The rules we were taught growing up was that if you were old enough to play with toys, you were old enough to clean up after yourself. There were eight children in my family and if mom hadn’t taught us how to clean up after ourselves then she would have had a mess to clean up on a daily basis.
The first thing we learned how to clean up was our toys. We all had toy boxes and we were taught from a very young age that when you finished with one toy you put it away before you got another one. By doing this it eliminated the large mess that could have accumulated and made it easier and not so overwhelming for the kids to clean up after themselves.
The next set of chores we learned how to do was dishes. By the time I was 4 or 5 I was helping with dishes. Mind you this was before there were dishwashers in every house. That doesn’t mean that I had to wash all of the dishes, but we did help. The little ones had to clear the table and put away the silverware when it was washed.
There is always something that toddlers can do to help out. Not only does it make them feel could to help around the house, but it teaches them correct behavior when they get older. I don’t ever want my children to move into their own house and not know how to take care of themselves. We have taught our children to cook, clean, do laundry and balance a check book. It is important to help your children and teaching them chores is just another aspect of teaching them about life.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Games that teach kids how to play well with others
Most games teach kids to play well with others. It is a matter of teaching them to take turns and share their toys. The most important thing is to have the kids interact with other children through play groups and other methods, but it is imperative that your child is around other children.
Most sports will help a child learn to play well with others. Through baseball, football, soccer, and all the other sports I haven’t named, it teaches children to learn not only how to win but how to lose and how to lose gracefully. They learn to work together as a team and by doing this they realize that they can’t play the game by themselves. That would be like throwing a baseball to your imaginary friend and expecting the ball to be caught and thrown back at you. This will help children realize that there are times when you have to work with other people and it can be fun.
Quite a few board games are now becoming interactive with a computer which makes it so they don’t have to play with someone else and I think this is the worst thing that could happen. Too many times our children play their games by themselves and aren’t getting out to socialize with other children. They are staying in their houses playing video games instead of having some friends over and playing a few board games. Board games are a great way to teach children to take turns. They will learn that life isn’t always about them and they have to let someone else go or they never get a turn.
Children are naturally social creatures because everyone is and by providing time and an opportunity for them to play with others it teaches them the correct way to behave around people. They will have a good time while at the same time learn how to share, take turns and have fun.
Most sports will help a child learn to play well with others. Through baseball, football, soccer, and all the other sports I haven’t named, it teaches children to learn not only how to win but how to lose and how to lose gracefully. They learn to work together as a team and by doing this they realize that they can’t play the game by themselves. That would be like throwing a baseball to your imaginary friend and expecting the ball to be caught and thrown back at you. This will help children realize that there are times when you have to work with other people and it can be fun.
Quite a few board games are now becoming interactive with a computer which makes it so they don’t have to play with someone else and I think this is the worst thing that could happen. Too many times our children play their games by themselves and aren’t getting out to socialize with other children. They are staying in their houses playing video games instead of having some friends over and playing a few board games. Board games are a great way to teach children to take turns. They will learn that life isn’t always about them and they have to let someone else go or they never get a turn.
Children are naturally social creatures because everyone is and by providing time and an opportunity for them to play with others it teaches them the correct way to behave around people. They will have a good time while at the same time learn how to share, take turns and have fun.
Rain, rain, go away: Best indoor games for kids
There are so many things kids can do inside when it is raining but I will only touch on a couple of them. Otherwise, we could be here for hours talking about the different games kids can play. When I worked at a day care and it would rain, which was infrequent since we lived in Las Vegas, we always did something special for the kids to do so that they weren’t bored with their normal toys. It was a way to keep them entertained and still have fun.
BOARD GAMES. The standard toy for kids to play with, while inside, is board games. They have different games for all ages now. They have board games for kids starting as young as 2 years old. You can let each child choose a game and you play all of them that are chosen.
WATER GAMES. You can set up small containers that you store toys in for the kids to play with. Add some water and some small toys and they will play for hours with them. You can also use sand instead of the water and put some buried treasure into the sand for them to find. If you are going to do either one of these put towels under the chairs and table and under the container so you have an easier cleanup process.
ART PROJECT. When it is raining, it’s a great time to bring out the water color paints for the kids to create elaborate pictures for display. The great thing about this is they get to use their imagination and you can have them create the art for a show and display the picture like in an art exhibit. They will have a ball with this.
MISCELLANEOUS GAMES. When kids can’t go outside and play they normally have a lot of energy they need to get out. This is when you can set up tunnels for them to crawl through so that they can get out the energy. You can also have races for the kids, but not by running. You set up to spot for them to race from and to and you have them do the races in different positions like a crab walk or wiggling on their stomach. The list is endless for the different types of races you could do.
