Any parent knows that grocery shopping can get pretty expensive, especially when buying food for an entire family. As a mother of two I know how much groceries can cost each month, especially when buying everything from breakfast to dinner and even snacks. As kids grow bigger so do their appetites. They can all add up to a pretty penny, and can cost a family hundreds of dollars a month to keep everyone in their household satisfied. There are many ways to save money on groceries, but it requires smart shopping and a little dedication.

Read More

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

Read More

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the United States had 902,270 public charities in 2006. You can choose to give you money to help build houses for the poor, find cures for diseases, protect endangered animals, or help children learn to read. The problem isn’t finding a charity to support, but narrowing down your options and choosing the one you find most worthy.

Read More

For many families, adoptions are a way of getting the baby they have always dreamed of having.  However, adopting an infant can often prove to be very difficult.  In the United States, infants are often hard to adopt. Therefore, many people turn to international adoptions.  In many cases, adopting internationally can be very successful and fulfilling. 
After you have made the decision to adopt, you must next decide what country you would like to adopt a child from.  In order to pick a country that will work with your needs, you will want to make sure you do sufficient research.  Each country has its own rules and regulations that must be followed.

Read More

It is the parent’s responsibility to help teach and prepare our children for what lies ahead in their lives, to show them what the values of Green Living, and learning about the earth are really all about. These Green Living Tips are targeted more to the parents than to the children, simply because the child will be at such a young age. Whatever a parent does with their kids will be as much fun for the parent as for the child.

When a parent starts teaching their children while they are young, it sets in their mind and most of the time, the things you teach them will always be with them. If you live in a rural area, and you have a garden spot, give your child a small space for them to grow something of their own. For instance, Don’t just plant vegetables, make it fun for the youngsters, let them plant things that they would like, even if it is something like gourds, or watermelons. A parent would take the time to make sort of a game with their young ones, buying some seeds, showing the child how to plant them and then taking their child outside often to check the progress of the plants. Once the plant blooms, if it is a flower, the child will get to see and smell the work that they have put into this project. If the plant was a food source, the child will get to taste the fruit of their hard work. There is not only gardening in the spring, but there are fall veggies that can be planted. You can even sit down with your children and let them help pick out the flowers and vegetables for next years garden.

Read More

More4kids likes to recognize both individuals and organizations that make a positive impact in the lives of families. "First Things First” is such an organization that has made a positive impact in the lives of many families and in the community in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. They focus on assisting families with various areas of interest. This nonprofit organization works with numerous resources in the Hamilton County area, such as businesses, special groups, and individuals to bring together a wide selection of resources for the families in the area. The leaders of the community established that the county would be strengthened by first strengthening the families of that community. This marked the beginning of “First Things First”.  We will review what this organization does, what they stand for, and why this organization deserves credit for the hard work they do helping families and couples.

Read More

Families everywhere are really getting severly pinched or hurt with the price of gas these days, and there is no end in sight. We have to do everything we can to save a little here and there, not only on road trips, but on everyday tips to drop kids off at school, work, or the grocery store. This summer a lot of families will be driving on the roads. With the price of gas and diesel both climbing, it is important to remember that no matter how much you are paying at the pump, there are some ways to save your gas once you’ve purchased it, which will allow you to spend less overall on gasoline. There are things that a family, and there are things that you can do to your car to make sure that you are able to save on gasoline. Here are a few gas saving tips that may help.

Read More

Dogs have long been known as “man’s best friend”; they are social animals who see the humans around them as their pack and they become strongly attached to those humans.  One of the things about a family pet is that they can help teach responsibility. A dog can be a lot of fun and a great addition to your family, but a dog can also be a lot of work, and there is always the chance the child might tire of the pet and leave the chores for Mom and Dad. Thats when your parenting skills come in to empasize how important it is and how much it means to your pet when your kids help out with them. One tip is to make the chores fun, help the child out if they need it and make it a routine.

Read More

Local Activities For Kids 

Not every family can travel during spring break. And how many of us have truely explored our own local community. We live in Chattanooga, TN, and were amazed of all the local activities we could get involved in when we moved into the area. In Chattanooga we have great parks, a sea Aquarium, a small zoo, camping, and great views, especially from Lookout Mountain.

