Toys For Kids
Kids learn in different ways during different times of their development. What was exciting and interesting to a child at age two may become boring when they turn four. Trying to find play items that intrigue and stimulate a child can be difficult. There are thousands of choices on the toy aisles, each one claiming to be the best. And parents aren't the only ones making the decisions. As kids age, they want a part in the selection process. TV advertisements and peer pressure push children into ...› Continue reading
Smart Kids
The brain is like a muscle -- you use it or lose it. During summer vacation is your child "losing it"? Picture two different athletes. Athlete A is on a schedule where she trains ten months and then takes two months off. Athlete B trains year round. When Athlete A goes back to training after her two months of being a couch potato, she's going to feel sluggish, slow, and frustrated, while Athlete B is still in prime shape. So, how do we, as parents, keep our children's brains in tip-top shape? Ex...› Continue reading
Protecting Your Kids On the Internet
The Internet is a great tool for many things, such as doing research, reading the latest news, shopping and staying in touch with family and friends. To borrow from the title of a Clint Eastwood movie, along with the good comes "the bad and the ugly". Freedom on the Internet also opens the door for illegal activity, such as emails pretending to be your bank (aka phishing), expression of various ideas - whether you agree with them or not, scams to separate people from their money and content tha...› Continue reading
10 Secrets To Know You're A Good Working Parent To Your Kids!
How are parents to know they are doing the right thing for their children when they are working parents? Many parents feel guilty for the amount of time they are spending at work versus the amount of time they spend with their children. If you are questioning yourself, trust that you do need to take a closer look at what you are doing. We all want to feel and know we are loved. Children are no exception. I believe that when we parents let our children know they are safe, secure, valued and loved...› Continue reading
Kids Party Planning Checklist
Planning a party that meets the needs of children can be challenging, however it is never impossible. If done correctly, it can be fun, engaging and even exciting. One thing you can't afford to live without when planning your child's party is a party planning checklist. Consider the tool below when planning your child's next party. It will ensure that you do not forget any party essentials on your child's special day. PARTY PLANNER CHECKLIST For the Planner: 'Choose the most suitable Party Dat...› Continue reading
Bring Out The Wizard In Kids With A Harry Potter Quiz
Q. I think that Harry Potter provides an excellent learning opportunity for my kids. How can I take advantage of his popularity to teach my children something? A. You're on the right track here I think. A Harry Potter quiz would be an outstanding vehicle to teach your children logic. You don't necessarily have to focus on particular scenes from any of the books or movies, you can use a Harry Potter quiz as a foothold into a wider learning experience. For example, you could devise a Harry Potter ...› Continue reading
Help! The Kids Are Taking Over
Once upon a time, I harbored a quaint notion of child development. In the my imaginary world, children eventually transmogrified into those horror-movie monsters called teenagers. They would overrun the house for a few years, scorching and pillaging along the way...but leaving no lasting damage that a new mortgage and a five-year Caribbean cruise couldn't fix. They would then transmogrify into wistful longings and fond memories of when they were just babies ' when the parents were still in cont...› Continue reading
"Stand on Your Head and Laugh" - Kids These Days
Stand on Your Head and Laugh - Kids These Days by Lady Camelot Over the course of spring and summer breaks, my teenage kids find multiple ways to antagonize me. One of my daughter's favorite complaints is, "...I'm bored. There is nothing to do." Of course, my response is always, "...there's plenty of things to do," with a continuation of the myriad listing of ideas, tasks and other events in which she can partake. Ideally, she would have me take her mall shopping, cruising the beach strip, and ...› Continue reading
Making time for your kids
Making time for your kids ©Samantha Olea-2004 Making time for your kids'It's more important than you think. If a child grows up feeling as if they were an after thought, or that they just don't matter that much to you it directly affects who they become as adults. Children need a sense of self that can not be bought at the nearest toy store, and can't be played in the DVD player. We all have the best intentions when it comes to our children. A majority of parents have to work between 40 and 6...› Continue reading
Raising Courageous Kids - An Author Interview
Author Interview Raising Courageous Kids: Eight Steps to Practical Heroism By Charles Smith In the newly released book Raising Courageous Kids: Eight Steps to Practical Heroism (Sorin Books, July 2004, paperback, 224 pages), author Charles Smith offers parents a treasure chest of resources for recognizing and nurturing the qualities of courage and heroism within their children. Looking at developmental stages between birth and adolescence, Raising Courageous Kids provides parents with practical,...› Continue reading