Have fun with your kids, if you take the time to pay attention to them, it will be the best day of your life. You will have fun together and find out your children have an awesome sense of humor and enjoy spending time with you. So turn the rainy day into a fun day, and your kids might ask for the fun more often instead of just when it is raining.
BOARD GAMES. The standard toy for kids to play with, while inside, is board games. They have different games for all ages now. They have board games for kids starting as young as 2 years old. You can let each child choose a game and you play all of them that are chosen.
WATER GAMES. You can set up small containers that you store toys in for the kids to play with. Add some water and some small toys and they will play for hours with them. You can also use sand instead of the water and put some buried treasure into the sand for them to find. If you are going to do either one of these put towels under the chairs and table and under the container so you have an easier cleanup process.
ART PROJECT. When it is raining, it’s a great time to bring out the water color paints for the kids to create elaborate pictures for display. The great thing about this is they get to use their imagination and you can have them create the art for a show and display the picture like in an art exhibit. They will have a ball with this.
MISCELLANEOUS GAMES. When kids can’t go outside and play they normally have a lot of energy they need to get out. This is when you can set up tunnels for them to crawl through so that they can get out the energy. You can also have races for the kids, but not by running. You set up to spot for them to race from and to and you have them do the races in different positions like a crab walk or wiggling on their stomach. The list is endless for the different types of races you could do.
Have fun with your kids, if you take the time to pay attention to them, it will be the best day of your life. You will have fun together and find out your children have an awesome sense of humor and enjoy spending time with you. So turn the rainy day into a fun day, and your kids might ask for the fun more often instead of just when it is raining.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
How to build an indoor fort with kids
The first thing you have to determine is if you are going camping, taking a fishing trip or hiding from aliens from outer space, because they all require different indoor forts. Have fun with your children, let them use their imagination and it will soar.
If you are going on a camping trip, have them get their sleeping bag and anything else they want to take on the camping trip. I always kept old blankets just to make forts out of, the kids enjoy it and it is fun to watch them play. Take four kitchen chairs and drape the blankets over them to create an area that is completely enclosed. You can secure the blankets underneath the legs of the chairs to make sure they don’t move. Then step back and invite the children to play. You might have to rebuild it a couple of times as they will get rambunctious but they will have fun.
When it comes to fishing trips the possibilities are endless. When my son was small, he always wanted to camp out and go fishing. We would create a bed in the family room and he would go fishing off the end of the bed. You couldn’t step on the floor because the floor was water and you would get wet and scare away all the fish. If you want to create an indoor fort for fishing then take the blankets and create a tent over the couch and that is the shore and then they can fish into the carpet with is the river or lake.
Now hiding from an alien from outer space or being an alien from outer space is fun. The best way to make a fort for this is to use an old box, the larger the better, and make it into a space ship. Let you child help you decorate it. You can use different colors of paint and colored jewels to decorate it into a first class ship. The kids will play with this for days and have a ball racing through space.
There are many different types of forts you can make, but the most important part is to let the children have fun creating what type of fort they want. Not only will the children enjoy making the different forts but so will the adults watching them use their minds to create different worlds.
If you are going on a camping trip, have them get their sleeping bag and anything else they want to take on the camping trip. I always kept old blankets just to make forts out of, the kids enjoy it and it is fun to watch them play. Take four kitchen chairs and drape the blankets over them to create an area that is completely enclosed. You can secure the blankets underneath the legs of the chairs to make sure they don’t move. Then step back and invite the children to play. You might have to rebuild it a couple of times as they will get rambunctious but they will have fun.
When it comes to fishing trips the possibilities are endless. When my son was small, he always wanted to camp out and go fishing. We would create a bed in the family room and he would go fishing off the end of the bed. You couldn’t step on the floor because the floor was water and you would get wet and scare away all the fish. If you want to create an indoor fort for fishing then take the blankets and create a tent over the couch and that is the shore and then they can fish into the carpet with is the river or lake.
Now hiding from an alien from outer space or being an alien from outer space is fun. The best way to make a fort for this is to use an old box, the larger the better, and make it into a space ship. Let you child help you decorate it. You can use different colors of paint and colored jewels to decorate it into a first class ship. The kids will play with this for days and have a ball racing through space.
