For Life

2011-12-02T00:45:00.000-08:00

High divorce rates, bullying -both cyber and in person, body image diseases, increased violence on the news, fast-paced lifestyles, higher levels of stress in society and other issues make today's world harder than ever before to navigate, especially for children. Parents and teachers must help children develop the skills they require to manage their emotions through these turbulent times.

Emotional Intelligence (sometimes called EI or EQ) is about building relationships with yourself and with others that will help you to flourish. Emotional Intelligence is a core collection of competencies which can build the capacity to create better relationships and a happier outlook.

Daniel Goleman turned Emotional Intelligence into a household phrase by investigating the research of Peter Salovey and John Mayer in the mid 1990's. He says EI has five domains: Self awareness, Self Management, Motivation, Relationship Awareness and Relationship Management.

Children pass through numerous phases in developing their emotions. Sadness, happiness, and fear, for example, can be recognized by very young children through nonverbal signals such as facial expression. We should start to build young children's emotional literacy letting children know it is ok to have a variety of feelings and that all feelings have a purpose. We can then start to teach children the names of those feelings and how to manage them successfully.

What other skills does emotional intelligence education provide children? It can also help them to manage conflict with friends, resulting in more positive outcomes. They can develop skills in self motivation which can help them learn to study and manage their workloads at school and home better and to set goals for themselves. Developing an optimistic outlook and managing stress are other benefits. Children will learn to work cooperatively with others both inside and outside of the school.

Additionally, children with high emotional intelligence are also able to display empathy for others and may be key in aiding others with diminished EI. These are skills that will assist children as they grow up and become adults.

Research consistently shows that classrooms that put into practice effective EI programs have better academic results. Children who have good relationships with their classmates and teachers, can manage their stress levels and are optimistic and self motivated are more likely to have an improved academic experience. Emotional intelligence education must be on the agenda of all schools as essential learning. Equally parents must help their children learn about their emotions and how to make the most of them.

Helen Maffini is developer of the website http://www.emotional-intelligence-education.com/

She is also co-author of the book Developing Children's Emotional Intelligence and author of the children's book Sammy's Next Move, a book for children moving overseas which helps them face their emotions.

For more resources linked to children's emotional development see: http://www.emotional-intelligence-education.com/emotional-intelligence-resources.html Free emotion cards are available at this site.

By Helen A Maffini

Feed Our Children Well, for They Are Our Legacy

2011-12-01T00:42:00.000-08:00

As parents, we have the responsibility to nourish our children with healthy, nutritious food.

This takes time and thought, but when we do it we actually invest in their health and well-being.

And at the same time we invest in our own peace of mind.

Big corporations don't care about the healthy diet of our young ones. They only care about profit, and that is why they target our children with billions of dollars worth of advertising.

Do you, as a parent, care?

If you do, go the extra mile. The benefits are immense-less doctor visits, less antibiotics, less stress on the rest of the family. We all need daily defenses against infections and germs, but our young ones need them even more. We are what we eat, after all-the better we eat, the healthier we will feel! And best of all, our young ones will shine like the sun, with health and joy.

Commitment is the name of the game-a life-time commitment. Give them a good foundation and they will build on it in later years. And don't settle for less. The system wants to mold us in a certain way, so it can do whatever it wants with us, and it is very powerful. Just like salmon, we have to swim against the current, with the objective to shape our children's taste buds to crave and love real and healthy food.

We live in a time in which we have no lack of knowledge; rather, we have an abundance of information on any subject, in fact, more than we can process, and all so readily available! Our global village has many advantages. We can have wonderful products and herbs and spices from the four corners of this amazing planet, right on our doorstep. The only thing we have to do is be adventurous enough to learn about other cultures and what they love to eat!

There is so much value in other cultures. If we open our hearts and minds, we can have fun experimenting with meals from different countries. Let me share with you what I used to do in my early years: I would read through books and magazines for recipes. Based on a recipe's ingredients, I could understand if I would like it or not, so on shopping day I would get the ingredients and at some point during the week make my new recipe. If I liked it, I added it to my little box of recipes that week; if not, no harm done, but at least I knew I had explored something new.

So dear friends, don't panic! It's not so difficult-you just need to be organized, and by that I mean you should plan ahead and make sure you have your ingredients available. Then it will be a joy to prepare tasty meals "from scratch" that the family will enjoy.

Along with good organization, our love and self-sacrificing spirit will help us in doing what is beneficial for our loved ones.

Just start with an afternoon or an evening during the week. Prepare a healthy soup with vegetables and legumes from scratch, put something in the oven that you can forget about while it cooks, and make a wonderful salad-I love a Greek salad with nice juicy tomatoes, real Greek feta cheese, some of that versatile olive oil, mmm-and before you know it, you have meals ready for two or three days.

