By Noah B Brown

Most people are hurting financially because the economy is so poor these days. People are cutting back on extras and entertainment, and have even had to cut back on other things. Living on a budget is hard enough, but when you throw children into the mix it can be downright difficult. These parenting tips can help parents and children live harmoniously and healthfully, even on a tight budget.

Cut Out the Fat

Most families spend money on unnecessary items at the grocery store. You can save money on spontaneous buys simply by making a grocery list. Check out the sales circulars and plan your meals in advance. Knowing what you will cook for the week will help you in making your list.

Both parents and children should be involved in the meal planning. This can be made into a game. Let the children look at the sales papers and find an inexpensive meal for the week. The kids will be pleased if they found a great deal, and he or she will be proud when the meal is served in the home. When parents and children work together for a specific goal, it greatly strengthens the child-parent relationship.

Ban the Beggars

It is doubtful that there is a person around who has not been in a supermarket and experienced the shrieks of "But Mommy, PLEASE - I want it". It is not only annoying to the customers, but also embarrassing to the parent. This behavior is never acceptable, and certainly should not be rewarded.

Parents and children should sit down and talk about what the rules are while out shopping. Explain that you expect good behavior. It's alright to tell the kids that if they behave properly while shopping, they can get a treat after the shopping is finished. The kids should also be aware of the consequences for inappropriate behavior. Remember, child discipline is necessary for bad behavior, while offering a reward for good behavior.

Go Easy on the Electric

One of the easiest ways to save money is on electricity. Both parents and children can do this with little effort. There are numerous ways to cut down on electricity that can be fun for both parents and children.

Many budget-conscious families enjoy having an electric free Saturday. This is easy to do and really a lot of fun. The only real rule is that nothing that uses electricity can be used for the whole day. This opens up a world of great activities that parents and children would rarely try.

A lot of Dad's love barbequing, so only cook meals on the grill. It'll be lots of fun for the kids to see Dad getting all three meals cooked on the grill. Snacks such as S'Mores and toasted marshmallows can be made on the grill too. Most parents and children think food on the grill is awesome.

During the day, you can play board games, have races or just talk. These things will all improve the child-parent relationship. You can even go for a walk or plant a garden, as long as nothing the parents and children do requires electricity.

At night, you can play flashlight tag, hide-and-seek or simply tell stories by the glow of candles. This old-fashioned way of having fun will not only save money, but also makes the child-parent relationship stronger.

As with everything, you may want to have a penalty for using electricity. Even though an electricity-free Saturday is fun, you may want to resort to child discipline for violations of electric use. Many parents feel that using child discipline during a fun outing will harm the child-parent relationship. This is not true. It simply shows the child that rules must always be followed, and there will always be consequences for violating the rules.

By Todd Leavitt

Providing growing children with play sets is one of the best ways in which you can encourage their development. Outdoor play sets, in particular, are wonderful for enhancing almost every aspect of a child's growth and development. By setting up such and encouraging your children to play on it, you can ensure that they are getting the physical activity they need as well as important opportunities for socialization and learning. Play sets are probably a lot different from when you were a child, however, so it is important to understand the different types available, and how they can help your children have fun and grow as people at the same time.

Basic sets are very similar to what you may remember from growing up. It is possible to purchase a high-quality wooden set with a slide and swings for your children that will give them hours of fun. On the other hand, extremely elaborate sets are also available. These play palaces typically feature a slide and swings, but they also can include bridges, climbing walls, playhouse structures, tire swings, monkey bars, and many more features. Customization is possible in most cases, as well, if you are looking to design the ideal play apparatus for your children.

One thing to remember is that bigger, more elaborate play set is more conducive to higher numbers of children playing on them. The last thing you want is for any child to feel left out, which is why you should obtain one that is big enough for your family, as well as the occasional group of neighborhood friends. By offering a play set with numerous available activities, you can be sure that your children and their friends have enough to do without leaving anyone out of the mix. However, you should also encourage sharing and playing well together. This means that you will want to install one that offers adequate room, but also allows for children to play collaboratively.

Once you have decided upon your needs in terms of available activities and overall size, you should decide what type of material should be used in the sets construction. If possible, you should invest in a wooden type made from strong and durable wood like cedar. Cedar ones can be costly, but the investment is well worth the amount of fun that will be had. Also, wooden outdoor play sets are the toughest and safest available. If you are one of those parents who is preoccupied with safety concerns, they can offer you peace of mind.

There are many options available when it comes to purchasing a play set for your children. Outdoor play sets are very popular and they offer numerous opportunities for play and development. By installing such a set, your children and their friends can enjoy years of fun and rewarding play. Be sure to do your research before buying so that you can install the perfect one for your children and your property.