There are many different types of forts you can make, but the most important part is to let the children have fun creating what type of fort they want. Not only will the children enjoy making the different forts but so will the adults watching them use their minds to create different worlds.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
How to get your toddler to brush his teeth
When my daughter was little and even now she doesn’t like the taste of toothpaste. Getting her to brush her teeth was difficult and if we weren’t careful would end up with frustration on both sides and then we would have to calm her down before she went to bed. So instead of fighting with her we talked to her dentist about what we could do to get her to brush her teeth.
His recommendation was to let her brush her teeth without toothpaste. She is still working on getting the plaque off of her teeth but doesn’t have to handle the taste of the toothpaste. So we tried this and she would brush her teeth with only water. As the years went by, companies started making new toothpastes with different flavors so we would try out different ones and we ended up finding an orange flavored one that she will use.
Not using toothpaste didn’t bother my daughter’s teeth. She is almost 14 and hasn’t had a single cavity and has straight teeth and doesn’t need braces. So for the parents who have children that don’t like the taste of toothpaste, try using just water and see if it will help them to brush more often. You will be surprised about the results.
Also you might want to try the different flavors that are available now. We found with my daughter she didn’t like the taste of mint and that is why she didn’t like most toothpastes. My son prefers to use cinnamon flavored toothpaste. If you can make brushing their teeth enjoyable then you will not have to worry about them brushing their teeth because they will enjoy it and continue on their own.
His recommendation was to let her brush her teeth without toothpaste. She is still working on getting the plaque off of her teeth but doesn’t have to handle the taste of the toothpaste. So we tried this and she would brush her teeth with only water. As the years went by, companies started making new toothpastes with different flavors so we would try out different ones and we ended up finding an orange flavored one that she will use.
Not using toothpaste didn’t bother my daughter’s teeth. She is almost 14 and hasn’t had a single cavity and has straight teeth and doesn’t need braces. So for the parents who have children that don’t like the taste of toothpaste, try using just water and see if it will help them to brush more often. You will be surprised about the results.
Also you might want to try the different flavors that are available now. We found with my daughter she didn’t like the taste of mint and that is why she didn’t like most toothpastes. My son prefers to use cinnamon flavored toothpaste. If you can make brushing their teeth enjoyable then you will not have to worry about them brushing their teeth because they will enjoy it and continue on their own.
How to live without cable or satellite and still get your TV fix
Is paying $30 to over $100 dollars a month worth it? Not only does it waste you time, but it takes away from the quality time you can spend with you family. Before we moved, we had satellite tv, we had movie channels, all of the specialty channels, sports channels and even HD channels. We decided when we moved that we didn't want to have it back. We didn't want to through away $1,200 a year in television shows. The amazing part is the change that came over our children. They are pleasant to be with, we can actually talk to them again with out the attitude of I'm watching a show, what do you want. My children were scheduling their life around television. If a show was coming on that they wanted to see, they felt they couldn't do anything because they might miss it. Now my son is actually reading, something he has never liked to do. My daughter has started drawing again and is really good at it. The strengths that are showing up in my children more than makes up for not having scifi or the movie channels.
Now I am not saying that we don't have television, because we do. We have a couple of shows that we watch each week, but the television isn't on all of the time. At first we weren't able to get any channels in even with an antenna, but we hooked up our HD Receiver and we get quite a few channels now, even a channel that shows music videos. The best part for all of this is that it is free!
My husband realized a few weeks ago that the television had been taking over his life. If he was watching a television show then he would ignore the children or even tell them to be quiet because he was watching something. Now he actually enjoys spending time with them again and have started to do things together as a family.
I am not saying that getting rid of cable or satellite tv will improve your home life, but it won't hurt it either. If you really need to watch certain television shows then there are ways to do that now. Quite a few of the network stations offer there last week of episodes online for you to watch, after the show has aired. What is great about this is that if you have to answer the phone or the door, or something comes up, you can always go back to it and not miss anything. Another thing you can do is wait for the episodes to come out on DVD. We had started watching 24 this year for the first time because my son liked it and are now hooked. But because we had missed the first 5 seasons we went out and bought them and can watch them at our leisure. And another thing that 24 did was offer the first 4 episodes on DVD already. Another way that you can get your tv fix without cable or satellite tv is you can download episodes for different television shows online for a fee, normally it is around $1.99. This way you don't have to wait for the whole season to come out on DVD but can download it as it becomes available.
So you can still get your television fix in a multiple of ways, but I still think the best benefit of not having cable and satellite television is that you aren't wasting your time in front of the television, you can actually spend time together.