Here's to all of you who put your children first-believe me, you will be blessed!

About Litsa Bolontzakis
Children's book and cookbook author Litsa Bolontzakis is an expert on Greek cooking and that culture's easy, simple way of life. Her desire is to help other families learn from her culture how to appreciate the simple things in life and grow to enjoy the seasons and the gifts they bring. http://hummingbirdpublications.com

By Litsa Bolontzakis

Teach Your Children With Love and They Will Learn

2011-11-30T00:40:00.000-08:00

Our children, little sponges, little creatures that we love so much and we display that love in so many ways. We want to show them the world and all the wonderful things that make our world! The birds and the fish and all the animals small and large, the flowers and the trees with so many candies they produce year after year effortless and with grace. We want to teach them with love. We want to teach them everything that we possibly can because we love them so much. How can we do our best and succeed? How can we make learning a fabulous together time with our children? Is it even possible? Yes it is and it can be such a pleasure not only for the child but for the parent as well. We have to remember that every child is a very special being, with gifts and talents all their own. They are very valuable and so unique, and they carry on their backs the precious DNA of both families. The marvelous blueprint that gives us direction as to what kind of people we will be. So take a look around and start paying attention to the talented and no so talented members of both families. You will be able to recognize early in a child's life what excites them, what lights their face, what makes them happy what they love to do.

That is the easy part, the difficult part is when they have to learn imperative things like reading, math and so many more and they just don't like it..do we continue to teach them with love? What can we do if they don't find pleasure in reading? Our love for them will make us find the strength and patience to endure and we will succeed! Here are a few ideas that can make it easier. They really learn by example, if they see your love for reading, and you are surrounded by books most probably they will try to imitate you. Have books and magazines available on topics they like, start with short things to read. Try not to make reading a chore, because the whole point of reading is to find out stuff and to be entertained. They will learn most everything when we make a game out of it, for instance if a book has dialog why not read with them and pretend you are the characters in the book by impersonating them with the different voices, like a little play. How about a little reading nook in a quiet part of the house just for them with all their books, their favorite chair and a little basket with delicious healthy snacks that is a way to teach them with love Talking about snacks and food in general, I love to teach children how to cook and bake. To watch them play with the different ingredients and to ask so many questions gives me great pleasure.Ofcource I keep it simple and basic.

Cooking can open children's minds to the world around them and teach them that there is great value in other cultures. How about if once a week we try to cook something from a different country! Post the day of the happening on the board and ask the children to bring a little information about that particular country and get a little geography lesson at the same time. One main ingredient when we want to succeed in reaching their hearts is to talk with them and not at them, also please pretend you don't know everything and you will win their hearts, isn't that what we want??? Here is the gist of the mater, children are very smart more than we give them credit for, they will asses a situation and if they are happy they will be eager to learn with you and they will remember!! Teaching them with love will keep them coming for more and that for me is mission accomplished!!!!! Litsa with love

About Litsa Bolontzakis
Children's book and cookbook author Litsa Bolontzakis is an expert on Greek cooking and that culture's easy, simple way of life. Her desire is to help other families learn from her culture how to appreciate the simple things in life and grow to enjoy the seasons and the gifts they bring. http://hummingbirdpublications.com

By Litsa Bolontzakis

Boys Themed Birthday Invitations Can Add Spice In Your Birthday Celebrations

2011-11-29T00:38:00.000-08:00

These boys themed birthday invitations are great fun, especially if the designs and the colors that are used in the invitation are bright and colorful. The boys would definitely have their own tastes and preferences and if the parents can understand that and reflect his favorite designs in the birthday invitations, then it would be a double delight to the kid.

Not only the boy would relish it, even the guests would really love to have a look at the card. The themes, patterns and prints of these boys' themed birthday invitations are many and it is up to the boy to select his choice from the wide variety of options that are available. These invitations are also available in variety of colors. The most popular among all these invitations is the seasonal themes which truly depicts a beautiful background.

Whatever designs and whatever color one chooses, one thing for sure is that these boys themed birthday invitations would ultimately charm your guests and friends in a big way. The colors in these invitations are really bright and the patterns are staggeringly fabulous and appealing.

Birthday always starts with inviting the guests and friends to the party. There is no better way of inviting them other than these themed invitations which would be really eye catching. Once these guests see the themed invitations, it would automatically motivate them to attend the party. Such is the power and attraction of these invitations.

The ultimate objective of any parent is to make their child happy and satisfied. These invitations go a long way in enhancing the satisfaction levels of the kid and it would make him feel that the celebration of his birthday is complete. He would also feel in his inner mind that the occasion has been made really special by his parents.

If you are really worried about the cost factor as you would be spending much on food, drinks and decoration on the birthday party, then such parents still have the option of having these themed invitations self made. One just needs to spend few minutes in creating these beautiful invitations. Everyone in the family can try making out some design with the help of others.