By Shelby Strong

When I hear the word "leadership" my mind fills with memories. Some of these memories are of teachers, friends, and family. They are of people I looked up to, who helped me grow and push the edges of my comfort zone. Others are of activities and accomplishments, like swimming 37 widths across a swimming pool, as a young swimmer, without stopping, or returning as a young high school student from a successful service project.

I realize now, as an adult, the lessons learned in these activities helped stretch my comfort zone as a shy young girl. These lessons helped build my character and made me a stronger person--something all parents want for their children. Here are a few way parents can encourage leadership in children of varying ages.

Do things together as a family in your home. This can provide opportunities in an environment where young people are already comfortable. For example you can teach your kids how to do specific tasks or projects and let them try. Make sure you give them positive feedback while letting them have fun. One mother I know sings the steps to making dinner and as they finish the child sings in reply.

Encourage social interaction. Every member of the family is different so you will want to create different settings where each individual can be successful. You can have an array of different activities like art projects, science experiments, and sports. A youth working together with a soccer team to make a common goal can be exhilarating while encouraging team unity and leadership.

Help them plan and organize. Do you have girls who like to dress-up or have parties? Pull out a box of dress up clothes and give her support and encouragement by letting her plan her own party. Let her pick invitations, games, and food for her friends as she plans the party from beginning to end. Costumes can provide growth for girls and boys by putting on a play. Boys might also enjoy the challenge of building and racing Lego cars with their friends. Whether your children are quiet followers or enjoy being in the limelight, give them encouragement and help them feel successful.

Teach them to serve. Service projects are a great way for youth and adults to work together. Every participant should understand the goal and their part in it. Learning why something is done provides motivation to participate and encourages leadership. Everyone should have a piece of the project they are responsible for and they should be allowed flexibility in how they fulfill it.

Whether your family does service, sports, plays with friends or makes dinner together, taking time to reflect on the activity is important. It helps everyone see what they learned, talk about what they would change, be accountable, celebrate little and big accomplishments, make memories, and of course teaches them they can be a positive leader in their lives and the lives of others.

Shelby is the mother of 3 kids and lives in Orem, Utah. When not chasing a baby or driving kids to dance and swimming lessons, she is at the office educating people about the benefits of pretend play. She owns an online toy store boutique at https://www.playfullyeverafter.com/ and sells everything from Little Adventures and Disney brand princess dresses to backpacks and quality puzzles and toys. Check out her blog as she often gives away free products. Her Amazon store has free shipping and so does her website. If you would like to read more articles from Shelby please subscribe to her article feed.

By Shelby Strong

When I hear the word "leadership" my mind fills with memories. Some of these memories are of teachers, friends, and family. They are of people I looked up to, who helped me grow and push the edges of my comfort zone. Others are of activities and accomplishments, like swimming 37 widths across a swimming pool, as a young swimmer, without stopping, or returning as a young high school student from a successful service project.

I realize now, as an adult, the lessons learned in these activities helped stretch my comfort zone as a shy young girl. These lessons helped build my character and made me a stronger person--something all parents want for their children. Here are a few way parents can encourage leadership in children of varying ages.

Do things together as a family in your home. This can provide opportunities in an environment where young people are already comfortable. For example you can teach your kids how to do specific tasks or projects and let them try. Make sure you give them positive feedback while letting them have fun. One mother I know sings the steps to making dinner and as they finish the child sings in reply.

Encourage social interaction. Every member of the family is different so you will want to create different settings where each individual can be successful. You can have an array of different activities like art projects, science experiments, and sports. A youth working together with a soccer team to make a common goal can be exhilarating while encouraging team unity and leadership.

Help them plan and organize. Do you have girls who like to dress-up or have parties? Pull out a box of dress up clothes and give her support and encouragement by letting her plan her own party. Let her pick invitations, games, and food for her friends as she plans the party from beginning to end. Costumes can provide growth for girls and boys by putting on a play. Boys might also enjoy the challenge of building and racing Lego cars with their friends. Whether your children are quiet followers or enjoy being in the limelight, give them encouragement and help them feel successful.

Teach them to serve. Service projects are a great way for youth and adults to work together. Every participant should understand the goal and their part in it. Learning why something is done provides motivation to participate and encourages leadership. Everyone should have a piece of the project they are responsible for and they should be allowed flexibility in how they fulfill it.

Whether your family does service, sports, plays with friends or makes dinner together, taking time to reflect on the activity is important. It helps everyone see what they learned, talk about what they would change, be accountable, celebrate little and big accomplishments, make memories, and of course teaches them they can be a positive leader in their lives and the lives of others.

Shelby is the mother of 3 kids and lives in Orem, Utah. When not chasing a baby or driving kids to dance and swimming lessons, she is at the office educating people about the benefits of pretend play. She owns an online toy store boutique at https://www.playfullyeverafter.com/ and sells everything from Little Adventures and Disney brand princess dresses to backpacks and quality puzzles and toys. Check out her blog as she often gives away free products. Her Amazon store has free shipping and so does her website. If you would like to read more articles from Shelby please subscribe to her article feed.