Now I am not saying that we don't have television, because we do. We have a couple of shows that we watch each week, but the television isn't on all of the time. At first we weren't able to get any channels in even with an antenna, but we hooked up our HD Receiver and we get quite a few channels now, even a channel that shows music videos. The best part for all of this is that it is free!
My husband realized a few weeks ago that the television had been taking over his life. If he was watching a television show then he would ignore the children or even tell them to be quiet because he was watching something. Now he actually enjoys spending time with them again and have started to do things together as a family.
I am not saying that getting rid of cable or satellite tv will improve your home life, but it won't hurt it either. If you really need to watch certain television shows then there are ways to do that now. Quite a few of the network stations offer there last week of episodes online for you to watch, after the show has aired. What is great about this is that if you have to answer the phone or the door, or something comes up, you can always go back to it and not miss anything. Another thing you can do is wait for the episodes to come out on DVD. We had started watching 24 this year for the first time because my son liked it and are now hooked. But because we had missed the first 5 seasons we went out and bought them and can watch them at our leisure. And another thing that 24 did was offer the first 4 episodes on DVD already. Another way that you can get your tv fix without cable or satellite tv is you can download episodes for different television shows online for a fee, normally it is around $1.99. This way you don't have to wait for the whole season to come out on DVD but can download it as it becomes available.
So you can still get your television fix in a multiple of ways, but I still think the best benefit of not having cable and satellite television is that you aren't wasting your time in front of the television, you can actually spend time together.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Testimonial: Postpartum depression from an individual perspective
When our son was born, it was the most glorious experience in my life. This little baby boy was adorable; he smiled quite a bit and would cuddle in your arms. It was an amazing feeling to just look at him while he slept, then it got so he would sleep and so would I. I figured this was normal; he is up during the night which means I was, so I figured I was supposed to sleep when he did.
It took me eighteen months to figure out what was going on and put a stop to it. I didn’t want to do anything. Not clean house, take a shower or even eat. I got quieter and quieter and it got so bad that there were days I wouldn’t even leave the house. My husband worked nights and after my son went to bed, I was up until about 5 a.m. every night. I would then go to sleep for about 2 hours and stay up until 5 a.m. the next morning. I knew I looked bad, but I really didn’t care. Nothing seemed to matter and I cried all the time.
I finally realized what was going on when a friend came over and started talking to me. She pointed out what she saw and wondered if there was anything she could do to help. By this time, my son and I would go out at night for about 30 minutes but that is the only time I left the house except to go grocery shopping if I couldn’t convince my husband to do it. Once I sat down and started looking at my life, I started to get worried that there was something wrong with me. But I was reading a magazine and saw an article about postpartum depression and realized I had most of the symptoms. I talked it over with my husband and we went to the doctor. He confirmed that I had it and we started on a method to get me through it.
I am very happy to note when I had my daughter when my son was three, I didn’t deal with the depression part of it. I am eternally grateful for that because it is something that no one should ever have to go through. It can completely destroy you if you let it.
It took me eighteen months to figure out what was going on and put a stop to it. I didn’t want to do anything. Not clean house, take a shower or even eat. I got quieter and quieter and it got so bad that there were days I wouldn’t even leave the house. My husband worked nights and after my son went to bed, I was up until about 5 a.m. every night. I would then go to sleep for about 2 hours and stay up until 5 a.m. the next morning. I knew I looked bad, but I really didn’t care. Nothing seemed to matter and I cried all the time.
I finally realized what was going on when a friend came over and started talking to me. She pointed out what she saw and wondered if there was anything she could do to help. By this time, my son and I would go out at night for about 30 minutes but that is the only time I left the house except to go grocery shopping if I couldn’t convince my husband to do it. Once I sat down and started looking at my life, I started to get worried that there was something wrong with me. But I was reading a magazine and saw an article about postpartum depression and realized I had most of the symptoms. I talked it over with my husband and we went to the doctor. He confirmed that I had it and we started on a method to get me through it.
I am very happy to note when I had my daughter when my son was three, I didn’t deal with the depression part of it. I am eternally grateful for that because it is something that no one should ever have to go through. It can completely destroy you if you let it.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Great Spring Activities for your Children
There are many activities that you can do with your children and quite a few of them are geared toward springtime. This is the time of year when you get outside with your children and have fun. It isn’t too hot to spend time outside or so cold that you have to limit your time outside.
Bird Watching. You can use to activity to teach your child about the different birds in your neighborhood or surrounding area. This becomes more difficult to use when you live in a climate where there isn’t a lot of birds, like a desert area or in a city. But you can always go out to a rural area to engage in this activity. You can buy them their own pair of binoculars and let them help you choose bird feeders, so you can research together what type of birds you would like to attract. It would also be helpful to get a book from the library or book store that has pictures about the different birds in your area.