You need not necessarily have to buy these themed invitations. Once, everyone in the family participate in doing such work it would really be like a family get together along with the normal fun which the family will have while planning out the design to be imprinted on the cards.

There are many types of invitations that are available. Let us have a look at some of those.

Birthday invitation for boys

Birthday party is once a year occasion and one has to make it really special as these moments do not come up time and again. The most popular invitations include the Cakeosaurus, Cupcake candle, Farm friends, Baseball and jersey, Football and jersey, Game time, Delivered Fresh and many others. If you do not get the design that you wished for, then you still have the option of getting the invitations personalized.

Personalized invitations are recommended especially when the kid is celebrating his 1st birthday. The parents generally like to add some special touches to the invitation to make it look unique and different. They want it personalized mainly because of the fact that the parents would be celebrating the birthday of their son for the very first time.

Transformers invitation

These invitations are perfect when the theme of the invitation is transformers based. They are basically available in two versions. One is the non photo version and the other is the photo version. Boys can easily relate with this character as the transformers character is quite popular with the younger generation. The photo in these invitations depicts a robot.

These invitations can be custom made as well, if people find it difficult in getting these invitations. You can have your desired color and pattern. The area where these invitations can be made special is by involving the guests as well in the party where the guests are asked to put on the costumes of the transformers. It would really be an enthralling and a different experience for the guests too.

Bakugan birthday invitations

For friends and family photo invitations are considered as the best. The photo in these invitations completely sets the tone for the party. Bakugan is a famous Japanese animation series. These series of animation is really popular with the kids. What better way than having the photo of Bakugan imprinted on the birthday invitations? These invitations are basically custom made and are available in various styles and designs.

The shirt of the kid can also be personalized with the photo of Bakugan. This will really add some fun and frolic in the party.

Ben 10 birthday invitations

Ben 10 is quite a famous character among the kids. Many kids would love to have the character of Ben 10 on their invitation cards. It would make the kids feel as if they are portraying this animated character. This can not only be custom made on the invitations but you can have them on the dress and the birthday cake as well. This invitation is a fantastic way to keep your son interested in the birthday celebrations.

Camouflage invitations

These are true colorful invitations in which the design of the written matter perfectly matches with the background that has been projected. The background really blends well with the invitation pattern, hence the name Camouflage is associated with these invitations. You can have the color of your choice and select the one which you feel is the best.

Construction birthday invites

This invitation is specially used for kids who are interested in the motor vehicles. In this designs of cars and trains are custom made to go with the birthday invitation. The very picture of having your favorite vehicle in the invitation would excite the kid.

Hot wheels birthday invitations

In these invitations you can see images of sports cars. This invitation is especially useful for kids who are interested in racing and speedy vehicles.

By Nowshad Devasamparambil

Education In America: Are Our Children Really Prepared For The Future?

2011-11-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

My child failed a math test today.

It was interesting the thoughts and feelings that came up with this. Now, granted, she's in the 2nd grade, so what's the big deal? But, I have to say, a litany of guilt, despair and my own insecurities rose to the surface, "Was I preparing my child well enough for life?"

This thought gave way to other thoughts about how we prepare our children for life. Certainly, a well-rounded education is the foundation from which all of us spring forth. It is good and I am indebted to the many incredible teachers who in my life inspired me to do greater things, and have ignited within me the fiery passion for perpetual learning!

I have also been privileged to have the most amazing teachers in all of my children's lives. These are not just ordinary people. They are super-human, extraordinary beings who not only teach our children, but love them, challenge them, nurture them, kiss their boo-boos and provide an environment where a child learns how to learn.

They are my heroes.

But, sometimes I wonder if the outline of our educational plan is somewhat lacking in preparation for real life. I watched the movie "Easy A" with my older daughter. It was delightful and insightful and really tackled some of the hot spots teens have to navigate today. The main character's parents were hilarious! They were loving, supportive and playful, but instilled great confidence in their daughter and nurtured her ability to handle her own problems.

There was a scene where the mother was speaking to the younger child and he announced that he received an "A" on his spelling test. She replied, "That's great, honey, but everything has spellcheck these days." It was hilarious... but TRUE! Not that I am advocating that we do not teach our children how to spell (although with prevalence of text language, we might need to step this up even more!) but maybe some of our time should be spent educating them about the dangers of posting things on Facebook that could haunt them the rest of their lives. The drunken dance on top of a table is funny now, but not when you want to run for a political office or already in office. Yea, those pictures go viral... ask Senator Weiner.

We might be educating them, but are they learning what they need to - to survive?