By Noah B Brown

Getting the news that you or your child needs surgery can be a scary thing for both parents and children. Although adults understand that the surgery is a necessary procedure, kids seem to think that there is a high risk either for them to die or for the parent to die. Follow these help-for-parents tips and positive parenting techniques to help ease your child's fear about surgery.

Honesty Is the Best Policy

Parents and children need to be honest with each other. If the parent needs to have a surgical procedure done, tell the child about it. The child will probably voice his or her fears that you won't be coming home from the hospital. Don't dismiss your child's fears. Help-for-parents advisors suggest that the parents and children discuss their fears. Let the kids know that you're scared too, but that you are confident that the doctor will have you good as new in no time.

If your child is the one needing surgery, you will need to start by discussing the reasons with him. Although the doctor probably discussed it with both of you, you will still need to break it down into reasons that he or she can understand. Again, it is essential that parents and children voice their fears and concerns, but also reassure the child that the doctor will have them healthy very soon.

Take a Tour

When a child needs to have a surgical procedure done, many doctors will arrange a tour of the hospital for both parents and children. In the event your doctor didn't mention this to you, call his office and ask to set up a tour. Most hospitals are happy to accommodate this.

A nurse will probably lead your child on the hospital tour. You will probably be shown the pediatric ward, and the nurse usually explains the process of preparing the child for surgery. Pediatric nurses are really great with kids as they work with and care for them on a daily basis. Once both parents and children take the tour and meet the nurses, some of the fears should be alleviated. If not, ask the nurse if the hospital offers other help for parents with this problem.

Something to Look Forward to

It often helps if the child has something really fun to look forward to after the surgery. This doesn't have to be anything expensive, but it should be something that will excite the child. A special toy, video game or trip that they've been wanting should do the trick. This positive parenting trick should work wonders.

Many parents and children who need to deal with surgery plan to have a party after the child is well again. This can be an inexpensive way to celebrate his good health, and will get the child excited. Be sure to allow him or her to help make the plans for the party. He/she should be allowed to come up with the theme, but both parents and children can invite friends. Your child will be really excited about getting the surgery over with so he/she can have that special party.

Alleviate the Anxiety

There are times when both parents and children still have fears and anxiety about the surgery. There are social workers at the hospital who provide help for parents with these problems. Usually, the social worker will sit down with the parents and children to discuss their fears. Because they are experienced counselors, they will be able to calm your nerves and help you all to feel more comfortable.

By Karen Waterfield

Are your children misbehaving? Not sure what to do? As a parent, you may want to find a way of redirecting the attention children receive because they are misbehaving. Using positive reinforcement as a method to discipline children helps parents and care givers to enhance their child's self-esteem. Among the common 'unwanted' behaviors in children are rudeness, impulsiveness, willfulness disrespect and aggression. The situation can be made worse if there are several kids in the family. Some parent's will opt to spank their children when they do wrong. I personally do not advocate for spanking as it makes kids even more defiant.

So what else can you do? Have you considered the concept of using Reward charts. Maybe you heard about them before and chose to ignore because you did not understand how they work. Well, here is how: Reward charts are used to motivate positive behavior and success in children. It has been proven that motivation is the best instrument to instill behavior change. Psychologists will also tell you when you condition your children to positive behavior for some gain, they internalize it and soon, they do not have to do it for the gift.

There are behaviors that are deemed acceptable in our children. Among the desirable behavior we want for our children include (but not limited to):

• Kindness
• Tidiness
• Responsibility
• Diligence
• Respect.

To instill these values in kids will be much easier if there is something in it for them. For example if little Tommy knows that when he wakes up in time he will get an extra hour of video games in the evening, he will gladly do it. Children will become more willing to do chores, especially if they are praised by their parents or caregivers. They are receiving positive attention. This in turn will help to build up their self-esteem.

There are some reward charts which can be customized to your child's individual needs which is ideal if there are certain behaviors you want to work on. The expected reward may be discussed in advance or it may just be stickers in the case of younger children. The benefits accrued from the use of reward charts are innumerable: to start off they will help to break the negative cycle between you as the parent and the children. Children always tend to view parents as kill joys because of the yelling and scolding when they misbehave.

The most important of the benefit of the chart is they give you the rare opportunity to see your children behaving with decorum. A reward chart acts as a visual reminder to positively acknowledge a child's progress.

To help your child reach their potential by providing the right tools to help their confidence and build self-esteem. For further information go to http://www.VictoriaChartCompany.com or to email at info@VictoriaChartCompany.com. Join them on facebook at http://www.fb.com/VictoriaChartCompany to receive coupons and to stay up to date with current offers..