Gardening. You and your children can plan a garden and start planting it. You can choose the area you would like to turn into a garden and after you have figured out the area, then you can determine how many different types of plants you can grow. They can be involved in the entire process and can help you buy the seeds or plants. You will all have a fun time planting the seeds and plants in your new garden and it can be an ongoing project as they can help weed it and water it on a daily basis. The joy they will have when they are able to eat their first vegetable that they grew will not be surpassed.
Bicycling or Walking. This will help your child to stay in shape while being outside and spending time together as a family. If the family walks or rides bikes on nightly basis or even every other day it will be time that the family will enjoy. It will help the children to put an exercise program in place that they will have fun with and it will help them to keep on exercising after they become adults.
There are many other activities that you can do with your child during the spring from visiting the zoo to going to museums or nature centers. Spring time is normally a time when family go outside to enjoy their evenings together. It is a time they enjoy the warmth in the air and watch the new birds being born, the flowers blossoming and the trees blooming. It is the time when we can teach our children to enjoy not only time outside but time together as a family.
Bird Watching. You can use to activity to teach your child about the different birds in your neighborhood or surrounding area. This becomes more difficult to use when you live in a climate where there isn’t a lot of birds, like a desert area or in a city. But you can always go out to a rural area to engage in this activity. You can buy them their own pair of binoculars and let them help you choose bird feeders, so you can research together what type of birds you would like to attract. It would also be helpful to get a book from the library or book store that has pictures about the different birds in your area.
Gardening. You and your children can plan a garden and start planting it. You can choose the area you would like to turn into a garden and after you have figured out the area, then you can determine how many different types of plants you can grow. They can be involved in the entire process and can help you buy the seeds or plants. You will all have a fun time planting the seeds and plants in your new garden and it can be an ongoing project as they can help weed it and water it on a daily basis. The joy they will have when they are able to eat their first vegetable that they grew will not be surpassed.
Bicycling or Walking. This will help your child to stay in shape while being outside and spending time together as a family. If the family walks or rides bikes on nightly basis or even every other day it will be time that the family will enjoy. It will help the children to put an exercise program in place that they will have fun with and it will help them to keep on exercising after they become adults.
There are many other activities that you can do with your child during the spring from visiting the zoo to going to museums or nature centers. Spring time is normally a time when family go outside to enjoy their evenings together. It is a time they enjoy the warmth in the air and watch the new birds being born, the flowers blossoming and the trees blooming. It is the time when we can teach our children to enjoy not only time outside but time together as a family.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Teens and Decorating
My daughter loves to change the decorations in her room and would change them every week if we let her. When she started getting the idea to change her room we imposed a rule that she had to like the theme, style and colors for six months before we would allow her to change her room. So she pored over magazines and every time we went to the hardware store she made sure to grab more paint samples. It took her about two months to decide what she wanted her room to look like, but then she was able to stay with that style for six months.
She went to her grandparents for a few weeks and we decided that while she was gone we were going to paint her room for her. So we removed the old wallpaper she had, and painted the room. Then we took some of her artwork and framed it and put it on the wall. The next thing we did was make pillows to match her room. When she came home and saw her room, she was amazed at how well it looked. She loved it.
Now that we have moved she is trying to decide what type of style to decorate her new room in and is looking at creating a jungle on the walls and take her artwork and display the ones that are of different animals. If she can last six months with the design we will help her put it in.
Teenagers have a unique style that is probably nothing like the parents’ style, but that doesn’t’ mean it is bad. You need to give them a chance to find their niche in the world and they will start with their room. As long as it isn’t too bad, let them decorate it the way they like and encourage their creativity.
www.helium.com
She went to her grandparents for a few weeks and we decided that while she was gone we were going to paint her room for her. So we removed the old wallpaper she had, and painted the room. Then we took some of her artwork and framed it and put it on the wall. The next thing we did was make pillows to match her room. When she came home and saw her room, she was amazed at how well it looked. She loved it.
Now that we have moved she is trying to decide what type of style to decorate her new room in and is looking at creating a jungle on the walls and take her artwork and display the ones that are of different animals. If she can last six months with the design we will help her put it in.
Teenagers have a unique style that is probably nothing like the parents’ style, but that doesn’t’ mean it is bad. You need to give them a chance to find their niche in the world and they will start with their room. As long as it isn’t too bad, let them decorate it the way they like and encourage their creativity.
www.helium.com
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