Maybe we might want to spend time showing them how real life works - signing contracts really do obligate you, they aren't kidding. Oh, and the credit card isn't free money - you will have to pay it back at sometime. Oh, and get this - they charge you for borrowing that money. Perhaps, we should spend some time on interpersonal relationships (and no, that does not involve texting or the social network). I worry that our kids do not know how to relate to one another... (OMG, frowny face emoticon).

Choosing a career is a daunting task. My daughter is a sophomore in college and has changed her major twice. My stepdaughter did the same. These are smart girls, mind you - both graduated summa cum laude. It's not that they didn't know what they wanted to do. What they "wanted to do" and the degree they chose did not match.

I have learned many college students do not know what they want to do because they haven't seen what it looks like in the "real world." Being a journalist in the real world looks way different than writing stories. Maybe if we spent some time exposing them to real life experience - maybe internships in high-school or the ability to take two or three courses in areas of interest in high-school that give them a "feel" for what that particular field would look like, they might be better prepared. I do not know the solution, but it seems one should at least be a topic of discussion.

We give them the keys to the car, a "Smart Phone" and a credit card yet few can cook a meal for themselves, do their own laundry or balance their accounts.

I read the other day that 80% of 4-year-olds can run a phone app. They just can't tie their shoes.

That just doesn't add up.

To learn more, download a FREE copy of "The Life Survival Guide" for kids and learn more about how YOU can be an advocate for your child by going to www.monsterproofyourchild.com/info/.

Lisa Smith is a the founder of www.monsterproofyourchild.com, certified neurotherapist and neurodevelopmentalist and mother of a child who has been cured of autism!

Attention editors, publishers, marketers, bloggers and webmasters:
Feel free to copy and paste this article. You must include attribution to the article and it's author (s) and the following short paragraph in the same font size and visibility as the main article: This article appears courtesy of Lisa Smith's "Tattle Tails" - a weekly newsletter from monsterproofyourchild.com. Linking monsterproofyourchild.com to this website.

By LisaMarie Smith

Babies Having Babies

2011-11-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

As the youth of America's interest in the reality show "Teen Mom" rises, so does the teen pregnancy rate. The show portrays the happily ever after of pregnant high school couples. This has teen girls wanting to follow in their footsteps. They see it as an opportunity to be on t.v., keep their boyfriends and fill a void in their lives. As they plot out their fairy tale dream, they do not stop to think about the risks that lay ahead.

One subject you rarely hear addressed on these reality teen shows is the health risks brought on by teen pregnancy. How does growing a human life inside a body that is still growing itself effect a young lady? We all know teen life is full of late nights, stress, non-nutritional foods, and hormone imbalances. Throw the turbulence of teen pregnancy into that and the risks sky rocket!

The first signs of pregnancy often go unnoticed in teen girls. They do not usually keep regular track of their periods, so they do not realize when they have missed one. Teens are often run down and tired, so fatigue is no red flag. They are always on an emotional roller coaster so mood swings are a normal daily occurrence. Teens are usually in denial and have a feeling of invincibility, so unless their pregnancy is expected, it will go undetected. Morning sickness will often be the first noticeable sign of trouble.

The lack of prenatal care is the is the #1 cause for health problems in pregnant teens. Once they know they are pregnant, they often don't tell their parents right away. The first few months of prenatal care are critical. Many teens do not see a doctor until these months have passed. Medical problems and complications can go undetected. They are also missing the benefits of prenatal vitamins. These, combined with folic acid, are key in helping prevent certain birth defects.

Pregnant teens are at higher risk for pregnancy induced hypertension. Preeclampsia can combine with dangerously high blood pressure,causing the mothers hands, feet and face to swell. This can cause organ damage and premature birth. The only cure for preeclampsia is delivering the baby, no matter what stage the pregnancy is in.

STD's are another medical concern among all teens, but have an increased risk in ones who are pregnant and their babies. The importance of condom use critically increases during pregnancy. STD's can rise through the cervix and infect the uterus and the growing baby inside it.

Teenage pregnancy also can cause anemia in the still growing body of a young lady. Anemia is fatigue brought on by a low red blood count. Pregnant teens need to be sure to eat adequate protein and take iron supplements if needed. They will be tested for anemia at their prenatal visits.

Placenta previa is a major risk for pregnant teens. This is a complication that occurs when the placenta grows on the opening of the cervix. The cervix is the area where the baby exits the womb during delivery. If this area is blocked, bleeding can occur, making it necessary to have an emergency c-section.

Babies having babies is something we will always see. Teaching our children about safe sex and self respect are our weapons against teen pregnancy. We need to have open communication and trusting relationships with our children. There will always be pregnant teens, so we as a society need to make sure the resources are available for them to seek prenatal care in the early stages of their pregnancy, to help ensure both children are healthy.

For information on Family Health and nutrition topics visit http://myfamilyplate.com

By Angie Valentine