At the earlier stages it is impossible to anticipate what the child has contracted, whether a mere cold or measles or pneumonia, and it is therefore always a wise and safe precaution to keep the child at home, give it rest, a warm bath, and a careful diet. If possible the child should be isolated in a room by itself and watched carefully. An enema to clear the bowels should be a routine measure. Let the child drink as much water as it wishes.

Fever.

If the face is flushed and the skin hot, dry, and red, the temperature should be taken with a clinical thermometer and the pulse and respiration counted. A rise of temperature, even though small, should be looked upon with keen suspicion, and a child with a fever should under no circumstances be sent to school or allowed to play with other children. If the temperature is above 100° Fahr. the family physician should be sent for promptly to see the child and to give the necessary advice as to what precautions to take. As a rule the higher the temperature is the more dangerous the attack from which the child is threatened.

Eruptions and Rashes.

Children are very susceptible to ephemeral rashes such as hives, herpes and urticaria. These temporary rashes may be due to some article of diet or the irritation of heat or coarse or rough underclothing or irritating dust. Look for the cause and try to remove it. It is not difficult as a rule to distinguish between these temporary rashes and those associated with infectious diseases such as measles and scarlet fever. Unfortunately measles is not very often detected until the rash is present and then there is ample opportunity to infect the whole neighbourhood if the child has been allowed to go about.

Loss of Appetite.

Loss of appetite in a child is by no means always a sign of approaching disease, but it is, nevertheless, a matter that requires investigation. Too often now a-days children are pampered in various ways and encouraged or allowed to overeat, or eat between meals, or commit other dietetic indiscretions. In the majority of cases it is not wise to urge a child to eat, but rather to encourage the child to skip a meal, and then offer plain but wholesome and easily digested food. Tempting the appetite of an overfed child with dainties and tidbits of various kinds is a pernicious practice, which sooner or later upsets digestion and paves the way for dyspepsia.

But we must not forget that the loss of appetite may be a sign of threatening illness, and if there is evidence that the child is not taking sufficient food, careful inquiries should be made, and the counsel of the family physician should be taken Notice the condition of the tongue, whether it is coated or furred, and also the breath, as well as the state of the teeth. A foul breath, a bad taste, or a furred tongue, usually points to some digestive disorder.

An unnatural craving for sweets and dainties is itself a symptom of some disturbance of the digestive organs. The same is true of a capricious or fickle appetite, which is sometimes noticeable in growing children. These conditions can usually be traced to an unwise dietary.

Constipation.

Loss of appetite is not infrequently accompanied by constipation, a very common disturbance in children as well as in adults.

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By Samuel Albert Kadyakale

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

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

Friction over school work

School and homework are not usually held in high esteem by children when faced with hours of tedious work. They don't see the full value of studying, learning, and preparing for the future. Parents, on the other hand, want their kids to succeed as they grow up. It is common to have this ambition drive a father or mother to push their kids toward academic excellence. There may even be a target career that the parents have in mind. All this can cause pressure for a child who is unwilling or does not possess natural ability in a particular area.

Children may become nervous and unresponsive. This can be stressful and lead to self esteem issues. In my case, Math is the big item. I know that it is an important tool for many career paths and it was something I was good at during my school days. My son, however, has trouble with Math. He does not like to work on it and has trouble staying focused during homework sessions. Intense sessions together become traumatic as I push him to learn. I have noticed that his eyes sometimes twitch or he will click his fingers repeatedly.

Overcoming shyness and thinking of others

It seems that girls mature faster than boys. They form friendships faster and express their thoughts more clearly. On the other hand, when my son is asked a question he often has a hard time responding with any confidence. He does not see the need to spend time around other people. Instead, he likes playing video games and watching TV. It is sometimes like pulling teeth to get him to be in a group. By putting pressure on him, he feels pressure to conform in ways he does not see as necessary. The anxiety symptoms show up when he as asked to get information from another or address a group. He will usually mumble when forced to perform.

Baseball, conditioning, and dedication

My son started playing baseball at 5 years old. At first, it was just a game that he enjoyed and loved. As he got better, it got more competitive and serious. The season often runs six months or more. There were certain expectations from coaches and from myself that he soon had trouble accepting. There has been much advice on how to overcome the weaknesses and become a "great" player. Getting into shape or losing weight is also a touchy subject. The performance in games often leaves much to be desired. I often wonder if I am putting too much pressure on him. He may not even want to play baseball anymore and is afraid to say anything. Often times, he will clam up and act disinterested.

What to do about anxiety symptoms

If your child exhibits prolonged anxiety symptoms, it is important to find the source and take steps to correct any "fixable" issues. The problems causing the stress can be addressed and usually reversed.