by Stacey Schifferdecker
This young lady is in the Christmas spirit
I remember watching a Sesame Street Christmas special a few years ago when Elmo wishes it could be Christmas every day. Of course, he soon realizes that Christmas every day really wouldn't be a good idea: people need to work, sing other songs, celebrate other holidays, and generally have a break from the whirlwind that Christmas often becomes. But how about the Christmas spirit - the love, kindness, and generosity we often find overflowing at Christmas? Can we help keep that Christmas spirit alive for our children all year long? Absolutely! And it may be easier than you think. The key is to model the Christmas spirit to our children every day in our own behavior.
Practice kindness
I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.
William Penn
Kindness is easy to practice all year long. If you have a big cart of groceries, let the person with just a few items go ahead of you. Hold a door open for the people behind you. Speak politely to everyone and refrain from gossip. READ More on Christmas Every Day
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Adopt a Family - Gift left secretly for a family in need
by Stephanie Partridge
As a single mom raising three kids on her own, our Christmases were sometimes a little scant. But while we did not have much by way of money or material goods, we had loads of love. We still do. We, the kids and I, have always felt rich, fortunate. My daughter always says, "We don't have much, but we have everything." And it is that philosophy that led us to a very special project a few years ago that became a Christmas tradition for our family.
One year, several years ago, we learned of a family who would not have much for Christmas. Both parents had been laid off and they were struggling just to put food on the table. They had two young children and it bothered my kids that these little ones would not have any Christmas presents.
Now, you have to realize here that I have three of the most tender hearts in the world residing within my children. They became aware of the situation and they began worrying about the family. They worried about how the parents felt because they couldn't give their children a Christmas. They worried about the children because they wouldn't understand why Santa did not visit them.
So they put their heads together and came up with a solution. They wanted to "adopt" the family. READ More on Adopt a Family for Christmas
No matter what our political affiliation is, or what we believe about the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, we need to make sure we keep our troops in our thoughts and prayers this holiday season and especially this Veterans Day. I received this picture from a friend and it really stuck me how alone they are. Fathers, sons, mothers and daughters will not see each other this year. Instead they will be doing their duty and helping to protect the United States and the freedom we have. READ More on Veterans Day: Remember Our Troops and Their Families
"To the World you might be just one person … but to one person you might be the world"
It does not always take a lot to make a difference in someones lives. To some people, to some children even a dollar or two can make a world of difference. One of the hardest things for me is seeing a child that is hurting, lonely or sick. One organization that is helping make a difference through almost all volunteer activity is Love without Boundaries. You can learn more about them through our recent interview we did with them: Hope for a Child.
Here are some current needs that will really make a difference in the life of a child:
Margaret
Margaret was found abandoned by the gate of an orphanage last month. She was a bit jaundiced the first few days at her orphanage but her color is pink now. Margaret has a very large teratoma on her lower back area that needs to be surgically removed as soon as possible before it becomes cancerous. The teratoma is so large that she is forced to sleep on her side to get comfortable. Aside from the teratoma, Margaret is developing really well and is a very alert baby. She follows people around the room with her eyes and she likes listening to people talk to her. She has learned to stretch her little body every morning when she wakes up and after a diaper change. Would you please consider helping this little girl receive a much needed surgery? To learn more and help this child visit Love Without Boundaries.
Haley
Haley is a sweet 10 month old who has been getting stronger every day after her cleft lip and palate repair. She is beginning to walk with assistance and is described as "trying to take each step with the precision of a dancer." She also likes to get the attention of her caregivers whenever they attend to another baby. Won't you consider sponsoring little Haley so she can grow up with the one to one attention of a foster family? To learn more and help this child visit Love Without Boundaries. READ More on Making a Difference this Holiday Season
Here is a collection of our top 5 laughing baby videos.
1) This one is a classic and aways makes me and my kids laugh. It is our anti-depression video when one of more of our family has had a rough day for sure.
2) I showed this one to our kids and we had to keep on watching it over and over again.
READ More on Top 5 Funny Baby Videos
by Patricia Hughes
Happy Family of Four enjoying quality family time!
Years ago, I heard Bill Cosby say in a stand up comedy routine that parents don't care about fairness, they just want quiet. At the time, I had no children and it was just funny. Later, as a parent I saw it again and recognized it as a pearl of wisdom. All parents want a peaceful home.
I know all parents want peace because my children like to watch Nanny 911 and the lack of peace is a recurrent theme. This show taught me a valuable lesson, and not just that things aren't as bad in my home as they seem. Whatever the other issues in a family, a lack of peace is always at the core.
A few years ago, I was starting to struggle with sibling fighting, squabbling and yelling. The child not involved in the fight would end up turning up the TV or CD player in response to the noise. On some days, the noise level was out of control. It was destroying the peace in our family and affecting all of us. We'd find ourselves yelling in response to their fighting and it had a negative effect the parents and children.
Around that time I came across a book that caught my eye in Borders. The book is Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids: Practical Ways to Create a Calm and Happy Home by Naomi Drew. That book helped me realize that a peaceful family begins with me. If I wanted to change the dynamic in the house, it was possible. In this book, Drew discusses what she calls three essentials for peaceful parenting that I have used with our kids with success.