Like us, many parents may not be able to get the week off of work, or there just might not be enough money in the budget for a trip. But that doesn’t mean that your family can’t have some spring break fun. There are plenty of things that you can do locally as a family. These include:

Read More

by Pam Smith 

Step-parenting is becoming more and more common in today’s society..  However, it is not always an easy situation.  Visions of the Brady Bunch are quickly replaced with reality.  There are a variety of different reasons why you may be in a step-parenting roll. When in the early stages of step-parenting there are some simple steps you can take in order to break the ice and form a friendship with your step-son or step-daughter.

Read More

Juggling a family, a career and a relationship with our significant other can be a challenge for a family. With two children ourselves, a husband in a demanding career, and being a work at home mom, I know our lives can be very interesting to say the least. Here is a list of tips for daily living that can help manage your time and may help make things a little less hectic:

• Keep it simple, give two choices instead of asking “what do you want ____”
• Set limits on things like television, video games, and phone chatter … for everyone in the household.  Eliminates arguing and gets everyone doing other things
• Make adjustments when you have to, you can’t be everywhere at once
• Don’t forget to consider your travel time, prep time, clean up time, waiting time
• Deal with things as they happen, (the mail came, sort it now instead of waiting until later - also eliminates clutter that you would have to clean up later)
• Get involved in a car pool to get kids where they need to go, school, soccer, baseball, football … sharing these tasks save you and someone else time and gas money!
• Follow routines and schedules, such as getting up at the same time and leaving at the same time daily…create a pattern/routine get home, do your homework, 30 minutes to watch tv/play game/read, dinner, get a bath, quiet time, bedtime

Read More

Switching from career-driven employee to stay-at-home-parent (SAHP) is a colossal move. Parents must weigh the pros and cons of leaving their jobs and determine if it’s financially possible. Often it involves a lifestyle change, perhaps cutting expenses or relinquishing pumps for sneakers. Sometimes it means a career change for the other parent.

Read More

By Ask Yiayia-Becky Kapsalis

“The years teach me much the days never knew” Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are a goal oriented society. Especially, since, at this time of year we’re given second chances to start anew. Goals are different than resolutions. Goals are defined as ‘something that somebody wants to achieve’; resolutions are defined as ‘firmness of mind or purpose’. Ask yourself “what goals do we want to achieve as a family, this year?” Break the goals into four categories for individual and family: Physical, Spiritual, Family, and Financial.

As a family discuss individual and family goals. Write them down and check back every month to see the progress, check off those that have been accomplished and add new goals for those that are a work in progress.

Read More

by Stacey Schifferdecker

My mother-in-law has been talking about for years – taking my family and my sister-in-law’s family for a cruise. But the timing never worked out until now. This year, for the first time ever, my children’s schools and my nephews’ schools have spring break the same week. So hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to Mexico we go. I am a vacation planner junky, so naturally I am hip-deep in research about the best way to enjoy our cruise and keep six kids ranging in age from 7 (the only girl) to 14 happy and healthy for a week. So here is what I have learned – check back with me in March to see how the reality lives up to the research.

 

Which Cruise Line to Choose?

Which cruise line to choose was the first question we had. Of course, your departure location helps narrow this choice. Unless you have unlimited time and money for your vacation, you will likely choose the departure port that is nearest your home. The major ports for cruise ship departures in North America are

Read More

Most children love celebrating Valentine’s Day. There is a lot of excitement that occurs during this holiday. Children get to enjoy various crafts, social gatherings, and, of course, indulging in lots of sweet treats! If you are in the process of gathering ideas for Valentine’s Day activities for kids, you have stopped at the right spot! Here, you will be introduced to a number of fun and exciting activities for your child.

Valentine’s Day Party

No Valentine’s Day is complete without a party! There are many different things that can be done to make a party for this particular holiday fun and exciting for kids. The key to a successful Valentine’s Day party is interaction! Make sure that there are plenty of games and activities that the kids can participate in! Detailed below are some great ideas that you can implement at the Valentine’s Day party that will be throwing!

Read More