The first is to make the home a place of kind words. In our family, the sibling fighting often starts when one of the kids says something mean or puts down another child. That child responds with another insult. The fight soon escalates. To break this cycle, there should be a rule that no person puts down any other member of the family and the rule needs to be enforced. READ More on Parenting: A Peaceful Family Begins With Me
Filed under Communication, Family, Parenting by More4kids
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.READ More on Living Green - Dominion and Stewardship of God's Creation
Filed under Activities, Family, Green Living by More4kids
Kids Eat Free - Family Pizza Night
Eating out with your child can be a delight and a challenge all at the same time. You may feel delighted because you don't have to cook dinner that night, but on the other hand a children's meal can be almost as expensive as an adult meal or the portions may be too much for your child. Eating out is a luxury that you may have cut back on recently because of a tighter budget, but your children do not have to be another hindrance to you enjoying an occasional meal out. There are many places that offer children's meals at a reduced cost if not free; all you have to do is know when and where. So for all you parents who are looking to eat out with your children without breaking the bank, here are 25 restaurant ideas that will provide a free meal to your child, and provide a great evening of family time too! Please check with your local restaurant as times, offers and locations may vary.
1. Chevys
If you and your family have a birthday or promotion to celebrate why not have a fiesta. At Chevy's restaurant you will enjoy a wide variety of Mexican classics. For the kids, the menu is more limited, but the choices are still mostly Mexican food, save for the cheese burger. Also the meals are complete including sides, a drink and dessert. Depending on your location, kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal at least one day during the week (free days vary depending on your location; call your local Chevys or check online for free days in your area). http://www.chevys.com/
2. Marie Callender's
For food that everyone in the family is sure to enjoy, even the picky ones, Marie Callender's is a great place for the family. With big booths and tables, there is room for everyone to sit comfortably and enjoy dinner. The food available at Marie Callender's is mostly traditional American cuisine and of course pies, lots of different pies. Children 12 years old and younger will eat free with the purchase of an adult meal on Tuesdays and Saturdays (day vary upon location). http://www.mariecallenders.com/
3. Shari's
For a quick and inexpensive meal Shari's is a good choice for the whole family. They too serve mostly traditional American Fair and have large booths, tables, and booster seats available for the smaller ones in your family. Children can eat free on the weekends with the purchase of an adult meal. They are normally open late and early so if you have an early outing on the weekend, you can stop by for a fun breakfast of smiley face pancakes. The children's menu has lots of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner so you will be sure to find something your child will enjoy. https://www.sharis.com/
4. Taco Del Mar
For a quick meal fix, Taco Del Mar is a good choice. While they may qualify as fast food, they don't serve too much that is deep fried, but instead offer more freshly made food. On Sundays, children eat for free with the purchase of an adult meal. The kids menu is limited to tacos, burritos, rice, beans and quesadillas, which may not seem like much, but when it's free it may just be enough to satisfy your tot. http://www.tacodelmar.com/ READ More on 25 Places that Kids Eat Free
Love is spending time with your family
One way I learn is finding great quotes and incorporating them into my life. In have been doing a lot on Twitter in the evenings and have been sharing with many of my Twitter friends. Many of the quotes I have found researching, and some I have even made up myself based on experiences of myself and others. I share these quotes humbly and hope people will enjoy reading and learning from these parenting, family and motivational quotes.
Parenting Quotes:
Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be - David Bly
Stop trying to perfect your child, but keep trying to perfect your relationship with him- Dr. Henker
Parents need to fill a child's bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can't poke enough holes to drain it dry-Alvin Price
Encourage & support your kids because "Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them. - Lady Bird Johnson
If your child has a weakness, teach them how to turn it into a strength! The only Failure is not trying. - Kevin Heath
Kids learn integrity from us: "Integrity is what we say, what we do, and what we say we do." - Don Galer
If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others. - Haim Ginott
Children desperately need to know - and to hear in ways they understand and remember - that they're loved and valued by mom and dad - Paul Smally
The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children - Elaine Heffner
Let your kids observe you doing random acts of kindness, it can be contagious
- Kevin Heath
READ More on Parenting and Motivational Quotes to Live By
The rainstorm had just ended and the boy and his father went out for a walk in the cool spring air. They both liked taking a walk together after a rainstorm. It was always so quiet and peaceful.
As they walked the boy suddenly turned to his father and asked, "Why do some people have different color skin?"
The father was slightly taken aback. It was such an abrupt question. What should he tell his son? He thought for a minute, and suddenly he paused…. He saw something in the distance.
He knelt on one knee and pointed to a rainbow forming. The father decided instead to ask his son a question. "What if a rainbow only had one color?"
The little boy looked at the rainbow. At first he looked confused and said "I would be very sad if a rainbow only had one color".
Then the boys dad saw a smile on his sons face and a twinkle in his eyes. The boy blurted out excitedly, "God must be very smart to make the world so beautiful".
The father then felt a lump in the back of his throat and a tear of pride on his left cheek. His 7 year old son had just grasped what so many people fail to grasp.
He turned to his son, rubbed him gently on his back, kissed his sons forehead and simply said "Yes He is smart".
As the father stood up his child gently slipped his hand into his father's hand.
Together they walked towards the rainbow.
"We are God's Rainbow,
Where there is Diversity there is Beauty"
Kevin Heath - More4kids Inc.
